The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books Thread Book • Page 51

not at all! if anyone is curious about any of mine, ask I'd do the same, tbh

 

I'm honestly a pretty new reader, especially to fantasy after poo poo'ing it as nerdy nonsense for so long (I know, I know, I'm ashamed). Going through my good reads where I track books I gave 5 stars to, and picking a top 10 from those it's the below. It's all fantasy... I haven't read much else in a long time as I'm still making my way through the classics and trying to get caught into new series.

- I can't get enough Robin Hobb and out of the 16 books in the Realm of the Elderlings series, I gave 5 stars to 8 of them and could argue for nearly any of these being in my top 10. From each trilogy besides Rainwild that I didn't really like, I'd pick Royal Assassin, The Map Ship, Golden Fool, Assassins Fate.
- I gave a solid 5 stars to the first 2 books in the Books of Babel series (Senlin Ascends and Arm of the Sphinx). Senlin may be my #1 ever, as I even used some of the prose in my wedding and I think it's just a gorgeous and whimsical book. I really liked 3 as well, but found the end of the series, a let down plot wise.
- Words of Radiance is my favorite Stormlight book (haven't ready Rhythm,) and my favorite cosmere book (though I have not read all of them).
- The Licanus Trilogy all got 5 stars. I think they are hit or miss with people, but from a plotting perspective, I have not rushed through a trilogy as fast I did that one (I enjoyed how it came together even more then Mistborn). I think the 3rd had some odd pacing so I'd probably pick An Echo of Things to Come out of the trilogy to add to this list.
- 4/5/6 of WOT are all solid 5 stars. If I had to pick just one, the Shadow rising.
- At the time, I really enjoyed Name of the Wind and I have to say it helped hook me into fantasy, but it was also one of the first I've read, and now I compare it to others, I'm not so sure it stands up.
- That's 10, but if I dropped the name of the Wind, I'd replace it with The Fifth Season, due to how unique the writing style is and how well it's done.

 

It’s hard to choose a top 10 in fantasy as it’s a genre that I have much love for. Like @Garrett also said, I’ve been taking active steps to be more diverse also but these are the books that have stuck with me recently and also throughout my own fantasy journey. They are by no means perfect, but I’ve based it on re-readability, stature and my own thoughts on books that I constantly recommend and those that I always want to re-read because they make me feel safe.

Of Blood and Fire - Ryan Cahill [Of Blood and Fire]
I would be surprised if this book was not on peoples lists in the future. Ryan Cahill is a fantastic writer who has 2 novels and 2 novellas out so far, book 3 scheduled for a release in Q4 this year. Think Wheel of Time level world-building and coming-of-age whilst we are thrown into a world of dragons and prophecies and dangerous foes. This is genuinely one to watch that I can see going far and the most excited I've been for a new author in years. Classic fantasy that just feels like home and I strongly urge everyone to check this out.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea - Axie Oh
This was a beautiful retelling of the Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong”. This novel is genuinely spectacular. The way this has expanded upon the Korean legend and shown Mina to be an amazing protagonist that is easily accessible and filled with passion, caring for family and her people, is truly unique. Mina really goes on a journey and the way that easily describes the trial of self-discovery against fate lured me right in.

Spear - Nicola Griffith
If Ursula Le Guin wrote a poetic, queer Arthurian retelling, it would have been Spear. This book captured me from the very start. There is an impressive Wizard of Earthsea-esque story that is completed in less than 200 pages but is paired with a glowing cover and such eloquent illustrations by Rovina Cai. These illustrations form part of the story and really add to the lore of the story. Griffith has brilliantly crafted such a richly full medieval setting that doesn’t give away too much but yearns the reader for more. We are all familiar with the Arthurian legend that is thrust around but Griffith pulls the story to our hearts by creating a diverse retelling that fits subtly amongst the greats.

The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan [The Wheel of Time]
To me, the Great Hunt is an absolute beauty of a fantasy novel. The second book in the Wheel of Time series takes bold steps in the genre and really cements itself in what we should expect for the rest of the series. We are taken away from the familiarity of The Eye of the World and thrown into a rich and great story. This was the book that really took away from the LOTR-parodylike reputation.

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss [The Kingkiller Chronicles]
This book gave me the most Skyrim-feel of walking through the streets of Falkreath and Winterhold in book form and really got me into the lore. Yes, book three is a while away but when I first read it I knew that fantasy was for me. I've never been drawn into naming, lore or characters as much as the Kingkiller series and I will always read this. Rothfuss is so sympathetically majestic in the way he writes.

The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien [The Lord of the Rings]
This is pretty self explanatory. Tolkien is the master of the craft and I cannot get enough of The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers just elevated the story in Fellowship. I recently got the HarperCollins edition with the sprayed edges and it's one of my prized possessions.

Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson [The Stormlight Archive]
When I first read Stormlight, I didn't like it. I'd just started getting back into fantasy and didn't understand it. Read the rest of the Cosmere published at the time and came back and was drawn away by the connectivity, the secrecy, the characters, the lore, the magic and everything Sanderson has made. I now moderate sites and frequent message boards and discuss it in full. This is my Lord of the Rings, my obsession and I cannot wait to see where this goes. Words of Radiance was the one that tied the note with Kaladin's Honor quote in the Duel and all the other revelations.

