Best Epic fantasy that isn’t full of pulpy schlock? Returning to series I once loved.

I’m on an adventure right now. An adventure in which I am revisiting all the big epic fantasy series of the golden age 1986-2010.

I am older in age now.

What I am finding is that series I used to love, aren’t landing with every well now.

I tried returning to the Cosmere after a decade away… and even though I respect Brandon Sanderson as a man and as a writer, I now see his books with fresh eyes, and my eyes no longer find them impressive, or even that good.

Same with a few others.

People have urged me to get into Steven Erikson’s Malazan series, which I did, and found that it’s a series that I would have probably enjoyed 15 years ago. But now it just seems like cartoonish pulp with too much action and overpowered magic. Not to mention awful structure.

There are some exceptions…

Stephen R. Donaldson’s work seems to retain its quality upon returning to it years later.

Tad Williams is still a master… Memory Sorrow and Thorn, Otherland, Shadowmarch, and War of the Flowers are still top notch quality.

Robin Hobb still slaps..

L.E Modesitt Jr’s Recluse Saga is still just as good as I remember it.

But other than those, and some new discoveries I made last year… things I used to consider masterpieces have revealed themselves to be quite terrible…

Lessons learned.. let the things you loved in your past remain in your past. 😂

What are some epic fantasy series that aren’t full of pulp and cliche schlock in your opinion?

I want to add to my TBR…

Thanks 😎