OK! Now onto the second 5 of my Top 10:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Ship_of_Magic_Cover-91x150.jpg\" "\\"Ship_of_Magic_Cover\\"")
<\/a>Robin Hobb: The Liveship Traders<\/strong><\/h4>\nI read Robin’s Assassin<\/strong> series and enjoyed it very much, but I still remember first picking up Ship of Magic<\/em><\/strong> and realising it was about sentient ships: delight! Firstly because I have always loved ships and tales of the sea, and secondly because sentient ships seems such an SF idea and I loved finding it morphed into Fantasy. I also fell in love with the world of the Bingtown traders and the Rain Wild River, as well as having the fun of ‘suspecting’ that I was encountering an Assassin<\/strong> character in the new series… Although in fact I always enjoy the full diversity of characters in these books, from ships to sea serpents, Rain Wild traders to pirates.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/summertree2-96x150.jpg\" "\\"summertree2\\"")
<\/a>Guy Gavriel Kay: The Fionavar Tapestry<\/strong><\/h4>\nI resisted reading this series for a long time because I had been told it was a The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong> (LoTR) “lookalike.” Once I started reading, I realised that a novel can be “in the style of” LoTR, and even clearly LoTR influenced, and still very much have its own voice. For me, this is very true of the Fionavar trilogy, which finds both its feet and a distinctive “voice” after the initial set up chapters (imho.) At any rate, I love the world inspired by Celtic mythology, the way the Arthurian cycle is woven into an otherworld Fantasy tale, and the poetry and power, magic and heroism, beauty and sorrow, of the story.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Daggerspell-92x150.jpg\" "\\"Daggerspell\\"")
<\/a>Katherine Kerr: the (first) Deverry Quartet <\/strong>(Daggerspell, Darkspell, Dawnspell\/The Bristling Wood, Dragonspell\/The Dragon Revenant)<\/em><\/p>\nDaggerspell<\/em><\/strong> is another book that made a huge impression on first reading, partly because it’s a great story, again with lots of layers to the storytelling (are you noticing a trend from yesterday?) and four excellent main characters: Jill, Rhodry, Cullen, and Nevyn. I also loved Kerr’s creation of a Celtic world, not just in terms of Celtic mythology, but because the cultural and political fabric of the world is based on Celtic models and how they might have evolved. I really enjoyed the magic of dweomer and the concept of wyrd or fate, the interweaving of past and present lives, and the way Kerr puts a distinctive spin on elves and dwarves in her Deverry world.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/riddlemaster_of_hed_3-97x150.jpg\" "\\"riddlemaster_of_hed_3\\"")
<\/a>Patricia McKillip: The Quest of the Riddlemaster trilogy<\/h4>\nI always think of this as The Riddlemaster of Hed<\/em><\/strong> trilogy, since that is the name of the first book, which I read and adored—yes, that is absolutely the right word—because of everything about it: the characters, the wonderful world, the terror and mystery of the shapechangers, the backstories, the riddles, the names, and the sheer beauty of the writing. It ends on an amazing cliffhanger as well—and then I had to wait years—years<\/em>, dear readers—to read the second and third books. (This was nothing to do with the author, but something to do with the NZ market.) They were well worth waiting for though, and fortunately I got to read 2 (Heir of Sea and Fire<\/em><\/strong>) and 3 (Harpist in the Wind<\/em><\/strong>) one after the other. I have since read and loved many other Patricia McKillip books, but this series is “still my favourite.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/LoTR.jpg\" "\\"LoTR\\"")
<\/a>JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings<\/h4>\nAnd last but never, ever, least—yes, given the rest of the list I suspect you already knew it had to be The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>. I am a LoTR fan: I own up without reserve that I loved these stories when I first read them, that I have re-read them many times since, and I love them still. I love Tolkien’s worldbuilding, his descriptions (yes, I do!) which I feel are part of what makes the world building so rich, the sheer epic scope of the story (and backstory) and also its sadness: it isn’t an easy story, and as readers we are left with a profound sense of loss. I personally believe that is part of why the story endures: in addition to the adventure, the epic quest, and the bonds of friendship between the characters, the grief and loss speak to our humanity.<\/p>\nEven if I didn’t like though, I would probably still put it on this list, because when it comes to epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>, more than other single book or series, defines the genre—even if part of that definition is measured in terms of those who seek to defy its influence.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Guy Gavriel Kay: The Fionavar Tapestry<\/strong><\/h4>\nI resisted reading this series for a long time because I had been told it was a The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong> (LoTR) “lookalike.” Once I started reading, I realised that a novel can be “in the style of” LoTR, and even clearly LoTR influenced, and still very much have its own voice. For me, this is very true of the Fionavar trilogy, which finds both its feet and a distinctive “voice” after the initial set up chapters (imho.) At any rate, I love the world inspired by Celtic mythology, the way the Arthurian cycle is woven into an otherworld Fantasy tale, and the poetry and power, magic and heroism, beauty and sorrow, of the story.