Yeah, I watched R-rated films too and clicked "I am 18 years old" on porn websites before I was 18, but they were rated R. They weren't meant or appropriate for teenagers. It didn't stop me from getting to it, but if the simple fact that people outside the age market can get them means that they are then part of the genre's demographic, then Harry Potter and Narnia books should be considered adult fiction because I read them as an adult, and Lolita is a children's story since my little 10 year old cousin grabbed it from my bookshelf and started reading it.
Anyway, I recommend Lies because it's a really well written book. I don't know by what metric you're measuring depth, but it is a well fleshed out world of fully realized characters who are doing interesting things. I don't really know what else the OP is looking for, since all he said is he wanted 'good' fantasy. I consider Lies to be good fantasy.
Lies is pretty good but it's not a literary series or an epic really. Comparing it against say lord of the rings it's clear it relies on simpler stories, characters and writing style to appeal to a younger and less intellectually demanding audience. It's genre fiction of an above average kind.
To the op:
China mieville's books are excellent. Perdido street station, etc set in that universe. And the city and the city .
Malazan book of the fallen. A difficult read but the most well realized fantasy world I can think of and can be gripping, heartbreaking, mysterious, confusing and charming all at once.
Black company is genre fiction but among the best.
A song of ice and fire though it actually doesn't have much fantasy to it.
I'd skip Abercrombie, as it's poorly written.
Skip the Robert Jordan books. Extremely bloated.
Highly overrated books. First one was alright, second was garbage. The protagonist is a total Gary Stu who lucks into being amazing at everything he ever does. Plot resolution for the entire first novel is as such:
Oh no I'm out of money and can't pay for magic school! > I made money and can pay for magic school! > I'm out of money again! > I made money and can pay for magic school!
I was going to mention him too. He's an incredible writer - Perdido Street Station and The Scar are both very good, although I couldn't really get into Iron Council for some reason.
I enjoyed the hell out of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, though I freely admit that they're not an easy sell on paper; telling someone, "Yeah, there's a potentially great trilogy about a kinda Mary Sueish character describing their life in a series of nested flashbacks, largely involving their time at Magic School, but it's only 2/3 done so I can't vouch for the ending" isn't going to inspire vast amounts of confidence. However, once you're reading the books they're engrossing, with lots of great character moments and a lot of emphasis on storytelling. Even if Rothfuss doesn't stick the landing on this one I'm very glad to have read the first two books in his trilogy and have high hopes for the finale.
To second some other recommendations:
Glen Cook's The Black Company - This was pitched to me as Lord of the Rings from the point of view of the bad guys. It's about a mercenary company that serves the evil empire and the ways they try to cope with this while keeping themselves alive. I've only read the first trilogy, collected as Chronicles of the Black Company, so I'm not sure where the (very long running) series goes from there, but the first three books are self contained and quite good, in a somewhat 80s, deconstructionist sort of way.
Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy - A young boy is trained as an assassin and then gets put through the wringer in all sorts of terrible ways in defense of a kingdom that is falling apart. This doesn't really sell you on just how much the poor bastard goes through or just how good the writing is - it's pretty damned good - but hopefully the basic premise is intriguing enough to encourage folks to check it out. Hobb has continued on in this world and I haven't ventured back into it just yet, but I'm told that her Liveship Traders trilogy is essentially fantasy Aubrey & Maturin, which sounds completely amazing.
Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy - A group of freedom fighters struggle against the dark lord that has ruled a fantasy dystopia for a millennium and things get complicated from there. Brandon "The Machine" Sanderson is an astonishingly prolific writer thanks to a combination of a really intense work ethic and a writing style that plots everything out completely before he jumps in. In fairness, this makes his novels a bit workman like, but what they may lack in stylistic flair he more than makes up for with sheer entertainment. In particular, Sanderson loves to introduce magic systems - here involving a range of powers based on metallurgy - and explore how they work throughout any given series, which is great fun. Mistborn in particular is a bit like the fantasy equivalent of shounen manga, but I mean that in the best possible way. And, for anyone who enjoys these, he's currently continuing to explore the universe and basic setup.
