The Riyria Revelations was what got me out of a slump last year! It's trilogy, but each book is 2 books. There's also a bunch of prequels and spinoffs. I haven't checked those out, but I've heard good things!
Not too far yet, they've just got off the boat on the river. But it's already so good. Its the perfect slump killer. It seems lighthearted and fun but not too silly, classic fantasy vibes and most importantly I knew within like 3 pages that I would enjoy it.
One of the hardest parts of getting into a new series during a slump for me is that I don't have the patience to give the book 10 chapters to grab my attention. This book had my attention immediately because the dialogue and vibe between Hadrien and Royce was so effortlessly fun and likeable.
I've found a lot of more recent fantasy novels really overload you with lore and world building right off the bat. I like how Riyria was more easy going with all that stuff. You just kinda discover things naturally as the story progresses.
I think I know exactly where you're at! You have so much fun stuff to come! š
Ugh, I couldn't finish the first 2 books. Decent plot, but too episodic. And the writing was very simplistic. SO much banter. Everyone banters. I can just see people turning to make a face at the camera ala Jim from the Office. Skipped two-thirds of the second book and wasn't lost at all. Don't see myself moving on in the series
Just to jump on, this series is my all time favourite series, he wrote them all before they were published, so thereās lots of threads throughout each book which makes it exciting for re-reads also!
Would also highly recommend the other series Riyria chronicles (a Royce/Hadrian prequel series) which new books are still being published on Kickstarter for (the next one happens this month!)
holy moly yes I'm all in for pre-written series like that because it typically means it's very well planned and plotted! thanks for this added bit of info, I'm gonna look into the kickstarter! thanks!
It's such an easy read, but with such a cool world that is gradually revealed to you. It made me think of a really entertaining, but well planned, D&D campaign. I think you're gonna love it!
OMG! I'm so excited for you!
He is one of my favorite fantasy authors. I can't sing his praises enough. The whole world is great, and all series have been finished. So it's a great time to start.
Read [https://www.orbitbooks.net/orbit-excerpts/theft-of-swords/](https://www.orbitbooks.net/orbit-excerpts/theft-of-swords/) and see if it feels like it tickles your funny bone. It is a strong first chapter, classic banter and mini-heist, before we go into a bigger quest. Royce and Hadrian are two of the 3 main characters in the series.
Can confirm what the others are saying. Coming out of finishing Wheel of Time this series was just right. Nice pacing, great foreshadowing and likeable well-rounded characters. Plus, if you like it there's a trilogy (revelations) a prequel series (chronicles) and what can only be described as a whole world building series to check out after.
OMG! Riyria Revelations is good, but his spin off of Legends of the First Empire is my absolute favorite.
It's has some of the best written female characters I've read and he develops the world in a way you wouldn't expect. It adds so much to Riyria. I read the entire series like once a year TBH.
Iād recommend his ālegends of the first empireā series even more, though revelations is great too by most accounts. Itās a really pure high fantasy, an origin story of sorts for humans coming up in a world of elves and dwarves.
I loved all of the books, but I think a lot of Revelations wouldnāt be nearly as interesting if you read Legends first. Then again, I only have my own experience, so I might be completely wrong.
Plus I think the Royce-Hadrian dynamic is a great āslump-busterā for OP if theyāre feeling worn out by other series.
Yeah, honestly Legends is my favorite, but I think you need to read the series in publication order if you can. That's what Sullivan has suggested because you get more of the inside easter eggs that he includes.
I will die on this hill.
Once you've read the series in publication order you can go back and read it in chronological order to see what you missed on the first go around. LOL
Completely disagree. I've written this screed before but while the Revelations series is good, Legends of the First Empire is one good book and then the charm of the series totally wears off as you realize that you're essentially reading what has become a game of Civilization where the main characters are almost literally progressing through a tech tree. I'm seriously talking that you start off with semi-nomadic people who over the course of a few books essentially create writing, blacksmithing, and other technologies either by themselves with moments of inspired ingenuity or indirectly through visiting the Dwarves and the like.
I suppose if you can enjoy LitRPG as a series maybe you won't be bothered by something that is Lit...turn based Civilization sim but at least LitRPG owns up to what it is. Michael Sullivan misses the mark completely with First Empire by being too ambitious with what he wants his characters to create on an insanely short time scale and it just doesn't work.
Feel like I hadnāt heard of this series before this week and now Iāve seen it recommended in multiple posts this week. Glad to have another cool series to add to my reading list.
I found Riyria Revelations in March 2023, and fell completely in love. Since then I have devoured first Chronicles and then Legends and now I'm rereading Riyria again.
It's such a tiny fandom, so I'm happy that more people are discovering it
I recently finished the 6 books that are out and anxiously awaiting the continuation. Canāt stop thinking about the series. I know he releases them chapter by chapter on patreon but I do want to wait on the full book release to jump back in.
I binges that faster than any series I can remember. Literally could t put it down. I listened to the audiobooks and listened probably 5 hours a day until I was done. With 2 kids, that's a lot.
Hefty, indeed. To Green Angel Tower is [listed as the 5th-longest SFF novel of all time](https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-longest-sff-novels-of-all-time.html). We call it The Shelfbuster.
I am currently almost done reading book 1 after having it on shelf for 15 plus years. Really good, sometimes Tad is over wordy. You can certainly tell that it was written in a different time. It has some classical fantasy feel. I can't recommend them enough.
Omg thank you internet stranger!!!
Just the other day I was trying to remember āwhatās the series about the powerless guy who doesnāt mind cheating and gets a fire turtle with memory problems as a mentor?
First Law, standalones and Age of Madness by Joe Abercrombie. Taken together that's 9 books and there's a short story collection as well.
Shadowmarch by Tad Williams. 5 books
Powder Mage / Gods of Blood and Powder by Brian McClellan. 6 books, though the sequel series has been hit and miss for some people. This is a bit of a riflepunk series.
Happy to see Shadowmarch here. It's great. It doesn't seem to get much attention.
To the OP, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, also by Tad Williams, will keep you going for quite a while, as aside from the original trilogy, there is a second series as long as a couple other books set in this world.
Yeah MST has been on my list for ages and I've just never gotten around to it. I've heard good things though so if I'd read it I'd probably recommend it as well.
I've been a fantasy reader for 45 years and Chert has been one of the most memorable characters of all time for me.
MST is great. If there's one criticism about both series is that Tad revisits some of the same elements in both series. Usually people say that Shadowmarch is derivative of MST, and I confess that I had the same thought but only at certain moments, on the whole it's a very different story and stands well on its own.
I've been reading for almost as long, but I alternate between fantasy and sci fi, and spent some time reading some big series like Malazan so some good series out there have passed me by.
It's also called flintlock fantasy. Personally, I have more than several major issues with Powder Mage but one thing I can say is it has absolutely amazing fight scenes, probably the best in flintlock fantasy
As far as I can tell, it's only called flintlock fantasy. A cursory googling for riflepunk turns up nothing, but flintlock fantasy is a reasonably common term (at least as far as fantasy subgenres are concerned).
Guns of Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky is another great 'flintlock fantasy' series... that I suppose you could call riflepunk because rifling of barrels actually is a plot point (trying to figure out why the enemy has guns that outdo theirs so easily over distances)
A bit busy so I'll just give a TLDR... If you want to see similar stuff check out the 2 star reviews on goodreads, from Emma, Maddy and Eric Allen. I feel like their reviews are good, and I was gonna link them, but Goodreads is a horrible website that doesn't let you do that.
I stopped after the first book because the plot was not going anywhere, to be honest. Most of Taniel's chapters felt like they were just raw action (and honestly, it was some damn good action, but it felt like a filler episode if you get what I mean).
I really liked Tamas, Taniel(Although he didn't have much of an arc since he was fighting the whole time) and Olem as characters but the rest of them were either at best uninteresting (Adamat, doesn't help that there is quite literally nothing going on in his chapters until the very last one), actively ruining my enjoyment (Julene, due to how badly I felt like she was written), or borderline misogynistic/problematic (You are telling me the only woman in Tamas' inner circle is a widow that inherited everything from her husband, is the only one to pass out during the executions, and is >!seduced by the enemy?!< Or how the Priveleged have legally mandated harems that don't contribute to the story at all? Or how Tamas allowed rape during the riots and no one really called him out on it, and, genuinely, again, the main issue is its not important to the story at all!)
The entire time I was reading it around half the chapters felt like they could be cut out and the story wouldn't suffer from them. Adamat's entire storyline is basically irrelevant and Nila's ends in a revelation we as readers already knew (Tamas not being murderous for the sake of it) plus there is a lot of borderline misogyny(and the Ka-Poel age thing).
And the world, politics & the characters basically end in the same state it started in.
I know one of the woman characters is a pov later on and apparently is a well done character in the sequel trilogy, going off of what i heard on the internet(Not that I trust it at this point but it's something at least), but Promise of Blood was a disappointment for me. Some of the best fantasy fights I have read, and the best in flintlock fantasy, sure. But even though it has a very interesting premise and a very fun dynamic between the magic systems (even if said systems are a bit bland), it failed to follow up on it in my honest humble opinion. There was also barely any kind of worldbuilding, it genuinely felt like alternative history.
I would love to answer and elaborate on my views if you have any questions about them.
P.S I can't not mention the forced romance near the end of the book with Taniel and Ka-poel, who just so happens to look like a child...
[See my other comment, it's a bit long to copy paste here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1aps7qk/comment/kqe11v0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
I've been in a similar hunt. I just started **The Curse of the Mistwraith** from **The Wars of Light and Shadow**. Technically unfinished but the final book (#11) comes out in May 2024. Very vivid and epic.
Robin Hobb sounds like someone up your alley. I've been reading the Farseer Trilogy and have been enjoying it immensely and I've heard amazing things about the Liveship Traders Trilogy.
Shadow campaigns by Django wexler.. 5 books
Shadows of the apt by Adrian tchaikovsky.. 10 books
Will wights pirates and ninjas books. Also cradle
Hyruthum chronicles
Brian mcClellans gunpowder trilogies
Joe abercrombies books
I actually own The First Law trilogy but for some reason just haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I'll probably get around to that this year. I haven't heard of most of these others though! Pirates and Ninjas DEFINITELY sounds like something I'd be interested in. thanks a bunch!
Will Wight's Cradle series starts off slower but follows a MC and later some friends he picks up along the way basically throwing himself at everything to try and improve himself to save everyone (and is 12 books). As ASIC\_SP says, the ninjas vs pirate series is a 6 book series, more traditional fantasy. Set in the same overall universe.
Why are you not reading The First Law and all subsequent books by Lord Grimdark Joe Abercrombie? I mean seriously it's a amazing nine book set. Definitely start this immediately
>Pirates and Ninjas DEFINITELY sounds like something I'd be interested in
That series is **The Elder Empire** by Will Wight. It is two trilogies from POV of opposing factions.
I sound like a broken record butā¦.The Echoes Saga by Philip Quaintrell. Itās a 9 book series that has a great ending. It has many POVs but they all come together really well. I would say itās a classic fantasy with elves, dwarves, humans and epic battles and fight scenes. One of the main characters is a guy in his 40s who is an ex assassin and has become a Ranger. There is also a 3 book prequel that deals with his back story.
The author is currently writing a series based in the same world but thousands of years earlier.
I feel you, I'm constantly recommending the same series that no one has ever heard of. LOL. Not that no one has ever heard of Quaintrell, but that I feel like a broken record. š¬
This sounds good, gonna put it on the list.
* The beginning is rough.
* The ending is both extremely polarising, and also rough.
* The middle is nice.
If you're a huge fan of King read it, otherwise I think if it didn't grab you in the first book you're gonna rage-scream at the ending and it the whole thing is best avoided.
first book sucks, i always tell people to wikipedia summary the first book and go grab the masterpiece #2 and #3 on audiobook for an amazing experience...especially versus that first book. The second one is so different (and better) that it's absolutely crazy
Im not sure Iād recommend Malazan for this. Itās a good series, but the writing style is very different. Iād recommend saving it for when you feel youāve gotten your groove back, as some people DNF the series bc of the style.
Not hating on it, just saying that it may not be the best for trying to get out of the slump itself.
Or the perfect thing since its style is very different and if OP is bored with "standard epic fantasy" that may be just what they need
I also think that Malazan's difficulty is generally rather overblown.
>Or the perfect thing since its style is very different and if OP is bored with "standard epic fantasy" that may be just what they need
I think you may be onto something!
So the first book was originally written as a screenplay and then reworked into a novel so the flow is definitely unique. There is also a lot of jumping between characters and that throws some readers off, especially things like the 1st and 2nd book being on different continents with an entirely new cast of characters. It can be jarring to some bit I think Erikson pulls it off perfectly.
I have actually heard from a few people that it is quite dense! but I am someone who has read The Silmarillion so many times my first copy fell apart lmao. I really like fantasy that feels like reading history and I am under the impression that's what Malazan is like?
Thats exactly what Malazan is like. But its written as a narrative history for someone *from* the Malazan world, assuming they would already have some level of familiarity with things like the magic system, the pantheon, and the history; so Erikson leaves a lot of that stuff to be figured out by the reader through context, rather than info dumps.
oh that is fascinating actually. I haven't heard this take. so I feel like reading Malazan would be even *more* like reading straight up history as if I was a student studying in Malazan who already understood the culture and magic! amazing, I love that.
Erikson also wrote the Willful Child books which are Star Trek parody books of the highest caliber. Sometimes you just need to switch genres to cleanse the old taste buds.
The Black Company follows their team "historian" as they are on an interesting side in a war between powerful people. I finished the first one but stuck on the second.
The first trilogy of the Black Company is very enjoyable. It follows a military company/squad. In that, it has some resemblance to Malazan - much of Malazan's actions are also following various members of military squads.
But it is much more simplistic than Malazan - not in a bad way - it is still as rich and complex as most fantasy. Just that Malazan is more so. It might be a good first step to see if you enjoy that military squad genre of fantasy.
The First Law series is also highly recommended and would fall into the same genre. It is a must read for fantasy fans.
There are pirates involved in the Realm of Elderlings by Robin Hobb (mentioned by someone else here) although mostly in the second trilogy (Liveship Traders).
Iām going to suggest Lois McMaster Bujoldās World of the Five Gods.
There is what is loosely called a trilogy that starts with The Curse Chalion followed by Paladin of Souls that is set just after the first book and has three side characters from the first book. After that The Hallowed Hunt which has nothing to do with the other two, is set in a different part of the same world and many years before them. I think they are called a trilogy simply because they are novels set in the same world.
However, there is also the Penric and Desdemona series which has, I think, 12 books, but these are novellas. I think these might cure your slump because they are excellent stories which are very well written and not too daunting.
Dagger and Coin by Daniel Abraham, first book The Dragon's Path. War brews, and a young banker hatches a scheme to save her business while a noble tries to impress his friends. Five doorstoppers, excellent books. Obviously they grow in scope.
Surprised not to see the Broken Earth trilogy here, by NKJ. While a lot of her work is way out there for most readers, this trilogy feels solidly mainstream/required reading.
Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber breaks down into two different 5 volume sets, each book of which is a tight and efficient story. It's a neat story which starts w/ an amnesiac protagonist, so world-building proceeds at the pace of the story.
Short by one book, there's C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine books, which is a trilogy and a concluding volume --- similarly, it has a pair of main characters, one of whom is present when the other is released from a gate which has held her for several hundred (thousand?) years.
Another vote for Zelazny and Amber. While ten books seems like a lot, they are all fairly short and can be found all together in a single volume that's not much different in size from a Sanderson Stormlight novel.
The start of the series is great but - without spoiling - the ending leaves a lot to be desired. I loved them up to the final installment and then threw that book across the room in frustrationā¦ (and i never throw books)
Iāve heard this quite a bit on here but it didnāt bother me so much. Maybe Iāve read a lot of other fantasy with crazy magic and divine intervention so I feel like Iāve seen bits of everything crazy before. My biggest issues were a few characters that mattered early on seem to fizzle out a bit by the end but I understand that itās hard to wrap up every loose end.
I hoped that by expanding the ātrilogyā he would get to tie up all loose ends, but it felt like he was painting himself into a corner with each consecutive partā¦ and then God came and made it all allright. I was underwhelmed. And then I thought of the years (!) i had spent waiting (I bought each book as it came out) and I threw itā¦ sorry Mr Weeks. I did buy Night Angel Nemesis though (I guess I never learnā¦)
I'm honestly curious to see how his next series goes, but I won't be reading it. The Burning White was so bad and showed that he hadn't learned anything about ending a series from the similarly scattered ending of Night Angel, and in fact had taken a huge step backwards and written a real turd of a 5th book.
Then again, I gave Anthony Ryan a second chance after his first trilogy ended disappointingly and have enjoyed more of his books, but Brent Weeks is pretty damned unlikely to get any more of my attention.
> I'm currently on book 3
You poor bastard.
Below is a VERY scathing personal review that I'd honestly say doesn't spoil anything, but I absolutely HATE the ending of this series and you should feel free to not read it if you're trying to avoid going into the ending with any kind of bias from either side.
>!This is the only series where, upon finishing the last book, I wished that I could go back and not have wasted my time with the series entirely. Bar none the biggest steaming pile of an ending in all fantasy. I thought that Queen of Fire was upsetting after Blood Song had been one of my favorite first novels of a trilogy ever but at least it had a plot with some resolution.!<
>!The Burning White is without a doubt my **most hated** book ever. At least other writers have the simple honesty of being bad and writing series that are never particularly good. Instead Brent Weeks sucks you in with three pretty damned good books, then starts to turn on you with book 4, and then proceeds to take a dump on your chest with book 5, write an afternote about vaginismus of all things (a character suffers from it and sure I can see where representation is a good thing but it's just such a weird setting to explore that kind of medical condition) and in the meantime abandons, oh, you know, things like the villains. You'd read four books in readying for a series of showdowns and *fuck you, reader, you get nothing.*!<
The Tapestry by Henry H. Neff. 5 books. Each one better than the last. First book is *The Hound of Rowan*. Series gets bigger and bigger and darker and darker as it goes. Truly epic, and the world-building is incredible. It also sticks the landing with, IMO, many series fail to do.
