I’m looking for a fantasy series (at least 2 books) I read in the mid-80s. Most of it was set on a world without metal, so they had found other ways to make weapons. A second world, with metal, tries to take it over. I remember two main characters -brothers- on the first world, one becomes a ruler and the other is trying to learn about the second world.
108755
This is a series my father read when he was younger (he was born in the 60s) and had me read as a kid, the book cover had the look and feel of classic fantasy novels such as the Wheel of Time series.  It is set in a medieval kingdom, the premise of the book was that in the past a portal had opened up to another world and an alien race tried to invade, they were beaten back and the portal was shut.   From what I remember as the series progresses another portal opens up and a war starts with said alien race.  At one point in the series one of the main characters ends up going through the portal and ends up as a slave to an alien race. Where he was enslaved was akin to a plantation in a swamp (I believe).   There is also a very vague memory of female assassin like character in a castle on an peninsula. Full disclosure, that detail may be from a different series/not very helpful.
26266
I am looking for the name of a series of book.  In the world described in those books, magic exists, and it is also told that the 7th child of a family will be extremely proficient with it.  In the first book, we are following the story of a family, whose father is one of those 7th sons, but is nothing extraordinary when it comes to magic. At the start of said book we learn that his wife gave birth to a child which is their 7th (7th son of a 7th son).  But sadly it seems like the child died shortly after.    We also learn of another family, which is celebrating the birth of their newborn daughter, but during the celebration, an assassination takes place, and only the newborn daughter survives.  What was particular with this assassination is the fact that the killer used bullets, with a name inscribed on them. Those bullets are known to always find their way to the person their destined to.  After surviving this, the daughter was adopted by the first family.    A few traits of this world which can help identify the book :   While magic exists, it doesn't seems that everyone can be a mage, and only a few select ones can excel in it. The most powerful mage in the country is given a position of authority, and usually takes an apprentice amongst the most promising mages, and usually that apprentice will take that position after their master.   A few key events (in the first book) that can help :   After the assassination of the second family (which was something akin to royalty) a new government takes place. This government created a militia, which enrolled many young children to indoctrinate them.   At the end of the first book, we learn that one of those young children was, in fact, the seventh child of the first family (which they thought died at birth)  After a while, the new government learns about the whereabouts of the daughter of the second family, and sends assassins against her. So the first family (who adopted the daughter) decides to take refuge with their aunt, who is somewhat of a hermit and is living in a remote location.     If anyone is able to identify the book from this mess of a question, that would be really helpful.
117786
I read a fantasy novel that was implied to be part of a series around 20 years ago (was part of my high school library, not certain how old it was then).  I don't remember the title or author, or admittedly large portions of the plot (or maybe it was just a disjointed book), and would like to request help here.    These are the elements I remember:   A young teenager (in what I believe is regular old Earth) receives a list of instructions from a composer friend of his.  By going through the composer's house and taking a convoluted path through the neighborhood, that starts changing on him as he goes, he arrives in another world entirely. The path ends in a hostile garden or hedge maze that is tended/guarded by a woman in a veil. The village he ends up in seems pretty repressed.  Something about another guardian woman nearby related to the first, but not immediately hostile. Desert or a wasteland nearby that contain monstrous or demonic children. The protagonist eventually learns some ability to leave shadows or decoys behind by breaking off pieces of his emotions, or psyche.  He ends up using this to cross the local wasteland. Climbs a mountain and sees his own face as an adult in a snow vision, although he doesn't realize it until he finally returns home to Earth and sees himself in a mirror again. Someone wants a "song of power" or words of power and traps our traveler for it.  The original composer friend is somehow related to this, but what the traveler ends up writing under duress is a trap, and magically blows the villain's home up.   That's what I got.  Any ideas?
102697
When I was younger I read a series of 3 or 4 books involving largely traditional mages/dragons/enchanted forests.  I'd like to buy it for some of my younger extended family members but I can't remember the name of it.  Here's what I remember from this:   I read the last book first, in which the son of a woman turned out to be largely one of the main characters in the other books takes an enchanted sword into a forest on a quest to do something. At one point in one of the earlier books the group was travelling through a swamp like area to get to a tower where a witch(or mage lived). There was a king (possibly the son's father) who was frozen in a castle during the last book. The evil mages/witches would melt (but not die) when some spell was cast on them. I read the series circa 1992 (estimated), comparable to the DragonLance series it was geared towards a younger audience (I don't remember any sex/brutal slayings of anyone). I believe in the first book the mother of the son in the last book runs away from home and becomes something of a maid to a dragon. I can't remember if there were evil dragons or not, I seem to remember that at least some of them were good (or at least largely neutral).   If I think of any other details I'll add them.
