awesome-awesomeness/html/fantasy.html

<h1 id="awesome-fantasy-awesome">awesome-fantasy <a
href="https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome"><img
src="https://cdn.rawgit.com/sindresorhus/awesome/d7305f38d29fed78fa85652e3a63e154dd8e8829/media/badge.svg"
alt="Awesome" /></a></h1>
<blockquote>
<p>Fantasy literature worth reading</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>Inspired by the <a
href="https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome">awesome</a> list thing.
For science fiction books, see <a
href="https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome-scifi">awesome-scifi</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Please read the <a href="contributing.md">Contributing
Guidelines</a> before contributing.</em></p>
<h2 id="contents">Contents</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="#novels">Novels</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#epic-fantasy">Epic Fantasy</a></li>
<li><a href="#standard-fantasy">Standard Fantasy</a></li>
<li><a href="#allegory">Allegory</a></li>
<li><a href="#satire">Satire</a></li>
<li><a href="#horror">Horror</a></li>
<li><a href="#childrens-books">Children’s Books</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="#comic-books">Comic books</a></li>
<li><a href="#movies">Movies</a></li>
<li><a href="#tv-series">TV Series</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="novels">Novels</h2>
<p>:star2: means that it’s a classic.</p>
<p>:fire: means that it has more than 100,000 ratings on Goodreads.</p>
<p><em>The [number] at the end is the rounded version of the rating on
Goodreads. If a series is not available as an individual book, the first
book in the series is used for the rating.</em></p>
<h3 id="epic-fantasy">Epic Fantasy</h3>
<h4 id="a-song-of-ice-and-fire-by-george-r.r.-martin-4.4-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43790-a-song-of-ice-and-fire">A
Song of Ice and Fire</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_R._R._Martin">George R.R.
Martin</a></em> [4.4] :fire:</h4>
<p>Incredibly detailed books, with a very realistic world. I can’t get
enough of it. Awesome in the scale and breadth of intricacy. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13496.A_Game_of_Thrones">A Game
of Thrones</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10572.A_Clash_of_Kings">A Clash
of Kings</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62291.A_Storm_of_Swords">A
Storm of Swords</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13497.A_Feast_for_Crows">A
Feast for Crows</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10664113-a-dance-with-dragons">A
Dance with Dragons</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12111823-the-winds-of-winter">Winds
of Winter</a> <em>forthcoming</em></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle
for the Iron Throne has begun.</p>
<p>As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King
Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down
at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a
dead enemy is a thing of beauty.</p>
<p>The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and
there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the
deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities.
He claims the Iron Throne.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="art-of-the-adept-2019-by-michael-g.-manning-4.4"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/269818-art-of-the-adept">Art of
the Adept</a> (2019) <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5021072.Michael_G_Manning">Michael
G. Manning</a></em> [4.4]</h4>
<p>A unique system of magic that follows the MC’s learning journey so
you discover all the wonder as well. - <a
href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51279226-the-choice-of-magic">The
Choice of Magic</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52748703-secrets-and-spellcraft">Secrets
of Spellcraft</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53497057-scholar-of-magic">Scholar
of Magic</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56329571-disciple-of-war">Disciple
of War</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61167144-the-wizard-s-crown">The
Wizard’s Crown</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>The ancient magic of wizards was anything but dark. It was the
enlightenment that lifted humanity from the squalor of superstition, and
the worship of fell spirits and capricious gods, but those days are
gone. The shining glory of the sorcerers burned away the subtlety of
wisdom, replacing it with easy power, held only in the hands of the
elite—a new age built upon the elemental supremacy of aristocrats and
the ignorance of the masses.</p>
<p>But this will change, for the greatest power comes with knowledge,
and the deeper teachings of wizardry have not been utterly lost. The
last wizard of the old tradition still survives in solitude, nursing
tired grudges and waiting for death.</p>
<p>His passing might have gone unnoticed, but for the imposition of a
youth too stubborn to accept his refusal to take an apprentice. With a
new student comes new hope, and that hope has caused old powers to stir
again. That the world will change is inevitable, but the shape of the
future is anything but certain.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="black-company-1984-by-glen-cook-4"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140671">Black Company</a>
(1984) <em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Cook">Glen
Cook</a></em> [4]</h4>
<p>This is my favorite dark fantasy series and the first book is
awesome. These are written so differently than any fantasy-esque book
I’ve ever read. It is difficult to describe, but as a veteran, it just
feels like you’re reading a fantasy book written by a former soldier
that’s been there, crude jokes, blood and all. I highly recommend this.
- <a href="https://github.com/PeerRails"><span class="citation"
data-cites="PeerRails">@PeerRails</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The series follows an elite mercenary unit, The Black Company, last
of the Free Companies of Khatovar, through roughly forty years of its
approximately four hundred-year history. Cook mixes fantasy with
military fiction in gritty, down-to-earth portrayals of the Company‘s
chief personalities and its struggles.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140671.The_Black_Company">The
Black Company</a> [3.96]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400881.Shadows_Linger">Shadows
Linger</a> [4.16]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400906.The_White_Rose">The
White Rose</a> [4.19]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113540.Shadow_Games">Shadow
Games</a> [4.09]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400900.Dreams_of_Steel">Dreams
of Steel</a> [4.09]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400911.Bleak_Seasons">Bleak
Seasons</a> [3.95]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400897.She_is_the_Darkness">She
Is The Darkness</a> [4.10]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349470.Water_Sleeps">Water
Sleeps</a> [4.07]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400899.Soldiers_Live">Soldiers
Live</a> [4.22]</li>
<li><em>1 last book coming</em></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="children-of-húrin-by-j.r.r.-tolkien-3.9"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/821431.The_Children_of_H_rin">Children
of Húrin</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien">J.R.R.
Tolkien</a></em> [3.9]</h4>
<p>The Lord of the Rings is a quest; the Hobbit a children’s tale; the
Silmarillion a history. This is one of the few novels, a story that
shows the life of a tortured individual. This story borrows heavily from
Scandinavian lore, and presents Turin as one of the most tragic of all
of Tolkien’s creations. It is my favourite story from all of his books,
and I think it has the most advanced and beautiful look into the world
of Middle Earth as a whole. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of
the Rings, and the story told in this book is set in the great country
that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once
walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the
First Age of the World.</p>
<p>In that remote time Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in the vast
fortress of Angband, the Hells of Iron, in the North; and the tragedy of
Túrin and his sister Nienor unfolded within the shadow of the fear of
Angband and the war waged by Morgoth against the lands and secret cities
of the Elves.</p>
<p>Their brief and passionate lives were dominated by the elemental
hatred that Morgoth bore them as the children of Húrin, the man who had
dared to defy and to scorn him to his face. Against them he sent his
most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a
huge wingless dragon of fire. Into this story of brutal conquest and
flight, of forest hiding-places and pursuit, of resistance with
lessening hope, the Dark Lord and the Dragon enter in direly articulate
form. Sardonic and mocking, Glaurung manipulated the fates of Túrin and
Nienor by lies of diabolic cunning and guile, and the curse of Morgoth
was fulfilled.</p>
<p>The earliest versions of this story by J.R.R. Tolkien go back to the
end of the First World War and the years that followed; but long
afterwards, when The Lord of the Rings was finished, he wrote it anew
and greatly enlarged it in complexities of motive and character: it
became the dominant story in his later work on Middle-earth. But he
could not bring it to a final and finished form. In this book
Christopher Tolkien has constructed, after long study of the
manuscripts, a coherent narrative without any editorial invention.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="chronicles-of-the-unhewn-throne-2014-by-brian-staveley-4.1"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/116397-chronicle-of-the-unhewn-throne">Chronicles
of the Unhewn Throne</a> (2014) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Staveley">Brian
Staveley</a></em> [4.1]</h4>
<p>An assassin, a monk, and an heiress. While only one of these
characters interested me from the description, each story pulled me in.
- <a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910124-the-emperor-s-blades">The
Emperor’s Blades</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24450384-the-providence-of-fire">The
Providence of Fire</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27565716-the-last-mortal-bond">The
Last Mortal Bond</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live
again…</p>
<p>The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in
turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a
conspiracy.</p>
<p>His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force,
hears the news an ocean away. He expected a challenge, but after several
‘accidents’ and a dying soldier’s warning, he realizes his life is also
in danger. Yet before Valyn can take action, he must survive the
mercenaries’ brutal final initiation.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Emperor’s daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father’s
murderer in the capital itself. Court politics can be fatal, but she
needs justice. And Kaden, heir to an empire, studies in a remote
monastery. Here, the Blank God’s disciples teach their harsh ways –
which Kaden must master to unlock their ancient powers. When an imperial
delegation arrives, he’s learnt enough to perceive evil intent. But will
this keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="codex-alera-2005-by-jim-butcher-4.28"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/45545-codex-alera">Codex
Alera</a> (2005) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Butcher">Jim Butcher</a></em>
[4.28] 🔥</h4>
<p>A great series that is a little different from your typical epic
fantasy. In this world, everyone has powers, or elemental furies
attached to them, except for Tavi, the main character. - <a
href="https://github.com/cary-williams"><span class="citation"
data-cites="cary-williams">@cary-williams</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29396.Furies_of_Calderon">Furies
of Calderon</a> [4.10] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133664.Academ_s_Fury">Academ’s
Fury</a> [4.22]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29394.Cursor_s_Fury">Cursor’s
Fury</a> [4.31]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/346087.Captain_s_Fury">Captain’s
Fury</a> [4.31]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2903736-princeps-fury">Princeps’
Fury</a> [4.37]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316821-first-lord-s-fury">First
Lord’s Fury</a> [4.39]</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>Welcome to the Realm of Alera, traveler. Written by the #1 New York
Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, the Codex Alera follows the
adventures—and misadventures!—of a young man, Tavi of Calderon. In a
land where everyone has access to great powers called furies, being the
only one without a fury to his name can be tricky, but Tavi proves time
and time again that it is not all about your furies.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="cradle-2016-by-will-wight-4.1"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/192821-cradle">Cradle</a> (2016)
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Wight">Will
Wight</a></em> [4.1]</h4>
<p>While many western themed novels have superheroes or powerful
magicians, equally pleasing to read is eastern style novels with
cultivators. If you’re interested in seeing how it compares with
<em>standard fantasy</em> this is a great series to get started with. -
<a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to
control the forces of the natural world.</p>
<p>Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his
clan.</p>
<p>When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must defy his
family’s rules…and forge his own Path.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="deltora-quest-series-2000-by-emily-rodda-3.98"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41221-deltora-quest">Deltora
Quest Series</a> (2000) <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3995.Emily_Rodda">Emily
Rodda</a></em> [3.98]</h4>
<p>My favorite book series and one of the best series I’ve ever read.
The books are exceptionally well written, easy and fast to read. Great
for readers in the 12 to 15 age group, but it can also catch the eye of
older readers, just like mine. I’m look forward to reading your sequels:
Deltora Shadowlands and Dragons of Deltora. - <span class="citation"
data-cites="AmandaPita">[@AmandaPita]</span>
(https://github.com/AmandaPita)</p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/155238.The_Forests_of_Silence">The
Forests of Silence</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119494.The_Lake_of_Tears">The
Lake of Tears</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119493.City_of_the_Rats">City
of the Rats</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119490.The_Shifting_Sands">The
Shifting Sands</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119495.Dread_Mountain">Dread
Mountain</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119489.The_Maze_of_the_Beast">The
Maze of the Beast</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119492.The_Valley_of_the_Lost">The
Valley of the Lost</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119491.Return_to_Del">Return
to Del</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>For centuries, the evil Shadow Lord has been plotting to invade
Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands in his way is the magic
Belt of Deltora with its seven gems of great and mysterious power. Now,
Leif, Barda, and Jasmine must unite to find the seven gems and save
Deltora from an eternity of darkness.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="dune-by-frank-herbert"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/45935-dune-chronicles">Dune</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert">Frank
Herbert</a></em></h4>
<p>There’s elements of fantasy in here, although it is mostly science
fiction. The elements they have - the power of words, the <em>bene
gesserit</em>, the worms - are all, indubitably, awesome. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234225.Dune">Dune</a>
[4.2]</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/106.Dune_Messiah">Dune
Messiah</a> [3.8]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/112.Children_of_Dune">Children
of Dune</a> [3.9]</li>
<li><em>And others that I haven’t read…</em></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="earthsea-by-ursula-k.-le-guin"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthsea">Earthsea</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin">Ursula K. Le
Guin</a></em></h4>
<p>This is fantasy and magic done exceedingly well. These read like
children stories - not in their style or content, which are very adult -
but in the massive expanse of the world that you start to imagine, the
way the stories run off the page and away with you. I can’t praise it
enough. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13642.A_Wizard_of_Earthsea">A
Wizard of Earthsea</a> [4.0]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13662.The_Tombs_of_Atuan">The
Tombs of Atuan</a> [4.1]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13667.The_Farthest_Shore">The
Farthest Shore</a> [4.1]</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13661.Tehanu">Tehanu:
The Last Book of Earthsea</a> [3.8]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13659.Tales_from_Earthsea">Tales
from Earthsea</a> [4.0]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13658.The_Other_Wind">The
Other Wind</a> [4.0]</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="elantris-2005-by-brandon-sanderson-4.17"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68427.Elantris">Elantris</a>
(2005) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Sanderson">Brandon
Sanderson</a></em> [4.17] 🔥</h4>
<p>This is a beautiful but somewhat slow paced book with really good
world building that we have come to expect and love from Brandon
Sanderson. If you are not sure to read it because it’s his first book,
have no fear!!! Go ahead and read it, I can assure you, you will not
regret it. - <a href="https://github.com/Shadeslayer234"><span
class="citation"
data-cites="Shadeslayer234">@Shadeslayer234</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally
radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical
abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an
ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of
the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians
became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself
dark, filthy, and crumbling. Arelon’s new capital, Kae, crouches in the
shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of
state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping—based on their correspondence—to
also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is
considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last
remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless
religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status
to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has
come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.
But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden.
Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly
exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches
trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon,
and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself. A rare epic fantasy
that doesn’t recycle the classics and that is a complete and satisfying
story in one volume, Elantris is fleet and fun, full of surprises and
characters to care about. It’s also the wonderful debut of a welcome new
star in the constellation of fantasy.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="harry-potter-by-j.k.-rowling"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter">Harry Potter</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling">J.K.
