[Netty]

Yep me! :( I get depressed when a book has been siking you up to the grand finale and then the character goes and does something really really stupid or they have a sudden change of heart! (example Alanna in the Lionness Quartet by Tamara Pierce)

Was that because she chose George instead of Jon...or was it the whole Liam incident? lol :p

[Leonie]

That's because she chose George instead of Jon. But i will admit in the later books with Daine and Alanna's daughter (mental blank - can't remember her name...Alianne...or something) i changed my mind but i was a bit disappointed at the end of the Lionness Quartet.

Have you read them then? Have you read the other quartets? Which ones did you like best? I liked the ones with Daine (Numcair...ummmmmmmmm) and the ones with Alianne were good too!! :D

[Netty]

Jon turned out to be a bit of a bastard in the end though..he really annoyed me :P

YES! I went through a whole obsession stage and went and brought every single one! I cant wait for her new ones to come out. Yeah, I have read the 'Tricksters' books, I thought they were alright, not as good as the other ones though. I liked 'Wild Magic' but I think 'Protector of the small' was better...Im in love with Raoul so that must be why.

[Leonie]

I actually found the Protector of the Small a bit boring. But what I really like is the references to previous characters in the later books, it makes me feel happy that they are still around and not just disappeared!
I know what you mean about Jon though. I was only disappointed at the end because I had this illusion of him in my head which had to diperse before I could see the wisdom of picking George, who I now like better than Jon and seems like a really interesting guy and much better material for Alanna! :)

[Becks]

My fave books are, (Books of Pellinor obviously!!! DUH!!!!)is Inkheart by Corneilia Funke, its a modern type of novel, its not in medieval times ect, and Eragon by Christopher Paolini(?),Faerie Wars and The Purple Emperor both by Herbie Brenann and lastly The series of unfortunate Events.... :D Not all of these r fantasy but most r!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

[tchang]

First, I must second (or third or fourth) the Earthsea books by Le Guin. Actually, when I read the part about Ceredin and Dernhil and the Revenant I mentally yelped, "Ged!" And The Lay of Andomian and Beruldh reminded me a bit of Morred and Elfarran or some of the other famous ballads of Earthsea (Beren?). I haven't seen the movies and don't plan to, but I can't imagine that they can be better than the books. I think one of the things I like the most about Earthsea is how real the characters are and how Le Guin wouldn't let them cop out.

*********Spoilers Alert************

So, for instance, a lesser fantasist would have Ged remain noble and wise and serene even after losing his mage power. But how much more true is Ged's bitterness! And it makes me admire him more because he is someone who has to work at his goodness, like any one of us.... And Tenar's quest is no less dangerous or difficult because it is journey within her own soul rather than a physical journey.

*********End Spoilers Alert*********

Anyway, enough about Earthsea. :-) Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper (also check out King of Shadows)
Anything by Diana Wynne Jones
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce (also Woman Who Loved Reindeer)
Anything by Robin McKinley, but particularly Beauty and the Damarian novels (Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown)
The Old Kindom trilogy by Garth Nix
The Perilous Guard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
The Riddlemaster trilogy by Patricia McKillip (also try The Alphabet of Thorns. Actually, almost all of her stuff are good, some are just less accessible than others)
The Last Unicorn and Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle
So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Charles de Lint's urban fantasies
Neverwhere by Neil Gailman (also try out his Coraline. It's for younger readers, but truly, truly creepy.)
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean

And a special mention to The Kencyr books by P.C. Hodgell (God Stalk, Dark of the Moon, Seeker's Mask), if you don't mind waiting a _long_ time for the next book in the series. I read the first three books in my junior year in college (1997) (they were published in 1983, 1985, and 1993, I think), and have been waiting for book four ever since. (Although she was recently picked up by a new publisher, so things might not be as dire.)

I am sure I am forgetting some books here....

[alison]

That's some list, tchang! There's a few I haven't read, so I must check them out. It occurs to me that you might like Lian Hearn's Otori Trilogy.

