I have run out of books, any suggestions for new ones?

I often go to my local Waterstones and have a browse, which usually ends in a purchase or two, but I have pretty much exhausted their stock.

Some of my favourites are:

Harry Potter Series JK Rowling
His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
Inheritance Cycle Christopher Paolini
The Faerie Wars Chronicles Herbie Brennan
Twilight Series Stephenie Meyer
The Books of Pellinor Alison Croggon
Imperial Spy Series Mark Robson
The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Michelle Paver
The Old Kingdom Series Garth Nix
The Black Magician Trilogy Trudi Canavan
Age of Five Trudi Canavan

I didn't like the Chronicles of Narnia or Terry Pratchett, and Alex Rider has never taken my fancy.

I prefer books to be set in worlds that are totally fiction, or if they are set in the real world I like it to be in the past. I also like there to be some romance but its not a necessity.

Sorry, I sound so demanding but i've ben flicking through some of the other discussions and a common theme is a lack of detail so people don't know what to suggest.

Thank you for any suggestions xx

There are a couple of suggestions that I would make that were suggested to me:

Piers Anthony's: Incarnations of Immortality. A series of books about, Death, Time, War, Nature, Fate, God and Satan (each character having their own book). I read the first and am working my way through the second. I am very keen on them and would recommend them to anyone else. They are set in the distant future.On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality)

Stephen Kings': Dark Tower. This is a series of books about the protagonist working his way through a western post-apocalyptic world trying to get to the Dark Tower. Similar to L.O.T.R's in the sense that the whole series is a journey. This one is probably the most relevant to what you are looking for. The Dark Tower: Gunslinger Bk. 1

I hope that you manage to find another series to get your teeth into.

:)

How about the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. The earlier ones are best, I think. Or Katherine Kerr's Deverry series, starting with Daggerspell. Happy reading!

Having read eight of the ones you have listed, I would say you'd probably like any of the following books:

Kristen Britain - Green Rider trilogy
David Eddings - Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad) series
Maggie Furey - The Heart of Myrial (Shadowleague) trilogy
Brandon Sanderson - Elantris (great because it is a standalone)

As rowat mentions, you might want to take a look at Anne McCaffrey. Her 'Dragonriders of Pern' series has a lot of the elements you are looking for and pretty much every one of them can be read as a standalone. If you click on my name you'll find two Listmanias for the books. One lists them in order of publication which is the reading order the author recommends, and the other in the chronological order in which the events take place which is fun when you are re-reading the series. If you like them, the good thing is that there are lots of them to keep you going.

For a very romantic fantasy, try Elizabeth Vaughan's 'Warprize (Gollancz S.F.)' and the sequels 'Warsworn' and 'Warlord'.

As for Terry Pratchett... maybe you started with the wrong one. I was never able to get into 'The Colour of Magic' which is the first Discworld novel, but after reading a few pages of one of the later books got to like the series after all though still have not managed that first one.

Going on your favourites...
I would second Pawn of Prophecy (Eddings) and add
Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Weis/Hickman) and
Magician (Feist).

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I would recommend most of Anne McCaffrey's books, especially the Dragons of Pern series. (The first or second one is called dragon flight, I can't remember their order!). Each book is usually very original (not the same plot each time). I would also recommend Tamora Pierce. She has written a number of series, so have a good look at what she's done. Her books are usually suitable for teens as well as adults.

[Deleted by Amazon on 7 Oct 2011 19:33:58 BDT]

Try some classics, like Dumas, or perhaps Flashman?

I'd second Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Tamora Pierce - all favourites of mine, and books I enjoyed as a teenager (not sure how old you are, but I know a lot of the favourites you've listed are aimed at teens). You could also try Marion Zimmer Bradley - her Avalon series is a different (feminist?) take on the Arthurian legends. Another good one is Guy Gavriel Kay - his world(s) are similar to historical settings, but with magic & fantasy woven in; I'm particularly fond of the Sarantine Mosaic, but they all stay with you.
Have you tried Diana Wynne Jones? She's more along the Harry Potter lines that the straight-out fantasy, though the Dalemark series is set on a fictional world; most of her books are for children, but very good for all that (she was a popular guest at uni SF conventions when I was there!).
I agree with the comment about trying a later Pratchett book if you didn't get on with "Colour of Magic" - try "Monstrous Regiment", which doesn't rely too much on established characters.
Have fun finding new favourites!!