Rowling</a></em></h4>
<p>These are amusing, and relevant for their cultural impact if not for
the caliber of the writing. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone">Harry
Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15881.Harry_Potter_and_the_Chamber_of_Secrets">Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5.Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban">Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a> [4.5]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6.Harry_Potter_and_the_Goblet_of_Fire">Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire</a> [4.5]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2.Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix">Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1.Harry_Potter_and_the_Half_Blood_Prince">Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</a> [4.5]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136251.Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows">Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows</a> [4.6]</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers at
the age of 11 that he is a wizard, who lives within the ordinary world
of non-magical people, known as Muggles. The wizarding world is secret
from the Muggle world, presumably to avoid persecution of witches and
wizards. His ability is inborn, and such children are invited to attend
an exclusive magic school that teaches the necessary skills to succeed
in the wizarding world. Harry becomes a student at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry, and it is here where most of the events in the
series take place. As Harry develops through his adolescence, he learns
to overcome the problems that face him: magical, social and emotional,
including ordinary teenage challenges such as friendships, infatuation
and exams, and the greater test of preparing himself for the
confrontation in the real world that lies ahead.</p>
<p>Each book chronicles one year in Harry’s life with the main narrative
being set in the years 1991–98. The books also contain many flashbacks,
which are frequently experienced by Harry viewing the memories of other
characters in a device called a Pensieve.</p>
<p>The environment Rowling created is completely separate from reality
yet also intimately connected to it. While the fantasy land of Narnia is
an alternative universe and the Lord of the Rings‍ ’​ Middle-earth a
mythic past, the wizarding world of Harry Potter exists in parallel
within the real world and contains magical versions of the ordinary
elements of everyday life. Many of its institutions and locations are
recognizable, such as London. It comprises a fragmented collection of
overlooked hidden streets, ancient pubs, lonely country manors and
secluded castles that remain invisible to the Muggle population.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="temeraire-2006-by-naomi-novik-4.06"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43272-temeraire">Temeraire</a>
(2006) <em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Novik">Naomi
Novik</a></em> [4.06]</h4>
<p>Historical fiction is an interesting niche. It brings in names,
places, and events I’ve heard of but adds in dragons without completely
annihilating the history. If you are a fan of Powder Mage series, this
has a similar feel but with less magic and more dragons. - <a
href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li>His Majesty’s Dragon</li>
<li>Throne of Jade</li>
<li>Black Powder War</li>
<li>Empire of Ivory</li>
<li>Victory of Eagles</li>
<li>Tongues of Serpents</li>
<li>Crucible of Gold</li>
<li>Blood of Tyrants</li>
<li>League of Dragons</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars
as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or
speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the
precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will
Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an
unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the
rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he
will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For
as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in
Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their
own baptism of fire.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="mistborn-by-brandon-sanderson-4.4"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistborn_series">Mistborn</a> <em>by
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Sanderson">Brandon
Sanderson</a></em> [4.4]</h4>
<p>The Mistborn trilogy (well, he plans on doing a trilogy of trilogies,
and the last 2 of the 2nd trilogy are due out in the next year or so) is
probably his best known and a great read, too. I would recommend all of
his stuff, but I think the original Mistborn is probably the best place
to start (for one, they’re much shorter!). - <a
href="https://github.com/CWSpear"><span class="citation"
data-cites="CWSpear">@CWSpear</span></a></p>
<p>I’ve only read the first trilogy at this point, but I loved it; the
magic system is pretty well done, the characters are convincing, we’ve
got some strong female leads, and there’s a good amount of intrigue and
plot setting. Brandon Sanderson is fairly good at turning tropes on
their head, as well, which was fun to read - a lot of my original
complaints have now turned into praises for the books. I’m looking
forward to reading more. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>I have read the first six books and will continue reading every book
in this series…and probably everything Sanderson writes. The Mistborn
stories are well crafted and interesting. There is so much going on as
they also fit into Sanderson’s Cosmere which means characters from other
worlds occasionally interact with those from Scadrial - the world where
these novels are based. I find every story to be expertly paced, never
leaving a lull in the momentum, I have had friends say they found the
sixth book, Bands of Mourning, to be a little slow but I didn’t have the
same view. Every novel is well rounded, leaving plenty unsaid and
undiscovered but never robbing the reader of a complete or resolved
story.</p>
<p>The first trilogy introduces us to a strange and spectacular world:
one where there is magic, intrigue, social/economic inequality and,
possibly my favorite thing, different races of people that inhabit this
world.</p>
<p>The second trilogy takes place some 300 years after the events of the
first, and many of these events have filtered through into the ‘modern’
day Scadrial (it has a very old western feel to the whole setting); such
as cities named after hero’s, religions based on characters and many
little secrets that are still unanswered from the first trilogy. We are
introduced to a whole batch of new characters and some not so new
characters - I won’t say more otherwise I may give too much away.</p>
<p>Would recommend this entire series and the whole Cosmere to any
fantasy fan. - <a href="https://github.com/SeanSWatkins"><span
class="citation" data-cites="SeanSWatkins">@SeanSWatkins</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The first three books are a trilogy to be read together.</p>
<p>Mistborn is an epic fantasy trilogy and a heist story of political
intrigue, surprises and magical martial-arts action. The saga dares to
turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the hero
of prophecy fails? What kind of world results when the Dark Lord is in
charge?</p>
<p>Books 4-7 are sequels that take place 300 years later.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68428.The_Final_Empire">The
Final Empire</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68429.The_Well_of_Ascension">The
Well of Ascension</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767793-the-hero-of-ages">The
Hero of Ages</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10803121-the-alloy-of-law">The
Alloy of Law</a> [4.2]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16065004-shadows-of-self">Shadows
of Self</a> [4.2]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18739426-the-bands-of-mourning">The
Bands of Mourning</a> [4.2]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23947089-the-lost-metal">The
Lost Metal</a> [4.5]</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="mother-of-learning-2021-by-domagoj-kurmaic-4.5"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/336405-mother-of-learning">Mother
of Learning</a> (2021) <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14128815.Domagoj_Kurmai_">Domagoj
Kurmaic</a></em> [4.5]</h4>
<p>Ground hog day combined with magician school turns out to be pretty
interesting. Throw in some mind spiders, liches, and magical beasts and
things get more interesting. - <a
href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A teenage mage of humble birth and slightly above-average skill,
Zorian is attending his third year of education at Cyoria’s magical
academy. A driven and quiet young man, he is consumed by a desire to
ensure his own future and free himself of the influence of his family,
resenting the Kazinskis for favoring his brothers over him.
Consequently, Zorian has no time for pointless distractions, much less
other people’s problems.</p>
<p>As it happens, though, time is something he is about to get plenty
of.</p>
<p>On the eve of Cyoria’s annual summer festival, Zorian is murdered,
then abruptly brought back to the beginning of the month, just before he
was about to take the train to school. Finding himself trapped in a time
loop with no clear end or exit, he will have to look both within and
without to unravel the mystery set before him. He does have to unravel
it, too, because the loop clearly wasn’t made for his sake, and in a
world of magic even a time traveler isn’t safe from those who wish him
ill.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="percy-jackson-by-rick-riordan"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Jackson_%26_the_Olympians">Percy
Jackson</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Riordan">Rick
Riordan</a></em></h4>
<p>These are really amazing and fun to read, especially the characters
and how it relates with Greek mythology. - <a
href="https://github.com/ankush1024"><span class="citation"
data-cites="ankush1024">@ankush1024</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28187.The_Lightning_Thief">The
Lightning Thief</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28186.The_Sea_of_Monsters">The
Sea of Monsters</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/561456.The_Titan_s_Curse">The
Titan’s Curse</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2120932.The_Battle_of_the_Labyrinth">The
Battle of the Labyrinth</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4556058-the-last-olympian">The
Last Olympian</a> [4.5]</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>The novels revolves around Percy Jackson, who is a demigod whose
father is Poseidon, God of the Sea and the quests he follows to save the
world from the war between gods.</p>
<p>The series feel fresh and new from the eyes of these young modern
heroes. From the first novel, the plot is engaging and exciting,
appealing to anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t belong. Between all
of the action, magic and riddles, it’s a truly heart-warming story about
finding friends who eventually become family, and houses that eventually
become homes.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="redwall-1986-by-brian-jacques-4.1-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40340-redwall">Redwall</a> (1986)
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jacques">Brian
Jacques</a></em> [4.1] :fire:</h4>
<p>While targeted towards a slightly younger audience, this series has
length and depth that many other fantasy series lack. Characters are
animals living in a medievalesque world that works quite well. - <a
href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<p>The best descriptions of food in any books ever. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20209935-redwall">Redwall</a>
[4.1] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19473270-mossflower">Mossflower</a>
[4.1]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19300221-mattimeo">Mattimeo</a>
[4.1]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20189089-mariel-of-redwall">Mariel</a>
[4.1]</li>
<li>… 21 total</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is
threatened by the evil, one-eyed rat warlord Cluny the Scourge and his
battle-hardened horde of predators.</p>
<p>Cluny is certain that Redwall will fall easily to his fearsome army
but he hasn’t bargained for the courage and strength of the Redwall mice
and their loyal woodland friends</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-belgariad-by-david-eddings-4.3-star2"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44660.The_Belgariad_Boxed_Set?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=wv9xaSskqn&amp;rank=3">The
Belgariad</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eddings">David
Eddings</a></em> [4.3] :star2:</h4>
<p>The Belgariad was my first foray into an epic series and I was hooked
from the start because of the characters, humor, and adventure created
by David and Leigh Eddings. The series starts with Pawn of Prophecy and
spans a total of 16 novels each as well developed as the one before.
Inspired by the continued printing of Lord of the Rings, Eddings created
the Belgariad as a trilogy, but was eventually convinced by the
publisher to print it as a series of five books. The story continues on
in the equally as developed 5-book series known as the <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/42429-the-malloreon">Mallorean</a>.
- <a href="https://github.com/codercarly"><span class="citation"
data-cites="codercarly">@codercarly</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44659.Pawn_of_Prophecy">Pawn
of Prophecy</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/587582.Queen_of_Sorcery">Queen
of Sorcery</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44688.Magician_s_Gambit">Magician’s
Gambit</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/645023.Castle_of_Wizardry">Castle
of Wizardry</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44687.Enchanters_End_Game">Enchanters
End Game</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>It all begins with the theft of the Orb that for so long protected
the West from an evil god. As long as the Orb was at Riva, the prophecy
went, its people would be safe from this corrupting power. Garion, a
simple farm boy, is familiar with the legend of the Orb, but skeptical
in matters of magic. Until, through a twist of fate, he learns not only
that the story of the Orb is true, but that he must set out on a quest
of unparalleled magic and danger to help recover it. For Garion is a
child of destiny, and fate itself is leading him far from his home,
sweeping him irrevocably toward a distant tower-and a cataclysmic
confrontation with a master of the darkest magic. The quest may be
nearing its end, but the danger continues. After discovering a shocking
secret about himself he never could have imagined-all in pursuit of the
legendary Orb-Garion and his fellow adventurers must escape a crumbling
enemy fortress and flee across a vast desert filled with ruthless
soldiers whose only aim is to destroy them. But even when the quest is
complete, Garion’s destiny is far from fulfilled. For the evil God Torak
is about to awaken and seek dominion. Somehow, Garion has to face the
God, to kill or be killed. On the outcome of this dread duel rests the
future of the world. But how can one man destroy an immortal God?</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-book-of-the-new-sun-by-gene-wolfe-4.1-star2"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41474-the-book-of-the-new-sun">The
Book of the New Sun</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wolfe">Gene Wolfe</a></em>
[4.1] :star2:</h4>
<p>My favourite book series of all time. Severian is an unreliable
narrator, as he remembers everything. But he lies to you, and you slowly
start to realise it. The fifth book, which was added later to the other
four (mostly sold as two books), has the most unexpected revelations
that make a rereading entirely necessary. This series is incredible. -
<a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40992.Shadow_Claw">Shadow and
Claw</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40995.Sword_and_Citadel">Sword
and Citadel</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60215.The_Urth_of_the_New_Sun">Urth
of the New Sun</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Recently voted the greatest fantasy of all time, after The Lord of
the Rings and The Hobbit, Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun is an
extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, on an Earth
transformed in mysterious and wondrous ways, in a time when our present
culture is no longer even a memory. Severian, the central character, is
a torturer, exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his
victims, and journeying to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his
ancient executioner’s sword, Terminus Est. This edition contains the
second two volumes of this four volume novel, The Sword of the Lictor
and The Citadel of the Autarch.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-chronicles-of-amber-by-roger-zelazny-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5367.The_Great_Book_of_Amber">The
Chronicles of Amber</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Zelazny">Roger
Zelazny</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>In truth, this is ten books, but they aren’t stand-alone. I would
call this two series: the Corwin series of the first five books, and the
Merlin series of the second.</p>
<p>Like most high fantasy, I didn’t so much read these books as devour
them. The series was excellent. Corwin’s story is the story within all
of us; a desire to be loved, to make sense of the world, to win back the
castle from the evil usurper. Amber - the city upon which all other
cities are but a shadow. Like CS Lewis, this earth is only a shadow of
the real earth. Corwin is one of my favourite characters from a fantasy
series; it’s not often that you get to talk to someone who was a soldier
in Napolean’s army, who knew Van Gogh, who remembers Paris at the turn
of the century (his section on the chestnuts is exquisite).</p>
<p>There is so much good writing, so many beautiful places, that it is
almost impossible to remember it all. Reading this book wasn’t so much
reading as being transported to faery for a day. I remember feeling
totally at a loss after reading one afternoon, as if I had been
transported; the next day, on top of a mountain, I had the exact same
feeling, that I was somewhere else. Reading these books gave me the
greatest joy that a book can give - being lost in another world. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Roger Zelazny’s chronicles of Amber have earned their place as
all-time classics of imaginative literature. Now, here are all ten
novels, together in one magnificent omnibus volume. Witness the titanic
battle for supremacy waged on Earth, in the Courts of Chaos, and on a
magical world of mystery, adventure and romance.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-chronicles-of-prydain-1964-by-lloyd-alexander-4.42"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Prydain">The
Chronicles of Prydain</a> 1964 <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Alexander">Lloyd
Alexander</a></em> [4.42]</h4>
<p>The Chronicles of Prydain encapsulates what I deem to be a perfect
fantasy series for young adults. The overarching theme of the series is
the triumph of good over evil as the protagonist grapples with pain,
betrayal, love, and other classic tropes in fantasy literature.