And yes...you picked it. Cadvan's youthful disaster is one of my big steals from Le Guin. ;) Who is probably, at a profound level, more of an influence on these books than Tolkien, though Andomian and Beruldh is a take on Beren and Luthien. But then, a big influence in The Farthest Shore is Rilke's incredible series of poems, the Duino Elegies, which I have translated, and I picked that - I was so pleased when I read in an interview that I was right about that. It's where she got the Mountains of Pain, and the land of the dead. Writers steal from each other all the time.

I love the last two books in the Earthsea quartet, and for the reasons you mention - how real Ged's struggle is, and also how real the love is between Ged and Tenar. I liked, too, the feminist take on the world she had already written in those earlier books.

[soul_elements]

Recommended reads? Brace yourself for this list: (NB. Some may not fit in the sci-fi/fantasy category but they'll be good books all the same)

"Treesong Trilogy" - Alison Croggon (if you've never heard of these then you're reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally stupid)

"The Bartimaes Trilogy" - Jonathon Stroud (for younger young adults, if that makes sense, but enjoyable nonetheless. Bartimaes' humour is hilarious- I love his footnotes.)

"Vampire Chronicles" - Anne Rice (absolutely classic. More for vampire lovers, though, than sci-fi. Interesting from the vampires' perspectives.)

"The Bourne Trilogy" - Robert Ludlum (thriller- def. not fantasy or sci-fi but awesome books.)

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell (this one's currently my favourite book. You HAVE to check it out. His writing is incredible. Also for sci-fi lovers)

"The Acorna Series" & other series she's written- Anne McCaffrey and other writers (sci-fi and fantasy are blended here. Not the best books but very enjoyable.)

ALL OF TAMORA PIERCE'S BOOKS (although my favourite quartet is the "Song of the Lioness" one. Strong female protagonists and they're quick reads. I used to wonder what the fuss was all about. Then I borrowed one and got hooked ever since.)

Spare Parts - Sally Rogers-Davidson (sci-fi set in Melbourne about cyborg bodies and stuff. Good book. Also nominated for the Aurealis awards like Alison's books were.)

The Prophecy of the Gems - Flavia Bujor (Pretty good for a 14-yr-old French girl. Fantasy about three girls - Opal, Jade and Amber - destined to save the world kinda thing with the help of the "Nameless One" instead of fighting him. Sound familiar? Good for younger young adults.)

Jodi Picoult's books (realistic books about family relationships and often about controversial issues like designing a baby to be a donor for her sick sister - My Sister's Keeper. Especially loved "Second Sight" about stuff from the supernatural to love to death to eugenics. Very good writer)

Violet Eyes and Silver Eyes - Nicole Luiken (two people who are part of a new type of humans designed to be like super-humans- only they don't know it. Sci-fi and a bit of a thriller.)

"Tales of the Otori Trilogy" - Lian Hearn (based on Ancient Japan and the samurai. Prophecies, love, destiny, moral dilemmas, some strong feminine characters, fighting, war ... everything)

"The Moon Riders" - Louise Tomlinson (about the Amazons and the Trojan War. Fascinating epic and incredibly sad and moving.)

Inkheart - Cornelia Funke (read this one a few years ago. Good for younger readers)

"The Echorium Sequence" - Katherine Roberts (Good for younger young adults but also very enjoyable for older people. Fantastic animals, a world of singing and enchantment, mermaids, quetzals, the lot. VERY VERY GOOD.)

"The Chanters of Tremaris Series" - Kate Constable (similar to the Echorium Sequence in that magic is used my singing. Quite good and from and Aussie author!)

"The Black Magician Trilogy" - Trudi Canavan (A MUST-READ FOR FANTASY LOVERS. Aussie author and one of my favourites. Can't stress that enough.)

