The Recommended Fantasy Author List

Author Last Names D through J

Last update: February 28, 2009 Brian Daley (1947-1996)
  • Coramonde
  • The Doomfarers of Coramonde
  • The Starfollowers of Coramonde
    US soldier in Vietnam is transported into a magical world. Good mix of modern military equipment in a fantasy world, says Jim Lahue.
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  • A Tapestry of Magics
    A wandering minstrel is involved in a series of adventures. Most famous for his 'Han Solo' books, Daley also co-wrote (with James Luceno) 'Robotech' books under the pen-name Jack McKinney.
    •      Peter David (b. 1956)
  • Howling Mad
    A reverse werewolf story. Humorous.
  • King Arthur in the 21st Century trilogy
  • Knight Life
  • One Knight Only
  • Fall of Knight
    More humor as King Arthur returns...to New York City, where he runs for mayor, then for president. Peter David is probably best known as a comic book writer. He also has numerous Star Trek (and other media) novelizations under his belt.
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  • Sir Apropos series
  • Sir Apropos of Nothing
  • The Woad To Wuin
  • Tong Lashing
    Born to a prostitute and raised to live by his wits, the thief and scoundrel called Apropos undergoes a change of heart when he becomes the unwilling guardian of a rebellious princess. Humorous, and as you might guess from the titles, loaded with puns.
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  • The Hidden Earth Chronicles
  • Darkness of the Light
  • untitled second book (forthcoming)
    A new series. "The Damned World, once known simply as Earth, has become home to twelve races, each of which has fought the others for survival for generations beyond memory...humanity has been hunted into near extinction, and only the legends live on, locked in mortal combat." It looks like it is rather darker than the Sir Apropos series.
    •      Avram Davidson (1923-1993)
  • Vergil Magus series
  • The Phoenix and the Mirror
  • Vergil in Averno
    Not your usual fantasy.
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  • The Adventures of Dr. Eszterhazy
    Collection containing all 13 of the stories detailing the strange exploits of Dr. Eszterhazy.
    •      Pamela Dean (b. 1953)
  • The Secret Country
  • The Secret Country
  • The Hidden Land
  • The Whim of the Dragon
    Another series usually found in the children's section of your library. Long out of print, with the third book of the trilogy particularly hard to find, the three books were republished in late 2003 by Firebird, an imprint of PenguinPutnam.
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  • The Dubious Hills
    Set in the same world as The Secret Country, but featuring different characters. An unusual book, this one is not geared toward children.
  • Going North (forthcoming 2008?)
    Set in the same world as The Secret Country and The Dubious Hills and described by the author as a joint sequel to the two works.
  • Tam-Lin
    The college setting of this one makes it quite popular with the academic crowd. Stand-alone contemporary retelling of the Tam-Lin legend. Part of the 'Fairy Tale' series.
  • Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary
    Stand alone fantasy taking place in contemporary times.
    •      L. Sprague de Camp (1907-2000)
  • The Reluctant King
  • Goblin Tower
  • The Clocks of Iraz
  • The Unbeheaded King
  • The Honorable Barbarian
    Classic. Fast-paced heroic adventure with an added dash of humor
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  • The Complete Compleat Enchanter (co-author Fletcher Pratt)
    Great series of novelettes! Published in a variety of configurations, the above title is the U.S. edition that contains all the stories. In the U.K., look for The Intrepid Enchanter. Harold Shea travels to a variety of magical worlds, finding love, adventure, and poetry.
  • The Exotic Enchanter (co-author Christopher Stasheff)
    de Camp continues Harold Shea's adventures with a new co-author. There has also been at least one collection of short stories in this series.
    •      Elisa DeCarlo
  • Aubrey Arbothnot stories
  • Strong Spirits
  • The Devil You Say
    Humorous, the overall tone of these books is reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse. Aubrey Arbuthnot's new-found psychic abilities are a tremendous embarrassment to his wealthy, titled family, but that doesn't stop him from trying to use those abilities to earn some money...The two books can stand alone. Oh, and the author's website is a hoot.
    •      John DeChancie (b. 1946)
  • Castle Perilous sequence
  • Castle Perilous
  • Castle for Rent
  • Castle Kidnapped
  • Castle War
  • Castle Murders
  • Castle Dreams
  • Castle Spellbound
  • Bride of the Castle
    Humorous series of books about a castle that contains gateways to different worlds. Adams says that it's 'always good for some laughs.'
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  • Magicnet
    Standalone humorous fantasy about an English professor and a witch fighting an evil hacker/warlock.
    •      Tom Deitz (1952-2009)
  • The Gryphon King
    Stand-alone set in Georgia and similar in style to the "David Sullivan" books (although it is NOT part of that series)
  • David Sullivan series
  • Windmaster's Bane
  • Fireshaper's Doom
  • Darkthunder's Way
  • Sunshaker's War
  • Stoneskin's Revenge
  • Ghostcountry's Wrath
  • Dreamseeker's Road
  • Landslayer's Law
  • Warstalker's Track
    Open-ended series. Celtic myth in rural Georgia. I understand that the recent volumes have also thrown American Indian mysticism into the pot. Warstalker's Track does tie up most of the loose ends, and appears to be the final book of the series.
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  • The Soulsmith Trilogy
  • Soulsmith
  • Dreamweaver
  • Wordwright
    Not connected to the David Sullivan series.
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  • Tales of Thunderbird O'Conner
  • Above the Lower Sky
  • Demons in the Green
    Regarding the first book, Publishers Weekly said "War between Orcas and humans, a dolphin-selkie-human alliance and mystical Native American magic are the elements of this fantasy." The second book takes place in the same world.
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  • Angen Chronicles
  • Bloodwinter
  • Springwar
  • Summerblood
  • Warautumn
    The saga of a war between the kingdoms of Eron and Ixti that occurs simultaneously with internecine conflicts in both realms.
    •      Charles de Lint (b. 1951)
  • Jack of Kinrowen
  • Jack the Giant Killer
  • Drink Down the Moon (Omnibus edition with JoK title available from Tor)
    Jack the Giant Killer was originally published as part of the 'Fairy Tale' series.
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  • Newford series
  • Our Lady of the Harbor
  • Paperjack
  • The Wishing Well
  • Memory and Dream
  • Someplace to be Flying
  • The Onion Girl
  • Spirits in the Wires
  • Widdershins
  • Promises To Keep
    Standalones taking place in the fictional town of Newford. Most (if not all) of the short stories in the two collections mentioned below take place in Newford also.
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  • Short story collections
  • Dreams Underfoot
  • The Ivory and the Horn
    de Lint's short story collections are a good introduction to the author - if you don't like these, you won't like his novels.
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  • Greenmantle
  • The Little Country
  • Trader
  • Forests of the Heart
  • The Blue Girl
  • The Mystery of Grace
    He's written many books, with a fair number only available in small press editions. Most are stand-alone (although related to each other), all are good. The best-known and most productive author in the 'urban fantasy' sub-genre.
    •      Susan Dexter (b. 1955)
  • Winter King's War
  • Ring of Allaire
  • The Sword Of Calandra
  • The Mountains of Channadran
    Her first work. Out of print, but seems to be fairly easy to find.
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  • The Warhorse of Esdragon
  • The Prince of Ill-Luck
  • The Wind Witch
  • The True Knight
    Light-hearted adventure. The books are stand-alones, with the warhorse Valadan as the connecting character.
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  • The Wizard's Shadow
    Stand-alone (although the ending is left wide open for sequels) about a peddler who makes a bargain with the shadow of murdered wizard. It appears to be set in the same world as the Winter King trilogy.
    •      Gordon Dickson (1923-2001)
  • The Dragon and the George
  • The Dragon and the George
  • Dragon Knight
  • The Dragon on the Border
  • The Dragon at War
  • The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll
  • The Dragon and the Djinn
  • The Dragon and the Gnarly King
  • The Dragon in Lyonesse
  • The Dragon and the Fair Maid of Kent
    Open-ended humorous adventure series. If you like him, he also has a ton of SF available. The first book of the series is by far the best, and the only one I can personally recommend in good conscience.