And here are a couple of recommendations that I don't think have been thrown out yet:
Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksennarion trilogy - The story of a young woman who goes to join a mercenary company and becomes, in short, a paladin, driven by honor and tempered by sacrifice. I realize that sounds pretty corny, but Moon does an amazing job of setting up her world and showing our heroine as she grows and changes over the course of the series, largely by being put totally through the wringer. Also, while I have no military experience myself and can't personally vouch for this, I know that Moon does and she seems to convey a lot of authenticity in the way her fantasy mercenaries train and are organized. Either way, between the arc of our lead and the wonderful world building, this trilogy comes highly recommended. Moon has written a slew more in this world, none of which I can vouch for, except to say that this trilogy is nicely self contained.
Lois Bujold's The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls - These are two related, self-contained books in the same universe, a sort of late-medieval Spain analogue, that have the distinction of being fantasy novels about adults. Above I've mentioned several series that are about young people finding their way in the world, and they're quite good, but it's also nice to read about mature protagonists finding themselves needing to step up to the plate, no matter how much it's going to hurt. The Curse of Chalion is about a soldier returning from many hard years away to what he hopes is a quiet retirement, when he finds himself embroiled in court politics and, much worse, attracts the attention of the gods. And, Paladin of Souls, stars a middle aged woman who goes on a pilgrimage and finds her life changing in ways she never expected - plus, again, interference from divine powers that are best avoided at all costs. These are slow burn novels with heavy emphasis on characterization and are absolutely top notch, with Paladin of Souls winning the Hugo for best novel. So recommended. (A third, loosely connected novel, The Hallowed Hunt, is perfectly solid but I'm not inclined to rave about it; however, anyone who loves these two novels should certainly add this to their reading pile.)
Finally, an all-time, perennial favorite:
Roger Zelazny's The Chronicles of Amber - Ideally, I could just tell folks to go blindly read Nine Princes in Amber completely cold, but I suppose that's not going to sell anyone on the series. To keep things vague, our hero wakes up with partial amnesia and knows that a) he has siblings and b) he may not want to trust them. From there, a large sprawling family fights over the fate of their homeland - which is a lot more complicated than it sounds.
These siblings all come from Amber, the central reality in the universe, and they all have the power to bend reality to their will, thus traveling through an infinite number of realities. However, the only real prize for them is Amber itself.
Cue iconic characters, terrific world building, and plenty of political intrigue. The Amber novels are absolute classics, and if you heft a copy of The Great Book of Amber it'll seem pretty damned daunting. However, the series is split into two sets of five short novels each and, frankly, while the second five novel series is a solid read for a fan of the originals, they're not what you'd call crucial. In short, Amber is easy to dive into and the original series comes in at half the length of the first novel in any number of doorstop sagas, so I hope that wouldn't stop anyone from giving Amber a shot.
Lies is pretty good but it's not a literary series or an epic really. Comparing it against say lord of the rings it's clear it relies on simpler stories, characters and writing style to appeal to a younger and less intellectually demanding audience. It's genre fiction of an above average kind.
Lies is a literary series. Lies, Red Seas, Republic, etc. It's Oceans 11 in a fantasy world.
Malazan book of the fallen. A difficult read but the most well realized fantasy world I can think of and can be gripping, heartbreaking, mysterious, confusing and charming all at once.
They're good, but I'll warn the OP that they are probably the most difficult fantasy series to get into. The author doesn't believe in explaining shit, so you gotta pick it up as you go along. Exposition, there is not.
Black company is genre fiction but among the best.
Strongly disagree. First Law series is a fun read. Best Served Cold is a fantastic fantasy style revenge novel. The Heroes is probably the weakest one, but Red Country is a great reed, a spaghetti western with fantasy elements throughout.
It's definitely aimed at young adults, but I consider Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain an all time classic of the genre. The Black Cauldron and Taran Wanderer especially.
I'll recommend The Malazan Book of the Fallen, although it isn't necessarily for everyone.
The biggest thing about the series is that Erikson really just drops you in the middle of the ocean and says "good luck". The first few hundred pages of Gardens of the Moon can be pretty disorienting because you have a lot of world stuff going on without a lot of clear explanations, but if you can survive that, then things will start to make more sense. But it's definitely not the sort of series for you if you need everything to have an easy answer or have difficulties following large casts of characters.
