Since nobody voted for anything else, *ahem, I’m talking to you…* I decided to go back through my oldest posts and see what I can break out in more detail.
I read about 40% fantasy, according to Goodreads. It’s not a majority, but it is my largest category. I read more YA than adult, mostly for content reasons, but there are still adult books that cross my path. Here are some of my favorite adult fantasy books and authors. (And yes, I have enjoyed many, many more books that are listed here. These are my very favorites, for one reason or another.)
In random order:
David Eddings, particularly the Belgariad and Mallorean, which I’ve probably read at least a dozen times. When Guardians of the West first came out, I started reading it in the store while I waited for my parents. I hit a certain scene with a thunderstorm and laughed so hard that everyone stared at me. I also like the Elenium and Tamuli and the side stories of the Bel/Mall series. I’m not a fan of The Dreamers series.
J.R.R. Tolkien. Okay, I must admit I haven’t waded through all the backstories, especially those put out by Christopher. But the original four (Hobbit + LOTR) are deep favorites. I started reading them when I was eight years old (all four), and I used to read them every few months. When my sister dropped her book and lost her bookmark, she called me to find out where she was. LOL. My husband hates watching the movies with me because I complain when they ruin things. Despite spending so much time with them, I don’t write like JRR in either content or voice. Sorry?
Brandon Sanderson (also found in Sci Fi and YA fantasy, and excluding a few of his more violent books). Mistborn had a few scenes I had to skip, so I refused to read Way of Kings when it looked like more of the same. But I liked Elantris, Warbreaker, & Wax & Wayne. I think all of his YA books made the list, too.
Mercedes Lackey (not everything of hers, but a lot of it). I like most of the very extensive Valdemar series, though the short story collections aren’t as good. I like Bardic Voices, Fairy Tales, and the Hunter series. I liked the Elemental Masters for a long time, but the recent ones have not been my cup of cocoa. Obsidian Mountain/Enduring Flame and the 500 Kingdoms series I like with severe reservations for the adult content (violence and other). I’ve read several of her other series, but they don’t make my favorites list.
Sharon Shinn, including Castle Auburn, Twelve Houses (with reservations), and Gateway. My favorites, though are her YA series, Safe-Keepers.
Terry Pratchett. Not fond of his early one-chapter-per-book style, but his writing is great. I used to be fonder of the Wizard track, then the Witches, but the Watch grew on me until it became my favorite.
Shanna Swendson. The Enchanted, Inc and Fairy Tale series are urban fantasy. Rebel Mechanics is steampunk and YA. I’m eclectic enough to like all three. 😉
Michael J. Sullivan. I only discovered him a few years ago, but I think I’ve read everything he’s written, including his “how I wrote it” stuff. A lot of the time, I find elf/dwarf stuff to be too derivative to enjoy, but Michael is just plain good. And sneaky, very sneaky. He’s very good at throwing in little clues that end up being very important in hindsight.
Patricia Briggs is best known for her Mercy Thompson series, I think, but I’ve actually been reading her for years before she started writing about werewolves. (And some of that series are great, but some are questionable for me.) My favorite is her Hurog series, but Raven and Sianim/Aralorn and Hob’s Bargain are all good.
Martha Wells. I like both the Murderbot series (sci fi) and Ile-Rien (fantasy), but my favorites are the Raksura (let’s call it alien fantasy, since the POV is very non-human).
Joanne Bertin’s Dragonlord series. Again, I have to add reservations. Why do so many adult fantasy series think it’s necessary to add certain elements? On the good side, it has a unique tack to the dragon genre.
Mel Odom managed to make me cry over unlikely characters and then turn around and laugh out loud. He’s a master of turning a trope on its head.
Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold, by Terry Brooks (the rest of the series is readable, but not as good). A millionaire buys a “fantasy kingdom,” expending it to be a fraud—but it’s real. Now he has to figure out how to really be a king before an evil knight takes everything, along with his head.
Mary Robinette Kowal writes sci fi (Lady Astronaut et al: colonize Mars in the 50’s because of an apocalypse) and romantic fantasy (Glamourist Histories: Jane Austen with magic), and I like both. She made me cry, too, the stinker. (And if you’re a writer, you should definitely listen to Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal on Writing Excuses.)
Innkeeper/Sweep series, by Ilona Andrews. I tried her other stuff and didn’t care for it, but I do like the innkeepers. When I remember to check, I read them in serial on her website, but between books, I frequently forget and then have to catch up or ask the library to order the next book. *cough*
Happy reading,
M. C. Lee
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