I haven't had enough coffee today so I don't remember if these were already mentioned, but as far as fantasy series with supernatural elements in them... If you handled Lord of the Rings well enough, or if you're ready for something meatier than Harry Potter (and, god forbid, Twilight) then I say:
The Wheel of Time (series): I haven't finished the series yet, and I try not to let myself get sucked into the books because they do just that: suck you in. Robert Jordan did what only the author I'll mention below managed to do as well - create a world that rivals Tolkein's in creatures and scope and sometimes mythos. There are a dozen different plot lines to follow, so if that sort of thing irritates you don't even bother. The thing that makes me put it at the top of the list is that there are several references to Celtic and Norse archetypes and gods, which enrich the overall experience.
A Song of Ice and Fire (series): has the benefit of having recently had the first book, Game of Thrones turned into a VERY well-done HBO series, with more planned. Also very well developed and enjoyable. High medieval fantasy at its finest.
The Name of the Wind (trilogy): The first in a planned trilogy, it took me a while to get started but once I did I enjoyed the hell out of it. It's an easier read than the first two series I've mentioned.
Kushiel's Legacy (two trilogies, followed by a separate trilogy under "Namaah"): I love this series. Carey basically made an alternative, fantastical history out of Earth, and the story takes place in a psuedo-Renaissance France. If I were to describe it in one word, her writing would be "lush" - the plots are sweeping, the scope is epic and nation-crossing. The intrigue, the sex, the couture, the battles, the heartbreak and the love...
Meredith Gentry (series): Most people know Hamilton for her Anita Blake vampire series, but I much prefer Merry and her band of merry men. These are basically beach reads, but they're very fun - all about the old Celtic fae, as if they had lived amongst humans since Thomas Jefferson. Lots of sex and intrigue, also lots of battles. A little too much fussing and arguments, in some cases, but again...beach reads.
His Dark Materials (trilogy): Deserves to be higher on the list - Phillip Pullman is a great atheist writer, and he used Milton's Paradise Lost as his inspiration. The book follows a girl named Lyra who must wind her way through plots large and small towards a destiny the Church would love to deny.
Legend of the Seeker (TV series): based on the Sword of Truth books that I haven't read yet, it was a very enjoyable fantasy show. It didn't hurt that the lead character is hot as hell.
The Belgariad (series): Probably the medieval fantasy series Harry Potter fans will like most. The writing style is about as complicated (or not) with good characters and lots of humor. It's not my favorite, but neither is HP.
Tamora Pierce - The Song of the Lionness and The Immortals (series): Both with strong female character leads, with story overlap. Probably would appeal more to female Harry Potter fans. The first follows a headstrong girl who disguises herself at first as a boy to become a knight, then goes 'a-venturing' (with evil wizards and such along the way) and the second follows a girl who has "wild magic" - the ability to bond and communicate or heal animals.
Anything by Neil Gaiman. As athiests, American Gods can't be recommended enough. For anyone, Stardust was a book raped by the movie adaptation - someone described it being like 20 year old scotch. His Sandman comic series is dark and poetic, and he rewrote a Japanese fairy tale that was illustrated by a prominent watercolorist...his prose was like wine.
Other authors I enjoy: Robin McKinley (who has my favorite retelling of Beauty & the Beast ever: Rose Daughter), Patricia McKillip, Susan Cooper (heavy Arthurian influences - good stuff), Patricia Wrede (very fun, young adult level), Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern - highly recommended), Jim Butcher (Dresden Files - good easy modern wizarding beach reads), Pat O'Shea (The Hounds of the Morrigan - only for those of us with an Irish fetish)
If all THAT doesn't keep you busy... I'm a slower reader than I thought.
The Wheel of Time (series): I haven't finished the series yet, and I try not to let myself get sucked into the books because they do just that: suck you in. Robert Jordan did what only the author I'll mention below managed to do as well - create a world that rivals Tolkein's in creatures and scope and sometimes mythos. There are a dozen different plot lines to follow, so if that sort of thing irritates you don't even bother. The thing that makes me put it at the top of the list is that there are several references to Celtic and Norse archetypes and gods, which enrich the overall experience.
A Song of Ice and Fire (series): has the benefit of having recently had the first book, Game of Thrones turned into a VERY well-done HBO series, with more planned. Also very well developed and enjoyable. High medieval fantasy at its finest.
The Name of the Wind (trilogy): The first in a planned trilogy, it took me a while to get started but once I did I enjoyed the hell out of it. It's an easier read than the first two series I've mentioned.
Kushiel's Legacy (two trilogies, followed by a separate trilogy under "Namaah"): I love this series. Carey basically made an alternative, fantastical history out of Earth, and the story takes place in a psuedo-Renaissance France. If I were to describe it in one word, her writing would be "lush" - the plots are sweeping, the scope is epic and nation-crossing. The intrigue, the sex, the couture, the battles, the heartbreak and the love...
Meredith Gentry (series): Most people know Hamilton for her Anita Blake vampire series, but I much prefer Merry and her band of merry men. These are basically beach reads, but they're very fun - all about the old Celtic fae, as if they had lived amongst humans since Thomas Jefferson. Lots of sex and intrigue, also lots of battles. A little too much fussing and arguments, in some cases, but again...beach reads.
His Dark Materials (trilogy): Deserves to be higher on the list - Phillip Pullman is a great atheist writer, and he used Milton's Paradise Lost as his inspiration. The book follows a girl named Lyra who must wind her way through plots large and small towards a destiny the Church would love to deny.
Legend of the Seeker (TV series): based on the Sword of Truth books that I haven't read yet, it was a very enjoyable fantasy show. It didn't hurt that the lead character is hot as hell.
The Belgariad (series): Probably the medieval fantasy series Harry Potter fans will like most. The writing style is about as complicated (or not) with good characters and lots of humor. It's not my favorite, but neither is HP.
Tamora Pierce - The Song of the Lionness and The Immortals (series): Both with strong female character leads, with story overlap. Probably would appeal more to female Harry Potter fans. The first follows a headstrong girl who disguises herself at first as a boy to become a knight, then goes 'a-venturing' (with evil wizards and such along the way) and the second follows a girl who has "wild magic" - the ability to bond and communicate or heal animals.
Anything by Neil Gaiman. As athiests, American Gods can't be recommended enough. For anyone, Stardust was a book raped by the movie adaptation - someone described it being like 20 year old scotch. His Sandman comic series is dark and poetic, and he rewrote a Japanese fairy tale that was illustrated by a prominent watercolorist...his prose was like wine.
Other authors I enjoy: Robin McKinley (who has my favorite retelling of Beauty & the Beast ever: Rose Daughter), Patricia McKillip, Susan Cooper (heavy Arthurian influences - good stuff), Patricia Wrede (very fun, young adult level), Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern - highly recommended), Jim Butcher (Dresden Files - good easy modern wizarding beach reads), Pat O'Shea (The Hounds of the Morrigan - only for those of us with an Irish fetish)
If all THAT doesn't keep you busy... I'm a slower reader than I thought.
![[Image: Untitled2_zpswaosccbr.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i1140.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fn569%2Fthesummerqueen%2FUntitled2_zpswaosccbr.png)
