What other fantasy books do YOU read?

[Lathriel]

I really liked his Dark Materials. Did you know they made a movie of the Golden Compas. It's coming christmas 2007 and it has daniel Craig and nicole Kidman in it. So I'm curious

[Volo]

Oh no! Why're they spoilig all the great books? ...

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Lathriel

it has daniel Craig and nicole Kidman in it.

Well chosen actors, at least. If they're to play the persons I except them to play, it will be very interesting...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I think the first book of the His Dark Materials trilogy is very good, but the second and the third one just didn't have the same magic and power. I got the feeling pullman had used his best ideas in the first book and nothing but scraps was left to the later ones.

I get the horrible feeling his publishers rushed him a bit for the second and third books. The chief problem for me with the third book is he had his main protagonist out of action for almost half of it, and he did not make his ending clear enough; the creatures that Mary lived with were also a bit weird, slightly contrived, and until you've read the book a few times, it's hard to grasp what he is really saying - it's not some Atheist polemic at all, quite the opposite. I always say that the last episode of the last series of Doctor Who dealt with similar concepts of loss (in the context of alternate universes) in a much more clear way.

Anyhow.

I'm excited about the films, but if anything, even more nervous about them than I was about the Lord of the Rings films! I saw the filming going on in Oxford last September, including spotting Nicole Kidman, and it was all very exciting. I'm quite confident in the actors they've chosen but am worried they will downplay the religious elements in the story too much - when in fact the films could serve to clarify Pullman's points if done correctly.

Funny how it's going to be called The Golden Compass though. The first book is called Northern Lights in the UK, and that's what Pullman wanted it called on the global market. What happened was that his US publishers had created a book jacket and had a 'compass' as the illustration rather than an alethiometer and one of the staff had assumed it was called The Golden Compass. Pullman said that at the time he didn't feel he had the power or the right to challenge or correct them!

[Lathriel]

I actually don't mind the title The Golden Compas since it goes well with the Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass.
I already saw some pictures on the internet of the movie and I'm very curious. i also hope that they don't downplay the religion because that is one of the main topics in the trilogy.

[Rhod the Red]

I've also read C. S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia), J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter series) and just starting the Terry Pratchet series.

[Texadan]

I'm reading the Noble Dead series by Barb & J.C. Hendee. I've read the first three and enjoyed them. The fourth is out in paperback but I've not been able to get it yet. And I'm not sure the Keeper trilogy by Tanya Huff qualifies under the topic since it's set in modern day Canada. But it has magic and elves in it so.... I highly recommend it. Good story and some good humor as well.

[Thinlómien]

I've just finished Trudi Canavan's The Magician's Guild and have started The Novice of the same series and I must say I like it. The clichés are well.used, the characters lovely and the plot intriguing. The perfect books to read during the summer...

[ninja91]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I've just finished Trudi Canavan's The Magician's Guild and have started The Novice of the same series and I must say I like it. The clichés are well.used, the characters lovely and the plot intriguing. The perfect books to read during the summer...

I was either going to borrow that or the Earthsea trilogy. I chose the Earthsea trilogy, but I'll give the books you mentioned a shot next, Lommy.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by ninja91

I was either going to borrow that or the Earthsea trilogy. I chose the Earthsea trilogy, but I'll give the books you mentioned a shot next, Lommy.

A good choice, I finished them some time ago and they were well worth the read. Although, I prefer the Earthsea-trilogy....

[Elmo]

Are we allowed to talk about a certain adolescent wizard on here? Just finished the book, man it's depressing! The deaths just keep on coming. I'm not sure I can say much more about it because of spoiling it for people but its the first Harry Potter book I don't want to reread in a hurry, not because it was badly written but its general gloominess.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I personally did not finish it yet, but generally yes, I think it might be a good literature for the kids who just learn to read. You see: you give them the book, so they learn to read, and you even can simultaneously teach them count up to 100 by making them count the deaths!

That won't happen in Middle-Earth.

[Lalwendë]

I loved it - without revealing anything, Rowling made a brave move and pulled it off...

From a Potter nut today I heard that she has got reams and reams of notes on back story, things such as the full story of Dean and character portraits of everyone in Harry's year including many characters we never met. What are the chances of one day getting a 12 volume History of Hogwarts?

[Elmo]

She's apparently releasing an encyclopedia for charity with all that info in it. I'm glad its for charity, I think she's got enough money as it is.

[Hammerhand]

Yeah a history on Harry Potter would be fantastic. I've followed the Raymond Feist works for a while, and whilst it is a good read, his work reeks of Tolkien! maybe thats why i like it.