Alexander’s profound compassion is what makes “The Chronicles of
Prydain” such an enduring thrill. The action is engaging enough for
young children, but the principles it reveals are profound enough to
resound with the reader at every stage of life. - <a
href="https://github.com/lin-dsey"><span class="citation"
data-cites="lin-dsey">@lin-dsey</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24780.The_Book_of_Three">The
Book of Three</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24784.The_Black_Cauldron">The
Black Cauldron</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24779.The_Castle_of_Llyr">The
Castle of Llyr</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24782.Taran_Wanderer">Taran
Wanderer</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24781.The_High_King">The High
King</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>The five novels take place in Prydain, a fictional country ruled by a
High King who oversees several minor kingdoms. The setting is based on
Wales and inhabited by creatures and characters inspired by Welsh
mythology and folklore. The series follows the protagonist Taran, a
youth of unknown parentage living on a farm with an old enchanter named
Dallben and a farmer named Coll. Taran, who dreams of being a great
hero, is named “Assistant Pig-Keeper” and tasked with helping to care
for and protect Hen Wen, a white oracular pig magically empowered with
clairvoyance. Taran has a series of adventures wherein he helps protect
the land of Prydain from various threats, chief among them the evil
Arawn, whose forces include an undead army known as the Cauldron-Born.
Throughout the novels, Taran’s major companions are the Princess
Eilonwy, the bard Fflewddur Fflam, the wild beast-man Gurgi, and the
dwarf Doli. The heroes frequently work alongside the Fair Folk (a
society of elves and similar beings) and the warriors known as the Sons
of Don. Along with various battles against forces of evil, the novels
focus on Taran’s journey of maturity.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-daevabad-trilogy-2017-bys.-a.-chakraborty4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/211584-the-daevabad-trilogy">The
Daevabad Trilogy</a> 2017 <em>by<a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._A._Chakraborty">S. A.
Chakraborty</a></em>[4.3]</h4>
<p>This series is sumptuous. It follows Nahri as she leaves her hum-drum
life in Egypt for a life of adventure, danger, and romance. It all
starts when she plays with magic she doesn’t understand and ends up
summoning a djinn. This is truly an epic work as it spans three books,
the final volume weighing in at nearly 800 pages. The world building is
wonderful and reading a fantasy based on eastern magic and mythology was
a welcome change for me among so many fantasies that seem more
European-based. I looked forward to both sequels as they came out and
finished reading the final installment without even realizing I had read
over 700 pages because I read it on a Kindle!</p>
<p>One of my favorite parts of the books was the unique perspective
brought by each of the characters. Although the story starts off with
Nahri and I would call her THE main character, it is written with other
views as well. Each character had a distinctive voice. I find this to be
a sprawling story in the best sense. - <a
href="https://github.com/novemberhaiku"><span class="citation"
data-cites="novemberhaiku">@novemberhaiku</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32718027-the-city-of-brass">The
City of Brass</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39988431-the-kingdom-of-copper">The
Kingdom of Copper</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52166786-the-empire-of-gold">The
Empire of Gold</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>In the Daevabad Trilogy, S. A. Chakraborty builds an astounding world
full of magic and conflict. Nahri begins as a grifter in Egypt, but
accidentally summons a djinn who unwillingly introduces her to a world
of magic and the city he once called home. Its history is dark and its
future uncertain as Nahri discovers who she really is and how she can
change the world of the djinn.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-deed-of-paksenarrion-by-elizabeth-moon-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96281.The_Deed_of_Paksenarrion">The
Deed of Paksenarrion</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Moon">Elizabeth
Moon</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>This omnibus edition of 3 books describes the origin and deeds of a
female Paladin named Paksenarrion. The Deed of Paksenarrion contemplates
justice, true courage and the forces of good and evil in a way that is
refreshing. I don’t think I ever really understood the fantasy class of
Paladin until reading this either, Elizabeth Moon’s depiction will now
forever be my etched on my brain as what a Paladin is.</p>
<p>It has all the usual trappings of high fantasy including dwarves and
elves, but what really stands out is the balance of gender and the role
of women. Throughout the books women are respected as equals and
Paksenarrion develops a courageous, head-strong and loyal character that
is engrossing and convincing. - <a
href="https://github.com/samueljseay"><span class="citation"
data-cites="samueljseay">@samueljseay</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96278.Sheepfarmer_s_Daughter">Sheepfarmer’s
Daughter</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/887858.Divided_Allegiance">Divided
Allegiance</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17316.Oath_of_Gold">Oath of
Gold</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Paksenarrion-—Paks for short-—was somebody special. Never could she
have followed her father’s orders and married the pig farmer down the
road. Better a soldier’s life than a pigfarmer’s wife, and so though she
knew that she could never go home again, Paks ran away to be a soldier.
And so began an adventure destined to transform a simple Sheepfarmer’s
Daughter into a hero fit to be chosen by the gods</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-demon-cycle-2008-by-peter-v.-brett-4.2-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/46817-the-demon-cycle">The Demon
Cycle</a> (2008) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_V._Brett">Peter V.
Brett</a></em> [4.2] :fire:</h4>
<p>This a darker fantasy series that weaves the story from different
people who are not necessarily allies but allied towards a similar end
goal. Different beliefs and an intricate magic system keep things
interesting. - <a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span
class="citation" data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809182-o-protegido">The
Warded Man</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17411982-pustinjsko-koplje">The
Desert Spear</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16163983-the-daylight-war">The
Daylight War</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24516043-the-skull-throne">The
Skull Throne</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36179561-the-core">The
Core</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess
supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For
hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling
the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose
origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly
fragile.</p>
<p>It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings
on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow
stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless
assault.</p>
<p>Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of
vicious demon attacks will do the unthinkable, stepping beyond the
crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to
regain the secrets of the past.</p>
<p>Arlen Bales will pay any price, embrace any sacrifice, for freedom,
and his grim journey will take him beyond the bounds of human power.
Crippled by the demons that killed his parents, Rojer Inn seeks solace
in music, only to discover that his instrument can be a weapon as well
as a refuge. Wanting to cure the sick and injured, Leesha Paper
overcomes great hardship to become a guardian of old world science,
learning that what heals can also harm. Together, they will stand
against the night.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-farseer-trilogy-by-robin-hobb-4.1-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41452-farseer-trilogy">The
Farseer Trilogy</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hobb">Robin Hobb</a></em>
[4.1] :fire:</h4>
<p>I devoured these books; the magic system is great and the world is
well worked through. There’s a fantastic amount of detail that never
gets onerous, amazingly. The characters grow with the story, unlike most
fantasy novels. The writing of characters who are under spells is also
fantastic - Hobb never tells you directly that they have been befuddled
until after, which makes for some very fun and enjoyable surprises. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45107.Assassin_s_Apprentice">Assassin’s
Apprentice</a> [4.1]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68487.Royal_Assassin">Royal
Assassin</a> [4.2]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45112.Assassin_s_Quest">Assassin’s
Quest</a> [4.2]</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the
virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma. Born on
the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal
bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his
magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him
solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous
magic, and one abhorred by the nobility. So when Fitz is finally adopted
into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new
life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man
secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-first-law-trilogy-2006-by-joe-abercrombie-4.2-fire"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Law">The First Law
Trilogy</a> (2006) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Abercrombie">Joe
Abercrombie</a></em> [4.2] :fire:</h4>
<p>The First Law is a grimdark epic fantasy trilogy that is very
character driven. The characters in this book are not particularly
<em>likable</em> but despite that I found them all very lovable. The
first book is a slow burn, and for a time I wasn’t sure I would
continue, but by the time I was half way I realised I loved seeing these
characters go through their hardships, and on their adventures. This is
the kind of series you feel sad about finishing because you want to
spend more time with these characters. Fortunately there are standalone
books and a second trilogy to read if you enjoy the original
trilogy!</p>
<p>The magic in this series isn’t front and center. Despite this I would
say this is a series every lover of fantasy needs to read. - <a
href="https://github.com/Darknessflowers"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Darknessflowers">@Darknessflowers</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<p>Original trilogy:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944073.The_Blade_Itself">The
Blade Itself</a> [4.2] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/902715.Before_They_Are_Hanged">Before
They Are Hanged</a> [4.3] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944076.Last_Argument_of_Kings">Last
Argument of Kings</a> [4.3] :fire:</li>
</ul>
<p>Standalone Novels:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2315892.Best_Served_Cold">Best
Served Cold</a> [4.2]</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9300768-the-heroes">The
Heroes</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13521459-red-country">Red
Country</a> [4.3]</li>
</ul>
<p>Short Story anthology:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26030742-sharp-ends">Sharp
Ends</a> [4.2]</li>
</ul>
<p>The Age of Madness Trilogy:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35606041-a-little-hatred">A
Little Hatred</a> [4.5]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40701777-the-trouble-with-peace">The
Trouble With Peace</a> [4.7]</li>
<li>The Wisdom of Crowds - <em>to be released 2021</em></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck.
Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead
barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and
a lot of happy enemies.</p>
<p>Nobleman Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of
selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his
friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is
brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by
altogether bloodier rules.</p>
<p>Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better
than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone:
cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little
room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to
the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to
follow it.</p>
<p>Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a
pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a
spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he’s about to make the lives of
Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.</p>
<p>Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to
be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to
draw blood.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-inheritance-trilogy-by-n.k.-jemisin"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inheritance_Trilogy_(N.K._Jemisin)">The
Inheritance Trilogy</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._K._Jemisin">N.K.
Jemisin</a></em></h4>
<p>Dealing with racial and sexual discrimination in a high fantasy
setting, the novel is excellent. - <a
href="https://github.com/SeanSWatkins"><span class="citation"
data-cites="SeanSWatkins">@SeanSWatkins</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6437061-the-hundred-thousand-kingdoms">The
Hundred Thousand Kingdoms</a> [4.2]</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>The first novel centers around Yeine a Darr woman who has been called
back to the city Sky for reasons unbeknown to her. The current leader of
Sky, who also rules the world at large, is nearing the end of his life
and, in true Arameri fashion, makes a game of his succession. Yeine is
soon caught up in schemes that she does not fully understand, involving
gods she cannot fully comprehend. She must sift through lies and
half-truths she is told to try and uncover what is really going on in
the capital of the world, all the while trying to navigate a fragile and
deceptive political atmosphere. The story is told from the first-person
viewpoint of the main protagonist, Yeine. It’s written as a retelling of
a story, where she is walking you through her time in Sky and all the
events that lead up to the climax of the story. The story does seems to
jump around quite a bit without becoming confusing.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-kingkiller-chronicle-by-patrick-rothfuss"><a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kingkiller_Chronicle">The
Kingkiller Chronicle</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Rothfuss">Patrick
Rothfuss</a></em></h4>
<p>These are exceptionally well written, humorous, and display a
surprising lack of non-ironic tropes. There’s a good sense of humor, the
magic is well fleshed out, and the main character, Kvothe, is just great
to read about and very easy to be sympathetic towards. Loved ’em, can’t
wait for the final third. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_Wind">The
Name of the Wind</a> [4.55]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1215032.The_Wise_Man_s_Fear">The
Wise Man’s Fear</a> [4.56]</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>The Kingkiller Chronicle is a fantasy trilogy by Patrick Rothfuss,
telling the autobiography of Kvothe, an adventurer and famous
musician.</p>
<p>The plot is divided into two different action threads: the present,
where Kvothe tells the story of his life to Devan Lochees (known as
Chronicler) in the main room of his inn, and Kvothe’s past, the story in
question, which makes up the majority of the books. The present-day
interludes are in the third person from the perspective of multiple
characters, while the story of Kvothe’s life is told entirely in the
first person from his own perspective.</p>
<p>The series also contains many meta-fictional stories-within-stories
from varying perspectives, most of which are recounted by Kvothe, having
been heard from other characters in his past.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-lightbringer-series-by-brent-weeks"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/49673-lightbringer">The
Lightbringer Series</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Weeks">Brent
Weeks</a></em></h4>
<p>The Lightbringer Series has one of the most intricately fleshed-out
magic systems that I have ever seen in high fantasy, where the use of
magic has interesting implications on characters’ lifespan and
personality. The storyline, character development, and plot twists make
it a binge-worthy series. On top of that, Weeks does an excellent job of
bringing the reader through each characters’ strengths and weaknesses in
personality, magical ability, and circumstances that shape how they end
up fitting in to the larger picture. Through the development of his
characters, his books address larger societal and philosophical issues
from slavery and discrimination to theology and theism/atheism. It is
incredibly well-thought out, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the
last and final installment of the series. The fifth book <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30169100-the-burning-white">The
Burning White</a> is expected to come out sometime in 2019! - <a
href="https://github.com/ciarrapeters"><span class="citation"
data-cites="ciarrapeters">@ciarrapeters</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7165300-the-black-prism">The
Black Prism</a> (2010) [4.24]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12499290-the-blinding-knife">The
Blinding Knife</a> (2012) (4.45)</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12652457-the-broken-eye">The
Broken Eye</a> (2014) [4.47]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29467232-the-blood-mirror">The
Blood Mirror</a> (2016) [4.32]</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high
priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that
preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows
exactly how long he has left to live.</p>
<p>When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the
war that put him in power, he must decide how much he’s willing to pay
to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-lord-of-the-rings-by-j.r.r.-tolkien-4.4-star2-fire"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings">The Lord of
the Rings</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien">J.R.R.
Tolkien</a></em> [4.4] :star2: :fire:</h4>
<p>No comment. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34.The_Fellowship_of_the_Ring">The
Fellowship of the Ring</a> :fire: :star2:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15241.The_Two_Towers">The Two
Towers</a> :fire: :star2:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18512.The_Return_of_the_King">The
Return of the King</a> :fire: :star2:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>A fantastic starter set for new Tolkien fans or readers interested in
rediscovering the magic of Middle-earth, this three-volume box set
features paperback editions of the complete trilogy – The Fellowship of
the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King – each with art
from the New Line Productions feature film on the cover.</p>
<p>J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a genuine
masterpiece. The most widely read and influential fantasy epic of all
time, it is also quite simply one of the most memorable and beloved
tales ever told. Originally published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings set
the framework upon which all epic/quest fantasy since has been built.
