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What else am I reading? That's the thing...I'm not sure.
I'm a fan of epic fantasy...but please let the plot move along. How can Robert Jordan go for...well, what is it, 13 books? George R. R. Martin, I like and I'll pick up the new one (once I remember what happened in the previous).
I liked the original Thomas Covenant books (though this last series is sadly lacking).
Non-epic fantasy would be good too. I just want something that's actually well written--and doesn't rely on beefy muscles or sex to sell (I still feel a shiver at the Conan books my brother tried to get me to read).
Appreciate any suggestions.

Try Brandon Sanderson. He does epic fantasy really well. 'Mistborn' is an excellent trilogy or, if you're willing to dive into a new series that won't be completed for some time, 'Way of Kings' is also wonderful. He's working on seemingly a zillion different projects though, so who knows when that will get a sequel...

He's the one who took over the Wheel of Time, right? I'll add it to the list. It doesn't really rev me up though--but maybe that's just because he was finishing up another author's work.

You might like the Amber series by Roger Zelazny; I don't know that it qualifies as 'epic' but still a great entertaining fantasy series. I also quite enjoyed the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony.

Seconding Brandon Sanderson. His standalone Elantris is also quite good. I haven't read Mistborn yet but I'm planning on it, and I'm halfway through The Way of Kings and really enjoying it. His imagination seems boundless and he's incredibly prolific. He says on his blog he wrote something like fifteen novels before any were published.

There's also the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. A lot of people really hate it, but I think the first four books and last trilogy (there are 11 books in that sequence plus another separate one coming out this month) are very interesting and mirror each other well. The middle books are much weaker: definitely skip Naked Empire, but if you read the series, don't miss Faith of the Fallen, which has a message that some might say is overdone, but is really inspiring. And don't bother with Law of Nines, which has some loose ties to SoT but is definitely skippable and highly disappointing compared to the rest of his work.

Ok--I'll try Brandon Sanderson then.
I read the sword of truth books and you're pretty much spot on. I wish I could have the time from those middle books back. Each one pretty much had the same exact plot.

I really liked Elizabeth Haydon's series starting with Rhapsody. I'll also second Brandon Sanderson, even though I've only read Mistborn -- definitely plan on finishing the series.

I read the Amber series by Zelazny entirely backwards when I was growing up. I started with The Prince of Chaos, which had been prominently displayed in my library. For some reason, there wasn't a list of books in the series (and this was pre-internet) in order; the only Amber book listed in the book I was reading was the one immediately before that one in the series. So, yeah, entirely backward. Still was awesome.

For both the Wheel of Time series and the Sword of Truth series, I somehow managed to read the second book first. I later went back and read the first one and even reread both in order, but it was a pretty interesting way to start.

Another author I will recommend just about anything by is Guy Gavriel Kay. Not epic fantasy; in fact, a lot of his work is more realistic or historical fiction in flavor, although most are not set in our world at all, but sometimes just a little magic used in the right way is enough. And his original high fantasy trilogy starting with The Summer Tree, which the group just read, is fantastic. Although it's a bit slow to start, it builds as it goes.

I've only read one by Kay, Tigana, but it was totally awesome. I have The Summer Tree, just didn't get to it in time for the discussion.

I'll second Elizabeth Haydon and would like to add Ian Irvine's Three Worlds books and Russell kirkpatricks 2 trilogies to the list.

can i recommend one of new new authors, nigel moxley and his sci-fi thriller book. The Splines, it is fabulously written, and is available from amazon, smash words and our website
The Splines

I agree with the Sanderson Mistborn series. Another dark epic series that is finished is Malazan books of the Fallen-those are great Epic fantasy

The Malazan books are great, but not for the faint of heart; each book (10) is greater than 700 pages, and Erikson just throws you into the deep end with no explanation. Still a great series though.

Kevin's suggestion is right on. I was an English major, and The Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of the few fantasy series I don't feel guilty about reading.

If you're looking for light fantasy, I think you would truly enjoy Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. The premise is that at some point in the past, a Roman legion gets magically transported to another world. They do what they do best, carve out an empire. Eventually everyone in this empire evolves the ability to use magic at some level or another. Some are more powerful than others, but everyone has some level of magical ability. The story follows the adventures of a boy who is born without the ability to use magic and is forced to solve all his (increasingly difficult) problems with out it. There's a lot more going on, but I don't want to spoil anything. The first book is called

I would also like to suggest if one likes to read fantasy military, The Black Company series by Glen Cook is a great read.

