Slave-Girls and Amazons: humorous fantasy (Fantasy-Humour Series Book 1)

Jonathan Pidduck

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Pratchett's huge volume of work makes adding him to the list feel like cheating, but at the same time, it wouldn't be complete without him. For the uninitiated, Pratchett's world consists of a large disc that rests on the backs on four large elephants, which in turn stand on a turtle as it swims through space. It's a bizarre concept, matching the strange yet hilarious tone of Sir Terry's work.

In some ways, his world echoes earth, and you can guess which period Pyramids is influenced by. Teppic is the prince of that small realm and is in training at the Assassins Guild. His time there is cut short when his father dies, and Teppic must return home to build his Pyramid and take on the politics of the throne. The premise is simple, but Pyramids brings something rare to the sub-genre: Pratchett has a hilarious variety of characters, from the High Priest Dios to a camel literally named 'You Bastard'.

At pages, it's a short yet incredibly amusing read, with nothing too complex in terms of plot. Despite this, Pratchett's brilliant writing and metaphors bring it to life. Sci-fi fans may know Kage Baker for her popular series, The Company. It's a blend of fictional world and humor, and her debut fantasy series is no different.

Slave-Girls and Amazons (humorous fantasy)

The Anvil of the World describes the assassin Smith as he tries to leave his old life behind and become a simple caravan master. Of course, things are never that easy, and Smith is set upon by a myriad of demons, magic, and other kinds of trouble. Like Pratchett, Baker uses humor to provide a great critique of society and its flaws.

However, her unique blend of humor surpasses even him at points with subtle jokes and great dialogue. Simultaneously, Baker manages to use that dialogue to grow her characters. Lord Ermenwyris one of the most unique personalities in fantasy, and not just because he's half demon. He somehow manages to be a coward yet strong, selfish yet loyal and annoying but oddly likable.

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Through all these contradictions Baker somehow makes him feel real, alongside the rest of the odd cast. However, the book is more like a series of novellas than a full novel. It's split into three distinct parts, the first being quite slow, the second housing incredible description and dialogue, and the third ending on a more serious note.

In its entirety, it covers assassination, magic, friendship, and the environment. It takes all of the annoying fantasy tropes and subverts them, leaving the reader grinning and refreshed. If you're a YA fan, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better assassin fantasy book than Throne of Glass. As the novel opens, Celaena is given a chance to end her servitude in the mines of Endovier and her life as a slave behind.

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There's only one catch. First, she must win a tournament and become the King's assassin. The story plays out in a beautifully crafted world where the Fae have been overthrown and magic is banned. A human ruler sits on the throne, and he isn't afraid to use Celaena to kill at a whim. The series has plenty of everything, including a love triangle, action, humor and great antagonists. Though the predictable romance may not call out to older readers, a simplistic, page-turning plot and plenty of fun twists make it perfect for its market. As the series progresses, it only gets better, with Celaena finally coming into her role and characters building a real connection with the reader.

When your focus is character and action, it's easy to just settle for generic medieval fantasy and be done with it. However, at some point, you start craving something new, and that's when series like Tales of the Otori really shine. Though Hearn stays with the medieval era, she opts for a region that isn't often explored in fantasy. There's no outright statement, but it's clear that the world has a heavy Japanese influence. It's complete with a complex feudal system, samurai-like clans, and shoguns.

That rich setting underlies an even richer story of love, politics, and betrayal. Society is made up of complex social classes, religions, and clans, but Hearn introduces them slowly and with finesse. His descriptions are similar; colorful but not unnecessarily wordy, making it an enjoyable read.

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The series follows two viewpoints. In first-person, there is Takeo, the adopted son of a noble with the ability to create illusions. Then there is Kaede, a teenage girl and political prison written in the third person. It's an unusual mix of perspective, yet Hearn manages to pull it off flawlessly. The blend gives distinct views while still creating a feeling of depth for both, pulling you into the fast-paced narrative. That excellent combination continues through the series, creating a masterpiece of death, love, and tragedy.

Japan-inspired fantasy, vivid description, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

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Tales of Pawan Kor. Despite the similarity in name, there's little to connect Tales of Pawan Kor and our previous list item. This world is very clearly high fantasy, with beautifully detailed creatures, religions, and magic. It's very much 'sword and sorcery', but with a flair Persia, India, and China that brings a refreshing environment. The world building is simply incredible, with plenty of detail that will please fans of epics.

Equally impressive is Hayden's magic system, rooted in spirit stones of a dead race. The limited nature creates real concern for the well-being of the characters, with no ability to simply magic a way out of situations. And those tough scenarios make an appearance quite frequently.

Though Jaska is of a knightly order, his activities are far from savory. He carries out every command, including assassinations. However, one particular task turns out too much. The request to kill a priestess reveals his master's real ambitions and pits him against the empire he once worked for. It's an intricate, weaving plot, with several pieces that fall into place at just the right time.

Believable characters exist on both sides of the spectrum, forcing the reader to question black and white assertions of good and evil. All the while, the story maintains the fast pace, action, and entertainment that we have come to expect from fantasy assassin stories. The examination of morality is a common theme in assassin novels, but none do it quite like Eve Forward's Villains by Necessity. The author takes the concept and turns it on its head, asking what would happen if good is completely dominant. The answer is nothing positive.

