Disappointed in other books

[Spark she/her]

BS, Rothfuss, GRRM. Not in that order, but they're definitely at the top of the list.

I also immensley enjoyed N.K. Jemisin - The Inheritance Trilogy.

[Griff he/him]

@ radiant knights, how u can say sandersons work has ruined other authors for u and then mention eragon series as one of ur favourites is mind blowing, eragon series was one the most childishly written and most predictable series I have read, authors like brent weeks lightbringer series,rothfuss kingkiller chronical,mark lawerence broken empire,miles cameron the red knight and the fell sword, steven erikson malazan book of the fallen,john gwynn the faithful and the fallen series and anthony ryan blood song,scott lynch gentleman bastards series and a few I missed are right up there with him and far surpass paolini, sanderson is a great author but one of many, and the ones I mentioned are on the same level,mite not be a popular comment sense on a sanderson fan site but its the truth,there books are just as good, stormlight archive has massive promise but to say wont no tolkien after it is.......no words for it

Edited April 4, 2014 by Griff

[Spark she/her]

Griff, see that's why it's called personal taste. I don't agree either, but then there are tons of people who find Rothfuss boring or hate the prose of other series' mentioned here. Sometimes it's difficult to pin point what exactly elevates a certain story for a person.

[traceria she/her]

Just adding my vote of support to the following authors/books:

 

Blood Song by Anthony Ryan

The Black Company books by Glenn Cook

The Name of the Wind, etc. by Patrick Rothfuss

The Dresden Files (and Codex Alera) by Jim Butcher

The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander

 

(By not repeating anything else, it simply means I haven't had the pleasure of reading that particular book/author yet, not that I dislike them.)

 

 

I'd also add that if you're looking for something at a younger reading level, Diana Wynne Jones also deserves a mention.  For Alexander (in the list above), his Prydain Chronicles books are top notch (among other things), and I will basically devour anything Diana Wynne Jones you put in front of me, but my favorites are The Dark Lord of Derkholm and its sequel The Year of the Griffin, The Dalemark Quartet, and the Chrestomanci books.

 

To me, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien go without saying.  Both are just classic (and good).

[Aminar]

I'm a pretty big contributor on the Jim Butcher forums, and I'll quote his recommendations below. First leme say that his biggest recommendations in this order are:

Lois McMaster Bujold (sci fi)

Patrick Rothfuss

Sanderson (duh)

Glen Cook's Black Company novels

Ok now for the quotes of recommendations Jim has made at signings and interviews:

Welcome to the Shard Serack. Good to see more people from the Butcher Forums.

[Necromancer he/him]

I still have my favorites like 'ready player one' and the eragon series but i feel like other authors can't match his writing skill and story telling ability.

 

Eragon was written by a teenager that read Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and either consciously or unconsciously combined them. The entire plot is Star Wars, but wrapped in a LoTR skin, down to the names and relationships.

 

Read some Anthony Ryan or Jim Butcher (Butcher isn't Epic Fantasy, but his books are way better than Ergaon).

[taliefer]

The main reason I read Sanderson is his world building, I haven't read anyone who does it better. But there are meny authors out there who writes very good stories. Some have been mentioned before here in the thread and some I haven't seen. I also try to read a lot of self published books some are a hit others a miss but I like to support the self published crowd.

 

if world building is your thing, i cant say ive read anyone who really comes close to Jordan in that regard. Sanderson would be second, but i dont think its all that close.

 

the Cosmere stuff could close the gap, but theres just not enough solid info yet to call it world(universe?) building just yet imo.

 

Sanderson's pacing and emotional draw is really what he does better for me than anyone else..he really draws you into the highs and lows of the characters like no other. Goodkind had the same effect on me for a couple books, but then he just got sanctimonious. 

[sacredhonour]

I also had to create an account just to comment on this topic...  I have admittedly already read Words of Radiance twice, and listened to the audio book once.  By far, I do consider him to be one of the most engaging writers in recent times; Words of Radiance is far above (IMO) his other books.

