Hello!
I've searched for similar posts and only found some that were years old, so knowing that there's constantly new releases I was hoping for some more recent suggestions, but I'm really open for anything!
To make things short, with JRPG I really mean something along the lines of heroes journey (doesn't need to be a literal journey), which includes an interesting cast that has a lot of interactions with each other and a sense of discovery within a fantasy world, doesn't matter if for the reader or the characters. That's about it, really.
Things that I personally enjoy are pure fantasy worlds (not urban), magic systems, romance as a side theme (including gay romance), a mixture of dark themes with very lighthearted moments, pretty men and women, long series with multiple books, physical paperback releases – but those aren't strict requirements. POV switching is fine but I'd prefer it if the characters were together in some way, not constantly split across different countries/places in completely different situations.
One of my favourite series that would place itself in that genre for me is Nightrunner by Lynn Flewelling. I've pretty much read all the classics (LotR, Narnia etc.), Game of Thrones was also great but is also a tad too grimdark for what I'm looking for currently. I tried Wheel of Time but really couldn't get into it, and I was contemplating whether to start reading a Brandon Sanderson series but haven't decided which one so far.
Much obliged for any recommendations!
by Blaubeerchen27