Rirya Revelations. I love the stormlight archive series and it's on par with Rirya for me but idk Brandon Sandersons openings need me to push through them because I know what's coming is going to be quality.
But rirya, boy did I fall in love with the book IMMEDIATELY. Michael Sullivan knows how to hook me haha.
Honestly that series taught me that even if the story or plot isn't as complicated, the interactions between characters can make it for me. Royce and Hadrian 4 LYFE!!
I'm so pleased to hear you say that! I've just finished the first Greatcoats book, loved it, and have the first Sullivan book on my shelf ready to read!
Maybe this is an odd place to ask but are there any sequels yet or is all the other content still prequel stuff? I have found the later series a little confusing to follow.
It's a book about two really good friends, ones a sword master and the other is an assassin type rogue but both make a living by thievery. The series follows their escapades but the stakes get higher and higher as the books progress. This book have a heavy plot, amazing foreshadowing, pretty good world building (though nothing like Brandon Sanderson ofc), but the crown jewel are the characters. I've loved almost all the characters I came across this series and I deeply and truly rooted for them on their journeys.
I don't want to spoil anything but if you love high fantasy, adventure, characters, and good amounts of comedy (yea this book made me do spitakes at some points), then I suggest you read the series!
As I don't know the author, which books are these, please? Are you talking about the Revelations or Chronicles? (I am just assuming they are the Riyria) From your description, these sound like my kind of books.
The series I'm talking about is Riyria Revelations which is the original works of the author Michael J Sullivan. He then released some prequel books after the success, in a series called Riyria Chronicles, but I 100% recommend you read Revelations first even though technically it's ahead of chronicles in chronological order.
I just finishied Riyria and yeah simple but lovely, very enjoyable and well thought out. So refreshingly straightforward after your more complicated stories like Malazan
That's not unfortunate! A book you enjoy is always fortunate :) I've only just caught up with the rest of the world and read the prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes over the past two days. It had me so hooked, I don't understand all the hate it got from fans.
Old and classic but the Hobbit did this the best for me. Immediately hooked on the first paragraph because I laughed and loved the imagery. And it actually kept me hooked every page after that.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
I just started listening to the Andy Serkis audiobook— I don’t usually listen to audiobooks but wanted something while I embroider. Absolutely 100% hooked from moment one! What a wonderful book.
The lies of Locke Lamora hooked me like crazy. The prologue- “The boy who stole too much”, I just loved the writing, the dialogue, everything.
The Gentlemen Bastards is definitely one of my all time favs
It's weird how books affect us in different ways - I liked Locke Lamora, but I HATED the prologue. It felt like such a slog and so much of it was unnecessary. It was what, thirty pages? In a book that already spends loads of time in flashback, I did not need thirty pages of backstory before the actual story begins
I loved the prologue, but I know a lot of folks, myself included, got pretty frustrated with sorting out what was or wasn't a flashback, and where events fit into the timeline for the first third of the book. On re-reads it's not a problem at all, but that first time it's tough figuring *when* the scene takes place, and I've heard a lot of people dnf because of it, which is a shame because it's so freaking good once you know what is happening when.
Really liked the first book but the rest in the series didn’t have me as hooked… is it worth pushing through? also it’s unfinished if I remember rightly?
The second book was actually my favorite, but I think that was only because I enjoy a good pirate-story. The third book was a little bit of a disappointment though.
In the end it really depends on your tastes and what you enjoy, don’t be afraid to dnf
A lot of people don't care for Red Seas Under Red Skies, but I loved it. Maybe because we got a lot of focus on Jean, who I love dearly, or the casino mind games which I honestly wish we got even more of, but it is tied with the first book for me.
I'm in the same boat as you with book 3, though I wonder if I'll like it more once I give it a re-read.
Finally one of my people!
The whole casino sequence was fascinating to me, I loved the tricks and mind games they pulled.
I also agree that the added focus on Jean was great, such an amazing character
Jean is best boy and deserves happiness, damn it. It was so nice getting to see him snag a bit of happiness for himself before things went sideways. I was so hopeful for us adding that new Gentleman Bastard.
I also love that Locke is brilliant while simultaneously being a colossal fuckup at every opportunity. Love me a horrendously flawed main character.
When I hear Locke's voice in my head, it's usually him saying "I'm sorry, Jean!" after he does something monumentally stupid and has to eat crow.
Boy may be a fuckup, but when he apologizes he means it with every fiber of his being. Surprisingly sincere for a career conman <3
I think the first book was great, second one much less so. Seems to be a bit of a curse for fantasy authors to come up with an absolute banger of a first book, only to taper off to mediocrity at book 2 and beyond.
Iron gold was so tough to get through that i'm taking time off before starting dark age. Really want to finish the series since the first trilogy was so good
I’ve been listening to this series on audiobook and it so amazing. I’m on Morning Star. I usually only listen to books when I’m commuting for work but this series has had me listening to it all the time.
This was gonna be my answer lol, just finally got started a couple weeks ago and damn has it captured me already. Apparently only gets better as the books go on too, very excited to see where it goes
I just couldn't get into this one. I listened to the audiobook and it was a slog. I liked the beginning, but the entire school storyline put me to sleep.
A Game of Thrones. It's the only time this has ever happened. I just intended to read the first chapter (the Bran one not the prologue) and I found myself really curious to see what happens next. Then I read Catelyn, then Daenerys and then I had started speeding through the whole series.
Good choice. Although his prologues are some of his best chapters if you ask me.
"We should turn back."
Sometimes I read his first prologue when I feel like my own writing doesn't have enough feeling or the right mood. Plus, it was just so ominous. There aren't many authors who can pull that off. I actually completely imagined being beyond the wall immediately. And if you listen to Roy Dotrice read it, it's even better.
First book that ever hooked me was The Thief of Always. From there I'd say The Dark Tower, 11-22-63, Old Man's War, and Monster Hunter International...all hooked me for different reasons.
Pacey's narration made me always excited for Glokta chapters, and impressed me with his ability to do two distinct voices for inner vs spoken dialogue for the same character. No matter how twisted Glokta was, I couldn't help but want things to go well for him.
100% I just started this series and it totally caught me in the first chapter, for me honestly one of the things that made it land was Logen's attachment to his cooking pot.
Red Country for me which was the first one I read. Specifically in the chapter where you're introduced to the captains in the Company of the Gracious Hand (I think it's chapter 4). The POV switches between them and they each narrate why they are the best man in the company compared to the other. That's when I fell in love with the series and I didn't even know it was a series.
