Rank your top 3 fantasy series

**CodanOfCanada** · September 8th, 2012, 06:44 PM

3 is too difficult but 4 seems doable.

Guy Gavriel Kay's - Fionavar Tapestry
J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Rings
Michael Moorcock - Eternal Champion (does this count?)
Robert E. Howard - Conan (How about this?)

**Morlow** · September 23rd, 2012, 10:15 PM

The Tawny Man - Robin Hobb
The Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb
Lord of the Rings

I haven't read all the much but I'm guessing Fitz's story will remain at the top of my list forever. I really loved the first person perspective. It does have its downsides but it was a great story imo.

**chris777** · September 24th, 2012, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Morlow

The Tawny Man - Robin Hobb
The Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb
Lord of the Rings

I haven't read all the much but I'm guessing Fitz's story will remain at the top of my list forever. I really loved the first person perspective. It does have its downsides but it was a great story imo.

Have you read any of these Authors?
Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, George RR Martin, Steven Erikson, Patrick Ruthfuss?

If not, then your statement "I'm guessing Fitz's story will remain at the top of my list forever.", is an outlandish lie!

**mandred** · September 26th, 2012, 06:57 AM

GRRM above them all - but I would like to name 3 series not mentioned before which I really love:

Daniel Abraham - The long price quartet
David Anthony Durham - Acacia
Ken Scholes - The psalms of Isaak

**Slice of G** · September 26th, 2012, 08:36 PM

Joe Abercrombie - First Law Series
Robert V.S. Redick - The Chathrand Voyage
Robin Hobb - Six Duchies books

Honorable Mention: Stephan King-Dark Tower; Brent Weeks-Night Angel; Paul Kearney-Monarchies of God; Brandon Sanderson-Mistborn

**Dyloot** · September 27th, 2012, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by chris777

Have you read any of these Authors?
Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, George RR Martin, Steven Erikson, Patrick Ruthfuss?

If not, then your statement "I'm guessing Fitz's story will remain at the top of my list forever.", is an outlandish lie!

Have you read Hobb? She's not much like any of the authors you listed. And none of them provide a character much like Fitz, as well.

Hobb's Fitz and Fool stories are special in ways that even she doesn't seem to able to replicate in later works. She tries in Soldier Son and the Rainwild Chronicles, but it's the name Fitz I see repeated over and over again.

**Dyloot** · September 27th, 2012, 09:12 AM

My recent favorite series:

1. The Macht by Paul Kearny
2. First Law by Joe Abercrombie
3. Night Angel by Brent Weeks

My favorite in-progress series:

1. Gentleman Bastard by Scott Lynch
2. Kingkiller by Patrick Rothfuss
3. Lightbringer by Brent Weeks

My favorite all-time:

1. Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
2. Elderlings by Robin Hobb
3. Empire by Feist and Wurts

**sullivan_riyria** · September 27th, 2012, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by flickwizard

Mr. Sullivan, this is off-topic (apologies to the thread), but I registered to this site today, mainly so I could express my gratitude to you for your wonderful Riyria Revelations series.

Over the years, I've read most well-known fantasy authors (Tolkien, Williams, Erikson, Jordan, Bakker, Feist, Cook, Hobb, Martin, Rothfuss, Sanderson and on and on). However, while those authors wrote and continue to write excellent novels, and created worlds I would get lost in, I simply have not had as much pure, unadulterated FUN reading a book since, well, probably since reading Dave Duncan's Seventh Sword series more than 20 years ago. Frankly, I think I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading this series. And there were parts that touched me in a way I hadn't expected a book to be able to do. I'll take that any day.

My next step? I'm going to introduce my kids to this wonderful series that they simply must read.

So, apologies for my long-windedness, and it may not mean much, But I at least wanted to say, "Thank you."

I'm speechless (not a good thing for a writer) I thank you so much for this. I always had the intention of writing a fun adventure and I'm glad to see that so many people are liking it as much as I did.

Once again...I'm honored by your words.

**mshnd06** · September 27th, 2012, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by chris777

Have you read any of these Authors?
Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, George RR Martin, Steven Erikson, Patrick Ruthfuss?

If not, then your statement "I'm guessing Fitz's story will remain at the top of my list forever.", is an outlandish lie!

I've read and enjoyed all of those you've mentioned but not one of them features a character as emotionally deep and compelling as Fitz, imo.

**Dyloot** · September 27th, 2012, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by sullivan_riyria

I'm speechless (not a good thing for a writer) I thank you so much for this. I always had the intention of writing a fun adventure and I'm glad to see that so many people are liking it as much as I did.

Once again...I'm honored by your words.

Very nice. You seem like a good guy. I think I'll buy Theft of Swords and see what all the talk is about.

And done. Man I love EBooks on Amazon.

**sullivan_riyria** · September 27th, 2012, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dyloot

Very nice. You seem like a good guy. I think I'll buy Theft of Swords and see what all the talk is about.

And done. Man I love EBooks on Amazon.

Thanks for the support - and please let me know what you think. As to ebooks and Amazon - yeah it is so great to just get a book in seconds. No going out, fighting traffic, finding parking, waiting in lines...or waiting for the UPS truck. It's hard to imagine how I ever got along without it.

**chris777** · September 28th, 2012, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by Dyloot

Have you read Hobb? She's not much like any of the authors you listed. And none of them provide a character much like Fitz, as well.

Hobb's Fitz and Fool stories are special in ways that even she doesn't seem to able to replicate in later works. She tries in Soldier Son and the Rainwild Chronicles, but it's the name Fitz I see repeated over and over again.

Yes, I read the first book of Assassins Apprentice. It's one of the few series that I didn't finish because it did not feel worth my time. I don't want to hijack this thread to debate how good an author we all think Hobb is. The simple fact is there's enough difference in writers that everyone can find something they really enjoy. To each their own.

I've read and enjoyed all of those you've mentioned but not one of them features a character as emotionally deep and compelling as Fitz, imo.

Which further illustrates my point. You are one of the few that would choose Fitz and crew over Malazan, ASOIAF, FirstLaw, and KingKiller. But if you've already read them all then you obviously do it w/no bias. So while I find Hobb incredibly boring to read, I am actually glad there are people who choose her writing and character above these other really popular ones.(Not to say she isn't popular) We need that talented diversity.

And, sullivan_riyria, I'm hearing so much praise for your books. That I have now added them to my "to read" list. =)

**Dyloot** · September 28th, 2012, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by chris777

Yes, I read the first book of Assassins Apprentice. It's one of the few series that I didn't finish because it did not feel worth my time. I don't want to hijack this thread to debate how good an author we all think Hobb is. The simple fact is there's enough difference in writers that everyone can find something they really enjoy. To each their own.

Indeed. This is a thread about one's own top fantasy series, not a discussion or comparison of authors.

I do find there is a bit of group think here. When you listed your authors, I chuckled because I had read them all. And why have I read all of these books? Because I read about all of them here, of course.

**Luke_B** · September 28th, 2012, 02:05 PM

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, M . John Harrison's Viriconium sequence (more for the last book and short stories), the original three Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guinn.

**sullivan_riyria** · September 28th, 2012, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by chris777

And, sullivan_riyria, I'm hearing so much praise for your books. That I have now added them to my "to read" list. =)

Wow, a lot of Riyria love in this post...so great to see. I truly do hope you enjoy the books. They are a lot of fun and by the end of Theft of Swords you just start getting a hint to the bigger plot arc it is there that the real interesting things come into play (imho). Please let me know what you think of them.