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Posted: 7/25/2024 9:20:23 PM EDT
I want something to read that will take a year or two of casual reading. Or possibly more.

I've read JRR Tolkien's works multiple times, except the The Silmarillion, which I could not make it through. I feel that The Lord of the Rings is the best series I've ever read. I want something new now.

So far the list I'm looking at is as follows:

- Wheel of Time
- Stormlight Archive
- Malazan: Book of the Fallen

Of this list list what would you recommend? Or am I missing something?
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:21:35 PM EDT
[#1]
Mistborn.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:23:26 PM EDT
[#2]
Eragon trilogy was a good fantasy read.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:23:53 PM EDT
[#3]
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:25:05 PM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History


Always go with the classics.

Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:25:09 PM EDT
[#5]
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:26:06 PM EDT
[#6]
Thieve's World series. Stories by different authors, interacting with each other's characters.

Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:26:27 PM EDT
[#7]
Shameless plug for my BIL, who is the author:


The Death Collector series

Dark fantasy.

He has a twisted mind.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:28:33 PM EDT
[#8]
Dies the fire

Modern world loses all electricity/gunpowder/etc
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:28:43 PM EDT
[#9]
Song of Fire and Ice, despite being incomplete, is still a great series.

Black Company was different and interesting.   Definitely darker.

Avoid Sword of Truth.  14 books and just gets tired after book 4.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:29:51 PM EDT
[#10]
Second vote for Mistborn.  

And these.  https://www.goodreads.com/series/49134-the-legend-of-drizzt
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:30:08 PM EDT
[#11]
Dragonlance series are good, lighter than LOTR, but there are now dozens so if you like the world you have a lot to read.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:30:16 PM EDT
[#12]
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Quoted:
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
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I've read that years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed it. If I remember correctly, I read 6 books.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:32:09 PM EDT
[#13]
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Quoted:
Second vote for Mistborn.  

And these.  https://www.goodreads.com/series/49134-the-legend-of-drizzt
View Quote

The problem with Drizzt is he is a whiny cunt.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:32:22 PM EDT
[#14]
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Quoted:
Second vote for Mistborn.  

And these.  https://www.goodreads.com/series/49134-the-legend-of-drizzt
View Quote


I've read a few of the Forgotten Realms books. Including some with Drizzt.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:33:22 PM EDT
[#15]
This may seem odd, but consider the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It's a genre-mixer, but very fantastical.

The Shannara Chronicles might suit you, too.  

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Dragonlance series are good, lighter than LOTR, but there are now dozens so if you like the world you have a lot to read.
View Quote


Monica
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:33:38 PM EDT
[#16]
Magician
Series by Raymond Feist
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:34:34 PM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

The problem with Drizzt is he is a whiny cunt.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Second vote for Mistborn.  

And these.  https://www.goodreads.com/series/49134-the-legend-of-drizzt

The problem with Drizzt is he is a whiny cunt.





He's introspective.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:36:02 PM EDT
[#18]
I am working through the undying mercenary series by BV Larson, pretty good, though a teeny bit formulaic.

I am on book 15 or so.

Would recommend
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:37:13 PM EDT
[#19]
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Quoted:
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
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That’s one you don’t hear very often.

Dark series about an angry leper transported to another realm with lots of power, especially the anger.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:38:16 PM EDT
[#20]
One thing to try is the Tarzan series, it may not take too long because the books are short and they are extremely formulaic, but still entertaining.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:38:35 PM EDT
[#21]
Chronicles of Prydain is probably geared towards a slightly younger audience than LotR but is worth a read.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:38:36 PM EDT
[#22]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


That’s one you don’t hear very often.

Dark series about an angry leper transported to another realm with lots of power, especially the anger.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant


That’s one you don’t hear very often.

Dark series about an angry leper transported to another realm with lots of power, especially the anger.


And a rapist.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:38:39 PM EDT
[#23]
LOTR wasn’t intended to be a series. Tolkien refused to call it a trilogy until he finally just gave up and accepted it.

Breaking a large story into volumes was a common publishing style. If the first one flopped they had less invested in the printing. He also hated the return of the king title. It was a spoiler.

The Tolkien illustrated one volume edition is pretty cool. I want some of the giclee prints.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:38:41 PM EDT
[#24]
Deathlands by James Axler. It follows a group of survivalists 100 years after WWIII destroys most of mankind.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathlands
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:39:25 PM EDT
[#25]
A short three book read is The Hot Gate by Ringo.

For Zombies, try Ringo’s series Black Tide Rising.

Suspend disbelief a bit and enjoy the silly ride.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:39:47 PM EDT
[#26]
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Quoted:
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
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Second vote for this.

Also, the Lycanius Trilogy.  Amazing trilogy.  

