Fantasy type books without wars/horrors/heavy politics etc.

[Amun]

Ok, so I find it very difficult finding the kind of books I'm actually looking for. I've asked once before, but my mind is more made up now, hope you don't mind me asking again.

The books I most enjoy, are the ones that shake my soul, so to speak, no matter which genre. In the fantasy genre, the best example would be Harry Potter. The books I least enjoy, are the heavy serious ones, like Game of Thrones.

A Game of Thrones I couldnt even finish. There was too many depressing hardship, too much brutal violence, too much earthly politics...that just doesn't do it for me. I like to get to know the characters, to get a feel of them. To cry when they hurt, and to laugh when the triumph. Harry Potter had a continuous "bright" tone to it. It always was about love (in one way). It was on some way rather serious, but not in a depressing way. It had a large mystery element to it, which I also immensely enjoy.

It can be quite long, depending on the pace. I tried reading "Mysts of Avalon", which setting and depth wise, I could enjoy, but it dragged on with too many trivial things going on for too many pages (also like Game of Thrones btw). HP is also quite a read, but it never gets boring. There's always something happening, and most of it matters, but without getting superficial or over the top.

I think the TV-series Lost, is another example of what I'm looking for. It focused both around the characters, and about the mystery. You got to truly feel for the people there, but you also wanted desperately to know what would happen next.

Some other books I liked: The Belgariad, Promise of the Wolves, Dances with Wolves, The Hobbit, The Golden Compass.

So, I hope somebody gets what I'm aiming at, and can give me some recommendations. Thanks

 

[nixie]

You may enjoy Garth Nix, Abhorsen and Keys to the Kingdom series aimed more at young adults but do appeal to a wide range of readers. Raymond E Feist and Terry Brooks are both good and have characters that the reader can relate too.

 

[HareBrain]

You might like Robert Redick's Chathrand books, starting with The Red Wolf Conspiracy. I think they have the "tone" you describe.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Have you tried the likes of

Five Children and It
Waterbabies
Midsummers Night Dream

 

[Amun]

You may enjoy Garth Nix, Abhorsen and Keys to the Kingdom series aimed more at young adults but do appeal to a wide range of readers. Raymond E Feist and Terry Brooks are both good and have characters that the reader can relate too.

Keys to the Kingdom sounds pretty good. I am wondering though whether it will keep me interested as did HP. I'm not sure how old you yourself are? Because I liked HP, I thought I'd try some other YA fantasy books, like Narnia (which ok, aimed at even younger readers, but still), and The Book of Three and Dragonborn. However, eventhough I think I'm young at heart, it seemed that I actually am a bit too old for those kind of books (I am 25).

You might like Robert Redick's Chathrand books, starting with The Red Wolf Conspiracy. I think they have the "tone" you describe.

Just judging from the reviews, it seems that politics and other such dramas are part of the story? Could you say to what degree?

Have you tried the likes of

Five Children and It
Waterbabies
Midsummers Night Dream

Seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience am I correct? From the descriptions, I think I am too old with my 25 years.

 

[Mouse]

Keys to the Kingdom sounds pretty good. I am wondering though whether it will keep me interested as did HP. I'm not sure how old you yourself are? Because I liked HP, I thought I'd try some other YA fantasy books, like Narnia (which ok, aimed at even younger readers, but still), and The Book of Three and Dragonborn. However, eventhough I think I'm young at heart, it seemed that I actually am a bit too old for those kind of books (I am 25).

I second Garth Nix. And I'm 29. (And God, that felt horrible to write!) It's not young young stuff and has some dark, gritty stuff in it. I've not read Harry Potter, but I'd say (judging by what I've heard about HP) if you like HP you'll like Garth Nix. I'd also suggest Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus books.

Also, you say you've read The Golden Compass, I'm guessing you've read the others? You might want to check out PP's Sally Lockhart books too (not fantasy, but very very good.)

And maybe try Trudi Canavan's magician books.

 

[HareBrain]

Just judging from the reviews, it seems that politics and other such dramas are part of the story? Could you say to what degree?

Not much really. The background to the story is a tense international situation, but only one (minor) viewpoint character is really involved in this.

 

[Amun]

I second Garth Nix. And I'm 29. (And God, that felt horrible to write!) It's not young young stuff and has some dark, gritty stuff in it. I've not read Harry Potter, but I'd say (judging by what I've heard about HP) if you like HP you'll like Garth Nix. I'd also suggest Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus books.

Also, you say you've read The Golden Compass, I'm guessing you've read the others? You might want to check out PP's Sally Lockhart books too (not fantasy, but very very good.)

And maybe try Trudi Canavan's magician books.

