Dennis L. McKiernan

I came across McKiernan when I discovered his Caverns of Socrates novel, back when a lot of authors seemed to be working on the common theme of "modern guy gets sent into an alternate medieval-style universe" and I decided that he wrote fairly well. I continued to be impressed with Mr. McKiernan's work when I found The Iron Tower series, which is a great epic adventure almost on J.R.R's scale, and it continued through into the Silver Call duology. Great books every one of them.

The various books set in Mithgar are also very interesting, and I hope that McKiernan continues to write as well as he has. If you like Terry Goodkind, you'll like Dennis McKiernan's style as well.

Caverns of Socrates Role-playing meets virtual reality, and both meet a classic mad computer when McKiernan pits an elite group of game masters against the virtual-reality creation of an artificial intelligence. When the AI goes off on its own, the dangers to the Black Foxes (the group of game masters) suddenly become more real than virtual. Trapped inside a virtual reality world, the Black Foxes must defeat the Demon Queen in order to survive.

The Iron Tower Trilogy The Dark Tide Shadows of Doom The Darkest Day

The Silver Call Duology Trek to Kraggen-Cor The Brega Path

Hel's Crucible Duology

Two young wanderers are given a small copper coin by a dying human, who tells them to deliver it "East to Agron" and "warn all," but dies before explaining who they are to deliver it to, and what they are to warn them of. Making matters worse, in order to deliver the message, the pair must pass through a war in the East between the Black Mage Modru and the alliance of free folk opposing him, and end up being drawn into events which threaten to overwhelm them, save for the coin which has much more significance than anyone could imagine!

Into the Forge Into the Fire

Voyage of the Fox Rider Another expansive yarn set in the fantasy world of Mithgar, occurring this time in the First Age, thousands of years before the events in McKiernan's last outing, The Eye of the Hunter (1992). Here, the Mage Alamar is visited by Jinnarin, a diminutive and magical Pysk, a race long vanished from the ken of other beings; Alamar owes the Pysks a great debt. It seems that Farrix, Jinnarin's mate, has gone missing after observing some astonishing auroras. Jinnarin, convinced that Farrix is in terrible danger, has had wrenching dreams of a green sea, a crystal castle, and a black ship. So Alamar must enlist the aid of the legendary Elf, Aravan, who in his magical ship has sailed all the seas of Mithgar for 3,000 years in voyages of derring-do.

The Dragonstone McKiernan returns to his world of Mithgar about three centuries before The Voyage of the Fox Rider (1993). Haunted by visions of a terrifying war, Arin the elf embarks on a perilous quest to obtain the one relic that can turn back the rough beast slouching his way toward the land of Mithgar -- the Dragonstone.

The Eye of the Hunter As the comet, the Eye of the Hunter, hangs over the Boskydells of Mithgar, the immortal Elves Riatha and Aravan set off in search of a magic silver sword lost a thousand years ago to a mysterious, evil, yellow-eyed Man; they are joined by two Warrows, Gwylly and Faeril, looking to fulfill a thousand-year-old prophecy. Together, they dig from a glacier the shapeshifting Man/Bear, Baeran, imprisoned in the ice for a millennium along with their mutual enemy -- the unspeakable shapeshifter, torturer, necromancer Baron Stoke, who escapes from the glacier just before our heroes arrive. From polar ice to broiling desert, the heroes search for clues to Stoke's whereabouts, beset all the while by the Baron's foul and treacherous minions with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

Tales of Mithgar (anthology) Trapped inside a cozy inn during a blizzard, the Wee Folk citizens of Woody Hollow exchange eleven tales of legend and wonder, including the adventures of previously introduced characters and their descendants. McKiernan here uses his increasingly popular world of Mithgar as a background for 11 tales told in an inn called the One-Eyed Crow by a bunch of storytellers gathered to practice their art. Particularly appealing are "The Thornwalker and the Wolf," "The Damsel," and "The Ruffian and the Giant."

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L.E. Modesitt Jr.

The Saga of Recluce

Lerris, the young magician, realizes the full potential of his skills when he engages in a conflict with the great Chaos wizard, Antonin. Sent on a journey designed to test his loyalty to Recluce, a haven of perfection surrounded by chaos, Lerris, a skeptical misfit must probe his inner self and discover his powers before he can return home. In the process, he becomes the greatest of all magicians.

The Magic of Recluce The Towers of the Sunset The Magic Engineer The Order War The Death of Chaos Fall of Angels The Chaos Balance The White Order Colours of Chaos Magi'i of Cyador (newest book)

The Spellsong Cycle

Anna Marshal wishes she could be anywhere else other than Ames, Iowa, and anything else other than a singer and music instructor. But she makes her wish at exactly the wrong time, because on Erde a travel sorceress has summoned a sorceress from the mist worlds--and gets Anna, angry, confused and thinking that this is not what she had in mind.