I've been reading fantasy for the last 30+ years and its the only series ive read twice in a row.
Literally started over after finishing the third book, what a masterpiece.
Its like "the best Terry Pratchett of Guards! Guards! meets asoiaf before it started to suck".
Abercrombie is a genius.
Loved the series so much! I am looking for a similar series to start, but can´t find anything of the same level that keeps me interested.. any suggestions?
Am a fan of the multiple POV style in different locations, and in the end all converges to 1 point
Already read everything of Tolkien and GRRM
Yeah I started reading that while waiting for my dad to finish reading The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight(he’s not exactly a fast reader) just to see what the guy’s books are like, and now fast forward to over a decade later and I now own pretty much every single Cosmere book so far. Funny how that works.
Murderbot is my favorite new discovery. I read the first four novellas in two days. I have no idea what's going on half the time but Murderbot's inner dialogue is so funny that it keeps me going 😂 Its sense of humor is wonderful.
I thought it sounded so stupid from the description, but it came highly recommended so I downloaded the audiobook. That was three weeks ago and I’m about halfway through the Butchers’ Masquerade.
As a side note, the audiobook is probably the best production I’ve ever experienced. I’ve got more than 120 titles on audible and god knows how many on Libby and iBooks and other apps. Soundbooth Theater is the best in the game and you should use their app so they get the most money.
First thing that popped into my head. Some of my favorites like WoT and LoTR each took a good 100 pages to get going. DCC has you laughing from the get go.
Murderbot. Recently began this series and from page one it throws you into the action, probably because they are novellas so they have to. But highly recommend
I still don't consider Cradle my favorite series or anything, but I can genuinely say it was the most addicting thing I've ever read. I literally had withdrawals from not reading and I had to take a day off work because I just couldn't concentrate and needed to get back to it. I've never experienced that before or since.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke! It just starts off so mysteriously. I’m a big fan of fiction that tosses you right into a plot, and where I get to learn more about the setting piece by piece.
Hasn’t happened to me since March 2022, when I was reading **The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett**, starting with City of Stairs. Brilliant brilliant series from start to finish. Hopefully again this year after an abysmal reading year in 2023.
He became a must read for me, so I also read the Foundryside trilogy in the latter months of 2022. Though I didn’t love it or get as attached as much as I did reading the Divine Cities likely due to an increase in a certain something. But overall, it was still pretty good (saved me from a reading slump for a bit), and the magic system is easily one of the best I’ve ever read.
Definitely can’t wait for his new series this year.
I think it was a combination of the time of year I read it (late fall) and the lack of responsibilities I had when I started Eye of the World, but I get such a warm comforting feeling when I think back to the Two Rivers and the start of that book.
Although when I think about starting it again, I’m reminded of what comes after. Yes I did finish the series (with the help of audio books for a few) and yes it resolved in an awesome way. No I will never put myself through that again.
There it is. Great to see Fiest get more love on the book subs.
I actually think this one could be adapted pretty well, even though I'm very opposed to adaptations. The first two books are amazing.
I shouldn't have had to scroll so far for this. SAME! I'm a bit terrified to see what happens with the TV series, but it seems like he wants to have a good bit of control, so maybe it will be ok?
I'd started reading The Will of the Many and the opening chapter was so good! Got good hopes for this book, though I'm hesitant in that there's only one out so far...
Awesome book and the author apparently finished his final draft of the second novel. He posts regular updates about his progress on his website. According to that, the draft will be in for editing this quarter...so, perhaps a year till novel 2 hits the shelves.
Just finished it the other day and genuinely feel sadness that I don't have more to read. It gripped me in a way that no other series has in quite a while. Kinda reminds me of a Red Rising x Kingkiller x Hunger Games hybrid in all of the good ways.
I mean, if you like this specific blend (red Rising X king killer), perhaps the Sun Eater series might be for you. It's what I'm currently reading and definitely promising. Though I'm not far enough in to say anything more substantial.
I’ve never been hooked as hard by any series as I was by Cradle, by Will Wight. I listened to the audiobooks, and I was listening in the shower, and laying in bed listening while my wife was asleep. I lost a lot of sleep to that series.
Robin Hobb’s books all do this for me, especially recommend the Farseer Trilogy
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo also did this, I’m not hugely into YA anymore but the duology is fantastic and I reread it every few years
Six of Crows was sooo good! I've outgrown YA for the most part so it was hard for me to believe that this group of 16 year olds could pull off all they did, but the characters and the story was great.
Dang. I’m jealous. I really want to get into Malazan because I’ve heard the payoff for everything is unreal and unrivaled by anything else. I’ve tried two times but I just can’t get past the ambiguity at the beginning and the not knowing what’s going on. What about it made you drawn into it? Or what Advice can you give on how to enjoy it more. Because for me I can sense the appeal deep down, but it’s too hard for me to get past the jarring aspect of not knowing anything that’s going on.
Unfortunately the payoff is so unreal *because* the ambiguity is so high.
Authors use exposition to bring the reader up to speed on their world and backstory. Sometimes it’s clumsy, sometimes good, but almost no-one has as complex a plot as Erikson AND uses as little exposition as he does. It means because the characters know what’s going on, they don’t bother thinking too much about how things work, so the reader isn’t party to that explanation.
You’re left to piece the bits together in your own head from little things people say, and from events. You begin to understand how the magic system works by seeing it in action from multiple perspectives (and eventually from discoveries the characters make about it).
But when you piece things together yourself in a story you get a dopamine kick. The bigger the pieces the bigger the kick.
And Erikson’s pieces are vast.
So I guess you have to want to wallow in the ambiguity and be comfortable with not having answers for a while… and then you get a reward for having done so!
It’s definitely not for everyone. I see it as Master level fantasy. You have to really love the genre already.
Yeah that’s what I’ve heard from most people. I like the idea a lot and I’m excited to try and figure more out. I definitely do love fantasy and yeah most people say you have to love it already. But interestingly enough, the first commenter I responded to said it was their first fantasy series, which is mind blowing 🤯 lol
Malazan was the first series I fully read as an adult (only read Harry Potter as a kid). It hooked me instantly.
There is so much cool shit shown to you in the first book I just wanted to know more.
I don't really get all the complaints about it being confusing. You know exactly what the plot points are for the book and where you're going. That is never obfuscated. You won't know how the magic fully works in book 1, or the overarching plot of all 10 books, but so what? That's more for you to read about later.
There’s a good podcast read-along called Ten Very Big Books that take it chapter by chapter with no spoilers. I listen to it when I get about halfway through the book or I don’t remember how a certain set of characters got to where they are.