    •      **Stephen Donaldson (b. 1947)
  • Thomas Covenant - First Chronicles
  • Lord Foul's Bane
  • The Illearth War
  • The Power That Preserves
    VERY highly recommended. This is a powerful trilogy, and you should read it.
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  • Thomas Covenant - Second Chronicles
  • The Wounded Land
  • The One Tree
  • White Gold Wielder
    The Covenant books can be *quite* grim & depressing, but they are well written and worth your time. Those who love Donaldson's work describe Covenant as a flawed but decent human struggling to come to terms with both his illness and his power. Others with less charity in their souls consider Covenant to be whiny, self-pitying, and a poor excuse for a hero. Give the Chronicles a try & see which category you fall into. Also on-line is another Donaldson resource focusing solely on the Thomas Covenant books.
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  • Thomas Covenant - Final Chronicles
  • The Runes of Earth
  • Fatal Revenant
  • Against All Things Ending was initially announced as "Shall Pass Utterly" (forthcoming 2010, maybe)
  • The Last Dark (forthcoming)
    Ten years after the end of the Second Chronicles, Linden Avery finds she must return to The Land. Donaldson is finishing off Thomas Covenant's story with a final four books.
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  • Mordant's Need
  • The Mirror of Her Dreams
  • A Man Rides Through
    Several people have remarked that, although the Covenant books weren't their cup of tea, *this* duology was very enjoyable, and nowhere near as gloomy as his usual (although the heroine has more than her share of self-image problems...)
    •      Ann Downer (b. 1960)
  • The Spellkey Trilogy
  • The Spellkey
  • The Glass Salamander
  • The Books of the Keepers
    Two outcasts must journey through the 13 kingdoms, pursued by a mysterious red-haired man. Their only hope is the Spellkey. Finding it and solving its mystery may change the cruel rules of the Pentacle. Denis liked this first novel, and cheerfully recommends it. The U.S. edition published by Baen combines all three volumes into one book.
    •      David Drake (b. 1945)
  • World of Crystal Walls
  • The Sea Hag
    Although this was billed as the first book in a series, it does stand alone (which is just as well, since no other books have been forthcoming). Drake is best known for his military SF series about Hammer's Slammers.
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  • Dragon Lord
    Well, what we've got here is Arthur as a paranoid megalomaniac, Lancelot a bully, and Merlin a second- rate magician...Mike sez this isn't a comedy, and Rich thinks its "an interesting look at King Arthur."
  • The Undesired Princess and The Enchanted Bunny
    A collection of two novelettes, with the first by L. Sprague De Camp (originally written around 1951), and the second by Drake.
  • The Lord of the Isles series
  • Lord of the Isles
  • Queen of Demons
  • Servant of the Dragon
  • Mistress of the Catacombs
  • Goddess of the Ice Realm
  • Master of the Cauldron
    An heroic fantasy series that has done considerably better then his first attempt at a fantasy series.
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  • The Crown of the Isles trilogy
  • The Fortress of Glass
  • The Mirror of Worlds
  • The Gods Return
    A trilogy that completes the Isles series.
    •      Diane Duane (b. 1952)
  • The Tales of the Five tetralogy
  • The Door Into Fire
  • The Door Into Shadow
  • The Door Into Sunset
  • The Door Into Starlight (forthcoming someday maybe)
    Mercedes Lackey fans should give this series a try, as most of the folks who recommended this were also big Valdemar fans. The first two books were reprinted in omnibus format under the title The Tale of the Five: The Sword and the Dragon by Meisha Merlin Publishing. They've taken the final book off their schedule and released Duane from her contract. It looks like writing it isn't in her plans for the immediate future, so when or if it will ever appear is unknown.
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  • Young Wizards series
  • So You Want To Be a Wizard?
  • Deep Wizardry
  • High Wizardry
  • A Wizard Abroad
  • The Wizard's Dilemma
  • A Wizard Alone
  • Wizard's Holiday
  • Wizards at War
  • A Wizard of Mars (forthcoming 2009)
    Open-ended young adult series. Humorous. They are in the process of being reprinted by Harcourt Brace under their Magic Carpet imprint.
  • The Adult Young Wizards series
  • The Book of Night With Moon
  • To Visit the Queen ('On Her Majesty's Wizardly Service' in U.K.)
  • The Big Meow (in process of being published)
    The Book of Night With Moon takes place in the world of Duane's "Young Wizards" series, but is aimed at mass market rather then the young adult side of the street. The Big Meow is currently being posted on-line for subscribers to read; when the book is complete, a paper edition will be published.
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  • Stealing the Elf King's Roses
    Standalone fantasy in a contemporary Los Angeles that includes magic and a connection with an alternate universe run by elves.
    •      *Dave Duncan (b. 1933)
  • Seventh Sword
  • The Reluctant Swordsman
  • The Coming of Wisdom
  • The Destiny of the Sword
    His first work. Has some ragged edges, but moves right along.
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  • A Man of His Word
  • The Magic Casement
  • Faery Lands Forlorn
  • Perilous Seas
  • Emperor and Clown
    A stableboy sets forth on a quest, and ends up with a (need I say it?) great destiny.
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  • A Handful of Men
  • The Cutting Edge
  • Upland Outlaws
  • The Stricken Field
  • The Living God
    Follows the same characters as 'A Man of His Word' series.
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  • Omar the Storyteller
  • The Reaver's Road
  • The Hunter's Haunt
    Described as being 'a little lighter' than Duncan's epic fantasies, this on-going series features Omar the storyteller. The books are completely self-contained, and stand alone.
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  • The Cursed
    Stand-alone about a land afflicted by changes brought about by the baleful influence of certain stars. Duncan also has a new book out under the pseudonym Ken Hood titled Demon Sword.
  • The Great Game
  • Past Imperative
  • Present Tense
  • Future Indefinite
    This looks interesting - in 1914, a young man suffering from amnesia and accused of murder ends up at Stonehenge, where he is transported to an alternate reality.
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  • The King's Blades
  • The Gilded Chain
  • Lord of the Fire Lands
  • Sky of Swords
  • Paragon Lost
  • Impossible Odds
  • The Jaguar Knights
    Although the first three books form a trilogy, each does stand alone. The King's Blades are an elite group of swordsmen magically bound to the King's defense. These books tell their story.
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  • The King's Daggers
  • Sir Stalwart
  • The Crooked House
  • Silvercloak
    A spin-off series set in the universe of the King's Blades, featuring a younger set of protagonists.
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  • The Dodec Books
  • Children of Chaos
  • Mother of Lies
    New story set in the world of Dodec, complete in just two books.
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  • Auriety series
  • Ill-met In the Arena
    This is a stand-alone, but Duncan hopes to return to the world and tell more tales.
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  • Alchemy series
  • The Alchemist's Apprentice
  • The Alchemist's Code
  • The Alchemist's Pursuit
    Historical fantasy is set in Venice around 1600.
    • Lord Dunsany (1879-1957)
  • Pegana sequence
  • The Gods of Pegana
  • Time and the Gods
  • Beyond the Fields We Know
    These were recently released in a single omnibus volume from Chaosium titled The Complete Pegana. You can also find the first volume out on the Web.
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  • The King of Elfland's Daughter
    Early fantasy. Dunsany was very influential in the field. The above is probably his most accessible book for modern readers (although I like The Charwoman's Shadow too, but then, I've got a definite fondness for early fantasy). It should be available at most larger libraries.
    •      Doranna Durgin
  • The Jess series
  • Dun Lady's Jess
  • Changespell
  • Changespell Legacy
    A terrified young woman turns out to have an extraordinary past. This series follows her adventures. Long out of print and hard to find, Dun Lady's Jess was reprinted in September 2007.
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  • The Keland series
  • Touched by Magic
  • Wolf Justice
    A new continuing series.
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  • Barrenlands
  • Wolverine's Daughter
  • Seer's Blood
  • A Feral Darkness
    A group of stand alone novels, set in different worlds.
    •      **David Eddings (b. 1931)
  • The Belgariad
  • Pawn of Prophecy
  • Queen of Sorcery
  • Magician's Gambit
  • Castle of Wizardry
  • Enchanter's End Game
    Eddings' fantasy debut, and, my, was it successful. The forces of dark and light are rushing toward a climatic confrontation, and young farm boy Garion is swept into the battle.
