NAOMI NOVIK. This woman is a GODDESS. There are dragons, sailing ships, Napoleon, historical accurate details, good het ships, slashy context, humor, drama, stuff that make you cry like a little girl, stuff that fills you with a good old adrenaline rush. You can't put the books down right up until they end in the gut-wrenching cliff-hanger.
Just make sure you have Book 5 in your possession before you read Book 4. TRUST ME.
Another really good fantasy author is Anne McCaffrey but only if you read the books I'm going to list. Her other stuff is, well, a lot like the stuff you've complained about.
Of The Tower series: The Rowan, Damia, Damia's Children, and Lyon's Pride. STOP afer Lyon's Pride, turst me.
Of the Pern series: Dragonsdawn, Chronicles of Pern, Dragonseye, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, Masterharper of Pern, Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragon's Drums, All the Weyrs of Pern. STOP at All the Weyrs of Pern and make sure you read Dragonflight first even though it's not the first chronologically. I'm telling you, I cried like a baby at the end of All the Weyrs of Pern. Her Pern books were what got me into fantasy.
McCaffrey's "Black Horses for the King" is historical fiction but very good.
Don't go near anything else. The Freedom's Series is very well-written, but I'm pretty sure you'd hate it. Her other stuff is, well, the opposite of good in my opinion.
David Eddings is a good read, but he only has one story to tell that he tells over and over again. So pick which one of his series you read first carefully, because it will probably be the only one you'll enjoy. I recommend the Belgariad/Malloreon.
The DragonLance books are good to start with, then they devolve into the stuff you don't like. Stick with Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning, Soulforge, and the War of the Twins trilogy. Raistlin's awesome. *thumbs up*
Dude, Naomi Novik is awesome! And she totally makes me cry in every single book, I'm not ashamed to admit it! Her writing is so frakking good, she's one of the people I mean when I talk about so talented I have to stop and read a few pages again and again to savor the awesomeness. I actually don't ship anyone in these books, unbelievably, I just love Temeraire so much, and the bond between him and Laurence, that's enough to sustain me.
I just wish people wouldn't dismiss it because of Napoleon and a bit of actual history is thrown in there. It's a total AU anyway. I admit, I was almost put off because the only history I read is historical romances, lol, but I'm glad the dragon reeled me in because I'd've missed out on so much otherwise.
I also love David Eddings. I find that he repeats himself and uses the same concepts til they're cliches, although given that he meets pretty much every criteria on my list, I go easy on him. Was NOT a a big fan of the Elder Gods series. I read them all, but wow, it was hard. I like the adorable child goddess thing as much as anyone but just got really really sick of it by the time these books came out.
I have read the Belgariad/Mallorean, but the main reason I loved those books was Polgara. Kickass woman. I love aunts in fantasy novels, they're usually super cool. :D Ce'Nedra pissed me off so much though, I wanted to rip her head off to stop her whining, she was so spoilt and obnoxious in the first few books.
The Elenium/Tamuli were actually my favorite trilogies. I thought it was great that even the HORSE had such presence, although I'm ashamed I can't remember his name now...starting with 'F'?
Sparhawk was a cool hero, and Ehlana was a much more bearable queen, lol. Though obviously I'm biased because for some reason, I have a thing for older wiser mentor types and young women- yes, I'm living vicariously, shhh. Escapist fantasy, how I love thee. :D
Garion and Ce'Nedra were both kids growing up at the same time, so it's not quite the same since I like a hero who has some idea of what he's doing, some life experience and skills.
Anne McCaffrey. I like the woman's name- the main character in Threshold was called Molly Anne Caffrey, though I'm not sure if it was meant to be a correlation or not, but I thought it was cool!
Anyway, I tried a few of her books and wasn't really sold, Acorna, the unicorn girl, magic horn, something or other...? Thanks for listing the books that should meet my strict criteria, I appreciate not having to wade through all the other stuff! You're very kind. *huggles* And thanks also for the DragonLance recs, I'm glad I've got some decent reading ahead of me!
Anyway, I tried a few of her books and wasn't really sold, Acorna, the unicorn girl, magic horn, something or other...?
Yeah. She wrote those while she was in her Crap Phase.
I actually couldn't make it through any of Eddings' works other than the Belgariad/Malloreon because, well, I'd already read those stories. ^^;; I loved Polgara, kind of wanted to smack Garion, and oh -- SILK. He's like a dude Vala. (The Velvet storyline, though, could have passed on. Even if the snake-->bodice thing was pretty damn funny.)
I actually couldn't make it through any of Eddings' works other than the Belgariad/Malloreon because, well, I'd already read those stories. ^^;;
The self-plagiarizing... *sighs fondly* Didn't bother me as much because I knew that I'd love them both. I know what I like, within very narrow parameters, so him doing the same concept twice was actually a good thing for me! :D
I loved Polgara, kind of wanted to smack Garion, and oh -- SILK. He's like a dude Vala.