 

Beyond that though, I average roughly 100 books per year judging by my Kindle orders, not including re-reads, and there are other things out there besides Sanderson which deserve praise.  As many have others have already said, Lock Lamora, Night Angel, WoT, Harry Dresden, etc.

 

But I mostly logged in to say, read The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steve Erickson if you have not.  This will NOT be an easy read for most people.  He drops you directly into the world with little to no explanation for anything and you have to slog you way through the story to gain any understanding of what is happening.  By book 10, I was absolutely astounded by the scope and breadth of the story that was occurring.  I fully admit I was brought to tears on several occasions by the end.  I love Sanderson, but I honestly think the scope of Malazan is cosmere level and should be a requisite reading for any Epic Fantasy fan.

 

~Sacredhonour~

[Griff he/him]

@ spark, I no it comes down to personal taste like u said just dont see how could put sanderson on a level where he ruins other ppls work and say eragon is a favourite in the same post as like necromancer said he robbed the story from star wars and lotr and den say sanderson will make ppl forget tolkien? just taut it was a mind blowing comment,

[Confused]

I completely agree with SacredHonor's review of the Malazan books: Erickson drops you headfirst into a sprawling, phantasmagorical world peopled with a never-ending parade of unusual and imaginative characters. Erickson and his colleague originally created a card game like M:TG, but when that didn't sell, they turned their concept into the Malazan novels. The series reflects its origins. Erickson writes prose very well. Unfortunately, he doesn't structure his novels as well, the series' deficiency. But well worth the read anyway.

 

Someone also recommended Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse novels. Bakker, a Ph.D candidate in philosophy when he wrote the first five books (4 more are on the way), writes very well and thoughtfully. The tale is about the "Prince of Nothing" who comes from nowhere and rises to prominence. The series asks the question, "Which is more important, free will or destiny?" (Both Bakker and Erickson are Canadian, by the way.) The first trilogy is Homeric in scope and in its descriptions of battle. It is about a literal crusade into lands to be retaken from the "heathens." (This is fantasy, though, with lots of magic, and is not historical fiction.) Bakker's characters are well-drawn and interesting. The fourth and fifth books are not up to the level of the first three. For example, the climax of the fourth book is a virtual recreation of the "Mines of Moria" scene from Lord of the Rings. Nonetheless, you will enjoy the time spent reading this work.

 

I think Joe Abercrombie is insufficiently appreciated on this thread. As someone said, it is low fantasy, not high, with relatively little "magic." Nor is it "epic," as each novel focuses on a relatively short slice of time. (One focuses on a single battle occurring over a three day period.) BUT - Abercrombie might be the best fantasy novelist out there if you like character development through dialogue. His well-known  First Law trilogy is not as good as the succeeding three books: Best Served Cold, The Heroes (the one about the battle), and Red Country (this last a paean to Clint Eastwood, though it's not a western, especially Eastwood's Best Picture Oscar-winning film "Unforgiven"). These last three follow characters all created in the First Law trilogy, so you may have to slog through that first to gain context. But you will be well-rewarded.

 

Finally, I have to give a nod to the all-timers, my picks for "Best Epics of All Time." First, the award for Best English Language Epic Fantasy goes to John Milton's Paradise Lost. Next, the award for Best Epic Fantasy Duology goes to Homer's The Illiad and The Odyssey. And the award for Best Epic Fantasy Trilogy goes to Dante's Divine Comedy. It's been said that all of Western culture can be recapitulated from just two works: Homer and the Bible (I guess that's three). I wouldn't disagree...