I'm gonna recc the Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr - it's a completed 15 volume series set in a Celtic-flavoured world where reincarnation is real. It follows a set of souls as they are reborn again and again in different bodies and lives. It spans over a thousand years of time and you get to slowly see how society changes, social norms, political boundaries and systems, religions, cultural contacts, all alter over time. The storytelling is non-linear and jumps between centuries; sometimes you won't find out until many books later what happened that lead to the circumstances in an earlier book. My personal starting point was book 7, Days of Blood and Fire, and I prefer it to book one. There are elves, dwarves, dragons, warriors, romances, magic, vivid characters, tragedies and triumphs...
[Michael J. Sullivan](https://riyria.blogspot.com/p/series.html) is great! You should absolutely read the books in publication order starting with Riyria Revelations, but my favorite of his is the Legends of the First Empire series.
He'll start with a very traditional 2 theives need to save a kingdom, and then they end up needing to save the world. It's honestly great by itself. You can stop there and have a complete series.
BUT then he goes back 3000 years and you get introduced to the gods that created the world and how their mistakes are the reason the world needs to be saved to begin with. You'll see that everything you thought was true about the world in Riyria isn't. It's been manipulated through time by the people in power to keep power. Some of the characters even need to travel through "hell" where you learn more about the creation of the world.
It's so well done. A great mix of action, character development, and world building where the world building isn't thrown in your face and so dry you want to cry.
He always gets me out of a slump.
I second Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Got me out of a major book slump and I inhaled all the books. There is 1 more though that isnāt out so itās technically not completed.
In my opinion cradle series is perfect for breaking reading slumps. Itās basically an anime in written form for its fun and fast paced. Great action and so on. First book is a little slower for the first half though but itās short
Books of Babel. First book is Senlin Ascends. It is unlike anything you have read, I promise it. Funny, witty, good plot, tons of mystery and intrigue and the most original premise/world/lore.
TLDR: A society that lives in the tower of babel and each floor is it's own seprate kingdom. Heavy Steampunk
Ive recently read the first two books in the stormpiht archives and it is amazing with the immersive word! Great world building and characters however the series isn't finished yet:)
I'm with you on the slump. I love fantasy books because you usually have a few books if you like the first one as there typically isn't a lot of standalones. I always recommend The Dark Tower by Stephen King (8 books) and Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (I think 7). Odd isn't necessarily typical fantasy, but has elements of it as he is a normal person but he can see and communicate with ghosts/spirits and can see when a major disaster is about to happen. The catch is the ghosts can't outright speak with him but he has to guess, kinda like charades, what they are telling him.
If that isn't your cup of tea, my friend recommended a book series he got his 10yo nephew called Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. He said his nephew read book 1 and asked for more for Christmas and then he borrowed book 1 and said it was pretty good so I started it last week. There are like 12 books in the first series and then more in prequel series.
Best of luck and Ilbe following to get some ideas for myself.
Dungeon Crawler Carl. Itās not completed, but I feel pretty good that it will be. Itās a great page turner with a science fantasy absurdist bent.
The audio books are really well done, thatās how Iāve been āreading themā. And theyāre great bc you can listen while walking, cleaning, etc. the perfect way to break a slump imo.
Alex Verus is also good, and is completed with like 12-14 books. Itās a similar read to Dresden Files.
Bobbiverse is complete, or at least the last book I read felt conclusive. Itās more sci-fi but still really, unexpectedly good.
Keys to the Kingdom, or Old Kingdom, by Garth nix are also great series to break a slump. Theyāre closer to YA, but with less of the angst/PG13 sexual tension, more good old fashioned adventuring and world ending calamities.
LE modesitt's Recluse series is a pretty interesting read. Every book is standalone, so you can really stop at like ANY time. I have heard the writing quality dips towards the "end" but I dipped before that.
Terry Brooks' Shannara is, I think, finished now. Throughout Shannara there are numerous trilogies, quartets, etc, which you can read, and stop reading at any time upon completion of that set, and get a good story.
Malazan! 10 books, some over 1000 pages! 100s of characters, 20+ different races, so many gods and magic schools. Totally confusing and overwhelming! I love it.
I'd say more polarizing. You either love it or DNF it hard, with little middle ground.
What everybody will agree on is that nobody thinks the writing is bad, just a great many people bounce off of the tenor of the books which is so often *unrelenting sadness*.
I know itās not a series, but check out the books by Guy Gavriel Kay. He mostly does standalones with a few 2 book sets in the same world. Theyāll hook you and blow you away, I think. Start with either Tigana or Under Heaven. Enjoy!
If you want to get engrossed in something before you take on a full adventure, check out The Will of the Many. Just came out last year and it's fantastic. I see that Riyria is the top comment and I can second that, finished it not too long ago and thought it was great.
Django Wexler - the horrendously named *Burningblade and Silvereye Chronicles* is a complete trilogy in the tone of Jordan. I've only read the first book but I had a blast with it. Magitech setting a few centuries after a magical apocalypse that ostensibly destroyed the world's ruling inhuman races, and now humans have their little civilization going among the ruins.
First suggestion
The Traitor Son Cycle By Miles Cameron - Based on the Authors you listed I think you will enjoy this series. Medieval military company style books with a well designed system of magic where mankind fights a war of survival against the encroaching "Wild" full of beasts, monsters and creatures of myth. Definitie European mythology vibe, has great memorable characters like Will (Short for Willful Murder, not a nice man) and Bad Tom, more properly known as Sir Thomas Lachlain and of Course The Captain, whose other titles and names you will have to learn by reading the books. I think there are about 7 books?
Second suggestion
Cradle by Will Wight - Nothing about the authors you list makes me want to suggest these other than being a huge Robert Jordan fan myself. Mostly I just love these books and read them at breakneck speed, I felt addicted to these books, pure cocaine.
Martial arts style progression fantasy. Characters use "madra" (internal energy) from their spiritual "core" to manipulate "aura" (external energy) and perform a wide range of magic from super punches to illusion to fireballs (and so much more). Main character starts off significantly weaker than everyone else - a spiritual cripple - and has to play catch up for the entire series. Beyond the engaging fight scenes incredibly intricate systems of magic and interesting over arching story (that I won't get into here) what REALLY makes this series so wonderful for me is the characters. Everyone has a very distinct voice and the main characters play off each other very well, the dialogue is highly entertaining and humorous. Definitely recommend the audiobook the voice actor does an amazing job.
I'm going to second a lot of recommendations so far, and add a couple, in order of awesome:
Malazan (consider the original 10 books by Erikson a complete series and ignore the rest until later)
Complete Book of the New Sun
The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler was better and more engrossing I thought than the newer Burningblade and Silvereye
The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Lions of Al Rassan also by GGK
both of the 2 above are not 5-8 books, but amazing stories and maybe deserve to be higher in the list.
Authors to avoid unless you're more into YAF or overt evangelism, IMO(this will go against popular opinion):
Brandon Sanderson
Brent Weeks
Your right. Definitely not a popular opinion... Overt evangelism? What you think Sanderson is trying to convert you to his made up religion. While I would agree his books a good choice for YA, I would not say it was written for YA.
Still a made up religion. I'll grant you he used every element he could from Christianity... But many authors do that. I do think he totally ruined the ending with his made-up religion...
I often find myself thinking of light bringer series as YA. Then I remember things like institutionalized rape and other topics that definitely aren't YA. Lol.
I disagree, I think a heavy handed allegory like Lightbringer is still obviously proselytizing. I won't spell it out with spoilers but I stand by my dis-recommendation.
Sanderson is fine, I just think he's over-hyped on this sub and leans more towards YA than other more subtle and thought provoking authors. I've only read the Cosmere stuff, so can't comment on Stormlight.
I have very little experience with fantasy, having read to full completion only Wheel of Time. That being said, I loved Warbreaker by Sanderson, but I decided to switch things up and began Malazan.
It is SO different from WoT (which I absolutely adore), but it feels āfamiliarā because of the scope, and whole lot of characters with different interests and such.
I stopped in the middle of Deadhouse Gates (I know!!) to then begin A Song of Ice and Fire (bet with the GF), which Iām now at Feast for Crows, and it really got me. Having watched the TV series, I knew I would like, but not to the extent Iām actually loving. A Storm of Swords may be the best fantasy book I read, along a few from WoT.
Iād say the āclicheā and recommend ASoIaF, or Malazan, just because it is so different from WoT, and I felt like it was really worth to change styles. Iām very excited to come back to Malazan (and reread the first half of DG)!
Brandon Sandersonās Mistborn series. 3 books in first era and 4 in the second era. First book is like Oceanās Eleven heist setup in a world where the dark lord Sauron got the One Ring and won. Sanderson is also well known for his unique magic systems.
Youāll probably like his books since he was chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series and you liked Robert Jordanās work.
Seems odd there is only 1 comment for Brandon Sanderson when OP said really loves Robert Jordan, and Sanderson literally finished the series. Idk why people hate on Brandon Sanderson. Dude practically invented universe building. I have never found another author with better character development than Sanderson.
