Help with beginner Fantasy series/books

[BlackSabbath88]

Hello!

I'm looking for some good, dark beginner fantasy stand alone or series books to read.

I'm a big horror fan (Clive Barker, Stephen King,...) and i'm looking to get into fantasy but don't know where to begin. So far i've read the Hobbit and the first harry potter book and really liked them. The most logical step would be the Lotr but the movies are so fresh in my mind..

Recent, I bought the mistborn trilogy, farseer trilogy, memory sorrow and thorn (tad williams), a song of ice and fire and the shadow of the gods by John Gwynne. I haven't read any of these since I don't really know what to start with. I like a dark medieval setting and an eerie atmosphere.
I don't like it when there's a thousand names and characters to keep track of or remember.

Would be nice if anyone that has read any of these books/series could give advice on wich to start with or maybe knows another series that I didn't think of.

Thanks in advance and apologies for my english, i'm from belgium and speak dutch.

 

[nixie]

Try Raymond E Feist's Magician, it is the first in very long series but can be read as a stand-a-lone.

Joe Abercrombie, has a few series starting with The First Law Trilogy. You could try Sharp Ends or Hero's, both are collections of short stores that will give you a taste of his style.

You've mentioned Stephen King, have you tried his Dark Tower series?
I've read all the ones you've mentioned and have enjoyed them.
Maybe start with Farseer trilogy.

A Song of Ice and Fire is brilliant but there are a lot of characters to keep track of.

 

[Elckerlyc]

If you need some dark, eerie, sense of coming doom fantasy, try K.J. Parker's Scavenger trilogy: Shadow, Pattern and Memory.
Or, if you more on the grimdark side of things, try R.F. Kuang's Poppy War trilogy: Poppy War, The Dragon Republic and The Burning God.

 

[BAYLOR]

Hello!

I'm looking for some good, dark beginner fantasy stand alone or series books to read.

I'm a big horror fan (Clive Barker, Stephen King,...) and i'm looking to get into fantasy but don't know where to begin. So far i've read the Hobbit and the first harry potter book and really liked them. The most logical step would be the Lotr but the movies are so fresh in my mind..

Recent, I bought the mistborn trilogy, farseer trilogy, memory sorrow and thorn (tad williams), a song of ice and fire and the shadow of the gods by John Gwynne. I haven't read any of these since I don't really know what to start with. I like a dark medieval setting and an eerie atmosphere.
I don't like it when there's a thousand names and characters to keep track of or remember.

Would be nice if anyone that has read any of these books/series could give advice on wich to start with or maybe knows another series that I didn't think of.

Thanks in advance and apologies for my english, i'm from belgium and speak dutch.

The Kane the Mystic Swrdsman Seres by Karl Edward Wagner .Dark fantasy seres 5 books
1. Bloodstone
2. Darkness Weaves
3. Dark Crusade
4. Death Angels Shadow
5 Nightwinds

Tales from the Dying Earth by jack Vance
Songs from the Dying Earth edited by Gardner Dozios and George R R Martin
Conan The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E Howard
The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven
Inferno by Larry Niven and Gerri Pournelle
The Complete Enchanter by L Sprague De Camp and Fletcher Pratt
Silverlock by John Myer Myer
The Dark World by Henry Kuttner
Black Gods Kiss by C L Moore
The Fellowship of the Talesman by Clifford D Simak
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson
Mythago Woods by Robert Holdstock
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
The Mines of Behemoth by Michael Shea
Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
The Dragon Lord by David Drake
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
The Ship of Ishtar by Abraham Merritt
The Lost Continent by C J Cutcliff Hynd
The Holmes/Dracula File by. Fred Saberhagen
Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen
The Star Rover by Jack London Has only ffantys novel Its bout stiraitjaced DeathRw inmate who diver he can astral projecthimlsefl into his past lives at all. This a great book can be found complete online via project Gutenberg It also still in print .
The High House by James Stoddard
The False House by James Stoddard
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip
The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon
The Day of the Giants by Lester Del Rey



The Compete Tales of Jules De Grandin By Seabury Quinn Jules De Grandin is supernatural Detective/iinvestigator . He and his associate Dr Trowbridge investigate and do battle whittle faces of supernatural darkness and human chicanery in all quince wrte93 adventures in 5 volumes
1. The Horror on the Links
2. The Devils Rosary
3. The Dark Angel
4. A Rival From the Grave
5 Black Moon

