I need recommendations for fantasy fiction for adults.
I never really got into fantasy fiction, but I read The Chrystal Cave by Mary Stewart recently and,surprisingly, enjoyed it thoroughly. It is part of a trilogy, but I decided to try some more fantasy fiction from other authors before continuing with the trilogy (I find that reading too much of the same author back to back actually just makes you sick of them)
So I tried The Blade Itself. Hated it. I gave up early in part 2. It was just too despairing and gruesome.
I started Lord of the Rings for about 5 minutes. The long detailed description of the Hobbits bore me to death by page 2. I will try again shortly but not now.
I find Young Adult fantasy like (dare I mention it) Twilight, badly written. Granted, Twilight was in its own league of bad, but even other YA, like Hunger Games, are written in a style that may work for younger readers, but just not me.
TL;DR: I am looking for something that is not too gruesome, not 50000000 pages long, and is well written. And does not involve teenagers saving the world.
Edit. “to” to “too”
by Beewthanitch
2 Comments
THE BROKEN EARTH TRILOGY BY NK JEMISON
DAUGHTERS OF THE STORM BY KIM WILKINS
AMERICAN GODS BY NEIL GAIMAN
THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA BY SCOTT LYNCH
JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL BY SUSANNA CLARKE
Fantasy can be tough! It’s probably fantasy blasphemy, but if you want to read something Tolkien I’d say skip LOTR and just read the Hobbit, it’ll scratch the itch without having to read 8 pages of what elven bread smells like.
Others that might be up your alley (Not too despairing/gruesome or YA, and is well written):
Mistborn Series – Brandon Sanderson – I’m hit and miss on Sanderson’s books, but this series knocked it out of the park for me.
Riyria Revelations series – Michael J. Sullivan – One of the most uniquely comforting/entertaining vibes, not over serious, but riveting story lines and great characters. One of my top recs for people who are unsure about fantasy.
Both recs are sub 800 pages so on the longer side, but great pace, (especially compared to LOTR)