The Soprano Sorceress The Spellsong War Darksong Rising

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David Drake

Lord of the Isles

One day scholar Garric rescues a strange old woman from the sea; a wizard of feeble powers but deep knowledge, Tenoctris became entangled in a mighty enchantment a thousand years ago and was hurled through time. Later, a representative of King Valence shows up: Procurator Asera, along with the powerful but ignorant wizard Meder, seeks Sharina, not Garric's sister as everyone had thought but actually the daughter of nobles; she must be conveyed to the royal city Valles. Healer, hermit, and former warrior Nonnus agrees to accompany her. Garric, meantime, accepts a medallion from his father and is visited in dreams by Tenoctris's King, Carus, whose heir he may be. Next to arrive is the drover Benlo, another powerful but unschooled wizard, and his beautiful daughter Liane; Garric and his friends agree to travel with Benlo to meet the latter's mysterious sponsor. After numerous dreadful adventures, both groups will converge at Erdin for some explanations, and yet more puzzles.

Lord of the Isles Queen of Demons Servant of the Dragon (forthcoming)

Northworld Trilogy The inhuman Rulers of the galaxy sent three fleets to learn what had happened to the world located by Captain North and the survey team he led. Neither a soul nor a message returned. The fourth time, the Rulers sent a single man: Nils Hansen. The story starts out with Hansen as the leader of a Special Units team keeping his planet safe from some of the most violent and intelligent criminals in the galaxy, and progresses through a number of adventures based on old Norse legends, set in a futuristic world. Very interesting overall.

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Robert Jordan

The Wheel of Time Series

During the Third Age, the Age of Prophecy, the world and time hang in the balance, in peril of falling under the Shadow. Here is a legend of good and evil that captures the hearts of its readers, a legend that embodies greatness. A young Rand Al'Thor discovers an unimaginable power within him and struggles against various powers in an attempt to defeat a greater evil which threatens the whole world. What can be said about this series that hasn't already been said by other who read Fantasy? Robert Jordan is a master of epics, and yet his last novel seemed a hurried halfhearted effort. Still, an amazing story...one hopes it is finished in the grandeur in which it was started.

The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers

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George R. Martin

 

Song of Fire and Ice

The story of two families and their struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border, beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest. The cold is returning to Winterfell, where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime. A time of conflict has arisen in the Stark family, as they are pulled from the safety of their home into a whirlpool of tragedy, betrayal, assassination, plots and counterplots. Each decision and action carries with it the potential for conflict as several prominent families, comprised of lords, ladies, soldiers, sorcerers, assassins and bastards, are pulled together in the most deadly game of all -- the game of thrones.

A Game of Thrones A Clash of Kings A Storm of Swords (forthcoming)

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Robert A. Heinlein

Starship Troopers Juan Rico signed up with the Federal Reserve on a lark, but despite the hardships and rigorous training, he finds himself determined to make it as a cap trooper. In boot camp he will learn how to become a soldier, but when he graduates and war comes, he will learn why he is a soldier. With the Terran Mobile Infantry, he goes into battle against mankind's most frightening enemy -- The Bugs. This is a much better story than the movie ever was in quite a lot of ways.

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Lawrence Watt Evans

Lawrence Watt Evans is often overlooked as an author, but regardless of some people's opinions, I feel that he has written several very good books.

Ethshar Series

The old wizard wasn't exactly happy with Valder, who'd led his enemy to his hut. Now hut and magical supplies were destroyed. But he'd promised the young scout a magic sword to get him safely back to his own lines -- and a much enchanted sword Valder would get! The resulting sword gave perfect protection -- sometimes! It could kill any man -- or even half demon. In fact, once drawn, it had to kill before it could be put down or sheathed. Army wizards told Valder that the sword would keep him alive until he'd drawn it 100 times; then it would kill him! It wouldn't prevent his being wounded, maimed or cut to pieces, but it wouldn't let him die. If his new job as Chief Assassin for the army didn't make him use up the spell, he'd be practically immortal. Not bad, it seemed. There had to be a catch somewhere. There was -- and it was a lulu!

Touched by the Gods

As a newborn, Malledd the blacksmith's son bears the claw- shaped birthmark of the god Ba'el, indicating to the priests that he is the Domdur Empire's chosen champion. But as time passes, the mark fades, and Domdur remains at peace, so young Malledd shrugs off the title and takes up smithing. Meanwhile, Tebas Tudan develops a New Magic that, unlike the priests' traditional magic, uses cunningly crafted crystals to transform the power of the sun; one of his pupils is Rebiri Nazakri, the hereditary warlord of the defeated Olnami nation, who thirsts for revenge for his people's years of repression. Encouraged by a god, Rebiri taps into the dark powers of the nightwalkers, which can reanimate corpses -- thus allowing Rebiri to create an all but invincible army. As Rebiri gathers his zombie warriors, he also stirs up treachery among the Domdur leadership. Malledd, learning of the situation, is only gradually persuaded that he is needed, and even then refuses to take command of the Empire's wavering armies; instead, he lops off the heads of the zombies -- the only way to kill them permanently -- while seeking a showdown with Rebiri Nazakri.

A Man and his Word

Princess Inos lived an idyllic life in her fathers' sleepy, backwater kingdom, and she was best friends with her childhood companion, the stableboy, Rap. But when a prophecy seemed to say Inos should be married, she was exiled to the Impire to learn to be a lady. She was far away when Rap's magical talents began to emerge, and it was he who told her of the fate awaiting them both...