Edited April 4, 2014 by Confused

[Ati]

Confused,

 

Agree on some, disagree on others.  It may be worth noting, though, that Bakker's Prince of Nothing series is riddled with over the top crude sexuality and sexual violence.  Caveat Emptor.  As with all of these, it's a matter of taste.  I personally found the first three books to be a painful slog that I continued only because it seemed so likely that there must be a payoff in the form of a significant climactic ending...at some point in the trilogy.  I was wrong.  I will grant that he has good prose.   

Edited April 4, 2014 by Ati

[Moash]

Had that problem with Divergent after WOR, really don't know what is so special about that series.

Haha yes. I finished reading WoR and got a hold of Allegiant. I hadn't read the other two books since a while ago, but I remember them being pretty decent. I started reading Allegiant and I was just like, "Oh my goodness Roth writes so terrible." It's in first person and is just really subpar reading. Sanderson is really incredible with how he writes. 

 

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[harry31j97 he/him]

@OP, you, like me, are probably a fan of what's called heroic fantasy novel. Brandon excels at this genre. I too didn't like The Black Company by Cook or Prince of Nothing or Malazan series or The Broken Empire by Lawrence because they're too dark for my taste (they're classified as dark fantasy). As many have suggested, I think Blood Song by Ryan Anthony is a perfect novel for you. It doesn't have much in the sense of magic like Brandon's books have, but it has superb plot and narrative, the best debut novel I've read after Kingkiller debut novel.

You'll get a list of good heroic fantasy novels if you google it, but here's a site I usually lurk on to get good reviews about debut fantasy series/authors, you can try that one - fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com.

[Ketek]

I personally haven't found myself disappointed by other works. Sanderson's a great author, but he's not perfect. Rothfuss beats him in prose and perception - I find his quotes to be startlingly fitting to what one goes through in life; Sanderson's quotes can be enlightening but are often more... general, in a sense - while Matthew Stover beats him when it comes to writing action scenes. Scott Lynch is another one who can match him, although the second and third books of the Gentlemen Bastards series aren't as good as the first.

 

I'd say Sanderson is a good storyteller, but not quite sublime, perhaps? Where he truly excels in is the detail he puts into his worldbuilding - I have yet to see any fantasy world just as breathtaking as Roshar. He builds a very strong foundation, which is why his stories are good. But his characters aren't exactly the most complex ones, I think.

[NeutroniumAlchemist he/him]

Eragon was written by a teenager that read Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and either consciously or unconsciously combined them. The entire plot is Star Wars, but wrapped in a LoTR skin, down to the names and relationships.

 

 

 

He also got "inspired" (stole) from Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series! They share the same world with a sea to west from which humans came, a big magical wood with elves, mountains with dwarfs(trolls), classical orphan boy journeys on a quest, meets princess etc..  

 

[Leuthie]

Terry Prachett. Read them.

[MrFloobie he/him]

Terry Prachett. Read them.

 Yes. A thousand times, yes. 

 

Also, no one has mentioned Neil Gaiman, to my knowledge. Neverwhere, American Gods, and Anansi Boys wonderfully bring mythology into the present day, and Gaiman is always good for clever twists, great dialogue, dark humor, and interesting characters. 

 

This may be the wrong board to recommend these books since they aren't in the same genre at all, but Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is a beautiful fantasy that makes you fall in love with the old folk tales and fairy stories all over again. I can't praise it enough. And if you've never read anything by David Mitchell, you are truly missing out. His style is completely his own, varying wildly depending on who the narrator is. More than any author I've ever read, he disappears into his characters, and his prose is always beautiful. He includes fantasy and sci fi elements in his novels, especially Cloud Atlas, but I wouldn't call him a fantasy author. I recommend anything he writes, especially Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green. I'm sure these aren't perfect, but if there's a flaw, I can't find it anywhere. He also loves to give characters from his books cameos in his other books, and it's always in a clever, unexpected way that gives you an insight into that character. 

[Eejit]

He also got "inspired" (stole) from Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series! They share the same world with a sea to west from which humans came, a big magical wood with elves, mountains with dwarfs(trolls), classical orphan boy journeys on a quest, meets princess etc..  

