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Can you recommend me some books?


Camila Sofia

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Hi everyone, i was looking for a new fantasy series to read and i was wondering if i could get some recommendations..(i'm new here)

I got The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss for christmas, i'm almost done and honestly its an ok book at best for me (some parts great others not so much) so can you tell me about some books that are more GRRM ish? I still haven't read the Lord of the rings (i know don't kill me) but i want to have a small list for the future. I tried reading the Malazan books and by God did i hate those! I'm looking for something a bit more approachable with a world building that actually makes you feel like you are in another land (that was one of my biggest gripes with the name of the wind, besides one dimensional characters). I would also appreciate a series that doesn't have 15 books...sorry if i'm being picky! thank you!

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46 minutes ago, Camila Sofia said:

Hi everyone, i was looking for a new fantasy series to read and i was wondering if i could get some recommendations..(i'm new here)

I got The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss for christmas, i'm almost done and honestly its an ok book at best for me (some parts great others not so much) so can you tell me about some books that are more GRRM ish? I still haven't read the Lord of the rings (i know don't kill me) but i want to have a small list for the future. I tried reading the Malazan books and by God did i hate those! I'm looking for something a bit more approachable with a world building that actually makes you feel like you are in another land (that was one of my biggest gripes with the name of the wind, besides one dimensional characters). I would also appreciate a series that doesn't have 15 books...sorry if i'm being picky! thank you!

First, welcome to the board.

Second, what aceluby said. Explore this area a bit, plenty of threads recommending good books.

Third, you haven't read LotR, but I'm guessing it's on your list. Dare I ask if you've read Harry Potter?

One series I would recommend based on your comments is Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy. Also Brandon Sanderson does a good job at world building and magic systems, so try out his Mistborn trilogy. He is also working on a big series, the Stormlight Archive, with only 2 novels completed so far.

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 If you liked Harry Potter I'd suggest The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The protagonist is sort of an adult version of Harry Potter in that the setting is a magical world that exists inside our own world. The first two books are a bit amateurish, but the author really finds his stride in book three. They are nothing mind-blowing or anything, but they are fun, quick reads with some solid characters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dresden_Files

 

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I feel like I've dropped into some parallel universe. WHERE IS THE SNARK?! :P 

kidding. Agree with Darth Richard, read Robin Hobb, and also Daniel Abraham, Joe Abercrombie. Robin Hobb has a lot of books, beginning with the Farseer Trilogy, but each trilogy stands well on its own so it doesn't have to be a huge investment. World building isn't the strong point there, it's more the characters. But the societies portrayed in the Liveships Trilogy, in particular, are very well done and feel real to me.

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10 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said:

The world is too depressing for snark. :(

Trump making Westeros.org great again already! :thumbsup: 

I will second the Sanderson, Abercrombie, and Abraham recs for you.

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An often overlooked inspiration to (some plot elements of) SoIaF is Jack Vance's "Lyonesse" (1983-89). There are 3 books, the first (Lyonesse: Suldrun's Garden, the subtitle is sometimes omitted) is by far the best IMO but the others are certainly worth one's while. Beware "high magic" and an often somewhat different (IMO preferable) style and tone to more recent fantasy.

And there is really no excuse in asking for recommendations if you have not yet read LotR (and The Hobbit and The Silmarilion)...

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13 hours ago, RedEyedGhost said:

@Camila Sofia  What specifically about GRRM's works do you like?  That way we can give better recommendations than just generally awesome books.  And have you read any of his non-ASoIaF works?

I have read a couple of his short stories and watched Preston's videos on the 1000 worlds even though i'm not into sci fi all that much. The best part about the books imo is that they're never really boring, no matter what (i know people differ on this topic but i liked Meereen so hey) even when George steps out of the main story and wanders (cough Brianne) its still interesting on its on to read, there are very few sections on the book that are truly dull, even if i wished certain parts were a bit shorter or removed (cough Penny). Most characters are quite fleshed out and do feel like people, my problem with name of the wind is that every single character except the main one is nothing but a name and 1 or 2 "characteristics" that define them and the ones that have potential to be interesting barely get any screen time at all. Also the world is accesible and feels interesting and fleshed out without tons and tons of exposition. Anyway sorry for any errors or grammatical problems, is not my first language.

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Daniel Abraham has two fantasy series that I have liked; The Long Price Quartet and the Dagger and the Coin.  Two different worlds, two different set of conflicts, both good reads! 

Another author I've enjoyed is Guy Gavriel Kay who has written several series and stand alone books.  I prefer his stand alones myself, but his series are well liked. Titles I've really liked; The Lions of Al-Rassan and Under Heaven.  Check him out as he writes quite well.

Oh, and this little series you might of heard of; Lord of the Rings.  Great writing, great gripping story, just excellent all around.  You might like it.     :read:   

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11 hours ago, Camila Sofia said:

I have read a couple of his short stories and watched Preston's videos on the 1000 worlds even though i'm not into sci fi all that much. The best part about the books imo is that they're never really boring, no matter what (i know people differ on this topic but i liked Meereen so hey) even when George steps out of the main story and wanders (cough Brianne) its still interesting on its on to read, there are very few sections on the book that are truly dull, even if i wished certain parts were a bit shorter or removed (cough Penny). Most characters are quite fleshed out and do feel like people, my problem with name of the wind is that every single character except the main one is nothing but a name and 1 or 2 "characteristics" that define them and the ones that have potential to be interesting barely get any screen time at all. Also the world is accesible and feels interesting and fleshed out without tons and tons of exposition. 

So you like Meereen and Brianne, can I take that to mean that you enjoy strong female characters?  Knowing that you're not a fan of Sci-fi, I still have zero reservations recommending Kameron Hurley's Bel Dame Apocrypha starting with God's War.  It is technically Sci-fi, but it feels more like fantasy.  The main character, Nyx, is definitely a woman on a mission although she certainly doesn't share Brianne's sense of honor, and I can't recall a single boring part in any of the three books.

Daniel Abraham is my favorite author, and The Long Price Quartet is my favorite work of fiction, but I wouldn't call it similar to ASoIaF.  His second epic fantasy series is more similar, The Dagger and the Coin, but even though it's wrapped up in the trappings of the standard epic fantasy, it is most definitely not standard.  It also has one of my favorite female characters in fantasy - Clara, and my favorite sociopath - Geder. 

I still think Joe Abercrombie's The First Law and R. Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing are the works that reminded me most of GRRM's books, but neither has strong female characters, and if that is as important to you as I think it is, then you might not be interested in them.

 

11 hours ago, Camila Sofia said:

Anyway sorry for any errors or grammatical problems, is not my first language.

And don't give another thought to this, because I wouldn't have know, nor would I think that many others in this thread would have either.  Your English is better than most native speakers. 

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To add to REG's above suggestions, if the strong female character is what you are looking for then I can very happily suggest The Liveship Traders, which features quite a large cast of characters all of whom are very well thought out and each of whom have distinct personalities. 

I would also suggest The Fifth Season, which aside from being an incredible book centres around very complicated female leads, and the sequel, The Obelisk Gate, is just as good.

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