Through the urgings of the enigmatic wizard Gandalf, young hobbit Frodo
Baggins embarks on an urgent, incredibly treacherous journey to destroy
the One Ring. This ring – created and then lost by the Dark Lord,
Sauron, centuries earlier – is a weapon of evil, one that Sauron
desperately wants returned to him. With the power of the ring once again
his own, the Dark Lord will unleash his wrath upon all of Middle-earth.
The only way to prevent this horrible fate from becoming reality is to
return the Ring to Mordor, the only place it can be destroyed.
Unfortunately for our heroes, Mordor is also Sauron’s lair. The Lord of
the Rings trilogy is essential reading not only for fans of fantasy but
for lovers of classic literature as well…</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-lost-years-of-merlin-by-t.a.-barron-4.0"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40391">The Lost Years of
Merlin</a> by <em><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._A._Barron">T.A. Barron</a></em>
[4.0]</h4>
<p>These books are amazing just for the imaginative power of the author,
who grabs random snippets from old folklore and tries to make a story
out of them. They’re nothing like the actual Merlin, but they’re pretty
fun to read. The writing style is more aimed at young adults, however,
and they don’t age well. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18392.The_Lost_Years">The Lost
Years of Merlin</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18396.The_Seven_Songs_of_Merlin">The
Seven Songs of Merlin</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18393.The_Fires_of_Merlin">The
Fires of Merlin</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18394.The_Mirror_of_Merlin">The
Mirror of Merlin</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18395.The_Wings_of_Merlin">The
Wings of Merlin</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>When Merlin, suffering from a case of severe amnesia, discovers his
strange powers, he becomes determined to discover his identity and flees
to Fincayra where he fulfills his destiny, saving Fincayra from certain
destruction and claiming his birthright and true name.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-malazan-book-of-the-fallen-1999-by-steven-erikson-3.8"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43493-the-malazan-book-of-the-fallen">The
Malazan Book Of The Fallen</a> (1999) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Erikson">Steven
Erikson</a></em> [3.8]</h4>
<p>Mixing the grittiness of Glen Cook’s books with the modern fantasy
elements, this series is more brutal than any before it. Lots of
philosophical questions stems from reading even the less important
chapters and a huge amount of characters makes it for a very long and
deep read. As Erikson himself points out, people either “love it or hate
it”. The author is writing a prequel series right now and will add a
sequel trilogy after it, making for a total of 16 books. - <a
href="https://github.com/Donearm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Donearm">@Donearm</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55399.Gardens_of_the_Moon">Gardens
of the Moon</a> [3.8]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55401.Deadhouse_Gates">Deadhous
Gates</a> [4.2]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175983.Memories_of_Ice">Memories
of Ice</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55398.House_of_Chains">House
of Chains</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/345299.Midnight_Tides">Midnight
Tides</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/478951.The_Bonehunters">The
Bonehunters</a> [4.4]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459064.Reaper_s_Gale">Reaper’s
Gale</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/938544.Toll_the_Hounds">Toll
the Hounds</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4703427-dust-of-dreams">Dust
of Dreams</a> [4.3]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8447255-the-crippled-god">The
Crippled God</a> [4.4]</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Steven Erikson draws on twenty years of experience as an
anthropologist and archaeologist. Vast legions of gods, mages, humans,
dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan
Empire, with brutal action and battle scenes</p>
<p>The world building is done on an unprecedented scale and Erikson has
left a lifetime’s worth of novels on the table in the world of the
Malazan Empire. So what is left to talk about? It’s simple, the writing.
I can tell that Steven Erikson’s writing is filled with wit, charm,
philosophical brilliance and a sense of imagination that would humble
the most creative of authors. You will be hard-pressed to find his equal
in any genre.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-riftwar-saga-by-raymond-e.-feist-4.3"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Riftwar_Saga">The Riftwar
Saga</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_E._Feist">Raymond E.
Feist</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>This reads like someone decided to put some characters in their
Dungeons and Dragons world, which is exactly how they were formed. For
all that, they are amusing. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43915.Magician">Magician:
Apprentice</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8320534-raymond-e-feist-s-magician-master">Magician:
Master</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/149302.Silverthorn">Silverthorn</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13813.A_Darkness_At_Sethanon">A
Darkness at Sethanon</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan
Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. His courage won him a
place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, but he was ill at
ease with normal wizardry. Yet his strange magic may save two worlds
from dark beings who opened space-time to renew the age-old battle
between Order and Chaos.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-riyria-chronicles-2013-by-michael-j.-sullivan-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/175806-the-riyria-chronicles">The
Riyria Chronicles</a> (2013) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Sullivan_(author)">Michael
J. Sullivan</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>Writing a good prequel is hard, but this series masterfully
introduces the main characters. If you’re reading by publishing year, it
fills in the blanks in much of Royce and Hadrian’s origin story that is
hinted at later on. - <a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span
class="citation" data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving
assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that
no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the
grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable
possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and
this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two
remarkable men. Now if Arcadius can just keep Hadrian and Royce from
killing each other, they just might succeed.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-riyria-revelations-2008-by-michael-j.-sullivan-4.2"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/96465-the-riyria-revelations">The
Riyria Revelations</a> (2008) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Sullivan_(author)">Michael
J. Sullivan</a></em> [4.2]</h4>
<p>Chronologically this is second, but this series was published first.
This series is what pulled me into reading all of Michael J Sullivan’s
other writings. Dynamic duos make a great story, and it’s the same for
this set of series. - <a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span
class="citation" data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness,
just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a
skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a
profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring
nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder
the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins
this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and
legend.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-silmarillion-by-j.r.r.-tolkien-3.8-fire"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7332.The_Silmarillion">The
Silmarillion</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien">J.R.R.
Tolkien</a></em> [3.8] :fire:</h4>
<p>This is one of the most ridiculous forays into world building, ever.
At times, it reads like a textbook, but there are sections that are
extremely powerful and characters that are gripping. The Silmarillion
takes a bit more imagination and fortitude than the Lord of the Rings,
but is worth the effort, especially if you’ve already read his other
books a few times and want more. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Designed to take fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings deeper
into the myths and legends of Middle-Earth, The Silmarillion is an
account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s world. It is
the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look
back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took
part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the
first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon
him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure
light of Valinor. Included in the book are several shorter works. The
Ainulindale is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature
and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabeth recounts the
downfall of the great island kingdom of Numenor at the end of the Second
Age and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of
the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings. This pivotal work
features the revised, corrected text and includes, by way of an
introduction, a fascinating letter written by Tolkien in 1951 in which
he gives a full explanation of how he conceived the early Ages of
Middle-Earth.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-stormlight-archive-by-brandon-sanderson-4.6"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stormlight_Archive">The
Stormlight Archive</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Sanderson">Brandon
Sanderson</a></em> [4.6]</h4>
<p>The Stormlight Archive books (only 2 out of a planned 10 last I
heard) are 2 of the longest books out there, and I read on my Kindle and
did not realize they were so long until I realized I was some 15 hours
in and ~50% done IIRC. I was so engrossed, I hadn’t cared. I got the 2nd
one the day it came out and read it in about 10 days despite my busy
schedule (sleep was sacrificed). - <a
href="https://github.com/CWSpear"><span class="citation"
data-cites="CWSpear">@CWSpear</span></a></p>
<p>I completely agree that however long these books are, it doesn’t
really matter. They’re fantastic. The magic system is complex, and the
characters Brandon focuses on have their own little foibles and bits of
awesome. This is classic 90’s fantasy, but still incredibly good. The
world is also pretty novel for fantasy - no more England-like
environments, but actually a different kind of landscape. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Brandon Sanderson’s epic fantasy cycle tells the story of Roshar, a
world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep
across the rocky terrain. It has been centuries since the fall of the
ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their
Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor
that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. As brutal
wars rage over the control of these magical weapons, an ancient text
called The Way of Kings tells of ancient times, the Knights Radiant, and
perhaps the true cause of the war. The Knights Radiant must stand
again.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7235533-the-way-of-kings">The
Way of Kings</a> [4.61] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332218-words-of-radiance">Words
of Radiance</a> [4.76] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34002132-oathbringer">Oathbringer</a>
[4.73] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49021976-rhythm-of-war">Rhythm
of War</a> [4.63]</li>
<li><em>More coming</em></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="the-wandering-inn-2018-by-pirateaba-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/265443-the-wandering-inn">The
Wandering Inn</a> (2018) <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18265573.Pirateaba">Pirateaba</a></em>
[4.3]</h4>
<p>Initially this started as a webserial, which might indicate shorter
length, but there are 9 volumes (each 1k+ pages). While there are LitRPG
themes of a sort, this is more of people being transported into another
world not a game. The world building is some of the best: countries
(with politics), magic, characters (good, bad, side), plans/plots,
bias/hatred, and unique monsters. - <a
href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>“No killing Goblins.”</p>
<p>So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run
by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage,
blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from
another world. Ours.</p>
<p>It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical
world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place
where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one
species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.</p>
<p>In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and
gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly
Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin
Solstice runs an inn.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4
id="the-wheel-of-time-by-robert-jordan-and-brandon-sanderson-4.15-fire"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time">The Wheel of
Time</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jordan">Robert Jordan</a>
(and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Sanderson">Brandon
Sanderson</a>)</em> [4.15] :fire:</h4>
<p>These books are probably the longest single series in the fantasy
genre. I’ve read the series eight times. I don’t know what to make of
that, except that it’s worth reading. It’s like a long soap opera - the
characters are one sided and flat, but there are so many of them that
you end up not minding. The magic system is very intricate, and the
general plot line is good. The three last books were co-written, as
Robert Jordan died before they were done. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228665.The_Eye_of_the_World">The
Eye of the World</a> :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233649.The_Great_Hunt">The
Great Hunt</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34897.The_Dragon_Reborn">The
Dragon Reborn</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9539.The_Shadow_Rising">The
Shadow Rising</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13895.The_Fires_of_Heaven">The
Fires of Heaven</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35231.Lord_of_Chaos">Lord of
Chaos</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13890.A_Crown_of_Swords">A
Crown of Swords</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140974.The_Path_of_Daggers">The
Path of Daggers</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13891.Winter_s_Heart">Winter’s
Heart</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113435.Crossroads_of_Twilight">Crossroads
of Twilight</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13888.Knife_of_Dreams">Knife of
Dreams</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1166599.The_Gathering_Storm">The
Gathering Storm</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8253920-towers-of-midnight">Towers
of Midnight</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7743175-a-memory-of-light">A
Memory of Light</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/187065.New_Spring">New
Spring (prequel)</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that
become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten
when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age
of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What
was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="thorn-of-glass-series-2012-by-sarah-j.-maas-4.21"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7896527-throne-of-glass">Thorn
of Glass Series</a> (2012) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_J._Maas">Sarah J.
Maas</a></em> [4.21] 🔥</h4>
<p>This is gorgeous, dark and ridiculously epic. Fast-paced,
action-packed and High-fantasy goodness lovers!
People-who-don’t-love-any-of-those-things-but-want-to-try-something-new
lovers! - I definitely recommend this book! - <a
href="https://github.com/gayatripalkar"><span class="citation"
data-cites="gayatripalkar">@gayatripalkar</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18243700-the-assassin-s-blade">The
Assassin’s Blade</a> [4.4] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7896527-throne-of-glass">Throne
of Glass</a> [4.21] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17167166-crown-of-midnight">Crown
of Midnight</a> [4.43] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20613470-heir-of-fire">Heir of
Fire</a> [4.48] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18006496-queen-of-shadows">Queen
of Shadows</a> [4.56] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28260587-empire-of-storms">Empire
of Storms</a> [4.54] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450852-tower-of-dawn">Tower
of Dawn</a> [4.36] 🔥</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33590260-kingdom-of-ash">Kingdom
of Ash</a> [4.57] 🔥</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>Throne of Glass is a young adult turned new adult, high fantasy novel
series by American author Sarah J. Maas, beginning with the novel of the
same name, released in August 2012. The story follows the journey of
Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a corrupt kingdom with a
tyrannical ruler. As the tale progresses, Celaena forms unexpected bonds
and uncovers a conspiracy amidst her adventures. The series concluded
with the eighth book in October 2018. The series appeared on the New
York Times Best Seller list, and has been optioned by Hulu for a
television series adaptation by Mark Gordon.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier
for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged
before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one
condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new
royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors
from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s
council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll
serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard,
Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court
life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to
show interest in her … but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to
understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead …
quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is
before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her
search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly
have imagined.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="tortall-1983-by-tamora-pierce-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/50262-tortall">Tortall</a> (1983)
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamora_Pierce">Tamora
Pierce</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>These are a collection of series that all focus on female
protagonists in unique fantasy jobs, from law enforcement to magicians.
Each exist in the same universe but are generally years apart, so there
are hints of other periods but each series can easily stand on its own.
