Good epic fantasy books (relatively modern)

[Lady Winter Rose]

Hey, in my country, our publishers are struggling with publishing books and I decided to buy some books off Amazon/Book Depository/other stores. I live in non-Shoengen EU and Amazon is still making problems with deliveries. I only speak mother tongue and English.

Yes, I didn't read everything that could be read before, help me with that.

But I need suggestion first. What can you say for me to read based on following:

Books I enjoyed:

Lirael (Garth Nix, really good and my favorite ever, and read in English, read two more Abhorsen books)

Dreamer's Tale (Dunsany)

ASOIAF (first three books, although fifth was fine)

Stardust (I liked the movie better, but I have hard time remembering the book, but I also loved the book)

Septimus Heap (I liked first very much, read long time ago)

Eragon (I know some people here speak of plagiarism (unjustified, IMO), but I liked first book really really much)

I also read selected few from Terry Pratchett, although I enjoyed it, I read mix of bad translation and English (liked translation more unironically)

Dragonlance Chronicles (in English, so I know first trilogy is badly written, but I really liked the story and characters)

Elric of Melnibone (I read translation by excellent SFF writer and translator, and of course, it was selected few, possibly my second favorite, but when it comes to preference I want to write something like that, I read comics and some other stories in English, translation was too good compared to those)

Memory Sorrow Thorn (almost read this as kid, quit with death of exile princess Maegwyn (really hate this one, I wish he made ending less sugarysweet, but let Maegwyn live and be happy), reread whole series later on)

 

Few notes: I love epic fantasy, but lately have concentration issues, so nothing too hard or long to read. And by long I mean books that are not only long, but too hard to read fast despite their length. So no short boring stuff either. I really dig strong female protagonist, but usually don't like newly published stuff because they make it too in-your-face obvious that it's hard to connect to ladies when they are "screaming" "Stronk" right there it's annoying.

Didn't read First Law Trilogy, because I felt introduction was way too "Stronk man writing for stronk men", so I feel I wouldn't like it much.

I think I liked Elric because of it's trippy nature, but epicness of storybuilding was super nice. I don't mind too dark fantasies, but something dark that makes sense in storyline would be fine by me, with Elric, grimdark was super nice, but I didn't love grimdark of Dance with Dragons because I felt some of the passages were way too dank.

Lirael was extremely full of emotion and it was reason why I loved it so much. Way good characterization, way too good play with themes that matter, surprisingly, people apparently hated Lirael, maybe because audiobook didn't do it justice. I read English on battered physical book from local library. My favorite book ever.

I also don't mind if writer writes bad (Dragonlance as example), but it must be good in some other way, otherwise I won't bother. I read Time for Twins and although good written, I obviously liked Dragonlance characters and themes way more (Sturm death and that rose struck me way too much)

I also read stuff from Smashwords, but personally, some stuff was good, but I would not actually go shopping there, and would not return there.

[Lady Winter Rose]

does this makes sense to post on reddit or will I be downvoted there?

[Lady Winter Rose]

:((((((

[Samsaptakas]

Wheel of time. Show is coming out on November 19.

[dog-days]

Maybe give Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon a go? It is long - on the other hand, it's a standalone book, so the story is all there. It has not one but three young strong female protagonists. And it isn't particularly hard in that it doesn't try to be obscure, it's fairly plot-driven, and it doesn't wander off on long diversions  à la Victor Hugo. 

[sologdin]

catherynne valente and china mieville have some novels set in non-schengen areas. they are both anti-stronkists.

[williamjm]

Maybe you might like S.A. Chakraborty's [i]Daevabad[/i] trilogy. It's an epic fantasy that I think is fairly fast-paced, has a female protagonist and I like the Arabian Nights-inspired setting.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Not traditional epic fantasy but Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet is great.

Also, Patricia Wrede's Dealing with Dragons series is a quick fun read, has some very Pratchett-y moments.  

[polishgenius]

 

6 hours ago, Lady Winter Rose said:

 so nothing too hard or long to read.

 

2 hours ago, Samsaptakas said:

Wheel of time. 

Good looking out.

 

 

Anyway Catherynne Valente is a good shout: her Fairyland series is a great, girl-led-without-being-bullish-about it collection of delightful and weird fairytale adventure YA stories. Her adult work is usually standalone, much weirder. Not sure how it'd work in translation because her prose is a huge part of the appeal but surely worth a try. 

 

Another YA series I'd recommend is the undeservedly obscure Monster Blood Tattoo by DM Cornish. Very unusual setting and a likeable set of characters. 

