Fantasy Gems

Today during my random, unplug-my-brain Goodreads trolling, I came across the list, The Best Epic Fantasy. (And let me tell you: At the top of this list, there are about 20 links to OTHER LISTS with MORE FANTASY BOOKS on them. I die.) Obviously, I clicked on it immediately. And immediately I flew headlong down a rabbit hole of fantasy novels, some I’d heard of, others I had not. This list has over 2,000 books on 28 pages. It made me feel like an utter newb in the most AMAZING WAY. Because look at all these books! Look at all the cheesy covers with He-Man knock-offs on them! *clicks furiously* *adds everything to TBR*

As I was adding books left and right, I thought, “You know, some of your Goodreads peeps know about these books, but lots of them don’t, and what if they love fantasy as much as you do? Maybe you should share some!” So that’s what we’re doing here. I did not even make it past page 1, FYI, so there’s more mining to be done! But these are the handful of finds that made me the most excited today. I can’t guarantee that these are all still in print, so keep your eyes peeled the next time you are at your local used book store (for me, this is The Book Barn, which is actually in Connecticut, but let’s move on).

Taming the Forest King | Claudia J. Edwards

The distant Forest Province had been torn apart by corruption and rebellion. On the direct orders of her king, Tevra, Colonel of the Light Cavalry, arrives in this strange land with instructions to restore order – at swordpoint, if need be.

Yet no steel blade can hold sway in a realm where shapes of death can be fashioned from the still of the air. And even the most ungodly works of the sorcerers pale before the mysterious powers of the Forest King himself – but is he Tevra’s ally, or her deadliest foe?

Dragons of Autumn Twilight: Dragonlance: Chronicles #1 | Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.

No one expected them to be heroes.

Least of all, them.

The Dragonbone Chair: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #1 | Tad Williams

Kitchen-boy Simon is bored, restless, and 14 years old – a dangerous combination. It seems, however, that his life has just taken a turn for the better when he’s apprenticed to his castle’s resident wizard. As Simon’s learning to read and write under Doctor Morgenes’ tutelage, forces greater than he could possibly imagine are gathering: forces which will change Simon’s life – and his world – forever.

Following the death of Good King John, Osten Ard is plunged into civil war as his sons battle for control of the fabled Dragonbone Chair – the country’s throne as well as the symbol of its power. Simon is forced to flee the only home he has ever known, a journey which will test him beyond his worst nightmares.

With The Dragonbone Chair, Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard and kicked off the beloved, internationally best-selling series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

Elric of Melniboné: Elric, #1 | Michael Moorcock

It is the colour of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair that flows below his shoulders is milk-white. From the tapering, beautiful head stare two slanting eyes, crimson and moody….

He is Elric, Emperor of Melnibone, cursed with a keen and cynical intelligence, schooled in the art of sorcery — the hero of Michael Moorcock’s remarkable epic of conflict and adventure at the dawn of human history.

Green Rider: Green Rider #1 | Kristen Britain

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G’ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount’s neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a “life and death” message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission “for love of country.” As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, “Beware the shadow man…”

Karigan’s promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

The Briar King: Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone #1 | Greg Keyes

Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creature roam the land–and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The king’s woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight–all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber. At the heart of this many-layered tale is Anne Dare, youngest daughter of the royal family…upon whom the fate of her world may depend.

The Diamond Throne / The Ruby Knight / The Sapphire Rose: The Elenium #1-3 | David Eddings

Now for the first time in one thrilling volume-the three magical novels that make up David Eddings’s epic fantasy The Elenium.
In an ancient kingdom, the legacy of one royal family hangs in the balance, and the fate of a queen-and her empire-lies on the shoulders of one knight.
Sparhawk, Knight and Queen’s Champion, has returned to Elenia after ten years of exile, only to find young Queen Ehlana trapped in a crystalline cocoon. The enchantments of the sorceress Sephrenia have kept the queen alive-but the spell is fading. In the meantime, Elenia is ruled by a prince regent, the puppet of the tyrannical Annias, who vows to seize power over all the land.
Now Sparhawk must find the legendary Bhelliom, a sapphire that holds the key to Ehlana’s cure. Sparhawk and his companions will face monstrous foes and evil creatures on their journey, but even greater dangers lie in wait: for dark legions will stop at nothing to reach the radiant stone, which may possess powers too deadly for any mortal to bear.

GUYS I CAN’T EVEN DEAL. There are still so many more. Have you read any of these? Are they good? What great epic fantasies am I missing? (I do have a TON on my TBR already.) These few are ones that I’ve never heard of before, although I have heard of a few of the authors. I can’t WAIT to dive back into this list and see what’s waiting on page 2.

Leave any of your findings or suggestions or thoughts in the comments!

(PS. Forgive the sometimes-wonky formatting. It’s nearly past my bedtime.)