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Arat-Falathion
10-09-2005, 10:03 AM
I'm looking for some good reads into the Medieval Fantasy genre, I'm just not sure what books to look for...

I'm looking for books with less magic than in the High Fantasy, but where magic may still be present in a lesser degree.

Something like the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb.

Any recommendations would be highly appreciated.

Lief Erikson
10-09-2005, 07:08 PM
Have you read the Shannara books by Terry Brooks? They do have some fairly blatant magic, but it is usually limited to only a few individuals.

One book I strongly recommend is "The Wizard of Earthsea." It's part of a trilogy. Number 1 is my favorite. It has a truly epic duel and hunt at the end.

Curubethion
10-10-2005, 07:26 PM
I'd recommend my books, but I haven't got them published yet! :D

Elanor
10-12-2005, 04:25 PM
I'm not sure if you can have medieval fantasy without magic. ;)

I really like medieval fantasy that's based on mythology or folklore. In this category I would certainly recommend Lloyd Alexander (lots of mythology from different countries) and C. S. Lewis (Narnia, Till we have Faces). Enchantment by Orson Scott Card and the Firebird by Mercedes Lackey are both based on Russian folklore. Several of Robin McKinley's books fit in there too, and they are all great fantasy.

Of course there's lots of other great medieval fantasy. These are some of my favorites, from least to most magic (approximately):

the Princess Bride by William Goldman
the Once and Future King by T.H. White
T.A. Barron's Merlin Series
Diana Wynne Jones
Patricia C. Wrede
David Eddings
Raymond E. Feist

Finrod Felagund
10-24-2005, 01:54 AM
The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead

(Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, Grail)

One of the best Arthurian series I've seen.

Also, the Crystal Cave trilogy by Mary Stewart is another.

Jabberwock
10-30-2005, 07:41 PM
I'd say that if you want medieval style fantasy with low, but integral magic, you could probably do pretty well to read some of these:

Guy Gavriel Kay (styled on medieval spain, italy, england, france). I like Song for Arbonne, Tigana, Lions of Al-Rassan, and Sailing to Sarantium. Great stories. Artists tend to be his central characters.

George Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series seems to be one of the popular series lately and book four is out in a few days. This one's got a complex and intriguing plot and it is character driven. Great characters, easy to love and love to hate. Good books all around. Gritty realism with a satisfying touch of magic and mystery. At times it can be crude though for those who don't like the use of strong language or sexual imagery.

Someone mentioned White's Once and Future King. This one's a classic, but its also a bit of a dark comedy, and well... not a great example of 'medieval' fantasy so much as it is a great piece of literature.

Grey_Wolf
11-10-2005, 12:10 PM
I think you should definitely read AA Attanasio's four book King Arthur-series:
The Dragon and the Unicorn, The Eagle and the Sword, The Wolf and the Crown and The Serpent and the Grail. Excellent books, excellent prose.

Nurvingiel
11-24-2005, 04:04 AM
The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead

(Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, Grail)

One of the best Arthurian series I've seen.

Also, the Crystal Cave trilogy by Mary Stewart is another.
I absolutely love The Pendragon Cycle so very, very much. Lawhead is a master of humour and history. (There's a scene in "Arthur" where Kay tells this side-splittingly hilarious story. I laugh just thinking about it.)

Another fabulous series by Stephen Lawhead is The Song of Albion trilogy. This one is all about Celtic mythology, and it is completely fabulous in every way. This series is one of my all-time favourites.

Technically it doesn't quite fit in with your request since it's sort of pre-midieval, but Celtic mythology was certainly alive and well in midieval times. :)