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  • The Malloreon
  • Guardians of the West
  • King of the Murgos
  • The Demon Lord of Karanda
  • The Sorceress of Darshiva
  • The Seeress of Kell
    Continuing the adventures of Garion and Company.
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  • The Prequels
  • Belgarath the Sorcerer
  • Polgara the Sorceress
  • The Rivan Codex
    Yep, two more books about our favorite sorcerer and his daughter, and a final tour around the world of the Belgariad. The first two are prequels to the events of the Belgariad, and should finally answer such burning questions as: Why did Poledra have to pretend she'd died? and How exactly DID the orb get onto the shield? Codex covers the background material Eddings developed when working out the world of Belgarion.
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  • The Elenium
  • The Diamond Throne
  • The Ruby Knight
  • The Sapphire Rose
    Eddings creates a new world and characters. The hero Sparhawk sets off to save his queen and country.
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  • The Tamuli
  • Domes of Fire
  • The Shining Ones
  • The Hidden City
    More adventures of Sparhawk (Eddings does like to get a lot of use out of his characters).
    Eddings is by far the most highly recommended author on the List (hardly surprising, as the list originated in the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup).
  • The Redemption of Althalus
    A new world and new characters, featuring a thief who must save the world.
  • Regina's Song
    Described as "a contemporary thriller set in Seattle." The main character is a descendant of Jack the Ripper, and is supposed to be a sympathetic serial killer. Yeah, right.
  • The Dreamers
  • The Elder Gods
  • The Treasured One
  • The Crystal Gorge
  • The Younger Gods
    After a detour into stand-alone stories, Eddings is back in series mode.
    Eddings is by far the most highly recommended author on the List (hardly surprising, as the list originated in the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup). Unfortunately, even his most forgiving fans are not happy with the books that have come out since "The Tamuli." Read at your own risk.
    •      E.R. Eddison (1882-1945)
  • The Worm Ouroboros
    I've hesitated to add this to the list, since it is an early work in the field (1922), and quite different from what most people expect from fantasy now, but since *Corinne* brought it up...Read it. It's different.
  • The Zimiamvian Trilogy
  • The Mezentian Gate
  • A Fish Dinner in Memison
  • Mistress of Mistresses
    Eddison gets a LOT more into philosophy with these. Mezentian Gate is unfinished - the published book contains the chapters he completed and his notes on the ending.
    •      Teresa Edgerton (b. 1949)
  • The Green Lion Trilogy
  • Child of Saturn
  • The Moon in Hiding
  • The Work of the Sun
    Celtic-inspired fantasy in a complex, well-realized world.
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  • Kingdom of Celydonn trilogy
  • The Castle of the Silver Wheel
  • The Grail and the Ring
  • The Moon and the Thorn
    More about the world of the Green Lion trilogy. Dwayne says the two books he's read are excellent, and I agree, although Castle is a trifle slow-moving in spots. The final book is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
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  • The Goblin Duology
  • Goblin Moon
  • The Gnome's Engine
    Jonathan says these are "just awesome - full of intrigue and suspense." Not part of the Celydonn series, the world of these books is built more along Victorian lines.
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  • The Queen's Necklace
    A new book set in the world of The Goblin Duology. Alas, there are unlikely to be any sequels to this. The author is now writing under the pseudonym Madeline Howard; check under that name for information on her new projects.
    • Rosemary Edghill (b. 1956)
  • The Twelve Treasures
  • The Sword of Maiden's Tears
  • The Cup of Morning Shadows
  • The Cloak of Night and Daggers
    Series with librarians and elves. Edghill is really eluki bes shahar, and she's published an enjoyable sf trilogy under that name. She also has lots of mysteries and romances out under the Edghill pseudonym.
    •      Phyllis Eisenstein (b. 1946)
  • Cray the Sorcerer trilogy
  • Sorcerer's Son
  • The Crystal Palace
  • The City in Stone (in limbo)
    Follows the story of Cray, a sorcerer. The final book was supposed to have come out in 2006, but it got sucked into the vortex of Meisha Merlin Publishing's bankrupcy. Hopefully a new publisher will be found for it.
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  • Tales of Alaric the Minstrel
  • Born to Exile
  • In the Red Lord's Reach
    Two books so far, the first is episodic and has the feel of a short story collection, second is a novel. Alaric is gifted with the magical ability of teleportation.
    •      Suzette Haden Elgin (b. 1936)
  • The Ozark Trilogy
  • Twelve Fair Kingdoms
  • The Grand Jubilee
  • And Then There'll Be Fireworks
    Although this trilogy ends with a general science fictional rational, enough people consider it fantasy that she's made the list. Elgin is very interested in gender issues, enough so that many of her works are used as feminist texts.
    •      Kate Elliott (b. 1958)
  • The Crown of Stars series
  • King's Dragon
  • Prince of Dogs
  • The Burning Stone
  • Child of Flames
  • The Gathering Storm
  • In the Ruins
  • Crown of Stars
    The series is about the lives of Sanglant, a bastard prince, Liath, a child of sorcerers who knows the secret of the stars, and Alain, a fosterling who seeks to learn the truth about his parentage. It was originally set to be a trilogy, but it is going to take seven books to finish it. Donnell calls this a powerful story, and highly recommends it. Elliott's first novel was also a fantasy. It came out under her real name, Alis Rasmussen, and is titled The Labyrinth Gate. Most of her work has been sf.
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  • Crossroads
  • Spirit Gate
  • Shadow Gate
  • Traitor's Gate (forthcoming August 2009)
    A new series that centers around the free city of Toskala.
    •      Ru Emerson (b. 1944)
  • The Princess of Flames
    Her first book, and it is quite good. Out of print, and hard to find. She's currently doing various Shared World and media tie-in projects.
  • Tales of Nedao
  • To the Haunted Mountains
  • In the Caves of Exile
  • On the Seas of Destiny
    A world torn apart, and a young queen comes into her heritage. Out of print trilogy that is worth looking up, but don't start reading until you have all three parts.
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  • Spell Bound
    Stand alone fairy tale.
  • The Sword and the Lion
    Emerson published this fantasy under the pen name Roberta Cray. Lengthy stand-alone story taking place in an area reminiscent of the ancient Middle East (Babylon, Sumeria - you know, deserts and lion gods, and dusty walled cities baking under the hot sun). Lots of battles and a young heroine who grows into a great destiny
    •      Michael Ende (1929-1995)
  • The Neverending Story
    Don't judge it by the movie, please, says the recommender.
    •      Steven Erikson (b. 1959)
  • Malazan Book of the Fallen
  • Gardents of the Moon
  • Deadhouse Gates
  • Memories of Ice
  • House of Chains
  • Midnight Tides
  • The Bonehunters
  • Reaper's Gale
  • Toll the Hounds
  • Dust of Dreams (forthcoming Sept. 2009)
  • The Crippled God (forthcoming)
    This has been mapped out as a ten-book series, however he's already written several novellas that take place off the main timeline. I've received more requests to include him on the list than any other author since I stopped adding new names in 1999.
    •      Jane Fancher (b. 1952)
  • Dance of the Rings Trilogy
  • Ring of Lightning
  • Ring of Intrigue
  • Ring of Destiny
    Fancher has several SF novels, but this is her first fantasy. Doug thought the first book was killer, and hopes she writes fast.
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  • Rings of Change Trilogy
  • Rings of Change: Alizant (forthcoming)
  • Rings of Change: Ardiin (forthcoming)
  • Rings of Change: Jeremin (forthcoming)
    There's no publishing date for these yet, and at last report the first book wasn't quite finished. But they'll be out someday....
    • David Farland (b. 1957)
  • The Runelords (first series)
  • Runelords
  • Brotherhood of the Wolf
  • Wizardborn
  • The Lair of Bones
    "David Farland" is a pseudonym of David Wolverton. This series was originally scheduled to run five books, but the fourth turned out to be a pretty definite conclusion. However a new series taking place in the same world has been announced, with the first book to be titled Sons of the Oak.
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  • The Runelords (second series)
  • Sons of the Oak
  • Worldbinder
  • The Wyrmling Horde
  • Book 8 (forthcoming)
    This series follows the Fallion, the first-born son of the hero of the first set of Runelords books. The author expects it to run for four books, but that is subject to change (especially since he's signed a contract with Tor for a ninth book).
