Fantasy Books

= wonderful!
= a waste of money.

Ok, here is the deal with the pictures. A lot of these books are out of print, and so it is hard for me to find pictures of them without searching all over. Anyway, I am eager to finish this section so I can put the fantasy link up on my page, so for now I am going to skip the harder to find pictures, and I will put them up as get the patience to go looking for them.

The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist -Definitly my favorite fantasy series of all time. The books start in the world of Midkemia. As far as the inhabitants knew, they were the only people in the universe. But one day a mysterious rift in the fabric of the air appeared, a portal to another world. The people on the other side were an agressive powerful people, and thus the Riftwar started. My summary does the books no justice. Trust me, they are good. The books are: Magician Aprentice, Magician Master, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon, Prince of Blood, and The King's Buccaneer.

The Legend of Tarik by Walter Dean Myers - Oh yeah, the first fantasy I ever read. I don't remember it much, so I'm giving it 5 stars simply because it introduced me to the wonderful world of fantasy. I should re-read it. Anyway, Tarik was just a boy when he saw his family slaughtered by the evil tyrant, get this, El Muerte. Now it is his destiny to seek vengeance on the dark power of... El Muerte. With a bad guy named El Muerte its got to be good.

The Riders of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint - The Fomor came to enslave the isle of Eire, a dread race of twisted men ruled my an inhuman lord: Balor of the Evil Eye. But a champion came from the sea, a youth called Lugh, seeking to fullfill and ancient prophecy. With a bad guy named Balor of the Evil Eye its got to kind of suck.

Jamie the Red by Gordon R. Dickson and Roland Green - Jamie the Red was good-hearted, hot-blooded, quick to make both friends and enemies- he was too much of a firebrand to stay at home. The king's heart almost broke when he banished his favorite son, but Jamies' adventures were only beginning.

The Wizard and the Warlord by Elizabeth Boyer - Light Elves, Dark Elves, Warlord, or Wizard- everyone wanted Sigurd. It was why they wanted him that worried him. After his grandmother died, Sigurd was the inheritent of a mysterious box no one seemed to be able to open, but everyone wanted. Half the fun of this book is trying to pronounce the names of the characters, like Ljosalfar, Bjarnhardr and Grisnir. Better yet, try pronouncing them for an oral book report- like I had to do!

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - ahhh, the classics. The Hobbit follows the adventures of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a relunctant little creature who is not really into adventures- at first. Along the way he finds a magic ring, which is the focus of the Lord of the Rings, starring Bilbo's nephew Frodo. Frodo embarks on a quest to destroy the ring before it find's its way back to its rightfull owner, which would bring about unspeakable horrors.

Sabriel by Garth Nix - Sabriel, daughter of the mage Abhorsen, has been sent for her safety to boarding school outside the Old Kingdom, where she is in her last year when she receives her father's sword and necromancy tools, which means that Abhorsen is either dead or trapped in the realm of Death. Determined to find her father, Sabriel enters the Old Kingdom, which is under attack from the minions of Kerrigor, an evil being who once was human. There, with the aid of Mogget, a Free Magic elemental who is bound in feline form to be the servant of Abhorsen, and Touchstone, a young man whose past harbors a terrible secret, Sabriel attempts to find her father's body and fetch his spirit back from Death.

Flight to the Savage Empire by Jean Lorrah and Winston A. Howlette - In the Adventine Empire gladiator games still feed the multitudes thirst for blood. Astra hated the games- with her telaphathic powers she felt the warrior's agonies as her own. However, she was forced to attend the games to heal the wounded, which is where she met Zanos, and began to uncover a web of deciet that would send the two into a desperate escape for their lives.

Knight's Wyrd by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald - Oddly enough, I don't really remember what happend in this book. I needed to finish it for a book report, and it's over 300 pages and I read it in like a day. I guess I don't remeber things I read quickly very well. I think I remember it being kind of confusing anyway. One the eve of his knighting, Will Odosson learns his wyrd, or desiny: He shall meet death before a year has passed. He rushes north to release his betrothed from their engagement, but on the way he is beset by all manner of horrors.

Sabazel by Lillian Stewart Carl - Danica is the Queen of the warrior women, protector of her land and devoted follower of the godess Ashtar. The spirit of Ashtar has taught her much about loyalty and war, but has not prepared her for her encounter with the warlord Bellasteros.

