Relatively lighthearted fantasy book recommendations?

[The Almighty Aardvark]

I've once again emptied my queue of books I want to read, and my girlfriend suggested that we read something new together. We're currently looking for books, and it seemed like a good idea to check to see what books you guys would recommend.

We're tentatively looking for a fantasy novel (although really, other genres could do). One of both of our issues with a lot of fantasy novels nowadays though is that they just seem to dwell so much on the world being a cruel and awful place. No light at the end of the tunnel, no happiness for characters that isn't immediately soured. It can get awfully depressing after a while without any reprieve. It doesn't need to be completely happy go lucky constantly, but something with a fair balance of good and bad.

Just to give some ideas, here's some books in the genre that we've liked:

- Stardust - Neil Gaiman (She absolutely loved this one)
- American Gods, Neverwhere, Good Omens, Coraline - Neil Gaiman (Just for some others of his that I've read)
- Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss (she hasn't read this yet, but it's one of my favorite books)
- Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
- Discworld - Terry Pratchett (Although we haven't read all of them)
- LotR - JRR Tolkein (She's a huge fan of this)
- Chronicles of Narnia -
- His Dark Materials - Phillip Pullman
- The First Law - Joe Abercrombie (Included in the list because despite thinking it's one of the smartest fantasy series I've ever read, it's most definitely not what we're looking for)
- Christopher Moore books (Many of these at least fit into the supernatural category)

She's a big fan of stories with a fairy tail or whimsical nature, so anything in that category would be a pretty safe bet.

 

[Little Woodsman]

I've once again emptied my queue of books I want to read, and my girlfriend suggested that we read something new together. We're currently looking for books, and it seemed like a good idea to check to see what books you guys would recommend.

We're tentatively looking for a fantasy novel (although really, other genres could do). One of both of our issues with a lot of fantasy novels nowadays though is that they just seem to dwell so much on the world being a cruel and awful place. No light at the end of the tunnel, no happiness for characters that isn't immediately soured. It can get awfully depressing after a while without any reprieve. It doesn't need to be completely happy go lucky constantly, but something with a fair balance of good and bad.

Just to give some ideas, here's some books in the genre that we've liked:

- Stardust - Neil Gaiman (She absolutely loved this one)
- American Gods, Neverwhere, Good Omens, Coraline - Neil Gaiman (Just for some others of his that I've read)
- Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss (she hasn't read this yet, but it's one of my favorite books)
- Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
- Discworld - Terry Pratchett (Although we haven't read all of them)
- LotR - JRR Tolkein (She's a huge fan of this)
- Chronicles of Narnia -
- His Dark Materials - Phillip Pullman
- The First Law - Joe Abercrombie (Included in the list because despite thinking it's one of the smartest fantasy series I've ever read, it's most definitely not what we're looking for)
- Christopher Moore books (Many of these at least fit into the supernatural category)

She's a big fan of stories with a fairy tail or whimsical nature, so anything in that category would be a pretty safe bet.

Give Jack of Kinrowan by Charles DeLint a try.
Also the Myth/MYTH series by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye (first book of the series is Another Fine Myth).

 

[Queen Michael]

The Harry Potter books are nice. They're both funny and exciting. Try them.

 

[Redryhno]

Basically anything by David and Leigh Eddings, they're all largely light-hearted fantasy series. Also they've got kid characters that aren't obnoxious asshats(or at least they grow out of it through the plot of the books), so that's always a plus.

 

[gigastar]

Basically anything by David and Leigh Eddings, they're all largely light-hearted fantasy series. Also they've got kid characters that aren't obnoxious asshats(or at least they grow out of it through the plot of the books), so that's always a plus.

Seconded. Reccomend starting with The Belgariad.

 

[09philj]

Libriomancer by Jim C Hines. The basic concept is that there are wizards who live in our world, but most are fairly weak. However, as a shortcut, they can call upon the collective belief of people to pull objects mentioned in fiction books books to use. It's a clever, funny, and exciting read with rules for magic which are both watertight and comprehensible.

 

[Chaos James]

I'll be a third to recommend David & Leigh Eddings' work, specifically The Belgariad. My favorite fantasy novels, and probably fits your criteria quite well. Five books in the Belgariad, five in the second series The Mallorean, then two post-story prequels (?) that sort of go over stuff that happens before the Belgariad (though told from the perspective of after the Mallorean).

Overall, an engaging set of books with memorable characters and it's just so good. Finally got my wife to start reading them and she just can't put them down, XD.

 

[Legomaniac91_v1legacy]

I'd strongly recommend the entire Redwall series by Brian Jacques. They're all great stories and still hold up even for adults.

 

[WindKnight]

If you haven't read it already Anansi Boys by Gaiman, technically a sequel (or at least set in the same world as) American Gods and generally more light-hearted in tone.

 

[Ogoid]

If you haven't read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book yet, I highly recommend it.

Other than that, off the top of my head... Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle and Michael Ende's The NeverEnding Story are some amazing books (even if you've already seen the film adaptations); or maybe if you'd like something more "old school" (as in, pre-Tolkien), Hope Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist.

