The Outlandish Companion - Diana Gabaldon [315]
A Vision of Light
In Pursuit of the Green Lion
The Oracle Glass
The Serpent Garden
JMR writes historical fiction (from different periods), with a little romance, a good sense of humor, and excellent research—and she also has a touch of the supernatural or paranormal in all her stories.
Vonda McIntyre The Moon and the Sun
Vonda McIntyre is a well-known (and award-winning) science fiction/fantasy writer, but this particular book is a really nice mingling of straight historical fiction with fantasy. The Sun King with a captive mermaid at Versailles? Fascinating, intellectually stimulating, and emotionally engaging.
Connie Willis Doomsday Book
A terrific time travel story, mixing good science fiction and very accurate historical fiction (setting: the Dark Ages in Britain). Very suspenseful, excellent writing.
Tim Powers The Stress of Her Regard
A truly weird, but very good book, in which the poet Shelley is featured, along with the legend of the lamia. A certain amount of blood and violence, to say nothing of lamias. Set in England and Italy, in the nineteenth century. Great book, but not for the squeamish.
FANTASY
Laurell K. Hamilton
The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series
A unique series (nine books so far), dealing with the adventures of Anita Blake, licensed vampire executioner and working zombie raiser, who—in the course of the series—is courted by a werewolf and a vampire, and battles just about every form of supernatural creature I’ve ever heard of—and not a few I hadn’t. Extremely violent and bloody, but never gratuitously so. Nonstop action, but the most interesting aspect of the series is the increasing complexity of the moral questions asked, as the chief character explores her own powers in greater depth, and begins wondering exactly what the differences are between the humans and the monsters.
Lois McMaster Bujold Shards of Honor
A story set in the future, but with characters and values instantly recognizable in the here and now. A good adventure, with a strong central love story.
Anne McCaffrey
An excellent storyteller—and prolific writer —who deals with dragons, telepathy, and any number of other adventurous elements.
Raymond Feist
Faerie Tale
The Riftwar Saga (six-book series)
All of Feist’s books are good; the six books of the Riftwar Saga are a good recommendation for those who particularly enjoy a mix of fantasy and adventure. Faerie Tale is a standalone, and—I think—the most interesting of Feist’s works, mingling supernatural and sexuality in an intriguing way.
Richard Adams Watership Down
This book gives you entertainment and adventure, together with the illusion of being completely encompassed by another world—in this case, a rabbit warren.
HISTORICAL FICTION
Jack Whyte
Jack Whyte’s books (six, so far) deal with pre-Arthurian Britain, and include characters such as Merlyn and Arthur himself—but are straight historical fiction, with no hint of fantasy or magic. As Jack says, “I wanted to figure out how the bloody sword got into the stone—and how the kid pulled it out—without having to invoke magic.” He’s succeeded, and in the process, gives a detailed and absorbing picture of just what happened in Britain when the Roman Legions folded their tents and went away, leaving the remnants of the Roman settlers to deal with the local Celtic tribes and the struggle to preserve their notion of civilization.
Dorothy Dunnett The Lymond Chronicles (six books) The Niccolo Series (eight books)
Dunnett writes big, fat historical novels, rich in plot, character, and detail. The Lymond Chronicles are set in the fifteenth century, the Niccolo books in the fourteenth—both cover a lot of territory, including most of the countries of Europe and the Mediterranean. Dunnett is one of those authors that people either love or hate; little middle ground. The style of writing is rich and the prose often gorgeous—but I sometimes find it oblique.
Jennifer Roberson Lady of the Forest Lady of the Glen
Lady of the Forest is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, told from the point of view