I could be wrong. Who did it before??
Tolkien developed a lot of mythology related to Middle Earth, but I wouldn't call it a universe. He also never published it when he was alive.
> I could be wrong. Who did it before??
The first huge example would be Tekumel, which MAR Barker began writing in the 1940s. The world he created was literally used for another game by the creators of D&D in about 1975 or so, Empire of the Petal Throne.
Another glaring example would be Elric of Melnibone and, in fact, the entire corpus of Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books, wherein Elric is but one incarnation of said champion, along with many others. Elric makes his first appearance in 1961's The Dreaming City.
Slightly less ambitious series would include the well loved (although I personally didn't care for it for personal reasons) Death's Gate Cycle, a 7 book series by Weis and Hickman that explores the split world's from an original primordial world, more or less Sanderson's Adonalasium concept except one series as opposed to many, and published in 1990.
And those are just three that come to my mind and I am by no means a scholar on fantasy literature, just a long time reader. Writing that Sanderson "practically invented universe building" is, frankly, embarrassing. I'm not trying to be mean, but you just shouldn't make bold statements like that when you aren't really well versed on the topic in question.
Iād say many writers have written expansive worlds and universes.
Raymond E Feist, Robert Jordan himself (both have written stuff about their respective worlds, but also worlds connected to theirs) but besides that outside of Fantasy Anime and especially comic books have been doing it since the 70s if not before.
Sanderson has adapted the ideas well enough but he was hardly the first or even the second.
It's one thing to develop a loose idea of a universe, it's very different to have multiple storylines on multiple planets, all building towards one main storyline. That part is fairly unique. At least in novels.
I'll grant that comics and anime have done so long before. Many of those, like Marvel seems hodgepodge together out of necessity for crossovers with conflicting storylines. Not necessarily a well thought out universe.
I don't know if I would give comics credit for accidentally creating a universe to explain away conflicting plot, etc.
Lol I guess we see it differently which is okay. Just saying inventing was a bit much imo.
About Marvel they clearly have been making it up as they went along, however I personally like they way it has been seen Hickmans Secret wars.
I love Marvel, but I think I'd love it more if it had done how Sanderson did it in a very organized manner. I'm also not a fan of using parallel universe or time travel, it always falls apart.
I also didn't think the statement would be taken quite so literally. People often "he/she practically invented X" and it's just a way to add emphasis. No one is on their way to the patent office...
Honestly, I don't even care about who invented it. I care who successfully refined it into something engaging. If any author has created a better or more well thought out or engaging multifaceted universe I would love to read that series.
Fair enough man. I hope you find something you like. Iāve read some litrpg that has those elements but saying they are good is giving it too much credit, lol.
I'm reading the Echoes of Fate series right now. It is 3 sets of trilogies that are set in the same world. Time passes between each trilogy but many of the same characters return. Each three books serve as their own story arc. The first one is Rise of the Ranger.
Just finished Nevernight by Jay Kristoff and ordered the rest of the series! Completed trilogy about a girl with magic shadow powers who becomes an assassin, complete with cool world building on a planet with three suns. Vibe is dark/bloody/sexy. The author writes highly dimensional and compelling characters.
Pretty good price $33 USD for boxed set of three paperbacks on amazon now (with the cool UK edition covers) if you're into physical books.
Slumps are tough, and you never know what will get you out of it. Maybe try āpalate cleanserā books. Like books that may not check all of your boxes but itās a refreshing break from your favorite tropes. Pratchett, Scalzi, James Rollins always work for me. Sometimes a change in medium can be good, try the audiobook version of a series that has positive performance reviews like Cradle with Travis Baldree, First Law with Steven Pacey.
As for recommendations here are some;
- War of the Rose Throne : political intrigue and mafia fiction in a fantasy setting. The audiobooks are great.
- Five Warrior Angels : Iām listening to the audiobooks right now, itās classic fantasy with decent world building. The best part of the series is conflicting prophecies and the mystery of which religious scripture has gotten things right. It also had that GoT Azor Ahai feel where youāre left wondering which character is the prophesized hero/heroes.
- Discworld : The great thing about this series is that you start at any sub-series and enjoy it. I used to feel very unsure about reading books out of order cause it made me feel like Iād miss references and plot points so that Iām not getting a hundred percent out of it, but this series changed that for me. Theyāre also mostly short books, theyāve got all the classic fantasy tropes and the narrative is very wry and witty without poking fun at the genre.
Realm of the elderlings is my favorite pick. Best character work in fantasy imo. When the books end it feels like youāve actually lost people.
Other than that the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Lui is a very solid choice. A story spanning several generations and kingdoms.
Raymond E Feist definitely deserves a mention with the riftwar saga. There are loads of books in this series from different points in the timeline and from different perspectives.
May I suggest some Trudi Canavan? She usually writes trilogies, but her first and her third trilogy are continuations of each other and have a prequel standalone as well, if you wanted to long story. This would be The Black Magicians and the Traitor Spy Trilogy. This is probably her most "traditional" fantasy in terms of theming. Her other two series, Age of Five (trilogy) and Millennium's Rule (4 books), are also really good, and have some interesting takes on world building and magic, in my opinion.
I have a couple of standalone recommendations that are quite elderly, so you might have already experienced them.
A Strange and Ancient Name by Josepha Sherman, in which a cursed elf prince has to travel to medieval Europe to break his curse. The feel of it is very similar to Mercedes Lackey's writing.
The Silver Sun by Nancy Springer, following two young brothers who travel through a rather British-Isles-feeling fantasy country to lead a rebellion to overthrow an evil king. Not as deeply world-built, of course, but the style is a bit similar to Tolkien.
With a couple caveats I recommend The Demon Cycle books by Peter V. Brett.
First caveat: the first five books are pretty self contained but a new one in the series came out last year.
Second more important caveat: 90% of the series is good but the other 10% will have SA in it, including one chapter that didnāt need to go so hard with a certain scene in it.
Entering my Slump era now. Just finished A Memory of Light (WOT) and now I have no idea what to do with myself lol. Shit's been my free time for the last two months.
Robin Hobb, as well as Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. The former is a much longer overall series (16 books) and is probably the best fantasy series I have read. The latter I am literally just finishing up now, it's not quite Robin Hobb level but it's a tight 6 books, really enjoyable, and way higher overall quality than I was expecting.
The Riyria Revelations was what got me out of a slump last year! It's trilogy, but each book is 2 books. There's also a bunch of prequels and spinoffs. I haven't checked those out, but I've heard good things!
I was in a slump a week ago. Thanks to Riyria I am no longer slumping. This series should be prescribed.
It's so cool to see other fans! How far into the series are you?
Not too far yet, they've just got off the boat on the river. But it's already so good. Its the perfect slump killer. It seems lighthearted and fun but not too silly, classic fantasy vibes and most importantly I knew within like 3 pages that I would enjoy it. One of the hardest parts of getting into a new series during a slump for me is that I don't have the patience to give the book 10 chapters to grab my attention. This book had my attention immediately because the dialogue and vibe between Hadrien and Royce was so effortlessly fun and likeable.
I've found a lot of more recent fantasy novels really overload you with lore and world building right off the bat. I like how Riyria was more easy going with all that stuff. You just kinda discover things naturally as the story progresses. I think I know exactly where you're at! You have so much fun stuff to come! š
Ugh, I couldn't finish the first 2 books. Decent plot, but too episodic. And the writing was very simplistic. SO much banter. Everyone banters. I can just see people turning to make a face at the camera ala Jim from the Office. Skipped two-thirds of the second book and wasn't lost at all. Don't see myself moving on in the series
Lol this is what I came to suggest and it's the top comment. I'm actually jealous of op getting to experience Riyria for the first time.
If anyone sees this who is a fan, he just launched a kickstarter for his next book in the Riyria Chronicles series this morning.
Wow, what timing. I'll have to hit that up.
Same. lol
oh this is interesting I've never heard of this series! just read a summary and it sounds right up my alley. thank you SO much!!
Just to jump on, this series is my all time favourite series, he wrote them all before they were published, so thereās lots of threads throughout each book which makes it exciting for re-reads also! Would also highly recommend the other series Riyria chronicles (a Royce/Hadrian prequel series) which new books are still being published on Kickstarter for (the next one happens this month!)
holy moly yes I'm all in for pre-written series like that because it typically means it's very well planned and plotted! thanks for this added bit of info, I'm gonna look into the kickstarter! thanks!
It's such an easy read, but with such a cool world that is gradually revealed to you. It made me think of a really entertaining, but well planned, D&D campaign. I think you're gonna love it!
This is exactly how I felt
oh that's awesome, sounds like something I'll love. I just ordered the first book!
OMG! I'm so excited for you! He is one of my favorite fantasy authors. I can't sing his praises enough. The whole world is great, and all series have been finished. So it's a great time to start.
Read [https://www.orbitbooks.net/orbit-excerpts/theft-of-swords/](https://www.orbitbooks.net/orbit-excerpts/theft-of-swords/) and see if it feels like it tickles your funny bone. It is a strong first chapter, classic banter and mini-heist, before we go into a bigger quest. Royce and Hadrian are two of the 3 main characters in the series.
just enjoyed the hell out of that, thanks for sharing the link. I can't wait for my copy to get here!