- <a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<p>Series:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/44532-beka-cooper">Beka
Cooper</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43928-song-of-the-lioness">The
Song of the Lioness</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/49863-immortals">The
Immortals</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43815-protector-of-the-small">The
Protector of the Small</a></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43688-daughter-of-the-lioness">Tricksters</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>The area known as Tortall and its surrounding countries is a medieval
fantasy universe, emerging from a time in the north when only men were
permitted to hold knighthoods. It is the home of an interesting
assortment of heroes, many of them girls, who have found ways to make a
difference in a world that can be hard and bloody–as knights, as mages
(wizards), as spies, as law enforcement.</p>
<p>On the field of battle or in the corridors of noble houses, flanked
by companions human, animal, and sometimes other, the Tortall heroes
always have their work cut out for them. There is military danger from
neighbors like northern Scanra, eastern Tusaine, and worst of all,
imperial Carthak in the south, with its ever-hungry slave culture and
its greedy mage emperor. Pirates from Carthak, Scanra, and the Copper
Isles haunt Tortall’s eastern shores. And in a country both large and
sparsely policed, there is always a risk of conflict, be it from rebel
nobles, the impoverished people of the eastern hills, or the barely
vanquished Bazhir tribes.</p>
<p>Its monarchs range from kind to fumbling to formidable, as do its
thieves, its mages, its priests, its warriors, and most of all, its
gods. These are very much present in the lives of the people, taking up
champions and taking against those who have angered them. They are
joined by god-like creatures–winged horses; giant spiders with human
heads; dragons; griffins; giants; huge, icy lizards that hunt down
thieves no matter what stands in their way.</p>
<p>It is a beautiful, perilous place, where teenagers and adults can
make their mark on a magical world!</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="standard-fantasy">Standard Fantasy</h3>
<h4 id="american-gods-by-neil-gaiman-4.1"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4407.American_Gods">American
Gods</a> <em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman">Neil
Gaiman</a></em> [4.1]</h4>
<p>This book stands up to a reread, and is a nice example of Neil
Gaiman’s ability to draw together a thousand different threads into one
cohesive story. The scenes in the Wisconsin small towns stay with me
much longer than the rest of the book - they’re reminiscent of the much
better book <em>Peace</em> by Gene Wolfe, not to say they’re not well
done. This is a quick and great read, and it continually surprises. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a
mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane,
he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee
from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.</p>
<p>Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart
of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic
proportions threatens to break.</p>
<p>Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, AMERICAN GODS takes a long,
hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what and who
it finds there…</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-book-of-knights-by-yves-menard-3.94"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1583772">The Book of
Knights</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Meynard">Yves Menard</a></em>
[3.94]</h4>
<p>An outstanding book. I was blown away by how exceptionally
other-worldly this book felt - it reminded me of Jack Vance and Gene
Wolfe, which is how I found it. One of the quotes in the book is used as
an opener in Wolfe’s <em>The Wizard Knight</em>. The book follows a
young boy as he seeks to become a knight, inspired by his reading a book
titled “The Book of Knights”. I can’t recommend this book enough. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A young boy and his journey to become a knight. He must complete a
quest, but the book takes you places you don’t expect a seemingly
run-of-the-mill book would.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="fablehaven-2006-by-brandon-mull-4.1-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44652.Fablehaven">Fablehaven</a>
(2006) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Mull">Brandon Mull</a></em>
[4.1] :fire:</h4>
<p>Fantasy for the younger readers. Follow along two youths who visit
their grandparents and discover that not everything is as it appears. -
<a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>For centuries mystical creatures of all description were gathered
into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The
sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic.
Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite
the opposite.</p>
<p>Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is
the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient
laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs,
plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the
rules get broken – Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own
good – powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother
face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family,
Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the
courage to do what they fear most.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="ficciones-by-jorge-luis-borges-4.5"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/426504.Ficciones">Ficciones</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges">Jorge
Luis Borges</a></em> [4.5]</h4>
<p>Some of the best short stories I have ever read; The Library is my
favourite of all time, so much that I’m debating getting a tattoo from
it. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The seventeen pieces in Ficciones demonstrate the whirlwind of
Borges’ genius and mirror the precision and potency of his intellect and
inventiveness, his piercing irony, his skepticism, and his obsession
with fantasy. Borges sends us on a journey into a compelling, bizarre,
and profoundly resonant realm; we enter the fearful sphere of Pascal’s
abyss, the surreal and literal labyrinth of books, and the iconography
of eternal return. To enter the worlds in Ficciones is to enter the mind
of Jorge Luis Borges, wherein lies Heaven, Hell, and everything in
between.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="grandmas-bag-of-stories-2012-by-sudha-murthy-4.21"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13510813-grandma-s-bag-of-stories">Grandma’s
Bag Of Stories</a> (2012) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudha_Murty">Sudha Murthy</a></em>
[4.21]</h4>
<p>This book is quite realistic and reminded me of the stories my
grandparents have told me. And just like me, everyone was upset when
this adventure comes to an end. -<a
href="https://github.com/NivedithaBBhat"><span class="citation"
data-cites="NivedithaBBhat">@NivedithaBBhat</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who
can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma?
From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears
and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got
very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his
beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered
silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma
tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children
enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and
provide hours of enjoyment to them.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="imager-2009-by-l.e.-modesitt-jr.-4.02"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820423-imager">Imager</a>
(2009) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._E._Modesitt_Jr.">L.E. Modesitt
Jr.</a></em> [4.02]</h4>
<p>Although the author gets a little too detailed in some of his
descriptions about unimportant details making the story slower than
most, the magic system is unique and well thought out. The detail helps
build a world you can imagine existing. - <a
href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Although Rhennthyl is the son of a leading wool merchant in
L’Excelsis, the capital of Solidar, the most powerful nation on
Terahnar, he has spent years becoming a journeyman artist and is skilled
and diligent enough to be considered for the status of master artisan—in
another two years. Then, in a single moment, his entire life is
transformed when his master patron is killed in a flash fire, and Rhenn
discovers he is an imager—one of the few in the entire world of Terahnar
who can visualize things and make them real.</p>
<p>He must leave his family and join the Collegium of Imagisle. Imagers
live separately from the rest of society because of their abilities
(they can do accidental magic even while asleep), and because they are
both feared and vulnerable.</p>
<p>In this new life, Rhenn discovers that all too many of the “truths”
he knew were nothing of the sort. Every day brings a new threat to his
life. He makes a powerful enemy while righting a wrong, and begins to
learn to do magic in secret. Imager is the innovative and enchanting
opening of an involving new fantasy story.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="jirel-of-joiry-1934-by-c.-l.-moore-3.78"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/941226.Jirel_of_Joiry">Jirel
of Joiry</a> (1934) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._L._Moore">C. L. Moore</a></em>
[3.78]</h4>
<p>I found Jirel fascinating as a heroine of 1930s pulp fantasy.
Throughout her adventures, Jirel’s opponents constantly seek to
victimize her, use her as bait, lure her in, or overpower her. Often she
can’t escape witnessing or even being part of horrific things, but she
takes these impossible situations and confronts them on her own terms. I
thought this was a nice alternative to always evading danger or using
feminine wiles to get out of tight corners. Jirel is physically and
emotionally capable without being a know-it-all or preternaturally
lucky. Moore paints incredibly vivid pictures of fantastical realms and
creatures. I think these stories would translate well into a graphic
novel. This collection is a fascinating bent on traditional sword and
sorcery tales and well worth the read. - <a
href="https://github.com/thejessleigh"><span class="citation"
data-cites="thejessleigh">@thejessleigh</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>C. L. Moore created Jirel, ruler of Joiry, in reaction to the beefy
total-testosterone blood-and-thunder tales of ’30s pulp magazines, but
Jirel is no anti-Conan. She’s a good Catholic girl, stubbornly
purposeful, relentless in pursuit of enemies or vengeance, hard-boiled
and a little stupid, and cannot be distracted by mere physical
attractiveness. Indeed, in Jirel’s world, beauty = decadence =
corruption. Were these stories written today, inevitably Jirel would
have a lot of hot sex, but as they were first published in Weird Tales
between 1934-1939, sexual attraction is mostly only vividly implied. No
loss. Jirel’s journeys through unnatural landscapes and her battles with
supernatural opponents are still wonderful to read, and though newcomers
Red Sonja and Xena are more famous now, Jirel rules as the archetypal,
indomitable redheaded swordswoman in chain mail and greaves, swinging
her “great two-edged sword.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="jonathan-strange-mr.-norrell-2006-by-susanna-clarke-3.8-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell">Jonathan
Strange &amp; Mr. Norrell</a> (2006) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Clarke">Susanna
Clarke</a></em> [3.8] :fire:</h4>
<p>This book takes a while to ramp up, but if you can get through the
(intentionally) tedious first 100 pages or so, <em>Jonathan Strange
&amp; Mr. Norrell</em> is a true delight. The characters are engaging
and well-drawn, and the history-style writing offers surprising
opportunities for humor and dry wit. I absolutely loved this. - <a
href="https://github.com/thejessleigh"><span class="citation"
data-cites="thejessleigh">@thejessleigh</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians
emerge to change England’s history. In the year 1806, with the
Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be
long dead in England–until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers,
and becomes a celebrity overnight.</p>
<p>Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome,
and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell’s student, and they join
forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to
the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership
with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="kushiels-dart-by-jacqueline-carey-4.0"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153008.Kushiel_s_Dart">Kushiel’s
Dart</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Carey">Jacqueline
Carey</a></em> [4.0]</h4>
<p>This was an amazing read. It was a bit over a thousand words, but it
went by fast as anything else. It really displays Carey’s way with
storytelling and worldbuilding. - <a
href="https://github.com/masonbose"><span class="citation"
data-cites="masonbose">@masonbose</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>This is a fantasy novel by American writer Jacqueline Carey, the
first book in her Kushiel’s Legacy series. The idea for this book first
came to Carey when she was reading the Biblical Book of Genesis, and
specifically a passage about “sons of God” coming into the “daughters of
Men”. Later, when she was writing a coffee table book, she encountered
Jewish folklore, which paralleled the story in greater detail. The
fictional nation of Terre D’Ange in the story was founded by a rebel
angel.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="orsinian-tales-by-ursula-k.-le-guin-3.7"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92623.Orsinian_Tales">Orsinian
Tales</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin">Ursula K. Le
Guin</a></em> [3.7]</h4>
<p>These were beautiful, finely crafted short stories. Rarely for me, I
read a few of them immediately after I finished them, to make sure that
I got the more subtle details. The writing was absolutely exquisite. -
<a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Orsinia … a land of medieval forests, stonewalled cities, and
railways reaching into the mountains where the old gods dwell. A country
where life is harsh, dreams are gentle, and people feel torn by powerful
forces and fight to remain whole. In this enchanting collection, Ursula
K. Le Guin brings to mainstream fiction the same compelling mastery of
word and deed, of story and character, of violence and love, that has
won her the Pushcart Prize, and the Kafka and National Book Awards.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="poison-study-2005-by-maria-v.-snyder-4.14"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60510.Poison_Study">Poison
Study</a> (2005) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_V._Snyder">Maria V.
Snyder</a></em> [4.14]</h4>
<p>The first book in the Study series, Snyder does a great job of
building the suspense throughout the novel because at the start Yelena
gets poisoned and you think she’ll die and it carries on throughout the
book. I enjoyed how Yelena’s magic trickles throughout the story and the
reader doesn’t find out too much at the beginning. - <a
href="https://github.com/louisefindlay23"><span class="citation"
data-cites="louisefindlay23">@louisefindlay23</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary
reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk
assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of
security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s
Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an
agonizing death from the poison.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting.
Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t
control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this
time the outcomes aren’t so clear…</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="princess-and-the-curdie-by-george-macdonald-4.0"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18941223-the-princess-and-curdie-illustrated">Princess
and the Curdie</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacDonald">George
MacDonald</a></em> [4.0]</h4>
<p>This book inspired me at the age of 14 to get a tattoo I ended up
getting 7 years later. This is the kind of fantasy I wish we were still
making; half theological, fantastic and weird, somewhere between Grimm’s
Fairytales and George R.R. Martin. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Princess Irene’s great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. He
will not go alone though, as she provides him with a companion – the
oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out
to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-darkest-part-of-the-forest-2015-by-holly-black-3.85"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20958632-the-darkest-part-of-the-forest">The
Darkest Part of the Forest</a> (2015) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Black">Holly Black</a></em>
[3.85]</h4>
<p>I read this book in high school and I loved how the book was able to
merge the fantasy elements with relatable storylines aimed towards
teenagers. - <a href="https://github.com/jilloestreicher"><span
class="citation"
data-cites="jilloestreicher">@jilloestreicher</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold
where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless
magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and
she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. As the world turns upside
down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But
swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of
betrayal, will it be enough?</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-gentleman-bastards-series-2006-by-scott-lynch-4.25"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43531-gentleman-bastard">The
Gentleman Bastards Series</a> (2006) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Lynch">Scott Lynch</a></em>
[4.25]</h4>
<p>This series has an ingenious narrative, set in a world of intrigue,
blades in the night, camaraderie between brothers, bloodthirsty
monarchs, tight-fisted crime lords, and honor amongst thieves. The
Gentleman Bastards will keep you guessing, and as soon as you think you
understand what’s happening, they’ll steal the floor out from under you
and leave you dangling off the side of an Elderglass tower. If you like
rogues, heists, magic, or deception, this series will keep you guessing
until the last page, and after. - <a
href="https://github.com/dgpalmieri"><span class="citation"
data-cites="dgpalmieri">@dgpalmieri</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1321351.The_Bastards_and_the_Knives">The
Bastards and the Knives</a> (Book 0) <em>forthcoming</em></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29588376-the-lies-of-locke-lamora">The
Lies of Locke Lamora</a> [4.3] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40604556-red-seas-under-red-skies">Red
Seas Under Red Skies</a> [4.24]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2890090-the-republic-of-thieves">The
Republic of Thieves</a> [4.24]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8074907-the-thorn-of-emberlain">The
Thorn of Emberlain</a> <em>forthcoming</em></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626950-the-ministry-of-necessity">The
Ministry of Necessity</a> <em>forthcoming</em></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15998999-the-mage-and-the-master-spy">The
Mage and the Master Spy</a> <em>forthcoming</em></li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15999003-inherit-the-night">Inherit
the Night</a> <em>forthcoming</em></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island
city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery,
becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of
the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards,
Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler.
But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced
with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything
that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy
at his own brutal game… or die trying.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-hobbit-by-j.r.r.-tolkien-4.2-star2-fire"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5907.The_Hobbit">The Hobbit</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien">J.R.R.
Tolkien</a></em> [4.2] :star2: :fire:</h4>
<p>A pretty good children’s story. Defined modern fantasy as we know it.
