New Fantasy?

I work in a library, but I don't buy the books. Lately, it seems like all the fantasy we are buying are edgy urban fantasies (with required belly shirt on cover, or long black coat, or both) and vampire or zombie books. I am sure they do a lively business, but I don't want to read them. When I asked our buyers for some nice old-fashioned fantasy, they challenged me to find some. My office mate and I have tried a lot of fantasy book sites and are coming up dry. So I am turning to the collective brain. It is shaping up to be a good Young Adult Fantasy year--but not such a good one for Adults. Since I am the one asking, I like male protagonists and likable, well developed characters and no elves or werewolves or gods or the like. Any suggestions?

Anything by Brandon Sanderson. His Mistborn trilogy is excellent and also has a couple of stand alone books as well. Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard seires, starting with The Lies of Locke Lamora is also worth checking out as are Joe Abercrombie's First Law (The Blade Itself is the starter) and Peter Brett's Demonwar series (The Painted Man).

I'm sure others will be along shortly to add some more suggestions but it might help narrow things down if you give some examples of what you have read previously and liked or not.

Also, The Chathrand Voyage series by Robert VS Redick which begins with The Red Wolf Conspiracy and is followed by The Rats and the Ruling Sea (UK title) aka The Ruling Sea (US title) I have not yet read this second book, but will be doing so very soon. The first was marvelous!

Have you read any Robin Hobb? If not I suggest starting with her Farseer Trilogy first book of which is Assassin's Apprentice

Maybe Janny Wurtz? Her characters aren't always entirely likable, but her plots are intricate and invariably interesting. Maybe try an anthology like The Dragon Book: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy and see if any of the authors appeal?

I believe the OP was asking about new fantasy that has been published in the last year.

Well most of these writers do have new books.

For a new writer you could try Ian Whates's City Of Dreams And Nightmare which is paperback only.

Steph Swainston's new one has been out a month or so in the UK, and an omnibus of the previous three novels (called The Castle Omnibus was recently released as well.

Memoirs Of A Master Forger by William Heaney (a pseudonym for Graham Joyce) has recently had a first edition in the US. Called How To Make Friends With Demons by Graham Joyce. Although urban fantasy in that it takes place in a realistic London it isn't the paranormal romance style of urban fantasy.

Joe Hill has a new book out called Horns which I've heard good stuff about.

Other books I have heard people talking about (but I haven't bought - I read more SF than fantasy) are -
The River Kings' Road by Liane Merciel
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov.

Read Carol Berg's Lighthouse Duology, Flesh and Spirit, Breath and Bone.

That will blow you away.

They "challenged you to find some?" Um, isn't finding it THEIR job? Not to be rude, but they must not be very good collection development specialists if they can't find any good new fantasy! It's not really all that difficult. :-)

Robin Hobb has a new book out, first in a new series: Dragon Keeper

Gene Wolfe has a new book coming out: The Sorcerer's House

Jim Butcher recently had the last book in his Codex Alera series released: First Lord's Fury

Steven Brust has a new Vlad Taltos book out: Iorich

Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder have a new one out together: Except the Queen

Blake Charleton's new book Spellwright seems to be traditional fantasy.

The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan got good reviews.

Peter Brett's The Warded Man and forthcoming Desert Spear may appeal to you.

The River King's Road by Liane Merciel got good reviews.

Sasha and Petrodor by Joel Shepherd might work.

The hundred thousand kingdoms by N.K. Jemison was reviewed well.

And all of that is just from a quick glance over the newly ordered fantasy titles at the library in which I work! (I also purchase all of the adult fiction, so...!)

#9

Except The Queen is a bit YAish, and a bit urban fantasy isn't it?

Mark Chadbourn's Age Of Misrule series was printed in the US last year (it has been out in the UK for years). His new one The Sword Of Albion is due to be printed soon.

Daryl Gregory might be someone you haven't read - his The Devil's Alphabet is very recent and Pandemonium isn't that old.