 

 

Not really, since those aspects of Williams' books were themselves "inspired" by Tolkien with minor tweaks...

[harry31j97 he/him]

Where he truly excels in is the detail he puts into his worldbuilding - I have yet to see any fantasy world just as breathtaking as Roshar. He builds a very strong foundation, which is why his stories are good. But his characters aren't exactly the most complex ones, I think.

I think he'll get there too, after all, though he was a good author initially, he really matured only after completing WoT, which has, what you've gotta admit, a world as complex & wonderfully developed as (if not more than) tSA. Sanderson's best days are still ahead, he's only going to get better.

[Ketek]

Indeed Harry, I think he still has room to grow. The WoT series was really draggy - Sanderson did a good job, speeding up its pacing. And he has come a long way from his Elantris days!

 

But as good as he will get, there simply are some things I doubt he will do quite as well as other authors. The ending of The Lies of Locke Lamora. The prose of The Kingkiller Trilogy. The fight scenes in the Acts of Caine. The philosophical questioning of Traitor and Shatterpoint (Expanded Universe novels that imo, surpassed the muck it has now become).

Edited April 5, 2014 by Ketek

[Necromancer he/him]

Terry Prachett. Read them.

Terry Pratchett is one of the best writers today. He has hilarious yet engaging books, however, his books are nothing like Brandon Sandersons.

[Eejit]

Indeed Harry, I think he still has room to grow. The WoT series was really draggy - Sanderson did a good job, speeding up its pacing. 

 

The pacing was naturally increasing from it's nadir even before BS took over as the series built towards to climax and threads started to come together again.

[Wolven he/him]

So many people recommending the Malazan books. I read the first one and could not bring myself to read any more of them. It's not that it was badly written or the story wasn't good or anything. The writing was great and the story itself was interesting enough. It's just that book did not explain anything. So many things popping up and not a hint of backstory given for much of anything. And the magic system...those mage warren things...that was the biggest thing, I like to be able to understand why magic works the way that it does and that book didn't explain the magic system at all.

Anyway, I can definetly understand the OP however. Brandon Sanderson swept in and just pushed all my other favorite authors off their pedestals and claimed the top of the podium. Though I can still enjoy their works, Sanderson is the new measuring stick I put up against anyone else I read.

Except when it comes to fight scenes. R.A. Salvatore still blows everyone else away when it comes to that. Gonna have to read this Pratchett fellow though, guy at work keeps recommending him to me. Still, I am so hungry for the next Stormlight book that everything else I read....I would not say I am disappointed, but they feel a tad muted for me.

[Wolven he/him]

Eragon was written by a teenager that read Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and either consciously or unconsciously combined them. The entire plot is Star Wars, but wrapped in a LoTR skin, down to the names and relationships.

 

Read some Anthony Ryan or Jim Butcher (Butcher isn't Epic Fantasy, but his books are way better than Ergaon).

 

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I am so glad I am not the only person who thinks that. I had a friend recommend those books to me, and we got into some pretty heavy arguments when I told her the entire plot felt ripped off from Star Wars. Only read to the second book and stopped there, never finished it.

[Wolven he/him]

if world building is your thing, i cant say ive read anyone who really comes close to Jordan in that regard. Sanderson would be second, but i dont think its all that close.

 

the Cosmere stuff could close the gap, but theres just not enough solid info yet to call it world(universe?) building just yet imo.

 

Sanderson's pacing and emotional draw is really what he does better for me than anyone else..he really draws you into the highs and lows of the characters like no other. Goodkind had the same effect on me for a couple books, but then he just got sanctimonious.

I disagree. Jordan was great, don't get me wrong. But there is no one that I have ever read that makes worlds anywhere near unique as Sanderson's. They are just so different. I love how he doesn't just plop elves and dwarves and dragons in there and other commonly seen fantasy stuff.