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I want to read a novel set in medieval times. Knights, castles, swords. I love Ivanhoe and I'm basically looking for something like that but written by whichever modern author is the go to guy for medieval fiction. I'm looking for something well grounded historically, something that can help me understand all the nuances of the time period. I always feel like William Gibson does a great job of that in his books but I don't think he has one in that setting. I want something with some action and adventure, and would actually prefer if the setting could delve into the supernatural. Something dark and spooky like facing down a vampire or some monster or something. I'm currently reading the amazon excerpt of the first Cadfael book, but I think I could get to the heart of the matter by saying something like "I want something like the W40K book Eiesnhorn but set in carefully researched medieval Europe. EDIT-Oh and I hate it when characters in historic settings have a bunch of hand made gadgets of their own devising that turn them into modern commandos/spies. Sort of like what Van Helsing seemed to do in the movies based off the trailer I saw.
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Jun 20, 2013 11:29
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DirtyRobot posted:Suggested above, but George R. R. Martin's's A Song of Ice and Fire is good because it began as an historical thing about the War of the Roses, but he wanted bigger set pieces and magic. I'd absolutely agree with you if I wasn't insistent on something based on "real" history. I mean I'm sure the war of the roses is well represented in spirit, but I want something that I can read and go "Oh so that's what Antioch was like at the time of the crusades. Oh so that's how that famous dude I'd heard of acted". Something like the HBO show ROME but set in the age of chivalry and a series of novels. I'll probably go with go with the first of those Saxon books. Actually I might find that without the antiquated writing of someone like Sir Walther Scott that I don't have as much fun but thanks for the suggestions.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:42
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I just finished Archer's Tale, which was recommended to me when I wanted historically grounded medieval fiction. It was a great book but I should be careful what I wish for; by the time the book got to it's dramatic climax it's historical events had gotten so significant that I knew ahead of time how things would turn out. I've still got The White Company to dive into and I'm looking forward to a book with a more antiquated writing style. Anyway, what's the best fictional, fantasy based medieval book series that isn't currently my favorite hbo show. Like what's the next best choice aside from A Song of Fire and Ice or Game of Thrones or whatever it's called. Something with the depth and darkness of Game of Thrones, not something like the Lord of the Rings. Bonus points if it's a finished series. I mean I read some of those DnD books when I was a teenager, and I'm sure there has to be huuuuuge pile of fantasy novels. Which ones other than A Song of Ice and Fire are considered really good, "literary" works.
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Jul 3, 2013 06:12
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Looking for a book or series set in something like the world of darkness or the secret world, in the USA and about investigating / fighting monsters,not being them. Gonna try for an audio book on audible but any info appreciated. I feel weird adding this but I want it to be good? Like I read an old xfiles and wod and I want more than that. American gods and neverwhere were good but not quite what I'm talking about. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 17:11 on Jun 24, 2016 |
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Jun 24, 2016 17:05
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I examined some of the recommendations and nothing really grabbed me; my own searching didn't turn up much either, aside from something called the "Urban Fantasy" genre. Problem is, looking at a tile of book covers on a web page is literally judging a book by it's cover. It's weird though, this genre, Urban Fantasy or whatever you'd call it, isn't obscure. If I was going to name shows or movies like this I, someone who's not at all a movie buff, could rattle off: X-Files Angel/Buffy Brimstone Supernatural Blade, Underworld, etc (there comes a point where a "vampire" movie is crossing into WoD territory, but I'm not sure where I'd draw the line?) And that's just off the top of my head, but when I go looking for books I come up empty. I know these books have to be out here, but I look at a dozen "Urban Fantasy" novels with dime a dozen romance novel art work and I can't tell what's good, and I don't trust a random google search to guide me through a genre that's just go to be packed with fetishistic schlock. Thanks for the input, I ended up spending my audible credit on the first Wheel of Time book instead. I'm sure I can find something good in this vein. Like, I mean, did anyone here read Winter's Bone? Something like that but with magic would be great (not great like the original, more of a genre page turner, but you know). Spooky creepy stuff going on in the methy Appalachians.
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Jun 28, 2016 01:45
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anilEhilated posted:Hey folks, looking for an audiobook recommendation for the gym - need something light, page-turny and not big on romance/sex scenes. I like the blue ant trilogy, it's a bit of a who done it. Try the first one, pattern recognition, on audible/ audio book
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Jul 18, 2016 21:18
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A year or two ago I re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and fell in love all over again. Now, not being quite ready to re-re-read them but wanting something similar, I'm halfway through the second Wheel of Time novels (I read the first one years ago) and it's just not giving me what I want. I think it's the prose? The language is ordinary and forgettable. I confirmed my suspicions by reading a bit of Ivanhoe, another book I love, and the writing was much more what I wanted. So, before I just go read Waverly instead, can anyone recommend a fantasy novel that doesn't have a modern, contemporary, boring writing style? I tried Spencer's The Faerie Queene but I'd really gone too far in the other direction; it's good but I can't read Elizabethan English casually enough to make it a light work of genre fiction.
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Aug 14, 2019 21:29
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I bought one and I'll come back to complain later! But really, thanks all.
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Aug 14, 2019 22:41
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Hey, does anyone have a recommendation for a swashbuckling sci fi adventure novel, preferably some sort of classic. I'm going to be playing in a Star Wars game and, rather than actual SW media, I'd like to read something more like a spiritual precursor. I guess Buck Rogers (is that just comics?) or maybe even John Carter is maybe what I'm talking about?
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May 19, 2021 20:11
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RCarr posted:Looking for some gritty fantasy akin to Joe Abercrombie and Ed McDonald. Based on an earlier recommendation I'm almost done with Between Two Fires after looking for the same and it's been absolutely great. In fact, I came here to report that I'm loving the book and see what else folks might recommend.
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Jan 20, 2023 18:35
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Is there anything I'm overlooking in the fantasy selection of Audible? I've read: Hobbit, Lord of the Rings Wheel of Time The First Law Between two Fires Dr. norrel and Mr. strange Nettle and Bone (only just started it, seems great). Also read Medievalist historical fiction like the Kings bridge series, Wolf Hall. What I'm really looking for is something that's either spooky (Between two Fires, Dr. Norrel and Mr. Strange) or cozy (Hobbit/LOTR, first WoT novel) Where I find myself not so satisfied with the above books is with anything in the WoT after the first book. Twice now I grind through the second and it's not great and then I can't even finish the third. I'm just such a sucker for the Tolkien style journey and the "homely house" motif in his works, and The first WoT novel follows that. Also, both WoT and The First Law have this problem of being just kind if plainly written, compared to something like Between Two Fires or Dr. Norell and Mr. Strange. So, are there any exciting new fantasy/fantasy horror works on audible I may have overlooked? The last time I looked it is when I ended up up getting Between Two Fires and that was perfect.
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Mar 12, 2024 20:37
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Thanks all, I'm familiar with some of these, but others are new, or I needed a recommendation to try them, this gives me a lot of options, thanks again.
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Mar 13, 2024 03:26
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