Well the last thread I started on QGL about fantasy books was a great success and since then I've read the Riftwar saga (really enjoyed all 3) by Feist and the first book of the The Belgariad by Eddings (didn't feel like continuing after Riftwar).

Since everybody gave such awesome advice last time, I've come back again to ask if there's any "Dark Fantasy" genre novels that you would recommend.

I'm still not a very proficient reader, the above mentioned books are about all I can handle text/length wise.

Thanks a lot in advance.

OMG The Empire series by Raymond E Feist is obsolutely fantastic! It rivals the original series! Its basically a story from the Kelewan side. And it shows you how the events of the original books affect their world! It f***ing ROCKS. Basically any of Raymond E Feists books are pretty awesome! (theres like 20 of them).

Check out Katherine Kerr as well Daggerspell, Dawnspell, something, something. Then there is like....12-16 after that too. Look up her website it lists them all. Her story is a bit confusing though going from time to time showing how one event is influenced by something in a previous timeline.

Chub can read?

The Serpentwar Saga is pretty good. Also, check out anything by Robin Hobb or Ian Irvine.

I'm looking for something REALLY dark and evil, lots of monsters/violence and death/fear... but still in a fantasy universe. Does such a genre exist?

Chub can read?

I struggle, the above mentioned books are the first serious novels I've read.

I'm looking for something REALLY dark and evil, lots of monsters/violence and death/fear... but still in a fantasy universe. Does such a genre exist?

oh the stab of irony

ISWYDT

If you really enjoyed all 3 rift wars youll like serpent war for sure. And of course Empire series. Don't really know what ya mean by dark fantasy. Most of it is - start off with newb character, journey, character becomes awesome, happy ending.
But maybe check out Dune (1st book) its pretty full on in some parts and rather dark. I read it when I was 12 and throughly enjoyed it. I didn't read the rest because apparently they are a bit more hardcore and my dad steered me into other series. Its not fantasy, but its not fully sci fi either.
Bah reading so many fantasy novels they kind of blur into each other.

...check out anything by Robin Hobb...

+1
the farseer trilogy is awesome

Bah reading so many fantasy novels they kind of blur into each other.

lol yeah, often when i think back about fantasy i read in the past i get confused about which book events/characters were from. its been a few years since i read a big fantasy trilogy and im pretty keen, i'll be watching this thread...

Robin Hobb - Farseer series is the best I have read.

Some others of note -

Robert Jordan - Wheel of time (when will the series finally end grr, very long 10,000+ pages ez)
Stephen King - The Dark Tower (first book can be heavy going for some new King readers but WELL worth the effort of reading the whole lot)

Farseer?! The first 2 were great! the 3rd was a bit of a let down for me. Great series, but its got nothing on Raymond E Feist! I would still check it out though CHUB
I have steered clear of Robert Jordan for the exact reason there is so many books and he is just drawing it out for the sake of it.

for really dark fantasy you have to go a long way back... the most modern fantasy that i would consider dark would be the chronicles of thomas covernant by stephen donaldson.. & it's not really that dark.. just more true to life than your regular fantasy.. lust, rape, betrayal type stuff.
for the real darkstuff... the kane series by karl edgar wagner. it's like epic good vs evil but without the good. :P i also liked the elric series by michael moorcock. written back in the era of the 'conan' boom in pulp fantasy where every man n his dog was writing about brawny barbarians that would defeat a wizened sorcerer & win the girl/kingdom/woteva... moorcock wrote a strange series about a wizened old sorcerer that regularly had brawny barbarians attacking him & killed them. :P

I'm looking for something REALLY dark and evil, lots of monsters/violence and death/fear... but still in a fantasy universe. Does such a genre exist?

Honestly, as far as dark, brutal fantasy, you can't go past George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. It's a little light on the "Monsters / magic" side, but it is incredibly in-your-face, violent (with plenty of detail - some things written in these books made me cringe).

If you ask any fantasy reader, they will tell you that this series is basically required reading for anyone into fantasy. Very mature (as far as Fantasy goes), very graphic, VERY epic (the scale it's on puts LOTR to shame). A very good supernatural undertone, and as the story progresses, the supernatural / monster theme comes to light a bit more (It's not your typical "And then they saw a zombie! The mage cast a spell on it!) kind of stuff.

Honestly, do yourself a favour and read the first two books. Like I said, they're on a huge scale, so you might find in some parts the books drag just a little, but that's because it's so intricate that it's the only way to explain what's happening.

Look into it for sure. Seems to fit the bill perfectly with what you want.

^^100% agree with Pharcyde.

This is the book(s) you want to read. Not too much filler, written very well, fluid, easy to read, pulls no punches. It is seriously an awesome awesome series. Blows Riftwar right out of the water.

View from the mirror quartet > farseer trilogy > feist > *

Honestly, as far as dark, brutal fantasy, you can't go past George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. It's a little light on the "Monsters / magic" side, but it is incredibly in-your-face, violent (with plenty of detail - some things written in these books made me cringe).

the first couple of novels were good but the one im up to (cant remeber name) just got so boring i couldnt keep reading. was too much political crap and too many characters. couldnt remeber who was who, and what side they were on.

