Which Is Your Favourite Fantasy Book/Series

[Uziel]

Hey guys. I was just wondering if other people here liked reading Fantasy books and which is their favorite. I've read more than a few books, but I'm currently reading the Codex of Alera series and I although it couldn't become my favorite it is very good. My favorite is the Harry Potter series with it's captivating characters, quality plot and well thought out setting. What's yours?

[Graeme]

At the moment, I think my favourite fantasy author is L.E.Modesitt Jr, but I'm not sure if I prefer the Recluse world setting (with Order and Chaos "wizards") or the Imager Portfolio world setting (with imagers who can create things by simply imagining them). Both are very imaginative with a great series of books (with, admitedly, some duds in the Recluse world series).

 

Overall, both are incredibly detailed. One thing I really like about L.E.Modesitt Jr is that he doesn't just add magic (of any sort) to a world, he works out what impact that would have on the societies within those worlds. The magic system isn't an add-on, it's an integral part of the way the society operates.

[Hamen Cheese]

I really like stories that take stuff from everyday places or things and put a twist in it as if they weren't just ordinary. That's why I would say that the Percy Jackson series is my favorite series (particularly since I like mythology too). I think Riordan did a great job with it (although I sometimes wish it wasn't as "kiddie" as it sometimes was). That's why I'm liking the second series even more (Heroes of Olympus) cause at least the characters are older.

 

However, I would say my favorite book of all time is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman.

[Celethiel]

series...

Scott Lynche's Lies of Locke Lamora is kind of a series... I don't know that it has a name but it's about the same characters...

hmm I like however as a named series, the Imager Series by L.E. Modesitt jr

[Persinette]

Scott Lynche's Lies of Locke Lamora is kind of a series... I don't know that it has a name but it's about the same characters...

 

It's the Gentleman Bastard series, if memory serves me right.

[Ron]

At the moment, I think my favourite fantasy author is L.E.Modesitt Jr, but I'm not sure if I prefer the Recluse world setting (with Order and Chaos "wizards") or the Imager Portfolio world setting (with imagers who can create things by simply imagining them). Both are very imaginative with a great series of books (with, admitedly, some duds in the Recluse world series).

 

Overall, both are incredibly detailed. One thing I really like about L.E.Modesitt Jr is that he doesn't just add magic (of any sort) to a world, he works out what impact that would have on the societies within those worlds. The magic system isn't an add-on, it's an integral part of the way the society operates.

 

I can definitely sign on to Modesitt, Jr. I would have to add on his 'COREAN CHRONICLES' as well. Tad Williams series, all of them, are another major favorite of mine.

[Tomas]

I really don't have a favorite, but Raymond E Feist's "Riftwar Saga" would rank right up there. But, only the three novels in the saga, not the other novels in the "Riftwar Cycle".

 

There isn't much difference between each book of the rest of the cycle... different place, different time, same story, trouble, Pug to the rescue.

[A.Morell]

I've gotta go with the big names here--Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia are my favourite fantasy series. I can't even tell you how many times I've read them through.

 

These days I enjoy modern fantasies, like creative retellings of old folk tales and mythologies. I love catching obscure references in contemporary things.

[Sasha Distan]

The Discworld - magic, mayhem and heaps of satire. nothing could be better on a world where the light flows like slightly lazy honey, over a disc ten thousand miles across, supported on the back of four giant elephants, standing on the asteroid marked shell of the space turtle great A'tuin.

[Graeme]

I really like stories that take stuff from everyday places or things and put a twist in it as if they weren't just ordinary. That's why I would say that the Percy Jackson series is my favorite series (particularly since I like mythology too). I think Riordan did a great job with it (although I sometimes wish it wasn't as "kiddie" as it sometimes was). That's why I'm liking the second series even more (Heroes of Olympus) cause at least the characters are older.

 

However, I would say my favorite book of all time is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman.

 

My boys and I love the Percy Jackson series. My eldest boy was counting down the days until House of Hades was published I was on a business trip a couple of years ago and saw the original series in a book shop. I bought the first two to see what they were like, read them that night in the hotel room, and was back the next day to buy the rest.

 

I can definitely sign on to Modesitt, Jr. I would have to add on his 'COREAN CHRONICLES' as well. Tad Williams series, all of them, are another major favorite of mine.

The Coran Chronicles are good, though I don't think they're as imaginative as his others series. I'll admit that the second group in the chronicles was great -- it's always good to see a story from the "bad guys" point of view, and to discover that they're not all as bad as we thought from the first three books

 

I really don't have a favorite, but Raymond E Feist's "Riftwar Saga" would rank right up there. But, only the three novels in the saga, not the other novels in the "Riftwar Cycle".

 

There isn't much difference between each book of the rest of the cycle... different place, different time, same story, trouble, Pug to the rescue.

 

Thanks for the reminder. Besides the Riftwar Saga, the three books he did with Janny Wurst, "Daughter/Servant/Mistress of the Empire" are also great -- better, I think, than the Riftwar Saga itself.

 

And Janny Wurst is a great author in her own right. From what I've read of her stories, the complexity in the Daughter/Servant/Mistress trilogy is largely due to her -- she's got a great mind for political intrigue. Her Mistwraith series is also good, though I find a little much deus ex machina things happening to make it a great series.

[W_L]

Graeme, I love the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus series, too.
 