    •      **Raymond Feist (b. 1945)
  • Riftwar Saga
  • Magician: Apprentice
  • Magician: Master
  • Silverthorn
  • A Darkness at Sethanon
    Fast-paced adventure, and full of action. The first two books were originally published in one volume under the title Magician.
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  • Krondor's Sons series
  • Prince of the Blood
  • The King's Buccaneer
    Technically, these two are stand-alone books, although they feature characters and situations introduced in the Riftwar Saga, and set up situations that are due to be resolved in the Serpentwar saga.
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  • The Serpentwar Saga
  • Shadow of a Dark Queen
  • Rise of a Merchant Prince
  • Rage of a Demon King
  • Shards of a Broken Crown (title originally announced as 'The Honor of a Bastard Knight')
    A new Midkemia series.
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  • The Legends of the Riftwar
  • Honored Enemy with Bill Forstchen (available in U.K., no U.S. publisher date yet)
  • Murder in LaMut with Joel Rosenberg (available in U.K., no U.S. publisher yet)
  • Jimmy the Hand with Steve Stirling (available in U.K., no U.S. publisher yet)
    A series of novels about Midkemia co-authored by Feist and other authors.
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  • Faerie Tale
    NOT a Midkemia book. A dark, modern fairy tale.
  • Boy's Adventure (forthcoming maybe)
    Described as a standalone dark fantasy. This one appears to have gone on the back burner, and won't be appearing any time soon.
  • Conclave of Shadows
  • Talon of the Silverhawk
  • King of Foxes
  • Exile's Return
    A new Midkemia series. Talon (eventually to be Talwin) Hawkins escapes the slaughter of his tribe and vows revenge.
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  • Riftwar Legacy series
  • Krondor: The Betrayal
  • Krondor: The Assassins
  • Krondor: Tear of the Gods
  • Krondor: The Crawler (forthcoming maybe)
  • Krondor: The Dark Mage (forthcoming maybe)
    Novelizations of Feist's 'Krondor' CD-ROM game. The series is currently on hold, and there is no information on when (if ever) the last two announced titles will be published.
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  • Darkwar Saga
  • Flight of the Nighthawks
  • Into a Dark Realm
  • Wrath of Mad God
    This series covers the third riftwar.
    •
  • Demonwar Saga
  • Rides a Dread Legion
  • Return of the Demon King (forthcoming 2010)
    Taking place 10 years after the events of the Darkwar Saga, Midkemia is once again faced with invasion from without.
    •
  • Chaoswar Saga
  • A Kingdom Beseiged (forthcoming)
  • A Crown Imperiled (forthcoming)
  • Magician's End (forthcoming)
    The grand finale of the tales of Midkemia.
    Feist is the second most highly recommended author on this list (after Eddings, of course) - his work definitely strikes a chord with most Eddings fans.
    •      Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts
  • Daughter of the Empire trilogy
  • Daughter of the Empire
  • Servant of the Empire
  • Mistress of the Empire
    Loosely related to Riftwar saga (they take place on the other side of the Rift).
    •      Lionel Fenn (1942-2006)
  • Kent Montana series
  • Kent Montana and the Really Ugly Thing From Mars
  • Kent Montana and the Reasonably Invisible Man
  • Kent Montana and the Once and Future Thing
  • Mark of the Moderately Vicious Vampire
  • 668: The Neighbor of the Beast
    Humor. These involve a failed actor taking on various Hollywood icons.
    •
  • Adventures of Gideon Sunday
  • Blood River Down
  • Web of Defeat
  • Agnes Day
    Another humorous series. The initial (and, currently, only) trilogy about him has the overall title of "The Quest of the White Duck". 'Lionel Fenn' is the pen-name of horror writer Charles L. Grant, who also has a further series of fantastic-adventure novels published under the name 'Geoffrey Marsh'.
    •      Bruce Fergusson (b. 1951)
  • The Shadow of His Wings
    Jonathan writes that "[it] is just plain awesome. The author packs so much story and character development, and yet still sticks to the plot. It is one of the best stand-alone novels I have." It should be noted that this is VERY firmly in the 'gritty realism' school of fantasy. The dungeon scenes in particular...well, let's just say that Marissa would approve of this one.
  • The Mace of Souls
    Fergusson has taken to writing suspense novels lately, however he does say that he plans to eventually write another novel set in the same world as his two fantasies, to be entitled Kraken's Claw.
    •      Charles Finney (1905-1984)
  • The Circus of Dr. Lao
    Classic novel of an uncanny circus that comes to a small town in Arizona, with results that range from the poignant to the funny to the terrible. Well worth look up.
    •      Jack Finney (1911-1995)
  • Time and Again
    The hero is able to slide back from the 1970s to the New York of 1882. A very popular and well-liked tale, I'm surprised that it took so long to get recommended. Finney did write a sequel, From Time to Time, which hasn't been mentioned by any of the recommenders.
  • Marion's Wall
    The spirit of a 1920's flapper possesses a modern woman.
    •      Lynn Flewelling (b. 1958)
  • Nightrunner series
  • Luck in the Shadows
  • Stalking Darkness
  • Traitor's Moon
  • Shadows Return
  • The White Road (forthcoming)
    An unjustly imprisoned young man teams up with a thief.
    •
  • Tamir's Trilogy
  • The Bone Doll's Twin
  • Hidden Warrior
  • The Oracle's Queen
    Takes place early in the history of the world of the Nightrunner series.
    •      Richard Ford (b. 1948)
  • Quest for the Faradawn
    According to the Manchester Evening News 'A blend of Tolkien and Watership Down unfolded in a masterly style.' This came out in 1982, and probably is no longer in print, but my local library has it, and yours may, too.
    •      Alan Dean Foster (b. 1946)
  • Spellsinger
  • Spellsinger
  • The Hour of the Gate
    A young man ends up in a world where music has magic. It became an open-ended series, with six more books published. Foster is an entertaining and competent writer (I've enjoyed his SF books about Flinx and Humanx Commonwealth), however, I've received reports that the books following the initial duology fall off quite a bit in quality, and that no others were published after 1994 would seem to support this.
    •      C.S. Friedman (b. 1955)
  • The Coldfire Trilogy
  • Black Sun Rising
  • When True Night Falls
  • Crown of Shadows
    Sorta SF, but it takes place on a world where magic works, and it's not a really pleasant place for humans...."Extremely well written, interesting, and a lot different than the typical "sword & sorcery" type book...I would recommend this series to anyone." Her sf novel In Conquest Born has also been mentioned by several recommenders. Doug would like to add the warning that Friedman makes Stephen Donaldson look like a comedy writer, and that depressed persons should avoid these books.
    •
  • Magister trilogy
  • Feast of Souls
  • Wings of Wrath
    New novel that takes place in "a terrifying new universe ... in which the fires of sorcery feed upon human life itself... in which the greatest threat may not be that of ancient enemies returned or ancient wars resumed, but of the darkness that lies within the hearts of heroes."
    •      Esther Friesner (b. 1951)
  • Druid's Blood
    Alternate world Sherlock Holmes/fantasy pastiche. It gets a bit ragged in places, but on the whole is very enjoyable. Came out in 1988 as a paperback original and will probably be hard to find (no, you can't borrow my copy).
  • Demon series
  • Here Be Demons
  • Demon Blues
  • Hooray for Hellywood
    Open-ended humorous fantasy series. Relies less on horrendous puns then some of the other humorous fantasy authors. Friesner also edits the popular "Chicks" anthologies.
    •
  • The Sherwood Game
    New fantasy. Nathan liked it enough to give Friesner a big thumbs-up.
    •      Maggie Furey (b. 1955)
  • The Artefacts of Power
  • Aurian
  • Harp of Winds
  • The Sword of Flame
  • Dhiamarra
    I've been waiting for this to get recommended. New series that's been getting decent reviews. Jonathan says that it is very good fantasy.
    •
  • The Shadowleague
  • The Heart of Myrial
  • Spirit of the Stone
  • Echo of Eternity (titled The Eye of Eternity in U.K.)