Kevin wrote: "I would also like to suggest if one likes to read fantasy military, The Black Company series by Glen Cook is a great read."

Indeed.

Bekahsnow wrote: "I hoping that you can offer suggestions to light fantasy and/or sci fi books. I'm not into epic or hard SF. Set in space is okay, but I prefer a "real" world setting, meaning magical realism, urban..."
Try one of these (all quite different types)


any Moore, Christopher Christopher Moore like The Stupidest Angel or Practical Demonkeeping
any Terry Pratchett discworld book
Williams, Liz The Snake Agent
McGuire, Seanan Rosemary and Rue
Aguirre, Ann Grimspace
Andrews, Ilona Magic Bites
Acevedo, Mario Nymphos of Rocky Flats
Huff Tanya

Bekahsnow wrote: "I hoping that you can offer suggestions to light fantasy and/or sci fi books. I'm not into epic or hard SF. Set in space is okay, but I prefer a "real" world setting, meaning magical realism, urban..."

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and Peter Beagle's A Fine and Private Place. Both have contemporary urban settings. Gaiman's book is grittier and the plot exciting while Beagle's book is quiet and contemplative--it's set in a graveyard in the Bronx in New York City. The former features rats and the latter, ghosts.

Bill wrote: "You might like the Amber series by Roger Zelazny; I don't know that it qualifies as 'epic' but still a great entertaining fantasy series. I also quite enjoyed the Incarnations of Immo..."

@bill - those are two stellar recommendations.

Jim wrote: "Bill wrote: "You might like the Amber series by Roger Zelazny; I don't know that it qualifies as 'epic' but still a great entertaining fantasy series. I also quite enjoyed the Incarna..."

Thanks, Jim. :0)

My wife's newest fantasy, 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens', has got a fantastic review at Flames Rising.

Alana Abbott writes: "Alexander's language is lovely and poetic, but she never lets it get in the way of the story she's telling. The imagery is beautiful, the setting is compelling, and the character of the mysterious and magical Ariel, a Messenger (for Fate? for God? we never find out), is compelling. But it's the characters that drive this story, in all of their imperfection, in all of their passion or disconnection or feeling of failure. And the conceit is one that will linger � if you saw a different life, a different path you might have taken, would you trade the joys and failures of this one for the joys and failures of the other? What would you sacrifice for the things you truly care about in your own world? The magic of looking at your own life through the lens of the Spanish Gardens and take a little wisdom away may well be hidden within the novel's pages, no tragic choice required.

You can read the whole review at

Im glad to see Zelazny Roger The Chronicles of Amber getting a mention as it one my tbr shelf.

Can anyone recommend a stand alone, or small fantasy series (no more than 3 books)that has dragons, elves and any other mythical creature?

You might enjoy Alma Alexander's WORLDWEAVERS series from HarperCollins. It is an exquisitely rendered world of modern computers and ancient Native American gods.

In the three books of WORLDWEAVERS, Alexander weaves a magical world featuring Thea Winthrop. As the series opens, Thea is an ugly duckling, incapable of casting even the simplest spell. Until ...

In the first book, ‘The Gift of the Unmage,� Thea meets Grandmother Spider and other First World gods and begins to get a glimmer of who she really is. Back home at ‘The Last Ditch School for the Incurably Incompetent� for those incapable of magic, new friends help her discover her true destiny just in time to save her world from the menace of The Nothing.

In the second book, ‘Spellspam,� a monstrous mage of incredible power is sending spam to computer inboxes that actually carries magic spells. When something promising a clear complexion gives a girl transparent skin, Thea and her friends realize that they must find the wizard before he can wreak incredible destruction in their world.

In the third book, ‘Cybermage, ’Thea and her friends find a way to break into a magical cube created by the wizard of the west, Nikola Tesla, and uncover a secret which will change their world forever.

I just read Kevin Hearn's Hexed. Not bad at all.. very entertaining, nothing more, which is the author's stated intention.

I dig the Iron Druid series. It's nothing spectacular, but it is pretty fun.

plus, starwars trivia!

just sayin'