Recommend me a new(ish) Epic Fantasy novel/series (for Audible).

[Reynard]

I mostly listen to non-fiction and history (my most recents are Book and Dagger, Everything is Tuberculosis and Everything must Go) and when I listen to fiction it is usually space opera and some Stephen King or Joe Hill. But I do love a good epic fantasy. Most recently I listened to the first2.5 Stormlight Archive books and am poretty well set with Sanderson for the rest of my days.

So I am looking for recommendations for epic fantasy that is current (or at least this century). I am not interested in Romantasy or LitRPG. I am okay with sex and violence, but not secual violence. I love Abercrombie, but am interested in something more fantastical and less grimdank.

I am happy to answer follow up questions, if that will help.

Thansk!

 

[Reynard]

bump

 

[Dioltach]

Have you read/listened to The Rivers of London, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith? They're my favourites, together with The First Law. The Lies of Locke Lamora is also excellent, and Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The Saint of Steel books by T. Kingfisher are fantastic.

I’m really enjoying the Cinder Spires books by Jim Butcher.

I also highly recommend The Shades of Magic Series by V. E. Schwab.

And if you like weird fantasy, The Locked Tomb Series is one of the best new fantasy series I’ve ever read.

 

[Stalker0]

If you want a more laid back series I would recommend The Dungeon Crawler Carl series (especially in audiobook, as the voices are just awesome).

Now the series is interesting is that it is technically sci fi, but the tech is used to create elaborate fantasy scenes with monsters, elves, dwarves, magic spells....the works. Basically imagine is someone used astounding sci fi tech to make Dungeons and Dragons come to life....but with a very dark intent behind it.

 

[Dioltach]

I recently listened to The Children of Hurin, read by Christopher Lee. It was as epic as you'd imagine. Now I'm on The Silmarillion, read by Andy Serkis. Different, but also excellent.

 

[Reynard]

And if you like weird fantasy, The Locked Tomb Series is one of the best new fantasy series I’ve ever read.

Look at that, the first book is available in the Plus Catalog, too. Thanks.

 

[GreyLord]

A Classic, and I'm not sure if it's on audible (don't use it myself), but have you ever read Gormenghast?

 

[Autumnal]

Gareth Hanrahan’s two fantasy trilogies are both excellent. I think they’re both complete on Audible but am too lazy to go check.

They’ve got the great recent Moorcock omnibus run, starting with Elric of Melnibone from 2022.

They’ve got all three volumes of Aliette de Bodard’s marvelous Obsidian and Blood trilogy, fantasy mystery set in Tenochtitlan mor or less as Aztecs believed to be. They also have her Dominion of the Fallen trilogy which is sort of steampunk Paris with fallen angels and is fantastic.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

All my recs for fantasy would be older stuff (which people seem to be suggesting anyway - Gormenghast and Moorcock's work are great but far from new-ish). The last "modern" series I really enjoyed in the genre was Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series (that's the one that started with Lies of Locke Lamora, mentioned above) but that one is not only old enough to vote, it's not finished and probably never will be at this point. Been over a decade since the last release IIRC.

That's the advantage to older series. They're done, and the author can't leave you hanging as so often happens.