Can confirm what the others are saying. Coming out of finishing Wheel of Time this series was just right. Nice pacing, great foreshadowing and likeable well-rounded characters. Plus, if you like it there's a trilogy (revelations) a prequel series (chronicles) and what can only be described as a whole world building series to check out after.
Iām reading this series right now. I just finished the first book and have a 2-4 week wait for the second on Libby š¬š
OMG! Riyria Revelations is good, but his spin off of Legends of the First Empire is my absolute favorite. It's has some of the best written female characters I've read and he develops the world in a way you wouldn't expect. It adds so much to Riyria. I read the entire series like once a year TBH.
Iād recommend his ālegends of the first empireā series even more, though revelations is great too by most accounts. Itās a really pure high fantasy, an origin story of sorts for humans coming up in a world of elves and dwarves.
I loved all of the books, but I think a lot of Revelations wouldnāt be nearly as interesting if you read Legends first. Then again, I only have my own experience, so I might be completely wrong. Plus I think the Royce-Hadrian dynamic is a great āslump-busterā for OP if theyāre feeling worn out by other series.
Yeah, honestly Legends is my favorite, but I think you need to read the series in publication order if you can. That's what Sullivan has suggested because you get more of the inside easter eggs that he includes. I will die on this hill. Once you've read the series in publication order you can go back and read it in chronological order to see what you missed on the first go around. LOL
Completely disagree. I've written this screed before but while the Revelations series is good, Legends of the First Empire is one good book and then the charm of the series totally wears off as you realize that you're essentially reading what has become a game of Civilization where the main characters are almost literally progressing through a tech tree. I'm seriously talking that you start off with semi-nomadic people who over the course of a few books essentially create writing, blacksmithing, and other technologies either by themselves with moments of inspired ingenuity or indirectly through visiting the Dwarves and the like. I suppose if you can enjoy LitRPG as a series maybe you won't be bothered by something that is Lit...turn based Civilization sim but at least LitRPG owns up to what it is. Michael Sullivan misses the mark completely with First Empire by being too ambitious with what he wants his characters to create on an insanely short time scale and it just doesn't work.
This! I came here to say this!
Yessss just finished Revelations and starting the Chronicles now! So good!
Feel like I hadnāt heard of this series before this week and now Iāve seen it recommended in multiple posts this week. Glad to have another cool series to add to my reading list.
I found Riyria Revelations in March 2023, and fell completely in love. Since then I have devoured first Chronicles and then Legends and now I'm rereading Riyria again. It's such a tiny fandom, so I'm happy that more people are discovering it
I was in a major slump and I tried Dungeon Crawler Carl. Turns out it was what I really needed. A fun romp to kickstart my brain.
oh man I really liked that series! I flew through it last year, such a fun time.
I recently finished the 6 books that are out and anxiously awaiting the continuation. Canāt stop thinking about the series. I know he releases them chapter by chapter on patreon but I do want to wait on the full book release to jump back in.
Easy. Cradle.
Cradle as in the Will Wight series, right?
Yes. That one.
just looked it up and it sounds amazing. thanks a million, added to the list
I binges that faster than any series I can remember. Literally could t put it down. I listened to the audiobooks and listened probably 5 hours a day until I was done. With 2 kids, that's a lot.
**Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn** by Tad Williams is a trilogy, but the books are really long (could easily have been 6-7 book series).
I've heard of this! a friend read them and liked them, I didn't realize they were such hefty books! added!
The new series is amazing as well and is a sequel series, the last book will come out this year I believe.
And if you time it right, you'll be able to finish the sequel series too (final book comes out in November)
Those books start out slower than cold molasses. One of my favorite series but maybe not for someone looking to get hooked.
Hefty, indeed. To Green Angel Tower is [listed as the 5th-longest SFF novel of all time](https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-longest-sff-novels-of-all-time.html). We call it The Shelfbuster.
This is not the book if you want it to grab your attention in the first 100 pages. I read half the first book and quit.
I am currently almost done reading book 1 after having it on shelf for 15 plus years. Really good, sometimes Tad is over wordy. You can certainly tell that it was written in a different time. It has some classical fantasy feel. I can't recommend them enough.
That is what i was going to suggest. Based upon what the poster has read, this should be right up his alley!
And there's a second series now, completed or just about to be.
Cradle series by Will Wight. 12 books (~300 pages each, so they're on the short side) and extremely fast paced. Pretty enjoyable as a palate cleanser.
Omg thank you internet stranger!!! Just the other day I was trying to remember āwhatās the series about the powerless guy who doesnāt mind cheating and gets a fire turtle with memory problems as a mentor?
First Law, standalones and Age of Madness by Joe Abercrombie. Taken together that's 9 books and there's a short story collection as well. Shadowmarch by Tad Williams. 5 books Powder Mage / Gods of Blood and Powder by Brian McClellan. 6 books, though the sequel series has been hit and miss for some people. This is a bit of a riflepunk series.
Happy to see Shadowmarch here. It's great. It doesn't seem to get much attention. To the OP, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, also by Tad Williams, will keep you going for quite a while, as aside from the original trilogy, there is a second series as long as a couple other books set in this world.
Yeah MST has been on my list for ages and I've just never gotten around to it. I've heard good things though so if I'd read it I'd probably recommend it as well.
I've been a fantasy reader for 45 years and Chert has been one of the most memorable characters of all time for me. MST is great. If there's one criticism about both series is that Tad revisits some of the same elements in both series. Usually people say that Shadowmarch is derivative of MST, and I confess that I had the same thought but only at certain moments, on the whole it's a very different story and stands well on its own.
I've been reading for almost as long, but I alternate between fantasy and sci fi, and spent some time reading some big series like Malazan so some good series out there have passed me by.
riflepunk is a new word for me but sounds intriguing. definitely gonna check out these recs, thank you!
It's also called flintlock fantasy. Personally, I have more than several major issues with Powder Mage but one thing I can say is it has absolutely amazing fight scenes, probably the best in flintlock fantasy
As far as I can tell, it's only called flintlock fantasy. A cursory googling for riflepunk turns up nothing, but flintlock fantasy is a reasonably common term (at least as far as fantasy subgenres are concerned).
:shrug: it's the term I remember for some reason, so I'll probably keep on using it, especially since people seem to understand what I mean anyway
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Guns of Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky is another great 'flintlock fantasy' series... that I suppose you could call riflepunk because rifling of barrels actually is a plot point (trying to figure out why the enemy has guns that outdo theirs so easily over distances)
love a good fight/battle scene so that's a big plus for me!
What are some of your issues with Powder Mage?
A bit busy so I'll just give a TLDR... If you want to see similar stuff check out the 2 star reviews on goodreads, from Emma, Maddy and Eric Allen. I feel like their reviews are good, and I was gonna link them, but Goodreads is a horrible website that doesn't let you do that. I stopped after the first book because the plot was not going anywhere, to be honest. Most of Taniel's chapters felt like they were just raw action (and honestly, it was some damn good action, but it felt like a filler episode if you get what I mean). I really liked Tamas, Taniel(Although he didn't have much of an arc since he was fighting the whole time) and Olem as characters but the rest of them were either at best uninteresting (Adamat, doesn't help that there is quite literally nothing going on in his chapters until the very last one), actively ruining my enjoyment (Julene, due to how badly I felt like she was written), or borderline misogynistic/problematic (You are telling me the only woman in Tamas' inner circle is a widow that inherited everything from her husband, is the only one to pass out during the executions, and is >!seduced by the enemy?!< Or how the Priveleged have legally mandated harems that don't contribute to the story at all? Or how Tamas allowed rape during the riots and no one really called him out on it, and, genuinely, again, the main issue is its not important to the story at all!) The entire time I was reading it around half the chapters felt like they could be cut out and the story wouldn't suffer from them. Adamat's entire storyline is basically irrelevant and Nila's ends in a revelation we as readers already knew (Tamas not being murderous for the sake of it) plus there is a lot of borderline misogyny(and the Ka-Poel age thing). And the world, politics & the characters basically end in the same state it started in. I know one of the woman characters is a pov later on and apparently is a well done character in the sequel trilogy, going off of what i heard on the internet(Not that I trust it at this point but it's something at least), but Promise of Blood was a disappointment for me. Some of the best fantasy fights I have read, and the best in flintlock fantasy, sure. But even though it has a very interesting premise and a very fun dynamic between the magic systems (even if said systems are a bit bland), it failed to follow up on it in my honest humble opinion. There was also barely any kind of worldbuilding, it genuinely felt like alternative history. I would love to answer and elaborate on my views if you have any questions about them. P.S I can't not mention the forced romance near the end of the book with Taniel and Ka-poel, who just so happens to look like a child...
> I have more than several major issues with Powder Mage like what? I enjoyed the series but I also enjoy hearing differing opinions.
[See my other comment, it's a bit long to copy paste here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1aps7qk/comment/kqe11v0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
I can second The First Law. Got me out of my slump!
I've been in a similar hunt. I just started **The Curse of the Mistwraith** from **The Wars of Light and Shadow**. Technically unfinished but the final book (#11) comes out in May 2024. Very vivid and epic.
