what's the best high fantasy book you've read?

Question

I just finished the song of ice and fire series and I'm in the hold line for the first Witcher book from the library. I would love some more high fantasy to read in the meantime but I have literally no idea where to start. (Yes, I've already read LoTR)

Answer 1

Favourite answer

I don't think Tolkien has ever been bested simply because he gives the story a magnificent setting in which to breath without going overboard with exposition.

In the interest of not repeating anything listed earlier these might be worth a punt:

The Belgariad by David Eddings

The original Dragonlance Chronicles

The Valdemar series (the best ones are the earliest ones chronologically written imo), Mercedes Lackey

The Witchworld series, Andre Norton  (Some elements of Sci-fi, but solid sword and sorcery fare, fast paced with little hand-wringing. Bear in mind that they date from the 1960s. You can also play "spot what Robert Jordan ripped off wholesale," but don't turn it into a drinking game or it could kill you.)

The Time Master Trilogy, Louise Cooper 

Indigo series, Louise Cooper

Lyoness trilogy, Jack Vance  (Some people have trouble getting past the first book because it's tone is like a twisted version of the Sword in the Stone, but like the Once and Future King the tone "grows up" for the rest of the series.)

The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

Nifft the Lean, Michael Shea

Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey

Answer 2

I'm not honestly sure what 'high fantasy' is, but one of my absolute favourites for some ten years now is the Earthsea books by Ursula le Guin.

And I also admire hugely the quite remarkable world-building skills of Tad Williams. His 'Shadowmarch' series kept me engrossed for weeks.

Answer 3

I like Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife  and The Abmer Spyglass and his companion books to the series: Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North. His treatment of quantum physics in these novels is amazing.

Answer 4

The Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson. I once took three days off work to read the first three novels. That was the !970's for you, when you could get a new job pretty much anywhere anytime.

Answer 5

Hustler magazine and Playboy magazine.

Answer 6

Been reading a lot of N. K. Jemisin's work. The Inheritance Trilogy is very good.

Also like The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss and awaiting the conclusion. 

Answer 7

Belgarath the Sorcerer by David & Leigh Eddings 

Wee Free Men is a good place to start Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. Going Postal is a good place to start too. I am not sure I would call it high fantasy but I think discworld is best fantasy

Answer 8

Hunger Games;

Raymond E. Feist's Magician Master by Bryan Glass;

Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson;

Ender Quartet by Orson Card;

The Wheel of Time;

Hidden Camera by Zoran Zivkovic;

The Chronicles of Narnia;

A Dance with Dragons by George Martin;

Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss;

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb;

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie;

The Sundering Duology by Jacqueline Carey;

Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson;

Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey;

and, for children of every age, Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson;

and, for realist fantasy, the series by Brad Thor including Code of Conduct.

Answer 9

I enjoyed the "Death Gate Cycle" by Weiss & Hickman, the Shannara series by Brooks, The Sword of Truth series by Goodkind,  I can't immediately recall the name of the author or series but the title of some of the books in the series - The Diamond Throne. The Sorceress of Darshiva. 

Answer 10

I don't know what "high fantasy" means. Is there a "low fantasy" also?