What I really love about the series is the way Erikson approaches everything with a very particular view of humanity. His anthropology background means that he puts a lot of effort into making his societies feel complex and detailed, complete with a strong focus on the class systems (I mean economic classes here, not D&D classes), how people feel about the government, etc. It's also one of the most diverse fantasy series I can think of. This is not white people hanging out in fake Europe; the series is littered with characters of all races, which is very refreshing compared to most of the other giants in the genre. And as the series goes on it focuses more and more on the philosophical questions plaguing the characters, and you frequently get long stretches where characters are simply wondering at their place in life.
I can't recommend the series highly enough. As I said, it's not for everyone, and many people will likely dislike it or not even be able to get through the first book, but if you can, you're going to be rewarded with one of the most unique epic fantasy series out there.
What? By what metric are we judging YA here? Because given the copious amounts of graphic death, swearing, gore, and torture, I would not think it'd be appropriate for any teen audience.
A friend of mine has gotten me into the Guinevere trilogy by Persia Woolley, which is a a somewhat realistic take on the Arthurian legend. I'm in the middle of the Children of the Northern Spring at the moment. I'm enjoying the straight-faced take on the fantastical elements so far.
I was going to mention him too. He's an incredible writer - Perdido Street Station and The Scar are both very good, although I couldn't really get into Iron Council for some reason.
I absolutely loved Iron Council up until the last chapter, but I think that's by design. The build up is fantastic, but you want it to go a different way than the ending eventually, and probably for it's own good, does. I was drawn in by his politics, so I hope his other novels don't all take the same approach that Iron Council does.
Yes. Sanderson owns for what he does: writing accesible fantasy that has a pleasant, non-offensive style. And the dude loves his magic systems, which is cool in my book.
The Belgariad and The Mallorean by David and Leigh Eddings. Two five book series that have some of the best, well realized fantasy characters I've ever read.
The Elenium series of books by them is good too. It's sequel The Tamriel series and The Mallorean aren't really as good as the originals though.
Not sure if they really fit what the OP is looking for as much as I love them. They're pretty light for the most part. It's also fairly cliche (or elemental as the author describes it), but it has a bit fun with these things.
Yes. Sanderson owns for what he does: writing accesible fantasy that has a pleasant, non-offensive style. And the dude loves his magic systems, which is cool in my book.
This is probably what I liked about him most honestly. And the magic systems he comes with are all generally pretty cool and unique with their own set rules.
I'll throw in the Night Angel Trilogy and The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks. The latter is still ongoing while the other is finished. The first follows a young boy who becomes apprenticed to a master assassin. Trying to think of a way to summarize the other quickly but coming up a bit short.
I'll second the recommendation of Jim Butcher's work, but while The Dresden Files are more Urban Fantasy, he has another called the Codex Alera which is the more regular kind of Fantasy.
Sanderson is a good choice, but I feel his stuff teeters on young adult level. I'm curious, where would Wheel of Time land on the young adult spectrum?
YA-friendly but not really consciously aimed at a YA audience. In some ways it's a series that "grows up" with readers since it's the sort of thing one could easily start as a young teen but the subject matter grows somewhat more serious over the course of the (very long) series.
OP, I get where you're coming from. I grew up loving DnD, and trying to read everything fantasy.
At a certain point I came to the realization that a majority of fantasy out there is just channeling Tolkien, which turned me off to a lot of the genre.
I have moved over to reading much more sci-fi when I am in that sort of mood.
But I did want to recommend Robert E. Howard. I'd be surprised if you weren't already familiar, but I just love his writing style. So energetic. He's the creator of Conan.
But I did want to recommend Robert E. Howard. I'd be surprised if you weren't already familiar, but I just love his writing style. So energetic. He's the creator of Conan.
Lies is pretty good but it's not a literary series or an epic really. Comparing it against say lord of the rings it's clear it relies on simpler stories, characters and writing style to appeal to a younger and less intellectually demanding audience. It's genre fiction of an above average kind.
To the op:
China mieville's books are excellent. Perdido street station, etc set in that universe. And the city and the city .
Malazan book of the fallen. A difficult read but the most well realized fantasy world I can think of and can be gripping, heartbreaking, mysterious, confusing and charming all at once.
Black company is genre fiction but among the best.
A song of ice and fire though it actually doesn't have much fantasy to it.
