I have found at times reading is a chore, which is a great shame. There's a lot of books (some that turn out to be good) where I read a couple of pages then put it down. I have some historical fiction books that I've read recently and overall they are good but they don't have that wow factor.
I want books that keep me up all night and I want to read the next chapter. Only a few authors achieve that. I recently read some less well known authors Karen Azinger and Michael Sullivan and theirs were very easy to read books with a nice flow (in my view). There are on the cusp of not-put-downable (which I am finding rare), but they are better than most.
I also like Bernard Cornwell and his books are certainly un-put-downable. Not always guaranteed but nearly always. Simmon Scarrow's books are the same. Tolkien certainly hit a high note and I always liked David Gemmell's Legend.
I am struggling though to find authors that hit that un-put-downable standard. Any views?
Karen Azinger is indeed worth reading. Her fantasy books are amazingly entertaining and the story flows well. Michael Sullivan also writes excellent fantasy books.
ReplyDeleteDebbie Viguié and James R. Tuck's Mark of the Black Arrow (first part of the Robin Hood: Demon's Bane series) was a very pleasant surprise for me. It's a well written Robin Hood story with plenty of dark fantasy elements.
These authors are definitely worth checking out, if you're looking for addictive adult fantasy:
Courtney Schafer: The Shattered Sigil trilogy (The Whitefire Crossing, The Tainted City and The Labyrinth of Flame).
http://www.courtneyschafer.com/
Bradley P. Beaulieu: The Lays of Anuskaya trilogy (The Winds of Khalakovo, The Straits of Galahesh and The Flames of Shadam Khoreh) and The Song of the Shattered Sands trilogy (Twelve Kings in Sharakhai and 2 forthcoming books).
http://quillings.com/
Martha Wells: Books of the Raksura series (The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea, The Siren Depths, The Edge of Worlds and 1 book forthcoming) and Stories of the Raksura (2 collections). I can also highly recommend the Ile-Rien novels.
http://www.marthawells.com/
Thanks, Sami. Very helpful comments. I take it the reviews are on your site? http://www.risingshadow.net/ I need to visit more often. How about a WOW-factor sticker on outstanding books on your site?
ReplyDeleteI should add that Karen Azinger as a recommendation came from you, so thanks and well recommended
ReplyDeleteReading is never a chore for me...now, writing up the reviews...that can become a chore, especially if I didn't like the story for some reason. Those take me a while to agonize over, because I want to be truthful yet not hurtful! Several fantasy authors keep me captivated (and yes, I like the Michael Sullivan stories that I have read although I haven't read his most recent ones)...I just finished a new Juliet Marillier, part of her Grim and Blackthorne series...a nice twist on a familiar fairy tale, I loved the Violette Malan series that featured Dhulyn and Parno, Sharon Shinn has a lovely voice (although I wasn't crazy about the heroine in one of her books), Michelle Sagara (West) has several series that I am really fond of, and there are quite a few paranormal authors I love to read...including Eileen Wilks, Patricia Briggs, Thea Harrison and more...but those particular series are for people who like romantic shapeshifter tales. I am a big science fiction fan, so I really enjoy C.J. Cherryh's various series, I used to read a lot of David Weber (but just don't have the time to work his massive volumes into my schedule any longer), and Tanya Huff has both fantasy and science fiction series that I follow. You might also try Jean Johnson...I enjoy both her science fiction and her fantasy series and I am looking forward to starting her new 'Salik War' series, it is on my towering pile of to-read books! Ah, and one of my very favorite series is by Julie Czerneda, Species Imperative. Ha...those should get you started, lol.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are always so busy, ELF. I have discovered (accidentally) that I need to read a page-turner to keep my reading motivated. I am amazed at how much you read AND keep motivated
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