Was gonna recommend Long Price too. It's got epic fantasy qualities while also being short, and it definitely fits the 'strong women without being obnoxious about it' part of your post.  
 

[Zorral]

Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. This one's set in a not particular geography.

I really love Lois Bujold's Sharing Knife series, which are set in an post-apocolyptic Ohio River Valley location, which then evokes the early history of that region, which was even surveyed by George Washington when very young, hoping to make shyte-loads of profit from claiming those lands.  I personally love them -- they are my favorite by far of Bujold's books because of the evocation of that history, while bringing together post environmental collapse and a magic-like sensibility.  I'm providing this description if it turns out these may not be to your own taste.  They are, I must say, though, filled with a love of natural beauty that Bujold describes feelingly on the page.  Her heroine is definitely not stronk.

Another reason I recommended this Bujold series is from photos, videos and paintings I've seen of areas in the general region in which you live -- they reminded me of Bujolds landscapes in the series, of many rivers, forests, lakes and trading towns, tending to flow toward the city with the greatest markets in the region.

 

[dwellordream]

I really recommend NK Jemisin's The Fifth Season, which is sort of straddling the line between epic fantasy and epic sci fi and involves an apocalyptic world without a moon where certain 'orogenics' can control the earth. It is very dark and violent, but it has very human and compelling characters and comments on a lot of social issues through the society it portrays,

[Gigei]

I think you need some Roger Zelazny in your life. Have you read his Amber series?

[Zorral]

They are rather dated in attitude, but they are easy going and often fun.  Or were -- I haven't re-read them in decades.

 

[Liffguard]

On 11/14/2021 at 5:16 PM, Zorral said:

Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. This one's set in a not particular geography.

I really love Lois Bujold's Sharing Knife series, which are set in an post-apocolyptic Ohio River Valley location, which then evokes the early history of that region, which was even surveyed by George Washington when very young, hoping to make shyte-loads of profit from claiming those lands.  I personally love them -- they are my favorite by far of Bujold's books because of the evocation of that history, while bringing together post environmental collapse and a magic-like sensibility.  I'm providing this description if it turns out these may not be to your own taste.  They are, I must say, though, filled with a love of natural beauty that Bujold describes feelingly on the page.  Her heroine is definitely not stronk.

Another reason I recommended this Bujold series is from photos, videos and paintings I've seen of areas in the general region in which you live -- they reminded me of Bujolds landscapes in the series, of many rivers, forests, lakes and trading towns, tending to flow toward the city with the greatest markets in the region.

 

I second Bujold. Although personally I lean more towards her five gods books. @Lady Winter Rose, I really recommend giving The Curse Of Chalion a try. Not short, but not crazy long. The story moves along quite briskly, the plot is primarily based on political and interpersonal conflict, and the main female protagonist is smart and capable, but not a Strong Female Character stereotype.

[Wilbur]

Jack Vance's The Dying Earth books.

The Dying Earth stories are an important touchstone for ASOIAF and the source of the magic system in D&D.

[Inkdaub]

I am going to rec a series that I really liked but haven't thought about in a few years.  They are often described as fantasy and romance but don't let that throw you off.  The mix is good and the books are great...or at least I thought so when I read them years ago.  Good enough that I sometimes look the author up to see if she has written anything else in that series but she hasn't.  She does have other books, though.

The Twelve Houses Series by Sharon Shinn

Also...

Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb

Greatcoats by Sebastien de Castell

Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence

Cast series by Michelle Sagara - also Essalieyan series by Michelle West, who is the same person.  Essalieyan features longer books, though. 

I will second the Jemisin rec and add that if it has the word Jemisin on the cover you are likely safe in buying and reading it.  I have not read The City We Became, though.

Lastly, buy multiple copies of each book by Felix Gilman.  We need sales in the hope that he will become interested in writing again. 

 

 

[SeanF]

I’d second or third the recommendation of The Liveships Trilogy, Robin Hobb’s best series, IMHO.

[williamjm]

5 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Jack Vance's The Dying Earth books.

The Dying Earth stories are an important touchstone for ASOIAF and the source of the magic system in D&D.

While that is true I think a series started the 1950s is definitely stretching the 'relatively modern' criteria.

[Rhom]

I am currently reading the conclusion of Josiah Bancroft's Books of Babel series.  The series starts with Senlin Ascends.  Really enjoyable reads.  Only four books and the series is now complete.

[Werthead]

On 11/17/2021 at 10:10 PM, williamjm said:

While that is true I think a series started the 1950s is definitely stretching the 'relatively modern' criteria.

Started in the 1940s; he wrote the first couple of stories whilst serving in the US Merchant Marine in WWII, and published them in 1950.