I love the whole concept of 'High Fantasy'

[Starman]

I love how you can create a whole world, with Kingdoms, different human and non-human races, political intrigue, epic battles and heroic adventures etc.

And yet, aside from Lord of the Rings, I haven't managed to get past the first five pages of any HF book.

If you're a reader of such books, how do you get into them without getting bored? I need some tips.

 

[P. R. D.]

There are many types of Geofiction. You can create enormous worlds, you can create tiny worlds, everything is possible!
If you don't enjoy reading such books, you enjoy creating, rather than exploring already existing worlds. Create one yourself, then compare it to the others.

 

[Quokka]

Find the right series. I know that sounds silly but in the end it's about finding a series that has both a good plot line and a style of writing you enjoy and that's going to differ from person to person.

I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings the first time I read it and have immense respect for it in a literary sense but I've no plans on going back to read it anytime soon (although I'm sure I will at some point), to be honest there are other books I enjoy reading more. The two big current series that get brought up again and again are Martin and Erikson. I like Martin's A Song Ice and Fire series but am a much bigger fan of Erikson, a lot of readers will say the opposite and all of that's personal opinion.

But as to specifics of what works? For me I like to mix up the reading, I'd struggle to read a whole 6+ book series start to finish. Ideally I'll read one book (maybe two) and then read something completely different, like a stand alone sci-fi novel, a week or two later and I'm back having tried something new and it's still soon enough that what I had read from the series is fresh in my mind.

 

[Switchback]

Tip Number 1: Read Tad Williams

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

I love how you can create a whole world, with Kingdoms, different human and non-human races, political intrigue, epic battles and heroic adventures etc.

And yet, aside from Lord of the Rings, I haven't managed to get past the first five pages of any HF book.

If you're a reader of such books, how do you get into them without getting bored? I need some tips.

Skip the boring bits (you can always read it later if you get into it) and try to get to the meaty stuff. When you find things are getting interesting but you find references you don't understand consider reading the details you skipped.

If you don't get interested or it dosn't seem to be moving with any pace bin it. You tried, move on and give thanks that didn't waste too much time.

or

Give the book to someone else as a present saying - This is a really good book I think you'll enjoy it. Try to keep a straight face.

 

[Pyan]

Have you tried Raymond E Feist, Tein?

High Fantasy in concept, yet written in a much more down-to-earth style for much of the time, with some really believable characters, and easy on the reading.

 

[Connavar]

I know how you feel. I think you should try more of the recommended High Fantasy and if they dont work for you then stop trying.

Maybe your taste like other types of fantasy. I read like alot heroic,urban fantasy cause i enjoy it much more.


I have truly enjoyed only two High fantasy books : Tad William's War of The Flowers
and Raymond E. Fiest's Magician.

I have read and tried reading many famous High Fantasy modern big ones and classic.

 

[Starman]

Thanks for the suggestions.

George R R Martin is the author that I'm currently considering. I've read one of his short stories, "Hedge Knight", and I'm currently reading its sequel, "Sworn Sword" - I'm finding these very enjoyable, so I might just want to try Ice and Fire.

As for Raymond E Feist, I came across a bunch of his books in the library, but their size made me chicken out (LOL). But I'll give those a go.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Have you tried Raymond E Feist, Tein?

No. I'll hunt it out and give it try. Ta.

Like the new avatar.

 

[DeepThought]

The best way is to Dip into different HF's and try to see if it works for you. There is no reason why you should force yourself to enjoy or try to get into something just because it is HF or other people read/like them, that wont work.

Try these for a start:

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Chronicles of Prydain byLloyd Alexander
A Tale of Malazan Book of the Fallen bySteven Erikson

Good to see your considering George RR Martin...

Cheers, DeepThought

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It might be easier to make recommendations likely to appeal to you if we knew some of the books you've already tried and didn't care for -- those books that lost you after five pages.

 

[D_Davis]

Check out Last Dragon, by McDermott. I just posted a thread about it.

It is shockingly good.

 

[Starman]

It might be easier to make recommendations likely to appeal to you if we knew some of the books you've already tried and didn't care for -- those books that lost you after five pages.

Shannara, Wheel of Time, "The Diamond Throne" and "Pawn of Prophecy" by David Eddings. I've also tried the children's HF "Eragon" and its sequels, I managed to get through Eragon, but the sequel was spectacularly dull.

I was actually getting into The Diamond Throne for a while, I should try it again...

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

I would say if you are enjoying The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword, you should definately start the Ice and Fire series with the book A Game of Thrones. I read the series first, and then the short stories, and the series tops them. It's one of my favorite series...(if you couldn't tell ). I am trying Erikson for the first time since everyone seems to put him and Martin together, but I'm not sure what to think at this point. I'm a little over half way in his first book, and at this point I would still have to recommend Martin.

 

[Clansman]

I too, would recommend Martin, particularly if you liked the short stories. I just follows that you would like the books. Erikson is very different from Martin, in that he has more races of beings, and the magic system is much more obvious. Martin is not high fantasy, in my opinion, as there are not the extra races, the use of magic, and the fantastical beasts and evil dudes, with the notable exception of Daenarys's dragons (I can never spell her name!).

Erikson's Malazan is high fantasy (the whole Warren magic concept is on every fifth page, you have Trells, Jaghuts, and the T'lan Imass concept is brilliant!). The similarity between Martin and Erikson is the multiple POV and the complexity. I find Erikson far more complex.

Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow is also high fantasy (use of magic, paravian races, bardic magic, sorcerers and witches, etc.) but again very complex and character driven.

The stuff you said you didn't like I liked 20 years ago. It is too simple and fluffy for me now, and perhaps that was your problem. Eddings and Brooks are formula writers. Martin, Wurts and Erikson are not. Their books can be tough going, due to the sheer complexity. Give them a try.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Shannara, Wheel of Time, "The Diamond Throne" and "Pawn of Prophecy" by David Eddings. I've also tried the children's HF "Eragon" and its sequels, I managed to get through Eragon, but the sequel was spectacularly dull.

Well, none of these authors you mention are known for their sparkling prose. In fact, in some cases, quite the reverse.

So far as I know, none of the authors recommended in this thread have that problem.

 

[Starman]

Thanks, that's encouraging.

 

[nixie]

I'd also recommend Erikson, Feist and Tad William's. Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars and Scott R Bakkers Prince of Nothing series are both excellent. Although I'm not sure the Prince of Nothing could be classed as high fantasy,

 

[Tickle]

I love how you can create a whole world, with Kingdoms, different human and non-human races, political intrigue, epic battles and heroic adventures etc.

And yet, aside from Lord of the Rings, I haven't managed to get past the first five pages of any HF book.

If you're a reader of such books, how do you get into them without getting bored? I need some tips.

You might want to try a different type of High Fantasy. You can still have your King/Queen, human and non-human races, political intrigue, etc, while also enjoying a different social structure, a little more darkness, and some romance thrown in as well. I would highly recommend Anne Bishops "The Black Jewels Trilogy". It comes in a one book Omnibus collection or 3 seperate books. If you go to BarnesandNoble.com and look up the books, you will see very good reviews. This is an awesome series and it will definetly keep you interested and reading.

I would also recommend Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel Series (Kushiel's Dart is the first). This was also a very good series and it will keep you reading.

 

[Jen526]

Just throwing out a rec. for Jack Vance's "Lyonesse" books (especially the first one, sometimes subtitled "Suldrun's Garden").

This book is, to me, the very definition of high fantasy - maybe even more so that Tolkien. Evocative prose, a rich invented world, a certain "timelessness" to the story. It's a beautiful book.