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I’m going to be honest with you... I am a cover junkie, and that is how I came to purchase The Sword of Shannara. I found the book in a used bin of a bookstore, and I remember looking at the worn and cracked cover of a human, elf, and dwarf staring at the mystical blade thinking; what I story this must be. The story is about a half-elfin lad named, Shea Ohmsford. Shea is the last of the Shannara bloodline and the only one capable of wielding the sword of Shannara against the Power of Darkness known as the Warlock Lord. To say there is action is an understatement. Explore this bookThe Sword of Shannara
By Terry Brooks,
Why should I read it?
3 authors picked The Sword of Shannara as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
***50 MILLION TERRY BROOKS COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD***
THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES IS NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES
Volume one in the classic bestselling series - from one of the all-time masters of fantasy
'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Philip Pullman
Long ago, the world of the Four Lands was torn apart by the wars of ancient Evil. But in the Vale, the half-human, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford now lives in peace - until the mysterious, forbidding figure of the druid Allanon appears, to reveal that the supposedly long dead Warlock Lord lives again.
Shea must… show more.
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Llana of Gathol
By Edgar Rice Burroughs,
From Charles' list on fantasy filled with action and mayhem.
Llana of Gathol is book 10 of the John Cater series and in my opinion, the best. Published in 1948, the story is about an earthling named, John Carter. The reason why I liked this book is because John Carter can transform his mind into another body on Mars. That in itself is a pretty cool concept and the reason why I was drawn to it in the first place. The action is fast-paced as Carter gets captured by the inhabitants of Horz, one of the supposedly “dead” cities of Mars. He is sentenced to death along with his captor Pan Dan Chee for bringing Carter into Horz. They are sent down to the pits under the city where they discover the remnants of a maritime race which had existed hundreds of thousands of years ago, suspended in animation unaware of the changes that happened to the world.
Explore this bookLlana of Gathol
By Edgar Rice Burroughs,
Why should I read it?
1 author picked Llana of Gathol as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
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- Mars
- Satire
- Earth
- Damsels in distress
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Magic Kingdom for Sale
By Terry Brooks,
From Tamara's list on where the author hits a home run with sci-fi.
This story is just plain fun. It’s full of magic and adventure and if you’re a science fiction fantasy lover, or aren’t quite sure, this is a great story to start on. There is a host of fun characters, the required evil plot to destroy anything and everything good, a dragon and unexpected twists and turns that will leave you wanting more. It’s lighthearted and not as heavy or dark as some science fiction can be. Pull up a chair, a blanket, some popcorn, and jump into the Landover Kingdom for some fun.
Magic Kingdom for Sale
By Terry Brooks,
Why should I read it?
5 authors picked Magic Kingdom for Sale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
Here in his first non-Shannara novel, Terry Brooks has written a gripping story of mystery, magic, and adventure—sure to delight fantasy readers everywhere.
Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement has promised. But after he purchased it, Ben Holiday learned that there were a few details the ad had failed to mention.
The kingdom was in ruin. The Barons refused to recognize a king, and the peasants were without hope. A dragon was laying waste the countryside, while an evil witch plotted to destroy everything.
Ben's only followers were the incompetent Court… show more.
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Saga of Old City (Greyhawk Adventures)
By Gary Gygax,
Recommended by Charles Carfagno Jr. From Charles' list on fantasy filled with action and mayhem.
The founder of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax also wrote novels, and my favorite book was Saga of Old City. I read this book growing up and let me tell you it was engaging, action-packed, and fun. The character development was fantastic as it follows the journey of Gord; a scrawny street kid that grew into a formidable thief and eventually becomes a powerful warrior who can overcome incredible challenges.
Explore this bookSaga of Old City (Greyhawk Adventures)
By Gary Gygax,
Why should I read it?
1 author picked Saga of Old City (Greyhawk Adventures) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
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Autobiography of Red
By Anne Carson,
From J.M.'s list on meta-fiction about books.
Based on the tale of the Tenth Labour of Herakles, this queer, lush, and cheeky novel grabbed my heart from the moment I was assigned to teach it. I did an undeclared minor in Classics during my undergrad, and aside from being extremely clever with the wordplay, I was delighted by how Carson absolutely takes the mickey out of academic writing around mythology, classical archeology, and translation. Told as a form of free-verse poetry, this novel is comprised of some of the most incredible word-crafting I've ever experienced.
By changing the word “arrows” in the original tale to “eros”, Carson skews and plays with the relationship between the monster Geryon and the hero Herakles, all the while letting Geryon speak to the reader directly.
Autobiography of Red
By Anne Carson,
Why should I read it?
1 author picked Autobiography of Red as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
In this extraordinary epic poem, Anne Carson bridges the gap between classicism and the modern, poetry and prose, with a volcanic journey into the soul of a winged red monster named Geryon.
There is a strong mixture of whimsy and sadness in Geryon's story. He is tormented as a boy by his brother, escapes to a parallel world of photography, and falls in love with Herakles - a golden young man who leaves Geryon at the peak of infatuation. Geryon retreats ever further into the world created by his camera, until that glass house is suddenly and irrevocably shattered by… show more.
