Looking for a few good fantasy authors and novels to read? As starting points, these authors are those I would consider stand-outs and/or worthy standards in the genre.
For the lighter heart Terry Pratchett, Discworld, The Color of Magic: A Discworld Novel (Discworld Novels), Satire and humor in the fantasy genre, truly a triumph of writing. The earliest books are a bit rough, but since then I'd say the quality and enjoyment level has been surprisingly high (bit of a reverse on the usual pattern). J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, how could I not mention this? Good for young and old. Of course, the later books are darker. K.E. Mills, The Rogue Agent series (still in progress), The Accidental Sorcerer (Rogue Agent), a bit ingenuous, but worthy all the same. Robert Asprin, the Myth books, Another Fine Myth/Myth Conceptions 2-in1 (Myth 2-in-1)
Of course, there are many, many more authors and books I haven't mentioned, some for good reason, some because you really have to be into the genre to enjoy them, some because this was intended as a starting point, not a comprehensive list. Some authors, such as Tolkien, have written fine and excellent books, but they are heavy reads, unsuited to starting out in the genre. Others I have found a bit too formulaic and lacking overall arc and character development; the first book or two are great, but after that, I'd give many of them a miss. (I'm not sure if a "read the first ones, avoid the later" list would be appropriate.) Even amongst the series I mention above, some do falter a bit in the later books, in my opinion. Your mileage may vary, caveat lector.