Besides that.. in the fantasy genre, i've read a few Robert Jordan books... not bad - and just bits and bobs from around.

I definitely recommend Raymond Feist though to anyone who hasn't heard of him

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Hammerhand

I've followed the Raymond Feist works for a while, and whilst it is a good read, his work reeks of Tolkien! maybe thats why i like it.

I read Feist a loong time ago (just the four of the Riftwar Saga). It seemed good enough to me at that time, nowadays my taste has developed to that point that I'd probably dump it together with all the "braque fantasy"... I wasn't as picky back then. However I remember I really, really hated how Feist stole Elvish words from Tolkien! Man, that was really nasty! And what more, he did not even attempt to cover it! I remember vividly (and it's some eight years since I have read it) when Tomas calls the elven queen Aglaranna "Shining Moon"; followed by the explanation that it's "in her own ancient language". And also the name Valheru. I remember I had the urge to beat my head against the wall. But besides that, it was a good read.

And welcome, Hammerhand!

[Hammerhand]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I read Feist a loong time ago (just the four of the Riftwar Saga). It seemed good enough to me at that time, nowadays my taste has developed to that point that I'd probably dump it together with all the "braque fantasy"... I wasn't as picky back then. However I remember I really, really hated how Feist stole Elvish words from Tolkien! Man, that was really nasty! And what more, he did not even attempt to cover it! I remember vividly (and it's some eight years since I have read it) when Tomas calls the elven queen Aglaranna "Shining Moon"; followed by the explanation that it's "in her own ancient language". And also the name Valheru. I remember I had the urge to beat my head against the wall. But besides that, it was a good read.

And welcome, Hammerhand!

Good day sir , i have no defence whatsoever for Feists "borrowing" tendencies lol. Off topic, a guy that gave my class a lecture on Chaucer (major snore) was a student of Christopher Tolkien's at university, i forget which one, a distinguished one if memory serves correct. He said much the same as you (after the lecture) concerning Raymond Feist, and a few other authors that were alien to me.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Hammerhand

Good day sir , i have no defence whatsoever for Feists "borrowing" tendencies lol. Off topic, a guy that gave my class a lecture on Chaucer (major snore) was a student of Christopher Tolkien's at university, i forget which one, a distinguished one if memory serves correct. He said much the same as you (after the lecture) concerning Raymond Feist, and a few other authors that were alien to me.

Well, on the other hand, using the "familiar" language might have served its purpose for curious readers (for example one who knew Elvish - or more precisely, had the dictionary at the end of Silmarillion nearby - could translate some of the words which are not even translated in the book, and have fun with it). I even believe the reason for using it may be sort of a tribute to Tolkien from the author - but, honestly, if I wrote something, I'd try to come up with my own language; I'll probably consider "borrowing" Sindarin/Quenya/whatever too "high" to put in my book. Feist did this with more things than just language - now I remembered that monster in the dwarven tunnels at the end of the first volume... yes, that obvious balrog... as I said, the author might have meant it to be a tribute to Tolkien, but the reader (like me) may consider it as lack of his own creative thoughts and simply copying... Nevertheless, as I said, the Riftwar Saga was a good read - or that's how I remember it.

[Hammerhand]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Well, on the other hand, using the "familiar" language might have served its purpose for curious readers (for example one who knew Elvish - or more precisely, had the dictionary at the end of Silmarillion nearby - could translate some of the words which are not even translated in the book, and have fun with it). I even believe the reason for using it may be sort of a tribute to Tolkien from the author - but, honestly, if I wrote something, I'd try to come up with my own language; I'll probably consider "borrowing" Sindarin/Quenya/whatever too "high" to put in my book. Feist did this with more things than just language - now I remembered that monster in the dwarven tunnels at the end of the first volume... yes, that obvious balrog... as I said, the author might have meant it to be a tribute to Tolkien, but the reader (like me) may consider it as lack of his own creative thoughts and simply copying... Nevertheless, as I said, the Riftwar Saga was a good read - or that's how I remember it.

Aye i agree it is a fantastic read. I believe you are referencing the mines of Mac Mordain Cadal, where Dwarves once lived until some travesty i can't remember occured. Doesn't the familiarity sting you? i agree also that there were multiple Tolkien references, 'Elvandar - Elvendom'. I can't really comment on the Sindarin or Quenyan languages because it's a shady patch of my knowledge:P Nonetheless Riftwar was commendable.

