Single volume fantasy recommendations

[BAYLOR]

Om The Secret of Arbor Valley by Talbot Mundy

 

[.matthew.]

Dragon of Ash & Stars by H. Leighton Dickson (an autobiography of a dragon)

Battle Mage by Peter Flannery (fairly recent but feels like a classic)

Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer (bureaucrats in space, but better than that sounds)

 

[Matteo]

I think @Avelino de Castro meant to refer to the original post:

Very little love for the stand alone works of Neil Gaiman. […]

 

[Vince W]

The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton

 

[svalbard]

Would second The Worm Ouroboros and no-one's mentioned The Stone and the Flute by Hans Bemmann.

I was actually looking for the title of The Stone and the Flute. I knew the book having read it 30 years ago but could not remember the name. I wanted to re visit this as I felt I did not do it the justice it deserved back in my teens. I could tell it was a brilliant story, expertly told however I was too immature at the time to appreciate this.

 

[Matteo]

I read it in my mid-teens and thought it was unlike any other "fantasy" I'd read - a wonderful book.

According to isfdb, it seems to have only been printed (in English) once - (well, once in hb and pbk in the UK and the same for the US). So might be hard to come across a copy.

 

[Galactic Bus Driver]

"The Stone and the Flute" is available at Amazon (US and UK as far as I could tell) and Ebay. Very reasonably priced as well.

 

[Matteo]

Ahem...
I read it in my mid-teens and thought it was unlike any other "fantasy" I'd read - a wonderful book.

According to isfdb, it seems to have only been printed (in English) once - (well, once in hb and pbk in the UK and the same for the US). So might be hard But even so, it's easy to come across a copy.

 

[vanye]

It is even easier if you can read the original German. Got it on my wishlist already.

 

[BAYLOR]

Conan The Road of Kings By Karl Edward Wagner. Yes, I know this a pastiche but in it own right, it's a pretty good heroic fantasy novel.

 

[BAYLOR]

Wolfwinter by Thomas Burnett Swann . This is an absolutely superb fantasy novel and I very very highly recommend it ! Two Thumbs up !

If I had a third hand Id make it three Thumbs up.

 

[soulsinging]

I also really like The Silmarillion, but that's a bit of a Marmite book.

For those of us on the other side of the Atlantic.. what does Marmite book mean?

Watership Down by Richard Adams. Cuter than Narnia and Redwall... or insightful allegory?
Legend by David Gemmell. Conan as Leonidas defending Vienna from the Mongols.

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. Okay, so it's not a single story. So, Tolkien's son and Guy Gavriel Kay compiled it and reworked bits from Tolkien's notes. So what? I love it.

I did somehow did not know Guy Gavriel Kay had involvement in The Silmarillion. Since the Silmarillion is my favorite Middle Earth work, this really makes me feel like I need to read some Kay sooner rather than later.

Seconding Watership Down and anything David Gemmell.

 

[Toby Frost]

what does Marmite book mean?

It strongly divides people. Marmite spread's advertising campaign is basically that you love it or hate it.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Little, Big by John Crowley.

 

[williamjm]

I did somehow did not know Guy Gavriel Kay had involvement in The Silmarillion. Since the Silmarillion is my favorite Middle Earth work, this really makes me feel like I need to read some Kay sooner rather than later.

The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy (which Kay published after he assisted with the Silmarillion) definitely felt like it had a lot of inspiration from Tolkien's work. I think his later books which have more of a historical fiction feel to them tend to be better overall but there are some great scenes in the Fionavar books.

 

[Boaz]

@soulsinging My understanding is that Kay (a family friend) was a graduate student when Christopher Tolkien tapped him to help compile notes and assist in keeping names and dates straight for The Silmarillion. This turned Kay from some other discipline (history, poli-sci, philosophy) towards writing. Then again, I could be misremembering.

 

[BAYLOR]

@soulsinging My understanding is that Kay (a family friend) was a graduate student when Christopher Tolkien tapped him to help compile notes and assist in keeping names and dates straight for The Silmarillion. This turned Kay from some other discipline (history, poli-sci, philosophy) towards writing. Then again, I could be misremembering.

That worked ou quite well.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers

 

[BAYLOR]

The Dragon Waiting by Hohn M . Ford

 

[CupofJoe]

I'd like to put a hand in for Sir Terry Pratchett Discworld They are all stand alone to some degree and link in some other way.
A special mention for:
Guards! Guards! [Captain Sam Vimes appears on the scene]
Mort [DEATH at its best - but not in a bad way]
The Amazing Maurice and his educated rodents [a great tail/tale for younger readers - but not too young]