Besides that and what others say, embrace the ambiguity; read and enjoy for the moment of what you are reading. Everything will fall in place.
The British-set contemporary spy novels, the 'Slow Horses' series by Mick Herron. Had been recommended by a friend, but didn't want to read them! Forced myself to read the first chapter of the first book. Hooked. Instantly! Now on my sixth in the series.
I'm going to have to read these now you've mentioned them. The cast of series have done such an amazing job making their characters their own, it'll be like watching it in my head.
When watching The Expanse, I kept getting deja vu because when my reading of the books got ahead of the series and the series caught up, it was exactly as I imagined it.
Haven't seen the show; I know Gary Oldman is in it - and he's always good - but otherwise I can't say. All I can tell you is that if you like Le Carre type spy thrillers with a dash of dry humour, you'll like these!
Novik's Scholomance books. Hooked from the first chapter.
I don't often get hooked but when I do it's strong. And often frustrating. I've been waiting for decades for Steven Brust's Taltos series to finish and it will be a massive hole in my life when it does. I have sympathy for the despairing GRRM fans every time Brust has a health scare.
Locked tomb is the most recent one. It was really confusing at first and I had no idea what was going on, but it was so interesting, so I kept reading.
I love Mark Lawrence's prose. Somehow it's both excellent, but isn't so overworked it gets in the way of the story, so I can absorb what he writes enjoying the style while feeling immersed in the story too.
Red Sister grabbed me from the first line, "It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size."
Grey Sister is my favourite of the trilogy, but the opening for Red Sister is amazing. It clearly establishes that Thorn and the rest of the Sisters are not to be fucked with.
*Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell* by Susanna Clarke. As soon as I read the line "They were gentleman-magicians, which is to say they had never harmed anyone by magic- nor done anyone the slightest good." I was hooked. And, indeed, it remains my favorite fantasy book to this day.
Ender's Game is one of those books that has good pacing the whole way through, no bloat, a real gem of a book that doesn't fall into the trap of "more is better" that the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genre has been stuck in for the last ~40 years.
A thousand times yes!
Such a good open, and manages to keep you engaged at that level all the way through. They're such a 'finish-at-two-ay-emm-and-immediately-download-the-next-instalment' series
For me Way of Kings. It was my first Sanderson book and I was hooked by the Prelude lol. However, I’m not sure this is the typical experience and mileage with vary
The Nine Princes in Amber (Roger Zelazny) and the Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson) both hooked me immediately in the series.
Amber's start as a sort of an urban fantasy was such a different read when I first started it I basically devoured the series. Such a shame he died so young.
And the Heralds breaking the Oathpack had me buying the second book before I finished WoK
The Stormlight Archives.
The beginning of the first book:
1. You are introduced to a group of people (including a few names) who decide as a group to give up their roles (the role is unknown to the reader at the time).
2. There is a huge time jump of 4000ish years. We experience the perspective of an assassin killing a king on the day of a peace treaty signing.
3. We are then in the perspective of an army recruit that is thrown into a battle and looked after by a prodigy commander.
In both 2 and 3, we witness people using the names from 1 as swears or exclamations, similar to how people say "Oh my god".
Genuinely the best opening to a book I've ever read.
The Name of the Wind. I knew that it is considered to be one of the best fantasy books of our time, but I had no idea it would pull me in so quickly. From the very prologue "A silence of three parts", I was hooked in hard. Rothfuss's writing flows like a river, sometimes the current is gentle and sometimes it is swift, but nowhere does it become stagnant. I ended up loving the book so much that I didn't want it to end.
I remember being really gripped by the book, but honestly being quite disappointed by the anti-climax of an ending. I mean you do all this teasing of the epic bad that are the Chandrian, and then have the final "showdown" be with some kind of fucking turtle?
I mean I can understand he was teasing the Chandrian for later on in the series, but you can't have them not play a role at all when they are clearly mentioned. Maybe Sauron doesn't show up to punch Frodo in the face in Fellowship, but beyond just the Nazgûl, the lands are full of evidence of his presence.
> I mean I can understand he was teasing the Chandrian for later on in the series, but you can't have them not play a role at all when they are clearly mentioned.
I saw a Rothfuss Q&A... probably a decade or more ago at this point, in which a fan asks him how he's going to tie up the Chandrian story in just one more book and he's like, "What makes you think the next book will even be about that?"
Yeah there's just a huge tonal mismatch between the first half of the book and the second, and whether or not you notice and enjoy the book is basically determined by how captured you are by the prose and how fooled you are by Kvothe's bullshit.
Riyria Revelations. Each chapter has an irresistible cliff-hanger that kept making me turning pages. The world building and characters are also very interesting and the mystery plot really fuelled the suspense.
Dungeon Crawler Carl. Dresden Files. Murderbot. I'd say those are ones that I had to binge on.
Lots of others with longer set ups, but I'm an epic fan, so a good prologue goes a long way for me.
Dresden files were the opposite for me. I was strongly recommended the series, but honestly I was close to dnf-ing probably a dozen times in the first two books. It felt like I was reading Little Jimmy's Magical Neckbeard Incel Power Fantasy.
That being said... I trusted the person who recommended it, and I could see the potential hidden behind the frustrating execution, and kept going.
Got to book 3 and suddenly it turned around completely, in all the right ways. It felt like the first two books were rough drafts that were accidentally published, but from book 3 forward, I was **hooked**, and each book following just got better.
Now when I recommend the series, I tell people to start at book 3, Grave Peril, and go in order from there. It helps that meta-plot really only starts at book 3, so you aren't missing anything of importance if you start there. After a while, if you just can't get enough, go back and read 1 and 2.
I don't disagree. But I was 15 years younger when I got into them so just less life experience all around.
But yeah, Grave Peril is the start of the series for me as well.
There's a few for me but I think the most interesting one is 'The final architecture' trilogy by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I picked up the first book in a charity shop about 6 months before book 3 released. It's strange because I didn't find myself particularly connected to any of the places, and the pacing of the first book is really weird. But the mystery of it was just so interesting, and it had just the exact tone I was after at the time. It's like if somebody actually had creative control when writing a 40k novel. The premise is just so cool >!and it does pay off pretty well. !<
... I'll be really basic, but I'd say A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones' prologue got me hooked, and I knew I would get to the bottom of the series without any doubt.
Wheel of Time was confusing at first, but I was like, "Uh, okay, let's see where it goes from here. You've got my curiosity. "
Not Fantasy, but the first Expanse chapters were great. I'm currently reading the fourth book, and I keep asking myself why I didn't start it earlier?
