Hey folks, hope you're all doing well. I've got a buddy who I've been trying to get into fantasy for a while, but it's never really been his genre, and he's told me he's intimidated by it all. Recently, he's been accepting my suggestions and genuinely trying to get into it, which is a fantastic step for him, but now I'm tasked with getting him more recommendations.
The only piece of fantasy media he's ever been able to get into was a Dream SMP fanfiction from 2021 called "Passerine", which if you're unfamiliar, has a lot of found family dynamics and is more about the "royal life" than a grand fantasy adventure. He's told me that he tends to like books without early-chapter infodumps, and simple/subtle magic systems. Characterization is really important to him, he needs strong major characters that he can get attached to. He also tends towards books with familiar settings, so if they're set in fantasy England, that's even better. The "general vibes" he's told me he's looking for are similar to The Oh Hellos and Yaelokre, if anyone's familiar with those musicians. He'd also probably accept urban fantasy since most of his knowledge base is in contemporary fiction.
I've already recommended the Hawkmoon books by Michael Moorcock, the Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook, and the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thank you in advance. 🙂
by centuriavis