Getting back into novels - recommend me some good fantasy lit

[PamelaQ]

Patricia McKillip's Forgotten Beasts of Eld is an excellent introduction to her works. I also like C J Cherryh's Fortress series (haven't read the last one in the series yet- she's hard to find in England). Someone I have a love/hate relationship with is Sheri S Tepper but I really love her fantasy/scif blend Beauty.

 

[Milford Cubicle]

I'd just read a Song of Ice and Fire again! It's awesome.

At what book does it begin to get more into the action ? I?ve read A Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings and even though they were great books I only cared about Jon's and Arya's stories , do we get a more of them? And does it get more action heavy later on?

Yes! The next one is where it all gets better and tie in a bit more. Stick with it.

 

[Razhen3]

I didn't read through all of the reply's posted, so sorry if someone already mentioned this.

I just finished reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfus. This is the first book in the trilogy, he hasn't released the other two yet. It is a very interesting take on fantasy. There is magic, but the magic is based on elements of the Earth and physics. So, for example, in order to cast a fire spell you need to draw the heat from somewhere, either an open flame or the body heat of a nearby person (thus potentially killing them), for example. I highly recommend this book.

 

[Taliesin Hoyle]

Neal Stephenson: Anathem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathem
The Baroque cycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baroque_Cycle

China Mieville: The Bas-Lag books in particular http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Mi%C3%A9ville

I enjoy Robin Hobb (including her work as Megan Lindholm), despite its pretensions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:The_Farseer_Trilogy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liveship_Traders_Trilogy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_Son_Trilogy

For a delightful tonic, I heartily recommend Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell . The first novel by British writer Susanna Clarke. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Strange_%26_Mr_Norrell

Jorge Luis Borges is a breathtaking fantasist, the Dali of the short story. His fiction is life altering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borges

Mervyn Peake wrote the magisterial Gormenghast at about the same time that Tolkein was in the ascendant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gormenghast_series

Robert E Howard's Conan is great fun, and can be appreciated on several levels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard

Scott Lynch is compulsively readable, and a master of intricate plot lines. He writes fantasy crime capers of subtle depth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Lynch_%28author%29

Fritz Leiber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber wrote awesome pulp, and was a far better stylist than his beloved Lovecraft. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovecraft

The Chronicles of Prydain are simply lovely. Avoid the dreadful Disney movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Prydain

Ursula Leguin will still be the focus of doctoral theses a century from now. Her science fiction is as significant an exploration of the human as anything by Proust or Sartre. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin Earthsea is a good starting point, but don't hesitate to read her more speculative stuff.

Gene Wolfe writes lies, in the best possible way. Nothing is as it seems in his works. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_New_Sun He wrote some very profound short stories that are still revolutionary.

 

[Hosker]

Have a look at this; the fantasy is half way down.
http://www.waterstones.com/wat/images/special/promo/sci_fi_guide_09.pdf
I've wrote down about 10 fantasy books I want to have a look at from that PDF.