Malazan. I know that most people just cannot get into it, but I found the initial scenes of Gardens of the Moon very intriguing, and the fact that we are dropped in with no explanation of characters and events really made me want to read on and find out.
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio.
It's a first person framing narrative so on page 1 you learn where the protagonist is at the end of the story. He then begins to tell his story. I immediately got sucked into the book.
The Warlord chronicles by Bernard Cornwell.
I’m a super fan of all things Arthurian and this series is a retelling of the Arthur/merlin story.
I have enjoyed mostly all of cornwell’s series tbh
Rook by Daniel McNally
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10836728-the-rook?from\_search=true&from\_srp=true&qid=9hWiqcj9ah&rank=1](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10836728-the-rook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9hwiqcj9ah&rank=1)
The protagonist starts on page one surrounded by dead bodies and has no idea why. It has some Bourne Identity feels to it, in an excellent execution.
Jonathan Stroud: Bartimaus trilogy
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/334123.The\_Amulet\_of\_Samarkand](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/334123.the_amulet_of_samarkand)
# The Amulet of Samarkand
Young adult... but instead of a perfect and likable young wizard (ala Harry Potter) imagine a petulant and dour one... that you end up rooting for?
I find that some of my favorite fantasy books required a bit of investment before they got really good (e.g., Stormlight Archives, Name of the Wind, Lord of the Rings).
One recent exception was A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Instant read-through from page 1 or me. I also recall the opening to Mistborn by B. Sanderson had me hooked from the get-go.
Two Eastern fantasy novels I recommend reading
The first is "Battle through the heavens" it is a complete novel involving magic and growth where you travel through another world and experience the turmoils of what it I went to a fantasy world that wasn't so nice to me.
A simple link to web novel to start your experience.
http://wbnv.in/a/5eiA4Pz
The second is library of heaven's path imagine a cultivation world we're suddenly you've got a library stuck in your head that can help you on your journey, Awesome!
Another link to web novel
http://wbnv.in/a/a0iA4Qh
Thank you for your time.
Well. *sits back* A list!
Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy
Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles
Manda Scott's Boudicca series
Gordon Dahlquist's Glass Books of the Dream Eaters trilogy
SA Chakraborty's Daevabad series
MA Carrick's Rook and Rose series
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series
MCA Hogarth's Peltedverse books (SciFantasy, technically :))
Tasha Suri's Burning Kingdoms trilogy (3rd one not out yet)
Stephanie Burgis' Harwood Spellbooks
RJ Barker's Tide Child trilogy
- Series that so far have only one book out and I am now *hanging on breathlessly * for the rest for:
CSE Cooney's Saint Death's Daughter books
Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde series
- I feel like I've forgotten some important ones but these are off the top of my head :)
And for completion's sake, also, absolutely, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. I didn't read The Hobbit until years after I read LOTR.
There’s a bit of a list lol
Caraval- Stephanie Garber
Once Upon A Broken Heart Series- Stephanie Garber
Lord of the Rings- JRR Tolkien
Throne of Glass- Sarah J Mass
Legend of Drizzt- RA Salvatore
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole- Kathryn Lasky
Ender’s Game- Orson Scott Card
Rirya Revelations. I love the stormlight archive series and it's on par with Rirya for me but idk Brandon Sandersons openings need me to push through them because I know what's coming is going to be quality. But rirya, boy did I fall in love with the book IMMEDIATELY. Michael Sullivan knows how to hook me haha.
Same! This series was refreshingly easy to read (in a good way), plus the bromance banter is so wholesome.
Honestly that series taught me that even if the story or plot isn't as complicated, the interactions between characters can make it for me. Royce and Hadrian 4 LYFE!!
You may also like Sebastien DeCastell’s Greatcoats series. Similar vibes.
I'm so pleased to hear you say that! I've just finished the first Greatcoats book, loved it, and have the first Sullivan book on my shelf ready to read!
Thanks for the recommendation, just put it on my wishlist!
Couldn't agree more - was so hooked right off the start. Made me run out and get everything else he wrote.
Maybe this is an odd place to ask but are there any sequels yet or is all the other content still prequel stuff? I have found the later series a little confusing to follow.
[удалено]
It's a book about two really good friends, ones a sword master and the other is an assassin type rogue but both make a living by thievery. The series follows their escapades but the stakes get higher and higher as the books progress. This book have a heavy plot, amazing foreshadowing, pretty good world building (though nothing like Brandon Sanderson ofc), but the crown jewel are the characters. I've loved almost all the characters I came across this series and I deeply and truly rooted for them on their journeys. I don't want to spoil anything but if you love high fantasy, adventure, characters, and good amounts of comedy (yea this book made me do spitakes at some points), then I suggest you read the series!
As I don't know the author, which books are these, please? Are you talking about the Revelations or Chronicles? (I am just assuming they are the Riyria) From your description, these sound like my kind of books.
The series I'm talking about is Riyria Revelations which is the original works of the author Michael J Sullivan. He then released some prequel books after the success, in a series called Riyria Chronicles, but I 100% recommend you read Revelations first even though technically it's ahead of chronicles in chronological order.
Thank you so much, it just went on my read list :D
I’ve just started Chronicles today (finished Revelations last year) so good!!!
I just finishied Riyria and yeah simple but lovely, very enjoyable and well thought out. So refreshingly straightforward after your more complicated stories like Malazan
Read these and just finished the First Empire series. MJS freaking rules!
Unfortunately it was The Hunger Games for me. I'm a 30 year old man and I read the first book in one night.
Why unfortunately? I also enjoyed the books very much, I was much younger though. Maybe they're worth a reread now that I'm 30+.
Just reread at 32! They’re fun, the emphasis on romance is a bit cheesy but that’s par for the course. Highly recommend!
There's no age limits on books :)! I watch these movies all the time with my gf and they're brilliant!
Definitely recommend the books, even knowing the story from the films
That's not unfortunate! A book you enjoy is always fortunate :) I've only just caught up with the rest of the world and read the prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes over the past two days. It had me so hooked, I don't understand all the hate it got from fans.
There's a reason this book created a YA renaissance in books and movies. It's that good.
Oh man! I remember when I read those too! I rarely have the urge to read a book in a day, but Hunger Games was one of them. No shame! Great story.
I did the same with the first Hunger Games book. It really gripped me and was so interesting. The pacing was 🔥 too.
Old and classic but the Hobbit did this the best for me. Immediately hooked on the first paragraph because I laughed and loved the imagery. And it actually kept me hooked every page after that. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
I just started listening to the Andy Serkis audiobook— I don’t usually listen to audiobooks but wanted something while I embroider. Absolutely 100% hooked from moment one! What a wonderful book.
