Can you recommend sword&sorcery books without romance and with male MC?

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Bonaccorso

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I'm trying to find some books like this, classical fantasy, sword&sorcery, orcs ,elves, magic, but without romance and with male MC.

Something other than Tolkien as it's likely gonna be the first advice.

Can you recommend something?
 
The first ones I always think of are:
- Robert E Howard's Conan books, and all that came after by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter
- Michael Moorcock's Elric and Corum and other eternal champions
Not many orcs or elves though

That's all I've got off the top of my head for now, but don't worry, @BAYLOR will be along soon with a much better list ;)
 
Good suggestions by @M. Robert Gibson
Moorcock especially.
I would add:
Nifft the Lean by Michael Shea
The Lankhmar stories by Fritz Lieber
Lyonesse by Jack Vance

None of these are stock S&S, though there is enough of that. Minor romantic elements.
 
The Morgaine Saga by C J Cherryhr 4 book series no elves, no romance , but a great series, the Lead Character is woman Warrior with White Hair named Morgaine who is on a grand quest I won'r wont spoil it for you by telling .:D:cool:

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson its got Elves, Vikings , Orca and Changelings it came out about the same year as LOTR . It's a classic and a great read ! :cool:

Bloodstone by Karl Edward Wagner Kane is an immortal, amoral Heroic Villain /antihero , He's a warrior and Soceror brilliant a miserable who wants to rule the world . he a blast ! and In Bloodstone there no evlves , but ther here 9 foot tall fanged Toadman called Rillyti who just love to sacrifices humans to their God This books got everything ! it's the first book Ian action packed high octane dark fantasy extravaganza ! :cool:

The Lost Continent By C j Cutclife Hynd This is the very first Fantasy novel dealing with the lost content of Atlantis :cool:

The Dark World by Henry Kuttner A fantasy novel with most unusual protagonist :cool:

Back Gods Kiss by C L Moore Contains all of her wonderful Jirel of Joiry stories. A really cool lade with a sword. :cool:

Lest Darkness Falls by L Sprague De Camp Mild mannered Historian Martin Padwsy is vacation in the city of Rome and he gate hit with a bolt of lightning . The good news for him, is he's still alive and l in Rome. The really bad news is he's in 6th Century Rome which probably the single worst time in history to be in that particular City given what's coming down the pike . And worse still, he has no idea how to get back to the present. so in order to serve, he has improvise . This book is a fun read and is hilariously laugh out loud funny and a first rate classic. :cool:
 
M. Robert Gibson said:
The first ones I always think of are:
- Robert E Howard's Conan books, and all that came after by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter
- Michael Moorcock's Elric and Corum and other eternal champions
Not many orcs or elves though

That's all I've got off the top of my head for now, but don't worry, @BAYLOR will be along soon with a much better list ;)
Click to expand...
After Conan films I was sure that Conan books are also full of romance and hot half-naked girls around Conan. I'm mistaken?

Thanks about reminding of Moorcock - so far I don't know much about him other than his name :)
 
BAYLOR said:
The Morgaine Saga by C J Cherryhr 4 book series no elves, no romance , but a great series, the Lead Character is woman Warrior with White Hair named Morgaine who is on a grand quest I won'r wont spoil it for you by telling .:D:cool:

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson its got Elves, Vikings , Orca and Changelings it came out about the same year as LOTR . It's a classic and a great read ! :cool:

Bloodstone by Karl Edward Wagner Kane is an immortal, amoral Heroic Villain /antihero , He's a warrior and Soceror brilliant a miserable who wants to rule the world . he a blast ! and In Bloodstone there no evlves , but ther here 9 foot tall fanged Toadman called Rillyti who just love to sacrifices humans to their God This books got everything ! it's the first book Ian action packed high octane dark fantasy extravaganza ! :cool:

The Lost Continent By C j Cutclife Hynd This is the very first Fantasy novel dealing with the lost content of Atlantis :cool:

The Dark World by Henry Kuttner A fantasy novel with most unusual protagonist :cool:

Back Gods Kiss by C L Moore Contains all of her wonderful Jirel of Joiry stories. A really cool lade with a sword. :cool:

Lest Darkness Falls by L Sprague De Camp Mild mannered Historian Martin Padwsy is vacation in the city of Rome and he gate hit with a bolt of lightning . The good news for him, is he's still alive and l in Rome. The really bad news is he's in 6th Century Rome which probably the single worst time in history to be in that particular City given what's coming down the pike . And worse still, he has no idea how to get back to the present. so in order to serve, he has improvise . This book is a fun read and is hilariously laugh out loud funny and a first rate classic. :cool:
Click to expand...
Wow, thank you for so many recomendations!

"9 foot tall fanged Toadman " - already looking for this one, lol.

The Broken Sword looks very promising too.

Others are very nice too but those two caught my attention the most.
 
Seconding Moorcock, Leiber, The Broken Sword, and Conan. Minor romantic elements in them, but rather minor as a rule.

If you want elves and stuff, maybe try Feist's Magician
 
I still love the The Coldfire Trilogy by C.S. Friesland. Magic works just a bit differently on this world.
 
Bonaccorso said:
After Conan films I was sure that Conan books are also full of romance and hot half-naked girls around Conan. I'm mistaken?

Thanks about reminding of Moorcock - so far I don't know much about him other than his name :)
Click to expand...

With regard to Robert Howard all his the Conan stories worth reading they are flat out fun to read and they exciting . you nigh want to look at Conan the Hour of the Dragon which is Howards only novel lathe Conan story and its dandy . In this book he King of thantaion of Aquilonia facing threat from Consqpratoes, a three thousand year old under wizard, giant man eating Snakes and Vampire. :cool:

Howard creat many wonderful heroes and larger than life stories another one of his character Bran Mac Morna Parish Chief who battling the Roan and all manner nightmarishly dark creatures . How Bran story Worms of the Earth can be found compete online if you want ot read it . It's really good stuff ! :cool:

I second Michael Moororck . He created a multiverse with multiple heroes collectively known as the eternal Champion

1, Elric of Melnbone . He's albino elfin lord and ruler of a very corrupt kingdom, He gets a hold of Stormbringer a sword with a demon imprisoned within the blade. It feeds on Souls transferring some the energy to the user.

2. Corum. He too is elfin, lives in different universe, mankind under the thrall of the gods of Chaos murder his family and his entire people. , he loses a hand and eye and becomes champion to group of humans not under the thrall of Chaos . He also encounters being who gives him the hand a god named Kwull and the eye of his brother god Ryn . Whathse two artifact do is quite nasty.

3. Dorian Hawkmoon a human he living on an earth where Great Britain is an evil smpire ruling the world . He gets hold of weapon called the Runestaff which is basically like the Spear of Destiny, Its the counterpart to the black sword and it to sentient but not with a demon .

The theE IS r Erkose/John Daker , he a man with greatest bred of all, He know that he is The eternal Champion and his job is maintain the balance between the forces of Lw and Chaos and he also know that he's , Elric, Corum , and Dorian and other. There chapter the various these champions meet and to solve crisis's of multiversal proportions .:cool:
 
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Bonaccorso said:
Wow, thank you for so many recomendations!

"9 foot tall fanged Toadman " - already looking for this one, lol.

The Broken Sword looks very promising too.

Others are very nice too but those two caught my attention the most.
Click to expand...

One sight correction about Bloodstone its not one one single 9foot tall fanged Toadman . It's an entire city full of 9 foottalll fanged toadmen and as a race they are called the Rillyti. :D
 
Tim Pratt: The Pathfinder Tales (Liar‘s Blade, Liar‘s Island, Liar‘s Bargain)

MC is male, but „only“ a con man. His sword is the sorcerer as well as the swordsman. If you like a good laugh, this might be for you.
 
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