Any fans of Tanith Lee, here?

[Starman]

I haven't really read beyond the Wolf Tower series. I'd like to read more. Anyone have any recommendations?

What books do you like and why?

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

I seem to recall a YA book by her called Dark Castle, White Horse that contained two short stories with those titles. It was pretty good for what it was, but that's the only Tanith Lee I've ever read.....

 

[Ian Whates]

Tanith is a wonderful writer, one of our greatest wordsmiths in my opinion. I've been honoured to publish two original stories by her in recent years, one a totally original take on a vampire story in the anthology The Bitten Word released a couple of months ago, the other an eerie tale of wreckers which appeared in the anthology Subterfuge (2008) and was subsequently picked up for the 'Year's Best Horror' collection.

As for her novels, if you haven't read the four volume Secret Books of Paradys, you definitely should (Book of the Damned, Book of the Dead etc), then there are The Secret Books of Venus (Faces Under the Water, Venus Preserved etc) which came out a little later -- late 90s and early 00s. Though they never gained the same recognition as the Paradys books, I know Tanith herself rates them at least as highly.

Also, might be worth checking out the Birthgrave series; very early Tanith but still wonderful books.

To be honest, with Tanith it's hard to go wrong.

 

[Connavar]

Birthgrave series is quality and I hear good things about Flat Earth series which i plan to read next.

Check out this site if you want to see the reprints of her rated works and her new works.

Norilana Books - TaLeKa Imprint

 

[Trafalgar]

I've read Piratica - which is great fun - and I'm currently reading Wolf Wing but as I've not read the others in the Wolf Tower series, I'm finding it a bit hard to get into.

A school librarian friend recommends Drinking Sapphire Wine. Said it was one of the best books she's ever read, so I'm trying to get hold of that.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

To those that have already been mentioned I would add:

Volkaaver is a good one-off, as are Kill the Dead and Mortal Suns.

All the Tales of the Flat Earth are favorites of mine, and The Wars of Vis is a wonderful series.

For something completely different, there's is The Lionwolf trilogy.

Her shorter fiction is almost always excellent and frequently ... surprising. For novellas, "The Castle of Dark," "Companions on the Road," and "The Winter Players." For short stories, all of the rewritten fairy tales in Red As Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer .

 

[Stephen Palmer]

The Silver Metal Lover is my fave - stunningly good novel

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I found The Silver Metal Lover very affecting, but it's been a long time since I read it, and I've wondered if it was really as good as I remembered it.

 

[Starman]

I've read Piratica - which is great fun - and I'm currently reading Wolf Wing but as I've not read the others in the Wolf Tower series, I'm finding it a bit hard to get into.

Not surprising. There are three others books before this one. You really ought to read those first.

 

[Pyan]

The only one of her books that I have is The Storm Lord, and it must be (koff) thirty-odd years since I read it - might have a look after I've finished what I'm reading, as I doubt that I'll remember the plot...

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I found The Silver Metal Lover very affecting, but it's been a long time since I read it, and I've wondered if it was really as good as I remembered it.

only one way to find out...

 

[Michael01]

I've only read Mortal Suns, but that was so good I'll be looking for all these others you've mentioned.

 

[Connavar]

To those that have already been mentioned I would add:

Volkaaver is a good one-off, as are Kill the Dead and Mortal Suns.

All the Tales of the Flat Earth are favorites of mine, and The Wars of Vis is a wonderful series.

For something completely different, there's is The Lionwolf trilogy.

Her shorter fiction is almost always excellent and frequently ... surprising. For novellas, "The Castle of Dark," "Companions on the Road," and "The Winter Players." For short stories, all of the rewritten fairy tales in Red As Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer .

I was wondering one thing does Tanith Lee have female action heroes in her YA about female main characters ?

Doesnt have to super action, i mean just like other adventure fantasy, S&S. Does she have someone like Cyrion but in her YA,other fantasy about female characters.

I like Tanith Lee alot and i seriously lack good female heroines to read about.

 

[Rosemary]

I've read a few of her books, only quite a few years ago.