The Deed of Paksenarrion also has my vote.

Old school, try the Conan the Barbarian original series.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:40:10 PM EDT
[#27]
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:40:29 PM EDT
[#28]
R.A. Salvatore has some good stuff.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:40:52 PM EDT
[#29]
I’m about halfway on the second book of the Stormlight archive and I’m enjoying it a lot.  Sanderson’s magic system is quite different than anything I’ve seen in print or games.  Interesting little twist on the usual approaches.

I view LOTR much the same, probably the high-water mark of high fantasy.  Couldn’t get through Sil either, just hit one of the various Tolkien wikis and even the articles about it are hard to read. He was thorough at least!
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:40:59 PM EDT
[#30]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Dragonlance series are good, lighter than LOTR, but there are now dozens so if you like the world you have a lot to read.
View Quote

+1
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:41:20 PM EDT
[#31]
Legacy of the Aldenata series by Ringo,..............more commonly known as the Posleen War
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:41:50 PM EDT
[#32]
I’m enjoying “Forgotten Ruin” series by Anspach and Cole. Lord of the rings crossed with modern Army Rangers.

ETA: Drizzt Do'Urden of the Forgotten Realms by R. A. Salvatore gets my vote for a more classic fantasy series
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:42:26 PM EDT
[#33]
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Quoted:


And a rapist.
View Quote


It gets really weird when he meets his daughter.

Great books, but the main character is definitely an asshole a lot of the time.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:42:29 PM EDT
[#34]
Dragon riders of pern
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:42:46 PM EDT
[#35]
And March Upcountry is a good series as well, but only 4 books.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:43:56 PM EDT
[#36]
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Quoted:
Dragon riders of pern
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But only the books written by Anne McCaffrey.

Her son just didn’t have the chops to continue the series.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:44:20 PM EDT
[#37]
Also "Survivalist,  frontier justice"

Us Marshal fighting mutants caused by a virus
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:44:33 PM EDT
[#38]
Science fiction I recommend the Red Rising series. Class warfare and whole planet battles. First book is kind of hunger games ish but after that the whole universe opens up. 5 books out now waiting on the final book to come out next year.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:45:42 PM EDT
[#39]
Some guys were addicted to ‘Cradle’ by Will Wight on my last deployment. Like actively passing around the books when they would go to sleep so they could read in shifts.

A quick Amazon scan shows most of the books (12 total) are averaging 4.5 stars and averaging 13k reviews.

Premise seemed cool but I did not read it.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:45:55 PM EDT
[#40]
2nd vote for The Black Company and Shannara Trilogy.

Some others thought not in the same genre of fantasy.

Xanth series by Piers Anthony, great series IMO.

Casca series by Barry Sadler
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:46:45 PM EDT
[#41]
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Quoted:

I've read that years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed it. If I remember correctly, I read 6 books.
View Quote


There's actually a third series (four books) that follows Linden Avery going back to the Land about ten years (her time) later.  Haven't had a chance to get into it yet.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:47:32 PM EDT
[#42]
Took me a while to read through The Witcher series.

This thread is of interest to me. Every book I'm reading right now is for my profession...and I like it! But I need some fiction in my life.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:49:34 PM EDT
[#43]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
One thing to try is the Tarzan series, it may not take too long because the books are short and they are extremely formulaic, but still entertaining.
View Quote

I've read many of those in high school.  I seriously doubt you'd find them in a school library today.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:50:21 PM EDT
[#44]
For high fantasy, it's hard to beat the 2 series by David Eddings.

The Belgariad series

The Mallorean series
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:50:21 PM EDT
[#45]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Took me a while to read through The Witcher series.

This thread is of interest to me. Every book I'm reading right now is for my profession...and I like it! But I need some fiction in my life.
View Quote


Was a good one. Had some frustrations with it but I’ll read it all again someday.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:51:38 PM EDT
[#46]
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:51:57 PM EDT
[#47]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Took me a while to read through The Witcher series.

This thread is of interest to me. Every book I'm reading right now is for my profession...and I like it! But I need some fiction in my life.
View Quote


I was reading quite a bit when I was young, but kind of gave up on it. I'm thinking back to how much I enjoyed it and feel it's time to start back up.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:52:26 PM EDT
[#48]
joe aberchrombie first law series, shattered sea series plus some others.

logen ninefingers for the win
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:52:32 PM EDT
[#49]
Also worth a read- Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera.
Link Posted: 7/25/2024 9:52:57 PM EDT
[#50]
The Riftwar saga by Raymond E Feist
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
The Books of Swords by Fred Saberhagen
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams
The Belgariad by David Eddings
Mistborn by Brian Sanderson
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss(Book 3 has been under development for years. He works at the pace of George RR Martin. The first two books are excellent)
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