Looking for comparable books to my novel so please recommend recent (past 5-10 years) YA fantasy books that have themes like these: -Timid protagonist becoming stronger and more confident as the book progresses -Secrets and mysteries the protagonist has to unravel -Set in a medieval-type world with magic -Strong female characters challenged by male prejudices -Magical beasts playing large roles, perhaps as mounts or as sidekicks or similar - Protagonist unsure of her abilities with large shoes to fill/ expectations to meet Thanks everyone!
Joe Abercrombie's books starting with the Blade Itself trilogy. Excellent series of books with a large cast of characters and with many of the themes you're looking for.
None of the recommended books are YA. However, Abercrombie has a YA trilogy (starts with Half a King, I think).
The Belgariad series was the reason I started writing. I enjoyed it more than the Lord Of The Rings. It's beautifully crafted. A few people I recommended the series to (2 out of 10) of them said they thought there was too much travelling that the characters were doing but you have to stick to it to find out why. So yes, another recommendation here to read David Edding's Belgariad series of books. When you have read it then you might want to read the Mallorean which is the second set of 5 books where Garion's adventures continue.
The Mallorean series did not grab me the same way. But the two stand alone books, Belgrath and Polagra were as good as the original. Another that surprised me, was The Wandering Inn series. It has an MC that is foolish, but fun. It has a touch of LITRPG, but it is a very light touch. None of the long character sheet recaps, that seem more a way to increase the word count, than a benefit to the story.
Is there a fantasy book which is more action oriented and beautifully written like Lord Of The Rings ? It doesn't have many magic involved. I couldn't get past first 5 chapters.
Have you looked at Robert Jordan's "Wheel of time" series? The first several books are good. Sadly after that the series becomes repetitive in my opinion. Avoid the Amazon series! They butcher the story line, and injected a bunch of PC crap.
I've read first 2 books but I don't want to continue. I would like some dark and beautifully written fantasy. Is Malazan series worth the read?
The Books of Pellinor series by Alison Croggon The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix Both are centered around female protagonist who start rather timid (not so much in Sabriel's case, but she's not as knowledgeable as she eventually becomes, so any timidity she has is based on a lack of knowing) and then become heroines in their own way. Both don't do it alone, but they're very strong on their own. Another series I'd recommend because it's fantasy and I've read it since high school is the Green Rider series by Kristen Britain. I'm probably seeing it through nostalgia at this point, but it's my favorite series (that isn't Lord of the Rings).
@Dogberry's Watch I like the Abhorsen books and the Green Rider books. I haven't read any of the Pellinor series but now I may have to check it out.
Yeah, I have to admit that the Malazan books have been a bit of a challenge for me. I have the first three, and at some point I intend to give them another shot, though. What puts me off is the sheer length. I'm a busy man, I rarely have time for novels of more than 500 pages these days! My own recommendation is the Tide Child trilogy by RJ Barker. The Bone Ships, The Call of the Bone Ships, and my current read The Bone Ship's Wake are as good a fantasy I've read since finishing Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings about half a dozen years ago. A genuinely different world, with so much going on, interesting characters, strong females left, right and centre, and a phraseology that is all its own. I don't often recommend fantasy because it is well-written (although the trend in recent years has been towards better-written books than ever before, and the standard of writing has never been higher) but this is an exception. A beautifully-written saga, packed with good stuff.