Juliet McKenna started a new series last year with Irons in the Fire.

Kari Sperring's Living With Ghosts came out last year as well, and despite the title isn't paranormal fantasy.

Daniel Fox has a series of Chinese tinged fantasy series he started last year with Dragon in Chains and the new book is out soon.

There are many, many, more.

and we're all hoping a miracle occurs and A Dance with Dragons will be released this year...

Neil Gaiman's Stardust, Anansi Boys and American Gods are good, as is Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Gaiman's Neverwhere and War for the Oaks by Emma Bull might be considered urban fantasy, but they probably are dissimilar to the ones you're thinking of, and they're two of my favorites.

Brandon Sanderson also did a nice job of writing the latest entry in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, The Gathering Storm.

What exactly do you mean by "old-fashioned fantasy"? Are we talking, like, Tolkein-esque, with elves and dwarves and dragons? Or just more traditional fare, with knights and magic and whatnot? The entire fantasy genre has been going through a kind of renaissance period in the past few years, but I'd call very little of it (well, the good stuff, anyway) old-fashioned or traditional.

Anything by, Patricia McKillip or Juliet Marillier

I had a post. The computer ate it. It wouldn't load librarything.

I am gonna rewrite now.

13: saltmanz - I was wondering the same thing.

but supposing old fashioned fantasy means sword and sorcery or epic fantasy, there is still some new stuff out.

Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov. This came out in February of this year and was translated from Russian. There is a thief and darkness and armies, too, I think.

The Conqueror's Shadow by Ari Marmell. Also came out this February. Sword and Sorcery novel

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin. Also came out this February to pretty good reviews. Epic fantasy, I think, seems to have lots of political intrigue.

The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg.

The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas. dragons and political intrigue.

than there are the long running series with books due out this year and later: Malazan series by Steven Erikson, Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin, Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan; Saga of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

I am sure there are lots I missed.

To me, old-fashioned fantasy and no elves are a contradiction.

Elizabeth Moon has a new novel out, Oath of Fealty. It's a sequel to her Paksenarrion series. It's high/epic fantasy.

Under Heaven, The White Road, the new book by Stephen Donaldson in Nov 2010 - personally I thought 2010 was shaping up to be a good year!

I second Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It is so wonderful, as soon as I finished it I wanted to read it again. It is beautifully written and is an intelligent, adult fantasy. It is so good, I envy those who haven't read it yet and get to read it for the first time.

Oooh, I third The Name of the Wind. I just read it about a month ago and was blown away.

I just gave The Name of the Wind to my wife to read last night. It's such a great book. I read it for the first time last month, and didn't get much sleep until I was finished!

Old-fashioned fantasy without elves or werewolves? Sure I have just the thing! :)

The Legend of Nightfall and The Return of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert.

Another suggestion for a new author is Brent Weeks who wrote The Night Angel Trilogy: The Way of Shadows, Shadow's Edge and Beyond the Shadows.

I read it and I loved it. You don't even know what your missing if you've never read it. STRONGLY, STRONGLY, STRONGLY recommend it.

I was talking about The Name of the Wind btw.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and its sequels. (It was rereleased as YA I think, but it started out as adult and still has sequels coming out.)

Terry Goodkind releases a new paperback of The Law of Nines this November. It is a semi-continuation of his Sword of Truth Series taking place in a modern world but with a history of his old series. He has another book coming out in February as well...but not sure what that one is about yet.

I am a huge fan of The Name of the Wind like many others and the second one I am told is coming out in March unless he pushes it back again. I am reading The Court of the Air but I am not sure that fits your traditional fantasy concept since it is subclassed as steampunk. Other than that I agree with you that fantasy is becoming to much horror/magic. I like a good dark fantasy or urban fantasy but that seems to be all that is out right now. I too am going through some classic/traditional fantasy withdraws.

Tad Williams is wrapping up his latest fantasy series this year, the one that began with Shadowmarch.