SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I’m looking for fantasy (negotiable) books with a more sophisticated (but not too serious writing style. Some of my faves include Good Omens, The Princess Bride, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Vicious, The Three Body Problem, Fable, and Gideon the Ninth.

I prefer stuff that is less heavy on the tropes, but tropes don’t necessarily ruin it for me.

Thanks!

You might like Chimeras of Estmer. Especially since one of the main characters is a princess bride in literal sense of the word, lol.
Really, this book has all the hallmarks of epic fantasy, like a complex plot, great worldbuilding and lots of POVs, but it also has a distinctive writing style and a good bit of humour.
The first few chapters are a bit heavy on description. But then the action picks up and the book becomes a real page-turner.
I can also recommend the Osten Ard books by Tad Williams, but there are so many of them. It's a series, not a standalone.

Hmm, I'm not totally sure what you mean by sophisticated, but I'm interpreting it to mean you're looking for good worldbuilding, but not too much purple prose?

Anyway, I've really been enjoying fantasies from the 20th century, and because The Princess Bride is one of your favorites, I'm recommending Daughter of the Forest and Assassin's Apprentice. Hope you enjoy!

Recommending one of the best-written fantasy novels I've come across. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. It has excellent world-building and great characters. One of the few books that I finished, turned back to page one and read again.

Since you liked Gideon the Ninth, I would recommend going ahead and reading the next two in the series: Harrow the Ninth and Nona the Ninth. The final book, Alecto the Ninth, is not out yet. Don't know why it's been delayed, but I suspect we won't see it before the end of 2025.

A very different fantasy that should also fit: Fortress in the Eye of Time by CJ Cherryh.

I have been reading The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi which is an epic starring a retired legend pirate, who takes “on last job” to effectively save her daughter (sort of). it’s great world building, a super fun read, and fantastic characters.

I'm reading The Lies of Locke Lamora at the moment, and it feels like something you might be interested in. A good mix of humour, good story and solid characters.

Janny Wurts writes some of the most sophisticated stories I've ever read. Her Wars of Light and Shadow series begins with The Curse of the Mistwraith.