My absolute favorite series of fantasy novels...

I read all the David Eddings books and found them to be an excellent read. Somewhat cheesy I suppose, but engaging. I agree that the character development was first class.

I have not tried Alan Dean Fosters books but will check them out. I do love the genre.

a reply to: Benderisfunny

I thought the hobbit read like a dictionary, but the movies weren't that good either.

a reply to: UKTruth

I totally suggest the spellsinger series to start with...another case where character development is stellar! By the end of the first chapter, i was really feeling for poor Jon-Tom...

a reply to: Benderisfunny

I would just go with their first book: Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Weis & Hickman do an amazing job of character development and the group of adventurers persist throughout a lot of their following books.

a reply to: Benderisfunny

In my youth I loved Tolkien's works and also enjoyed the Stainless Steel Rat books by Harry Harrison, the Shannara books by Terry Brooks, the Elric books by Michael Moorcock, the Mission Earth series of Hubbard, the Hitchhikers series by Douglas Adams, several of Terry Pratchett's joyful writings including many of the Discworld series, the Lost Swords stories by Fred Saberhagen, and no doubt a few more that I can't think of at the moment ... early adulthood brought me Clive Barker of which Weaveworld, Imagica, The Great And Secret show, & Everville really blew my socks off....
regrettably my eyes started to go out with aging so I can't binge read like i used to be able to do

originally posted by: Benderisfunny
a reply to: UKTruth

I totally suggest the spellsinger series to start with...another case where character development is stellar! By the end of the first chapter, i was really feeling for poor Jon-Tom...

I just downloaded book 1.

Here is a recommendation for you f you haven't read his books... Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series... very similar to Eddings, but perhaps better.

originally posted by: Benderisfunny
a reply to: Bluntone22

I always liked the hobbit better than lotr...and the silmarillion was almost like reading a religious text.

I have always wanted to read the silmarillion. Find out what leads up to the making of the ring of power, the story of Melkor and the other Ainur.

a reply to: UKTruth

LOL, cheesy does seem apt with Eddings. But when I started reading in middle school it was my first exposure to fantasy sci-fi and I loved it. I had to start a paper route just so I could afford my habit. I did go back recently and reread a few of his novels and I cringed a bit. But there was this one chapter where the magic users had to go through certain 'initiations' before they were fully accepted. As an adolescent male, I think I read that part a few times

a reply to: UKTruth

I have read the wheel of time series...but i think because of nostalgia, i will be hard pressed to find something i enjoyed more than garions story. Perhaps it is because i was like bastion in the neverending story with those books.

a reply to: ClovenSky

I always liked reading about polgara growing up in the vale with beldin and the twins. Sad, but humorous all at once.

How can we get this far and not mention the Magician series by Raymond E Feist.

One of the all time classic series. Feist is truly engaging and develops his characters brilliantly.

Of course if you like Sci-fi and fantasy mixed a little, you could try my books. See my sig line.

Only ever had one bad review. The review said, "I hate Sci-fi, I hate fantasy, this book was rubbish!"

Lol, I laughed for an hour or two it was so funny or stupid depending on your point of view.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

Looks like i have more reading to do!

a reply to: pheonix358

oooo, Raymond E Feist .... awesome.

That part where Pug is on the alien world and finally removes the last of his internal mental blocks to gain his full powers at the arena .... bada$$

Melanie Rawn's Dragon series books were awesome! Rawns dragon books.
I also loved the Wheel of Time series.

a reply to: ClovenSky

I liked how all of the magic was explained by reasoning. Very satisfying to me.

Actually, it was Feist and Eddings that taught me so much as an author.

By the way everyone, where is the mention of the greatest female author ... Anne McCaffrey. If it was not for her timely intervention we may never have had female leads in both Sci-Fi or Fantasy. For her time, she was just epic!

P

a reply to: pheonix358

McCaffrey is great. In the last year I finally went and got all of the Dragonriders books.

The last 5 or so went a bit to the romance for my taste, but was satisfying to read the whole series.
Her books outside of Dragonriders, are good reads as well.

a reply to: pheonix358

Oo! Yes, I agree- loved the Dragonriders books too. I'd like to see the first ones made into a series or movie,but ONLY if it isn't ruined by some moronic director who thinks they know better, lol

a reply to: Benderisfunny

I just finished a series of books that, although aren't strictly Fantasy, drew me in and held me until the very end. I just couldn't stop reading them and after the first one, I kept buying the next...and the next...and the next. I cared about the characters, their loves and loses and they were full of wit and dry humor. They're called "The Chronicles of St Mary's" and I just can't say enough about them.

A Historian gets a job at St Mary's, a place with impeccable credentials and a reputation for being more than a bit ...er...odd. They "research" history such as battles, signing of documents, etc...and what people don't know is...they have time travel. Now, I know this sounds Science fiction -y, but the emphasis of the books is not on the time travel, it's on the people, the things they get into, deaths, loves, etc...

They actually go to the times and places they are researching and watch the battles first hand. Really first hand. More than once they come back with their own battle scars. They get involved in situations all through the books and you just can't help but love the characters.
Honestly can't say enough good things about this series and as a matter of fact, I'm going to go back and read them all over again.
They are that good.

a reply to: Benderisfunny

Am I the only person in this thread who enjoys the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind? Book 2, the Stone of Tears was insanely epic.

There's a few authors I quite like. Robin Hobb is an excellent author and I really enjoyed the farewell trilogy.
If you like high fantasy with a completely imagined world gods races and all. The most in depth is the Malazan book of the fallen series by Steven Erikson. It makes lord the rings look like the caterpillar book. Still not finished the series. It's ten books with about 1200 pages in tiny writing, it's great for a long holiday.