    A new fantasy trilogy from Furey. In the world of Myrial, mysterious Curtain Walls have functioned to separate realm from realm, and race from race, so that each cordoned area remains a sanctuary for its species. But now the miraculous walls that have provided order for so long are disintegrating with disastrous results.
    •
  • Chronicles of Xandim series
  • Heritage of the Xandim
  • Book 2 Chronicles of Xandim forthcoming Nov 2009
    New series set in the distant past of the world of The Artefacts of Power. There's no word on when (or if) U.S. editions will be coming out.
    • Neil Gaiman (b. 1960)
  • Neverwhere
    A standalone novel from an author best known for his work on graphic novels. Richard Mayhew stumbles across a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her -- and the life he knows vanishes like smoke. Excellent book.
  • Stardust
    Gaiman appears to be switching his efforts from graphic novels to books that put across their story with words alone. This effort (which has been getting very good reviews in the mainstream press as well as the genre critics) is described as a "fairy tale for adults," and starts with a man who finds a falling star.
  • American Gods
    Described as "a dark and kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an America at once eerily familiar and utterly alien." My brother, who likes his fantasy on the dark side, loves this one.
  • Coraline
    Short (more of a novella then a novel; it won a Hugo as best novella of 2003), young adult fantasy, creepy and very good.
  • Anansi Boys
    A new fantasy from Gaiman, in the same contemporary American setting as American Gods. Another winner.
  • The Graveyard Book
    This one's literally a winner - it took the 2009 Newbery Award. Another young adult fantasy that should be read by old adults too.
    •      Craig Shaw Gardner (b. 1949)
  • The Cineverse Cycle
  • Slaves of the Volcano God
  • Bride of the Slime Monster
  • The Revenge of the Fluffy Bunnies
    humorous (it's quite punny *ouch*) trilogy set in a parallel universe based on 'B' movies
    •
  • Ebenezum/Wuntvor series
  • A Malady of Magicks
  • A Multitude of Monsters
  • A Night in the Netherhells
  • A Difficulty with Dwarves
  • An Excess of Enchantments
  • A Disagreement with Death
    Standalone humor novels about an incompetent magician and his apprentice.
    •
  • Arabian Nights
  • The Other Sinbad
  • A Bad Day For Ali Baba
  • The Last Arabian Knight
    More humor (do I sense a trend here?)
    •
  • The Dragon Circle
  • Dragon Sleeping ('Raven Walking' in U.K.)
  • Dragon Waking
  • Dragon Burning
    A storm transplants a suburban community into a magical world. Nick is "thrust into a dire sorcerous conflict" that involves the control of an immortal, all-powerful dragon. This trilogy is SERIOUS, folks. Jonathan notes that he was a little nervous about trying this one because it was Gardner's first attempt at an epic, but "I liked it a lot."
    •      Alan Garner (b. 1934)
  • Alderley stories
  • The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
  • The Moon of Gomrath
    Marvelous author. These are his some of his earliest work, you'll find them in the children's section of your library.
    •
  • Elidor
    Four children must save an alternate world through the use of four symbols of power.
  • The Owl Service
    Echoes of the Mabinogion in a moody and intense novel that totally bewildered me when I was 12, but that I love now.
    •      Randall Garrett (1927-1987)
  • Lord Darcy
  • Murder and Magic
  • Too Many Magicians
  • Lord Darcy Investigates
    Open-ended series of detective stories set in an alternate England where magic works. Michael Kurland has continued this series with the books Ten Little Wizards and A Study in Sorcery.
    •      Randall Garrett and Vicki Heydron (b. 1945)
  • The Gandalara Cycle
  • The Steel of Raithskar
  • The Glass of Dyskornis
  • The Bronze of Eddarta
  • The Well of Darkness
  • The Search for Ka
  • Return to Eddarta
  • The River Wall
    Randall developed this series with his wife Vicki, but he did not actually write any of the books due to the effects of his eventually fatal illness
    •      *David Gemmell (1948-2006)
  • The Drenai
  • Legend
  • King Beyond the Gate
  • Quest For Lost Heroes
  • Waylander
  • Waylander II (U.S. title 'In the Realm of the Wolf')
  • The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
  • Second Chronicles of Druss the Legend
  • The Legend of Deathwalker
  • The Winter Warriors
  • Hero in the Shadows
  • White Wolf
  • Swords of Night and Day
    The Drenai books are good, solid standalone fantasy adventures that take place in the same world. Gemmell was a retailing phenomenon in England, with a publishing imprint named after his first book.
    •
  • The Lion of Macedon
  • Lion of Macedon
  • Dark Prince
    Fantasy version of the life of Alexander the Great. History purists be warned - Gemmell plays fast and loose with Greek history and mythology. Only available in trade paperback in the U.S.
    •
  • The Stones of Power
  • Ghost King
  • Last Sword of Power
  • Wolf in Shadow
  • The Last Guardian
  • Bloodstone
    The second first two books take place in a vaguely Arthurian past, and the others feature Jon Shannow, and take place in the far future. The connecting feature of the two eras are the Sipstrassi, the stones of power.
    •
  • Knights of Dark Renown
    A stand-alone. It is out in the U.S.
  • Morningstar
    Another stand-alone.
  • The Hawk Queen
  • Ironhand's Daughter
  • Hawk Eternal (both are only out in the U.K.)
    The Gemmellites don't seem to be particularly enthusiastic about this particular duology (commentary has ranged from the lukewarm to the tepid).
    •
  • The Rigante series
  • Sword in the Storm
  • Midnight Falcon
  • Ravenheart
  • Stormrider
    A new series.
    •
  • Dark Moon
  • Echoes of the Great Song
    Gemmell's work is very popular in Britain, but he's still relatively unknown in the U.S. He IS worth looking up - an entertaining author who tells a fast-paced story. Fairly traditional fantasy, with heroic heroes (who have flaws, but overcome them when the chips are down) and dastardly villains. Alas, a heart attack took him from us far too early.
    •      Mary Gentle (b. 1956)
  • The White Crow sequence
  • Rats and Gargoyles
  • The Architecture of Desire
    Gothic fantasy. These books are very loosely related, and definitely stand alone. I haven't read them yet, and I should, because I really enjoy her SF. Thanks to Ray for suggesting these
    •
  • The Book of Ash
  • A Secret History
  • Carthage Ascendent
  • The Wild Machines
  • Lost Burgandy
    Originally published in the U.K. as one very fat novel with the title Ash: A Secret History, it was split into four parts when published in the U.S.
    •
  • Ilario
  • The Lion's Eye
  • The Stone Golem
    A duology taking place in the world of Ash.
    •
  • Grunts!
    It's war, and this time we get the story from the viewpoint of the footsoldiers. Black humor from the trolls, orcs and other spearcarriers of fantasy.
    •      Parke Godwin (b. 1929)
  • The Firelord series
  • Firelord
  • Beloved Exile
  • The Last Rainbow
    The first two are a re-telling of the Arthurian legends, set during the collapse of the Roman Empire in Britain. The third volume is not a direct sequel, but it is the associated story of St. Patrick's encounter with Faerie and its effects on him.
    •
  • Robin Hood sequence
  • Sherwood
  • Robin and the King
    A retelling of the Robin Hood story, set in Norman England.
    • William Goldman (b. 1931)
  • The Princess Bride
    A fast-paced, funny romp through every fantasy cliche you can think of (watch out for the rodents of unusual size). Written by an author best known for his screenplays (think Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), which may be why the movie actually does a good job of capturing the tone of the book.
    •      Lisa Goldstein (b. 1953)
  • The Red Magician
    Fantasy set during the Holocaust. It won the American Book Award for 1982.
  • Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon
    Both Goldstein's fantasy and SF bring a magic- realist viewpoint to the world. One of the more highly regarded writers who came to prominence in the 80s, she is well worth a look. She's also yet another author using a pseudonym for her recent work - check out Daughter of Exile and The Divided Crown by Isabel Glass if you like Lisa Goldstein.