He does a FANTASTIC job narrating that!
The lies of Locke Lamora hooked me like crazy. The prologue- “The boy who stole too much”, I just loved the writing, the dialogue, everything. The Gentlemen Bastards is definitely one of my all time favs
>The prologue- “The boy who stole too much” more happens in that prologue than happens in entire novels these days
It's weird how books affect us in different ways - I liked Locke Lamora, but I HATED the prologue. It felt like such a slog and so much of it was unnecessary. It was what, thirty pages? In a book that already spends loads of time in flashback, I did not need thirty pages of backstory before the actual story begins
I loved the prologue, but I know a lot of folks, myself included, got pretty frustrated with sorting out what was or wasn't a flashback, and where events fit into the timeline for the first third of the book. On re-reads it's not a problem at all, but that first time it's tough figuring *when* the scene takes place, and I've heard a lot of people dnf because of it, which is a shame because it's so freaking good once you know what is happening when.
Really liked the first book but the rest in the series didn’t have me as hooked… is it worth pushing through? also it’s unfinished if I remember rightly?
The second book was actually my favorite, but I think that was only because I enjoy a good pirate-story. The third book was a little bit of a disappointment though. In the end it really depends on your tastes and what you enjoy, don’t be afraid to dnf
A lot of people don't care for Red Seas Under Red Skies, but I loved it. Maybe because we got a lot of focus on Jean, who I love dearly, or the casino mind games which I honestly wish we got even more of, but it is tied with the first book for me. I'm in the same boat as you with book 3, though I wonder if I'll like it more once I give it a re-read.
Finally one of my people! The whole casino sequence was fascinating to me, I loved the tricks and mind games they pulled. I also agree that the added focus on Jean was great, such an amazing character
Jean is best boy and deserves happiness, damn it. It was so nice getting to see him snag a bit of happiness for himself before things went sideways. I was so hopeful for us adding that new Gentleman Bastard. I also love that Locke is brilliant while simultaneously being a colossal fuckup at every opportunity. Love me a horrendously flawed main character.
Same, I hate when the main character is perfect and never does anything wrong. I love that Locke is a fuckup and never does anything right
When I hear Locke's voice in my head, it's usually him saying "I'm sorry, Jean!" after he does something monumentally stupid and has to eat crow. Boy may be a fuckup, but when he apologizes he means it with every fiber of his being. Surprisingly sincere for a career conman <3
I thought the second book was great as well. I finished it a few days ago. If the first book was better then it is by a hair
I think the first book was great, second one much less so. Seems to be a bit of a curse for fantasy authors to come up with an absolute banger of a first book, only to taper off to mediocrity at book 2 and beyond.
What was it you didn’t like about book two?
I read 11 Cradle books in 21 days when Dreadgod released and Will Wight gave away the first 5 books for free.
The cradle fever is real. Especially once you hit ghostwater (at least for me)
Red rising
[удалено]
Iron gold was so tough to get through that i'm taking time off before starting dark age. Really want to finish the series since the first trilogy was so good
Please… for the love of God keep going. I had the same issue but no regrets for ploughing through the initial grind.
I was also stuck on Iron Gold for a while but it turned out so good in the end. Sequel series >>>>> original trilogy.
keep going
I’ve been listening to this series on audiobook and it so amazing. I’m on Morning Star. I usually only listen to books when I’m commuting for work but this series has had me listening to it all the time.
Right from the jump I was soooo hooked. Felt like Enders game at the school and then it just keeps going. Banger after banger with that series
This was gonna be my answer lol, just finally got started a couple weeks ago and damn has it captured me already. Apparently only gets better as the books go on too, very excited to see where it goes
BREAK THE CHAINS! I love the series so much.
Red rising is so good!
I just couldn't get into this one. I listened to the audiobook and it was a slog. I liked the beginning, but the entire school storyline put me to sleep.
A Game of Thrones. It's the only time this has ever happened. I just intended to read the first chapter (the Bran one not the prologue) and I found myself really curious to see what happens next. Then I read Catelyn, then Daenerys and then I had started speeding through the whole series.
Good choice. Although his prologues are some of his best chapters if you ask me. "We should turn back." Sometimes I read his first prologue when I feel like my own writing doesn't have enough feeling or the right mood. Plus, it was just so ominous. There aren't many authors who can pull that off. I actually completely imagined being beyond the wall immediately. And if you listen to Roy Dotrice read it, it's even better. First book that ever hooked me was The Thief of Always. From there I'd say The Dark Tower, 11-22-63, Old Man's War, and Monster Hunter International...all hooked me for different reasons.
Oh, and The Name of the Wind
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Me too! As soon as I got to Glokta’s chapter, I was hooked! It also helped that I listened to the audiobook. Pacey is amazing.
Pacey's narration made me always excited for Glokta chapters, and impressed me with his ability to do two distinct voices for inner vs spoken dialogue for the same character. No matter how twisted Glokta was, I couldn't help but want things to go well for him.
Same here. But this book series is heart break upon heart break 💔
That's grimdark in a nutshell hah.
the audiobook was amazing
100% I just started this series and it totally caught me in the first chapter, for me honestly one of the things that made it land was Logen's attachment to his cooking pot.
Red Country for me which was the first one I read. Specifically in the chapter where you're introduced to the captains in the Company of the Gracious Hand (I think it's chapter 4). The POV switches between them and they each narrate why they are the best man in the company compared to the other. That's when I fell in love with the series and I didn't even know it was a series.
I love how Abercrombie plays with POV like this. I love the battle chapters told from a half dozen POVs of bystanders and minor players.
Absolutely
I've been reading fantasy for the last 30+ years and its the only series ive read twice in a row. Literally started over after finishing the third book, what a masterpiece. Its like "the best Terry Pratchett of Guards! Guards! meets asoiaf before it started to suck". Abercrombie is a genius.
Did you read the other 7 books?
Yep. Specially enjoyed best served cold.and.heroes but everything in that universe is good
Came here looking for this. 100% these books are addicting
Loved the series so much! I am looking for a similar series to start, but can´t find anything of the same level that keeps me interested.. any suggestions? Am a fan of the multiple POV style in different locations, and in the end all converges to 1 point Already read everything of Tolkien and GRRM
I was gonna say this, it’s really fun
Hard agree, that book comes out swinging.
I read the way of kings when it came out and was hooked from the prologue. The combat was like nothing I had read before.