- <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet
hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry,
bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a
hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own
children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first
published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this
introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum,
and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of
a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon
Smaug the Magnificent.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-king-of-elflands-daughter-by-lord-dunsanay-3.8"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14686.The_King_of_Elfland_s_Daughter">The
King of Elfland’s Daughter</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Plunkett,_18th_Baron_of_Dunsany">Lord
Dunsanay</a></em> [3.8]</h4>
<p>Read this if you want to go on an acid trip and if you want to see
the roots of modern fantasy. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland’s
Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time,
a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary
fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man
and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following
the “happily ever after.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-nevernight-chronicle-by-jay-kristoff"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/164599-the-nevernight-chronicle">The
Nevernight Chronicle</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Kristoff">Jay
Kristoff</a></em></h4>
<p>This is an absolutely amazing series. If you’re looking for epic
bloody action, saucy romance, and thrilling reveals, then look no
further. - <a href="https://github.com/Charpal"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Charpal">@Charpal</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114463-nevernight">Nevernight</a>
[4.2]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23264671-godsgrave">Godsgrave</a>
[4.5]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23264672-darkdawn">Darkdawn</a>
[4.3]</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>The Nevernight Chronicle is the New York Times bestselling fantasy
series by award-winning author Jay Kristoff, which follows flawed
heroine Mia Corvere as she trains as an assassin as part of her mission
for personal revenge. Her tale takes place in the immersive world of
Godsgrave and is full of fast-paced action, magic, betrayal, vengeance,
and more.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane-by-neil-gaiman-4.0"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane">The
Ocean at the End of the Lane</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman">Neil Gaiman</a></em>
[4.0]</h4>
<p>This was a delightful book. Short and sweet, it exhibits both
Gaiman’s ability to run with magic, and his deep love for the English
countryside and mythology. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to
attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is
drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he
encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and
grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits
by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the
ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And
it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have
happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.</p>
<p>Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this
farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a
touch paper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was
unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little
boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to
protect him, no matter what.</p>
<p>A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows
the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside
and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as
a butterfly’s wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-second-apocalypse-by-r.-scott-bakker"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/83561-the-second-apocalypse">The
Second Apocalypse</a> by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Scott_Bakker">R. Scott
Bakker</a></h4>
<p>A huge world, much inspired by our own, rife with conflict, religious
strife, and extremely powerful magic. There is plenty of darkness,
horror, cruelty, heroism, sacrifice, and any content trigger you can
imagine. If you are not easily impressed, you will find a deeply
philosophical series, with compelling characters, and amazing prose.
Perhaps the darkest fantasy series out there (so far), it is made of a
trilogy (The Prince of Nothing) and a quadrilogy (The Aspect-Emperor)
that directly follows the events of the first three books. Possibly a
closing trilogy will be published, but the author has not promised
anything. A masterpiece, but not for everybody. <a
href="https://github.com/Donearm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Donearm">@Donearm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>R. Scott Bakker’s work is dominated by a sprawling series informally
known as The Second Apocalypse which he began developing while in
college in the 1980s. The series was originally planned to be a trilogy
with the first two books entitled The Prince of Nothing and The
Aspect-Emperor.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Prince of Nothing trilogy:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/301538.The_Darkness_That_Comes_Before">The
Darkness that Comes Before</a> [3.82]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18877.The_Warrior_Prophet">The
Warrior Prophet</a> [3.97]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13806.The_Thousandfold_Thought">The
Thousandfold Thought</a> [3.94]</li>
</ol>
<p>Aspect-Emperor quadrilogy:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4117865-the-judging-eye">The
Judging Eye</a> [4.01]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7704943-the-white-luck-warrior">The
White Luck Warrior</a> [4.11]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27160926-the-great-ordeal">The
Great Ordeal</a> [4.07]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9968073-the-unholy-consult">The
Unholy Consult</a> [3.88]</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="the-smith-of-wooten-major-by-j.r.r.-tolkien-4.0"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1018117.Smith_of_Wooten_Major_and_Farmer_Giles_of_Ham">The
Smith of Wooten Major</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien">J.R.R.
Tolkien</a></em> [4.0]</h4>
<p>Smith of Wooton Major is my favourite story by Tolkien, hands down.
Lord of the Rings and all of Middle Earth can rot in comparison to this
small, finely crafted story about a smith who goes to Faery, and a cook
who bakes a cake. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In Smith of Wooton Major, Tolkien explores the gift of fantasy, and
what it means to the life and character of the man who receives it.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-witcher-by-andrzej-sapkowski"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher">The Witcher</a> <em>by
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrzej_Sapkowski">Andrzej
Sapkowski</a></em></h4>
<p>Great books especially if you like folklore of Central Europe or you
played Witcher 3 video game or want to read it before watching the
Netflix show. - <a href="https://github.com/hercegtomas"><span
class="citation" data-cites="hercegtomas">@hercegtomas</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless
assassin. And a cold-blooded killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the
monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is
evil and not everything fair is good… and in every fairy tale there is a
grain of truth.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40603587-the-last-wish">The
Last Wish</a> [4.19] :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/hr/book/show/24709918-sword-of-destiny">Sword
of Destiny</a> [4.36]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6043781-blood-of-elves">Blood
of Elves</a> [4.18]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/sl/book/show/18924206-the-time-of-contempt">Time
of Contempt</a> [4.27]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/nl/book/show/26080167-baptism-of-fire">Baptism
of Fire</a> [4.35]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30079689-the-tower-of-swallows">The
Tower of the Swallow</a> [4.32]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/hu/book/show/32841081-lady-of-the-lake">The
Lady of the Lake</a> [4.25]</li>
<li><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/lt/book/show/36099978-season-of-storms">Season
of Storms</a> [3.94]</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="the-wizard-knight-by-gene-wolfe-3.8"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101949.The_Wizard_Knight">The
Wizard Knight</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wolfe">Gene Wolfe</a></em>
[3.8]</h4>
<p>I read this book at least once a year. The story is well told, easily
approachable, has a lot of gems, and is a good trip. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical
realm that contains seven levels of reality. Very quickly transformed by
magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Able and
sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, a
sword he will get from a dragon, the one very special blade that will
help him fulfill his life ambition to become a knight and a true hero.
Inside, however, able remains a boy, and he must grow in every sense to
survive the dangers and delights that lie ahead in encounters with
giants, elves, wizards, and dragons. His adventure will conclude in the
second volume of The Wizard Knight, The Wizard. With this new series,
Wolfe not only surpasses all the most popular genre writers of the last
three decades, he takes on the legends of the past century, in a work
that will be favorably compared with the best of J. R. R. Tolkien, E. R.
Eddison, Mervyn Peake, and T. H. White. This is a book—and a series—for
the ages, from perhaps the greatest living writer in (or outside) the
fantasy genre.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="vicious-by-v.e.-schwab-4.25"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40874032-vicious">Vicious</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._E._Schwab">V.E.
Schwab</a></em> [4.25]</h4>
<p>A fantastic start to an amazing series. Schwab really knows how to
‘set a scene’, and create an environment that grips you and doesn’t let
go. - <a href="https://github.com/masonbose"><span class="citation"
data-cites="masonbose">@masonbose</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant,
lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each
other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline,
near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an
intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could
develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the
academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="allegory">Allegory</h3>
<h4 id="kafka-on-the-shore-by-haruki-murakami-4.1"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4929.Kafka_on_the_Shore">Kafka
On the Shore</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami">Haruki
Murakami</a></em> [4.1]</h4>
<p>This book is a metaphor. It is poignant, magical and somewhat weird.
If you want to get swept away and really dive into a story, stop
whatever you are doing and find a way to get your hands on a copy of
this book. This is a story of a young man who is discovering himself
where he meets a lot of people and experiences different feelings
altogether. Reality almost seems sterile when we immerse ourselves in
this book. It a must read book for fantasy lovers. - <a
href="https://github.com/NehaChaudhary311"><span class="citation"
data-cites="NehaChaudhary311">@NehaChaudhary311</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Kafka on the Shore, a tour de force of metaphysical reality, is
powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who
runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to
search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton
called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is
drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of
daily life, he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it
is to us, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerizing
events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs
a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbors soldiers apparently unaged
since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the
sky. There is a brutal murder, with the identity of both victim and
perpetrator a riddle—yet this, along with everything else, is eventually
answered, just as the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata are
gradually revealed, with one escaping his fate entirely and the other
given a fresh start on his own.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="lilith-by-george-macdonald-3.9"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/268187.Lilith">Lilith</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacDonald">George
MacDonald</a></em> [3.9]</h4>
<p>This was a weird, weird book, just like <em>Phantastes</em>. George
MacDonald had a gift for writing essentially plotless books that journey
through fantastic realms; but at no point do they ever become
uninteresting. They were also the inspiration for a lot of later
writers, most notably CS Lewis, and it is easy to see why. Worth the
read. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>After he followed the old man through the mirror, nothing in his life
was ever right again. It was a special mirror and the man he followed
was a special man - a man who led him to the things that underlie the
fate of all creation. Lilith is considered among the darkest of
MacDonald’s works, and among the most profound. It is a story concerning
the nature of life, death, and salvation. In the story, MacDonald
mentions a cosmic sleep that heals tortured souls, preceding the
salvation of all.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="phantastes-by-george-macdonald-4.0"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174948.Phantastes">Phantastes</a>
<em>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacDonald">George
MacDonald</a></em> [4.0]</h4>
<p>See the review for <em>Lilith</em>, above. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I was dead, and right content,” the narrator says in the penultimate
chapter of Phantastes. C.S. Lewis said that upon reading this
astonishing 19th-century fairy tale he “had crossed a great frontier,”
and numerous others both before and since have felt similarly. In
MacDonald’s fairy tales, both those for children and (like this one)
those for adults, the “fairy land” clearly represents the spiritual
world, or our own world revealed in all of its depth and meaning. At
times almost forthrightly allegorical, at other times richly dreamlike
(and indeed having a close connection to the symbolic world of dreams),
this story of a young man who finds himself on a long journey through a
land of fantasy is more truly the story of the spiritual quest that is
at the core of his life’s work, a quest that must end with the ultimate
surrender of the self. The glory of MacDonald’s work is that this
surrender is both hard won (or lost ) and yet rippling with joy when at
last experienced. As the narrator says of a heavenly woman in this tale,
“She knew something too good to be told.” One senses the same of the
author himself.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="pilgrims-progress-by-john-bunyan-4.0"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29797.The_Pilgrim_s_Progress">Pilgrim’s
Progress</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bunyan">John Bunyan</a></em>
[4.0]</h4>
<p>You know, this is still a pretty good read even if you’re not a
Christian. Christian, the protagonist, is pretty beleaguered by every
possible obstacle on his way to Heaven, and it’s fun just hearing how he
gets out of scrapes. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>This work is written in the King James/ Shakespearean/ Old English
language. It is the story of a man becoming saved and his dangerous and
challenging journey to the Celestial City.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-chronicles-of-narnia-by-c.s.-lewis"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia">The
Chronicles of Narnia</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis">C.S.
Lewis</a></em></h4>
<p>These books are great, quick reading, although the Christian
overtones can grow old with time. I’m not quite sure how to suggest
them, as I grew up with them - but I can’t imagine not having done so.
Reading about Mr. Tumnus carrying parcels through a snowy forest in The
Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is one of my earliest memories. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/509797.The_Magician_s_Nephew">The
Magician’s Nephew</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100915.The_Lion_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe">The
Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84119.The_Horse_and_His_Boy">The
Horse and His Boy</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/121749.Prince_Caspian">Prince
Caspian</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140225.The_Voyage_of_the_Dawn_Treader">The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65641.The_Silver_Chair">The
Silver Chair</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84369.The_Last_Battle">The Last
Battle</a> :star2: :fire:</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="satire">Satire</h3>
<h4 id="discworld-by-terry-pratchett"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld">Discworld</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett">Terry
Pratchett</a></em></h4>
<p>Discworld is a massive, sprawling world outlined in dozens of books
by the late Terry Pratchett. Rather than list them all here, here are a
few that have been read by contributors of this list, with comments on
each.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Discworld is a flat planet, standing on the shoulders of four giant
elephants, who live on the shell of a gigantic turtle, the great A’Tuin,
whose sex is unknown and currently under heavy investigation. In the
city of Ankh-Morpok, where the thieves and assassins guilds offer their
services at reasonable price, there is the Unseen University, where
wizards learn how to use the magic and do wizard stuff, like getting
drunk, murdering each other and growing beards. Rincewind is a wizard
who can’t cast a single spell; he will be forced into being the tourist
guide for Twoflowers, an innocent and naive tourist from a far realm
followed by a murderous legged luggage…</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Books:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/601238.The_Colour_of_Magic">The
Colour of Magic</a> [3.9] This is the first book of the series
Discworld. The books can be read in order or independently. There are
several narrative threads that cross quite often creating a funny and
enjoyable reading experience.</p>
<p>I love this book. The style is original and hilarious and the
characters’ personality is deeply developed. Death alone is a good
reason to read this book. - <a
href="https://github.com/fourlastor"><span class="citation"
data-cites="fourlastor">@fourlastor</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/386372.Mort">Mort</a> [4.2]
This was my intro to Discworld, and I loved it. Death is hilarious. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/116296.Making_Money">Making
Money</a> [4.2] How Terry Pratchett consistently came up with good
stories is beyond me. This one is also good, particularly for how TP
envisions banks and automatons. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="farmer-giles-of-ham-by-j.r.r.-tolkien-3.9"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66797.Smith_of_Wootton_Major_Farmer_Giles_of_Ham">Farmer
Giles of Ham</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien">J.R.R.
Tolkien</a></em> [3.9]</h4>
<p>Farmer Giles is one of my favourite encapsulated stories set in
something akin to Old England. It’s basically Tolkien’s nod to classic
fairy tale writers like Lord Dunsanay or MacDonald, but with some humor.
“Give us your crown!” is one of my favourite quotes, and I am totally
going to name my dog Garm. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The editors of the best-selling rediscovered Tolkien novel Roverandom
present an expanded fiftieth anniversary edition of Tolkien’s beloved
classic Farmer Giles of Ham, complete with a map, the original story
outline, the original first-edition illustrations by Pauline Baynes, and
the author’s notes for an unpublished sequel. Farmer Giles of Ham is a
light-hearted satire for readers of all ages that tells the tale of a
reluctant hero who must save his village from a dragon. It is a small
gem of a tale that grows more delightful with each rereading.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="good-omens-by-terry-pratchett-and-neil-gaiman-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12067.Good_Omens">Good
Omens</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett">Terry Pratchett</a>
and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman">Neil
Gaiman</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>This was a fun book, and a great collaboration. At times it is a bit
clear where Neil Gaiman was writing, and I’m not sure that the book is
better for his inclusions at points; he hadn’t yet perfected his craft,
I think. But the story as a whole is good. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
(the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in
1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next
Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.</p>
<p>So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising,
frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going
according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a
fast-living demon — both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals
since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle — are
not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.</p>
<p>And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-princess-bride-by-william-goldman-4.2-fire"><a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21787.The_Princess_Bride">The
Princess Bride</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Goldman">William
Goldman</a></em> [4.2] :fire:</h4>
<p>This is a book that doesn’t take away from the classic movie
rendition of it, but adds to it. It stands alone as a fun little read. -
<a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the
handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less
than the man of her dreams? As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved
to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride.
