Epic fantasy the last 5-6 years, nothing great?

[Rhom]

4 hours ago, butterweedstrover said:

The genre is too long.

I think the era of the door stopper fantasy has essentially passed though.  (If that’s what you’re referencing.) 

Other than Sanderson, I don’t really see anyone else writing the 1000 page epics that were once the norm.

[Ninefingers]

13 minutes ago, Rhom said:

 

Other than Sanderson, I don’t really see anyone else writing the 1000 page epics that were once the norm.

George certainly isn't. [ducks for cover]

[butterweedstrover]

4 hours ago, Rhom said:

I think the era of the door stopper fantasy has essentially passed though.  (If that’s what you’re referencing.) 

Other than Sanderson, I don’t really see anyone else writing the 1000 page epics that were once the norm.

I guess. Though a lot of the stuff in the fantasy section of Barnes and Nobles like Liars Knot (M.A Carrick) or Jade Legacy (Fonda Lee) are huge. 

Then again I don't pick up those books to check the page count, maybe the paper is just really thick. 

[Ser Not Appearing]

12 hours ago, butterweedstrover said:

The genre is too long.

You shut your dirty mouth.

[Gigei]

Thanks to the recs here I started reading The Shadow of What Was Lost. I'm 1/3 in and cautiously optimistic that I'll like the rest of it.

[One-Winged Balrog]

On 8/27/2022 at 12:30 PM, Gigei said:

Thanks to the recs here I started reading The Shadow of What Was Lost. I'm 1/3 in and cautiously optimistic that I'll like the rest of it.

Mmmmm, if the book's title can be improved by cutting out 33% of words, I shudder to imagine what the text looks like.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

On 6/30/2022 at 10:55 AM, Ninefingers said:

I say this every time Sanderson comes up, but he's the Nick Cage of fantasy authors. He turns out dependable summer blockbusters and you know just what you're going to get: plot driven stories that aren't very deep and never make you think very hard, but are fun.  

 

Sanderson is the ramen of fantasy.  It’s quick, available, and very “not bad”.  

[polishgenius]

31 minutes ago, One-Winged Balrog said:

Mmmmm, if the book's title can be improved by cutting out 33% of words, I shudder to imagine what the text looks like.

Shadow What Was Lost? Not sure it scans.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I’m still really enjoying Tad Williams sequel series “The Last King of Osten Ard”.  

And S.A. Chakrabourty’s “City of Brass” series is also excellent.

[Argonath Diver]

I'm also enjoying Williams most recent publication! And have finally started with board favorite JV Jones as well.

I suppose this belongs in What I'm Reading, but I do hope the final novel ramps everything up. So far I very much prefer the original Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and the Otherland series. I have all faith in Williams, who spends 2400 pages for a wild, 400 page final act. Still hoping this third novel pulls me in a bit more than it has so far. I adore his measured prose, though I know it's a bit plodding to many readers.

[One-Winged Balrog]

41 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

Shadow What Was Lost? Not sure it scans.

The Shadow of Lost.

[polishgenius]

3 minutes ago, One-Winged Balrog said:

The Shadow of Lost.

 

JJ Abrams has a lot to answer for.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

56 minutes ago, Argonath Diver said:

I'm also enjoying Williams most recent publication! And have finally started with board favorite JV Jones as well.

I suppose this belongs in What I'm Reading, but I do hope the final novel ramps everything up. So far I very much prefer the original Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and the Otherland series. I have all faith in Williams, who spends 2400 pages for a wild, 400 page final act. Still hoping this third novel pulls me in a bit more than it has so far. I adore his measured prose, though I know it's a bit plodding to many readers.

You can tell Into the Narrowdark is the first half of the final novel.  And it does pick up toward the end. It stops before some big reveal that relates to The Heart of What Was Lost.  Also ITN is much more satisfying if you have read The Brothers of the Wind.

[Argonath Diver]

I can see that as I progress! I did read the former novella but missed the latter. I suppose much of my issue is that I'm a bit Sithi- and Norn-ed out, as it were. I have spent a lot of time with Erikson and others, and the plight of the immortals doesn't engage me as much as the human element of fantasy worlds. Although I'm still enjoying the novel, it's become apparent that much of it would resonate more had I tracked down Brothers of the Wind prior to this series (and frankly had re-read The Heart of What Was Lost, as it never engaged me - again, I find weary immortals a bit tiresome).

I can tell that the chapters I'm currently on are only juuuuust before some major events unfold, and I expect the remainder of the book to be a thrilling tease for the finale. Williams never disappointed me (well, except for that kitchen world in Otherland. Yeesh.)

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

1 hour ago, Argonath Diver said:

I can see that as I progress! I did read the former novella but missed the latter. I suppose much of my issue is that I'm a bit Sithi- and Norn-ed out, as it were. I have spent a lot of time with Erikson and others, and the plight of the immortals doesn't engage me as much as the human element of fantasy worlds. Although I'm still enjoying the novel, it's become apparent that much of it would resonate more had I tracked down Brothers of the Wind prior to this series (and frankly had re-read The Heart of What Was Lost, as it never engaged me - again, I find weary immortals a bit tiresome).

I can tell that the chapters I'm currently on are only juuuuust before some major events unfold, and I expect the remainder of the book to be a thrilling tease for the finale. Williams never disappointed me (well, except for that kitchen world in Otherland. Yeesh.)

TBotW doesn’t read like you are dealing with immortals.  The POV character for the book is Tinukede’ya so not an immortal.

[Teng Ai Hui]

On 8/29/2022 at 3:28 AM, Argonath Diver said:

...

Williams never disappointed me (well, except for that kitchen world in Otherland. Yeesh.)

I just started the Otherland series.  In which book is the kitchen world first introduced?

[Inkdaub]

I like Otherland better than the Osten Ard stuff, though it's been a while.

On 8/28/2022 at 9:53 AM, One-Winged Balrog said:

Mmmmm, if the book's title can be improved by cutting out 33% of words, I shudder to imagine what the text looks like.

This post can be improved by acknowledging that the book's title is good.

[One-Winged Balrog]

4 hours ago, Inkdaub said:

I like Otherland better than the Osten Ard stuff, though it's been a while.

This post can be improved by acknowledging that the book's title is good.

I can improve the title:

Broke: The Shadow of What Was Lost
Woke: The Area Blocked From Light By The Thing Whose Location Is No Longer Known

Bespoke variant is left as an exercise for the reader.

[IFR]

Since the topic is on my mind, Cradle should be on this list. The books are relatively short, but there are 11 of them (out of a planned 12).  The word count is well over a million at this point.

It also is probably one of the better epic fantasies out there. It's not Tolkien or Martin, but certainly better than authors such as Sanderson and Jordan (less ambitious in scope, but far better in execution).

[Ser Not Appearing]

4 hours ago, One-Winged Balrog said:

I can improve the title:

Broke: The Shadow of What Was Lost
Woke: The Area Blocked From Light By The Thing Whose Location Is No Longer Known

Bespoke variant is left as an exercise for the reader.

That which resides in the space behind a thing upon which light is shown but which can no longer manifest in the absence of the aforementioned thing on account of that thing no longer being found in any presumed location