    •      Terry Goodkind (b. 1948)
  • The Sword of Truth
  • Wizard's First Rule
  • Stone of Tears
  • Blood of the Fold
  • Temple of the Winds
  • Soul of the Fire
  • Faith of the Fallen
  • Pillars of Creation
  • Naked Empire
  • Chainfire
  • Phantom
  • Confessor
    Goodkind's debut novel made a big splash, and he quickly followed it up. Mikey REALLY likes First Rule and highly recommends it. I admit that I'm not quite as fond of Goodkind and haven't been following the series. Confessor is the conclusion of The Sword of Truth. His next books are being described as "contemporary thrillers" - it looks like he's moving away from fantasy.
    •      Simon Green (b. 1955)
  • Hawk and Fisher series
  • Hawk and Fisher ('No Haven for the Guilty' in U.K.)
  • Winner Takes All ('Devil Take the Hindmost' in U.K.)
  • The God Killer
  • Wolf In the Fold ('Vengence for a Lonely Man' in U.K.)
  • Guards Against Dishonor
  • The Bones of Haven ('Two Kings in Haven' in U.K.)
    The characters of Hawk and Fisher are VERY similar to the two main characters of Blue Moon Rising. Set in Haven, "a city of mayhem and magic", the duo are members of the city guard. This is early Green and the individual titles aren't readily available in the U.S. However Roc Publishing has to re-issued the six books in two three-in-one omnibus volumes titled Swords of Haven and Guards of Haven and those are a bit easier to find.
    •
  • Blue Moon Rising
  • Beyond the Blue Moon
    "My favorite new book this year....standard fantasy with enough of a twist to keep me interested," reports Nathan about Blue Moon Rising. Your FAQMaster agrees - it moves quickly, the characters are standard types but still manage to be interesting, and it kept me reading straight through to the end. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
  • Down Among the Dead Men
  • Blood and Honor
    Both set in the same world as Blue Moon, but they're not really sequels. "Down" takes place years after, and features a totally different set of characters, while "Blood" is about an actor who must play the double of a prince during a crisis. Action-packed adventure.
  • Shadows Fall
    Simon Green Gets Ambitious. Shadows Fall is the town where legends go to die, and where the apocalypse is about to occur. Not completely successful, but worth reading, and it is always nice to see an author trying to stretch his repertoire. Green is currently in the midst of a galaxy-sweeping space opera.
  • Drinking Midnight Wine
    A standalone involving a mortal from our world who falls for an immortal from a magical realm.
  • Nightside series
  • Something From the Nightside
  • Agents of Light and Darkness
  • Nightingale's Lament
  • Hex and the City
  • Paths Not Taken
  • Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth
  • Hell To Pay
  • The Unnatural Inquirer
  • Just Another Judgement Day
    John Taylor is a private detective whose specializes in finding things. Quite a few of the things he finds are hidden in the Nightside, a square mile of London where it is always 3 a.m.
  • Secret History series
  • The Man with the Golden Torc
  • Daemons are Forever
  • The Spy who Haunted Me (forthcoming Aug 2009)
    A new series. Regarding it, Green says, "If the Nightside was me doing private eye novels, then Secret Histories is me paying tribute to the James Bond novels, which I actually read before I was old enough to get into the cinema to see the films. So get ready for Shaman Bond, the very secret agent..."
    •      Zohra Greenhalgh
  • Contrarywise
  • Trickster's Touch
    A pair of enjoyable fantasies about a trickster god who persists in meddling in human lives.
    •      Gayle Greeno (b. 1949)
  • Finders Seekers trilogy
  • The Ghatti's Tale
  • Mindspeakers' Call
  • Exiles' Return
    KDR said that this is "like Lackey's Valdemar with cats."
    •
  • Ghattens' Gambit series
  • Sunderlies Seeking
  • The Farthest Seeking
    A new Ghatti book and a new series begins.
    •      Joyce Ballou Gregorian (1946-1991)
  • Tredana Trilogy
  • The Broken Citadel
  • Castledown
  • The Great Wheel
    Wendy writes that "This is a really well done trio in the vein of "average girl from our world stumbles into an alternate universe," with the twist that in each book she goes back into the world at a different point in her life, and in a sense grows up in both worlds separately."
    •      The Brothers Grimm (translated from German by Margaret Hunt)
  • Grimm's Fairy Tales
    Have a darker tone than the sanitized versions most of us read as children. The link takes you to a site with the original tales, and notes on their origins.
    •      H. Rider Haggard (1856-1925)
  • Allan Quartermain books
  • King Solomon's Mines
  • Allan Quartermain
  • Maiwa's Revenge
  • Child of Storm
  • She and Allan
  • Allan's Wife
  • Marie
  • Finished
  • Holy Flower
  • The Ivory Child
  • Heu-Heu, or the Monster
  • Allan and the Ice Gods
  • The Ancient Allan
    Allan Quartermain did a lot of traveling before he went to King Solomon's Mines. The novels range from straight adventure to outright fantasy and if you're in the mood for a ripping good yarn, give 'em a try.
    •      *Barbara Hambly (b. 1951)
  • Darwath Trilogy
  • The Time of the Dark
  • The Walls of Air
  • The Armies of Daylight
    Another 'folks from our world cross into fantastic realm,' but quite well done (especially considering that this was Hambly's first fantasy) with intelligent characters and some interesting twists.
    •
  • A New Darwath series
  • Mother of Winter
  • Icefalcon's Quest
    Hambly returns to the world of Darwath, the setting of her first fantasy trilogy, after a decade away from it.
    •
  • Dragon series
  • Dragonsbane
  • Dragonshadow
  • The Knight of the Demon Queen
  • Dragonstar
    The first is a standalone about a witch and hero, and a kingdom that's in a lot of trouble. The next three are a trilogy and be warned, the second book ends with a real cliffhanger, so be sure you have the third book in hand when you read it.
  • Windrose Chronicles
  • The Silent Tower
  • The Silicon Mage
  • Dog Wizard
    The first two are basically one book that got split in two due to size. Dog Wizard continues the plot, and leaves a fair amount of dangling threads at the end. This may be turning into an open-ended series
    •
  • Stranger at the Wedding (U.K. title - Sorcerer's Ward)
    A standalone set in same world as "Windrose Chronicles," but featuring different characters. One of Hambly's weaker offerings.
  • Sun Cross duology
  • Rainbow Abyss
  • The Magicians of Night
    Wizards cross from their world into ours, and end up in Nazi Germany. Hambly fans are very divided on this one - some love it and others wish it would just go away.
    •
  • Sun Wolf/Starhawk
  • The Ladies of Madrigyn
  • The Witches of Wenshar
  • The Dark Hand of Magic
    Although each of these is a separate, self- contained story, they are best enjoyed in order, and Dark Hand of Magic does bring the series to a fairly definite close.
    •
  • James Asher Chronicles
  • Those Who Hunt the Night
  • Traveling With the Dead
    Hambly does the vampire routine. And she does it quite well - in fact, TWHtN took the Locus fantasy novel award the year it came out.
    •
  • Bride of the Rat God
    Lots of fun - 1920's Hollywood and Chinese magic.
  • Raven Sisters
  • Sisters of the Raven
  • Circle of the Moon
    The first is about a world where men are losing the ability to do magic, and women are suddenly gaining it.
    •      Laurell K. Hamilton (b. 1963)
  • Nightseer
    A first novel. A half-elf child seeks revenge on the evil witch who murdered her mother.
  • Anita Blake series
  • Guilty Pleasures
  • The Laughing Corpse
  • Circus of the Damned
  • The Lunatic Cafe
  • Bloody Bones
  • The Killing Dance
  • Burnt Offerings
  • Blue Moon
  • Obsidian Butterfly
  • Narcissus In Chains
  • Cerulean Sins
  • Incubus Dreams
  • Danse Macabre
  • Micah
  • The Harlequin
  • Blood Noir
  • Skin Trade (forthcoming June 2009)
    A hardboiled detective series that involves a world very much like ours, except with vampires, werewolves and all manner of ghoulies and ghosties. XbronK says that 'Anita Blake is a feisty, tough broad with a gentle heart' but warns that 'the stories are gore-filled.' Quite a few fans of the series feel that Obsidian Butterfly was the last one worth reading, however I have noticed that all of them have buying the books (they just wait until they come out in paperback now).