Fafhard and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Leiber
1.Swords and Deviltry
2. Swords Against Death
3. Swords of the Mist
4. Swords Against Wizardry
5 .The Swords of Lankhmar
6. Swords and Ice Magic
7. The Knight and the Kanve of Swords

The Black Company by Glen Cook
The Pi Garret Series by Glen Cook
The Eternal Champion saga by Michael Moorcock
The Malazan book of the Fallen series by Steven Eriksson

Under Horror stories
Deahtbird Stories by Harlan Ellison
Nightshade and Damnations by Germans Kersh
The Three Impostors by Arthur Machen
In A Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner
The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
At the Mountains of Madness by H P Lovecraft

Would also reckoned check out the stoics of Clark Ashton Smith
The Death of Malygris
Double Shadow
The Weaver in the Vaults
The Vault of Yoh-Vombus

Thought not a fantasy novel but a superb read

Islandia by Austin Tappin Wright

I will leave it at that.

 

[Megafiction]

Find the Eyes of the Dragon or the Dark Tower by Stephen King, or the Dark Elf series by R.A. Salvatore. Hope this helps.

 

[BlackSabbath88]

Try Raymond E Feist's Magician, it is the first in very long series but can be read as a stand-a-lone.

Joe Abercrombie, has a few series starting with The First Law Trilogy. You could try Sharp Ends or Hero's, both are collections of short stores that will give you a taste of his style.

You've mentioned Stephen King, have you tried his Dark Tower series?
I've read all the ones you've mentioned and have enjoyed them.
Maybe start with Farseer trilogy.

A Song of Ice and Fire is brilliant but there are a lot of characters to keep track of.

Hey, thanks for the reply. I have heard of raymond feist and will definitly check his magician series out. Joe Abercrombe is a name i've also seen, is he like GRRM?

A song of ice and fire seems like a good place to start, only it's not finished and I don't think it will be soon.

 

[BlackSabbath88]

Find the Eyes of the Dragon or the Dark Tower by Stephen King, or the Dark Elf series by R.A. Salvatore. Hope this helps.

Thank for the reply, the dark tower series I dnf something about it didn't grab me. The dark elf series I don't know but sounds really good so i'll defenitly check that out!

 

[BlackSabbath88]

The Kane the Mystic Swrdsman Seres by Karl Edward Wagner .Dark fantasy seres 5 books
1. Bloodstone
2. Darkness Weaves
3. Dark Crusade
4. Death Angels Shadow
5 Nightwinds

Tales from the Dying Earth by jack Vance
Songs from the Dying Earth edited by Gardner Dozios and George R R Martin
Conan The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E Howard
The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven
Inferno by Larry Niven and Gerri Pournelle
The Complete Enchanter by L Sprague De Camp and Fletcher Pratt
Silverlock by John Myer Myer
The Dark World by Henry Kuttner
Black Gods Kiss by C L Moore
The Fellowship of the Talesman by Clifford D Simak
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson
Mythago Woods by Robert Holdstock
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
The Mines of Behemoth by Michael Shea
Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
The Dragon Lord by David Drake
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
The Ship of Ishtar by Abraham Merritt
The Lost Continent by C J Cutcliff Hynd
The Holmes/Dracula File by. Fred Saberhagen
Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen
The Star Rover by Jack London Has only ffantys novel Its bout stiraitjaced DeathRw inmate who diver he can astral projecthimlsefl into his past lives at all. This a great book can be found complete online via project Gutenberg It also still in print .
The High House by James Stoddard
The False House by James Stoddard
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip
The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon
The Day of the Giants by Lester Del Rey



The Compete Tales of Jules De Grandin By Seabury Quinn Jules De Grandin is supernatural Detective/iinvestigator . He and his associate Dr Trowbridge investigate and do battle whittle faces of supernatural darkness and human chicanery in all quince wrte93 adventures in 5 volumes
1. The Horror on the Links
2. The Devils Rosary
3. The Dark Angel
4. A Rival From the Grave
5 Black Moon

Fafhard and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Leiber
1.Swords and Deviltry
2. Swords Against Death
3. Swords of the Mist
4. Swords Against Wizardry
5 .The Swords of Lankhmar
6. Swords and Ice Magic
7. The Knight and the Kanve of Swords

The Black Company by Glen Cook
The Pi Garret Series by Glen Cook
The Eternal Champion saga by Michael Moorcock
The Malazan book of the Fallen series by Steven Eriksson

Under Horror stories
Deahtbird Stories by Harlan Ellison
Nightshade and Damnations by Germans Kersh
The Three Impostors by Arthur Machen
In A Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner
The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
At the Mountains of Madness by H P Lovecraft

Would also reckoned check out the stoics of Clark Ashton Smith
The Death of Malygris
Double Shadow
The Weaver in the Vaults
The Vault of Yoh-Vombus

Thought not a fantasy novel but a superb read

Islandia by Austin Tappin Wright

I will leave it at that.