Wrath - John Gwynne [The Faithful and The Fallen]
The more recent Bloodsworn Saga is incredible and Gwynne only gets better with each book but his Faithful and Fallen series is nothing short of incredible. A series that really turns the prophecy round in ways you don't expect. Gwynne is a known Viking re-enactor and his battle scenes really show the realism of this. Wrath is the conclusion to a series full of twists and turns, growth and despair that I was genuinely sad to finish. It was a personal journey that led to a breath-taking finale.

Under the Whispering Door - TJ Klune
Admittedly, I've been naive and ignorant in reading solely male fantasy authors with no diversity but I was excited to read Klune's new book; a delightful queer love story about finding those in need. This was comfortably heart-warming in every sense of the word. A story of grief, despair and how people experience this. It's a journey of memories, regrets and the actions we wished we had taken. It's a story of familial and attractive love. The love of a pet and the love of a life lived and future relationships. Although this book is full of charm there are some dark and heavy themes represented throughout. At times this can be sad and poignant but i came out of this story full of peace. This had the perfect amount of humour and emotion under a difficult topic and i thoroughly enjoyed how simple and sweet this ended up being.

A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin [The Books of Earthsea]
I must own around 5 editions of Wizard of Earthsea and I will continue to buy them. Le Guin has a way of writing a charming story about the worst topics in such little page time. I'd never been so invested in a book that made me leave the world I was in to travel to theirs. Le Guin really challenges the reader to dive into the true meaning of her words and the story itself is one to behold. She has a way of showing true growth and journey that I didn't know I needed when I was younger and looking for a path in life.

 

Also; I'm really sorry. I didn't realise that was so long

 

I totally get that—though that's the only book of his I've read so far. But there are definitely some authors whose work I really love but I don't think I've read what will be their best work yet.

For that slot for me it was honestly a toss-up between The Fisherman and Laird Barron's The Croning, both being fantastic books that are representative of my tastes in cosmic horror.

Some interesting entries here for sure. I know I still need to get to Zafón, I promise I'll do it, haha. I never read beyond the first Magicians book, so sounds like I probably should?

I would absolutely love to read that. I'll probably do the same for mine when I have a longer minute to think about it.

 

Could probably change it the more I think but I posted it above!

 

Excellent read! I really like your reasoning for what you like and why certain books made the list. I will undoubtedly be coming back to these lists when I'm ready for a new book. I really like hearing what resonates with other people.

 

The quality jump for book two and three is probably ten fold. Quentin Coldwater is probably one of the two most like me people I’ve ever encountered in a book.

 

Okay, I can't put it out of my head, so here's my brief summary of my list for anyone who's interested.

1. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

Hard to really figure out what to say about this that isn't obvious. I can't think of a single other work of art that has had a stronger influence on my psyche than this. I had The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings read to me when I was around 10 years old, and I can directly trace so much of my life back to that, at least as a major influence: my love of reading, my intellectual and academic growth, my love of language-learning, my choice to pursue linguistics for my BA/MA, my desire to be a writer, my interest in British/Celtic myth and legend, my love of fantasy for its whimsy and nobility. My favorite part of LOTR is the equal measure given to both mundane/silly things and powerful/noble things as being important to a good life, as well as the evocation of profound hope through shared sacrifice.

2. The Dog of the South - Charles Portis

As much as I like Twain, I think Charles Portis might be the most quintessential American writer. He only wrote a few novels, but they are absolutely brilliant. Think something like a Wes Anderson travelogue in rural America and the jungles of Mexico. His characters are profoundly human, weirdly endearing, charming and odd, oblivious, baffling, and very relatable while also being incredibly bizarre. Each read I remember and discover something hilarious I'd missed before.

3. If on a winter's night a traveler - Italo Calvino

This book astounded me. It was a Christmas gift, and I didn't really know what to expect. The playfulness of the format, the shift in writing styles, the meta-humor and -commentary, the fabulism interwoven with an intriguing plot—this was a springboard for not only more of Calvino's work, but also other "experimental" writers and folklorists.

4. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

Similar to #3. The poetry and symmetry of the interlocking stories was something that fascinated me, and I really enjoyed exploring how different themes arose under different writing styles. This was one of the first books my wife and I really bonded over too, which was neat.

5. The Dark Is Rising - Susan Cooper (the book and the series as a whole)

Same reasons I gave for LOTR, just geared toward a younger audience and in a way that more directly incorporates Celtic and Arthurian legend, which I love. I especially appreciate how aspects of hope, nobility, dread, and fear are really strong despite the younger audience. Reading these books when I was younger made me feel that Cooper respected me and understood that young people feel things too.