Magic Casement Faery Lands Forlorn Perilous Seas Emperor and Clown

A Handful of Men

Beautiful Queen Inos has married the loyal stableboy Rap and made him her king. Fifteen years went by, and Rap and Inos were truly happy, raising their family in the little backwater kingdom of Krasnegar. Now the end of the millennium was at hand, ushered in by cataclysmic prophecies. Then a God appeared to Rap and warned him that the prophecies spoke the least of the truth. Devastation was a certainty; total destruction loomed. And it was all Rap's fault. The last thing in the world Rap had wanted was another adventure. And it might be the last thing he would ever get ...

The Cutting Edge Upland Outlaws The Stricken Field The Living God

The King's Blades

An unruly boy is sent to Ironhall. From it, after many years of training, including enduring the final, magical ritual of taking a sword through the heart, he emerges one of the King's Blades -- deadly swordsmen sworn to total loyalty to the king or whomever he commands them to obey. Sir Durandel, as our hero is dubbed, finds that command more than usually difficult when he is placed under the orders of a courtier of dubious ethics and usefulness and is dragged deep into the intrigues of not only his own court but also several others. His situation launches him on a quest that is supposed to end up with him being a mighty hero. First, he has to live so long.

The Gilded Chain Lord of the Fire Lands

The King's Daggers

Before They Could be Blades, They Were the King's Daggers. Young Stalwart, known as Wart to his fellow students, is expelled from the academy for King's Blades, only to be plunged into a current of breathless intrigue and danger. Together with Emerald, a former White Sister, Wart must survive sorcery, swordplay, ambush, a chimera, a quagmarsh, and more, and uncover a devious plot to assassinate their king and prove himself worthy of a place among the King's Blades.

Sir Stalwart The Crooked House

The Seventh Sword

"The last thing Wallie Smith remembered was a fog of hospitals, grim-faced doctors, and pain. So when he woke in the body of a barbarian swordsman, attended by a beautiful slave girl and a wizened old priest nattering about the Goddess, he assumed it was a fever-dream. But the World could not be dismissed so lightly. A naked little demigod called Shorty explained that the Goddess needed a swordsman. If Wallie undertook the job and succeeded, all that World had to offer would be his. If he refused, the results would be...unpleasant. Wallie was not convinced, but Shorty was exquisitely persuasive. Soon Wallie found himself bearing a magnificent sword, with no idea how to use it -- and the servants of the Goddess were out to stop him.

The Reluctant Swordsman The Coming of Wisdom The Destiny of the Sword

The Great Game

Edward Exeter, seemingly a golden child of a golden age, has a past spattered with tragedy and blood. His present is marred by the outbreak of the Great War, and it is further stained by the death of his friend, Timothy Bodgley, in circumstances that leave Edward in hospital, implicated as Bodgley's murderer. Strange chains of history and causality tighten on Edward's life: He is the unwilling key figure in an otherworldly prediction of salvation and/or disaster, bound to break the prophecy or fulfill it.

Past Imperative Present Tense Future Indefinite

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Terry Pratchett

Discworld

The Colour of Magic was Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the bizarre land of Discworld. His entertaining and witty series has grown to more than 20 books, and this is where it all starts -- with the tourist Twoflower and his hapless wizard guide, Rincewind ("All wizards get like that ... it's the quicksilver fumes. Rots their brains. Mushrooms, too."). Pratchett spoofs fantasy clichés -- and everything else he can think of -- while marshaling a profusion of characters through a madcap adventure. Extremely amusing.

The Colour of Magic The Light Fantastic Equal Rites Mort Sourcery Wyrd Sisters Pyramids Guards! Guards! Eric Moving Pictures Reaper Man Witches Abroad

Small Gods Lords and Ladies Men at Arms Soul Music Feet of Clay Interesting Times Maskerade Hogfather Jingo The Last Continent Carpe Jugulum The Fifth Elephant

Johnny is pretty much like every other 12-year-old boy...except he can see and speak to the dead. Johnny and the Dead Johnny and the Bomb Only You Can Save Mankind

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Melanie Rawn

Exiles

A thousand years ago, Mageborns fled prejudice and persecution to colonize the planet Lenfell -- a perfect refuge for those whose powers were perceived as a threat by people not gifted with magic. But the greater the magic, the greater the peril. Lenfell was soon devastated by a war between rival Mageborn factions that polluted the land with Wild Magic and unleashed hideous specters called Wraithenbeasts. Now, generations later, someone is planning another war on the still crippled planet that will tear three Mageborn sisters apart.

Ruins of Ambrai The Mageborn Traitor The Capital's Tower (forthcoming)

Dragon Prince

An arranged marriage between Prince Rohan of Stronghold and the Sunrunner Sioned of Goddess Keep promises to bring a new kind of peace to a strife-torn land until the machinations of a self-serving High Prince plunge the world into war. Romance, intrigue, magic, and myth mingle freely in this series.

Dragon Prince The Star Scroll Sunrunner's Fire

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