    •
  • Meredith Gentry series
  • A Kiss of Shadows
  • Caress of Twilight
  • Seduced by Moonlight
  • Stroke of Midnight
  • Mistral's Kiss
  • A Lick of Frost
  • Swallowing Darkness
  • Divine Misdemeanors
    • (forthcoming)
    A new series about an elven princess who works in L.A. as an investigator of supernatural crime. Lots of sex, but not as violent as the Anita Blake books.     Elizabeth Hand (b. 1957)
  • Washington series
  • Winterlong
  • Aestival Tide
  • Icarus Descending
    Hand's first three novels. They take place in the same world (a fantasy version of Washington DC, set in the near future), but stand alone. Not easy to find, they didn't make anywhere NEAR the splash Waking the Moon has.
    •
  • Waking the Moon
    At the University of the Archangels and St. John the Divine in Washington, D.C., the Benandanti have guarded for millennia against the return of their ancient foe, the Moon Goddess Othiym Lunarsa. This Goddess is not the comforting mother figure found in so much fantasy, but a powerful destroyer. This is getting some great press. 'Hand has created a violently sensual fable helped by smart pacing and vibrant prose' sez one reviewer.
  • Black Light
    When Alex Kern returns home to quiet Kamensic Village and embarks on a series of frenzied parties and gala revels, teenager Lit Golding becomes caught in the middle of Kern's plans to be reborn as Dionysus, the ancient god of ecstasy and madness.
  • Mortal Love
    Dark fantasy of artistic inspiration and obsessive love.
    •      Lyndon Hardy (b. 1941)
  • Magics series
  • The Master of Five Magics
  • The Secret of the Sixth Magic
  • The Riddle of the Seven Realms
    According to several reports, Hardy has left off novel writing, so fans of this series will have to be content with these three.
    •      Deborah Turner Harris (b. 1951)
  • Mages of Garillon series
  • The Burning Stone
  • The Gauntlet of Malice
  • Spiral of Fire
    Appeared in the late eighties, and not easy to find. Dan says that The Burning Stone is "one of the best fantasy world creations that I've come across."
    •
  • Caledon series
  • Caledon of the Mists
  • Queen of Ashes
  • The City of Exile
    Harris is co-author (with Katherine Kurtz) of the Adept series.
    •      Harry Harrison (b. 1925)
  • The Hammer and the Cross trilogy
  • The Hammer and the Cross
  • One King's Way
  • King and Emperor
    Mystical visions of Norse and Christian mythologies are combined with an alternative history of the ninth century in this new fantasy trilogy by SF stalwart Harrison. It's getting very good press, and our very own Donal recommends it highly.
    •      Simon Hawke (b. 1951)
  • Wizard of 4th Street
  • Wizard of 4th Street
  • Wizard of Whitechapel
  • Wizard of Sunset Strip
  • Wizard of the Rue Morgue
  • Samurai Wizard
  • Wizard of Santa Fe
  • Wizard of Camelot
  • Wizard of Lovecraft's Cafe
  • The Nine Lives of Catseye Gomez
  • The Last Wizard
    Open-ended partly-humorous series of loosely related books. His other series, "The Reluctant Wizard," was noted as being 'humorous, but not so great' He also has a series set in the Dark Sun AD&D Campaign World.
    •      Greg (b. 1939) and Tim (1939-2006) Hildebrandt
  • Ushurak
    Twin brothers Tim and Greg Hildebrandt are primarily known for their art. Denis calls this 'a rather good Lord of the Rings clone, with GREAT drawings and pictures.'
    •      Robin Hobb (b. 1952)
  • The Farseer Trilogy
  • Assassin's Apprentice
  • Royal Assassin
  • Assassin's Quest
    This is very good. A royal bastard is being trained as an assassin, and is drawn deeply into court politics and intrigue. It's being advertised as the first work of a new author, but if you really like it, you won't have to wait to try more of her work. Hobb is a pseudonym for Megan Lindholm, and she has a fair number of works out under her own name. You can check out the titles in the listing found under her name.
    •
  • The Tawny Man trilogy
  • Fool's Errand
  • Golden Fool
  • Fool's Fate
    A new trilogy that featuring Fitz. It begins 15 years after the events in the Farseer Trilogy.
    •
  • The Liveships trilogy
  • Ship of Magic
  • The Mad Ship
  • Ship of Destiny
    This is set in the same world as 'Farseer', although it a a new story and doesn't feature any of the characters from the original trilogy and can be independently.
    •
  • Soldier Son trilogy
  • Shaman's Crossing
  • Forest Mage
  • Renegade's Magic
    This new trilogy features a new world and new hero, and is unrelated to any of her previous books.
    •      P.C. Hodgell (b. 1951)
  • Chronicles of the Kencyrath
  • God Stalk
  • Dark of the Moon
  • Seeker's Mask
  • To Ride a Rathorn
  • Bound in Blood (forthcoming)
    First two were published in mass-market paperback and later reprinted by Meisha Merlin Publishing. The final book made it out the door just before Meisha Merlin's bankruptcy, was very difficult to obtain. But Baen books has signed Hodgell. They've released the first four books as ebooks, and the first two have been reprinted as an omnibus titled The God Stalker Chronicles. The fifth Kencyr novel should be out by the end of 2009.
    •      William Hodgson (1877-1918)
  • The House on the Borderland
    Classic novel of a house that lies on the border of another (definitely horrific) dimension.
    •      Robert Holdstock (b. 1948)
  • Mythago Wood Cycle
  • Mythago Wood
  • Llavondys
  • The Hollowing
  • The Bone Forest
  • Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn
    Different. Those of you interested in mythology and archetypes should enjoy these. All standalone, although you really should read Mythago Wood to understand what is going on.
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  • Ancient Echoes
    Holdstock describes this as "a cross between an altered-state situation and Mythago Wood, plus some magical realism, some very Old Testament and...some wonderful special effects."
    •      Tom Holt (b. 1961)
  • Duology
  • Goatsong
  • The Walled Orchard
    Michael describes these as being a bit more serious than Holt's other works, and a bit less erratic.
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  • Expecting Someone Taller
    Uh oh, here comes Gotterdammerung...
  • Flying Dutch
    These two were specifically mentioned, but he's written a fair number of books now, mostly humorous, all taking a myth/legend and putting an odd spin on it. He's a lot more popular in England than he is in the U.S.
    •      Daniel Hood (b. 1967)
  • Sorcerer Liam series
  • Fanuilh
  • Wizard's Heir
  • Beggar's Banquet
  • Scales of Justice
  • King's Cure
    Open-ended fantasy/mystery series.
    •      William Horwood (b. 1944)
  • The Duncton Chronicles
  • Duncton Wood
  • Duncton Quest
  • Duncton Found
  • Duncton Tales
  • Duncton Rising
  • Duncton Stone
    Well, it's about moles....but Stevie says "it's also about good vs. evil, religion and self- discovery." The first was published almost a decade before the second book, and general consensus is that it is the best of the lot. However, Marie likes these enough that she sends off to England for them.
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  • Willows sequels
  • The Willows in Winter
  • Toad Triumphant
  • The Willows and Beyond
  • The Willows at Christmas
    Sequels to Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows. These are receiving good notices, so those with fond memories of Grahame's work should feel safe in trying them out.
    •      Madeline Howard (b. 1949)
  • The Rune of Unmaking
  • The Hidden Stars
  • A Dark Sacrifice
    A young girl is destined to end the tyrannous reign of the Empress Ouriana, assuming she can live long enough to do so. "Extraordinary new talent" Madeline Howard is Teresa Edgerton, and you can find more about her under the Edgerton listing.
    •      Robert E. Howard (1906-1936)
  • Almuric
    Ironczar describes this as 'a sort of Edgar Rice Burroughs-inspired planetary romance, with a heavy dose of Howard's dark storytelling and mood.'
  • Conan the Barbarian
  • Conan the Conquerer (originally titled 'The Hour of the Dragon')
  • Conan of Cimmeria
  • Conan the Freebooter
  • Conan the Wanderer
  • and so on
    Back from Cimmeria, the *Original* Barbarian Swordsman! Howard had only published a single novel (the first listed) & a pile of short stories about Conan when he committed suicide at the age of 30, but he left behind a trunk full of material that has been compiled, combined, reconfigured, and added to by various authors and editors (including L. Sprague deCamp and Robert Jordan). Also look for his King Kull and Solomon Kane stories.