[Gil-Galad]

The Dwarves were too few in number to continue using the mines at great capacity, that was the reason, plus dark elves and goblins kept wandering through the mines making it more dangerous

i loved Feist's works, and when i read two different fantasy, i don't compare them, i just pretend that i am new to the world and go from there. by looking at it that way they are both great reads, though Feist tends to pile up "important" characters and then kill most of them in one book...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

i loved Feist's works, and when i read two different fantasy, i don't compare them, i just pretend that i am new to the world and go from there.

Yes, but the things I mentioned are just what makes me unable to do this. As you said, I just pretend that I am new ti the world, but suddenly - "Ha! A balrog! Now what are you doing here?" I can't pretend I haven't seen him before. "Uh-huh, I remember now, this is not the first world I have been to!" And that degrades the world to me, by making it unoriginal, which is quite sad. I can't hope to made the world my home, as I made the Tolkien's, because I know there is something in it that does not come from there.

Just to add, one interesting idea (sort of a mind-probe on Feist)... does that creature have wings? (Personally I think not, there is not any reference, or is it?)

[Hammerhand]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

The Dwarves were too few in number to continue using the mines at great capacity, that was the reason, plus dark elves and goblins kept wandering through the mines making it more dangerous

i loved Feist's works, and when i read two different fantasy, i don't compare them, i just pretend that i am new to the world and go from there. by looking at it that way they are both great reads, though Feist tends to pile up "important" characters and then kill most of them in one book...

I think that is a great philosophy to have. I try to do the same - but you must have felt the deja vu when reading Feists work?

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by Hammerhand

I think that is a great philosophy to have. I try to do the same - but you must have felt the deja vu when reading Feists work?

all the time, but it is easier to go off of something someone created then try to risk creating something brand new and go no where, tolkien laid down the basics of fantasy with the humans, goblins, elves, dwarves etc. every other fantasy reader builds off of it and adds into the mix

in regards to legates question, what creature are you talking about that compares to the Balrog?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

in regards to legates question, what creature are you talking about that compares to the Balrog?

That creature from Mac Mordain's... I don't know how it's called in English.

[sallkid]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I think the first book of the His Dark Materials trilogy is very good, but the second and the third one just didn't have the same magic and power. I got the feeling Pullman had used his best ideas in the first book and nothing but scraps was left to the later ones.

Without intending any offence whatsoever I completely disagree.

The sequels were written from different perspectives than the first book, in which Lyra is a child, the book was written from a childs perspective making the world seem more magical by happenstance.
ALthough i agree that the themes of Lyra's world were much more condensed and deep than any of the other worlds in the series I do not believe that the subsequent works (the subtle knife and the Amber Spyglass) lacked imagination. The flaw was in having too many worlds to spread the fantasy elements of the story through.

As for what other Fantasy stories i read. I do read Feist, finding him a little Tolkien-Esque, but still high in imagination I have read the Riftwar Saga and the Lizardwar Saga and recently read Talon of the Silver Hawk (which i enjoyed immensely) i find the thing that attracts me most about his work is his characters, who are all both heroic and deeply flawed, although i find he uses the theme of "coming of age" to excess
I also read (and am not ashamed to admit) the discworld stories, Terry Pratchet writes characters with a realness that most other writers can only dream about, making the reader feel that these are real people and his satire (when done correctly) is very well placed. I will admit that not al his books are up to standard (what writer's truly are?) but when Pratchet gets it right he gets it right very very well.
Other writers i read include Eddings (although i haven't read an Eddings work for quite a few years) and Anne Mcaffery, for whom my fondness has waned of late, but may revive once i pick up dragonsdawn or decision at doona again.

I currently own a copy of Eragon but live in mortal dread of actually picking it up and reading it. The only favourible review i have found tend to be from people outside the fantasy "circle" and mainly centre around the theme of "it's really cool that someone this young wrote a WHOLE book!" I hope to be proven wrong.

[alatar]

This article, seen here, states that in 2006 that 1 in 4 polled Americans did not read a book that year, and that this seems to be an increasing trend. If only we can stop those other 3 (of the 4) to quit as well, we'd be on our way to complete illiteracy (save reading on the web).

It must be me.

[Thinlómien]

Ouch.

And just yesterday I was agonising over having only read twelve books this summer... Suddenly I feel a bit better.

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

That creature from Mac Mordain's... I don't know how it's called in English.

only creature i remember is the Banshee-like creatures and the dragon...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by sallkid

Without intending any offence whatsoever I completely disagree.

The sequels were written from different perspectives than the first book, in which Lyra is a child, the book was written from a childs perspective making the world seem more magical by happenstance.
ALthough i agree that the themes of Lyra's world were much more condensed and deep than any of the other worlds in the series I do not believe that the subsequent works (the subtle knife and the Amber Spyglass) lacked imagination. The flaw was in having too many worlds to spread the fantasy elements of the story through.
.