But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of
good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.
Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts
Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere. What’s
it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A
Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful
Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures.
Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex. In short, it’s about
everything.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3
id="a-series-of-unfortunate-events-_by-lemony-snicket-aka-daniel-handler-4.00"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events">A
Series of Unfortunate Events</a> _by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Handler">Lemony Snicket AKA
Daniel Handler</a> 🔥 [4.00]</h3>
<p>A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the story of the Baudelaire
kids Violet, Klaus and Sunny as they navigate the aftermath of their
parents’ death and try to escape the evil clutches of their distant
relative Count Olaf. - <a href="https://github.com/umadhatri"><span
class="citation" data-cites="umadhatri">@umadhatri</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>These books were my childhood. I love the dry and satirical humor as
the author puts these kids through incredibly campy situations and they
find increasingly clever ways to escape the evil Count. The kids are
just the sweetest characters and as a kid I enjoyed the adventures that
they went on in each of the books. The narrator Lemony Snicket almost
enjoys reliving the tales of the kids’ adventures in a sort of devilish
way. The Netflix adaptation was just as deliciously good as the books.
People might not agree with me, but then, everybody has their own
opinions.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Books: - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78411.The_Bad_Beginning">The
Bad Beginging</a> - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78418.The_Reptile_Room">The
Reptile Room</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/438492.The_Wide_Window">The
Wide Window</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65119.The_Miserable_Mill">The
Miserable Mill</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/131123.The_Austere_Academy">The
Austere Academy</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172327.The_Ersatz_Elevator">The
Ersatz Elevator</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/150037.The_Vile_Village">The
Vile Village</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65118.The_Hostile_Hospital">The
Hostile Hospital</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/324277.The_Carnivorous_Carnival">The
Carnivorous Carnival</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/297792.The_Slippery_Slope">The
Slippery Slope</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65111.The_Grim_Grotto">The
Grim Grotto</a> 🔥 - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65110.The_Penultimate_Peril">The
Penultimate Peril</a> - <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65112.The_End">The End</a></p>
<h3 id="horror">Horror</h3>
<h4
id="the-call-of-cthulhu-and-other-weird-stories-by-h.p.-lovecraft-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/160149.The_Call_of_Cthulhu_and_Other_Weird_Stories">The
Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft">H.P.
Lovecraft</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>Horror wouldn’t be what it is today without HP Lovecraft. He spawned
an entire sub-genre of weird aliens and psychological threats; some of
the stories in this book are so good that I still shudder when I think
of them. A master at work. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>An unparalleled selection of fiction from H. P. Lovecraft, master of
the American horror tale</p>
<p>Long after his death, H. P. Lovecraft continues to enthrall readers
with his gripping tales of madness and cosmic terror, and his effect on
modern horror fiction continues to be felt - Stephen King, Anne Rice,
and Clive Barker have acknowledged his influence. His unique
contribution to American literature was a melding of Poe’s traditional
supernaturalism with the emerging genre of science fiction. Originally
appearing in pulp magazines like Weird Tales in the 1920s and 1930s,
Lovecraft’s work is now being regarded as the most important
supernatural fiction of the twentieth century.</p>
<p>Lovecraft’s biographer and preeminent interpreter, S. T. Joshi, has
prepared this volume of eighteen stories–from the early classics like
“The Outsider” and “Rats in the Wall” to his mature masterworks, “The
Call of Cthulhu” and “The Shadow over Innsmouth.” The first paperback to
include the definitive corrected texts, The Call of Cthulhu and Other
Weird Stories reveals the development of Lovecraft’s mesmerizing
narrative style, and establishes him as a canonical–and
visionary–American writer.</p>
<p>“I think it is beyond doubt that H. P. Lovecraft has yet to be
surpassed as the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the
classic horror tale.” –Stephen King</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="under-the-dome-by-stephen-king-3.9-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7137788-under-the-dome">Under
The Dome</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King">Stephen King</a></em>
[3.9] :fire:</h4>
<p>Stephen King is as brilliant as he is prolific, having penned over
fifty worldwide bestsellers and won multiple awards for his writing.
Under The Dome is a real page turner that will keep you worrying about
the wonderful and frightening cast of characters. It’s no surprise a
show was made based on the novel. - <a
href="https://github.com/JamesDrysdale"><span class="citation"
data-cites="JamesDrysdale">@JamesDrysdale</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The small town of Chester’s Mill, Maine is inexplicably and suddenly
sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. No
one can get in or out and the normal rules of society suddenly change
when resources run short. A new and more sinister social order develops.
A handful of citizens team up to fight the corruption sweeping through
the town and to try to discover the source of the Dome before it’s too
late.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="childrens-books">Children’s Books</h3>
<h4 id="dealing-with-dragons-by-patricia-c.-wrede-4.15"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/150739.Dealing_with_Dragons">Dealing
with Dragons</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Wrede">Patricia C.
Wrede</a></em> [4.15]</h4>
<p>Fell in love with this book when I first read it in 4th grade. I had
always liked fairy tales, but this was the first I read that subverted
the usual tropes. - <a href="https://github.com/konpyuta"><span
class="citation" data-cites="konpyuta">@konpyuta</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong,
tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a
dragon - and finds the family and excitement she’s been looking for.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="howls-moving-castle-by-diana-wynne-jones-4.3"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle">Howl’s
Moving Castle</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Wynne_Jones">Diana Wynne
Jones</a></em> [4.3]</h4>
<p>The original story that inspired Miyazaki’s film adaptation. Has a
colorful, fun, and whimsical tone, but has an interesting twist. - <a
href="https://github.com/konpyuta"><span class="citation"
data-cites="konpyuta">@konpyuta</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three
daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek
her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the
Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her
into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving
castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the
enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain
with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the
way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first
meets the eye.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-neverending-story-by-michael-ende-4.18-fire"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27712.The_Neverending_Story">The
Neverending Story</a> <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ende">Michael Ende</a></em>
[4.18] :fire:</h4>
<p>The story is a beautifully layered tale that blurs reality and
fiction, filled with vivid characters and profound reflections that
linger long after reading. - <a
href="https://github.com/benya2bfh"><span class="citation"
data-cites="benya2bfh">@benya2bfh</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>This epic work of the imagination has captured the hearts of millions
of readers worldwide since it was first published. Its special story
within a story is an irresistible invitation for readers to become part
of the book itself.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>The story begins with a lonely boy named Bastian and the strange book
that draws him into the beautiful but doomed world of Fantastica. Only a
human can save this enchanted place by giving its ruler, the Childlike
Empress, a new name. But the journey to her tower leads through lands of
dragons, giants, monsters, and magic, and once Bastian begins his quest,
he may never return. As he is drawn deeper into Fantastica, he must find
the courage to face unspeakable foes and the mysteries of his own
heart.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Readers, too, can travel to the wondrous, unforgettable world of
Fantastica if they will just turn the page…</p>
</blockquote>
<h4
id="the-saga-of-eric-the-viking-_by-terry-jones-michael-foreman_-3.94"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/700349.The_Saga_of_Eric_the_Viking">The
Saga of Eric the Viking</a> _by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Jones">Terry Jones</a>, <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foreman_(author/illustrator)">Michael
Foreman</a>_ [3.94]</h4>
<p>One of the earliest books I can recall reading. This book is the
best. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘This is one tale of a Viking warrior who lived hundreds and hundreds
of years ago. His name is Erik.’ And Erik is no ordinary Viking. With
his trusty band of men he sets sail in search of the land where the sun
goes at night. In fact, he finds much more! The Sea Dragon, the Old Man
of the Sea, Dogfighters and giants combine to make his voyage a great
saga of thrilling adventures.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="comic-books">Comic Books</h2>
<h4 id="delilah-dirk-and-the-turkish-lieutenant-by-tony-cliff-3.94"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17261174-delilah-dirk-and-the-turkish-lieutenant">Delilah
Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant</a> <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4593587.Tony_Cliff">Tony
Cliff</a></em> [3.94]</h4>
<p>Great adventure with a strong female protagonist. In a
historical-based setting with interesting fantasy elements interspersed
with cultural details. - <a href="https://github.com/konpyuta"><span
class="citation" data-cites="konpyuta">@konpyuta</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Lovable ne’er-do-well Delilah Dirk has travelled to Japan, Indonesia,
France, and even the New World. Using the skills she’s picked up on the
way, Delilah’s adventures continue as she plots to rob a rich and
corrupt Sultan in Constantinople. With the aid of her flying boat and
her newfound friend, Selim, she evades the Sultan’s guards, leaves angry
pirates in the dust, and fights her way through the countryside. For
Delilah, one adventure leads to the next in this thrilling and funny
installment in her exciting life.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="seconds-by-bryan-lee-omalley-nathan-fairbairn-4.07"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18630542-seconds">Seconds</a>
<em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Lee_O%27Malley">Bryan Lee
O’Malley</a>, <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6497026.Nathan_Fairbairn">Nathan
Fairbairn</a></em> [4.07]</h4>
<p>A colorful, funny, and heart-warming take on the consequences of
being able to change the past. The best word to describe this comic is
delightful. - <a href="https://github.com/sunrein"><span
class="citation" data-cites="sunrein">@sunrein</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Katie’s got it pretty good. She’s a talented young chef, she runs a
successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one.
Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming
ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her
best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie’s life goes
from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance.
Everybody deserves one, after all—but they don’t come easy. Luckily for
Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple
instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li>Write your mistake</li>
<li>Ingest one mushroom</li>
<li>Go to sleep</li>
<li>Wake anew</li>
</ol>
<p>And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is
given another chance to get things right. She’s also got a dresser
drawer full of magical mushrooms—and an irresistible urge to make her
life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it’s against the rules. But
Katie doesn’t care about the rules—and she’s about to discover the
unintended consequences of the best intentions.</p>
<p>From the mind and pen behind the acclaimed Scott Pilgrim series comes
a madcap new tale of existential angst, everyday obstacles, young love,
and ancient spirits that’s sharp-witted and tenderhearted, whimsical and
wise.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-black-bull-of-norroway-by-cat-seaton-kit-seaton-3.76"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39913349-the-black-bull-of-norroway">The
Black Bull of Norroway</a> <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15307132.Cat_Seaton">Cat
Seaton</a>, <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7989199.Kit_Seaton">Kit
Seaton</a></em> [3.76]</h4>
<p>Gorgeous comic based on a classic Scottish fairy tale, with lots of
diversity represented. - <a href="https://github.com/konpyuta"><span
class="citation" data-cites="konpyuta">@konpyuta</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sibylla always wanted adventure, but she didn’t know it would come in
the form of a giant, magical bull. Is he a man or a monster? And who
knew a prophecy could be so literal?</p>
</blockquote>
<h4
id="the-miraculous-journey-of-edward-tulane-by-kate-dicamillo-bagram-ibatoulline-4.36"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37186.The_Miraculous_Journey_of_Edward_Tulane">The
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane</a> <em>by <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13663.Kate_DiCamillo">Kate
diCamillo</a>, <a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1354902.Bagram_Ibatoulline">Bagram
Ibatoulline</a></em> [4.36]</h4>
<p>A heartwarming book that will teach adults and children to love and
to let yourself be loved.</p>
<p>Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths
of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap
to the fireside of a hoboes’ camp, from the bedside of an ailing child
to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a
true miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to
love, to lose, and to love again. - <a
href="https://github.com/e-costalmeida"><span class="citation"
data-cites="e-costalmeida">@e-costalmeida</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named
Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good
reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the
utmost care and adored him completely.</p>
<p>And then, one day, he was lost.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="usagi-yojimbo-1987-by-stan-sakai-4.1"><a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/71007-usagi-yojimbo">Usagi
Yojimbo</a> (1987) <em>by <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Sakai">Stan Sakai</a></em>
[4.1]</h4>
<p>This series does a great job of portraying samurai life in ancient
Japan, with characters who are all animals. The artistic style is simple
and clean. - <a href="https://github.com/depperm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="depperm">@depperm</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Miyamoto Usagi is no Bugs Bunny. He’s a rabbit bodyguard, a samurai
who wanders the mountains, plains, and villages of a 17th-century Japan
populated almost exclusively by anthropomorphic animals. Cats, snakes,
rhinos, and ninja moles plot and fight their way across a land ravaged
by civil war. The 10 stories in this first collection introduce Usagi,
the evil Lord Hikiji, and a host of other characters. The stories
themselves can stand alone, but taken together they begin to form an
ongoing saga of treachery and revenge. Sometimes violent, sometimes
funny, Usagi’s adventures are filled with fascinating historical detail.
The costumes, landscapes, and buildings are beautifully drawn, creating
such a sense of realism it’s easy to forget the hero is a rabbit. If you
buy the first book in this series, you’ll want the rest.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="movies">Movies</h2>
<h4 id="interstellar-8.6"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/">Interstellar</a> [8.6]</h4>
<p>Best movie for SciFi lovers an Space enthusiast. All important
science fiction concepts combied together feels like magic of astronomy
and science.-<a href="https://github.com/yuvihere23"><span
class="citation" data-cites="yuvihere23">@yuvihere23</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space in an attempt
to ensure humanity’s survival.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="birth-6.1"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337876/">Birth</a> [6.1]</h4>
<p>A brilliant fantasy movie. Underrated. - <a
href="https://github.com/ErvinaDe"><span class="citation"
data-cites="ErvinaDe">@ErvinaDe</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A young boy attempts to convince a woman that he is her dead husband
reborn.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="dragonheart-6.4-star2"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116136/">Dragonheart</a> [6.4]
:star2:</h4>
<p>Sean Connery is the best dragon ever. This is a classic film. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The last dragon and a disillusioned dragon-slaying knight must
cooperate to stop an evil king who was given partial immortality.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="fire-and-ice-6.6"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085542/">Fire and Ice</a> [6.6]</h4>
<p>An animated fantasy classic collaboration between Ralph Bakshi and
Frank Frazetta. This movie has great animation and even greater action.
