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Re: Dark Fantasy may be good. Aeryn Send a noteboard - 24/01/2010 05:45:35 PM
The finished trilogy is certainly better. As I said in a previous reply, she's really irritated that Martin isn't done.

When you say "dark fantasy," does that mean heavy in the fantasy elements or just not naive and elf-happy? Either variant would be good but the more gritty and edgy the more likely it's going to go over well. She isn't squeamish unless the book illustrates what it writes about (though excessive description of, say, maggots eating someone alive from the inside and burrowing out of their eyes, etc., might be a bit too much).

I'm curious as to the reasoning for the statement that your recommendations are better than everyone else's but I'm not asking for an explanation.


By "dark" I mean that the characters go through some dark mental places. I really like it when they are tortured (not necessarily physically) and conflicted. These are underrated authors, not as widely known, but highly praised. The writing is good and character-driven. I wasn't able to put them down when I read them, and everyone I recommended them to really liked them. (Although I have more confidence making recommendations to women.) I've also read some of the other books recommended here (just say no to Tad Williams' Otherland, for example, I read the 1st book - it was a brick and not fulfilling at all, and not the sort of a thing that you're looking for. Lies of Locke Lamorre was fluffy and not memorable. Erikson - absolutely not. I read the 1st book and half of the 2nd, at which it was supposed to be great, and it's a waste of time. Abercrombie I haven't read, that may be a good rec, what kept me away from it is that it seems to be more focused on violence than character development. Jennifer Fallon - probably a good rec, I read one book of hers, and it was solid. Guy Gabriel Kay - you haven't read him? I think of him as the successor to Tolkien. He's really good, his stuff is historical/romantic fantasy. He's worth reading. Lights of War and Shadow by Janny Wurts - I put the 1st book down 200 pages away from the end. Eh.)

Daughter of the Empire is not dark, and it has more of clever plotting / political intrigue.
This message last edited by Aeryn on 24/01/2010 at 05:53:52 PM
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Recommendations for a fantasy series - 22/01/2010 03:27:38 AM 1618 Views
Has she read Erikson/would war-based fantasy put her off? - 22/01/2010 03:30:36 AM 1164 Views
What she liked about Martin was the political intrigue and realism. - 24/01/2010 03:07:34 AM 1072 Views
Very much so. - 24/01/2010 03:30:47 AM 1047 Views
The trilogy of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams. - 22/01/2010 04:07:26 AM 1184 Views
What is the basic idea of the trilogy, if you don't mind my asking? - 24/01/2010 03:08:12 AM 1074 Views
It's a mix of quest fantasy and political intrigue. - 24/01/2010 04:28:03 AM 1142 Views
Wrong place. Ignore. *NM* - 24/01/2010 11:05:51 AM 458 Views
I'd go for this - 24/01/2010 02:25:04 PM 1124 Views
thats one of the most beautifully written fantasies I've ever read - 24/01/2010 09:49:40 PM 1153 Views
Scott Lynch, though the series is no wheres near complete, the Lies of Locke Lamora is damn good. *NM* - 22/01/2010 05:13:14 AM 515 Views
^ This. - 23/01/2010 04:16:53 PM 992 Views
If the series isn't done she won't read it. - 24/01/2010 03:09:02 AM 1013 Views
That's fair. It won't be done for awhile. - 24/01/2010 08:59:54 AM 1167 Views
and she'll laugh her ass off at times *NM* - 24/01/2010 09:51:16 PM 451 Views
i've been digging the hell out of the incarnations of immortality series by piers anthony - 22/01/2010 05:26:07 AM 1018 Views
What is the basic premise? *NM* - 24/01/2010 03:09:37 AM 443 Views
Re: What is the basic premise? - 24/01/2010 06:15:55 PM 1149 Views
I'll second the recommendation, btw. - 25/01/2010 11:03:56 AM 998 Views
This is a shot in the dark - 22/01/2010 07:37:49 AM 1254 Views
How many books are there and what are they about? *NM* - 24/01/2010 03:10:11 AM 534 Views
The Empire series by Feist and Wurtz? - 22/01/2010 12:47:50 PM 1134 Views
This is getting to be information overload - 24/01/2010 03:11:18 AM 919 Views
Right - 25/01/2010 02:12:06 PM 1042 Views
Empire trilogy is awesome - 24/01/2010 09:57:39 PM 1138 Views
I did, way back when - you don't need to have read Riftwar. *NM* - 24/01/2010 10:06:05 PM 452 Views
Si. - 25/01/2010 02:10:45 PM 965 Views
A big thank you to everyone with suggestions!!! - 22/01/2010 01:17:54 PM 994 Views
Abercrombie or maybe Guy Gavriel Kay. *NM* - 22/01/2010 03:14:03 PM 467 Views
Seconded - 22/01/2010 09:07:44 PM 906 Views
Can you give me a bit more insight (either of you) ? - 24/01/2010 03:12:23 AM 1018 Views
I can't speak to Abercrombie, but Kay writes fantasy history. - 24/01/2010 09:15:05 AM 1011 Views
Kay is a beautiful writer. - 25/01/2010 05:01:14 PM 1149 Views
I'd suggest Stephen King's Dark Tower series. *NM* - 22/01/2010 03:21:12 PM 469 Views
She wouldn't like it. I'm sure of that. *NM* - 24/01/2010 03:12:43 AM 468 Views
Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star Trilogies - 22/01/2010 04:29:43 PM 1002 Views
I enjoyed the Dragon Prince series. - 22/01/2010 10:19:31 PM 1107 Views
The heavy emphasis on the word "Dragon" in both series makes me wary - 24/01/2010 03:15:52 AM 953 Views
Yeah, I always had the same worry when it was suggested to me. - 26/01/2010 12:53:14 AM 1216 Views
You have now - 24/01/2010 02:19:11 PM 969 Views
Go completely in another direction - 22/01/2010 06:22:45 PM 975 Views
Eh...I don't think so. *NM* - 24/01/2010 03:16:57 AM 444 Views
Series are hard. - 22/01/2010 08:10:30 PM 1199 Views
Does she like Lovecraft any? - 23/01/2010 12:06:48 AM 1033 Views
McKillip is lovely. *NM* - 23/01/2010 12:34:36 AM 384 Views
No, she doesn't like Lovecraft. She's a girl, after all. - 24/01/2010 03:19:31 AM 917 Views
In that case... - 24/01/2010 03:29:21 AM 1060 Views
Carol Berg's Transformation, C.S. Friedman's Feast of Souls - 23/01/2010 01:27:53 AM 1115 Views
I love your false modesty. - 23/01/2010 10:35:25 AM 1114 Views
Dark Fantasy may be good. - 24/01/2010 03:23:31 AM 1033 Views
Re: Dark Fantasy may be good. - 24/01/2010 05:45:35 PM 1063 Views
Jennifer Fallon - Second Sons - 23/01/2010 12:59:10 PM 847 Views
Is it finished? *NM* - 24/01/2010 03:23:50 AM 418 Views
Yes it is. - 24/01/2010 09:52:24 AM 899 Views
Daniel Abraham... - 24/01/2010 11:07:16 AM 1039 Views
Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts - 24/01/2010 05:20:44 PM 1138 Views

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