Fantasy Series

No1newts

No1newts

No1newts

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Hi all,

I read a rather large amount and I'm finding I'm running out of good fantasy series to read and looking for some help. I'm going to be awkward though and list some conditions;

Should be;
- Dark/grimdark I don't just like guts and gore for the same of it but I really struggle these days with "good guy" heroes.
- A finished series or at least a good chunk in, I don't particularly want to read a book one then wait years for the next.

Read and Enjoyed;
Malazan series
Abercrombie
Mark Lawrence
Gentleman Bar Stewards (it has a different name but I'm being inventive)
Tolkien
Feist
Jordan
Dresden Files
Acts of Caine

Read and Disliked;
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Brandon Sanderson
R Scott Bakker (far too much navel gazing)
China Mieville (loved two, loathed the rest)

I also like a bit of sci fi and have read the following (and could be tempted with a decent series)

Ian M Banks
Laundry Files
Altered Carbon (and follow ups)
Dune
Night Dawn Trilogy (but I hate almost everything else by the author)

There are loads I'm forgetting (got getting on to 800 books in the house and a couple of hundred on my ereader) but those are ones that spring to mind. Read a lot if crime, Russian literature, classics and other bits and pieces that catch my attention too, not solely a fantasy reader.

Really looking for a good, long fantasy (perhaps sci fi) series I can disappear into for a bit with good characters, strong plot and dark.

If you can think up something random though toss it in!

Thanks
 
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant?

Probably wouldn't be classed as a good guy hero.

Or Julian May's Galactic Milieu & Pliocene Epoch series

I also enjoyed Tad William's Otherland which is sort of sci-fi, and anything by Greg Bear
 
Thomas Covenant was the one I was trying to remember, I really Disliked the series. I just found Covenant overly whiny and the prose really turgid.

Is the Julian May books the one where they go back in time to a prehistoric earth?
 
We'll have to put aside your complete lack of taste at not liking Sanderson :p (which ones did you even try?)

I'm reading through Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley at the moment and enjoying it.

Read any Robin Hobb?
Brent Weeks?

While it's not finished yet the most obvious missing name on your list is Patrick Rothfuss.
 
No1newts said:
Thomas Covenant was the one I was trying to remember, I really Disliked the series. I just found Covenant overly whiny and the prose really turgid.
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Yeah, he was a bit of **** hence why I thought he might fulfil your anti-hero preference :p

No1newts said:
Is the Julian May books the one where they go back in time to a prehistoric earth?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that was part of it
 
Not exactly Grimdark, or fantasy in the traditional sense, but I've really enjoyed Brian Lumley's Necroscope series (5 main books and then 3 follow ups, then some spin offs) which are dark in a different way. Also Glen Cook's Black Company series was ok too.
 
Shamikebab said:
We'll have to put aside your complete lack of taste at not liking Sanderson :p (which ones did you even try?)

I'm reading through Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley at the moment and enjoying it.

Read any Robin Hobb?
Brent Weeks?

While it's not finished yet the most obvious missing name on your list is Patrick Rothfuss.
Click to expand...

I find Sanderson too formulaic and by the numbers, even his twists are entirely predictable with the being the second most obvious twists and always in the last 3-4 paragraphs (but the never the last two which he always saves to set the scene for the next book or tie the series up) I also found him a little vanilla for my liking.

That being said his prose his brilliant and very few can match his world building (just I then don't like what he does in the world)

I read the Mistborn series, the Jordan finishing books and the first couple of the superhero ones he wrote.

Read Rothfuss, Hobb I love her writing style but can't get past third book as I really, really dislike Fitz.

Hard about Weeks, is it any good? I'll have a look at the other one as well.
 
x-st said:
Not exactly Grimdark, or fantasy in the traditional sense, but I've really enjoyed Brian Lumley's Necroscope series (5 main books and then 3 follow ups, then some spin offs) which are dark in a different way. Also Glen Cook's Black Company series was ok too.
Click to expand...

I'll have a little look at those Lumley books and see if they tickle my fancy. I've read Cook, I was tempted in as he was an inspiration for Erikson and I really liked his books. The time jumps were never clear which was a little off putting but loved them, shame he seems to have no desire to finish the series :(
 
Is that the one that starts Neuromancer?

I've had that on top of a "to read" pile for ages if that's the one you're on about.
 
Lokai said:
The Iron Druid Chronicles or Sandman Slim series?
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I pondered recommending these, if you really liked Dresden Files then they're along those lines. Also Rivers of London is another really good Urban Fantasy.

Sandman Slim is very dark, the main character is a complete **** basically.

Iron Druid is very similar to Dresden Files, just replace Harry with a very, very old druid living in modern society.
 
I've never really fancied the Iron Druid books. Rivers of London I liked for a bit but I think you can tell the guy is primarily a scriptwriter, the books were too short and I found the story barely moved in each installment so I got bored.

I might give Sandman a go as it's still on my ereader.
 
I would recommend Robin Hobb's assassin, farseer and liveships trilogies or anything by Guy Gabriel Kay and Umberto Eco for a 1000+ page novels
 
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