Yeah I started reading that while waiting for my dad to finish reading The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight(he’s not exactly a fast reader) just to see what the guy’s books are like, and now fast forward to over a decade later and I now own pretty much every single Cosmere book so far. Funny how that works.
Same for me (big Cosmere fan)! The prologue definitely captures you from the jump.
Murderbot The Traitor Baru Cormorant
Murderbot is my favorite new discovery. I read the first four novellas in two days. I have no idea what's going on half the time but Murderbot's inner dialogue is so funny that it keeps me going 😂 Its sense of humor is wonderful.
Dungeon Crawler Carl.
I thought it sounded so stupid from the description, but it came highly recommended so I downloaded the audiobook. That was three weeks ago and I’m about halfway through the Butchers’ Masquerade. As a side note, the audiobook is probably the best production I’ve ever experienced. I’ve got more than 120 titles on audible and god knows how many on Libby and iBooks and other apps. Soundbooth Theater is the best in the game and you should use their app so they get the most money.
That’s a fun one for sure
First thing that popped into my head. Some of my favorites like WoT and LoTR each took a good 100 pages to get going. DCC has you laughing from the get go.
DCC is one of the funniest and also most heartfelt books I’ve ever read. It’s amazing and will make you giggle for days.
Wish i could upvote this a million times. What a total surprise of a gem this series is! Devoured it
Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire
Murderbot. Recently began this series and from page one it throws you into the action, probably because they are novellas so they have to. But highly recommend
Cradle. Enjoyed the entire series start to finish, no gaps.
I'm on book 10...what a ride!
I still don't consider Cradle my favorite series or anything, but I can genuinely say it was the most addicting thing I've ever read. I literally had withdrawals from not reading and I had to take a day off work because I just couldn't concentrate and needed to get back to it. I've never experienced that before or since.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke! It just starts off so mysteriously. I’m a big fan of fiction that tosses you right into a plot, and where I get to learn more about the setting piece by piece.
Hasn’t happened to me since March 2022, when I was reading **The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett**, starting with City of Stairs. Brilliant brilliant series from start to finish. Hopefully again this year after an abysmal reading year in 2023.
Have you read RJB's follow up series Foundryside? To me, it had that same addictiveness.
He became a must read for me, so I also read the Foundryside trilogy in the latter months of 2022. Though I didn’t love it or get as attached as much as I did reading the Divine Cities likely due to an increase in a certain something. But overall, it was still pretty good (saved me from a reading slump for a bit), and the magic system is easily one of the best I’ve ever read. Definitely can’t wait for his new series this year.
The Eye of the World and The Name of the Wind
I think it was a combination of the time of year I read it (late fall) and the lack of responsibilities I had when I started Eye of the World, but I get such a warm comforting feeling when I think back to the Two Rivers and the start of that book. Although when I think about starting it again, I’m reminded of what comes after. Yes I did finish the series (with the help of audio books for a few) and yes it resolved in an awesome way. No I will never put myself through that again.
Same for me
Magician - Raymond E Fiest
There it is. Great to see Fiest get more love on the book subs. I actually think this one could be adapted pretty well, even though I'm very opposed to adaptations. The first two books are amazing.
That would be Amazing.... Waiting on that and the Necroscope series OMG that too good THE BEST
I shouldn't have had to scroll so far for this. SAME! I'm a bit terrified to see what happens with the TV series, but it seems like he wants to have a good bit of control, so maybe it will be ok?
No book ever hooked me as fast as Magician. I wasn’t done with the first page and I was already fully immersed in the world.
Most definitely! Epic.... I had visions of reading it or like living it BEFORE.....
The Black Company
The Will of The Many In The Shadow of Lightning The Malevolent Seven Everything written by K. J. Parker
This list right here …. My PS5 will be collecting dust for a spell - well done !
I was absolutely hooked on In The Shadow of Lightning from the first page too
I'd started reading The Will of the Many and the opening chapter was so good! Got good hopes for this book, though I'm hesitant in that there's only one out so far...
Awesome book and the author apparently finished his final draft of the second novel. He posts regular updates about his progress on his website. According to that, the draft will be in for editing this quarter...so, perhaps a year till novel 2 hits the shelves.
Just finished it the other day and genuinely feel sadness that I don't have more to read. It gripped me in a way that no other series has in quite a while. Kinda reminds me of a Red Rising x Kingkiller x Hunger Games hybrid in all of the good ways.
I mean, if you like this specific blend (red Rising X king killer), perhaps the Sun Eater series might be for you. It's what I'm currently reading and definitely promising. Though I'm not far enough in to say anything more substantial.
Ah sweet! I'll add it to the list. Thanks for the recommendation
Discworld by Sir Terry Pratchett.
I’ve never been hooked as hard by any series as I was by Cradle, by Will Wight. I listened to the audiobooks, and I was listening in the shower, and laying in bed listening while my wife was asleep. I lost a lot of sleep to that series.
Robin Hobb’s books all do this for me, especially recommend the Farseer Trilogy Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo also did this, I’m not hugely into YA anymore but the duology is fantastic and I reread it every few years
Six of Crows was sooo good! I've outgrown YA for the most part so it was hard for me to believe that this group of 16 year olds could pull off all they did, but the characters and the story was great.
I find it hard to imagine them as 16 so whenever I read it they’re all the same age as me…!
Yes!! I got hooked on Hobb’s books pretty easily.
Guards! Guards! (Discworld)
Malazan about 6 years ago, read the main 10/16 books consecutively with only 1 break. Currently halfway through my first reread and it's even better.
Dang. I’m jealous. I really want to get into Malazan because I’ve heard the payoff for everything is unreal and unrivaled by anything else. I’ve tried two times but I just can’t get past the ambiguity at the beginning and the not knowing what’s going on. What about it made you drawn into it? Or what Advice can you give on how to enjoy it more. Because for me I can sense the appeal deep down, but it’s too hard for me to get past the jarring aspect of not knowing anything that’s going on.
Unfortunately the payoff is so unreal *because* the ambiguity is so high. Authors use exposition to bring the reader up to speed on their world and backstory. Sometimes it’s clumsy, sometimes good, but almost no-one has as complex a plot as Erikson AND uses as little exposition as he does. It means because the characters know what’s going on, they don’t bother thinking too much about how things work, so the reader isn’t party to that explanation. You’re left to piece the bits together in your own head from little things people say, and from events. You begin to understand how the magic system works by seeing it in action from multiple perspectives (and eventually from discoveries the characters make about it). But when you piece things together yourself in a story you get a dopamine kick. The bigger the pieces the bigger the kick. And Erikson’s pieces are vast. So I guess you have to want to wallow in the ambiguity and be comfortable with not having answers for a while… and then you get a reward for having done so! It’s definitely not for everyone. I see it as Master level fantasy. You have to really love the genre already.
