Top 10 Fantasy

Fantasy is one of my little guilty reading pleasures.  I have asked a wonderful person I've met out here on the web who loves Fantasy as much as I to share in this post.  Blodeuedd at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.  She and I have found we share some great loves in Fantasy and Urban Fantasy books.  Blodeuedd gives me a fellow reader to brag about the amazing Fantasy reads I come across, and (I hope) likewise back to me.  We torment each other with different books.  And enjoy our bloody fantasy. ;)

So to start off I have Blodeuedd's list then mine...

Top 10 Fantasy Reads:
Now this is hard!! I love fantasy, it is my favorite genre and I read fantasy even before I knew what fantasy what. Then one day I realized what fantasy actually was and started reading David Edding’s books and never looked back. Now I will give you the best fantasy books I have read these last two years. And I will focus on epic fantasy and not count books that take place on earth, even if a changed earth.

1. The Eye of the world by Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time 1)

This was a re-read since I love love, did I mention love ;) The Wheel of time series. I am also totally bias and would also put in his latest two books (12, 13) on the list but I will try not to. It is the kind of fantasy books that I can read over and over again.

2. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight archive 1)

This book is LONG, but good and it made me gasp and I sat on the edge of my seat. He is a worthy author to finish The wheel of time (see I mentioned it again ;)

3. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K.Jemisin (The Inheritance trilogy 1)

It’s not often (ok never) I like a fantasy book because of the language but here the prose was just beautiful and dreamlike. The story was different too.

4. Poison Study by Maria V.Snyder (Study #1)

A YA book made it to the list. I just loved this book but, here is the disappointing thing. Book 2 was meh and I hated book 3. Still book 1 has to be on the list. And I heart Valek.

5. Shadow’s Lure by Jon Sprunk (Shadow Saga #2)

Melissa brought this book to my attention (thank you!). It was light and dark and it kept me reading, I love being swept away.

6. The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (Night Angel #1)

This is actually one of the hardest books I have ever read. Sometimes I had to stop because I just could not read any more. It was depressing, sad and horrible. But it stayed true to a world dark by war.

7. A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans (Iron Elves #1)

This book was different again. They have muskets and cannons, it is military fantasy and it was a new subgenre to me. Still I enjoyed it a lot.

8. The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett (Demon cycle #1)

This book did have parts that I did not like, mostly the POV of one character, but the rest made up for it because this is one scary book. You have never seen demons like these.

9. Fire by Kristin Cashore (The Seven Kingdoms #2)

Another YA, and one that surprised me since I more or less hated her other book. But I liked it because of the world she had created. A woman who people want to have or want to kill.

10. Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan (Chronicles of the Warlands#1)

Yes I know, I said epic fantasy but since I have YA here I will also put this fantasy romance on the list. I usually think fantasy romance and light fantasy are only ok, but this one I liked. Even with the excess romance and stuff.

Though if I had included books that are more or less fantasy, but taking place on this earth, like steampunk/alternative history kind of books rich in fantasy, then Cold Fire by Kate Elliott and The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith would have made it.

Thanks for having me over Melissa :D and letting me share some of my fav fantasy books.
 
Thank you Blodeuedd!  I have many of these books either on my stacks here to read, have read, or on the WANT list to get. ;) Thank you so much for the amazing list!  And so glad you enjoyed Shadow's Lure so. 

My Top 10 Fantasy Reads:
(This is another tough list for me to create.  So No particular order here as I loved them all and STRONGLY suggest you read all these series!)

Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan - Now, picking one book from this series is to much for me.  I had the hardest time picking.  This is one of my most favorite series going.  I love the thieves we have and the connections with other characters as the series goes forward.  And the underlining thread of conspiracy and what really is going on.  Amazing work!

Chasing the Bard by Philippa Ballantine - Aaaa, this is a take on William Shakespeare and the fey.  I LOVED it!  Wonderful story with the fey mixed in.  Really caught my attention so quickly taking me in with the characters.

Shadow's Lure by Jon Sprunk - I'm so glad Blodeuedd read this series and loved it thus far too.  Great take with a thief and some dark shadow abilities.

Antiphon by Ken Scholes - WOW!  This is just one of those series that will wow any Fantasy lover.  Great use of point of views and the story is soooo deep, yet easy to read.  You will be taken by the world, characters, and happenings in the plot.  Just a whole league of his own!

The Crowded Shadows by Celine Kiernan - This fantasy read is one a younger adult reader could read too.  But this was the one where I fell in love with the characters and what I learned of Christopher.  Wonderful fantasy world created here.

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett - I loved the wards and how our character uses them! The night is trouble too.  Wonderful set up and story.

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke - Loved the world with lack of water and the importance of it.  Great story here and interesting world building.

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - Loved the wording!  Oh the story is wonderful, like getting two for one with the way it's told.  And the words flow poetically together.  Wonderful!

Geist by Philippa Ballantine - I'm a sucker for world and characters I think.  This world created here is all full of ruins used against the geist, ghosts.  Wonderful order to the system here!  This book could be one for paranormal lovers too.

Thief by Sarah-Jane Lehoux - A female thief trying to survive in a harsh world.  Wonderful story here with a character willing to push the limits, and one that will have to.  I love the chances taken here.


So, there are your top 10 from Blodeuedd and I.  Hope you enjoy them.  What are your top picks?