Thread: Great fantasy novels

I read fantasy pretty much exclusively. Occasionally I'll read something else for the experience, but I always come back to fantasy.

I've noticed that fantasy seems to be generally looked down upon. While people have no problem boasting about their latest dive into a novel of non-fiction or fiction that takes place in the real world, fantasy books seem to be considered as unintellectual children's stories. It's assumed that they are dragon-filled worlds that are exciting and fun to read but have no real substance to them. It's assumed that they consist of flat characters, that they're written poorly or simply, that their target audience is children, that they never center around real problems, etc. I've found myself embarrassed to even admit that I read fantasy. (Maybe the problem stems from the word: 'fantasy', as it implies its synonym).

The fantasy I read is written for adults. It's entertaining, but often well-written with complex plot and character. The issues mirror real problems in the real world. They are ofen surprisingly philosophical. Although there are often dragons and other cliche elements, I get the feeling with the better books that those things are thrown in on purpose, sort of as a mockery of the cliche.

I'll make a list of a few of the better fantasy series I've read. If anyone has other books to add, please do. I know there must be many out there I haven't read yet.

Spoiler for List of fantasy novels (no actual spoilers):

A Song of Ice and Fire - The first book has been made into the first season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, so this series has become rather popular. This novel is the ideal of the type of 'good' fantasy I'm trying to advocate. It has everything - complex character, plot, very well-written, etc. It's my favorite fantasy series. (Tip: If anyone's read this series and liked it and wants more like it, try reading Acacia, not nearly as amazing but very similar and still really good, like asoiaf on a smaller scale with 9/10 instead of 10/10 elements).

The Gentleman Bastard Sequence - The first book is called The Lies of Locke Lamora. This is a fantasy that feels a lot like non-fiction literature. Even most of the cliches are gone from this series. It's mostly a heist story. It did not interest me at first, and I found it a bit boring until about half way through the first book. By the end of the second book though, it was one of the most entertaining series I'd ever read. It was clever, funny, and sad at times. The characters have depth that is shown through actions and words more than thoughts. It expresses surprising gender equality. It's hard to explain what makes this series so great without actually reading it.

The Farseer Trilogy - This is the most real-feeling fantasy series I've read in my life. The author has no empathy for what happens to her characters. I think this is even more real and raw than ASOIAF. Written in first-person, this doesn't even feel like a story being written. It feels like a real experience being told. You go through an entire book expecting that someting will happen, then it doesn't. As in real life, there is no force shaping the world and guaranteeing a certain outcome.

There are a few more I considered putting on this list, other very entertaining fantasy novels, but I think these 3 sum up the kind of fantasy I think more people should know about.