"The Heaven and Earth" Trilogy - Richard Harland (sci-fi/fantasy about the future dominated by robots and people who control robots. Interesting concepts about Heaven and dying. Has angels in it. Another Aussie, I think)

"The Old Kingdom Trilogy" - Garth Nix (what an awesome name. There's also his newer "Keys to the Kingdom Trilogy")

"Yong Wizards Series" - Diane Duane (another cool name. One letter change from her first and last names. Anyway, it's a fantasy series that started in the 80s and is still going strong. Interesting concepts as magic and science is blended very well. Better than Harry Potter. Sorry, but it's the truth)

"The Secret Texts Books" - Holly Lisle (fantasy centred on a female who is a werewolf and has to hide it. Evil is rising in the land and there's a quest here and there. Love, Betrayal, Prophecies, Conflicts of interest. Very good but the books may be hard to find.)

"The Obernewtyn Chronicles" - Isobelle Carmody (Brilliant Aussie author of fantasy and a bit of sci-fi. When on earth is the next book coming out, anyone know? I've been waiting for like 5 years. Anyway, it's set in the future when the world is so devastated that civilisation has gone back in time. Centred on a female protagonist again (is there a pattern here?) who is part of a new race of people who have "special abilities" like coersion or mind-reading or something or rather. Very very very very good books. Awesome books. A MUST-READ FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES READING. Even if you don't like fantasy.)

"Artemis Fowl" Series - Eoin Colfer (set in the real world but with high-tech centaurs, dwarves and faeries who have been living underground without us knowing until a 12-year-old boy with an IQ of like 300 - not possible by the way but still - discovers them and plans to steal a lot of gold from them by ransoming a lepRECON officer he captures. I think that's the gist of it.)

"The Bitterbynde Trilogy" - Cecilia Dart-Thornton (another Aussie author. Yes, another one. What can I say? We write awesome books. The books are fantasy set in a world centred on Celtic folk-lore. The story-line is amazing and the female main character (yes, another one) is absolutely believable and brilliant. I admit, some parts of the books are long-winded, but it's worth it. A quote from one of the books: Is it not the so-called optimist who is truly the pessimist? For had he not expected the cup to be completely empty, he would not rejoice at its being half full. The so-called pessimist, on the other hand, is disappointed since his expectation was for a measure overbrimming – thus he is in truth the optimist!

“Earthsea Quartet” – Ursula Le Guin (enough said)

The Princess Bride – S. Morgenstern (most of you’ve seen the movie. Cult fantasy novel. Classic, really, but it’s not to everyone’s tastes.)

“The Wind on Fire Trilogy” – William Nicolson (read this one a few years ago. Pretty good.

PHILIP PULLMAN OF COURSE. Namely the “His Dark Materials Trilogy” (never found out why it was actually called that) and the “Sally Lockhart” Quartet.

“Redwall Series” – Brian Jacques (for those younger readers who love animals and predictable plots and funny hares)

“Ramses Series” – Christian Jacq (translated from French about the Egyptian pharaoh and his exploits. Not quite fantasy but good nonetheless.)

“Pagan Series” – Catherine Jinks (about the 14-year-old MALE soldier in the historical Crusades. Interesting if you like history and/or Latin (like I do for some odd reason) AND IT’S BY AN AUSSIE AUTHOR. I think the books got either nominated or won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Award or whatever they’re called)

“Daughters of Storms Trilogy” – Louise Cooper (awesome fantasy books and even though I read them in Grade 5, I could read them now (Grade 11) and still enjoy them. About a girl who has strong magical powers and can call on elementals, etc. Has themes about the Order and Chaos (with gods representing these sides a bit like Greek mythology) and different ‘astral planes’. Oh, and they have interesting covers. Don’t know why I brought that up …)


There’s more but I can’t be bothered to type it ALL up. And I don’t think that you could be bothered to read it either. Sorry for my bad grammar and spelling. I’ve typed an essay! Basically, these are some books I’ve enjoyed in the past for some reason or other … I’d better go. Need to sleep. And study (preferably the other way around) :o .

[soul_elements]

WOAH! I think I beat tchang's list. By a bit.

[Bridie]

ooo great books there! ive read some of them have you read the moon riders sequal its called "the voyage of the snake lady" it made me cry more then the moon riders did!