I really want good fantasy books that dont have cheesy cliche romances. Maybe little to no romance is good for me.
Im a new reader, literally started a month ago. All the fantasy books booktok recommends are romantacy and sound so cheesy for me.
by Greedy_Laugh612
5 Comments
Try Robin Hobb. Start with Assassin’s Apprentice.
There is a little romance, but it’s not the focus of the story and not particularly detailed or graphic.
The [Book of the New Sun](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/968868) by Gene Wolfe. It consists of four volumes:
* [The Shadow of the Torturer](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60211.The_Shadow_of_the_Torturer)
* [The Claw of the Concilliator](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/463376.The_Claw_of_the_Conciliator)
* [The Sword of the Lictor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/463378.The_Sword_of_the_Lictor)
* [The Citadel of the Autarch](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/299758.The_Citadel_of_the_Autarch?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vHIUcAIAzI&rank=1)
Depending on which edition you buy, you can either get it as four separate volumes, all in one or as two books, sold as [Shadow & Claw](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40992.Shadow_Claw) and [Sword & Citadel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40995.Sword_Citadel).
You can read a review of it here:
[https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/the-book-of-the-new-sun-science-fiction-ulysses](https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/nov/23/the-book-of-the-new-sun-science-fiction-ulysses)
The books is science fantasy, so there are sci-fi elements to it. But there is more than enough fantasy to keep you going: including sword-wielding executioners, mystic powers, strange beasts, forgotten citadels and much more.
The name of the wind and Dune both have great fantasy world building. And of course, I don’t think you can go wrong with the lord of the rings or the Hobbit, just start with the latter.
Martha Wells is best known for sci-fi now, but she wrote really immersive fantasy novels before that. She has a series about winged beings called the Raksura that is really amazing. No wizards or so on, just all these marvelous different beings and cultures, and there’s a little romance but it’s not cliched (the Raksura are pansexual and live in a matriarchy so…) The Cloud Roads is the first book. All but the sixth are standalones too, which is nice.
The Priory of the Orange Tree