Anyone got book recommendations?

[Alice]

(My apologies for being absent here for quite some time. Things have gotten a little crazy and uncertain in my life, ahah.)

My apologies again for not knowing where to put this topic. But since this is me asking for stuff to read, I figured I can ask here.

I've been popping into bookstores very recently and it's occurred to me that I'm getting... Well, picky on what I read as far as the fantasy genre is concerned.

I don't know why, but nothing seems to be catching my eye so far. The synopses don't draw me in or some books in question don't really provide one (so, I likely had passed by a potential story without knowing it). I get a sinking feeling whenever the book covers get too pretty or flashy because I fear the story behind it would be a letdown. And then, my paranoia of cliches is a whole other hurdle to jump over (note: I don't think all cliches are bad as they can be rewritten in new directions; it's just that when the storyline and the characters get too predictable, it makes me want to stop reading).

The last thing I read within the fantasy genre was the A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones series. XD And I am deprived at the moment, given how long George R.R. Martin takes to write.

I wish to quit being picky, but it's a force of habit. So, I want people to recommend me stuff! Don't worry, I'm not really looking for anything specific, so I'm willing to give stuff a chance. However, I do like my high fantasy and dynamic characters.

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[RedMorningSky]

I don't know if you've read The Name of the Wind, by patrick Rothfuss but's that what I ended up reading after ASOIAF and it is definitely a favorite of mine. Plus the sequel The Wise Man's Fear is great as well. I can't recommend those two books highly enough. Plus there is a third coming out as well which I am waiting for on the edge of my seat.

 

[Butterfly]

I'm currently working my way through The First law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. It's complete with the three books published.

B1 - The Blade Itself
B2 - Before they are Hanged
B3 - Last Argument of Kings

I'm on the last of the books, and I've quite enjoyed it.

 

[Steerpike]

I'll second Butterfly's recommendations, and also add in Best Served Cold, by Abercrombie, a stand-alone novel set in the same world.

 

[Alice]

@RedMorningSky: Actually, I've heard of The Name of the Wind in passing. Though I admit my curiosity has been piqued after reading some stuff about it. Definitely giving this a chance, then! Thank you very much!

@Butterfly: This sounds interesting as well! Going to dive into this for reading. Thank you very much!

@Steerpike: Oooh, a stand alone novel, eh? Haven't read one of those in a while from fantasy. I will definitely look into this! Thank you very much as well.

 

[Steerpike]

@Steerpike: Oooh, a stand alone novel, eh? Haven't read one of those in a while from fantasy. I will definitely look into this! Thank you very much as well.

It is set in the same world as the others, and a couple of characters in the others are involved, though not as main characters. It also makes some references to other things going on in the world. But it is definitely a stand-alone novel (though a hefty one). It's just set in a world that has other novels written in it.

 

[FireBird]

Just because almost every post has mentioned Abercrombie, I'll add The Heroes. It's his most recent book and IMO his best. His next book also comes out in less than a month, Red Country.

I'm going to recommend Guy Gavriel Kay. The guy is a damn genius. Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Sarentine Mosiac. All amazing books.

 

[Steerpike]

Guy Gavriel Kay is probably the best living writer of Fantasy.

The Heroes was my least favorite, though I still liked it a lot. BSC has been my favorite so far.

 

[Ankari]

Guy Gavriel Kay is probably the best living writer of Fantasy..

Statements like this make me spend money....

 

[Steerpike]

Statements like this make me spend money....

His style and subject matter has evolved over the years, but from the Fionavar Tapestry all the way up through Under Heaver (his most recent I've read), he's never let me down. I mean, here's a guy who was hired by the Tolkien estate (or by Tolkien's son) to help with the Silmarillion, and then went on to write his own fantasy works. They are wonderful books. If I had to pick a single fantasy writer currently alive and say "I wish I could write like that person" it would be Guy Gavriel Kay.

Tigana is a stand-alone fantasy you may like. Some of his later stuff reads more like historical fiction, though it takes place in made-up settings (with some loose basis in history). The Lions of Al-Rassan, for example. Fionavar Tapestry is more Lord of the Rings-like, but very well done. A great trilogy.

 

[Alice]

Ah, I've heard a lot of praise about Guy Gavriel Kay! To tell you the truth, I've been wanting to get my hands on his work for some time now in order to have a good read. XD The problem is I'm not sure where to start with his works!