Top fantasy books?

[Dark]

Hey everyone! I'm an avid fantasy reader I was wondering, what are you're top 5 fantasy books/series? Just a bit curious as to what everyone enjoys in their fantasy. Here's mine, excluding LoTR and Harry Potter, simply because I'm sure those are on everyones top 5 list

1. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
2. Shannara series by Terry Brooks
3. A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin
4. The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop.
5. the Rhapsody trilogy by Elizabeth Haydon

Honorable Mentions:

The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Second Sons Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon

Last edited by Dark on Tue Feb 01, 2005 3:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

[WIS]

1. His Dark Materials
2. Redwall Series
3. Ink Heart
4. Silverwing Series
5. Theif Lord

[shavynel]

1. Any book by Mercedes Lackey
1. Bartimaeus Trilogy (series by Jonathon Shroud, I think)
1. The Wheel of Time (series by Robert Jordon)
1. The Wizard of Earthsea
1. Any book by Diana Wynne Jones

...but not in any particular order. That's why they're all 1s ^_^

[Syrill]

1. All the books by Tamora Pierce (I particularly like the Circle Opens Series' Street Magic)
2. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (methinks...not sure) by Patricia C. Wrede
3. Cecilia and Sorcery or Cecilia and the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Most hilarious book in creation well possibly mostly in terms of fantasy) Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede
4. Wise Child and Juniper by Monica Furlong (Awesome!! First fantasy book i read and it was awesome)
5. All the books by Dianna Wynne Jones (Charmed Life is particularly amusing)

(And Harry Potter is probably somewhere along number 50...these have more captivating storylines =) )

Others you might try:
The Runelords by David Farland (I think)
The Master of All Desires by Judith Merkle Riley
Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Err...Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Monster Makers Inc. by Laurence Yep (hehehe...)
The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley (gripping)
A very King Arthur sort of set of books by Gerald Morris (very good series)
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
Spellfall by Katherine Roberts (It was so awesome!!!)
The Secret of Platform 13 By Eva Ibbotson
Song in the Silence and the Lesser Kindred by Elizabeth Kerner (I've only read song in the silence but it was amazingly gripping and a totally magnificent book)
The Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede
Midnight Magic by Avi (Totally a great read!)
Ella Enchanted and the Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
and so much more ... I can't remember it all anymore...O.o

Last edited by Syrill on Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Eidolon]

My #1 is the same as Syrill's My favorites would have to be the Song of the Lioness and Wild Magic quartets, though. I have, though, fallen madly in love with Trickster's Choice and I'm sure I'll love Trickster's Queen once I get my hands on it.
2. Young Wizards series, by Diane Duane
3. anything by Diana Wynne Jones, particularly Dark Lord of Derkholm (quite confusing. easier to read the second or third time around, but worth it), Year of the Griffin, and most especially Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky.
4. Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. I didn't read Shade's Children (a different, unrelated book by him), as I didn't like it much. *shrugs*
5. the Darkangel trilogy by Meredith Anne Pierce.

I'd also have to say I like the Wind on Fire trilogy. Also by Meredith Anne Pierce is Treasure at the Heart of Tanglewood (short but sweet), and The Woman Who Loved Reindeer (slightly confusing and a bit thought-provoking). Another of my favorites is Robin McKinley's two related books The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, as well as her Deerskin.

*has too many books* Oh, also...Crown Duel and Court Duel. I think I read it once, I borrowed it from someone else, but I recall I liked it.

And, finally, I really liked The One Kingdom, The Isle of Battle (Swan's War series), and Beneath the Vaulted Hills (.....continuation of a bunch of books?) by Sean Russell.