Tanqui the series about the Unicorns I enjoyed as well as the other series Castle of dark.

 

[ericf]

Tanith lee is one of my favourite authors but she's also one that frequently disappoints me.

On the whole her novels are very well written but many of them suffer from character- and plot-shortcomings (not sure if that's a word).

I'd say pretty much anything written before then 90's is good enough to try if you want to get the feel for Tanith Lee's unique style, but much of what I've read of the later books feels empty. I don't get a chance to get into the characters and really empathize with them.

Now I'm the first to admit that I haven't read a lot of the 90's and later stuff but that's entirely because of my big disappointment with Heart-Beast.

Here's a list of what I've read and what I feel about the books.
Do note that Tanaquil, Claidi and Piratica are all geared toward a YA audience (but quite suitable for all ages).

Great! Everyone should read them.

Birthgrave
1. The Birthgrave (1975)
2. Vazkor, Son of Vazkor (1977)
aka Shadowfire
3. Quest for the White Witch (1978)

Volkhavaar (1977)

Castle of Dark
1. The Castle of Dark (1978)
2. Prince on a White Horse (1982)
3. Dark Castle, White Horse (1986) (Omnibus of the above two)

Day by Night (1980)
The Silver Metal Lover (1981)
Lycanthia (1981)
aka The Children of Wolves

Days of Grass (1985)

Tanaquil
1. Black Unicorn (1989)
2. Gold Unicorn (1994)
3. Red Unicorn (1997)

Claidi Journals
1. Law of the Wolf Tower (1998)
aka Wolf Tower
2. Wolf Star (2000)
aka Wolf Star Rise
3. Queen of the Wolves (2001)
aka Wolf Queen
4. Wolf Wing (2002)

Piratica: Being a Daring Tale of Girl's Adventure upon the High Seas (2004)
(Sequels are in my bookshelf)

Great, but some might not get into them.

Flat Earth
1. Night's Master (1978)
2. Death's Master (1978)
3. Delusion's Master (1981)
4. Delirium's Mistress (1986)
5. Night's Sorceries (1987)

Novels Of Vis
1. The Storm Lord (1976)
2. Anackire (1983)
3. The White Serpent (1988) (Haven't read this yet.)

When the Lights Go Out (1995)
Mortal Suns (2003)

Good. Mostly well written but with less emotional impact.

Electric Forest (1979)
Sung in Shadow (1983)

Secret Books of Paradys
1. The Book of the Damned (1988)
2. The Book of the Beast (1988)
(Haven't read books 3-4)

A Heroine of the World (1989)
The Blood of Roses (1990)
Heart-Beast (1992)
White as Snow (2000)
Indigara: Or, Jet and Otis Conquer the World (2007)

I still have a lot of books that I've not read by her. I'll be starting on Book of the Dead in a few days.

Do yourself a favor and try her work. You might come away surprised.
Ericf

 

[Starman]

I've recently read "Dark Castle, White Horse" - and "Prince on a white horse" is definitely my favourite. It's essentially about an Arthur Dent type character who blunders across a world that is a cross between Middle Earth and Wonderland. It's an excellent absurdist comic fantasy.

 

[Starman]

I was wondering one thing does Tanith Lee have female action heroes in her YA about female main characters ?

I haven't come across any in the few books I've read. In fact, I haven't come across many combat/battle scenes in her books.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I would say that Piratica is an action hero(ine).

 

[Connavar]

I would say that Piratica is an action hero(ine).

Good to know, i wanted to read more female heroes action or not in fantasy. I got a bit tired of the same young male hero you see in many books.

While i wait for reprinting of her older adult fantasy coming out in 2011 i wanted to read her YA.

 

[Anne Lyle]

The Silver Metal Lover is my fave - stunningly good novel

I still have my battered paperback copy from the mid-80s. Read it twice, both times I cried at the end. And I think Clovis was the first gay character I came across in an SF novel (it's not a gay romance, btw, in case anyone's wondering - I wouldn't want to disappoint!).

Mind you, I was a total sucker for "android romance" stories back then. "Satisfaction Guaranteed" was one of my favourite Asimov stories when younger...