Of Two Minds by Carol Matas and Perry Modelman - Princess Lenora, comes from a land where everyone has the power to make whatever they imagine real; but everyone has chosen not to use this power -except for Princess Lenora. In an effort to control their daughter, Lenora's parents try to marry her off to Prince Coren who has the ability to read minds. In her attempts to escape this marriage, Princess Lenora along with Prince Coren leap into the world of Hevak, who wants to control their powers along with those of everyone else in the world. The book is aimed at about 6-8 graders, but it is still a fun read as long as you aren't looking for something really deep.

Conan the Adventurer and Conan the Freebooter by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprauge De Camp- These are books 3 and 5 out of the Conan series. Each book is comprised of 4 or 5 of Conan's adventures, so I'm not gonna even try to outline each plot. Each story is a mixture of some or all the typical fantasy elements: sorcerors, magic charms and potions, bad guys, good guys, kings and queens, treasure, lots of bloody hand to hand combat, beautiful women, evil spirits, wars, ancient legends and so on. Although they have absolutley no substance whatsoever, they are actually pretty entertaining, and if you like fantasy and you're looking for something light to read I recommend them.

Chronicles of Tornor by Elizabeth A. Lynn- this series takes place in a land dark with war and bright with honor, in which the deadliest of the martial arts is also the most heartbreakingly beatiful. The triliogy is about the Tornor Keep, the tower that guards the winter end of a summer land peopled with warriors, lovers and dancers. The description doesn't say much, so you'll just have to trust me that they are really good. The books are Watchtower, the Dancers of Arun, and the Northern Girl.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- I love this book! I love anything to do with it. I'm obsessed. Seriously, I have 4 copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, not to mention some weird memorobelia. Anyway, this book is about a Alice, a young girl who follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole and ends up a fantasy world called wonderland. In wonderland she meets all sorts of strange characters like the Mad Hatter, the Dutchess, the Caterpiller, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and many more.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede- Princess Cimorene, is a strong-willed teenager who resents the dull, prissy life of a princess. She leaves home to avoid marrying a dim-witted prince and becomes the willing captive of Kazul the dragon. Funny, light, easy to read series. The books are Dealing with Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking to Dragons, and Searching for Dragons.

The Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum- from the man who brought you the Wizard of Oz, books 2 and 3 in the (14 book long) Oz series. In the Land of Oz, young Tip runs away from his guardian, the witch Mombi, taking with him Jack Pumpkinhead and the wooden Saw-Horse, and flees to the Emerald City where he learns the incredible secret of his past. In Ozma of Oz, one of my favorite books, Dorothy drifts in a chicken coop, to the Land Of Ev, across the deadly desert from Oz. Once there, she must save the royal Family of Ev who have been turned into orniments by the dispicable Gnome King.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis- Four English school children enter the magic land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in defeating the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyed Alexander- In the land of Prydain it has become imperative that the Black Cauldron be destroyed. In this cauldron Arawn has created his terrible army of diabolical warriors from the stolen bodies of the slain. For Taran, assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure becomes a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword and prove himself a worthy warrior.

The Xanth Series by Piers Anthony- when I said the Riftwar Saga was my favorite fantasy series, I was forgetting about Xanth. If they aren't tied, than Xanth is a close second. Xanth is a clever, funny, light hearted fantasy series that makes frequent use of puns and is often hormonially driven. Each book is stand alone, although you get more out of it if you read them in order. There are more of them than I feel like listing, but the first book is A Spell for Chamilion.

Split Infinity by Piers Anthony- the first in the Apprentice Adept Series, it starts in the technological, decadent world of Proton, where someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay through a mysterious 'curtain', which leads to the world of Phaze, a world totally ruled by magic.

Lone Wolf Series and The World of Lone Wolf Series by Joe Dever and Gary Chalk; Ian Page and Joe Dever- both series of books are role playing books. However, unlike most role playing books where you just pick an option and go to a certain page, you get to master skills, keep track of points, keep a record of the items you have picked up and how much food and money you have, and so on. And the mere fact they are even series are a tribute to the writers' skill of maintaining a coherent plot in a role playing book. Several of them, actually. These are definitly some of my favorite books.

