Ok, so recently I've been trying to get my Fantasy on. I read Kingkiller Chronicles and I had started The Dresden Files over the Summer. Then, on a whim, over the past week I tanked books 6-14 of The Dresden Files (if you include Side Jobs), and it's made me pretty damn eager for more awesome Fantasy books.

I know you guys already have a huge recommendation thread, and I read a huge chunk of it - and other threads. And it helped a lot; right now I'm reading The Lies of Locke Lamora. But I want to read more, and I'm in a position where I see all these awesome books and I have no clue where to start. So I made a shortlist, and I'd be glad if people helped me cut it down to 2 or 3 series (I'm not made of time and money after all).

List:
- Codex Alera series
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen
- Joe Abercrombie (The First Law series seems to be the most recommended)
- Felix Castor series
- Rigante series
- Mistborn series
- Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series
- Monarchies of God Series

So, to anyone willing to help me choose, thanks a hell of a lot. I really want something to read after the Gentlemen Bastards and since I made this shortlist kind of indirectly, I'd really appreciate some direct input.

 

I'm read or attempted most of these (haven't looked at Rigante or Monarchies of God), and my recommended shortlist of two would be Joe Abercrombie or Tad Williams.

The First Law is one cool, cool trilogy. I loved The Blade Itself, but haven't read the others yet. Characters are very memorable and the tone is something special. Very unique book. The setting isn't etched in stone like Westeros in A Song of Ice and Fire perhaps, but Abercrombie figured out how to make it enhance his world by giving the reader a role in imagining it. In my mind, this world and its struggles felt epic. Thrilling to read, an experience unto itself.

The writing in Mazalan Book of the Fallen is neat, but I dropped it for some reason. It deserves a second look.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy is probably the best work of literature among them, with my favorite fantasy world being Osten Ard. It's the only one on your list that really reaches all-time great status, not merely an excellent read. It has the most depth of character, history, and setting. Tad William's writing style is my personal ideal among fantasy writers. There are few writers that are more pleasing to read sentence-by-sentence, page-by-page. Lyrical, descriptive, but a little long.

I couldn't really get into Felix Castor, but oddly enough I liked it more than the Dresden Files. There's something off with this protagonist so you don't really bond with him. At least that's what it was for me. Pretty cool opening.

Brandon Sanderson's writing in the first part of Mistborn was just strikingly average upon reading the first few paragraphs. I just don't like him as a writer to the point I wonder why he's published, no matter how many magic systems he invents. I don't have any right to criticize his writing, but that's just my opinion.

 

You can't go wrong with Mistborn, and Joe Abercrombie managed to write the most realistic depiction of Medieval combat I've ever read.

I've only heard of the other books on your list, but either trilogy would be perfect to continue your foray into fantasy.

 

Of the books on your list, I've only read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and I'm currently reading the Mistborn trilogy.

I do like the Mistborn trilogy, but Memory, Sorrow and Thorn was simply a step above.

For what it's worth, I'd go with Tad Williams.

 

Malazan is pretty boring. The prose is too flowery and fancy, the writing too dull. It just drags and drags while the author tries to throw together a billion different angles for a universe wide conspiracy theory. I never finished the whole series though. I liked it, I just got bored of it. It's pretty much some guy's D&D campaign plot put into published form, and it shows.

 

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn seems to be a clear winner. Thanks guys. But I still want another 1 or 2 series to read, so keep the critiques coming.

 

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is one long fucking series. This is the longest piece of work that i have read. But it is pretty awesome once you finish!

Also The Death Gate Cycle is a pretty good series. The first couple of books are fantastic and then they become good and okayish. Still not a bad read.

 

Joe Abercrombieis must...

Malazan is a great series but nothing I would recommend to people who just begun reading fantasy... It is complex, dark and really confusing.

Mistborn.. not sure why everyone likes it that much... the first book is ok but the later ones, especially the third are of a lot lower quality and even my little sister (who is a sucker for romantic stories) thinks that romance in Mistborn is horrible.

Codex alera is a good series but nothing special.. But then i could have been expecting too much from the author who wrote DF.

The monarchies of God are also an ok series... but if you want alternative history books like Kushiel´s dart are much better.

Haven´t read the rest.. but I will probably buy Memory, Sorrow and Thorn... so thx for that.