Novels with a BR feel?

[Eyeless One]

Greetings all! This is my first time posting on the BR.net forum, but I'm a long time fan of the setting. I recall some of you from the mailing list of old. It's great to see some old, familiar names of posters, as well as a number of new ones.

I'm curious what fantasy novels BR fans have found that have a BR flavor to them? I've read each of the novels that was released for the setting more than once [along with the Shadowstone book that was obviously the story of Aelies, complete w/ a spot or 2 where they missed changing the name to whatever it was they decided felt more Realms-ish ;-)], and I'd really like to find some new fiction to read that will seem at least a bit familiar.

I particularly love the Sidhelien, so any novels you could recommend where elves are given a similar treatment would undoubtedly be something I'd enjoy. Any suggestions on novels that remind you a bit of Cerilia, the bloodlines/regents theme, or the relatively scarce but powerful magic of the setting would also be very greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much and my apologies if I have screwed anything up,
Craig Greeson - the Eyeless One

[Fearless_Leader]

The series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R.R. Martin without a doubt. I've used this series as inspiration for setting the atmosphere in my own campaigns. You'll also find that magic is very scarce and much of the focus is on factions warring over the throne (coincidentally called the Iron Throne). I've never read a more well-written or compelling fantasy series.

[graham anderson]

The legend of nightfall by mickey zucker reichart is good.

It has people with talents magical abilitys and sorcerors that gain there power by steeling the abilitys of the talented.

[Don E]

Robin Hobb's three fantasy trilogies have given me a great amount of inspiration. Especially the first, the "Farseer Trilogy", seems particularly apt for BR fans. In this world the rulers in one area have powers that si very simila to the Bloodlines in BR. I have always wanted to run a BR game set in the Six Duchies region of these books, but time has as always worked against me, and not much more than writing a prestige class based on the blood abilities and holdings for some areas have been done so far.
The books are highly recomended, BR fan or not, and I would love to see somebody do a conversion for the world into BR format.

Cheers,
E

[ryancaveney]

I`ve just finished reading "Lord of Snow and Shadows", by Sarah Ash; it

qualifies nicely. It`s a bit later period (most realms have 1700-ish

technology), but it`s a tale of political machination in a world of rare

but powerful magic, with countries that can reasonably be labeled Brecht,

nona Vos/Khinasi and torva Vos. There are some rather shadow-world /

spectral scion moments, and the central character is a young man raised as

an artist in the warm and forward-thinking south who is revealed to be

heir to the most backward (1200-ish tech), barren, paleo-Vos realm, as

evidenced by some pretty impressive (Azrai) blood abilities (they are in

fact due to a literal difference in his blood) and accompanying Awnshegh

transformation into a dragon with vampirish tendencies. A pretty good

read, and in fact an excellent Birthright campaign outline, though several

of the main characters wouldn`t last ten minutes as real rulers. =)





Ryan Caveney

[Osprey]

The series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R.R. Martin without a doubt. I've used this series as inspiration for setting the atmosphere in my own campaigns. You'll also find that magic is very scarce and much of the focus is on factions warring over the throne (coincidentally called the Iron Throne). I've never read a more well-written or compelling fantasy series.

Robin Hobb's three fantasy trilogies have given me a great amount of inspiration. Especially the first, the "Farseer Trilogy", seems particularly apt for BR fans. In this world the rulers in one area have powers that si very simila to the Bloodlines in BR. I have always wanted to run a BR game set in the Six Duchies region of these books, but time has as always worked against me, and not much more than writing a prestige class based on the blood abilities and holdings for some areas have been done so far.
The books are highly recomended, BR fan or not, and I would love to see somebody do a conversion for the world into BR format.

Cheers,
E

I couldn't agree more. These two series stand as my definite favorites of contemporary fantasy. Robin Hobbes also wrote the Mad Ship trilogy (different region, same world), and more recently a second trilogy that goes back to Fitz and the Six Duchies. Hobbes very much captures the personal perspective of politics in a fantasy world. While some folks complain about the slow pace, these are the people who don't have the patience to read through some detailed setup. The delivery is well worth the wait IMO - Hobbes weaves an intricate background story, and the many threads tie in throughout the continuing story.

Love em , love em, love em. Great stuff!


Not quite on the same level (by my judgement) are Steven Brust's series about Vlad Taltos (Jhereg, Teckla, etc.). These are a bit more light-hearted than the other books above, stories that remind me of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser at points. But they are rich with plenty of high fantasy, thickly political storylines, characters, guilds and factions. Certainly some ideas can be drawn from here for the BR setting.

Osprey

[Azrai]

Originally posted by Fearless_Leader@May 7 2004, 05:36 PM
The series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R.R. Martin without a doubt. I've never read a more well-written or compelling fantasy series.

IMO this is one of the worst fantasy-series ever. Extremely brutal, sadistic, depressive - mixed with a boring plot and bad characters.

[Green Knight]

As opposed to the BR novels, which are ripe with plot and good characters
:-D
(dripping with sarcasm)

Cheers
Bjørn

[geeman]

Azrai writes:



Fearless Leader: The series `A Song of Ice and Fire` by George R.R. Martin without a doubt. I`ve never read a more well-written or compelling fantasy series.
IMO this is one of the worst fantasy-series ever. Extremely

> brutal, sadistic, depressive - mixed with a boring plot and

> bad characters.



Brutal, sadistic and depressive are generally merits IMO--though I disagree

that the plot is boring or that the characters are bad. Martin does more

character development than is the norm for fantasy novelists by a good

stretch, and there are at least five (and probably more than ten) major

intermingling plot-lines going on in that particular series.



In general, however, I don`t think the series is much more brutal, sadistic

or depressing than is "average" for a work of that type. When it comes to

depressing fantasy series, for instance, I don`t think it compares to Thomas

Covenant or some of Gene Wolfe`s work, either of which might be appropriate

BR reading. JRRT`s work is in many ways much more brutal, sadisting and

depressing than Martin`s.



Gary

[geeman]

Andrew Casey writes:

I think the Song of Ice and Fire series is great. I`m just annoyed that it`s taking so long to bring out the last book.

Yeah, I`m with you on that. Amongst my little informal "book club" that has been reading SoI&F--and the guys who turned me onto Martin in the first place--there is a theory that he`s never going to finish the series. It`s turned into his _Remembrance of Things Past_. Personally, I`m not so sure I`d object to the series never being finished, or with someone in another generation picking it up after Martin, but I`m a Neverending Story kind of guy to begin with.

Gary