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Best Novels No One Has Heard Of

flyboy

Acolyte
I've read most of Stephen Donaldson back in the 80's I have a signed First of his last sequel The Runes of the Earth, but couldn't get into it - sad.

Has anybody read Charles De Lint or Michale Scott Rohan a series about a mage smith - brilliant
 
Charles de Lint? I've read quite a few of his books, I haven't found any mages...not in the classic sense, but he does have some interesting novels.
 

flyboy

Acolyte
Mage Smith

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear - the Mage Smith - is a series written my Michale Scott Rohan ( which may be two people) I think they were Winter of Ice, Anvil of the Sun etc.

You don't see them around I sold a paper back for £20 on amazon a couple of years ago - very readable, very much like Stephen Donaldson but not as introverted.:)
 

Kelise

Maester
I didn't particularly enjoy the Night Angel series, but I did read it.

Read it also (well, the first book) and didn't enjoy it either. My friend Fodwocket (another member on here) has the series too and I think she liked it though... It's pretty well known in Australia at least, the books are everywhere.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
A lot of people have recommended the Night Angel series to me also. I read the first chapter and put it down. Wasn't really my thing. Maybe I should have pushed through? I don't know, I give up books so easily now if they don't capture my attention right from the beginning.

An author I'd recommend that most people don't seem to know (and that I recommend on another thread) is R. Scott Bakker. His writing can be dense, but he writes in a world that is very different in my estimation. His Prince of Nothing series is his first one. If you like Martin, Erikson, and Abercrombie you may like Bakker too.
 

pskelding

Troubadour
I liked the Night Angel series but at times the romantic aspect of it was irritating. Durzo Blint was great however.

A couple of others -

Pierre Pevel - Cardinal's Blades
Larry Correa - Monster Hunter International, great modern urban fantasy horror with many many guns and explosions!
 

Easnadh

Acolyte
I have this all the times, since I live in Australia so most of you would never have heard of Jennifer Fallon, Glenda Larke, Juliet Marrillier... I suppose some could have heard of Sara Douglass since she's getting more popular?

So yes, those for a start. Though I don't mind. Their lack of being known/having masses of fans, means that I get to be close to them ;) I've had lunch with Jennifer Fallon and just taught her some origami on the weekend at a convention we both went to :D


Juliet Marrillier's Daughter of the Forest is a great book. Until I finished reading that novel it felt like real life faded into the background, even when the book wasn't actually in my hand. I don't think I've ever cared that much about fictional characters. In fact one person I know got so upset she had to skip to end of the book to make sure her favorite characters were ok.

Oddly though the rest of Marrillier's novels are somewhat formulaic. They all seem to follow a similar pattern and often become predictable fantasy/historical romances. I'll always love her for Daughter of the Forest though!
 

Easnadh

Acolyte
A lot of people have recommended the Night Angel series to me also. I read the first chapter and put it down. Wasn't really my thing. Maybe I should have pushed through? I don't know, I give up books so easily now if they don't capture my attention right from the beginning.

An author I'd recommend that most people don't seem to know (and that I recommend on another thread) is R. Scott Bakker. His writing can be dense, but he writes in a world that is very different in my estimation. His Prince of Nothing series is his first one. If you like Martin, Erikson, and Abercrombie you may like Bakker too.

I really like The Prince of Nothing series. Bakker's writing is very very dark, but I love how he focuses so much on the psychology of his characters. I can see how his style might not be to everyone's taste, but I think he definitely deserves more attention.
 

Erica

Minstrel
The Thomas Covenant books were pretty popular back when I was in college (which was ages ago), so I was surprised to see someone listing it as something no one has heard of. It was even on the bookshelves of a lot of people I knew who didn't usually read fantasy, and nearly everyone who did had read it back then. Not everyone loved it, but that's even true of Tolkien.

I discovered Glenda Larke recently and just finished her last Waterlords book. I think the Waterlords trilogy was the first work of hers to be published widely in the U.S. I really enjoyed them, and was able to track down an older trilogy (Isles of Glory) that was also quite good. I found them via used book sellers (one in Australia, which is where she is from originally), so they seem to be out of print.

Brent Week's work was good too.

Another series I liked was Jane Lindeskold's 'Wolf's Eyes' books. But really, most fantasy writers, even the ones who are well known within the genre, never make the new york times BS list.
 
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Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books probably go at the top of my list for under-read books.

Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay is excellent. He's fairly well known, but I think many of his works are overlooked.

Many fantasy readers I know have never read Steven Erikson. I think he's generally well known, but another one that is overlooked more than he should be.

Emma Bull for urban fantasy. Great writer.

Octavia Butler should be much more widely read.

Angela Carter. Particularly her book of short stories "Burning Your Boats." An excellent writer, and almost no one I know has read her.
 
I really enjoyed the Orcs:First Blood trilogy by Stan Nicholls but have only run into a couple of people who've heard of him so far. So nice to find something written from the point of view of a race usually shown as mindless, evil killers. I've always been a bit put off by the Warhammer and Warcraft ones for some reason.

I also remember enjoying the Blackbird series by Freda Warrington. Can't remember a lot about it now though, think I might have to dig it out and read it again.

When it comes to that sort of fantasy I think Salvatore gets down much better, plus he writes like 7 full on novels every month it seems. lmao
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
When it comes to that sort of fantasy I think Salvatore gets down much better, plus he writes like 7 full on novels every month it seems. lmao

When it comes to gaming-related Fantasy Salvatore does a nice job (or used to; I couldn't get into his most recent offerings for some reason. May just have been my frame of mind).

I also like the Gotrek and Felix series in Warhammer. William King started it; Nathan Long continues it. Actually, Nathan Long's Blackhearts books and Ulrike the Vampire books (also Warhammer) are fun as well.

And it is hard to beat Dan Abnett for gaming fiction (Warhammer 40k).
 

Easnadh

Acolyte
Not sure how unknown this one is, but I think The Lure of the Basilisk by Lawrence Watt-Evans is a really unique book. I picked up a second hand copy somewhere as a teenager and it is still fixed in my mind as a very unique and original book. The lead character Garth is an unusual vehicle for a fantasy story, with his cold detachment and very inhuman perspective. Definitely well worth a read!
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Not sure how unknown this one is, but I think The Lure of the Basilisk by Lawrence Watt-Evans is a really unique book. I picked up a second hand copy somewhere as a teenager and it is still fixed in my mind as a very unique and original book. The lead character Garth is an unusual vehicle for a fantasy story, with his cold detachment and very inhuman perspective. Definitely well worth a read!

Hmmmm. I'll look for that one. I've only read his book "Dragon Weather," and I thought that one was pretty good.
 
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