Yes I've read His Dark Materials. Might try his other books.

I'm not sure about Garth Nix. It kind of sounds like, judging from some reviews, that it's a bit superficial. I know, it is really personal, but I've read some books, in which the characters just kind of popped in the story, and in the adventure, without it really building up. This makes it very hard for me to get a feel for the characters, without much background.

If you haven't read HP, it might be hard to understand what I'm talking about. I'm not much for hypes, but HP was just amazing (especially the last 4 books). Everything fits, the characters are great, the world is imaginative and balances gritty with humor, and most of all it just spoke to me. Now, there might be books out there with a similar plot and world, but if it isn't written well, it won't work. But maybe I'm just really picky and spoiled after reading HP

O, and I know that books are really personal, and if I just bought books judging from reviews by other people, no book would do, since there's always something negative to say. But I gotta start somewhere

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Well, I can suggest EARLY Xanth novels by Piers Anthony-I would probably stay away from the ones of perhaps four or five onwards?


To a point, Terry Brooks' Kingdom of Landover series, perhaps the first three. Again, I wouldn't go past that point, however....

 

[nixie]

Oops I hit submit before I'd posted

 

[Mouse]

Yes I've read His Dark Materials. Might try his other books.

I'm not sure about Garth Nix. It kind of sounds like, judging from some reviews, that it's a bit superficial. I know, it is really personal, but I've read some books, in which the characters just kind of popped in the story, and in the adventure, without it really building up. This makes it very hard for me to get a feel for the characters, without much background.

If you haven't read HP, it might be hard to understand what I'm talking about. I'm not much for hypes, but HP was just amazing (especially the last 4 books). Everything fits, the characters are great, the world is imaginative and balances gritty with humor, and most of all it just spoke to me. Now, there might be books out there with a similar plot and world, but if it isn't written well, it won't work. But maybe I'm just really picky and spoiled after reading HP

O, and I know that books are really personal, and if I just bought books judging from reviews by other people, no book would do, since there's always something negative to say. But I gotta start somewhere

I don't know what reviews you're reading, but the characters and story in the Abhorsen books are definitely not superficial.

 

[Amun]

I don't know what reviews you're reading, but the characters and story in the Abhorsen books are definitely not superficial.

Ok Well, only one way to find out.

Has anybody read: The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle)? It is so well received, but so was a Game of Thrones...

 

[Mouse]

Ok Well, only one way to find out.

Indeedy! And if you don't like the books, I'll eat my hat. I'm a huge Garth Nix fan - just don't read his Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday etc. books. I couldn't get into those. But his short stories and his Abhorsen ones are spot on. Brilliant writing, story, characters...

 

[nixie]

A lot older than 25 I do lean more towards war and politics. Erkison,Abercrombie, Bakker, Martin ETC but every now and then I like something a little lighter. A lot of books aimed at the YA market are very well written and do appeal to wide range of readers. Philip Pullman and Garth Nix being perfect examples.

If dragons interest you then you may like to try Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. Set during the Napoleonic Wars but concentrates more on the relationship between Temeraire and his human Captain Lawrence.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience am I correct? From the descriptions, I think I am too old with my 25 years.

I have a decade extra to my life and personally would not reject a story just because it was in an unfamiliar section of the bookshop/library. I love myths, legends and pre Tolkein fantasy. Have you tried Terry Pratchett?

Certainly Midsummers Night Dream is not a children's story. It is a typical Shakespeare Play complete with all the bawdy and bad language one would expect from him.

Waterbabies is written in the good British standard of having a lot in it for both adults and children -- it is a quite dark story, but not a horror.

The Psammead Trilogy (Five Children and It is the first) is funny, comical, warm and bizarre. Sure it is about children but so is Harry Potter it hasn't stopped adults enjoying it.

Personally I still love reading Enid Blyton's the Faraway Tree series - wonderful characters and lands.

Others:

James Hilton - Lost Horizon
The Worm Ouroboros (unsure of the author)
Anything by William Morris or Lord Dunsany.
CS Lewis Space Trilogy (is that more sci-fi ?)
Homer's Odyssey but it has a battle.
Alannah Knight's Inspector Faro and Rose McQuinn detective stories have fantasy elements.
Lud in the Mist (again unsure of author sorry)
Phantastes by George Macdonald
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.

more modern the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are fun.

I do read more moden stuff - right now reading Spy Pups by Andrew Cope (yes you are probably too old to miss out on Spy Dog lol, but I think it best series of stories I have read in ages), and about to get a detective story narrated by a dog.