Fyi, if you haven't done so, I would suggest bringing up sexuality as a topic with your boys after they finish house of Hades, since a character opens up a big can of worms (Personally, I thought he was gay before all the other fangirls There was something about the geeky emo type )

 

I got into the stories, because I learned about ancient mythology from their original sources. I can read classical Latin and a little ancient Greek, but unlike Frank Zhang, I am not a son of Mars 

 

 

I hope Nico does come out to Percy about his feelings, I wonder how annabeth will react to competition

 

[Graeme]

I haven't read House of Hades yet, but my eldest boy has. I'm aware of what you put in the spoiler because of something I came across on Wikipedia recently when doing some research on the topic of Gay Literature. It was referenced there....

[W_L]

I haven't read House of Hades yet, but my eldest boy has. I'm aware of what you put in the spoiler because of something I came across on Wikipedia recently when doing some research on the topic of Gay Literature. It was referenced there....

I was kind of glad riordan didn't hide the gay greek myths from readers, he opened that side to western homosexuality with good sense and subtle honesty about human nature.

[Palantir]

Writing about favorite Fantasy series is extraordinarily difficult as there are JUST TOO MANY!!

Feist, Lackey, Huff, Hobb, LeGuin, Kay, Deitz, Springer, Wrightson etc. - the list goes on and on.

One series I return to every couple of years is the wonderful 'Dark Is Rising' series by Susan Cooper.

Among my latest discoveries are The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavon and the 'Bartimaeus' books by Jonathan Stroud.

[Graeme]

Trudi Canavon's "Age of the Five" trilogy is also excellent, though I think The Black Magician trilogy is better Her inclusion of a couple of very tastefully done gay characters in that trilogy is just the icing on the cake Of course, she's Australian (lives in Melbourne, too!), so it's no surprise...

[FrenchCanadian]

My favourite Book/Series, when it comes to fantasy,, it would have to be Harry Potter.... but, I don't think I have read any other fantasy books.

[mickey1952]

Fantasy isn't my favorite genre but I really enjoyed "The Chronicles of Narnia". As for overall series, my favorites are probably the "Jack Reacher""series by Lee Child, and the "Harry Bosch" stories by Michael Connelly.

Edited December 9, 2013 by mickey1952

[Thorn Wilde]

I have too many to count... Old-time favourites from my childhood and early teens include Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Crestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones, the Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. Some of the more grown-up things I enjoy includes Neverwhere, American Gods and Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, the Aeon's Gate trilogy by Sam Sykes, King Rat by China Mieville, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and I could go on and on and on, but I think I should probably stop. I love fantasy.

[Alcarose]

My very first fantasy books were the ones from the "Harry Potter" series...followed by "Bartimaeus" by Johnatan Stroud, "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini and many others...also read some of our Slovak and Czech fantasy books like "Černokňažník" by Juraj Červenák, which I find great, it's a real pitty it only got translated to Czech (originaly written in Slovak) or "Tina Salo" (only available in Czech) by Petra Neomilnerová, which is a story of a very, very horny vampire girl   
But I also loved "The Witcher" written by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski (hated the ending tho...)

There are plenty others prepared in my bookshelf, ready for further reading, however the stories from this website captivated my heart, so don't know when I'll get back to them 

[Greg_A]

Although I read everything under the sun, Fantasy is probably one of my favorite genres.  And like so many others have said, my list of favorites is way too long!  But a couple of notables would be Barbara Hambly's Darwath series, Michael Sullivan' Riyria series, and one I've read just recently was The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks.  I have a million or so others I could mention, but I'll stop with three.

[Slytherin]

"Harry Potter" I am re-reading "the half-blood Prince" now.. I love "The Chronicles of Narnia" Aslan was my hero

[Uziel]

I've finished the Codex Alera series. But I still think Harry Potter is the best fantasy series I've read. The Codex Alera is a close second, though:). I've started reading the Heroes of Olympus and I find it very thrilling:).

[iSimba]

Harry Potter and the Dark Tower 

[Trebs]

I agree with soooo much here.  I really agree with Graeme on the Empire trilogy of Riftwar - the mechanisms and politics are wonderful to see unfold and Feist/Wurtz do a fantastic job.  The original riftwar trilogy is great too - but other than these two, could not get into any other Feist books, no matter how much I tried.

 

I am kind of surprised no one has mentioned Tolkein yet - which if I had to pick just one series (as the thread title asked), it would be Lord of the Rings.  I read the Hobbit in 4th grade followed by the trilogy in 5th grade and since then, have probably re-read it at least once every two or three years.  Well, maybe less these past ten years, but I'll at least pull out one of the books and re-read sections still.

 

For "kids" series, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Dark Materials, Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising (another one I re-read every so often), Narnia and Earthsea - agree on all.  Others I love Lackey's Valdemar, Goodkind's Wizard First Rule (and sequels), Watt-Evans Lords of Dus, Zelazny's Amber, Kurtz Deryni, Canavan's Black Magician (didn't care for Age of Five as much), Donaldson's Thomas Covenent, OH, OH EDDINGS - ANYTHING by Eddings...  Ya, way too much to list, just love it all.  One day I'll post a picture of my bookcases...

 

I hadn't heard of the Codex of Alera, but with so many recommendations, adding it to my reading list  :-) Oh - and the reading list - I keep a note on my iPhone called books with ones that I need to pick up, especially when I hit a used bookstore.

[Slytherin]

I can't Believe that I forgot  "The lord of the rings" I am a big Tolkien fan    

Edited January 5, 2014 by slytherin