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Paradise Lost
By John Milton,
From James' list on epic poems to stir the warrior and the wit in you.
If you are fed up with the mundane, the triviality of everyday life, and if you want to experience the sublime – writing that is sublime, that lifts you up to see imaginary and heroic worlds where the invisible forces that underpin reality battle for supremacy, then this is the poem for you. True, its language can seem difficult, but so can Shakespeare’s; instead of thinking that’s a problem, embrace it – let the language work its magic and soar to the stars and back! I have loved this poem ever since I read it when I was twenty, and quote it all the time. It will inspire the warrior in you.
Explore this bookParadise Lost
By John Milton,
Why should I read it?
1 author picked Paradise Lost as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
'An endless moral maze, introducing literature's first Romantic, Satan' John Carey
In his epic poem Paradise Lost Milton conjured up a vast, awe-inspiring cosmos ranging across huge tracts of space and time. And yet, in putting a charismatic Satan and naked Adam and Eve at the centre of this story, he also created an intensely human tragedy on the Fall of Man. Written when Milton was in his fifties - blind, bitter and briefly in danger of execution - Paradise Lost's apparent ambivalence has led to intense debate about whether it manages to 'justify the ways of God to men'… show more.
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Starless
By Jacqueline Carey,
From Edith's list on fantasy if you want to be truly wonderstruck.
Starless is a classic epic—a band of characters undertakes a dangerous quest to fulfill an ancient prophesy—but its creativity will keep you gasping. I dare not enumerate the many marvels Carey created lest I ruin the surprise for readers, but I can tell you that it features thousands of fallen stars who become deities in the world, and manifest their power and identities in varied and unpredictable ways. Besides the magic itself, Starless also features many different cultures and lands that make me think Carey’s mind must be a beautiful and dangerous place! This book might be telling the oldest story, but it does so in revolutionary ways.
Explore this bookStarless
By Jacqueline Carey,
Why should I read it?
1 author picked Starless as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
I was nine years old the first time I tried to kill a man...
Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him.
In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity. But in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
If Khai is to keep… show more.
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- Gods and goddesses
- Jesus
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The Iliad
By Homer, Robert Fagles (translator),
From Paul's list on ancient Greece and their world.
I am cheating a little here because ‘Homer’ can refer to either the Iliad or the Odyssey or both. Either way, those are the two foundational works of ALL western literature and of much ‘world’ literature besides. They are both very very long verse epics, originally composed and handed down orally by a combination of memory and performance improvisation, but eventually committed to writing in the Greeks’ then-new alphabetic script.
If there was just one poet called Homer, his genius lay in his selection of a single unifying theme for both monumental poems – the anger of Greek hero-warrior Achilles (Iliad), and the ten-year travels and travails of petty Greek island king Odysseus (Odyssey). But most of us think that two different ‘monumental composers’ did the business.
Both epics spoke to and helped form the ancient Greeks’ sense of identity as a people, the Iliad in… show more.
Explore this bookThe Iliad
By Homer, Robert Fagles (translator),
Why should I read it?
1 author picked The Iliad as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
One of the greatest epics in Western literature, THE ILIAD recounts the story of the Trojan wars. This timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves to its tragic conclusion. In his introduction, Bernard Knox observes that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it co-exists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace.
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Legends of Liberty
By Andrew Benson Brown,
Recommended by James Sale From James' list on epic poems to stir the warrior and the wit in you.
From two great past epic classics, I now move to the contemporary present: Benson Brown’s is a mock epic a la Byron (think, Don Juan). Brilliantly funny, witty, exposing the American War of Independence in ways you have never seen before – a laugh-out-loud poem, and full of rich historical details as well as mythological conceits which makes it a unique reading experience. Weirdly, for all its parody, I probably learnt more about the American War from it than from actual historical texts. The back page blurb says: "Thomas Jefferson is sent to Hell for a mysterious sin." Find out what – get the poem!
Explore this bookLegends of Liberty
By Andrew Benson Brown,
Why should I read it?
1 author picked Legends of Liberty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
What is this book about?
A mock-epic poem about the American Revolution featuring supernatural twists, historical icons with extraordinary powers, and action-filled battle scenes.
Thomas Jefferson is sent to Hell, where, guided by Dante, he meets old friends and tries to figure out which among his many mortal sins will determine his final punishment. An ailing, world-weary Mercury passes his herald’s wand to Paul Revere, who saddles up for his midnight ride with the fastest horse on earth. Apollo, handicapped and traumatized by modern warfare, comes out of retirement to fire a shot that sends shock waves around the planet. The minutemen at Lexington and… show more.
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The Odyssey
By Homer, E. V. Rieu (translator), + 1 more ⌄ D. C. H. Rieu (editor)
From Lance's list on YA/middle grade fantasy and their parents.
This is my favorite novel in Rieu's prose translation which has a real freshness, as if the very first book. I wanted that sense of freshness for my book, as well as the story of a man desperately trying to get home to his wife. The story takes place in the framework of Sam's 11-year-old imagination, and so carries him and his father through fantastic adventures as trying as those Odysseus faces in