Wren to the Rescue and Wren's Quest by Sherwood Smith- In Wren to the Rescue, with the help of a prince and an apprentice wizard, Wren strives to rescue her best friend, a princess named Tess, from the fortress of a wicked king. In Wren's Quest, while Wren and Prince Connor set off to uncover her parentage, a sinister wizard creates havoc back home in Cantimoor and threatens to kidnap Wren's best friend, Princess Teressa. These books are aimed at younger readers, but they are still quite enjoyable.

	The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist -Definitly my favorite fantasy series of all time. The books start in the world of Midkemia. As far as the inhabitants knew, they were the only people in the universe. But one day a mysterious rift in the fabric of the air appeared, a portal to another world. The people on the other side were an agressive powerful people, and thus the Riftwar started. My summary does the books no justice. Trust me, they are good. The books are: Magician Aprentice, Magician Master, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon, Prince of Blood, and The King's Buccaneer.
	The Legend of Tarik by Walter Dean Myers - Oh yeah, the first fantasy I ever read. I don't remember it much, so I'm giving it 5 stars simply because it introduced me to the wonderful world of fantasy. I should re-read it. Anyway, Tarik was just a boy when he saw his family slaughtered by the evil tyrant, get this, El Muerte. Now it is his destiny to seek vengeance on the dark power of... El Muerte. With a bad guy named El Muerte its got to be good.
	The Riders of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint - The Fomor came to enslave the isle of Eire, a dread race of twisted men ruled my an inhuman lord: Balor of the Evil Eye. But a champion came from the sea, a youth called Lugh, seeking to fullfill and ancient prophecy. With a bad guy named Balor of the Evil Eye its got to kind of suck.
	Jamie the Red by Gordon R. Dickson and Roland Green - Jamie the Red was good-hearted, hot-blooded, quick to make both friends and enemies- he was too much of a firebrand to stay at home. The king's heart almost broke when he banished his favorite son, but Jamies' adventures were only beginning.
	The Wizard and the Warlord by Elizabeth Boyer - Light Elves, Dark Elves, Warlord, or Wizard- everyone wanted Sigurd. It was why they wanted him that worried him. After his grandmother died, Sigurd was the inheritent of a mysterious box no one seemed to be able to open, but everyone wanted. Half the fun of this book is trying to pronounce the names of the characters, like Ljosalfar, Bjarnhardr and Grisnir. Better yet, try pronouncing them for an oral book report- like I had to do!
	The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - ahhh, the classics. The Hobbit follows the adventures of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a relunctant little creature who is not really into adventures- at first. Along the way he finds a magic ring, which is the focus of the Lord of the Rings, starring Bilbo's nephew Frodo. Frodo embarks on a quest to destroy the ring before it find's its way back to its rightfull owner, which would bring about unspeakable horrors.
	Sabriel by Garth Nix - Sabriel, daughter of the mage Abhorsen, has been sent for her safety to boarding school outside the Old Kingdom, where she is in her last year when she receives her father's sword and necromancy tools, which means that Abhorsen is either dead or trapped in the realm of Death. Determined to find her father, Sabriel enters the Old Kingdom, which is under attack from the minions of Kerrigor, an evil being who once was human. There, with the aid of Mogget, a Free Magic elemental who is bound in feline form to be the servant of Abhorsen, and Touchstone, a young man whose past harbors a terrible secret, Sabriel attempts to find her father's body and fetch his spirit back from Death.
	Flight to the Savage Empire by Jean Lorrah and Winston A. Howlette - In the Adventine Empire gladiator games still feed the multitudes thirst for blood. Astra hated the games- with her telaphathic powers she felt the warrior's agonies as her own. However, she was forced to attend the games to heal the wounded, which is where she met Zanos, and began to uncover a web of deciet that would send the two into a desperate escape for their lives.
	Knight's Wyrd by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald - Oddly enough, I don't really remember what happend in this book. I needed to finish it for a book report, and it's over 300 pages and I read it in like a day. I guess I don't remeber things I read quickly very well. I think I remember it being kind of confusing anyway. One the eve of his knighting, Will Odosson learns his wyrd, or desiny: He shall meet death before a year has passed. He rushes north to release his betrothed from their engagement, but on the way he is beset by all manner of horrors.
	Sabazel by Lillian Stewart Carl - Danica is the Queen of the warrior women, protector of her land and devoted follower of the godess Ashtar. The spirit of Ashtar has taught her much about loyalty and war, but has not prepared her for her encounter with the warlord Bellasteros.