I'd skip Abercrombie, as it's poorly written.
Skip the Robert Jordan books. Extremely bloated.
Robin Hobb is also excellent. Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man are great trilogies. Start with Farseer then go from there.
Scott Lynch is pretty good but I still haven't read his third novel. Oops...
Tad Williams has very good prose, but he tends to get a bit bloated. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn was very good, but could have been nearly a book shorter (still only 4 though).
Avoid Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan like the plague. Also avoid Raymond E. Feist, it's generic YA-like drivel.
Give "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" series by Stephen Donaldson a try, it's more or less entirely character-driven and spends a lot of time inside the main character's head (and he is not a particularly good person). From Wikipedia (some parts removed to avoid spoilers);
Thomas Covenant, an embittered and cynical writer, afflicted with leprosy and shunned by society, is fated to become the heroic savior of The Land, an alternate world.
...
An issue of major importance in the First Chronicles is the question of the reality of the Land. From Covenant's perspective, the Land may well be just a delusion of his disturbed mind; early in his adventure, he gives himself the title of "The Unbeliever". Donaldson goes to great lengths to make this explanation as plausible as any other theory (e.g., Covenant is (to varying degrees) mentally unbalanced, events in the Land seem to parallel his subconscious struggles, his physical condition upon exiting the Land is always exactly the same as his condition upon entering it, etc.). This is the heart of the "Fundamental Question of Ethics" that appears at the very start of the Chronicles, which can be rephrased as "Do one's actions in dreams have any real significance?"
...
Another major theme is the psychological symbolism of the Land. It very clearly parallels Covenant's own psyche: he is filled with self-hatred, manifested in the Land as the Despiser; he is ravaged by a corrupting disease that eats away at him, similarly to the Illearth Stone, and so forth. Covenant is forced to decide whether the fundamental health and beauty of the Land is worth struggling to preserve, whether it is "real" or not, mirroring the choice he must make in his own life. In this way the fantasy genre allows the author to explore Covenant's inner workings in a very effective way.
You're in so much luck. I was like you: I didn't know that there was anything besides the major franchises out there. But there's a ton of awesome fantasy that's constantly coming out.
Assassin's Apprentice (fitz and fool series)- young boy is delivered to the king and revealed to be the bastard son of one the princes. Is raised in shame and paranoia as some of his family want to kill him so he doesn't make a claim for the throne and some want to love him but in secret because of the stigma of a bastard in this world. The best that still has not been adapted in my opinion. Fucking amazing fantasy world with awesome characters. Hero gets a bit emo, but NOT in the badly written whiny way, but in the beautifully written, forced-to-make-bad-decisions-either-way and regretful way.
Name of the Wind (kingkiller chronicles)- Flashman meets Harry Potter like story of a boy who goes from nothing to becoming a prodigy at his magic school, his will-they-won't-they struggles with the supposed love of his life (and the many girls he meets), and the fact that he will eventually grow up to murder a king. Funny, literate, with great word play (a lot of his puns may be foreshadowing). Long wait for book 3 so far though.
The Blade Itself (first law trilogy) - has been compared to everything fantasy meets everything modern day (example: "it's like Lord of the Rings and Pulp Fiction"). Set in a world that is fantasy but runs on our rules - it's a world full of bastards. Our heroes include a legendary hero (who has murdered tons of innocents in his life, even women and children due to his personality or maybe because of the berserker possession he occasionally suffers), the princely aristocrat (prim, elitist, unrelenting and irredeemably so he's basically a Disney villain), a warrior woman (destroyed emotionally and socially), and a band of mercenary thugs who will side with whomever kills the least innocents. Best action sequences ever. Best use of swear words. Author is incredibly charismatic and handsome.
Lies of Locke Lamora - Oceans 11, Oliver Twist, Assassin's Creed 2 and fantasy Lightbringer series - awesome magic system, cool "medieval Europe meets fuedal Japan" world of assassins Black Company - like a war movie and western in a fantasy world but funny and human - I've compared it to a fantasy version of MASH Prince of Thorns - you've never read a book about a young fantasy hero like this. Imagine if Harry Potter was raised by Voldemort to get revenge on the Dursleys. From page 1 he relentless uses people to get what he wants, kill innocents (including his own men) but you still end up rooting for him. He's basically a fantasy Walter White.
