I would say that I like fantasy, but am very picky. I often can’t finish fantasy novels because they are too “cringe” and over the top. I like the world to feel real and the characters well-rounded despite having fantastical elements. Maybe I just want ASOIAF to be finished (RIP).
Some guidelines:
-no YA
-very little romance (side story is ok or really well-written)
-preferably no “Chosen One” trope
-no characters who act like they are super quirky or “not like the other girls/guys.” I’m looking for complex and morally gray characters.
-adult characters preferred, but as long as they aren’t insufferable, kids or teens are ok
-medieval fantasy preferred but am open to other suggestions
-serious and dramatic preferred
-not sure I can do another book set in a magic school
Some stuff I liked:
-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
-Piranesi
-LOTR/The Hobbit
-ASOIAF series
-Between Two Fires
-Harry Potter is ok but not what I’m looking for
-Terry Pratchett
-currently reading Gormenghast
-The House in the Cerulean Sea
-Neil Gaiman
-The Passage series by Justin Cronin
-games like Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Skyrim, The Witcher
Some stuff I DNF’d or didn’t love:
-Dune (most of this was interesting but the white savior trope, ugh)
-Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (I didn’t really give this one a fair shot…only a couple chapters. The main character was too much and it felt too YA)
-Fourth Wing (struggling through this one right now but determined to finish)
-Wheel of Time was ok but it dragged and I only made it through 3 books
-The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow (DNF – it was ok but felt too cheesy)
Probably too specific but I’m hoping someone can help! Thank you in advance!!
by bubble_bathory
8 Comments
I’m gunna do it again but *First Law* fits most of your requirements. Hell, it even outright insults some of those tropes you list. I will say, it is grimdark but there is humor, so it’s not super serious like ASOIAF.
John Marco — The Jackal of Nar
Kind of a fantasy war book. I remember the combat bits being very exciting. It has two other books that form a trilogy.
Have you tried any Robin Hobb? Start with Assassin’s Apprentice!
Try The Gnomewrench in the Dwarfworks
You might want to check out Glen Cook’s Black Company.
The covenant serie by Anthony Ryan
I always recommend ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien to anyone looking to be immersed in an epic fantasy adventure. Tolkien’s Middle-earth is a masterclass in world-building, complete with its own languages, races, and a battle between the forces of good and evil that has become the blueprint for modern fantasy.
If you can step away from something set in or inspired by medieval Europe check out Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James.