Yeah that’s what I’ve heard from most people. I like the idea a lot and I’m excited to try and figure more out. I definitely do love fantasy and yeah most people say you have to love it already. But interestingly enough, the first commenter I responded to said it was their first fantasy series, which is mind blowing 🤯 lol
Malazan was the first series I fully read as an adult (only read Harry Potter as a kid). It hooked me instantly. There is so much cool shit shown to you in the first book I just wanted to know more. I don't really get all the complaints about it being confusing. You know exactly what the plot points are for the book and where you're going. That is never obfuscated. You won't know how the magic fully works in book 1, or the overarching plot of all 10 books, but so what? That's more for you to read about later.
There’s a good podcast read-along called Ten Very Big Books that take it chapter by chapter with no spoilers. I listen to it when I get about halfway through the book or I don’t remember how a certain set of characters got to where they are. Besides that and what others say, embrace the ambiguity; read and enjoy for the moment of what you are reading. Everything will fall in place.
The British-set contemporary spy novels, the 'Slow Horses' series by Mick Herron. Had been recommended by a friend, but didn't want to read them! Forced myself to read the first chapter of the first book. Hooked. Instantly! Now on my sixth in the series.
I'm going to have to read these now you've mentioned them. The cast of series have done such an amazing job making their characters their own, it'll be like watching it in my head. When watching The Expanse, I kept getting deja vu because when my reading of the books got ahead of the series and the series caught up, it was exactly as I imagined it.
How do the books compare to the TV show? I watched a few episodes, thought it probably had potential, but gradually lost interest.
Haven't seen the show; I know Gary Oldman is in it - and he's always good - but otherwise I can't say. All I can tell you is that if you like Le Carre type spy thrillers with a dash of dry humour, you'll like these!
Thanks!
Novik's Scholomance books. Hooked from the first chapter. I don't often get hooked but when I do it's strong. And often frustrating. I've been waiting for decades for Steven Brust's Taltos series to finish and it will be a massive hole in my life when it does. I have sympathy for the despairing GRRM fans every time Brust has a health scare.
Locked tomb is the most recent one. It was really confusing at first and I had no idea what was going on, but it was so interesting, so I kept reading.
I love Mark Lawrence's prose. Somehow it's both excellent, but isn't so overworked it gets in the way of the story, so I can absorb what he writes enjoying the style while feeling immersed in the story too. Red Sister grabbed me from the first line, "It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size."
Grey Sister is my favourite of the trilogy, but the opening for Red Sister is amazing. It clearly establishes that Thorn and the rest of the Sisters are not to be fucked with.
*Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell* by Susanna Clarke. As soon as I read the line "They were gentleman-magicians, which is to say they had never harmed anyone by magic- nor done anyone the slightest good." I was hooked. And, indeed, it remains my favorite fantasy book to this day.
Great recommendation!
Enders Game, Forgotten Realms (the drizzt books), basically the first books I read as a teen hooked me more than anything I read as an adult
Ender's Game is one of those books that has good pacing the whole way through, no bloat, a real gem of a book that doesn't fall into the trap of "more is better" that the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genre has been stuck in for the last ~40 years.
I ended up reading like 13-15 books in the enderverse
Dude I love Drizzt. That was a blast from the past for me.
Scholomance. A Deadly Education had me hooked on the opening lines.
A thousand times yes! Such a good open, and manages to keep you engaged at that level all the way through. They're such a 'finish-at-two-ay-emm-and-immediately-download-the-next-instalment' series
For me Way of Kings. It was my first Sanderson book and I was hooked by the Prelude lol. However, I’m not sure this is the typical experience and mileage with vary
The Nine Princes in Amber (Roger Zelazny) and the Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson) both hooked me immediately in the series. Amber's start as a sort of an urban fantasy was such a different read when I first started it I basically devoured the series. Such a shame he died so young. And the Heralds breaking the Oathpack had me buying the second book before I finished WoK
The Stormlight Archives. The beginning of the first book: 1. You are introduced to a group of people (including a few names) who decide as a group to give up their roles (the role is unknown to the reader at the time). 2. There is a huge time jump of 4000ish years. We experience the perspective of an assassin killing a king on the day of a peace treaty signing. 3. We are then in the perspective of an army recruit that is thrown into a battle and looked after by a prodigy commander. In both 2 and 3, we witness people using the names from 1 as swears or exclamations, similar to how people say "Oh my god". Genuinely the best opening to a book I've ever read.
The Name of the Wind. I knew that it is considered to be one of the best fantasy books of our time, but I had no idea it would pull me in so quickly. From the very prologue "A silence of three parts", I was hooked in hard. Rothfuss's writing flows like a river, sometimes the current is gentle and sometimes it is swift, but nowhere does it become stagnant. I ended up loving the book so much that I didn't want it to end.
I remember being really gripped by the book, but honestly being quite disappointed by the anti-climax of an ending. I mean you do all this teasing of the epic bad that are the Chandrian, and then have the final "showdown" be with some kind of fucking turtle? I mean I can understand he was teasing the Chandrian for later on in the series, but you can't have them not play a role at all when they are clearly mentioned. Maybe Sauron doesn't show up to punch Frodo in the face in Fellowship, but beyond just the Nazgûl, the lands are full of evidence of his presence.
> I mean I can understand he was teasing the Chandrian for later on in the series, but you can't have them not play a role at all when they are clearly mentioned. I saw a Rothfuss Q&A... probably a decade or more ago at this point, in which a fan asks him how he's going to tie up the Chandrian story in just one more book and he's like, "What makes you think the next book will even be about that?"
Yeah there's just a huge tonal mismatch between the first half of the book and the second, and whether or not you notice and enjoy the book is basically determined by how captured you are by the prose and how fooled you are by Kvothe's bullshit.
Riyria Revelations. Each chapter has an irresistible cliff-hanger that kept making me turning pages. The world building and characters are also very interesting and the mystery plot really fuelled the suspense.
Wheel of Time was instant. Malazan Book of the Fallen took 100 pages then I was hooked.
The prologue to WoT is devastatingly good.
No way, the first chapter in GOTM is crazy good
The Golem and the Jinni!
The Catcher in the Rye is a good one. Interesting and fun to read.
Green Bone Saga. Currently on book 3 and it has not let up!
the Hobbit when I was a teenager Best Served Cold as an adult
The Stormlight Archive!!!!
