Ahira's Hangar

I've basically been looking for a cool story about knights, kings, courts, royal hunting parties that is not ASOIAF or Arthurian Legend. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Both Fantasy and Hist. fiction apply to my question <i>"In those days the Noldor still roamed the Hither Lands, fair and tall, mightiest among the Children of Iluvatar, and their beautiful voices were still heard by mortals"</i><i></i>

Have u ever read Orlando Furioso? It's an old Ballentine Adult Fantasy Series book--and if u can get thru some ornate and heady prose I think u'll like it--should b able 2 get it super-cheap in any decent and fairly large used bookstore... Mathematics is a game. It's pieces are the axioms we create, and it's rules our logic. That mathematics is occasionally useful to mechanics and pilots is accidental -Mahavira Lal, third Lord Cantor<i></i>

<b> Wow! When you leave out Arthurian books, it really limits the number of books (at least the number that I know of) :
Tolkien did <i> Pearl and Sir Orfeo</i>, but that may still be Arthurian. Ray Bradbury did a short story in which two knights attacked a locomotive, but I don't remember the title. I will continue to research. </b> Arise now, Riders of Théoden!Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!Forth Eorlingas!<i></i>

Cali, I been trying for like a frigging year and there ain't much. What crazy person watches soccer at four in the mornin?<i></i>

<b> Cali, I put your question in over at readerville.com. If they can find <i> Tunnel in the Sky</i> from my description, maybe they can also tell you some authors/books about knights, kings, etc. I will let you know if I get something. </b> Arise now, Riders of Théoden!Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!Forth Eorlingas!<i></i>

Aw come on u 2! and even the King--give po' ol' Orlando a shot! It was recommended under a Knight search @ Amazon... Mathematics is a game. It's pieces are the axioms we create, and it's rules our logic. That mathematics is occasionally useful to mechanics and pilots is accidental -Mahavira Lal, third Lord Cantor<i></i>

<b> I got the following reply from one reader, Cali:
<i> Off the top of my head, I recall some variations of the courtly sort of thing in Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber, Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana, Peter S. Beagle's The Folk of the Air (though they're mostly ASC members...), and Neil Gaiman's Stardust. None are Arthurian, at least. </i>
Danlo, I wasn't brushing off your suggestion at all. I'm sure Orlando is great. In fact, I went to EBAY to see if anyone was selling his works, and someone is selling some collection of his for $600+ (no bids when I looked though ).
Cali, the person who wrote wanted to know what ASOIAF meant, and I have to confess that I couldn't answer him/her. Could you enlighten us? </b> Arise now, Riders of Théoden!Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!Forth Eorlingas!<i></i>

A Song of Ice and Fire--G.R.R. Martin website and name of the Game of Thrones series! Mathematics is a game. It's pieces are the axioms we create, and it's rules our logic. That mathematics is occasionally useful to mechanics and pilots is accidental -Mahavira Lal, third Lord Cantor<i></i>

<b> OK, Cali, here are some more suggestions:

Guy Gavriel Kay's <i> A Song for Arbonne</i>

The Riftwar books by Raymond Feist. I believe the first in that series is <i> Magician</i>.

The sword & sorcery stuff by Michael Moorcock. <i> King of Swords</i>, <i> Elric of Melniborne</i>, etc.

Sharon Kay Penman <i> Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, The Reckoning, Cruel As the Grave, The Queen's Man</i>

Katherine Kurtz' Deryni series </b>



Arise now, Riders of Théoden!Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!Forth Eorlingas!<i></i>

Knowing Cali as I do, and he's a good personal mate, he's set you a tough one here I'd say.

Theoden he hates Moorcock and has read Penman. GGK he likes a lot so I suppose Tigana and Lions would be the thing for the ClogLord.

And can someone please tatoo GGRM = George Martin and ASOIAF = A Song Of Ice and Fire on the Horse-Kings inner lip, cus I'm forever telling him these things over on Gap of Rohan.

I tell ya, all that horse muck is addling his brain !! Aure entuluva !<i></i>

HAHAHA! Cali--do what many suggest @ ASOIAF--try The Dragon Waiting--the more I browse of it in the stores the more I want 2 read it! But I will read High House and AGOT 1st, Beren--good 2 c u back! Ur comments always crack me up !!! Mathematics is a game. It's pieces are the axioms we create, and it's rules our logic. That mathematics is occasionally useful to mechanics and pilots is accidental -Mahavira Lal, third Lord Cantor<i></i>

Good to be back Danlo. Busy here and there, essays to write, decks to spin, books to read, Mrs C to keep happy. Life eh ? Aure entuluva !<i></i>

I'll be sure to give the Dragon waiting a try, I understand ser One-arm loves it.

EDIT:

Whaada ya mean, neverending quest to avoid Tolstoy, Lol!

Riftwar by Feist is already on the to-read list, many of Kurtz's Deryni books are unfortunately out of print, Kay's Tigana, Lions of Al-rassan etc will be read eventually.

Danlo, Orlando Furioso sounds quite interesting, apparently it was written in the same time as the famous Italian The Decameron.
You've not read A game of thrones yet? <i>"'But long ago he rode away,and where he dwelleth none can say;for into darkness fell his star,in Mordor where the shadows are"</i><i>Edited by: Calibandar at: 7/20/02 4:47:58 am
</i>

Have you read Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott Cali? If not I think you might give it a try. Alot of the stuff you seem to be looking for. Its hist. fict. pretty good read if you ask me. Up to par with ASoIaF.

On the fantasy side you might try Runelords by David Farland it has knights of a fashion and some hunting in there somewhere. Not alot of tourneys but I found the first two books interesting and havent picked up the third because ive heard bad things. And Ive got a million books on the waiting list...but pick up IVANHOE if you already havent your describing perfectly....
Asshai by the Shadow a new board, come discuss the darker side of ASoIaF.<i></i>

Dragonlance, Heros, The Legend of Huma, is really nice, I don't remember the author, but it was one of the first Dragonlance books I read, looking back I think Dragonlance, and other similar D&D books are a little bit childish, but this one stands out in my memory, as a good story, dealing with Knights and such. Good stuff. Also, thinking of it, WOT, the Weel of Time, has some interesting Knightly aspects, the Whitecloaks, and the Warders, not to mention the Borderguard. They're really good books too. Have you ever heard of the Ronin series? I can't remember exactly what the title was, but it was a really good book, dealing with swordsmanship, really interesting, and gripping books. Also, Fred Saberhagen, I think, wrote the Books of Swords, I think there are like maybe 7 or 9 in all, they're short books, but really with original ideas, though in some ways they're a bit simple, but with good storys. I don't know if that's the kind of book you're looking for though. They're not really about knights, there are magic swords, each with specific powers, kind of neat. Anyway, in Dragonlance the Solomic Knights are famous. Check em out! <i></i>