The following books are books that I have read that I deem as worthwhile reading.
Description: 7 books (so far), average of 800 pages each.
List of books in series: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, The Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords.
My Rating (1-10): 10
My Content Rating: PG - Contains some adult themes, situations, and overtones. Some violent scenes.
Description: A matriarchal, mideval society faces destruction as the Dark One is gaining power to escape from his prison. The Dragon (a man named Lews Therin Telamon at death) is Reborn according to prophesy, destined to be both Savior and Destroyer of the World.
Comments: A very richly detailed world with an engaging and medium-to-fast-paced plot. Many characters. This series will completely overtake your life, so try to read it when you have a lot of free time. I cannot do this book justice with words, so just read it. Available at most bookstores and libraries. A word of warning: the series is not complete yet, so if you don't like lasting suspense DON'T READ IT. It probably won't be completed for a few years. Also, don't waste your time with the series' companion book The Official Guide to the World of The Wheel of Time, unless of course you are really into reading a long and largely uninteresting history with (in my opinion) inaccurate pictures. Most of what is found in it is overviewed in each book's glossary.
Medium: 3 books with largely self-contained storylines, 4 books in one long storyline. Average of 400 pages each, except for The Sword of Shannara which has 700 or so pages.
List of Books: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara, The Heritage of Shannara Series: The Scions of Shannara, The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, The Talismans of Shannara.
My Rating (1-10): 9.5
My Content Rating: PG - Some violent scenes.
Description: Contains the adventures of four generations descended from the first elven King of Shannara. In The Sword of Shannara half-elf Shea Ohmsford is whisked into adventure by the druid Allanon. Using some magic elfstones, he must find the legendary Sword of Shannara to defeat the skull-bearers and their evil king. In The Elfstones of Shannara Shea's grandson, Wil Ohmsford, must protect the only elf that can restore the (Tree) and keep (Demons) inside their prison. In The Wishsong of Shannara, Brin and Jair Ohmsford, inheritors of an inborn magic, must destroy an ancient tome that contains the keys to all the evil magic in the world. In The Heritage of Shannara Series, descendants of Brin and Jair must complete tasks necesarry for the destruction of the Shadowen, beings that can inhabit any body by transferring themselves to it.
Comments: An excellent series with a well-thought-out plot and characters. The world is large enough for the purposes of the stories, but is not nearly as developed as Jordan's or Tolkien's. If you are a bit put off by the length of the Wheel of Time series, you might try these. Any of the first three books are an excellent fantasy primer, although I would reccommend reading them in order.
Other books by this author: Hook based on the movie screenplay, Magic Kingdom of Landover Series (I don't know much about these books)
Medium: 3 books, about 400 pages each.
List of books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King.
My Rating (1-10): 9
My Content Rating: G - Some violence, but overall very tame.
Description: The famed Tolkien Trilogy was intended to be published as one book, but Tolkien couldn't get any publishers to do it that way. As a result this is the equivalent of a 1,200 page book split into three volumes. The book chronicles the adventures of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, and his quest to return the accursed, yet powerful One Ring to the Mountains of Doom, to be destroyed in the fires of its forging and thus thwart Sauron's evil intentions.
Comments: This is required reading for any Fantasy buff. It is for all practical intents and purposes the foundation of modern fantasy. It has a rich and complex world with an exciting plot. Characters may be a bit flat, but then, they aren't the focus of the story. Be aware that the plot is stopped often by short stories and poems, however entertaining. If you haven't already, read the prequel before you begin Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit, also by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Other books by this author: The Simarillion, a long and involved history of Middle Earth, the setting for the Lord of the Rings.
Medium: 5 books, about 200 pages each.
List of Books: Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; Silver on the Tree.
My Rating: 9
My Content Rating: G - Suitable for children to aged grandparents.
Description: This series, by a British author, has its base in the Arthurian Legends, but it is set in modern-day England. The story alternates, pretty much book by book, between three children, and one child, named Will, who finds himself as a member of the magical Old Ones. The one constant to the story, an old man named Merriman, also a member of the Old Ones, leads all of them on a quest against the Dark.
Comments: A refreshing change from most Fantasy novels or series, these books take place in (more or less) the present day, but succed in making the world strange enough to capture your attention. (Of course, England has always seemed a bit strange to me.) It has an interesting plot with many twists, and good characters. Patience is required though; the plot, while it has many other virtues, is not fast-paced. It has a British feel (I'm an American) and the author does poke fun at us Americans, but unless you are more sensitive to this than any other person I've seen, it makes little difference. Also a very good fantasy primer.
Medium: 3 books, about 700 pages each, except for To Green Angel Tower , sold as one volume in hardback, two in paperback.
List of Books: The Dragonbone Chair, The Stome of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower (Published as two books, 800 pages each, in paperback).
My Rating: 8.5
My Content Rating: PG - Some violence and few adult themes.
Description: A young man named Simon is unwittingly (a very good word to describe him) enlisted to help the League of the Scroll, a group committed to the preservation of useful old knowledge, in a battle against the Storm King, who has a deep hatred towards mortals.
Comments: This story takes a very long time to get started, and doesn't have consistent action. It has very believable characters and a good, but admittedly slow, plot. It has excellent action when it happens, as well as a few surprises.
Medium: 3 books, about 350 pages each.
List of Books: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (also published as The Secret of NIMH); Racso and the Rats of NIMH, R-T, Margaret and the Rats of NIMH, both by Jane Leslie Conly.
My Rating: 8.5 (in comparison to other fantasy books. Overall, it is probably a 9.5 to me.)
My Content Rating: G - Could be made into an animated movie. In fact, it has.
Description: In the first book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Timothy Frisby, the son of Mrs. Frisby, a widowed field mouse, falls seriously ill. This is a problem because he cannot move from their cinder-block home in the garden when spring comes, and along with it, the farmers' plow. Mrs. Frisby (no first name given) enlists the help of the super-intelligent Rats of NIMH to move her house in the garden out of the path of the plow. However she finds that the Rats are in a greater danger than her. In the second book, Racso and the Rats of NIMH, Timothy must walk to Thorn Valley, the home of the Rats of NIMH for school and meets Racso, a rat, along the way. When they arrive at Thorn Valley they find out that the entire valley is in danger of flooding, and they must help the Rats stop it. In the third book, R-T, Margaret and the Rats of NIMH, two humans, Artie (R-T) and Margaret, get lost in the woods and stumble upon the Rats' colony.
Comments: You really have to read the books in order, in order to understand them, even though they are self-contained stories. The series is geared toward children, and doesn't really have a "fantasy" feel, so real fantasy buffs may not like it well. The language/vocabulary is simple, but it is still well-written. The first book is, in my opinion, the best read, as well as a Newberry award winner. Plot is interesting, and, since it is written from the viewpoint of a mouse or a rat, it has an interesting way of looking at things. Strongly reccomended as a fantasy primer. One final note: yes, the movie The Secret of NIMH (directed by Don Bluth) is in fact based on the first book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. While it follows the book loosely, it is very entertaining for all ages to watch.
Note: I have been writing a sequel to this series (it's something to do) and I have posted it here. Check back in a few weeks and see its progress (it's not finished, in fact it's barely started). It is posted in the Secret of NIMH area.