Lolly - funny you should mention 'The Monstrous Regiment'. That was the one that got me into Pratchett after my failed attempt with 'The Colour of Magic'. My favourites now are the books involving 'DEATH' and Granny Weatherwax'.

Another author to try would be Raymond Feist. Whilst he first book 'Magician (Riftwar Saga)' may look a bit daunting due to its size, it is very much straight forward adventure fantasy and appeals to most readers. In fact, it was one of the books which made the BBC's 'The Big Read' top 100.

I'd second (or is it "third"?) Eddings and Feist. Have you tried Mercedes Lackey? Her Valdemar series contains magic, fantasy and romance and is definitely set in a totally fictional world. I'd start with The Last Herald-mage: Magic's Pawn and go from there.

Hi Ms. C. Smith,

I see that Lolly has already mentioned Guy Gavriel Kay. His Fionavar Tapestry books are worth a look.
Have you looked through the Gollancz 'Fantasy Masterworks' series? There are many good books there - hence 'Masterworks'. :)
Wikipedia has a list of the series at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Masterworks

Looking at what you've listed as likes and dislikes, I would recommend Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula le Guin. It is the story of a Wizard in training, long before Harry Potter was thought of and is a slightly more sophisticated writing more in His Dark Materials style - a pretty good read, with some nice dark twists.
I would also recommend The Once and Future King and The Book of Merlin by T H White. (It is where Disney nicked the story of the Sword in the Stone from. It is the chronology from the young Arthur (Wart,) to the romantic love affair between his Queen and his best friend, to his last days on the battle field, where Arthur reflects on Merlin's lessons- when as a child Wart experiences being an ant in an ant colony - to have no will power, as well as being a fish etc.). It is the definitive modern telling of Mort de Arthur.
Also, if you like subject matter to be more historical, why not try I Claudius (and the follow up books), Robert Graves. It is a great great read! Robert Graves really knew how to write well and it has the magic a great fantasy about it and romance is there.

If it is a series of fantasy books you are looking for try Raymond Feist, David Eddings or Robin Hobbs.

For "newer" authors try Brent Weeks or Gail Z Martin. Both are easy reads.

If none of the above tickle your fancy, then look on www.fantasticfiction.co.uk at the authors you like, and see who they recommend.

Finally, on Terry Pratchett, try "Guards Guards" as one to get you into the series.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I shall be in good reading for a while I think :)

Im in the same situation as you,ran out of good fantasy books,but came across brent weeks "the night angel trilogy" by accident,really enjoyed it.also raymond e feist "magician" one of the best ever.

Have you tried The Seven Faiths, just published?Tremain, Book One: The Seven Faiths

Try The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: by Patricia C Wrede.....exciting, quirky,funny a little romance, feisty female lead....

The night angel trilogy is a good read, also the historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

The Eight of Spades: A Law unto Themselves by Benjamin J. West is worth a read but have plenty of midnight oil to burn, you have been warned.

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i would suggest "The Blade Itself" trilogy which is brilliant. Set in a totally fictitious world.
"The Lies of Lock Lamora" also set in fictitious world.

The Cassie Palmer series by Karen Child, The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, and The Women of the Other World series by Kelly Armstrong are great but are set in the real world in current times, although Cassie Palmer does jump about a bit between time-lines.

Try "Dancers at the End of Time" if you like truly "weird"

Also try "the painted man" and "The way of Shadows".

Hope this helps. like you i loved Phillip Pulman's dark materials but unlike you loved narnia especially "magician's nephew"
But heres hoping

Ruth

How about the house of night series lots of people have gone on to read there after the Twilight saga and i am now reading them and like them. Soon to be made into a film.

Hope this helps

Lots of mention of Raymond Feist, David Gemmel, etc but for something a bit different, try the Temeraire books by Naomi Novic; the Chronicles of the Deryni books by Katherine Kurtz; or the Wanderer Series by Caiseal Mor.