My Top 8 Fantasy Books: From Middle-earth to the Mordant

 

Creepy Forest. What lurks here?

1. Karen Azinger — The Steel Queen (Silk and Steel Saga)

This is a relatively recent addition to my list, but it has quickly earned its place. Azinger creates a sweeping world of disparate nations, riddled with betrayal and deceit. At the heart of the saga is the Mordant: a truly terrifying being reincarnated once every thousand years, whose aim is to enslave mankind. His acolytes are legion and their rewards are high, but failure is not tolerated. Book one, Steel Queen, follows a princess nicknamed the Imp, who loves exploring her home: a formidable castle defended by the Octagon, a renowned order of knights whose fame has spread across the land. The Imp dreams of becoming a warrior, and her development throughout the tale is genuinely compelling. The characters across the series are tremendous, the story is easy to follow, and unlike some fantasy books, the world-building does not swamp you with bizarre names. The plot keeps you guessing, and the pace is just right.

2. J.R.R. Tolkien — The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion

Tolkien has to be included, not least because he was my biggest influence when writing The Prophecy of the Kings. His world-building grew out of his academic career in Old English literature and mythology, and The Silmarillion shows that depth on the grandest scale. The stolen Silmarils lead to a terrible oath, which becomes a curse on those Elves who swear it, while Melkor, the original Dark Lord, crushes the Elven houses one after another. Men both aid the Elves and betray them, and we even find the ancestor of Shelob in Ungoliant, a towering spider who drinks from the Trees of Valinor and destroys them. That is why the Silmarils matter so much: they hold the original light of Valinor. By contrast, The Hobbit is a gentler tale, yet it still gives us Orcs, wizards, Elves, Dwarves, Men, magic rings and, of course, the dragon Smaug. Many younger readers may know The Lord of the Rings through the films rather than the books, but what awesome films they are.

3. David Gemmell — Legend

I have read a few of Gemmell’s books, but Legend and the tale of Druss stand out for me. In this story, Druss is an old man, yet tales of his prowess are renowned and still send shock waves through his enemies. The siege of Dros Delnoch feels hopeless from the outset, and Gemmell brings the desperate battle vividly to life. There is limited magic in the tale, and I think that is one of its strengths. Legend is heroic, brutal, stirring and a great read.

4. Weiss and Hickman — The Tale of the Twins

Tales of time travel are fraught with difficulty, but Weiss and Hickman handle it beautifully. Raistlin, a brilliant and ambitious wizard, travels with his twin brother Caramon, while Tasslehoff the kender and Flint the grumpy dwarf bring a welcome touch of lightness. Raistlin is determined to become the greatest sorcerer ever, following in the footsteps of Fistandantilus, the legendary wizard whose story drives the time-travel element. His ambition eventually reaches the point where he is prepared to challenge even the gods themselves. It is a truly awesome tale, and its connection with Dungeons & Dragons gives it an extra layer of fantasy nostalgia.

5. George R.R. Martin — A Song of Ice and Fire

What can you say about George R.R. Martin? His world is rooted in a recognisably medieval setting, but it is filled with dragons, witches and hints of very dark magic. I read all the books, but when the television series arrived, I found it useful, simply because it trimmed the vast character list into something more manageable. One of the oddities of Martin’s writing is that characters you follow for hundreds of pages, and assume must be central to the story, often meet a very sticky end. The White Walkers north of the Wall remain the great looming threat, and “Winter is coming” is repeated again and again across thousands of pages before the danger truly arrives. The journey is long, sometimes rambling and occasionally frustrating, but the scale of the world and the power of the story still make it unforgettable.

6. Robert Jordan — The Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time shares something with Martin’s work: it is very long and, at times, rather rambling. I even skipped one of the middle books, as there was far too much braid-tugging for my liking. Even so, this is a series I would happily read again, though perhaps still missing out the offending volume. There is great depth to the story, and the different characters bring distinct personalities and perspectives to the tale. It is well worth reading, but you must be prepared to set aside many, many months. After Robert Jordan’s death, Brandon Sanderson continued the series and did a very good job of bringing it to a close.

7. Terry Goodkind — Wizard’s First Rule

I truly loved Wizard’s First Rule. It is beautifully written, with a vast world behind it and a story that draws you in quickly. It has been a long time since I read the series, and I remember some of the later books becoming overly long-winded, but the first book still stands out. There is real depth to the tale, and it is well worth exploring.

8. Michael J. Sullivan — The Riyria Chronicles

After the length and weight of the previous two selections, it is nice to end the list with a real page-turner. The great strength of these books is the partnership between Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, two central characters who work brilliantly together. The opening story centres on thievery and the attempt to recover a treasure from an almost impossible tower. At first, the pair hate each other, and it feels likely that if two go up, only one will come down. Over time, however, that tension develops into a deep and convincing bond. From memory, there is little magic, but the tales are beautifully written and constantly entertaining. They are well worth a read, especially after the slog and grind of some longer fantasy series.

I have read many more fantasy books, including Robin Hobb’s Tawny Man and Farseer trilogies, Raymond Feist’s Riftwar Saga, Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King, Markus Heitz’s Dwarves, and probably many others. I have chosen the books that, for me, had the greatest depth, stayed with me the longest, and in many cases took the longest time to read. It is a great shame, though, when a strong story eventually becomes overly long.

I hope you enjoyed my list. Feel free to suggest your own favourite fantasy books, or to amend my choices in some way. I would love to hear your views on the titles above.