As you can probably tell from the replies in this thread already, it's a divisive series. Some like it and recommend it to their friends, and others hate it with a burning passion.
I seem to recall liking them for the story and probably some of the characters, though it's been a while. However, you do have to be okay with a protagonist who ends up being good at a lot of things, either accidentally or through being conveniently talented.
Also, though Rothfuss uses some unusual descriptions (e.g. "the cut-flower sound of a man waiting to die"), the overall writing style may bug you and tend to be young-adult-ish.
Lies is pretty good but it's not a literary series or an epic really. Comparing it against say lord of the rings it's clear it relies on simpler stories, characters and writing style to appeal to a younger and less intellectually demanding audience. It's genre fiction of an above average kind.
Uh...yes it is a literary series. I don't care how much you might dislike it, it's a book, and therefore literature. And I missed the part where it was supposed to be an epic in the first place.
Okay, dude, you are bringing in a great deal of snobbery into this from out of nowhere. The OP didn't ask for 'older and intellectually demanding' books, he asked for good books. I say Lies is good because it's inventive in it's language, it's clever in the schemes the main character pulls, set in a unique and interesting world, and the characterization of it's characters is well done.
If you have some kind of issue that you think the book isn't good, explain how. Just saying "it's simpler than LotR" means nothing to me. Simpler how? In what regard? And why is it a bad thing? I mean, use spoiler tags if you must to go into detail, but it's getting kind of annoying of how you're dismissive of it without actually articulating the how and why of it, or why it is even a pertinent complaint relative to the OP. I could just as easily say that all your recommendations aren't worth checking out for the same reasons. So either actually support your argument here (and I don't mean that as a put down, because if there is some obvious flaw to the books I have missed, I'd like to know about it), or drop the snobbery, really.
My answer is an unequivocal yes, but as you can see, the answer is divisive.
For my part, most of the complaints come from people overreacting and misremembering. I feel it's like an inflamatory series almost, because it will throw tropes that are usually considered bad at you but then make them work in the context of the story. Many would call the character a mary sue, and at a surface level glance, they're right as he's extremely talented. But a closer examination proves this decisively untrue. Mary sues are usually bad because their talents are unwarranted. Kvothe's are justified repeatedly through the story. Mary sues perform ridiculous feats for no reason. Any time Kvothe pulls an extraordinary feat, it is explained how he did it in a believable way. Mary Sue's are bad because they are the only people in the story that matter and other characters only exist to validate them. No, plenty of characters exist along side kvothe that have their own motives, backstories, relationships, and goals that have nothing to do with him.
It gets far worse, imo, in the second book where there is a scene where Kvothe has sex for the first time, and I swear to god, no one actually read that section and just lost their minds at the word sex, so that's all they remember from it.
So I recommend it, but it requires more careful reading than you'd initially believe. Otherwise, you'll get swept up by the unbelievable stuff that is happening and miss all the stuff that actually makes it work.
Lies is pretty good but it's not a literary series or an epic really. Comparing it against say lord of the rings it's clear it relies on simpler stories, characters and writing style to appeal to a younger and less intellectually demanding audience. It's genre fiction of an above average kind.
To the op:
China mieville's books are excellent. Perdido street station, etc set in that universe. And the city and the city .
Malazan book of the fallen. A difficult read but the most well realized fantasy world I can think of and can be gripping, heartbreaking, mysterious, confusing and charming all at once.
Black company is genre fiction but among the best.
A song of ice and fire though it actually doesn't have much fantasy to it.
I'd skip Abercrombie, as it's poorly written.
Skip the Robert Jordan books. Extremely bloated.
I agree on Abercrombie, found that trilogy to actually not be very good. I didn't exactly regret reading it, but I did find the whole thing somewhat unfulfilling. I really wish I could remember my specific complaints about it, but it's been a few years and overall it was just kind of forgettable.
EDIT: I haven't seen a single mention for Daniel Abraham's The Long Price Quartet, which is simply fantastic.
It's worth mentioning that Urth of the New Sun is required reading after you've finished the four New Sun books. Skip it and you'd be missing out on the most insane payoff.
Best to go in blind, with a change of pants handy.