    •      Tanya Huff (b. 1957)
  • The Novels of Crystal
  • Child of the Grove
  • The Last Wizard
    Huff's earliest work, about the last wizard in a world that fears and despises her. These were reprinted in an omnibus edition titled Wizard of the Grove.
    •
  • The Fire's Stone
    Competent stand-alone about a thief, a swordsman and a wizard. There's a love triangle that isn't resolved quite as you might expect.
  • Quarters series
  • Sing the Four Quarters
  • Fifth Quarter
  • No Quarter
  • The Quartered Sea
    Krista really enjoyed first novel of this series, and is looking forward to Fifth Quarter. Sing stands alone, but books two and three tell a continuing story, and must be read in order. Huff also has a horror/mystery series, all with "Blood" in the title.
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  • The Keeper's Chronicles
  • Summon the Keeper
  • The Second Summoning
  • Long Hot Summoning
    A new series. Claire Hansen, the Keeper, is summoned to the Elysian Fields Guest House to reseal a hole in the basement, which is literally an opening to Hell. The owner and monitor of the site disappears, leaving Claire stuck managing the place.
    •      Barry Hughart (b. 1934)
  • Master Li and Number Ten Ox series
  • The Bridge of Birds
  • The Story of the Stone
  • Eight Skilled Gentlemen
    Open-ended series set in ancient China. HIGHLY recommended by your FAQ maker (especially the first one).
    •      Robert Don Hughes (b. 1949)
  • Pelman the Powershaper
  • Prophet of Lamath
  • The Wizard in Waiting
  • The Power and the Prophet
    Trilogy about a land that has been divided by a two-headed dragon. Jim's read these, too, and he liked them.
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  • Wizard and Dragon
  • The Forging of the Dragon
  • The Faithful Traitor
  • 1 more yet to come
    Continuing the story of the land introduced in the first trilogy. Hughes is back in the States and writing Christian fantasies (he was in Africa doing missionary work), but there is no word on when or if he plans to complete the "Wizard and Dragon" trilogy.
    •      Brian Jacques (b. 1939)
  • Redwall series
  • Redwall
  • Mossflower
  • Mattimeo
  • Mariel of Redwall
  • Salamandastron
  • Martin the Warrior
  • The Bellmaker
  • The Outcasts of Redwall
  • The Pearls of Lutra
  • The Long Patrol
  • Marlfox
  • The Legend of Luke
  • Lord Brocktree
  • The Taggerung
  • Triss
  • Loamhedge
  • Rakkety Tam
  • High Rhulain
  • Eulalia!
  • Doomwyte
  • The Sable Quean (forthcoming Jan 2010)
    These are fun. I buy them for my niece, and always read them myself before I give them to her. Redwall is an Abbey run by a group of mice, and this series of standalone books details their adventures. They are geared toward the children's market (and are incredibly popular - ask your local children's librarian about how quickly they fly off the shelves).
    •      John Jakes (b. 1932)
  • Mention My Name in Atlantis
    Before John Jakes hit the big time with his 'Kent Family Chronicles', he turned out an incredible number of novels and stories in a variety of genres. Among them were the 'Brak the Barbarian' sword and sorcery series and this amusing parody. It is long out of print, but it turns up often at used bookstores.
    •      Tove Jansson (1914-2001)
  • The Moomintroll Books
  • The Little Trolls and the Great Flood (no English translation)
  • Comet in Moominland
  • Finn Family Moomintroll
  • The Exploits of Moominpappa
  • Moominsummer Madness
  • Moominland Midwinter
  • Tales from Moominvalley
  • Moominpappa at Sea
  • Moominvalley in November
    A series of Finnish children's books that are both charming and genuinely strange. They've been translated into 34 languages, and most are available in English. The Moomintrolls and their friends are an eccentric bunch who are continually becoming involved in bizarre adventures. I didn't find these books until until I was well beyond childhood, but am enjoying them immensely. Try 'em.
    •      Michael Jeffries (b. 1943)
  • Loremasters of Elundium trilogy
  • The Road to Underfall
  • Palace of Kings
  • Shadowlight
    Written in a consciously mythic style with minimal characterization (you can pretty much tell the what each individual's personality will be by their name - yeah, 'Proudpurse' is the venal and villainous chancellor), this series turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. Give it a try.
    •
  • The Knights of Cawdor
    Standalone set in the world of Elundium.
  • Heirs to Gnarlsmyre
  • Glitterspike Hall
  • Hall of Whispers
    New series, unrelated to the Elundium books.
    •      Diana Wynne Jones (b. 1934)
  • The Dalemark Sequence
  • Drowned Ammet
  • Cart and Cwidder
  • The Spellcoats
  • The Crown of Dalemark
    Young adult standalone novels all taking place in Dalemark. The first three books all stand alone, and can be read in any order, but the final book ties them all together, and will be best enjoyed if you've read all of the others.
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  • Crestomanci books
  • The Lives of Christopher Chant
  • Charmed Life
  • Witch Week
  • The Magicians of Caprona
  • Conrad's Fate
  • The Pinhoe Egg
    Stand-alones that all have the magician Crestomanci involved somehow.
    •
  • The Magician Howl series
  • Howl's Moving Castle
  • Castle in the Air
    The second book of this one is hard to find in the U.S. - Books of Wonder in New York stocks most of Jones' work, and they are good place to look if you can't find a fix anywhere else.
    •
  • The Homeward Bounders
    Standalone about a boy doomed to wander between worlds.
  • Archer's Goon
  • A Sudden Wild Magic
    This one is fairly recent and is being marketed as an adult book. Alas, it is also one of her weakest offerings, so look up any of her other books before you decide on her abilities.
  • Time of the Ghost
  • Deep Secret
    Most of Jones' work is geared toward the Young Adult market, but don't let that stop you. I particularly liked Archer's Goon, The Homeward Bounders and Howl's Moving Castle, Eriond likes Dogsbody the best, but he reads everything of hers he can find (so do I).
  • The Fantasyland series
  • The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
  • The Dark Lord Of Derkholm
  • Year of the Griffin
    This didn't start out as a series. The first book is a marvelous take on all the cliches of generic fantasy, set up in the form of a travel guide to the world of Fantasyland. The second book is the story of what life is like for the the people stuck living in Fantasyland and the third book continues the tale.
    •      J.V. Jones (b. 1963)
  • The Book of Words trilogy
  • The Baker's Boy
  • A Man Betrayed
  • Master and Fool
    Denis thought this was the best new trilogy he'd read in 1996.
    •
  • The Barbed Coil
    A standalone that set in a world similar to that of the Book of Words, however it is not related to that series.
  • The Sword of Shadows Trilogy
  • A Cavern of Black Ice
  • A Fortress of Grey Ice
  • A Sword From Red Ice
    This trilogy will be set in the world of Baker's Boy, but it is not a direct sequel. Despite the mention of the word "triolgy", there will be more books in this series.
    •      **Robert Jordan (1948-2007)
  • The Wheel of Time
  • The Eye of the World
  • The Great Hunt
  • The Dragon Reborn
  • The Shadow Rising
  • The Fires of Heaven
  • Lord of Chaos
  • A Crown of Swords
  • The Path of Daggers
  • Winter's Heart
  • Crossroads of Twilight
  • A New Spring (prequel to series)
  • Knife of Dreams
  • A Memory of Light (forthcoming Fall 2009)
    Many fantasy readers are passionately devoted to this series, and each new release shoots straight to the top of the bestseller lists. Huge (all the books are 500+ pages), sprawling, and madly complex. A New Spring, is a prequel to the whole thing and can be read as a standalone. It may also seem familiar, because it is an expansion of a story that appeared originally in Robert Silverberg's "Legends" anthology. The series is supposed to finish with the 13th book, which was originally scheduled to be out by 2008. However Jordan was diagnosed with a serious illness that has resulted in his far too early death.
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  • The Conan Chronicles (omnibus edition containing Conan the Invincible, Conan the Defender, and Conan the Unconquered)
    For the Joradanites who need a fix while awaiting the next volume of The Wheel of Time, this omnibus edition collects three of Jordan's Conan novels. A Conan Chronicles II was also published, collecting three more of his Conan stories, but it only came out in Britain.
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