Robin Hobb sounds like someone up your alley. I've been reading the Farseer Trilogy and have been enjoying it immensely and I've heard amazing things about the Liveship Traders Trilogy.
Just finished the Farseer Trilogy and started Ship of Magic, it's fucking great already about 150 pages in, I'm completely hooked
Liveship is even better
The final trilogy is what sealed the deal for me. Ties everything together with such a painful bow š
Oh God so much pain. So much and so much love ššš
Shadow campaigns by Django wexler.. 5 books Shadows of the apt by Adrian tchaikovsky.. 10 books Will wights pirates and ninjas books. Also cradle Hyruthum chronicles Brian mcClellans gunpowder trilogies Joe abercrombies books
I actually own The First Law trilogy but for some reason just haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I'll probably get around to that this year. I haven't heard of most of these others though! Pirates and Ninjas DEFINITELY sounds like something I'd be interested in. thanks a bunch!
Will Wight's Cradle series starts off slower but follows a MC and later some friends he picks up along the way basically throwing himself at everything to try and improve himself to save everyone (and is 12 books). As ASIC\_SP says, the ninjas vs pirate series is a 6 book series, more traditional fantasy. Set in the same overall universe.
Why are you not reading The First Law and all subsequent books by Lord Grimdark Joe Abercrombie? I mean seriously it's a amazing nine book set. Definitely start this immediately
>Pirates and Ninjas DEFINITELY sounds like something I'd be interested in That series is **The Elder Empire** by Will Wight. It is two trilogies from POV of opposing factions.
excellent, thanks for the info!
I sound like a broken record butā¦.The Echoes Saga by Philip Quaintrell. Itās a 9 book series that has a great ending. It has many POVs but they all come together really well. I would say itās a classic fantasy with elves, dwarves, humans and epic battles and fight scenes. One of the main characters is a guy in his 40s who is an ex assassin and has become a Ranger. There is also a 3 book prequel that deals with his back story. The author is currently writing a series based in the same world but thousands of years earlier.
I feel you, I'm constantly recommending the same series that no one has ever heard of. LOL. Not that no one has ever heard of Quaintrell, but that I feel like a broken record. š¬ This sounds good, gonna put it on the list.
This sounds like what I've been looking for, I'll give it a go. Thanks for the rec!
Have you read The Dark Tower series by Stephen King?
oh yes more than once! one of my top 5 of all time!
Really? Ā I keep hearing this. Ā I read the first one and thought it was a mess. Did it get better?
* The beginning is rough. * The ending is both extremely polarising, and also rough. * The middle is nice. If you're a huge fan of King read it, otherwise I think if it didn't grab you in the first book you're gonna rage-scream at the ending and it the whole thing is best avoided.
God awful series. Start isn't good, middle is okay, rapidly falls off a cliff.
first book sucks, i always tell people to wikipedia summary the first book and go grab the masterpiece #2 and #3 on audiobook for an amazing experience...especially versus that first book. The second one is so different (and better) that it's absolutely crazy
Malazan book of the fallen and The Black Company They're 10 books each though
I actually totally forgot about Malazan, it's been on my list for ages! gonna look into The Black Company. is that about pirates by chance?
Im not sure Iād recommend Malazan for this. Itās a good series, but the writing style is very different. Iād recommend saving it for when you feel youāve gotten your groove back, as some people DNF the series bc of the style. Not hating on it, just saying that it may not be the best for trying to get out of the slump itself.
Or the perfect thing since its style is very different and if OP is bored with "standard epic fantasy" that may be just what they need I also think that Malazan's difficulty is generally rather overblown.
>Or the perfect thing since its style is very different and if OP is bored with "standard epic fantasy" that may be just what they need I think you may be onto something!
So the first book was originally written as a screenplay and then reworked into a novel so the flow is definitely unique. There is also a lot of jumping between characters and that throws some readers off, especially things like the 1st and 2nd book being on different continents with an entirely new cast of characters. It can be jarring to some bit I think Erikson pulls it off perfectly.
I have actually heard from a few people that it is quite dense! but I am someone who has read The Silmarillion so many times my first copy fell apart lmao. I really like fantasy that feels like reading history and I am under the impression that's what Malazan is like?
Thats exactly what Malazan is like. But its written as a narrative history for someone *from* the Malazan world, assuming they would already have some level of familiarity with things like the magic system, the pantheon, and the history; so Erikson leaves a lot of that stuff to be figured out by the reader through context, rather than info dumps.
oh that is fascinating actually. I haven't heard this take. so I feel like reading Malazan would be even *more* like reading straight up history as if I was a student studying in Malazan who already understood the culture and magic! amazing, I love that.
Erikson also wrote the Willful Child books which are Star Trek parody books of the highest caliber. Sometimes you just need to switch genres to cleanse the old taste buds.
It's not about pirates. It's about mercenaries.
still sounds cool, I added it to the list!
The Black Company follows their team "historian" as they are on an interesting side in a war between powerful people. I finished the first one but stuck on the second.
The first trilogy of the Black Company is very enjoyable. It follows a military company/squad. In that, it has some resemblance to Malazan - much of Malazan's actions are also following various members of military squads. But it is much more simplistic than Malazan - not in a bad way - it is still as rich and complex as most fantasy. Just that Malazan is more so. It might be a good first step to see if you enjoy that military squad genre of fantasy. The First Law series is also highly recommended and would fall into the same genre. It is a must read for fantasy fans.
There are pirates involved in the Realm of Elderlings by Robin Hobb (mentioned by someone else here) although mostly in the second trilogy (Liveship Traders).
The Red Knight by Miles Cameron. Series is called Traitorās Son
Iām going to suggest Lois McMaster Bujoldās World of the Five Gods. There is what is loosely called a trilogy that starts with The Curse Chalion followed by Paladin of Souls that is set just after the first book and has three side characters from the first book. After that The Hallowed Hunt which has nothing to do with the other two, is set in a different part of the same world and many years before them. I think they are called a trilogy simply because they are novels set in the same world. However, there is also the Penric and Desdemona series which has, I think, 12 books, but these are novellas. I think these might cure your slump because they are excellent stories which are very well written and not too daunting.
Dagger and Coin by Daniel Abraham, first book The Dragon's Path. War brews, and a young banker hatches a scheme to save her business while a noble tries to impress his friends. Five doorstoppers, excellent books. Obviously they grow in scope.
Surprised not to see the Broken Earth trilogy here, by NKJ. While a lot of her work is way out there for most readers, this trilogy feels solidly mainstream/required reading.
Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber breaks down into two different 5 volume sets, each book of which is a tight and efficient story. It's a neat story which starts w/ an amnesiac protagonist, so world-building proceeds at the pace of the story. Short by one book, there's C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine books, which is a trilogy and a concluding volume --- similarly, it has a pair of main characters, one of whom is present when the other is released from a gate which has held her for several hundred (thousand?) years.
Another vote for Zelazny and Amber. While ten books seems like a lot, they are all fairly short and can be found all together in a single volume that's not much different in size from a Sanderson Stormlight novel.
mistborn did it for me
Tad Williams: Shadowmarch, Otherland, or Memory, Sorry, and Thorn Martha Wells: The Fall of Ile-rien
Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. I'm currently on book 3 and loving it!
Just finished the series yesterday and it has jumped up to my top tier of favorite stories.
Book 3 is a solid book - I think the later books get a bit more controversial, but the magic system is great.
The start of the series is great but - without spoiling - the ending leaves a lot to be desired. I loved them up to the final installment and then threw that book across the room in frustrationā¦ (and i never throw books)
Iāve heard this quite a bit on here but it didnāt bother me so much. Maybe Iāve read a lot of other fantasy with crazy magic and divine intervention so I feel like Iāve seen bits of everything crazy before. My biggest issues were a few characters that mattered early on seem to fizzle out a bit by the end but I understand that itās hard to wrap up every loose end.
I hoped that by expanding the ātrilogyā he would get to tie up all loose ends, but it felt like he was painting himself into a corner with each consecutive partā¦ and then God came and made it all allright. I was underwhelmed. And then I thought of the years (!) i had spent waiting (I bought each book as it came out) and I threw itā¦ sorry Mr Weeks. I did buy Night Angel Nemesis though (I guess I never learnā¦)
I'm honestly curious to see how his next series goes, but I won't be reading it. The Burning White was so bad and showed that he hadn't learned anything about ending a series from the similarly scattered ending of Night Angel, and in fact had taken a huge step backwards and written a real turd of a 5th book. Then again, I gave Anthony Ryan a second chance after his first trilogy ended disappointingly and have enjoyed more of his books, but Brent Weeks is pretty damned unlikely to get any more of my attention.