6. The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson (but also, you know, all of the rest of his stuff)

Kind of already mentioned why I loved this book. I'm a big fan of Sanderson and have enjoyed everything of his that I've read. I feel a weird sort of kinship/connection to his writing; I own a first edition of Elantris that I purchased at a tiny little signing in Provo about three months after the book had been released, so I've followed his career since the beginning, and I think reading the ending of Well of Ascension was when I knew for sure that he'd be in my list of favorite fantasy authors forever. I already really liked his stuff, but that plot development was transcendant.

7. The High King - Lloyd Alexander (and the rest of the Chronicles of Prydain)

Pretty much the same as #5 except this one reallllly gets into the whole Welsh thing, which, as you may have guessed from my username, is a big deal for me. I adore these books, and they were fundamental for my reading tastes as a kid. I think they're some of the best high fantasy out there. Alexander's whole bibliography is really worth exploring; the Vesper Holly books and Time Cat are some of my favorites. Again, the theme of balancing the noble and the mundane is really cool to me.

8. Rise of Endymion - Dan Simmons (and the Hyperion Cantos as a whole)

The whole Cantos blew my mind. So many insane ideas crammed into a story, with layers upon layers of meta-narrative and reference—and at it's heart a truly beautiful love story. I was really, really impressed with each of these books.

9. The Fisherman - John Langan

One of my first introductions to this type of cosmic horror and I immediately loved it. Langan's talked about how his writing is too literary for horror and too horror for literary, haha. It's an apt description. I find myself thinking about aspects of this book pretty frequently.

10. The Little Paris Bookshop - Nina George

Kind of different from the rest of these, I guess. This is a charming love story set in Paris about what bookshops mean and their relationship with reading, as well as life, loss, parents, sex, love, and death.

 

I already enjoyed the first book, just haven't gotten around to the others, so this is cool. I'll definitely get on that.

 

Really want to read The Fisherman, heard such great things!

 

I'm so happy to see Tom King's prose fiction get love. He has mentioned that his book was not greatly received when it first came out; I'm concerned that's what keeps him writing comics and not returning to prose, but A Once Crowded Sky was terrific and inspiring. Hope he does something in that arena again soon.

 

I think about it often. It's up there with Watchman and Miracle Man for being the best at such a powerful meditation on superheros. I'd love to see him write another book. I need to read that one again sometime soon, it's been awhile.

 

I’ve had a Once Crowded Sky on my want list for years and haven’t grabbed it yet

 

Ok here's a very quick top 10 list that if asked tomorrow would likely be different but here it is anyway.

1. The Stand - Stephen King
2. A Storm of Swords - George RR Martin
3. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
4. The Half Blood Prince - JK Rowling
5. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
6. The Fireman - Joe Hill
7. Beneath a Scarlet Sky - Mark T Sullivan
8. The Forgotten Highlander - Alistair Urqahart
9. Death's End - Cixin Liu
10. Into Thin Air - Jon Krakaeur

 

Beneath A Scarlet Sky

 

I went for sort of a mix between genres. I also read a lot of German books (and some Dutch ones), but decided to not include any of those because I assume most if not all of you couldn't read them anyway. The list is unranked.

Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang

Fresh off the Boat by Eddie Huang

Goodbye to a River by John Graves

On The Road (Original Scroll) by Jack Kerouac

The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy by Steve Stoute

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area by Oliver Wang

Honorable Mention: White Teeth by Zadie Smith (I went back and forth between this and Breasts and Eggs, but since the latter is more recent and less well known, I went with that).

 

Just finished Gods of Blood and Power and THAT is how you do a military fantasy. Wow. Powder Mage is necessary as a foundation, but the jump forward in quality and storytelling was immense. Lovely read. Now to read my semi-annual trashy romance.

 

Started final Chorus of Dragons book. I think this is the first fantasy series (over a trilogy) that I was here for the start and ending of. (I've mentioned it a bunch in this thread, but I've only been reading fantasy for like less than a decade.

I've got major concerns going in, the penultimate book was a bit of a let down, and I was hoping for a format shift for the final book, but I'd say my excitement for an ending overshadows that.

Going over the endnotes and remembering all the fucking soul switching...

 

I just started this yesterday, too! I forgot how much I hated the fourth book until I realized I don’t remember half of what’s going on now.

 

Having both T & S doing the footnotes is driving me insane, because they're consistently making jokes, and I'm like, ok, last book, end of the world, can we pretend the stakes are high? They're also constantly talking about how annoying the soul switching is, and it's like...YEAH

 

I’m on chapter 20 and I don’t know who either of these characters are, despite knowing I should. I only read 1-4 like eight months ago! The first is one of my favorite debuts in awhile, too.

 

Thurvishar and Serena? They've been the one's writing the books and the footnotes the whole time. Originally we thought Thurvishar was a main bad guy and Serena worked for Relos Var for awhile, then switched sides. She was the one who caused that cosmic slowing of time that the whole last book took place in. I've only had one chapter that actually involved their characters so far and it didn't involve much, they were in Quur

 

I guess I’m more forgetting how she has the power to end slavery and certain god worship?

 

Beats the hell out of me, lol. I'll let you know if that makes sense to me when I get there. I think she's a witch of some sort? I don't remember if her power just came from the Name of all Things.