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

[soulsinging]

The Deathgate Cycle - Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

I was actually thinking of the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy by Weis and Hickman. It seems to fit this bill pretty perfectly.

Or possibly Timothy Zahn's original Star Wars trilogy, since Harry Potter and the original Star Wars are very similar in tone and story.

 

[Amun]

Thanks people I think I've got enough to go on now.

I was kinda thinking about Star Wars actually. Are the films the same as the books though?

 

[alchemist]

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

Damn, beaten to it. It's a book you read with your heart rather than your brain. I can remember little of the story, but I can remember how it made me feel.

 

[Amun]

Damn, beaten to it. It's a book you read with your heart rather than your brain. I can remember little of the story, but I can remember how it made me feel.

sounds good, thanks

 

[Amun]

What about the Mistborn Trilogy?

 

[biodroid]

Than

 

[biodroid]

Oops, I quoted the wrong person in my previous post, I meant Soulsinging meant the trilogy...

 

[soulsinging]

Thanks people I think I've got enough to go on now.

I was kinda thinking about Star Wars actually. Are the films the same as the books though?

You can buy books that were based on the films if you want, but I was referring to a different series of books that occur 5 years after the original trilogy ends... so it's Han Solo, Chewie, Luke, etc... but having new adventures unrelated to the movies.

Author is Timothy Zahn
book1: Heir to the Empire
book2: Dark Force Rising
book3: Last Command

The Dragonlance series above are by Weis & Hickman:
1: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
2: Dragons of Winter Night
3: Dragons of Spring Dawning

 

[sabolich]

Hmm. You might try just about anything by Nancy Springer. Connie Willis is a lot of fun and makes you think. I loved Emma Bull's "War for the Oaks" which does have a war but c'mon, we're talking Fae and rock n'roll here. It's awesome, and the characters are so well drawn you really care when they're in danger. Some of C.J. Cherryh's fantasy is also very good. Robert Asprin's Myth series was fun. Despite some people panning it as not his best work, I'm enjoying Guy Gavriel Kaye's "Ysabel", though I don't yet know how it comes out, as I'm not finished with it yet. You asked about "The Name of the Wind", which I did enjoy, though the second half definitely dragged, and I hear the second book is not worth the money. Neil Gaiman writes a lot of stuff that doesn't involve war and politics.

Not to blow my own horn (well, ok, I am, but you asked), if you want fantasy with conflict that does not involve swords, dragons, orcs, dystopian settings/heroes, then try "Firedancer" which you can get as an ebook in most of the usual places like Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. The battle is against elemental fire that thinks, with nary an Evil Overlord in sight.

 

[hitmouse]

Ok. Fantasy without the usual cliches:

Little, Big John Crowley
Titus Groan Mervyn Peake
Uncle JP Martin
Mythago Wood Robert Holdstock
Astra and Flondrix Seamus Cullen
The Good Fairies of New York Martin Millar
The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Graham
Winnie the Pooh AA Milne

I could go on, and on...

 

[rune]

I would second the recommendation for Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. How about Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. Also The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr.

 

[Amun]

I would second the recommendation for Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. How about Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. Also The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr.

A bit too gritty perhaps? I'm not really into that

 

[anivid]

Hello there ;-)
I would recommend Angie Sage, the Septimus Heap series, (Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke).
They're a bit like Harry P. in the sense that they're about e.g. wizards - but on the same time, totally other ;-)
With progression of the volumes I personally grew tired of Harry P.
Here with Septimus Heap it was the other way around - they got better ad better ;-)
Enjoy!

 

[soulsinging]

Some other books I liked: Dances with Wolves

That was a book? I only ever heard of the movie.

 

[Clansman]

I am going to go out on a limb, and suggest something that might fit the bill:

Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. Like HP, Kay's first trilogy examines a lot of fantasy tropes, but it is certainly focused on the characters, and there is always something happening. There is tragedy and sadness, but also great triumph through personal sacrifice (a theme throughout Harry Potter). Plus, Kay is one of the best writers in the business, with a lyrical prose style that no one matches.

You might find yourself moving on to Tigana and The Lions of Al-Rassan, both of which have a fair bit of the political in them, but are very, very character focussed. The battles are at the very end. Tigana is easily the most beautiful book I have ever read.

Kay is in a zone occupied only by himself in the fantasy spectrum, though I would hazard that Bujold and McKillip are close, and LeGuin.

 

[sabolich]

Patricia McKillip's wonderful Riddle Master trilogy hasn't a war in sight except an ancient one that has left its scars on the land and echoes of mystery to be solved by the hero. And the writing is beautiful.

 

[Jen526]

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.

I'm late to the thread, but don't give up on YA. I'm not familiar with Dragonborn, but Narnia and Prydain are usually considered "Intermediate" rather than "YA", so it would make sense if they felt more juvenile to you. Maybe try Lloyd Alexander's "Westmark" series instead... it's more YA and an excellent read.

A more recent YA book I'd recommend for a focus on character and mystery: StarCrossed by Elizabeth Bunce. (Haven't read the sequel, Liar's Moon, yet, but I'm looking forward to it like whoa. )

Other suggestions:

The "Harper Hall" and "Dragonriders of Pern" trilogies by Anne McCaffrey... the first is more YA, but either is great.

The early Xanth books (already mentioned) and also the "Myth-" books by Robert Asprin.

The Book of Words trilogy - J.V. Jones (Been a while since I read them, but it's pinging for me as a good selection for the coming-of-age-y-ness aspect.)

Death of the Necromancer (or really anything) by Martha Wells - she has a real skill with characterization - making characters that jump off the page and make you care about them - and I'm getting a sense that that's what you're looking for.

I haven't read her more recent work, but back when I was first infatuated with David Eddings, I also adored Patricia Wrede, so she might be worth a look.