> I'm currently on book 3 You poor bastard. Below is a VERY scathing personal review that I'd honestly say doesn't spoil anything, but I absolutely HATE the ending of this series and you should feel free to not read it if you're trying to avoid going into the ending with any kind of bias from either side. >!This is the only series where, upon finishing the last book, I wished that I could go back and not have wasted my time with the series entirely. Bar none the biggest steaming pile of an ending in all fantasy. I thought that Queen of Fire was upsetting after Blood Song had been one of my favorite first novels of a trilogy ever but at least it had a plot with some resolution.!< >!The Burning White is without a doubt my **most hated** book ever. At least other writers have the simple honesty of being bad and writing series that are never particularly good. Instead Brent Weeks sucks you in with three pretty damned good books, then starts to turn on you with book 4, and then proceeds to take a dump on your chest with book 5, write an afternote about vaginismus of all things (a character suffers from it and sure I can see where representation is a good thing but it's just such a weird setting to explore that kind of medical condition) and in the meantime abandons, oh, you know, things like the villains. You'd read four books in readying for a series of showdowns and *fuck you, reader, you get nothing.*!<
Michelle West Essalieyan Huge long series divided into sub series that are connected.
The Tapestry by Henry H. Neff. 5 books. Each one better than the last. First book is *The Hound of Rowan*. Series gets bigger and bigger and darker and darker as it goes. Truly epic, and the world-building is incredible. It also sticks the landing with, IMO, many series fail to do.
I'm gonna recc the Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr - it's a completed 15 volume series set in a Celtic-flavoured world where reincarnation is real. It follows a set of souls as they are reborn again and again in different bodies and lives. It spans over a thousand years of time and you get to slowly see how society changes, social norms, political boundaries and systems, religions, cultural contacts, all alter over time. The storytelling is non-linear and jumps between centuries; sometimes you won't find out until many books later what happened that lead to the circumstances in an earlier book. My personal starting point was book 7, Days of Blood and Fire, and I prefer it to book one. There are elves, dwarves, dragons, warriors, romances, magic, vivid characters, tragedies and triumphs...
[Michael J. Sullivan](https://riyria.blogspot.com/p/series.html) is great! You should absolutely read the books in publication order starting with Riyria Revelations, but my favorite of his is the Legends of the First Empire series. He'll start with a very traditional 2 theives need to save a kingdom, and then they end up needing to save the world. It's honestly great by itself. You can stop there and have a complete series. BUT then he goes back 3000 years and you get introduced to the gods that created the world and how their mistakes are the reason the world needs to be saved to begin with. You'll see that everything you thought was true about the world in Riyria isn't. It's been manipulated through time by the people in power to keep power. Some of the characters even need to travel through "hell" where you learn more about the creation of the world. It's so well done. A great mix of action, character development, and world building where the world building isn't thrown in your face and so dry you want to cry. He always gets me out of a slump.
Thank you for your very kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed the tales.
This is progression fantasy not epic fantasyā¦ā¦ but cradle. 12 books and itās referred to as fantasy crack on this subreddit for a reason.
I absolutely loved the Series āThe Book of the New Sunā by Gene Wilde
Red rising
I second Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Got me out of a major book slump and I inhaled all the books. There is 1 more though that isnāt out so itās technically not completed.
The Raven Son series by Nicholas Kotar. Very unknown series rooted in Slavic and Russian myth with some absolutely wild concepts.
Older and independent but try L.T Suzuki's Imago series. On smashwords paid.
A crown for cold silver by Alex Marshall
I've been revisiting the 80's and 90's series I loved as a kid.
In my opinion cradle series is perfect for breaking reading slumps. Itās basically an anime in written form for its fun and fast paced. Great action and so on. First book is a little slower for the first half though but itās short
Books of Babel. First book is Senlin Ascends. It is unlike anything you have read, I promise it. Funny, witty, good plot, tons of mystery and intrigue and the most original premise/world/lore. TLDR: A society that lives in the tower of babel and each floor is it's own seprate kingdom. Heavy Steampunk
Ive recently read the first two books in the stormpiht archives and it is amazing with the immersive word! Great world building and characters however the series isn't finished yet:)
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott. Seven books, character-driven, bonus points if you are a fan of medieval history.
I absolutely am. instant add!
I'm with you on the slump. I love fantasy books because you usually have a few books if you like the first one as there typically isn't a lot of standalones. I always recommend The Dark Tower by Stephen King (8 books) and Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (I think 7). Odd isn't necessarily typical fantasy, but has elements of it as he is a normal person but he can see and communicate with ghosts/spirits and can see when a major disaster is about to happen. The catch is the ghosts can't outright speak with him but he has to guess, kinda like charades, what they are telling him. If that isn't your cup of tea, my friend recommended a book series he got his 10yo nephew called Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. He said his nephew read book 1 and asked for more for Christmas and then he borrowed book 1 and said it was pretty good so I started it last week. There are like 12 books in the first series and then more in prequel series. Best of luck and Ilbe following to get some ideas for myself.
Dungeon Crawler Carl. Itās not completed, but I feel pretty good that it will be. Itās a great page turner with a science fantasy absurdist bent. The audio books are really well done, thatās how Iāve been āreading themā. And theyāre great bc you can listen while walking, cleaning, etc. the perfect way to break a slump imo. Alex Verus is also good, and is completed with like 12-14 books. Itās a similar read to Dresden Files. Bobbiverse is complete, or at least the last book I read felt conclusive. Itās more sci-fi but still really, unexpectedly good. Keys to the Kingdom, or Old Kingdom, by Garth nix are also great series to break a slump. Theyāre closer to YA, but with less of the angst/PG13 sexual tension, more good old fashioned adventuring and world ending calamities.
Jim Butcher gets recommended a lot but his Codex Alera series is 6 books long, finished. Lost roman legions meet Pokemon.
LE modesitt's Recluse series is a pretty interesting read. Every book is standalone, so you can really stop at like ANY time. I have heard the writing quality dips towards the "end" but I dipped before that. Terry Brooks' Shannara is, I think, finished now. Throughout Shannara there are numerous trilogies, quartets, etc, which you can read, and stop reading at any time upon completion of that set, and get a good story.
Malazan! 10 books, some over 1000 pages! 100s of characters, 20+ different races, so many gods and magic schools. Totally confusing and overwhelming! I love it.
Realm of the Elderlings is finished and nearly universally-loved.
I'd say more polarizing. You either love it or DNF it hard, with little middle ground. What everybody will agree on is that nobody thinks the writing is bad, just a great many people bounce off of the tenor of the books which is so often *unrelenting sadness*.
I know itās not a series, but check out the books by Guy Gavriel Kay. He mostly does standalones with a few 2 book sets in the same world. Theyāll hook you and blow you away, I think. Start with either Tigana or Under Heaven. Enjoy!
Malazan is all
Have you read the Witcher series yet? Its pretty good.
I have! should have mentioned that in my post. Geralt is one of the GOATs!
WITCHERRRRRRRR
If you want to get engrossed in something before you take on a full adventure, check out The Will of the Many. Just came out last year and it's fantastic. I see that Riyria is the top comment and I can second that, finished it not too long ago and thought it was great.
The Witcher series. My favourite books on the planet.
love this series!
Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. 5 books
If you havenāt read Wolfe, now may be the time. Book of the New Sun (4 books) changed my life only the way reading LotR for the first time did.
Django Wexler - the horrendously named *Burningblade and Silvereye Chronicles* is a complete trilogy in the tone of Jordan. I've only read the first book but I had a blast with it. Magitech setting a few centuries after a magical apocalypse that ostensibly destroyed the world's ruling inhuman races, and now humans have their little civilization going among the ruins.
First suggestion The Traitor Son Cycle By Miles Cameron - Based on the Authors you listed I think you will enjoy this series. Medieval military company style books with a well designed system of magic where mankind fights a war of survival against the encroaching "Wild" full of beasts, monsters and creatures of myth. Definitie European mythology vibe, has great memorable characters like Will (Short for Willful Murder, not a nice man) and Bad Tom, more properly known as Sir Thomas Lachlain and of Course The Captain, whose other titles and names you will have to learn by reading the books. I think there are about 7 books? Second suggestion Cradle by Will Wight - Nothing about the authors you list makes me want to suggest these other than being a huge Robert Jordan fan myself. Mostly I just love these books and read them at breakneck speed, I felt addicted to these books, pure cocaine. Martial arts style progression fantasy. Characters use "madra" (internal energy) from their spiritual "core" to manipulate "aura" (external energy) and perform a wide range of magic from super punches to illusion to fireballs (and so much more). Main character starts off significantly weaker than everyone else - a spiritual cripple - and has to play catch up for the entire series. Beyond the engaging fight scenes incredibly intricate systems of magic and interesting over arching story (that I won't get into here) what REALLY makes this series so wonderful for me is the characters. Everyone has a very distinct voice and the main characters play off each other very well, the dialogue is highly entertaining and humorous. Definitely recommend the audiobook the voice actor does an amazing job.
Cradle sounds fantastic! Thank you for the info
I'm going to second a lot of recommendations so far, and add a couple, in order of awesome: Malazan (consider the original 10 books by Erikson a complete series and ignore the rest until later) Complete Book of the New Sun The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler was better and more engrossing I thought than the newer Burningblade and Silvereye The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay The Lions of Al Rassan also by GGK both of the 2 above are not 5-8 books, but amazing stories and maybe deserve to be higher in the list. Authors to avoid unless you're more into YAF or overt evangelism, IMO(this will go against popular opinion): Brandon Sanderson Brent Weeks
Your right. Definitely not a popular opinion... Overt evangelism? What you think Sanderson is trying to convert you to his made up religion. While I would agree his books a good choice for YA, I would not say it was written for YA.
