Hello everybody! I would like to get more into heavy fantasy, preferably with good complex world building, including politics, philosophy and religions. Can be very nerdy. Would also be interested in fantasy that is not inspired by european past. Can also be somewhat surreal or weird.
I am familliar with LotR, the Witcher and used to read lots of Holbein stuff as a Teenager. Please no young adult stuff.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
by asmallcoffeeplease
4 Comments
Macunaima by Mario de Andrade is a Brazilian fantasy based on Amazonian legends and mythology. It’s considered a “modernist” classic because of its commentary on industrialization and urbanization.
While a good chunk is based on a European past, it also has parts based on Japan and other places in the world so I’d highly recommend ‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’ and ‘A Day of Fallen Night’ by Samantha Shannon — both are stand alone, self contained stories in the same world that can be read in any order!
A desi based fantasy though would be ‘The Jasmine Throne’ and its sequels by Tasha Suri!
[The Hands of the Emperor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/af2bba9c-8f41-4a3e-b87a-8532a44ccb67) by Victoria Goddard! It’s basically a (very long) beautifully written slice of life book about the personal secretary to the emperor of the world, with a heavy focus on platonic love. The main character is a top bureaucrat, so we get to see something of an inner view of the world’s government and the world feels super expansive.
The Farseer trilogy maybe.