My god man, thank you that is a hell of a lot of books to check out! Any favourites of yourself from this list?

 

[BlackSabbath88]

If you need some dark, eerie, sense of coming doom fantasy, try K.J. Parker's Scavenger trilogy: Shadow, Pattern and Memory.
Or, if you more on the grimdark side of things, try R.F. Kuang's Poppy War trilogy: Poppy War, The Dragon Republic and The Burning God.

Thank you for the reply. I have never heard of these and will certainly check them out! I like that they are both trilogys.

 

[hitmouse]

The Kane the Mystic Swrdsman Seres by Karl Edward Wagner .Dark fantasy seres 5 books
1. Bloodstone
2. Darkness Weaves
3. Dark Crusade
4. Death Angels Shadow
5 Nightwinds

Tales from the Dying Earth by jack Vance
Songs from the Dying Earth edited by Gardner Dozios and George R R Martin
Conan The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E Howard
The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven
Inferno by Larry Niven and Gerri Pournelle
The Complete Enchanter by L Sprague De Camp and Fletcher Pratt
Silverlock by John Myer Myer
The Dark World by Henry Kuttner
Black Gods Kiss by C L Moore
The Fellowship of the Talesman by Clifford D Simak
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson
Mythago Woods by Robert Holdstock
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
The Mines of Behemoth by Michael Shea
Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
The Dragon Lord by David Drake
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
The Ship of Ishtar by Abraham Merritt
The Lost Continent by C J Cutcliff Hynd
The Holmes/Dracula File by. Fred Saberhagen
Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen
The Star Rover by Jack London Has only ffantys novel Its bout stiraitjaced DeathRw inmate who diver he can astral projecthimlsefl into his past lives at all. This a great book can be found complete online via project Gutenberg It also still in print .
The High House by James Stoddard
The False House by James Stoddard
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip
The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon
The Day of the Giants by Lester Del Rey



The Compete Tales of Jules De Grandin By Seabury Quinn Jules De Grandin is supernatural Detective/iinvestigator . He and his associate Dr Trowbridge investigate and do battle whittle faces of supernatural darkness and human chicanery in all quince wrte93 adventures in 5 volumes
1. The Horror on the Links
2. The Devils Rosary
3. The Dark Angel
4. A Rival From the Grave
5 Black Moon

Fafhard and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Leiber
1.Swords and Deviltry
2. Swords Against Death
3. Swords of the Mist
4. Swords Against Wizardry
5 .The Swords of Lankhmar
6. Swords and Ice Magic
7. The Knight and the Kanve of Swords

The Black Company by Glen Cook
The Pi Garret Series by Glen Cook
The Eternal Champion saga by Michael Moorcock
The Malazan book of the Fallen series by Steven Eriksson

Under Horror stories
Deahtbird Stories by Harlan Ellison
Nightshade and Damnations by Germans Kersh
The Three Impostors by Arthur Machen
In A Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner
The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
At the Mountains of Madness by H P Lovecraft

Would also reckoned check out the stoics of Clark Ashton Smith
The Death of Malygris
Double Shadow
The Weaver in the Vaults
The Vault of Yoh-Vombus

Thought not a fantasy novel but a superb read

Islandia by Austin Tappin Wright

I will leave it at that.

Baylor,

I have not read all the books on your usual list, but I would dispute the ones I have highlighted in red are dark fantasy, as requested by the OP, according to my understanding of the subgenre.

 

[Toby Frost]

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is good - I think it's the most grown-up and best-written of that subgenre of "orphan goes on a big adventure" fantasy. Not gory, but quite grown-up and occasionally creepy.

Abercrombie is a little like GRRM, but has a sarcastic humour that some really like. Scott Lynch's Gentleman ******* books are quite gory and dark in places.

