He’s the author of The Golden Compass, which I’m sure a fair few people have seen. I wasn’t very happy with the movie though, and wished they had made it a 3hr movie, maybe 3 and a half so that the whole thing didn’t feel so rushed, like Star Dust.

But the books are incredible. I really like his take on the soul, consciousness and our connection to others. I also really love steampunk, which in my opinion is a completely under appreciated genre. But unfortunately most of the movies in the genre didn’t do so well, like Wild, Wild West.

So my recommendation is to read the books if you didn’t like the movie, and read them if you did ^^

I haven’t read anything by her for a while, but I’ve re-read several of her book. The first books of hers I read were the Dragon Prince trilogy. It’s the first of two trilogies that complete the series, the second is called the Dragon Star trilogy. The books in order are The Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll, Sunrunner’s Fire, then Stronghold, The Dragon Token and lastly Skybowl. It’s a pretty epic series like the Wheel of Time, but not similar in writing or anything, just in the feel of the mammoth plot.

The characters are very well rounded and even the bad guys you kind of come to empathize with because of the detail she goes into. But that doesn’t in any way make what they do acceptable, it just makes their actions logical, or at least you can see how they came to their decisions. I’ve read some books that had a really weird feel cause the author wasn’t very good at character detail and background, so when a character did something it felt weird because you knew nothing about them to be able to know if they would or wouldn’t have realistically done it. But then there are some authors like Robert Jordan who can bog you down in to much detail, the books are still good, but who really cares if the old abandoned farm house has some moss growing in a corner, it’s not relevant to the plot. Sure some people say that’s nice, it allows you to get in the world more, but as far as I’m concerned the best authors in the world can paint you a vivid picture with very few words. Kurt Vonnegut for instance, none of his books are long at all, but the amount of info that he conveys is immense.

The world is very detailed with an interesting magic system. I’ve found I like new or different takes on magic, I find it very appealing and refreshing. This one, the mages have elemental control, but their power is obtained through the sun, moon and stars. But the most commonly used is the sun, hence Sunrunners. The description of how it’s used is that they can travel on the suns rays to communicate and to look at things far away. The only limitation is cloud cover, if your path is inadvertently cut off from where their mind is to their body your mind is lost or essentially their consciousness. And the description of them weaving the sunlight creates this incredible stained glass window image in your head.

The series of hers that is my favorite is called the Exiles. Though the third book hasn’t been published yet. This series also has an interesting magic system and lore. I’m personally big on mythology and lore of ancient cultures so I appreciate when an author puts some time into theirs.

The first book is called The Ruins of Ambrai, and it follows 3 sisters who don’t their sisters at first. There is so much that goes on that it’s kind of difficult to sum up in a paragraph or two. XD The second is The Mageborn Traitor and the third, The Captal’s Tower. But the third book isn’t out yet.

I recommend both series, especially The Exiles.

Tanya Huff is another favorite author of mine. She has a witty fun style that you can’t help but lol at. Seriously, I’ll be at the gym on a bike and reading a book of hers and I’ll burst out laughing and everyone just kinda gives me a sideways wth glance XD

The first book of hers I read was Summon the Keeper, and it’s freaking awesome! It’s what you’d call a “Contemporary Fantasy”, meaning that it’s in the modern everyday world, but magical stuff exists for those that believe. So you’re everyday Joe won’t notice it, but if you’re “attuned” to it you see all the extra-worldly stuff.

Well, Summon the Keeper is the first of a series called the “Keeper Chronicles”, all with the same main character, and her awesome cat. Actually, come to think of it I might have bought the book because it had a cat on the cover, then read the back and thought it looked interesting ^^

This is DAW’s blurb on Summon the Keeper:
“Being one of the Earth’s protectors is never easy, but when Claire the Keeper and Austin the cat find themselves in charge of the Elysian Fields Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast, all Hell breaks loose in the form of a gateway residing in the basement!”

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780886777845,00.html#

I’ve been working on her Valor Confederation series, which is a sci-fi series based around her main character Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr who leads a platoon of space marines through various situations including a diplomatic mission as envoys to a new species, as well as the exploration of a new alien spacecraft never encountered before. I’ve read the first 2 so far, Valor’s Choice and The Better Part of Valor, but I haven’t read the third one yet The Heart of Valor, but I’ve got it and hopefully will read it next ^^

Valor’s Choice is witty and has a interesting perspective on inter-species diplomacy which I really enjoyed and The Better Part of Valor is just as witty and takes a very in-depth look at what rank is and how its respected.

DAW’s blurb on Valor’s Choice:
“In the distant future, humans and several other races have been granted membership in the Confederation–at a price. They must act as soldier/protectors of the far more civilized races who have long since turned away from war…”

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780886778965,00.html#

I also liked her Wizard of the Grove series, it has two books in one, Child of the Grove and The Last Wizard. It’s a wonderful fantasy book, very vivid and cool world with great characters.

DAW’s blurb on Wizard of the Grove:
“Child of the Grove and The Last Wizard form a powerful fantasy duology about the last wizard ever to be born into the world. It is the saga of Crystal, a daughter of Power whose destiny is to put an end to the war between wizards and the mortal world.”

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780886778194,00.html#

Mercedes Lackey is one of my favorite authors. There are currently 4 books in the new series she and James Mallorey have been co-authoring. The original trilogy ‘The Obsidian Trilogy” contains The Outstretched Shadow, To Light a Candle and When Darkness Falls. The Phoenix Unchained is the 4th from this series and looks like it’s gonna start up a new trilogy. It’s got great characters, a fun and creative magic system, and while the bad guys are a little predictable, it doesn’t even begin to dent an otherwise great read. The world they paint in your head is beautiful, and even the minor characters are well rounded. I highly recommend it.

The Outstretched Shadow

The Obsidian Trilogy: Book One

The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy (Volume 1 of 3)

Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the way the world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Council of Mages,…

More • Excerpt

Mass Market Paperbound Published: September 2004

The Phoenix Unchained

Book One of The Enduring Flame

Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory first teamed up to write The Obsidian Trilogy, set in a wondrous world…

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Hardcover Published: October 2007

Some other books I recommend from Mercedes Lackey are:

Heralds of Valdemar:

Arrows of the Queen

Arrow’s Flight

Arrow’s Fall

Vows and Honor

The Last Herald Mage

I like the rest of the Valdemar stuff, but these are my favorite out of them.