 

[Amun]

A lot older than 25 I do lean more towards war and politics. Erkison,Abercrombie, Bakker, Martin ETC but every now and then I like something a little lighter. A lot of books aimed at the YA market are very well written and do appeal to wide range of readers. Philip Pullman and Garth Nix being perfect examples.

If dragons interest you then you may like to try Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. Set during the Napoleonic Wars but concentrates more on the relationship between Temeraire and his human Captain Lawrence.

Thanks

I have a decade extra to my life and personally would not reject a story just because it was in an unfamiliar section of the bookshop/library. I love myths, legends and pre Tolkein fantasy. Have you tried Terry Pratchett?

Certainly Midsummers Night Dream is not a children's story. It is a typical Shakespeare Play complete with all the bawdy and bad language one would expect from him.

Waterbabies is written in the good British standard of having a lot in it for both adults and children -- it is a quite dark story, but not a horror.

The Psammead Trilogy (Five Children and It is the first) is funny, comical, warm and bizarre. Sure it is about children but so is Harry Potter it hasn't stopped adults enjoying it.

Personally I still love reading Enid Blyton's the Faraway Tree series - wonderful characters and lands.

Others:

James Hilton - Lost Horizon
The Worm Ouroboros (unsure of the author)
Anything by William Morris or Lord Dunsany.
CS Lewis Space Trilogy (is that more sci-fi ?)
Homer's Odyssey but it has a battle.
Alannah Knight's Inspector Faro and Rose McQuinn detective stories have fantasy elements.
Lud in the Mist (again unsure of author sorry)
Phantastes by George Macdonald
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.

more modern the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are fun.

I do read more moden stuff - right now reading Spy Pups by Andrew Cope (yes you are probably too old to miss out on Spy Dog lol, but I think it best series of stories I have read in ages), and about to get a detective story narrated by a dog.

Well it's not that I would avoid books about children, or written for children, like you said, I liked HP. But like for instance, I read Narnia, which apart from the parts with Aslan (which I thought were really beautiful), I didn't care for so much. The style of writing, and the plot just doesn't appeal to me, as it might to kids. However I do like the fairytale type elements, the more spiritual (in my eyes) stuff.

But you've given me quite a lot of homework so I'll see what its all about , thanks

O, and I don't mind a battle here and then, just not when it's terribly horrific and/or the focus of the whole book. I didn't mind the battles in HP, nor in some other books.

 

[Quokka]

Ursula Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Quartet), definitely focuses on the personal.

The Deathgate Cycle - Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Magician - Raymond E Feist ... and about a 100 books afterwards but they are broken up into smaller series so can read as much or as little as you like without feeling like you haven't finished the story. It's set in a fairly typical fantasy setting with war and politics but it's kept much simpler than G RR Martin and co.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

A Game of Thrones I couldnt even finish. There was too many depressing hardship, too much brutal violence,

Have you tried Joe Abercrombie's novels?

*evil laugh*

No, no, no. Seriously, no. I was kidding. If you thought Martin's book was violent, stay the heck away from Abercrombie.

Ok Well, only one way to find out.

Has anybody read: The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle)? It is so well received, but so was a Game of Thrones...

I actually haven't started The Name of the Wind, yet, but I'm not sure if would fall in to the kind you describe. I'm guessing on the Fantasy spectrum it's closer to A Game of Thrones than to Harry Potter.

Have you tried, say, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan? It's pretty damn long, but I don't remember it being very violent or political. Also, maybe give Brandon Sanderson's books a shot. Since you liked HP, I'm guessing you also enjoy the magical aspect of Fantasy? If so, then the above two authors' books have magic as a pretty integral component of the story, unlike most modern Fantasy books by authors like Martin, Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, etc. where magic, while present, is largely peripheral.

 

[thatollie]

James Hilton - Lost Horizon
The Worm Ouroboros (unsure of the author)
Anything by William Morris or Lord Dunsany.
CS Lewis Space Trilogy (is that more sci-fi ?)
Homer's Odyssey but it has a battle.
Alannah Knight's Inspector Faro and Rose McQuinn detective stories have fantasy elements.
Lud in the Mist (again unsure of author sorry)
Phantastes by George Macdonald
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.

The Worm Ouroboros is by E.R. Eddison and Lud in the Mist is by Hope Mirrlees.

Oh, and I'm supposed to recommend stuff.

The Broken Sword - Poul Anderson
Tales of The Dying Earth - Jack Vance
The First Book of Lankhmar - Fritz Leiber
The Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny

Hmm, those are all in the Fantasy Masterworks Series. It's funny how things work out that way.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

The Worm Ouroboros is by E.R. Eddison and Lud in the Mist is by Hope Mirrlees.
.

Thanks lol I just rattled off the list - relieved to see I spelled Ouroboros right as well