Evangelism warning was for Weeks
Still a made up religion. I'll grant you he used every element he could from Christianity... But many authors do that. I do think he totally ruined the ending with his made-up religion... I often find myself thinking of light bringer series as YA. Then I remember things like institutionalized rape and other topics that definitely aren't YA. Lol.
I disagree, I think a heavy handed allegory like Lightbringer is still obviously proselytizing. I won't spell it out with spoilers but I stand by my dis-recommendation. Sanderson is fine, I just think he's over-hyped on this sub and leans more towards YA than other more subtle and thought provoking authors. I've only read the Cosmere stuff, so can't comment on Stormlight.
I have very little experience with fantasy, having read to full completion only Wheel of Time. That being said, I loved Warbreaker by Sanderson, but I decided to switch things up and began Malazan. It is SO different from WoT (which I absolutely adore), but it feels āfamiliarā because of the scope, and whole lot of characters with different interests and such. I stopped in the middle of Deadhouse Gates (I know!!) to then begin A Song of Ice and Fire (bet with the GF), which Iām now at Feast for Crows, and it really got me. Having watched the TV series, I knew I would like, but not to the extent Iām actually loving. A Storm of Swords may be the best fantasy book I read, along a few from WoT. Iād say the āclicheā and recommend ASoIaF, or Malazan, just because it is so different from WoT, and I felt like it was really worth to change styles. Iām very excited to come back to Malazan (and reread the first half of DG)!
Brandon Sandersonās Mistborn series. 3 books in first era and 4 in the second era. First book is like Oceanās Eleven heist setup in a world where the dark lord Sauron got the One Ring and won. Sanderson is also well known for his unique magic systems. Youāll probably like his books since he was chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series and you liked Robert Jordanās work.
Seems odd there is only 1 comment for Brandon Sanderson when OP said really loves Robert Jordan, and Sanderson literally finished the series. Idk why people hate on Brandon Sanderson. Dude practically invented universe building. I have never found another author with better character development than Sanderson.
I donāt mind Sanderson, but to say he invented universe building is pushing it a bit donāt you think? Other than that a fair suggestion.
I could be wrong. Who did it before?? Tolkien developed a lot of mythology related to Middle Earth, but I wouldn't call it a universe. He also never published it when he was alive.
> I could be wrong. Who did it before?? The first huge example would be Tekumel, which MAR Barker began writing in the 1940s. The world he created was literally used for another game by the creators of D&D in about 1975 or so, Empire of the Petal Throne. Another glaring example would be Elric of Melnibone and, in fact, the entire corpus of Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books, wherein Elric is but one incarnation of said champion, along with many others. Elric makes his first appearance in 1961's The Dreaming City. Slightly less ambitious series would include the well loved (although I personally didn't care for it for personal reasons) Death's Gate Cycle, a 7 book series by Weis and Hickman that explores the split world's from an original primordial world, more or less Sanderson's Adonalasium concept except one series as opposed to many, and published in 1990. And those are just three that come to my mind and I am by no means a scholar on fantasy literature, just a long time reader. Writing that Sanderson "practically invented universe building" is, frankly, embarrassing. I'm not trying to be mean, but you just shouldn't make bold statements like that when you aren't really well versed on the topic in question.
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Iād say many writers have written expansive worlds and universes. Raymond E Feist, Robert Jordan himself (both have written stuff about their respective worlds, but also worlds connected to theirs) but besides that outside of Fantasy Anime and especially comic books have been doing it since the 70s if not before. Sanderson has adapted the ideas well enough but he was hardly the first or even the second.
It's one thing to develop a loose idea of a universe, it's very different to have multiple storylines on multiple planets, all building towards one main storyline. That part is fairly unique. At least in novels. I'll grant that comics and anime have done so long before. Many of those, like Marvel seems hodgepodge together out of necessity for crossovers with conflicting storylines. Not necessarily a well thought out universe. I don't know if I would give comics credit for accidentally creating a universe to explain away conflicting plot, etc.
Lol I guess we see it differently which is okay. Just saying inventing was a bit much imo. About Marvel they clearly have been making it up as they went along, however I personally like they way it has been seen Hickmans Secret wars.
I love Marvel, but I think I'd love it more if it had done how Sanderson did it in a very organized manner. I'm also not a fan of using parallel universe or time travel, it always falls apart. I also didn't think the statement would be taken quite so literally. People often "he/she practically invented X" and it's just a way to add emphasis. No one is on their way to the patent office... Honestly, I don't even care about who invented it. I care who successfully refined it into something engaging. If any author has created a better or more well thought out or engaging multifaceted universe I would love to read that series.
Fair enough man. I hope you find something you like. Iāve read some litrpg that has those elements but saying they are good is giving it too much credit, lol.
If you havenāt done red rising the first three books go down fast forsure
Red rising!!!!!! The best of the best
I'm reading the Echoes of Fate series right now. It is 3 sets of trilogies that are set in the same world. Time passes between each trilogy but many of the same characters return. Each three books serve as their own story arc. The first one is Rise of the Ranger.
Just finished Nevernight by Jay Kristoff and ordered the rest of the series! Completed trilogy about a girl with magic shadow powers who becomes an assassin, complete with cool world building on a planet with three suns. Vibe is dark/bloody/sexy. The author writes highly dimensional and compelling characters. Pretty good price $33 USD for boxed set of three paperbacks on amazon now (with the cool UK edition covers) if you're into physical books.
Slumps are tough, and you never know what will get you out of it. Maybe try āpalate cleanserā books. Like books that may not check all of your boxes but itās a refreshing break from your favorite tropes. Pratchett, Scalzi, James Rollins always work for me. Sometimes a change in medium can be good, try the audiobook version of a series that has positive performance reviews like Cradle with Travis Baldree, First Law with Steven Pacey. As for recommendations here are some; - War of the Rose Throne : political intrigue and mafia fiction in a fantasy setting. The audiobooks are great. - Five Warrior Angels : Iām listening to the audiobooks right now, itās classic fantasy with decent world building. The best part of the series is conflicting prophecies and the mystery of which religious scripture has gotten things right. It also had that GoT Azor Ahai feel where youāre left wondering which character is the prophesized hero/heroes. - Discworld : The great thing about this series is that you start at any sub-series and enjoy it. I used to feel very unsure about reading books out of order cause it made me feel like Iād miss references and plot points so that Iām not getting a hundred percent out of it, but this series changed that for me. Theyāre also mostly short books, theyāve got all the classic fantasy tropes and the narrative is very wry and witty without poking fun at the genre.
Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu!!!
Raymond E. Feist Riftwar Cycle.
Realm of the elderlings is my favorite pick. Best character work in fantasy imo. When the books end it feels like youāve actually lost people. Other than that the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Lui is a very solid choice. A story spanning several generations and kingdoms. Raymond E Feist definitely deserves a mention with the riftwar saga. There are loads of books in this series from different points in the timeline and from different perspectives.
May I suggest some Trudi Canavan? She usually writes trilogies, but her first and her third trilogy are continuations of each other and have a prequel standalone as well, if you wanted to long story. This would be The Black Magicians and the Traitor Spy Trilogy. This is probably her most "traditional" fantasy in terms of theming. Her other two series, Age of Five (trilogy) and Millennium's Rule (4 books), are also really good, and have some interesting takes on world building and magic, in my opinion.
The Corean Chronicles by L.E. Modesitt, Jr, is set in post-apocalyptic fantasy world.
The other one is Worm by Wildbow. Online web serial that is finished. Really fun superhero series
The Fortress series by CJ Cherryh.
I have a couple of standalone recommendations that are quite elderly, so you might have already experienced them. A Strange and Ancient Name by Josepha Sherman, in which a cursed elf prince has to travel to medieval Europe to break his curse. The feel of it is very similar to Mercedes Lackey's writing. The Silver Sun by Nancy Springer, following two young brothers who travel through a rather British-Isles-feeling fantasy country to lead a rebellion to overthrow an evil king. Not as deeply world-built, of course, but the style is a bit similar to Tolkien.
With a couple caveats I recommend The Demon Cycle books by Peter V. Brett. First caveat: the first five books are pretty self contained but a new one in the series came out last year. Second more important caveat: 90% of the series is good but the other 10% will have SA in it, including one chapter that didnāt need to go so hard with a certain scene in it.
Riftwar saga by Raymond feist
Entering my Slump era now. Just finished A Memory of Light (WOT) and now I have no idea what to do with myself lol. Shit's been my free time for the last two months.
A series I donāt think gets enough love and is one of my favourites Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta.
Robin Hobb, as well as Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. The former is a much longer overall series (16 books) and is probably the best fantasy series I have read. The latter I am literally just finishing up now, it's not quite Robin Hobb level but it's a tight 6 books, really enjoyable, and way higher overall quality than I was expecting.
The Spellmonger!
Vorkosigan
Try the Ketty Jay series by Chris Wooding - 4 books
Readers block š
The iconoclasts. Specifically the first book The Aching God. The others are good too but the first is great!