I wonder if Titus Alone would be of interest? It's very odd, and quite hard going in parts, but really good and very gothic.

And then there's the Dark Renaissance books by, er, me. If murder and intrigue in a fantasy version of the Renaissance is your thing, then Up To The Throne is the first.

 

[BlackSabbath88]

Baylor,

I have not read all the books on your usual list, but I would dispute the ones I have highlighted in red are dark fantasy, as requested by the OP, according to my understanding of the subgenre.

Thank you! I'm making a list and adding the ones in red

 

[BlackSabbath88]

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is good - I think it's the most grown-up and best-written of that subgenre of "orphan goes on a big adventure" fantasy. Not gory, but quite grown-up and occasionally creepy.

Abercrombie is a little like GRRM, but has a sarcastic humour that some really like. Scott Lynch's Gentleman ******* books are quite gory and dark in places.

I wonder if Titus Alone would be of interest? It's very odd, and quite hard going in parts, but really good and very gothic.

And then there's the Dark Renaissance books by, er, me. If murder and intrigue in a fantasy version of the Renaissance is your thing, then Up To The Throne is the first.

Thanks for the reply. Memory sorrow and thorn is high on my list but I hear that it's complicated and difficult to follow. Don't know if that's True.

Abercrombie is a name that keeps popping up, will have to check him out.

Very nice that you are a writer! Where can I find your book?

 

[Chris von shannow]

David Gemmell "Legend" is a good place to start

 

[BlackSabbath88]

David Gemmell "Legend" is a good place to start

Never heard of him, thanks for the tip will check the book out!

 

[Randy M.]

Since you've read King, have you read Fairie Tale or The Eyes of the Dragon? I haven't read either, but suspect they'd be somewhat dark.

Hitmouse, I'd dispute your dispute with Mythago Wood and The Anubis Gates; though neither fits the time period BlackSabbath mentioned, they aren't horror or grimdark, but they walk alongside the border between fantasy and horror. Maybe a little closer would be Tim Power's The Stress of Her Regard -- though, again, not Medieval but 1700s. Then there's Stephen Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which leans towards Tolkien-like, though I doubt Tolkien would have liked it.

 

[BAYLOR]

My god man, thank you that is a hell of a lot of books to check out! Any favourites of yourself from this list?

Many of them don't quite fit requirements that specified , Apologies. But, they're terrific books and definitely worth checking out.

I listed several Horror books one them NightShade and Damnation by Gerald Kersh bit of type in he listed name , you might find the other on that list to be of interest . I would also that list
The 37th Mandala by Mark Laidlaw
The Manitou by Graham Masterton
Darker than You Think by Jack Williamson
Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon
Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell by Paul Kane Theo book is set in Clive Barker Hellraiser Universe
Songs of the Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti
Stinger by Robert MacCammon
Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand
Donovan's Brain by Curt Soidmak
The People of the Pit by Abraham Merrit
Our Lady of Darkness and The Conjurors Wife by Fritz Leiber also his short story The Girl With the Hungry Eyes
The Coming of The Terrans By Leigh Brackett

You might find the the Stories by Clark Ashton Smith to also be of interest. He wrote manyamny great story and his fans ones are quite dark .


Other one to focus on in the big List

The Kane The Mystics Swordsman Saga Karl Edward Wagner that one definitely in the Dark Fantasy end of things. Kane is a very interesting character . There is plenty of darkness in this series.

The Compete Tales of Jules De Grandin By Seabury Quinn it in the Dark fantasy horror category and they well written and lost of fun to read .

The Star Rover by Jack London. epic in scope and scale.


The Black Company series by Glen Cook

The Broken Sword by Poul Abdsersin has Elves, Vikings and changelings

The Dark World by Henry Kuttner is a fantasy novel with most unusual protagonist has become something of a classic

The Holmes /Dracula File by Fred Sabrthagen has the Great detective teaming with the Count to fight a very dangerous foe

Black Gods Kiss by Catherine L Moore contains all of her wonderful Jierl of Joiry stories

Conan The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E Howard. It his only novel light Conan adventure written 1936 . Its goes to to pretty Dark places given that Conan is doing battle with evil 3000 year old brought back from the dead Wizard named Xaltolten . Its quick read its fun.v Also by him check out his Bran Mac Morn. story Worms of the Earth In that one. Karl Edward Wagner wrote a really good Pastishe sequel novel to Howard's story titles Bran Man Morn The Legion From the Shadows.

Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens ( Gertrude Barrow Bennet) she created the genre of Dark Fantasy

The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson is Ghost/ Sci Fiction horror / fantasy novel . written in 1908 it's never been out of print. Alos by him I reckoments by the collecting Adrift on the Haunted Seas

The Dragon Lord by David Drake. Has very interesting and dark take on King Arthur

 

[hitmouse]

Re: Citadel of Fear (1918) by Francis Stevens.

That is quite obscure. It is a period curiosity, but it is pretty dull in comparison with Lovecraft or Howard or Burroughs (for example.) Only recommended for historical completists.

I have this edition, which I bought years ago because I was intrigued by its obscurity (pre-internet) and because of the cover:

 

[BlackSabbath88]

Since you've read King, have you read Fairie Tale or The Eyes of the Dragon? I haven't read either, but suspect they'd be somewhat dark.

Hitmouse, I'd dispute your dispute with Mythago Wood and The Anubis Gates; though neither fits the time period BlackSabbath mentioned, they aren't horror or grimdark, but they walk alongside the border between fantasy and horror. Maybe a little closer would be Tim Power's The Stress of Her Regard -- though, again, not Medieval but 1700s. Then there's Stephen Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which leans towards Tolkien-like, though I doubt Tolkien would have liked it.

Thann you for the reply. That sound like good books i'll check them out. But yeah it doesn't have to be 100% the exact time periode as I can imagine there are other amazing fantasy books in a different setting maybe. But i'm really glad I posted my question here, i'm making a long list of books to buy haha.

 

[BlackSabbath88]

Many of them don't quite fit requirements that specified , Apologies. But, they're terrific books and definitely worth checking out.

I listed several Horror books one them NightShade and Damnation by Gerald Kersh bit of type in he listed name , you might find the other on that list to be of interest . I would also that list
The 37th Mandala by Mark Laidlaw
The Manitou by Graham Masterton
Darker than You Think by Jack Williamson
Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon
Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell by Paul Kane Theo book is set in Clive Barker Hellraiser Universe
Songs of the Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti
Stinger by Robert MacCammon
Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand
Donovan's Brain by Curt Soidmak
The People of the Pit by Abraham Merrit
Our Lady of Darkness and The Conjurors Wife by Fritz Leiber also his short story The Girl With the Hungry Eyes
The Coming of The Terrans By Leigh Brackett

You might find the the Stories by Clark Ashton Smith to also be of interest. He wrote manyamny great story and his fans ones are quite dark .


Other one to focus on in the big List

The Kane The Mystics Swordsman Saga Karl Edward Wagner that one definitely in the Dark Fantasy end of things. Kane is a very interesting character . There is plenty of darkness in this series.

The Compete Tales of Jules De Grandin By Seabury Quinn it in the Dark fantasy horror category and they well written and lost of fun to read .

The Star Rover by Jack London. epic in scope and scale.


The Black Company series by Glen Cook

The Broken Sword by Poul Abdsersin has Elves, Vikings and changelings

The Dark World by Henry Kuttner is a fantasy novel with most unusual protagonist has become something of a classic

The Holmes /Dracula File by Fred Sabrthagen has the Great detective teaming with the Count to fight a very dangerous foe

Black Gods Kiss by Catherine L Moore contains all of her wonderful Jierl of Joiry stories

Conan The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E Howard. It his only novel light Conan adventure written 1936 . Its goes to to pretty Dark places given that Conan is doing battle with evil 3000 year old brought back from the dead Wizard named Xaltolten . Its quick read its fun.v Also by him check out his Bran Mac Morn. story Worms of the Earth In that one. Karl Edward Wagner wrote a really good Pastishe sequel novel to Howard's story titles Bran Man Morn The Legion From the Shadows.

Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens ( Gertrude Barrow Bennet) she created the genre of Dark Fantasy

The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson is Ghost/ Sci Fiction horror / fantasy novel . written in 1908 it's never been out of print. Alos by him I reckoments by the collecting Adrift on the Haunted Seas

The Dragon Lord by David Drake. Has very interesting and dark take on King Arthur

Wow thank you, i'm reading horror for more than 20 years now and I never knew that there was a sherlock holmes dracula/hellraiser book. I'm learning here. I'm checking every book out and i'm making a long list of books to buy. My wife and wallet are not happy haha