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This summer brings us a lot of great epic fantasy novels both from established authors continuing their series and from new authors with fresh new stories and worlds for you to discover. This article gives you recommendations from among the best and most promising.
The Masters release their sequels this summer
Many famous and established authors are releasing continuations of their series this summer and among these is a new book in the Genesis of Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Later in the summer he releases book III The Gypsy Morph.
Stephen Donaldson is the author of one of the most unusual fantasy series ever written. The main character is Thomas Covenant who is an anti-hero afflicted with leprosy. The land in which this all takes place is a richly woven tapestry unlike any other. He is releasing the next installment in the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant called Fatal Revenant. If you are interested in starting a totally new series from the start and you haven't read this one I highly recommend it. The first book in the series is Lord Fouls Bane.
Among all the big series books that are being released by big name authors the one that is almost guaranteed to shoot to the top of the best seller list is George R. R. Martins A Dance with Dragons. It is the latest installation in his Song of Ice and Fire series and a sure bet for good summer reading. But, it will not be released until September so that leaves beach reading out.
If you like movie tie-ins you the latest novel in David Farland's Runelords series might be a good choice for you. It is titled World Binder and it is book six in the series. The first book The Sum of All Men is currently being made into a major motion picture.
Another very popular series of books is the Kushiel's Legacy series. Written by Jacqueline Carey and the second trilogy is completed with the June publication of Kushiel's Mercy.
Newcomers and new series to the genre
If you are looking to start a new series or discover a new author there are several books coming out this summer that are getting a lot of critical acclaim. These include A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans. It is characterized as a masterful fantasy novel with a gritty feel and military bent. It promises a lot of sword-wielding action. This book is the first book in a new series called The Iron Elves.
A book that is being heralded by Amazon as one of the best fantasy books for 2007 is Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind It is the first book in an anticipated trilogy. If you missed out on this book last year this summer is your chance to catch up.
The prolific R.A. Salvatore has started a new trilogy of books called Transitions and the first book in this series is called The Orc King: Transitions Book I. It was released in early July. It is the latest installment in the adventures of the famous dark elf who first appeared in the New York Times bestseller The Lone Drow.
Another book to be released late this summer is The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney who has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award. He has published several titles including the acclaimed Sea Beggars series.
If you are looking for new variations on Arthurian legend there are two interesting additions to the genre this summer: Shadow Lands by Simon Lister and Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff and Jack Whyte. Each one takes an interesting and unique look at the legend of Arthur.
If you are just looking for some lighter fantasy reading to take with you to the beach you might want to pick up a copy of Dragons: Worlds Afire. It is a collection of five novella length dragon stories from masters like Salvatore, Weis, and Hickman.
Return to the Classics
If you would like to brush up on some classics that you may have missed you should start with Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn. This book should be read multiple times by every fantasy reader. It is a staple of the genre. After that you might want to consider Tolkien's The Hobbit. If you are looking for a new classic you may want to take a look at The Children of Hurin which is a book that was started by Tolkien and finished by his son. It was published in the spring of 2007 and was chosen as one of the best books of the year by Amazon readers.
This summer is proving to be a great season for epic fantasy reading. There are lots of great books that have just been released and a lot more that will be released as the summer unfolds. So grab yourself a copy of one of these books and head off to the beach where you will discover elves, dragons, dwarves and many more wonderful things.
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