<\/p>\n<\/a>Katherine Kerr: the (first) Deverry Quartet <\/strong>(Daggerspell, Darkspell, Dawnspell\/The Bristling Wood, Dragonspell\/The Dragon Revenant)<\/em><\/p>\nDaggerspell<\/em><\/strong> is another book that made a huge impression on first reading, partly because it’s a great story, again with lots of layers to the storytelling (are you noticing a trend from yesterday?) and four excellent main characters: Jill, Rhodry, Cullen, and Nevyn. I also loved Kerr’s creation of a Celtic world, not just in terms of Celtic mythology, but because the cultural and political fabric of the world is based on Celtic models and how they might have evolved. I really enjoyed the magic of dweomer and the concept of wyrd or fate, the interweaving of past and present lives, and the way Kerr puts a distinctive spin on elves and dwarves in her Deverry world.<\/p>\n<\/a>Patricia McKillip: The Quest of the Riddlemaster trilogy<\/h4>\nI always think of this as The Riddlemaster of Hed<\/em><\/strong> trilogy, since that is the name of the first book, which I read and adored—yes, that is absolutely the right word—because of everything about it: the characters, the wonderful world, the terror and mystery of the shapechangers, the backstories, the riddles, the names, and the sheer beauty of the writing. It ends on an amazing cliffhanger as well—and then I had to wait years—years<\/em>, dear readers—to read the second and third books. (This was nothing to do with the author, but something to do with the NZ market.) They were well worth waiting for though, and fortunately I got to read 2 (Heir of Sea and Fire<\/em><\/strong>) and 3 (Harpist in the Wind<\/em><\/strong>) one after the other. I have since read and loved many other Patricia McKillip books, but this series is “still my favourite.”<\/p>\n<\/a>JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings<\/h4>\nAnd last but never, ever, least—yes, given the rest of the list I suspect you already knew it had to be The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>. I am a LoTR fan: I own up without reserve that I loved these stories when I first read them, that I have re-read them many times since, and I love them still. I love Tolkien’s worldbuilding, his descriptions (yes, I do!) which I feel are part of what makes the world building so rich, the sheer epic scope of the story (and backstory) and also its sadness: it isn’t an easy story, and as readers we are left with a profound sense of loss. I personally believe that is part of why the story endures: in addition to the adventure, the epic quest, and the bonds of friendship between the characters, the grief and loss speak to our humanity.<\/p>\nEven if I didn’t like though, I would probably still put it on this list, because when it comes to epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>, more than other single book or series, defines the genre—even if part of that definition is measured in terms of those who seek to defy its influence.<\/p>\n
Daggerspell<\/em><\/strong> is another book that made a huge impression on first reading, partly because it’s a great story, again with lots of layers to the storytelling (are you noticing a trend from yesterday?) and four excellent main characters: Jill, Rhodry, Cullen, and Nevyn. I also loved Kerr’s creation of a Celtic world, not just in terms of Celtic mythology, but because the cultural and political fabric of the world is based on Celtic models and how they might have evolved. I really enjoyed the magic of dweomer and the concept of wyrd or fate, the interweaving of past and present lives, and the way Kerr puts a distinctive spin on elves and dwarves in her Deverry world.<\/p>\n I always think of this as The Riddlemaster of Hed<\/em><\/strong> trilogy, since that is the name of the first book, which I read and adored—yes, that is absolutely the right word—because of everything about it: the characters, the wonderful world, the terror and mystery of the shapechangers, the backstories, the riddles, the names, and the sheer beauty of the writing. It ends on an amazing cliffhanger as well—and then I had to wait years—years<\/em>, dear readers—to read the second and third books. (This was nothing to do with the author, but something to do with the NZ market.) They were well worth waiting for though, and fortunately I got to read 2 (Heir of Sea and Fire<\/em><\/strong>) and 3 (Harpist in the Wind<\/em><\/strong>) one after the other. I have since read and loved many other Patricia McKillip books, but this series is “still my favourite.”<\/p>\n And last but never, ever, least—yes, given the rest of the list I suspect you already knew it had to be The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>. I am a LoTR fan: I own up without reserve that I loved these stories when I first read them, that I have re-read them many times since, and I love them still. I love Tolkien’s worldbuilding, his descriptions (yes, I do!) which I feel are part of what makes the world building so rich, the sheer epic scope of the story (and backstory) and also its sadness: it isn’t an easy story, and as readers we are left with a profound sense of loss. I personally believe that is part of why the story endures: in addition to the adventure, the epic quest, and the bonds of friendship between the characters, the grief and loss speak to our humanity.<\/p>\n Even if I didn’t like though, I would probably still put it on this list, because when it comes to epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>, more than other single book or series, defines the genre—even if part of that definition is measured in terms of those who seek to defy its influence.<\/p>\n<\/a>Katherine Kerr: the (first) Deverry Quartet <\/strong>(Daggerspell, Darkspell, Dawnspell\/The Bristling Wood, Dragonspell\/The Dragon Revenant)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Patricia McKillip: The Quest of the Riddlemaster trilogy<\/h4>\n<\/a>JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings<\/h4>\n