The world is out of balance, and it might cease to exist entirely if nobody intervenes. Thus, an assassin, thief, druid and knight have to step in and bring some evil back. It's a straightforward plot made great by likable characters, humor, and good pacing. Forward manages to keep a light tone, yet force the reader to see things from a different perspective.

It's this unique exploration that lands the book a place on the list. Though there's nothing exceptional, it's hard to deny that Villains of Necessity is a whole lot of fun. The subject of McCullough's Fallen Blade series is fairly obvious from the title, yet the series has more depth than you may expect. The opening sucks the reader into the mind of an assassin without his order. With no solid job, Aral has fallen into a cycle of drinking, thievery, and smuggling. He wants this old life back, and when a delivery job goes sour he gets just that.

From there, it's full of action, strong characters, death, and magic. It takes on the form of a mystery, stringing the reader along on a number of clues and forcing them to piece them together. Though there are natural lulls in the story, they're augmented by character building of Aral and his dragon familiar, Triss. This understanding is only heightened as McCullough continues his six book series, exploring both the relationship of Triss and Aral and the magic system that underlies them. You can't help but urge the protagonist along as he pulls himself out of depression and back into the role of a fighter.

History and fantasy nuts should find an amazing middle ground with The Lion of Cairo. It's set between the Second and Third Crusade, and it's clear Oden has done his research. Assad is a trained assassin, sent by his master to Cairo not to kill, but to protect a young ruler.

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Unfortunately, there's a necromancer in his way, and he has his own group of assassins. The entire book takes place over the course of a few days, and it feels like it. There's an incredibly fast pace, with little room to breathe amid the fighting and politics. Somehow, Oden manages to keep the quality high despite this. Fight scenes are realistic and quick, descriptions vivid and beautiful. The book is an excellent ode to greats like Robert E. Howard and Michael Chabon.

This story from Mazarkis Williams is another that reaches outside the realm of traditional fantasy. A magical geometric disease is spreading throughout the Cerani Empire with very few to oppose it. The king is the only one holding things together, and, unbeknownst to the public, he's sick too. What follows is a mad scramble to keep this secret, and for the heirless throne. It falls to an assassin, a sorcerer prince, and his foreign bride to keep the empire steady. Williams' world has some influence from the Ottoman Empire, though it's also littered with a well-explained magic system and plenty of court intrigue.

Fans of steady pacing may not be at home here, as Williams' tends to ebb and flow as the drama picks up, some things happening all at once, and others very slowly. However, readers who enjoy minimal hand-holding will take to this style, which makes you join up many of the dots yourself.

This also lends itself to the story, which has you second guessing characters and sitting open-mouthed at its twists. The polish gets significantly stronger as you progress through the trilogy, with an elegant conclusion and a feeling of real character depth. We generate a very small commision if you buy an amazon product linked to from this site. These comissions help us keep the BestFantasyBooks running and funds site improvements.

Top 25 Best Assassin Books. Comments 0 Award Nominations: The protagonists in fantasy assassin books are often hard, rugged and experienced.

There's so much about this wonderful series that's right. From a thrilling Robin Hood caper story think a magical Oceans 11 , compelling and complex characters, deep and expansive world-building, fascinating mythology and lore, and a gripping tale. This is epic fantasy meets underworld fantasy, with the stakes the fate of the world and the heroes a band of brilliant thieves.

The strength though is in the brilliant prose, the strong characters, and compelling characterization. And of course, the over-the-top robberies the characters inflict upon those who deserve it. Look, if you haven't read this series yet, do it. We are all still waiting for the release of the 4th book in the series, which has been delayed for at least a year and a half. Westworld, Dark fantasy, badass characters, sci-fi. The Axe and the Throne M. The Last of the Neanderthals: The Craving 23 May A Funny Olde Worlde 10 Oct Provide feedback about this page.

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The writing style could do with some development and the ending seemed to just chop off a few pages before it was supposed to. Otherwise a fairly amusing although occasionally trying too hard to be funny and interesting story. I added this to my 'to-read' list based on a recommendation as a Terry Pratchett fan.

I will defini I added this to my 'to-read' list based on a recommendation as a Terry Pratchett fan. I will definitely be looking into any follow-ups!

I gave this 3-stars because although I did enjoy it, it WAS seriously reliant on other ideas that have come before, though they have been given a fresh 'twist'! Jonathan Pidduck is obviously a Terry Pratchett fan. He seems to have based his writing style on the great man. However, it doesn't quite come off. Having said that, this is a good fun book with plenty of twists and turns, and there are Amazons and Slave Girls in the story, but maybe not the sort you were thinking of!

Well, you know what they say about judging a book by its cover This was at a knockdown price for the Kindle on Amazon, so I decided to give it a shot, expecting the worst. Instead, what I got was a funny and enjoyable romp through a lot of comedic fantasy's stereotypes that proved oddly satisfying. Worth taking a chance on. A Terry Pratchett the author is not, though he really does try. However, this was a fun, quick little read and was well worth the price free. I don't regret reading it and would recommend when you need something fluffy to read. This book was incredibly funny from beginning to end, I enjoyed every word and didnt stop laughing till I had started a new book.

Yorkshiresoul rated it liked it Aug 08, Terry Lowther rated it liked it Feb 26,

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