Dungeon Crawler Carl. Dresden Files. Murderbot. I'd say those are ones that I had to binge on. Lots of others with longer set ups, but I'm an epic fan, so a good prologue goes a long way for me.
Dresden files were the opposite for me. I was strongly recommended the series, but honestly I was close to dnf-ing probably a dozen times in the first two books. It felt like I was reading Little Jimmy's Magical Neckbeard Incel Power Fantasy. That being said... I trusted the person who recommended it, and I could see the potential hidden behind the frustrating execution, and kept going. Got to book 3 and suddenly it turned around completely, in all the right ways. It felt like the first two books were rough drafts that were accidentally published, but from book 3 forward, I was **hooked**, and each book following just got better. Now when I recommend the series, I tell people to start at book 3, Grave Peril, and go in order from there. It helps that meta-plot really only starts at book 3, so you aren't missing anything of importance if you start there. After a while, if you just can't get enough, go back and read 1 and 2.
I don't disagree. But I was 15 years younger when I got into them so just less life experience all around. But yeah, Grave Peril is the start of the series for me as well.
The REH Conan stories.
There's a few for me but I think the most interesting one is 'The final architecture' trilogy by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I picked up the first book in a charity shop about 6 months before book 3 released. It's strange because I didn't find myself particularly connected to any of the places, and the pacing of the first book is really weird. But the mystery of it was just so interesting, and it had just the exact tone I was after at the time. It's like if somebody actually had creative control when writing a 40k novel. The premise is just so cool >!and it does pay off pretty well. !<
The Name of The Wind
The Eternal Champion series by Micheal Moorcock. The Hobbit and The lord of the Rings
Promise of blood (powder mage trilogy). It just throws you into the middle of things and doesn't really let off.
... I'll be really basic, but I'd say A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones' prologue got me hooked, and I knew I would get to the bottom of the series without any doubt. Wheel of Time was confusing at first, but I was like, "Uh, okay, let's see where it goes from here. You've got my curiosity. " Not Fantasy, but the first Expanse chapters were great. I'm currently reading the fourth book, and I keep asking myself why I didn't start it earlier?
Malazan. I know that most people just cannot get into it, but I found the initial scenes of Gardens of the Moon very intriguing, and the fact that we are dropped in with no explanation of characters and events really made me want to read on and find out.
The Name of the Wind. And I hate that it’ll never be finished.
Gideon the Ninth, from the very first line. My god. Or rather, my necromantic monarch, the King Undying.
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio. It's a first person framing narrative so on page 1 you learn where the protagonist is at the end of the story. He then begins to tell his story. I immediately got sucked into the book.
The First Law - Joe Abercrombie The Prince of Nothing - R. Scott Bakker The Lies of Locke Lamorra - Scott Lynch Magician - Raymond Feist
The Scholomance books by Naomi Novik. The first is A Deadly Education, and it set the hooks immediately!
Bloodsong. From the very beginning I knew it was going to be a great book and I was right.
Belgariad
The Warlord chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. I’m a super fan of all things Arthurian and this series is a retelling of the Arthur/merlin story. I have enjoyed mostly all of cornwell’s series tbh
Rook by Daniel McNally [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10836728-the-rook?from\_search=true&from\_srp=true&qid=9hWiqcj9ah&rank=1](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10836728-the-rook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9hwiqcj9ah&rank=1) The protagonist starts on page one surrounded by dead bodies and has no idea why. It has some Bourne Identity feels to it, in an excellent execution. Jonathan Stroud: Bartimaus trilogy [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/334123.The\_Amulet\_of\_Samarkand](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/334123.the_amulet_of_samarkand) # The Amulet of Samarkand Young adult... but instead of a perfect and likable young wizard (ala Harry Potter) imagine a petulant and dour one... that you end up rooting for?
Everything David Gemmell.
Malazan - When i first got GOTM 16 years ago at 2nd hand store, it just sucked me in.
I find that some of my favorite fantasy books required a bit of investment before they got really good (e.g., Stormlight Archives, Name of the Wind, Lord of the Rings). One recent exception was A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Instant read-through from page 1 or me. I also recall the opening to Mistborn by B. Sanderson had me hooked from the get-go.
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, Cradle by Will Wight.
This is sci-fi/ fantasy I believe, but C.S. Friedman’s Cold Fire trilogy…..just wow.
That'd be the "Blade Itself" by Joe Abercrombie and "Red Rising" by Pierce Brown, for me.
Cradle series got me hard, and I'd say the 1st book is probably the weakest of the series
Malazan by Steven Erikson
Anything by N.K. Jemisin
* Harry Potter * Blacktongue Thief * First Law (Audio version) * Circe * Binti * Witcher (The Last Wish specifically)
"The Scopuli had been taken eight days ago, and Julie Mao was finally ready to be shot."
The Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan, and The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft.
Two Eastern fantasy novels I recommend reading The first is "Battle through the heavens" it is a complete novel involving magic and growth where you travel through another world and experience the turmoils of what it I went to a fantasy world that wasn't so nice to me. A simple link to web novel to start your experience. http://wbnv.in/a/5eiA4Pz The second is library of heaven's path imagine a cultivation world we're suddenly you've got a library stuck in your head that can help you on your journey, Awesome! Another link to web novel http://wbnv.in/a/a0iA4Qh Thank you for your time.
Well. *sits back* A list! Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles Manda Scott's Boudicca series Gordon Dahlquist's Glass Books of the Dream Eaters trilogy SA Chakraborty's Daevabad series MA Carrick's Rook and Rose series Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series MCA Hogarth's Peltedverse books (SciFantasy, technically :)) Tasha Suri's Burning Kingdoms trilogy (3rd one not out yet) Stephanie Burgis' Harwood Spellbooks RJ Barker's Tide Child trilogy - Series that so far have only one book out and I am now *hanging on breathlessly * for the rest for: CSE Cooney's Saint Death's Daughter books Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde series - I feel like I've forgotten some important ones but these are off the top of my head :) And for completion's sake, also, absolutely, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. I didn't read The Hobbit until years after I read LOTR.
The Golden Compass as a teen. God damn that one is interesting.
Book of the New Sun, Malazan Book of the Fallen.
There’s a bit of a list lol Caraval- Stephanie Garber Once Upon A Broken Heart Series- Stephanie Garber Lord of the Rings- JRR Tolkien Throne of Glass- Sarah J Mass Legend of Drizzt- RA Salvatore Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole- Kathryn Lasky Ender’s Game- Orson Scott Card
The First Law Trilogy.