Was going to rage if no one had recommended it by now, but GAF did not let me down. Book of the Long Sun and Book of the Short Sun are also well worth reading. Each series has a different tone and characters, but are set in the same universe with nice connections.
Jeff VanderMeer's Ambergris books (City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek, Finch) are also pretty neat. They're closer to horror and scifi in some ways, but the way the setting is approached is very much fantasy.
I can't remember if it was YA or not, but Dragon of the Lost Sea (first in the Dragon series) by Lawrence Yep is still one of my favorite fantasy series. It basically bases its worldbuilding off of Chinese mythology, so if you're looking for a different prose style, this is definitely the place to be.
There's also The Magicians and that whole series by Lev Grossman, which was pretty bleak, but an enjoyable modern fantasy, grown-up Narnia thing.
There's also the first two series by Tamora Pierce, Alanna and Wild Magic, which I think are YA, but never really felt like your modern YA in how they were written. Her later books take on more of that style, but the first two felt quite different, like they were bridging YA and adult fantasy in their themes.
And then, of course, Terry Pratchett. Anything he's written, really, though the sweet spot is right in the middle of the pack.
I know you said you didn't want YA but the Dragonlance Chronicles/Legends have always been favorites of mine. Even as an adult I think they scratch a good D&D itch. If you're open to comics, then check out Rat Queens. It's the most D&D thing I've ever read in comic form while also being hilarious.
I've been reading Gardens of the Moon (1st Malazan) and it's pretty cool world building, but feels a bit dragged out and a bit disorienting with how often the view point changes. Also every other thing a character does is "raised an eyebrow", to the point that it seems everyone's forehead should have fallen off. Do the other books get any better?
You could give Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains a go. He's more well known for his cyberpunk stuff, but I found it to be a pretty decent fantasy novel, and I'm not hugely into fantasy.
I've been reading Gardens of the Moon (1st Malazan) and it's pretty cool world building, but feels a bit dragged out and a bit disorienting with how often the view point changes. Also every other thing a character does is "raised an eyebrow", to the point that it seems everyone's forehead should have fallen off. Do the other books get any better?
Gardens of the Moon is easily the weakest book, and Erikson's prose improves quite a bit. The view point changes remain a thing, but in later books he often sticks with one character for longer stretches. The series is a lot less disorienting as you go on, although it's always a thing where you can get lost if you aren't paying attention.
I don't think there are any clear qualifiers for Young Adult beyond having younger protagonists and often dealing with coming of age stuff. Sex, violence, and language tend to be milder in Young Adult novels, but that isn't a requirement.
That said, I misread what you were replying to, and thought you were discussing a different book.
Malazan, the black company, the first law, powder mage trilogy, the kingkiller chronicles, various Sanderson stuff, the black prism, stuff by Neil Gaiman, Guy gavriel Kay
Since the OP asked for "nice prose," I'd second Bujold's Chalion books, Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Guy Gavriel Kay and Ursula K Le Guin in general, and add Beagle's The Last Unicorn.
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.
I don't think there are any clear qualifiers for Young Adult beyond having younger protagonists and often dealing with coming of age stuff. Sex, violence, and language tend to be milder in Young Adult novels, but that isn't a requirement.
That said, I misread what you were replying to, and thought you were discussing a different book.
If that's the case, then Lies doesn't fit that either, with the protagonist being in his mid 20's and dealing with shit flying in his face more than coming of age.
But yeah, I don't find genre's terribly useful either. Genre's were invented so bookstores would have a way of organizing which books to put on which shelves. The actual nature of the stories can vary wildly.
Going to recommend Jim Butcher's works. He does a lot of fun stuff; Codex Alera is closer to what you generally read, in that it's High Fantasy, but contains a lot of genre-busting tropes, from a difference in setting (Roman inspired rather than Medieval), to a complete reversal of the typical power dynamic (everybody has magic, main character is a freak for not having it). It starts out more YA ish, but it picks up some heavier political components after the first book. Also, no elves or dwarves! So that's fun.
Further out is The Dresden Files, which is basically the current king of Urban Fantasy. One part fantastical adventure, one part hard-boiled detective drama. It's also approaching book 16, so there's lots to look forward to First 3 books are... okay, but it really picks up at book 4 and every successive entry only gets better. Wonderfully informal first-person narration and incredible villains.
