The Incarnations of Immortality trilogy by Piers Anthony is pretty good. One book is about Death, on is about Time, and the last is about Fate. They're moderately old but still good books, and should be in a library if they're not in print any more.

Anything by Mercedes Lackey. Magic's Pawn, Magic's Price, Magic's Promise. The Bardic chronicles. The Winds quartet. There's a bunch of them, and from what I remember (I read them years ago) they're either set in one of two worlds.

The Last Rune series by Mark Anthony. The first book is Beyond the Pale. I think people with the name "Anthony" automatically write good fantasy.

I also want to reiterate Garth Nix and Neil Gaiman. Orson Scott Card is just an all around good author. He did some excellent sci-fi (The Ender Wiggin's books and the books about Bean, the Shadow books) and some equally good fantasy; Enchantment comes to mind.

Diana Wynne Jones has written a whole bunch of really good YA (young adult) level fantasty books, ranging from classic wizards and dragons to setting the world as a giant war game player by the "Them" people always refer to.


That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I can think of more later. I worked in the YA section of the library for quite a while so a lot of my tastes tend to run towards younger books, but a lot of them stand toe to toe in terms of quality with the more "adult" (read: sexually explicit) books. *shrug* Books of all kinds are lovely.

You stopped reading this series a little early. There are 7 books, and the third one is about Fate. You still have War, Nature, Evil, and Good.

I suggest sci-fi by Phillip Dick. His stories inspired Total Recall, Blade Runner, and Minority Report. His short story collections are particularly excellent.

Nick Hornby "High Fidelity"
Dave Eggers "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius"
I second Shiri's comment on the Ravenloft books. I particularly enjoyed "I, Strahd" "I, Strahd: The War with Azalin" and "Knight of the Black Rose."
The Prism Pentad series by Troy Denning
The Dark Tower series by Steven King (much of his other work is excellent as well, though not everyone likes the genre. DT, however, is not his typical horror work. IN reality, his writing hasn't really been horror with a few exceptions in years. DT is just good.)

I was GOING to recommend the Prism Pentad, but I forgot the name. Also, I find the Tribe of One trilogy from the same setting (same author I think, but I can't be bothered to go find the books, they're in a mass under my bed somewhere) to be even better, although the ending to the third book is kinda lame.

(Knight of the Black Rose is probably the best one, by the way. The Dance of the Dead isn't that bad either, despite the cliched name.)

I kind of liked I, Strahd better than KotBR, but its close at least. Both are good.

Tribe of one is by Simon Hawke, so not the same author. I'm not actually sure I've read these, and if I did it was like 8 years ago. Might have to try and track down a copy.

I really, really like Stephen Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series (and the Third Chronicles are coming out now!). It's fantasy, and has the WORST name for the focal enemy I have heard, but it remains my favourite fantasy series of all time. Not sure why though.

You should. It's the series with Sorak and the fragmented personalities in his head. Dark Sun setting again.

My current favorite author (changes all the time) is Sarah Douglass. I highly recommend the Troy Game series or the Wayfarer Redemption series. The Troy Game has some excellent goddess/stag subthemes (though the last book isn't out, darnit), and the Wayfarer Redemption series is a must read for any trill characters.

And, hrm, some more series well worth reading: Elizabeth Hayden's Symphony of the Ages trilogy, Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel trilogy (warning: strong S&M theme), George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire & Ice (everyone who has read it loves it), James Clemens Banned & Banished series (Wit'ch Fire, Wit'ch Storm, Wit'ch Gate, Wit'ch Star--not well known but really excellent), and Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy (she may not be the most polished writer of the bunch but the imagination that spawned this work is amazing).

Imajica by Cliver Barker
Galilee by Clive Barker
Faerie Tale by Feist
Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

Hehe. I guess you aren't the His Dark Materials guru anymore. The first one is The Golden Compass. *patpat*

Since when? You 100% sure that's not just an American misnaming?

Dune,by the late Frank Herbert. The later books in the series are not quite as good. Read it, and then read it again. It is filled with clever little twists and sub-plots. That's my Uncle, considered a Godfather of Science Fiction.

It's been years since I've read them, but I remember the Piers Anthony books being fun fantasy reads.

I dislike science fiction and most fantasy novels, I'm a fan of historic biography and the classics.

Shoosh. I'm certain the book I read was The Golden Compass. Heck, I'll even look it up on Amazon.com. Wait for the edit!


EDIT: FINE. It's both.

The Northern Lights - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

The Golden Compass - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

EDIT2: Stupid links. Why are you not working? Bah.

EDIT3: Hehe. The Golden Compass is cheaper.

I did read that one! Loved it!!

I enjoyed the Wayfarer Redemption as well. I think I suggested it before in another thread on this forums. Might pick up the follow ups.

I'd recommend the Ender's Quartet, but it's more Sci-Fi than Fantasy.

Do a search for threads started by SirVLCIV. There were a few in this vein.

Someone mentioned the Dark Tower. It's an excellent series (if a bit ed up). I'd recommend it if you don't mind weirdness in large helpings.

As an aside, I find it strange that the people who always say "OMG Stephen King sucks!" have read very few, or even none, of his books. The people who have usually liked them, or at least tolerated them.

Orson Scott Card: The Ender books are great. But if I'm honest, I preferred the Bean books that he wrote (is writing? I haven't really kept track, Shadow of the Hegemon was the last one I read. Did the others come out since?) afterwards.

Finally, the book is called "Northern Lights". In America, for some bizarre reason, they renamed it "The Golden Compass". What kind of a bull name is "The Golden Compass", anyway? "Northern Lights" says mystery and intrigue and interestingness. "The Golden Compass" says a lump of gold with a stick attached.

So I say we rip the covers off the misnamed copies and have them rebound.

*coughThePhilosopher'sStonecough*

Too true. I don't think it does much to reinforce the stereotype of Americans having a two-word vocabulary.

Shadow Puppets and Shadow of the Giant are also out now, according to some internet bibliography. I haven't read them yet because I didn't know they existed until last night. I appear to be losing my touch. I did enjoy the Bean books a lot more, because aside from Jane I just never quite adjusted to neo-colonial period deal.

And I definitely need to go a find the rest of the Incarnations books... Olan, if you need someone to bear your children, I will volunteer.

The Harry Potter renaming made me laugh at the time.

Anyway, as Aym said read Dune, in fact read the Dune series, then read all the not as good prelude series to Dune books, just because they have something to do with Dune.

Agree with Elryn too, read the first and second chronicles of Thomas Covenant, then if you want to torture yourself read Runes of the Earth, the first book of the third trilogy.

Someone said Philip K. Dick too. There is no good reason to not have read as many of his books and short stories as you can. If you haven't read any, please punch yourself in the kidneys at this point. His stories will expand your mind and keep you thinking for days.

Dan Simmons is also an excellent writer, he blends sci-fi and fantasy superbly. Particularly good are Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion.