The past few years at my job with a lot of dead time I've read all 40+ MTG books printed. I didn't really know what to read next after finishing all the MTG books. I read 'One Second After' (a book about the US, post EMP attack), which was the first non-fantasy book I've read. I enjoyed it but it took a while for me to get-through. I then read 'The Reason for God', which I still haven't got through (I need plot not research data).
A few weeks ago I randomly saw Brent Weeks, 'The Way of Shadows' of his Night Angel trilogy at barnes and noble while picking up my monthly car magazines. They're about a super baddass assassin apprentice and his growth from poor guildrat to an immortal legend by the end. A lot of dirty politics, wars, evil Godkings, magic artifacts that a bunch different groups are looking for and lots of assassin action. I've quickly destroyed these 600+ page books faster than any other book I've read.
I always make a sneaky thief assassin characters in video games and my favorite colors in magic are black and blue.
Anyway my general fantasy book knowlege, popular authors etc is not very good. Can you lovely people suggest books or authors in the dark and very powerful but not quite evil protagonist catagory? Are there staples in this genre I should read first? Thank you!
Can you lovely people suggest books or authors in the dark and very powerful but not quite evil protagonist catagory?
He's not a thief or assassin, but Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone fits this description to a T, and is a staple of the genre on the level of Conan or Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.
Speaking of which, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are thieves, but aren't very dark or powerful.
Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber are all powerful and conniving bastards, but they're again not thieves or assassins because, well, they're princes.
Robin Hobb has a series called the Assassin Trilogy, but I could only get through the first one, Assassin's Apprentice, because her prose is like a dissection: precise, lifeless, and cold.
Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle - Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World - star an incorrigible scoundrel and ne'er-do-well, but aren't strictly speaking fantasy.
And I'm told there's a book with the peculiar name of The Hobbit or somesuch that features some sort of burglar...
Honestly, of these, I think Zelazny will float your boat the best. Give him a shot. There's a big compilation volume out there that has all his Amber stories.
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As noted above, Zelazny, Moorcock and Leiber all sound like a good fit.
Stephen Brust's Vlad Taltos series may also meet your interests. The protagonist is a human assassin with a few tricks up his sleeve, plying his trade in a city of what are essentially a bunch of long-lived sorcerous elves -- and beating them at their own game.
Robin Hobb has a series called the Assassin Trilogy, but I could only get through the first one, Assassin's Apprentice, because her prose is like a dissection: precise, lifeless, and cold.
I managed to do a bit better than Spirit so endorse the Farseer and Tawney man Trilogys.
Another recomendation is the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks.
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Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and start slitting throats.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
Lets start by having you read Perfect Shadow, an ebook Novella prequel to The Way of Shadows. I'd also recommend reading Brent Weeks' The Black Prism as well, although he's only released the first book of that series.
Brandon Sanderson is another good author if you are looking for assassins and theives. The Way of Kings has several viewpoint characters, one of which is an assassin and another is a thief trying to con a scholar-princess. Warbreaker also has a few viewpoint characters, one of which is a living God, the other two are princess sisters from a tiny kingdom. One of the sisters is given to the God King, and the other comes after her and falls in with a band of outlaws. It is much cooler than it sounds. Then of course, the Mistborn novels follow a group of thieves.
Lian Hearn's Tale of the Otori books (Starting with Across the Nightingale Floor) is about a feudal japan analogue, complete with a clan of Ninja-analogues referred to only as The Tribe. The Tribe has various powers, including speed, invisibility and enhanced sight and hearing. There is an initial trilogy you should read first, along with a prequel (set around the time of the main character's birth), and sequel (set around the time of the main character's children coming of age).
A Song of Ice and Fire (aka Game of Thrones) isn't full of assassins (at first), but it is one of the best examples of a series where there are very few true heroes.
Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind's main character spends time as a thief, as well as just about everything else. He keeps that talent for trickery throughout the books. It's just a good fantasy book, too.
And let me tell you, The Way of Shadows was the gateway book to fantasy for me (I wanted 'gritty' fantasy).
Conan the Rogue by Robert Maddox. Though really, any Conan book might suit you.
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The past few years at my job with a lot of dead time I've read all 40+ MTG books printed. I didn't really know what to read next after finishing all the MTG books. I read 'One Second After' (a book about the US, post EMP attack), which was the first non-fantasy book I've read. I enjoyed it but it took a while for me to get-through. I then read 'The Reason for God', which I still haven't got through (I need plot not research data).
A few weeks ago I randomly saw Brent Weeks, 'The Way of Shadows' of his Night Angel trilogy at barnes and noble while picking up my monthly car magazines. They're about a super baddass assassin apprentice and his growth from poor guildrat to an immortal legend by the end. A lot of dirty politics, wars, evil Godkings, magic artifacts that a bunch different groups are looking for and lots of assassin action. I've quickly destroyed these 600+ page books faster than any other book I've read.
I always make a sneaky thief assassin characters in video games and my favorite colors in magic are black and blue.
Anyway my general fantasy book knowlege, popular authors etc is not very good. Can you lovely people suggest books or authors in the dark and very powerful but not quite evil protagonist catagory? Are there staples in this genre I should read first? Thank you!
B Lover Since '09 ~
Standard:
meh.
Modern:
Urzatron GR
Vintage:
Contol-Slaver UBR
EDH:
Drana B
Jhoira UR
Savra BG
Turned into:
Adun Oakenshield BGR
Sharuum BUW
Turned into:
Memnarch U
KiKi-Jiki R
Turned into:
Godo R
Turned into:
Aurelia RW
The Mimeoplasm UBG
Rasputin Dreamweaver UW
Turned into:
Geist of Saint Traft -French 1v1 UW
Nekusar UBR
He's not a thief or assassin, but Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone fits this description to a T, and is a staple of the genre on the level of Conan or Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.
Speaking of which, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are thieves, but aren't very dark or powerful.
Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber are all powerful and conniving bastards, but they're again not thieves or assassins because, well, they're princes.
Robin Hobb has a series called the Assassin Trilogy, but I could only get through the first one, Assassin's Apprentice, because her prose is like a dissection: precise, lifeless, and cold.
Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle - Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World - star an incorrigible scoundrel and ne'er-do-well, but aren't strictly speaking fantasy.
And I'm told there's a book with the peculiar name of The Hobbit or somesuch that features some sort of burglar...
Honestly, of these, I think Zelazny will float your boat the best. Give him a shot. There's a big compilation volume out there that has all his Amber stories.
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
Stephen Brust's Vlad Taltos series may also meet your interests. The protagonist is a human assassin with a few tricks up his sleeve, plying his trade in a city of what are essentially a bunch of long-lived sorcerous elves -- and beating them at their own game.
Elric of Melnibone is such an awesome character I will also agree with that.
I managed to do a bit better than Spirit so endorse the Farseer and Tawney man Trilogys.
Another recomendation is the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
The Crafters' Rules Guru
Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, is great. First book is called "Storm Front"
Brandon Sanderson is another good author if you are looking for assassins and theives. The Way of Kings has several viewpoint characters, one of which is an assassin and another is a thief trying to con a scholar-princess. Warbreaker also has a few viewpoint characters, one of which is a living God, the other two are princess sisters from a tiny kingdom. One of the sisters is given to the God King, and the other comes after her and falls in with a band of outlaws. It is much cooler than it sounds. Then of course, the Mistborn novels follow a group of thieves.
Lian Hearn's Tale of the Otori books (Starting with Across the Nightingale Floor) is about a feudal japan analogue, complete with a clan of Ninja-analogues referred to only as The Tribe. The Tribe has various powers, including speed, invisibility and enhanced sight and hearing. There is an initial trilogy you should read first, along with a prequel (set around the time of the main character's birth), and sequel (set around the time of the main character's children coming of age).
A Song of Ice and Fire (aka Game of Thrones) isn't full of assassins (at first), but it is one of the best examples of a series where there are very few true heroes.
Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind's main character spends time as a thief, as well as just about everything else. He keeps that talent for trickery throughout the books. It's just a good fantasy book, too.
And let me tell you, The Way of Shadows was the gateway book to fantasy for me (I wanted 'gritty' fantasy).
He stated the Way of Shadows was the series he just read.
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For Lists, Click Here
EDH:
GW: Selvala, Let us help YOU.
UB: Mirko Vosk, when outmatched cheat
BW: Vish Kal, The Arbiter of Reanimation
UG: Prime Speaker Zegana, the science of sorcery
RB: Malfegor, Traitor's Haven
UW: Daxos, Control-Fort-Tron
BG: Pharika, Goddess of Stax
RW: Gisela, Boros Control
RG: Ruric Thar, a Primal Surge deck
RU: Niv-Mizzet the Firemind, Spellslinger?!?!
B:(Pauper) Mikaeus the Unhallowed
R: Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient: The Power of Engineering