I'm sure I'll think of more later, but I must resist the temptation as you said five and I've already mentioned at least fifty, if you count all the books by Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynne Jones

[shavynel]

Posting one more time (probably a lie) just to say:

And the other ones I couldn't get on my "five" have (I think) been posted. That being Tamora Pierce and Darkangel. I'll get some middle schooler to borrow Trickster's Queen for me (it's bound to be there, they had Trickster's Choice early on, so they have got to have Trickster's Queen). Darkangel I completely forgot about because you there, Eidolon, are the first person I've seen that has read it besides me (I was looking for Tamora Pierce books at the MIDDLE SCHOOL library, realized I had read all of them, and moved down the shelf ^^; )

[Dragonstar]

1. The Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan)
2. The Once & Future King (T.H. White)
3. The Dragonlance Chronicles (Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman)
4. Redwall (Brian Jacques)
5. Homer's Odyssey - some classics never die.

[Cassi]

Only 5? Hmm...

In no particular order:
-The Belgariad/Mallorean by David Eddings
-His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
-Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
-Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix
-Tortall books by Tamora Pierce (not all that fond of the Circle of Magic)

I'm sure in 5 minutes I'll think how annoyed I am that I forgot something big...but those were the first that came to mind, so I'll keep 'em. =P

[Igg]

I have never read a word of Tamora Pierce and I'm not sure that I want to.

[Syrill]

3. anything by Diana Wynne Jones, particularly Dark Lord of Derkholm (quite confusing. easier to read the second or third time around, but worth it), Year of the Griffin, and most especially Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky.

Hehe...Dear old Sophie was hilarious...Castle in the Sky wasn't as hilarious though...but still quite an interesting read

Last edited by Syrill on Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Wolven Spirits]

Hmmm...well, I'll just put the first five that come to mind^_~

1. Any by Mercedes Lackey
2. Any by David Gemmell
3. WHeel of time, Robert Jordan
4. Any by Terry Pratchett
5. Any by Merideth Anne Pierce

I have TONS more that I love...*cough*likeannerice*cough* but...yeah...

[Riddikulus]

Gonna throw out some odd ones.. but they're all very nice, in my opinion!

1) East by Edith Pattou (this is seriously my favorite book ever)
2) Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (I just love it. Simple as that.)
3) Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
4) The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony diTerlizzi and Holly Black (very short, but very nice!)
5) Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel (Ah! Bats!)

And my honorable mentions would go to His Dark Materials (I used to adore the trilogy, but I was extremely naive when I first read them), The Edge Chronicles, and the first few Redwall books you read are good until you start noticing that they're all the same basic story with different characters XD, and then the Wild Magic quartet. I never could get into any of Tamora Pierce's other books, but I guess I didn't put much effort into it.

Of course, if we COULD include HP, it would be tops. I still haven't read LotR. I don't have the patience.

EDIT: Ah! Just saw somebody else who read Silverwing. I never got around the reading the sequels, but eeee, I just loved the first one!

[Jim]

-The Belgariad/Mallorean by David Eddings

If you havent already, yu should also check out his other series' - The Tamuli and The Elenium. Im sure you'll enjoy them.

In order;

The Hobbit - First book I ever bought myself.
Anything by Pratchett - The man is a genius.
The Lord Of The Rings - Timeless.
The Mallorean - A sequel which surpases its predecessor? Sacre bleu!
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Ive got my towel. ( Im not sure if its "Fantasy", with all the speech marks and italics in full effect, but its fantastical enough for my tastes, thank you very much. )

[Cassi]

-The Belgariad/Mallorean by David Eddings

If you havent already, yu should also check out his other series' - The Tamuli and The Elenium. Im sure you'll enjoy them.

I dunno, I've tried, haven't been able to get into them. I might try again at some point, though...

[Alisquid]

3. A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin

Someone who finaly shares my obbesion other than my mother!

Err..Don't make me deside. I love a lot of books, but A Song of Ice and Fire probley would come first, but you never know...

I really can't belive so many people love Tortal that much... their good, but not the best. I mean, Alana and Daine were really bad Mary Sues, and while I like them, most certainly not the best...

Err.. my list:

1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
2. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
3. Abarat by Clive Barker

And after that I can't deside anymore.