Need help with good science fiction fantasy books to read???

[frawri]

I just thought this place would be a great place to find help in finding new books to read. I love to read, and have run out of good books to read. I like Mercedes Lackey, Robert Jordan, Pierce Anthony. That sort of writings. I like animals to be in the fantasy books, with strong heroines. One of my fav series is Dragon Song, Dragon Singer, Dragon Drumms by Anne McCaffrey. I love how Menolly finds the little dragons, and wins there trust and love. That is one of my fav books. Do any of you know of any others like these books I have mentioned? Thanks for any help you can give me.


Francine

 

[Culhwch]

Can't help you with animal stories, I'm afraid. Check out the recommendations threads:

http://www.chronicles-network.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6228

http://www.chronicles-network.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6329

You're bound to find something there to read....

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Welcome to the board, fawri.

I haven't read the books myself, but I've heard that Tara K. Harper's books have animals (wolves) and strong heroines.

 

[GOLLUM]

Hi Francine!

I know a lot of fantasy books with animals in them and plenty of books featuring strong female heroines but books that reflect both these elements are not so common. Most of the following are YA (young adult) books and quite good reading...

You may want to check with Alia who manages the YA forum here that has a number of books featuring animal stories. Link to the YA forum is:

http://www.chronicles-network.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=92


ISOBELLE CARMODY
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Isobelle Carmody is an Australian children's writer. Here's a blurb on her first book Obernewtyn (Book 1 of the Obernewtyn Chronicles). Ages 13 and up.

In the tradition of Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Carmody embarks on a promising new series featuring telepathy, empathy and other psychic talents. On an Earth nearly wiped out by radiation and chemicals that have whitened the sky and poisoned the land, surviving humans have built a semi-agrarian culture. Though their own religious leaders, the Herders, have paranormal powers, they persecute the mutated Misfits, whose psychic abilities they view as a form of subversion. Thus, Elspeth Gordie, an orphan, conceals her exceptional abilities (prophetic visions, the ability to communicate with animals) from the other workers around her. Nonetheless, she is discovered and taken to the legendary Obernewtyn, an isolated town reputedly full of horrors. But instead of the tortures she expects, Elspeth finds friends and learns of the harmful experiments performed elsewhere upon talented Misfits and of the destructive powers that may have survived the Age of Chaos that ruined Earth. This

TAMORA PIERCE
************
Tamorsa pierce has written many books for the YA market. A particular one that features a strong heroine and animals is called the Immortals series (4 books). Here's a blurb from her web site below describing this particular series. Ages 12 and up. Books are Wild Magic, Wolf Speaker, Emperor Mage and The Realms Of The Gods.

http://www.tamora-pierce.com/about.htm#alanna

The Immortals quartet:
All the orphaned Daine wants when she comes to Tortall is a job. What she finds is magic in many forms, an ongoing war with creatures from legends and nightmares, a new home and, eventually, her unknown father. Hired by the Queen's Riders to help with their horses, she learns her knack with animals is a rare magic which helps her to communicate with the animal kingdom. With that discovery she becomes the student--then friend and sometimes protector--of the great mage Numair. He also helps her to develop her second magical skill, the ability to sense the presence of the immortals, fabled creatures who have come to mortal lands after a long imprisonment. All these changes in Daine's life bring her new human friends as well as animal ones: Tortall's rulers, Alanna the Lioness, the heir to the throne of imperial Carthak, a pygmy marmoset, and the badger god. Often she comes into contact--and sometimes conflict--with Stormwings--half human, half steel birds; dragons; spidrens--giant furred spiders with human heads and an appetite for human flesh; griffins; and the clawed, winged horses called hurroks. Daine is kept on the move as she grows into adulthood and her power, coming to terms with her world and her strange, mixed parentage

TARA K HARPER
************
Kelpie's suggestion of Tata K Harper's Wolfwalker series is a good one. Here's a link to the site. The main heroine is Dion who has a unique bond with wolves.

http://tarakharper.com/sfbks.htm


PATRICIA MCKILLIP
**************
This is an old book (1975) so not sure how easy to get a copy of it but The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld is as follows:

After her father dies the only company a young sorceress has are a menagerie of magical animals. With telepathic links to her beasts, she has no need for human beings outside the walls of her home. But the animal she still longs to find is the Liralen, a legendary white bird. Then one day she gets drawn into the human world when a baby comes into her care who turns out ot be the son of an evil King who ultimately wants Sybel's powers for his own ends.

This is not a long book but did win a World Fantasy Award so must be OK I assume.

Sorry couldn't be of more help....

 

[Brys]

The last one is supposed to be a true classic of the genre. I haven't read much in the way of fantasy with animals and strong heroines in.
One series I would suggest (though only limited animals -mainly a unicorn and some little furry people, and arguably strong "heroines" - though describing anyone in that as a heroic figure is difficult): Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber:
Nine Princes in Amber
The Guns of Avalon
The Sign of the Unicorn
The Hand of Oberon
The Courts of Chaos

Great books though.

 

[finvarre]

From what I gather, you seem to like books which talk about people who have a bond with one special animal - at least, that's been the case with the Heralds novels by Lackey and the dragonriders of pern by McCaffrey. I used to like this kind of stuff myself So I thought maybe you'd like Chronicles of the Cheysuli by Jennifer Roberson. The first volume is titled is The Shapechanger's Song and features both people - the Cheysuli - linked to animals - wolves, hawks and others, it depends on the character, and a strong female protagonist, at least in the first volume, that is, Alia. BTW, the Cheysuli can as well shapechange into the form of their lirs - that is, the animals they are linked to.
Besides, I'd recommend as well reading the Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley - Stormqueen! or Hawkmistress! for example ( I prefer by far The Heritage of Hastur/Sharra's Exile, but the two I've mentioned before have strong female characters)
And, as a long shot, I'd propose the novels protagonised by animals, as ie. Tad Williams' debut novel, The Tailchaser's Song, a fantasy book about cats, or Duncton's Wood by Harwood - about the moles.
As for Pierce Anthony - depends what you've read: his comic fantasy (Xanth) or other books, like The Blue Adept? You could try to find other books by him - he's really written a lot!
Hope this helps a bit

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I thought about recommending the McKillip, but decided that the animals aren't really that prominent an element of the story. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is an excellent book, though, and it's been reprinted a few times, so it shouldn't be difficult to find for anyone who is interested. In fact, I was in a used bookstore yesterday, and saw two copies (different editions). Also, a large library with a good YA or SFF collection (or both) would probably have several copies of the Atheneum hardcover.

 

[dwndrgn]

Welcome to the forum! I'm fond of these types of books myself. Here's a few that haven't been mentioned yet and are books that I enjoyed.

Jane Lindskold's wolf series - Through Wolf's Eyes is the first (protagonist a woman raised by an enhanced group of wolves)
Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy - protagonist a man who has a special bond with a wolf.
Daniel Hood - Fanuilh (dragon familiar)
Mercedes Lackey - Joust (trilogy involving bonding with dragons)

well, that's a few. I'm sure you'll get tons more by reading the recommendation threads.