Comment of win! HEE! *wipes away tears of laughter*
Re: smacking Garion. Dude. TOTALLY. It's like, snap out of it and get a move on. *sighs*
I wish characters like Vala were the heroines of more [good] fantasies. I get so sick of this noble idiot thing. Nobody gives a damn about your integrity, just get the job done already and quit with the angst.
Just make sure you have Book 5 in your possession before you read Book 4. TRUST ME.
Another really good fantasy author is Anne McCaffrey but only if you read the books I'm going to list. Her other stuff is, well, a lot like the stuff you've complained about.
Of The Tower series: The Rowan, Damia, Damia's Children, and Lyon's Pride. STOP afer Lyon's Pride, turst me.
Of the Pern series: Dragonsdawn, Chronicles of Pern, Dragonseye, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, Masterharper of Pern, Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragon's Drums, All the Weyrs of Pern. STOP at All the Weyrs of Pern and make sure you read Dragonflight first even though it's not the first chronologically. I'm telling you, I cried like a baby at the end of All the Weyrs of Pern. Her Pern books were what got me into fantasy.
McCaffrey's "Black Horses for the King" is historical fiction but very good.
Don't go near anything else. The Freedom's Series is very well-written, but I'm pretty sure you'd hate it. Her other stuff is, well, the opposite of good in my opinion.
David Eddings is a good read, but he only has one story to tell that he tells over and over again. So pick which one of his series you read first carefully, because it will probably be the only one you'll enjoy. I recommend the Belgariad/Malloreon.
The DragonLance books are good to start with, then they devolve into the stuff you don't like. Stick with Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning, Soulforge, and the War of the Twins trilogy. Raistlin's awesome. *thumbs up*
DragonLady
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I just wish people wouldn't dismiss it because of Napoleon and a bit of actual history is thrown in there. It's a total AU anyway. I admit, I was almost put off because the only history I read is historical romances, lol, but I'm glad the dragon reeled me in because I'd've missed out on so much otherwise.
I also love David Eddings. I find that he repeats himself and uses the same concepts til they're cliches, although given that he meets pretty much every criteria on my list, I go easy on him. Was NOT a a big fan of the Elder Gods series. I read them all, but wow, it was hard. I like the adorable child goddess thing as much as anyone but just got really really sick of it by the time these books came out.
I have read the Belgariad/Mallorean, but the main reason I loved those books was Polgara. Kickass woman. I love aunts in fantasy novels, they're usually super cool. :D Ce'Nedra pissed me off so much though, I wanted to rip her head off to stop her whining, she was so spoilt and obnoxious in the first few books.
The Elenium/Tamuli were actually my favorite trilogies. I thought it was great that even the HORSE had such presence, although I'm ashamed I can't remember his name now...starting with 'F'?
Sparhawk was a cool hero, and Ehlana was a much more bearable queen, lol. Though obviously I'm biased because for some reason, I have a thing for older wiser mentor types and young women- yes, I'm living vicariously, shhh. Escapist fantasy, how I love thee. :D
Garion and Ce'Nedra were both kids growing up at the same time, so it's not quite the same since I like a hero who has some idea of what he's doing, some life experience and skills.
Anne McCaffrey. I like the woman's name- the main character in Threshold was called Molly Anne Caffrey, though I'm not sure if it was meant to be a correlation or not, but I thought it was cool!
Anyway, I tried a few of her books and wasn't really sold, Acorna, the unicorn girl, magic horn, something or other...? Thanks for listing the books that should meet my strict criteria, I appreciate not having to wade through all the other stuff! You're very kind. *huggles* And thanks also for the DragonLance recs, I'm glad I've got some decent reading ahead of me!
Reply
Yeah. She wrote those while she was in her Crap Phase.
I actually couldn't make it through any of Eddings' works other than the Belgariad/Malloreon because, well, I'd already read those stories. ^^;; I loved Polgara, kind of wanted to smack Garion, and oh -- SILK. He's like a dude Vala. (The Velvet storyline, though, could have passed on. Even if the snake-->bodice thing was pretty damn funny.)
Naomi Novik is ALL KINDS of awesome.
DragonLady
Reply
The self-plagiarizing... *sighs fondly* Didn't bother me as much because I knew that I'd love them both. I know what I like, within very narrow parameters, so him doing the same concept twice was actually a good thing for me! :D
I loved Polgara, kind of wanted to smack Garion, and oh -- SILK. He's like a dude Vala.
Comment of win! HEE! *wipes away tears of laughter*
Re: smacking Garion. Dude. TOTALLY. It's like, snap out of it and get a move on. *sighs*
I wish characters like Vala were the heroines of more [good] fantasies. I get so sick of this noble idiot thing. Nobody gives a damn about your integrity, just get the job done already and quit with the angst.
Reply
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