- <a href="https://github.com/teav"><span class="citation"
data-cites="teav">@teav</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>At the end of the ice age, an evil queen and her son are set on
conquering the world using magic and warriors. The lone survivor of a
crushed village fights back as does the king of Fire Keep.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="highlander-7.2"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091203/">Highlander</a> [7.2]</h4>
<p>This is an awesomely atrocious film. The only thing that is awesome
about it is how amazingly poorly done everything is, and yet how it
still is extremely entertaining. A must. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal
opponent, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled
“Prize”.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="highlander-ii-the-quickening-4.3"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102034/">Highlander II: The
Quickening</a> [4.3]</h4>
<p>Worse than the first, but in the best way possible. - <a
href="https://github.com/teav"><span class="citation"
data-cites="teav">@teav</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the future, Highlander Connor MacLeod must prevent the destruction
of Earth under an anti-ozone shield.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="krull-6.0"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085811/">Krull</a> [6.0]</h4>
<p>Truly a horrendous film. But would make a great drinking game, so I
am including it. Also, early Liam Neeson is great. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride
from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home
planet.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="labyrinth-7.4"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091369/">Labyrinth</a> [7.4]</h4>
<p>This is one of the weirder cult classics to come out of the 80’s. I
wouldn’t include this here if David Bowie’s performance wasn’t so
incredible. But it is. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A selfish 16-year old girl is given 13 hours to solve a labyrinth and
rescue her baby brother when her wish for him to be taken away is
granted by the Goblin King.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="midnight-in-paris-7.7"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/">Midnight in Paris</a>
[7.7]</h4>
<p>This movie really captures the ways thinking of some writers who are
always wondering how would it be if they lived in some other century.
Besides, Owen Wilson killed it. - <a
href="https://github.com/ErvinaDe"><span class="citation"
data-cites="ErvinaDe">@ErvinaDe</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée’s family, a nostalgic
screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s everyday
at midnight.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="percy-jackson-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief-5.9"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814255/">Percy Jackson &amp; the
Olympians: The Lightning Thief</a> [5.9]</h4>
<p>Kids have been waiting for this movie adaptation for a long time; too
bad they’ll be disappointed. A movie with demigods in a modern era. - <a
href="https://github.com/AshishKnightfury"><span class="citation"
data-cites="AshishKnightfury">@AshishKnightfury</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A teenager discovers he’s the descendant of a Greek god and sets out
on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="princess-mononoke-8.4"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119698/">Princess Mononoke</a>
[8.4]</h4>
<p>Beautiful and stunning film with strong female characters. Even if
you’re not familiar with Japanese animation movies, I’m sure you will
enjoy this one. - <a href="https://github.com/maysaborges"><span
class="citation" data-cites="maysaborges">@maysaborges</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami’s curse, Ashitaka
finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara,
a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="puss-in-boots-the-last-wish-7.9"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3915174/">Puss in Boots: The Last
Wish</a> [7.9]</h4>
<p>A fun and thrilling sequel, I enjoyed this adventure of found family
and figuring out what you want is already with you. Great cast of
characters and villains, this movie makes good use of the motivations
they all have. - <span class="citation"
data-cites="Shadowsarespooky">[@Shadowsarespooky]</span>
(https://github.com/Shadowsarespooky)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken
its toll and he has burned through eight of his nine lives, he launches
an epic journey to restore them by finding the mythical Last Wish.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="reign-of-fire-6.2"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253556/">Reign of Fire</a> [6.2]</h4>
<p>An incredible film for the vision of the world, and the way they
combine medieval technology with modern warfare. The dragons are
bad-ass. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A brood of fire-breathing dragons emerges from the earth and begins
setting fire to everything, establishing dominance over the planet.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="spirited-away-8.6"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245429/">Spirited Away</a>
[8.6]</h4>
<p>A beautifully drawn and wonderfully composed work of art - really, no
other description will do. Don’t let the fact that it is animated scare
you. Just watch it! - <a
href="https://github.com/TheSherlockHomie"><span class="citation"
data-cites="TheSherlockHomie">@TheSherlockHomie</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>During her family’s move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl
wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where
humans are changed into beasts.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-beastmaster-6.2"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083630/">The BeastMaster</a>
[6.2]</h4>
<p>A classic piece of 80s fantasy. It’s basically Conan the Barbarian
with some ferrets. - <a href="https://github.com/teav"><span
class="citation" data-cites="teav">@teav</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young man’s search for revenge.
Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his animal allies
wage war against marauding forces.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-lord-of-the-rings">The Lord of the Rings</h4>
<p>Fantastic films. If you’re reading this list, you’ve probably already
seen them. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/">The Fellowship of the
Ring</a> [8.8] :star2:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>A meek hobbit of the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey
to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and the dark lord Sauron.</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/">The Two Towers</a>
[8.7] :star2:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty
Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally,
Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/">Return of the
King</a> [8.9] :star2:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron’s army to
draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the
One Ring.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-princess-bride-8.2-star2"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/">The Princess Bride</a> [8.2]
:star2:</h4>
<p>One of the best love stories ever told. This movie has everything any
kid could want, and the book is just as good - it’s satirical but not
overly self-indulgent. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span
class="citation" data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>While home sick in bed, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a story
called The Princess Bride.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-sorcerers-apprentice-6.1"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/">The Sorcerer’s
Apprentice</a> [6.1]</h4>
<p>The fate of the world does not really hang in balance, contrary to
what the movie says. Still very fun to watch, especially if you’re part
of Gen Z, or have kids in primary school. - <a
href="https://github.com/TheSherlockHomie"><span class="citation"
data-cites="TheSherlockHomie">@TheSherlockHomie</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Master sorcerer Balthazar Blake must find and train Merlin’s
descendant to defeat dark sorceress Morgana la Fée.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="your-name---kimi-no-na-waoriginal-title-8.4"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5311514/">Your Name - Kimi no na
wa(Original title)</a> [8.4]</h4>
<p>The idea of eternal love through human existence and connection made
be cry. A heartwarming romcom with an intriguing mystery that leaves
priceless impressions on you. - <a
href="https://github.com/kritikashah20"><span class="citation"
data-cites="kritikashah20">@kritikashah20</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Two strangers find themselves linked in a bizarre way. When a
connection forms, will distance be the only thing to keep them
apart?</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-shape-of-water-7.3"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5580390/">The Shape of Water</a>
[7.3]</h4>
<p>It’s a Romantic Dark Fantasy. Watch it when you have a good mood. The
movie is full of hope and desire as the lead characters explore love in
a unique way that is different and unnatural. The movie will have you
shed tears, in suspense, and thrilled by shocking twists and events. -
<a href="https://github.com/SinaMoghaddas"><span class="citation"
data-cites="SinaMoghaddas">@SinaMoghaddas</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor
forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being
held in captivity.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="tv-series">TV Series</h2>
<h4 id="avatar-the-last-airbender-2005-2008-9.3"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417299/">Avatar: The Last
Airbender</a> (2005-2008) [9.3]</h4>
<p>Uhm, the best. It’s awesome. Stop what you’re doing and go watch it.
Now. - <a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to
undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the
Avatar.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="cursed-2020--7"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8210856/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Cursed</a>
(2020-?) [7]</h4>
<p>Reimagining of the Lady in the Lake with young King Arthur and Merlin
by the legendary <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Miller_(comics)">Frank
Miller</a>. This rendition of Merlin was awesome, very different take
from previous versions. The mythical world has some twists and spin on
favorites like Lord of the Rings and Witcher. - <a
href="https://github.com/will-chow"><span class="citation"
data-cites="will-chow">@will-chow</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>“A teenage sorceress named Nimue encounters a young Arthur on her
quest to find a powerful and ancient sword.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="game-of-thrones-2011-2019-9.5-star2"><a
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/">Game of Thrones</a>
(2011-2019) [9.5] :star2:</h4>
<p>Pretty good, if overly televised at times and with too much emphasis
on sexual violence. Beautifully shot otherwise. - <a
href="https://github.com/RichardLitt"><span class="citation"
data-cites="RichardLitt">@RichardLitt</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Several noble families fight for control of the mythical land of
Westeros.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="good-omens-2019-2023-8.2"><a
href="https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1869454/">Good Omens</a> (2019-2023)
[8.2]</h4>
<p>A great comedic mini-series with perfect casting wonderfully
depicting the motifs of Gaiman and Pratchett’s novel with the same name.
- <a href="https://github.com/djolo1802"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Djolo1802">@Djolo1802</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A tale of the bungling of Armageddon features an angel, a demon, an
eleven-year-old Antichrist, and a doom-saying witch.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="his-dark-materials-2019-2022-7.9"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5607976/">His Dark Materials</a>
(2019-2022) [7.9]</h4>
<p>Excellent tv show. I love the books and I thought the adaptation was
really good. - <a href="https://github.com/staelsabrina"><span
class="citation" data-cites="staelsabrina">@staelsabrina</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A young girl is destined to liberate her world from the grip of the
Magisterium which represses people’s ties to magic and their animal
spirits known as daemons.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="lucifer-2016-2021-8.2"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4052886/">Lucifer</a> (2016-2021)
[8.2]</h4>
<p>I have loved this show since day one, and am an avid fan of all the
lively and realistic characters. It is FUNNY and WELL WRITTEN and
touches the nerves of Humanity, like never before. This show seems
Hell-bent on showing you that every coin has two sides and every choice
and decision you make has consequences, from YOU and no one else. - <a
href="https://github.com/gayatripalkar"><span class="citation"
data-cites="gayatripalkar">@gayatripalkar</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Lucifer Morningstar has decided he’s had enough of being the dutiful
servant in Hell and decides to spend some time on Earth to better
understand humanity. He settles in Los Angeles - the City of Angels.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="outlander-2014-ongoing-8.4"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3006802/">Outlander</a>
(2014-ongoing) [8.4]</h4>
<p>Outlander is a unique, satisfying adaptation of its source material,
brought to life by lush scenery and potent chemistry between its leads.
- <a href="https://github.com/AshishKnightfury"><span class="citation"
data-cites="AshishKnightfury">@AshishKnightfury</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>An English combat nurse from 1945 is mysteriously swept back in time
to 1743.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="supernatural-2005-2020-8.4"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460681/">Supernatural</a>
(2005-2020) [8.4]</h4>
<p>Supernatural is somewhat endearing in that the main characters (the
only ones who will be recurring) are brothers, however, the writing
makes the characters more believable. They are different from each
other, each with their own take on life and things that are not typical.
- <a href="https://github.com/AshishKnightfury"><span class="citation"
data-cites="AshishKnightfury">@AshishKnightfury</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Two brothers follow their father’s footsteps as hunters, fighting
evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and
gods that roam the earth.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-legend-of-korra-2012-2014-8.3"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1695360/">The Legend of Korra</a>
(2012-2014) [8.3]</h4>
<p>The phenomenal sequel to <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em>, has
just as good if not better storytelling, world building and lovable
characters as the first entry in the franchise. Revolves around Korra,
who’s the new Avatar and you have to deal with it! - <a
href="https://github.com/elvybean"><span class="citation"
data-cites="elvybean">@elvybean</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Avatar Korra fights to keep Republic City safe from the evil forces
of both the physical and spiritual worlds.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-originals-2013-2018-8.2"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2632424">The Originals</a>
(2013-2018) [8.2]</h4>
<p>The Originals may overwhelm casual viewers with its myriad twists and
bevy of supernatural beings, but this a sleek, atmospheric Vampire
Diaries spinoff with potential. - <a
href="https://github.com/TREXXX27"><span class="citation"
data-cites="TREXXX27">@TREXXX27</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A family of power-hungry thousand year old vampires look to take back
the city that they built and dominate all those who have done them
wrong.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-vampire-diaries-2009-2017-7.7"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405406/">The Vampire Diaries</a>
(2009-2017) [7.7]</h4>
<p>If you are looking for romance, teenagers figuring out life and guys
removing their shirts for no reason. This series is for you. It is the
kind of series you can binge-watch, whilst getting sucked into the
mysteries of Mystic Falls. Easy to watch with a great storyline. - <a
href="https://github.com/hazelnoot"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Hazelnoot">@Hazelnoot</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The lives, loves, dangers and disasters in the town, Mystic Falls,
Virginia. Creatures of unspeakable horror lurk beneath this town as a
teenage girl is suddenly torn between two vampire brothers.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="the-witcher-2019-ongoing-8.3"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5180504/">The Witcher</a>
(2019-ongoing) [8.3]</h4>
<p>The natural choice for those who read the Witcher book series, The
Witcher tv adaption is mostly faithful to the books, in theme if not in
actual screenplaying, with Henry Cavill in the main role, great acting
and a tone similar to Game of Thrones. Bonus point for the captivating
soundtrack. <a href="https://github.com/Donearm"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Donearm">@Donearm</span></a></p>
<p>Not as good as the source material but still an incredible show
nonetheless. And yes the soundtrack is amazing! - <a
href="https://github.com/elvybean"><span class="citation"
data-cites="elvybean">@elvybean</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his
place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 id="shadow-and-bone-2021-2023-7.6"><a
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2403776/">Shadow and Bone</a>
(2021-2023) [7.6]</h4>
<p>Shadow and Bone is one of the better fantasy shows to come out in the
last few years. While it’s not the best, it’s up there! The show got me
hooked from the first episode and I was pleasantly surprised by how much
I enjoyed it. It has a little of something for everyone…fantasy, humor,
action, drama, romance, etc. While it does take a few episodes to really
get going, stay with it because it’s worth it! If you like fantasy then
give this show a chance, you won’t be disappointed! <a
href="https://github.com/Evy04"><span class="citation"
data-cites="Evy04">@Evy04</span></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Dark forces conspire against orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov when she
unleashes an extraordinary power that could change the fate of her
war-torn world.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<h2 id="you-got-through-the-list-and-didnt-find-anything">You got
through the list and didn’t find anything?</h2>
<p>Try the <a
href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books">top
100 sci-fi and fantasy books as picked by NPR listeners</a> - NPR</p>
<h2 id="license">License</h2>
<p><a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"><img
src="http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/buttons/88x31/svg/cc-zero.svg"
alt="CC0" /></a></p>
<p>To the extent possible under law, <a
href="http://burntfen.com">Richard Littauer</a> has waived all copyright
and related or neighboring rights to this work.</p>
<p><a href="https://github.com/RichardLitt/awesome-fantasy">fantasy.md
Github</a></p>