Interesting way of looking at it, and a good one - as one of the 'points' to the story is that Lyra grows up during it, so of course, the perspective would change as the story developed. You see a similar thing in Lord of the Rings as the Hobbits get deeper into peril and they grow.

I sometimes think that Pullman's problem was that he had too many good ideas for the second and third books and rather than being strung out, they are too condensed!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

only creature i remember is the Banshee-like creatures and the dragon...

Well then that was the Banshee-like creature as you say, but when I read it, I didn't get an impression of a Banshee, but of a Balrog. Though it's possible I got the impression from its role rather than from its appearance. You see, a big, nasty creature living in ancient deserted Dwarven mines, who almost causes the devastation of the party...

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Well then that was the Banshee-like creature as you say, but when I read it, I didn't get an impression of a Banshee, but of a Balrog. Though it's possible I got the impression from its role rather than from its appearance. You see, a big, nasty creature living in ancient deserted Dwarven mines, who almost causes the devastation of the party...

oh alright, as i remember it it was couple of banshees that attacked the group... i guess i could re-read the book while i'm waiting for the new one into paper back...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

oh alright, as i remember it it was couple of banshees that attacked the group... i guess i could re-read the book while i'm waiting for the new one into paper back...

Well it's about ten years since I have read it, but I have the impression that there was only one creature and then Thomas encountered her for the second time right before he came to the dragon...

[Lalwendë]

Has anyone read any Jack Vance?

I was poking around at summat or t'other last week and went onto something about Jack Vance and his 'classic fantasy' stories about Lyonesse.

But is he any cop?

[Lalwendë]

I've just picked up a rather mad graphic novel called Alice In Sunderland. I've not finished it yet but I can tell you this is one to look out for - a weird combination of history (of Britain and Sunderland), fantasy, and culture. There are bits of Shakespeare thrown in, a lot of Alice, and it's also beautifully illustrated. This has to be the oddest thing I've read since Sandman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Sunderland

[ninja91]

Currently on The Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore. I also went to Borders and picked up the first book in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Saga.

[Lindale]

Is Magic Realism considered in this thread??

I love the works of South American writers like GG Marquez, Isabel Allende, and especially Jorge Luis Borges. In one of my lit classes I realized that my native land has much more in common with South America than say Indonesia or Malaysia or even Japan, and it stuck me that my country has never produced lit like theirs.

I stopped being a Potter fan years ago, but reading for reading's sake I borrowed the last three HPs. I did not enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the first four during my childhood. Sad, really, considering HP and the Sorcerer's Stone was the first book my dad bought me for my eleventh birthday.

[Nazgûl-king]

I love fantasy books! I've read:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon and its sequels) by Christopher Paolini

I’ve read a few others as well, though I can’t think of any others to add right now.

[McCaber]

Narnia is good, that's where I started fantasy.
I tried Potter and Inheritance, but I got fed up with them very quickly.
I like The Wheel of Time. If only Robert Jordan could have finished before he died.
A Song of Ice and Fire is amazing, but it's not really fantasy.
I've read some of Salvatore, and it's been pretty good.
Dune is a great series, but it's sci-fi, and not fantasy.

[Brinniel]

I've recently gotten into the more modern era fantasy books. Particularly with two books: Moon Called and its sequel, Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs. They're about a skinwalker and mechanic named Mercy Thompson who has dealings with mainly werewolves and vampires, along with fae, ghosts, and witches. The book covers are rather silly...they resemble the cover of a men's magazine, which is lame because the books are not risque at all. But as the saying goes, "don't judge a book by its cover," because these books are very good.

At the moment, I'm reading His Dark Materials. My professor assigned The Golden Compass for class, then decided we should read The Subtle Knife too, which is the one I'm currently on. I'm loving the trilogy so far, so of course I'm going to continue reading into The Amber Spyglass. Haven't seen the movie yet, though I plan to next week. But I don't want to hear anything about it that might spoil my judgement. I just don't want my expectations to be too high or too low.

[Oddwen]

I was reading a webcomic the other day, and ran across this bit of news for you fans of the Wheel of Time:

The big news in the world of Fantasy literature is that Mr. Brandon Sanderson, author of The Mistborn Series and Elantris, has been chosen to finish the late Robert Jordan's masterwork, Wheel of Time Book 12: A Memory of Light.

I read this on www.lfgcomic.com


I also have picked up "The Deed of Paksenarrion" by Elizabeth Moon and am about halfway through - it's not too bad.