OMG The Empire series by Raymond E Feist is obsolutely fantastic! It rivals the original series! Its basically a story from the Kelewan side. And it shows you how the events of the original books affect their world! It f***ing ROCKS.

The Empire series has been my favourite so far, i found it a more enjoyable read than the original.

the emprie felt like a really boring culture to me so i never read the series.

pug 4 life!

the first couple of novels were good but the one im up to (cant remeber name) just got so boring i couldnt keep reading. was too much political crap and too many characters. couldnt remeber who was who, and what side they were on.

The Ice & Fire series is *quite* political.. mainly because George R.R. Martin based it off the War of the Roses during the 15th Century. I poersonally found it good but fantasy aside, there were too many jarring notes between the book and what actually happened.

This is being REALLY pedantic, I know.. however, I have a degree in Ancient History, so it's kinda been drummed into me for many, many years :D

If you're looking for something a little darker etc, it's getting on a bit now, but Tony Shillitoe's Andrakis Trilogy was good fun reading. (Disclaimer: I was maybe 15 at the time).

Cheers,
Ges

PS: +2 for the Riftwar Saga, +1 for all other Feist books. Faerie Tale included.

Faerie Tale included.

yer i was surprised with that book. i thought it was awsome. feist should make more novels like faerie tale once hes finished with midkemia

last edited by ravn0s at 14:54:14 28/Jun/07

Not really that dark, but a good read none the less.

The Recluse Saga.

Interesting method of telling a long story about different characters in different times, but same battle/struggle.

Set around Order and Chaos and how they interact in lives and the people that take each side.

First book is set around the time of first steam/gunpowder era and is about an Order mage from an island. Then 2nd book shows the establishment of that island. Then 3rd and 4th are events in history between first 2 books and 5th goes back to where 1st book left off.

Then it gets cool. Throughout these books you hear of legends, myths and characters of folklore.

The next few books go way way way back and tell these stories.

Most of these are from the point of view of a Order based character. But then later in the books there are quite a few from the side of Chaos and one of their characters (which you assume are "Bad" but it's just a differnt way of life). There are alos a couple of books about Gray mages who mix Order and Chaos.

All in all, an awesome collection of books. And quite a few of them too. But you can read as many as you want, and kinda in any order (if you needed to).

I recently re-read the Foundation series, then re-read all of the Feist books, then re-read the 4 Space Odyssey books and am just about done re-reading the 4 Rama books. I think next i will re-read the Dune books to continue the sci-fi reading.

For really dark semi modern stuff that grabs you by the balls and screams "READ ME f***ER!" I think you should take a short detour away from fantasy and check out a sci-fi series by Stephen Donaldson called "The Gap Series"(Yes ffs I am plugging it again because it's that good so somebody read it!).

I recently leant my books of it to a friend that has always despised sci-fi and it blew her mind at how debased and cruel and evil the main characters are in it with multiple rapes, murders and evil political intrigues in a story that really draws you in.

No characters in it are inherently good or evil though, just "real" and there is an indepth story behind every one of them, you can't help but feel something for each and every one of them.
From hatred to pity or even grudging respect he manages to evoke strong feelings and viewpoints from everyone I know that has read it so far.

It absolutely blows Thomas covenants chronicles out of the water.

The best thing about it too is that the first book is a 200 page novella "The Real Story" so you can skim that over a couple days and see if the series is for you without having to read a brick just to get a feel for the series.

The four after that are indeed bricks though with some heavy reading.

Thanks a lot for the great response guys.

I'm already 100 pages into Dune, loving it! Cheers Fireblood.

Another friend has recommended 'A Song of Ice and Fire' multiple times too, so I'll definitely get into that series next.

I'll save this thread so I can refer back to it later... thanks again.

Also XY, that seems right up my alley, I'll definitely read it.

last edited by CHUB at 19:01:31 28/Jun/07

'A Song of Ice and Fire'

is completely awesome.. another vote for that series.. even though it's not finished >< GAH!

The Empire series has been my favourite so far, i found it a more enjoyable read than the original.

I almost aggree, It was definately kept me more on edge than the other series I have read. If they threw in a bit more magic I'd be more happy. But it doesn't diminish from the series one bit!

Holidays now! I can read! Reading The last chronicals of thomas covenant. Not tooo bad so far. But definately want to get back into Feist. Has anyone read "House Atredies" of the dune series? I picked it up at bookfest and have it sitting there waiting to go!

ps - No Problem chub, might even read it again myself after House Atredies (its the story of Leo)

Another vote for the Empire Trilogy...its the only Feist saga that I regularly re-read.

Agreed, the story of house Acoma and all the crazy troubles Mara leads them through in the empire series is very very good stuff.

Fantasy political intrigue offset equally with some pretty decent battles and underlying reasons for the current(circa riftwar)Tsuranni political structure makes it a good solid read.

Along with Mordants need (another 2 book Stephen Donaldson) they are the two fantasy series I have most re-read over the years.