(no subject)

[darchildre]

Friends, I am in the mood for reading some epic fantasy. Would you like to recommend some epic fantasy?

Here are things I like:
- Glossaries. If your book has a glossary in the back, I am halfway to loving it already.
- Religion. Interacting with the gods = cool. Characters with coherent religions actually shown practicing their faith = cooler.
- Fantasy lands that aren't just England. I mean, England is cool and I love me some fantasy!Vikings, but it's nice to go other places as well.
- Nifty and coherent magical systems, if we're doing that kind of magic.
- Kickass ladies.
- Interesting villains. Interesting villains with interesting motivations who don't lose just because they suddenly caught the Idiot Ball on page 500.
- And if said interesting villain just happens to have an even vaguely interesting minion, well...that would be a definite plus for me.
- Happy endings. I don't mind if there's suffering to get there, but I'm not in the market for bleak right now.


And things I don't like:
- Stories that aren't finished. I am not up for another George R R Martin right now.
- On that note, I'd really prefer to avoid sexual violence, if at all possible. Or graphic violence in general, though that's more negotiable.

Anybody have any recs?

Comments

[nicki]

(I think these are all still in print, but IDK for sure)

If you like door stops:

Michelle West. There is some implication of sexual violence in several situations, but none is on the page. There is complex religion and a complicated interweave of characters and cultures across several very long books. She has 3 intertwined series, but enjoyment of the 1st 2 series isn't dependent on her 3rd (the 6th book of the 3rd series will be out next month, and it should be either the second or third to the last in that series). If you do read her, I recommend starting with the hunterborn duology and then reading the sunsword books.

The two dragon prince trilogies by Melanie Rawn. As far as I can remember, no actual sexual violence, but there is the threat of it at one point. Basically no religion at all, which I've always thought was kind of weird. (her third series set in a different world will never be finished, so don't even bother to start the exiles books. They're really good, but, again, no ending which is really frustrating and has been for about the last 15 years)

Tamora Pierce, the Tortall books. Technically they are YA, but they aren't really except in length for a couple (the Lioness series is basically the equivilent of one door stop that her editor had her cut into 4 parts). I wasn't a huge fan of the Daine series or the trickster one, but the Protector of the small books were really really good. Little sexual violence, but a lot of sexual politics re women in a "man's field". They are kind of England in a fantasy world thought.

Robin Hobb is pretty good. I read her first two series and liked them, but I bounced off the third like it was a trampoline.

LE Modesitt- His protagonists are mostly male, but a lot of great women as secondary characters and a couple of his books do feature women protagonists (the spell-song series wasn't my favorite however). The magic systems in his various fantasy series are unusual.

Jane Lindskold's firekeeper series (I haven't read the last two though).

[skygiants]

Have you already read Sherwood Smith's Inda books? They're my favorite doorstopper fantasy (interesting women, interesting magic, super not European, an explicit lack of sexual violence.)

[worlds_of_smoke]

Maybe The Craft Sequence? They're not doorstops, but they definitely fit about half of your requirements. It's got tons of PoC reprsentation -- in fact, the world is obviously inspired by ancient Latin American cultures. Every book so far has had awesome, strong women in it and the 2nd and 3rd books have LGBT representation. The magic system is probably the most unique magic system I've come across and the characters interact with deities (or people considered deities) rather often. The only skeevy thing in the books is in the 2nd book, where the antagonist tries to sacrifice a character b/c of her sexuality.

It is a series that's currently in progress and I have no idea how many books Gladstone is planning. But the books are independent stories that are intertwined, rather than one epic plot. So you can read as many of the books as you want and you're not going to be left with Epic Cliffhangers.

[wychwood]

Hi! Surfing past on my network, I couldn't not stop by and recommend The Curse of Chalion and its sort-of-sequel Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold, if you don't know them; alternate fantasy world which is kind of mediaeval Spain, awesome gods that interact with people, a really interest system of... miracles, rather than magic, but it totally counts.

[darchildre]

Very cool - thanks very much!

[darchildre]

I have not, but now I have the first one on hold at the library. Thank you!

[darchildre]

That looks nifty - thank you!

[darchildre]

I have read the Chalion books, but they were awesome and it's been quite some time - possibly, it is time for a reread. Thanks.

[worlds_of_smoke]

No problem. Hope you like the series. :)

[james]

I don't have any recs that really fit all your bills, but I thought I'd chime in with these in case one or more seems intriguing to you.

I'm still in the first book, but I'd like to suggest The Drowning City by Amanda Downing. (There are two more books in the series). I haven't met gods, yet, but there are ghosts and magic and religious beliefs. Definitely not England-based, but medieval city-states and necromancers and espionage and the main character is a woman and so far at least half of the supporting cast is female.

This isn't what I would call epic fantasy - more like urban fantasy, but Kelly McCullough's WebMage series assumes the Greek gods are still around and have sunk their godly powers into technology. It's well-constructed world-building, and the main character is a guy, with a love interest - but I really liked how they handled it and she didn't get the short shrift. It's a complete series. There really isn't a strong female character consistently though the story, but the Fates and Greek goddesses are definitely around (mostly causing trouble.)

McCullough also has a series in progress, the Fallen Blade series, which is about a former assassin-for-justice whose goddess was murdered. It has well-developed female characters and the main guy is bisexual (and nobody cares) and he and his dragon-familiar have the most awesome, wonderful, fun and angsty relationship ever and they make me go AWWWWWWW so much. He acquires a female apprentice, and their relationship remains solidly Not Sexual the entire time. It's refreshing. I don't know that it goes into that much detail about the gods and magic for your preferences, but it's fascinating from a morality standpoint, and watching a character grow up and discover the world is grey and how to cope with that.

[darchildre]

Sounds very cool - thanks!