 

[DrownedAmmet]

Definitely check out Diana Wynne Jones if you can. She wrote Howl's Moving Castle, which is an amazing book, but any of her books are great. Neil Gaiman is a big fan of hers

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

The Harry Potter books are nice. They're both funny and exciting. Try them.

I've already read through Harry Potter (and too many times at that), but thanks for the suggestion nonetheless.

*snip*

At three four recommendations this one definitely sounds like it's worth a look. What's the biggest draw for it? I've read a couple descriptions of it, but they've all been pretty bare

Thanks to everyone else giving suggestions, I half expected this thread to just wither and die, but I already have a lot of books to look into.

 

[Bazaalmon]

I'd recommend The Spirit Thief (Book 1 of the Eli Monpress series) by Rachel Aaron. It's about a wizard and thief who's dream is to amass one million gold to be the most wanted man alive, so he decides to kidnap a king. Wizards in this book series basically do favors for spirits in order to temporarily call on their power, or-if they're evil-enslave the spirits to do their bidding. It's a very lighthearted book, and Eli is always upbeat and quippy. The plot is a bit formulaic, but makes up for it with well done and likeable characters, and a pace that makes you want to see what happens next.

Also I'd recommend Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer. It's a story about a guy who finds a mysterious file full of code, and realizes that by changing the code, he can affect himself and the world around him. After some trouble ensues, he ends up deciding to teleport/time travel to medieval England and set himself up as a great and powerful wizard. It's goofy, well written, and the magic system is used to great effect.

 

[Chaos James]

The Harry Potter books are nice. They're both funny and exciting. Try them.

I've already read through Harry Potter (and too many times at that), but thanks for the suggestion nonetheless.

*snip*

At three four recommendations this one definitely sounds like it's worth a look. What's the biggest draw for it? I've read a couple descriptions of it, but they've all been pretty bare

Thanks to everyone else giving suggestions, I half expected this thread to just wither and die, but I already have a lot of books to look into.

I believe the biggest draw of the Belgariad and such is the characters. There is quite a few interesting characters, and the way they interact with each other and other people is fun and even witty at times. Besides that, it's a story that involves a lot of travel and magic. I'm a little bad at explainin cause I'd like to avoid spoiling things, XD.

 

[Random Gamer]

Scott Lynch - the Lies of Locke Lamora

 

[Bazaalmon]

Scott Lynch - the Lies of Locke Lamora

That is a great series, but I wouldn't recommend it for a lighthearted read because each book in the series has one scene that feels out of place from the rest of the book because it is horrendously gruesome/graphic. It caught me by surprise when I read them the first time, and I was actually a little queasy as I read it, and I'm not one who gets queasy very easily. Other than that it's a really engaging series.

 

[Redryhno]

The Harry Potter books are nice. They're both funny and exciting. Try them.

I've already read through Harry Potter (and too many times at that), but thanks for the suggestion nonetheless.

*snip*

At three four recommendations this one definitely sounds like it's worth a look. What's the biggest draw for it? I've read a couple descriptions of it, but they've all been pretty bare

Thanks to everyone else giving suggestions, I half expected this thread to just wither and die, but I already have a lot of books to look into.

Basically just likable characters and a bunch of shenanigans with a backdrop of a sleeping god waking up and destroying the world essentially.

They're not all a part of the Belgariad universe, but there's something like fifteen books set there, the two five-book series, three prequels that dive into the oldest characters histories that do more than reference their deeds, and I think another two focused on the family that led up to what the plot of the main books are about.

Then there's another four(I think) set in the Sparhawk universe that's similar in setup with a Macguffin and, again, likable characters and shenanigans.

I don't think I ever read the Dreamers series, but I think my family has them in their library somewhere.

And looking at this thread again, I'll give an extra two series, Xanth, and the original Island in the Sea of Time trilogy.

Island is basically Nantucket(or some other tourist trap island in New England) getting dropped back to something like 4k BC, it's got heavy moments, and the ending is somewhat disappointing, but there's alot of cheese in it as well, lotsa 80's references and at least one couple most people will find to root for.

Xanth, just think of the most absurd puns and wordplay imaginable, and create a fantasy land based on what inspired you to make them, also every character speaks in textboxes that everyone else can see above their heads apparently. The world ages as the series goes on and they're very enjoyable if you go into them just looking for a laugh. Hell, they're enjoyable if you don't go looking for a laugh.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

I highly recommend the Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan L. Howard. Both hilarious and suspenseful, the novels - four so far - follow the adventures of Mr. Cabal, an up-and-coming necromancer so hilariously ruthless, callous, calculating and manipulative that you can't help but root for him.

The stories are set in a vaguely steampunk-esque world. The first novel ('The Necromancer') has Cabal take charge of a carnival train from Hell in order to gather souls for the Devil as part of a bet - to get his own soul back.

The second novel ('The Detective') is set on board a luxurious airship where Cabal gets roped into playing detective in an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery - hunting down an unknown killer while knowing perfectly well that he himself is the most wanted person on board!

I haven't read the two others yet ('The Fear Institute' and 'The Brothers Cabal'), but I am very much looking forward to it!

 

[Unverwandt]

Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series is excellent.