	Of Two Minds by Carol Matas and Perry Modelman - Princess Lenora, comes from a land where everyone has the power to make whatever they imagine real; but everyone has chosen not to use this power -except for Princess Lenora. In an effort to control their daughter, Lenora's parents try to marry her off to Prince Coren who has the ability to read minds. In her attempts to escape this marriage, Princess Lenora along with Prince Coren leap into the world of Hevak, who wants to control their powers along with those of everyone else in the world. The book is aimed at about 6-8 graders, but it is still a fun read as long as you aren't looking for something really deep.
	Conan the Adventurer and Conan the Freebooter by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprauge De Camp- These are books 3 and 5 out of the Conan series. Each book is comprised of 4 or 5 of Conan's adventures, so I'm not gonna even try to outline each plot. Each story is a mixture of some or all the typical fantasy elements: sorcerors, magic charms and potions, bad guys, good guys, kings and queens, treasure, lots of bloody hand to hand combat, beautiful women, evil spirits, wars, ancient legends and so on. Although they have absolutley no substance whatsoever, they are actually pretty entertaining, and if you like fantasy and you're looking for something light to read I recommend them.
	Chronicles of Tornor by Elizabeth A. Lynn- this series takes place in a land dark with war and bright with honor, in which the deadliest of the martial arts is also the most heartbreakingly beatiful. The triliogy is about the Tornor Keep, the tower that guards the winter end of a summer land peopled with warriors, lovers and dancers. The description doesn't say much, so you'll just have to trust me that they are really good. The books are Watchtower, the Dancers of Arun, and the Northern Girl.
	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- I love this book! I love anything to do with it. I'm obsessed. Seriously, I have 4 copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, not to mention some weird memorobelia. Anyway, this book is about a Alice, a young girl who follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole and ends up a fantasy world called wonderland. In wonderland she meets all sorts of strange characters like the Mad Hatter, the Dutchess, the Caterpiller, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and many more.
	The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede- Princess Cimorene, is a strong-willed teenager who resents the dull, prissy life of a princess. She leaves home to avoid marrying a dim-witted prince and becomes the willing captive of Kazul the dragon. Funny, light, easy to read series. The books are Dealing with Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking to Dragons, and Searching for Dragons.
	The Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum- from the man who brought you the Wizard of Oz, books 2 and 3 in the (14 book long) Oz series. In the Land of Oz, young Tip runs away from his guardian, the witch Mombi, taking with him Jack Pumpkinhead and the wooden Saw-Horse, and flees to the Emerald City where he learns the incredible secret of his past. In Ozma of Oz, one of my favorite books, Dorothy drifts in a chicken coop, to the Land Of Ev, across the deadly desert from Oz. Once there, she must save the royal Family of Ev who have been turned into orniments by the dispicable Gnome King.
	The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis- Four English school children enter the magic land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in defeating the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
	The Black Cauldron by Lloyed Alexander- In the land of Prydain it has become imperative that the Black Cauldron be destroyed. In this cauldron Arawn has created his terrible army of diabolical warriors from the stolen bodies of the slain. For Taran, assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure becomes a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword and prove himself a worthy warrior.
	The Xanth Series by Piers Anthony- when I said the Riftwar Saga was my favorite fantasy series, I was forgetting about Xanth. If they aren't tied, than Xanth is a close second. Xanth is a clever, funny, light hearted fantasy series that makes frequent use of puns and is often hormonially driven. Each book is stand alone, although you get more out of it if you read them in order. There are more of them than I feel like listing, but the first book is A Spell for Chamilion.
	Split Infinity by Piers Anthony- the first in the Apprentice Adept Series, it starts in the technological, decadent world of Proton, where someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay through a mysterious 'curtain', which leads to the world of Phaze, a world totally ruled by magic.
	Lone Wolf Series and The World of Lone Wolf Series by Joe Dever and Gary Chalk; Ian Page and Joe Dever- both series of books are role playing books. However, unlike most role playing books where you just pick an option and go to a certain page, you get to master skills, keep track of points, keep a record of the items you have picked up and how much food and money you have, and so on. And the mere fact they are even series are a tribute to the writers' skill of maintaining a coherent plot in a role playing book. Several of them, actually. These are definitly some of my favorite books.