Let me being by giving a quick introduction about myself. I'm not an avid reader by any means; most of the books I have read in the past were either due to necessity or because they were required as part of my past education. However, one day I stumbled across a book on amazon called "A Game of Thrones", which is the first book of a fantasy series by George R. R. Martin. Now, what captivated me was the customer review left by the first commentator. As we all know, the fantasy genre, regardless if it's in book form or in televised program, can be often time, very predictable in nature. But, that's not the case here, the book is full of surprises and very well written. But, here lies the problem: This book is honestly the first fantasy novel I've read, and I have been truly spoiled to have discovered such a gem, but now I'm left with the question of what else to read?!?! Has anyone read this series by any chance? If so, what's your thoughts on the series? What do you think of Martin's writing style? Finally,what other fantasy novels would you recommend? (but please no Lord of the Rings or The Silmarillion by Tolkien) for some reason, I could never find myself to read a book after having already know story) cheers, rue
It's ok. The words, "Highly overrated," would probably best describe the ASOIAF series. As for what else you should read next, try Harry Potter.
the fourth book was a disappointment, but i enjoyed the first three though. you're kidding about harry potter right?
Glad someone else has enjoyed Martin's work. As for what you should read next, try The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. They take some patience over the first couple of hundred pages, but from then on it's a fantastic read.
No, you said you were new to fantasy and not a big reader. Harry Potter is my recommendation. Man those books are a real stinker, but ppl seem to like them so go figure.
Oh i liked his books too and i can't wait for the rest to come out. I also like The sword of truth by Terry Goodkind and The wheel of time by Robert Jordan The wheel of time series being an epic fantasy series, that is quite slow, but i thought it was great.
I love me some George R.R. Martin. But, honestly, I think you'll find most fantasy disappointing at this point. That said, the GRRM crowd that I'm tight with have made some suggestions. Keep in mind that I have not read these yet, but have been told they compare to Martin's work (which I find absolutely breathtaking, stunning and more fun that I've had in a LONG time reading a series of novels). The Malazan Book of the Fallen (Steven Erikson) Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan--I did attempt to read these, but could not get through them. Jordan has as much love for the female character as Stanley Kubrick, so it was a major turn off) Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (Stephen R. Donaldson) The Dark Tower (Stephen King) Just a few.... P.S. You've heard about HBO picking up the book series as television goodness, right?
oh yes, I'm eagerly waiting for the pilot episode. I think they are either scheduled to release the first episode late this year (or maybe that might be the time when they start filming.) hi cogito! I'm also from Massachusetts as well ! Greetings! By the way, thanks for the suggestions guys!
Hey Rue. I've read this series. I should say, "I'm reading this series," because it's not complete yet, and because I'm re-reading the books right now. It took me several chapters to really feel like I was understanding some of the first book; and it wasn't until the end of that first book that I felt truly "captured" by the story. I absolutely love the fact that I sat there reading about a character's imminent death, thinking, "He's not gonna do it. He can't do it. He can't kill this guy. The story will fall apart. It won't happen. Omigosh, he's dead. I can't believe he killed that character!" After four books, I began to notice certain quirks about Martin's writing; but they certainly didn't bother me. We all have them. And his brilliance in the creation of religions, peoples, and cultures far outweighs any familiarity I feel with his quirkiness. I don't read a lot of fantasy, so I'm ill-prepared to recommend anything.
A Song of Ice and Fire is probably the best fantasy series out there and imo not overrated. The fourth book wasn't quite up to standard but nobodies perfect... Anyway you should try... The Prince of Nothing - R. Scott Bakker. Definately worth reading. A great series and really makes you think. Definately the one I would go for next after ASoIaF. Malazan - Steven Eriksson The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen Donaldson. This is just a superb series.
I just finished reading the first book of ASOIAF, and I really enjoyed it. Pretty awesome. I would suggest Jordan's "Wheel of Time" as it is my favorite series (so far). Some say its slow, but I find myself lost in his intricate world more than almost any other book I've read. I would definitely suggest the "Mistborn" trilogy written by Brandon Sanderson. His writing style is awesome, though not as...explicit as GRRM. I've also heard that "Briar King" by Greg Keyes was fantastic. Haven't read that one yet though. Hope this helps!
I like Harry Potter, but this gave me a genuine LOL. Thanks for that. As far as the series goes, (so far anyway) I love it. It is probably one of the best fantasy series' I've ever read. GRRM's prose is great and his overall gritty style I personally find to be both engaging and extremely satisfying. To get a good, quick sample of his style without dedicating yourself to a long novel, try his short story Sandkings. It was the first thing I ever read by him and it's still a favorite to this day. Another great book that everyone should check out by GRRM is Fevre Dream. It's a vampire story, but get this... it's actually good! *gasp* I know it! And I generally hate vampire stuff! Happy reading.
I've read so much fantasy before I read ASOIaF, and I must admit, this set of books was probably the best fantasy series I've read. I feel regretful that I picked up the first book 2-4 years after I first heard of it. So much wasted time....