Focusing more on prose, check out Jonathan Strange & Mister Norrel, which has wonderful prose. You'll have to push through the impressively dull first third, though.
If that's the case, then Lies doesn't fit that either, with the protagonist being in his mid 20's and dealing with shit flying in his face more than coming of age.
But yeah, I don't find genre's terribly useful either. Genre's were invented so bookstores would have a way of organizing which books to put on which shelves. The actual nature of the stories can vary wildly.
YA isn't a genre, it's a demographic. I think that's what trips most people up. I don't think there's any need to analyse the content to determine if it is a YA book or not, it just depends on how a publisher wants to market something by branding it a YA book or not.
OP, there's some fucking great replies in here. I'd just try out a bit of everything - make a list.
Also, Reddit made a great list of what you HAVE to try and read. I agree with almost all of them, though I'm going to paraphrase the things you should definitely read, not based on my personal choices but because of the popularity on the different forums I read. (also leaving out YA books, LOTR and GOT at the top)
(bolded things that I have read and are awesome)
(bolded and emphasized my absolute favorites - you'll know)
(italicized things that are very divisive - love or hate)
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss -116
The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson - 85
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan - 79 The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - 75 The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch - 66 - !!!! Discworld by Terry Pratchett - 55 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - 47 The First Law by Joe Abercrombie - 41 - !!!!!!!!!!!! Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - 39 The Dark Tower by Stephen King - 30 The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence - 29 - !!!! The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb - 24 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Black Company by Glen Cook - 20 - !!!!!!!!
Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K Leguin - 19 American Gods by Neil Gaiman - 14 - !!!!
The Drenai Saga by David Gemmell - 14
Watership Down by Richard Adams - 13
The Riyria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan - 12
Prince of Nothing by R Scott Bakker - 11 The Belgariad by David Eddings - 11
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay - 11
Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf - 10
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny - 10 Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - 10
Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan - 10
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist - 10 The Demon Cycle by Peter V Brett - 9 The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle - 9
Lightbringer by Brent Weeks - 9
Codex Alera by Jim Butcher - 8
The Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman -8
Dragonlance Novels by Various Authors (linked the first one listed on Goodreads) - 8
The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay - 8 The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb - 7
Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay - 6 The Magicians by Lev Grossman - 6 Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - 6 The Princess Bride by William Goldman - 6 The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb - 6 - !!!! The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski - 6
Acts of Caine by Matthew Woodring Stover - 5 Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie - 5 - !!!!!!!
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephend R Donaldson - 5
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper - 5
The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - 5
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams - 5 Abhorsen by Garth Nix - 4 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - 4
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon - 4
The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel kay - 4
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks - 4
The Powder Mage by Brian McClellan -4
A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
Vlad Taltos by Steven Brust - 4 The Bas-Lag Cycle by China Mieville - 3
The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop - 3 Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E Howard - 3 - !!!! Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert - 3 - !!!!
The Dying Earth by Jack Vance - 3 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elric by Michael Moorcock - 3
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson - 3
The Empire Trilogy by Ramond Feist and Janny Wurts - 3 Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - 3
Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey - 3
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham - 3
Night Watch and Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko - 3 The Once and Future King by TH White - 3 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - 3 Red Country by Joe Abercrombie - 3 - !!!!
The Saga of Recluse (could only find GR link to book 2) by LE Modesitt Jr - 3
Stardust by Neil Gaiman -3
The Sun Sword by Michelle West - 3
Bartimaeus by Jonathon Stroud - 2
Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold - 2
The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham - 2
Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey - 2
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson - 2
Exiles by Melanie Rawn - 2 Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake - 2
Guardian of the Flame by Joel Rosenberg - 2
The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick
Last Call by Tim Powers -2
The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron - 2 Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny - 2
The Low Town Trilogy by Daniel Polanksy - 2
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock - 2 The Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix - 2 - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings - 2
Riddle-Master by Patricia A McKillip - 2
River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay - 2
Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A McKillip - 2 The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind - 2 War for the Oaks by Emma Bull - 2
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First 3 books are... okay, but it really picks up at book 4 and every successive entry only gets better. Wonderfully informal first-person narration and incredible villains.