4225
I have a vague recollection of a book I devoured while in college; it was from the late 80's or early 90's. I remember that there were two 'classes' of mages, the ones who could harvest magical energy from the environment and supply that power to the other 'class' of mages.  The main character learned that he could reverse the flow and sap the other mage of his/her power. I also seem to remember that there was a lot of technological warfare and travel to the planets moon(s)?
38458
I read part of the series in 2005, a young man was the protagonist, he was traveling to different worlds. I think he was telepathic and the most identifying thing I can remember was he had a flying snake or asp as a pet which possibly was his protector? He was in danger for some reason. Also there was a romantic interest female. The books were very distinct from one another. The second or third book he visited a planet that was extremely bio-diverse, where he was on top of all this vegetation and he realized how many layers of vegetation he would have to get to before he got to the ground and it was vast. I never finished it and it's been driving me nuts.
3923
I read a book as a teenager and I am searching for it. (from around the 90's)  Things I remember:   I remember that one of the players was in a wheelchair and he played a dwarf, Also remember when the wizard woke up in the game world, he set off a lightning bolt and exploded most of their gear.    I wish I could give you more, I read it and it inspired me to start playing D&amp;D. Want to revisit it.
61901
I remember starting, and losing, a book in the late 80s, early 90s, that I have been trying to  remember for a while now.  It's not much to go on, I realise, but the main crux of the plot, until I left the book in a phone booth :/, was an ice age (either implied or stated, I can't recall) was starting, and a (I think implied) glacier was moving closer to the main castle or walled city of the novel.   The setting was not specifically High Fantasy, but a medieval style setting.  The interesting thing I always remember about the book was that the antagonist appeared to be the ice itself, slowly, but inexorably, getting closer.
36998
For some reason I've been off and on trying to remember for this for some years now.  In short: The protagonist wakes up to discover his body has been replaced by a tank and is being forced to fight to in a war for his alien enemy against some other enemy.  I read this most likely in the mid/late 1980's. I'm fairly certain it was a paperback and was probably a few years old by then. I think it may have had an outline of a tank on the cover. I'm fairly sure I had read "Armor" by John Steakley in the same general time frame.  More detail: The protagonist was on Earth as part of a resistance against an alien invasion.  Near the beginning of the book they had augmented his strength, reflexes, etc.  After going through all of that, he was immediately killed in his first encounter.  Eventually he wakes up again to discover that he is now a brain in a box and his body is now a tank fighting some other war.  He was likely able to break free and regain consciousness because of the augmentations he received.  I believe that from there he went about waking up the other human brains and leading a revolt.  Not sure why it stuck in my head but there was a scene when they were testing his augmentations.  They had him in a weight machine and he was complaining that the shoulder padding was too soft because the bar was digging in his shoulders.  The comment back was that the pads were made out of oak or some such.  Does anyone recall the name of the book, author, etc so I can track it down again?
23418
I am looking for some help remembering this book series I listened to on audiobook many years ago. It was a good story I just for the life of me can't remember the name, author or any of the character names lol I think this is a long shot as I don't remember many details but I really would like to read it again.  Some of the details I do remember: the story is set in a medieval time, not on this planet.  It's told from the viewpoint of a man, I believe he was a soldier. The main character meets him in a war torn world and allows him to travel with her.  The main character is a woman. She is a wanderer and carries a sword that only she can hold. If I remember correctly the magic is too powerful for anyone else to bear and it physically hurts them.  This sword allows her to pass through portals into other worlds. The portals are stationary and they need to travel to them.  There was also something special about her horse.... Ugh.  Each book is set on a different world.I only remember two of the worlds.  One is doomed world. It's land is sinking and towards the end there is a rush to get to the next portal. The book is set in a bog filled environment.  The other world I remember is more lush. Open plains and dense forest. The man is separated from the woman for some time. He stays with tribes-people, elves maybe? When it's time for them to go to the next world the man is torn between staying with his new friends and leaving.  So that's really all I remember. At the time I remember noting after I had read a few of the books that the author never really finished the series.  Any help would be appreciated :) throw me some guesses so I can do some research!
49604
I remember reading this book back in late 90's. It is about a slave that gathers some friends and goes into a desert to find/fight a dragon. There is also a revolt/uprising in the slaves' home town. I can't remember if this is a single book or a trilogy.  I think the rulers were called Sorcerer-lords or Sorcerer-Kings. And I remember one character was called Boris or Borys.
69889
It's a world that includes fire, water, air, earth, shadow and light users. This world has at least one archipelago with a king, that's died in the previous squashing of rebellion, his descendant lives known only to few. At the beginning of the series a girl is on a fire-owned submarine vessel that gets attacked by Shadow rebels. The Shadow rebels have at least one base in the archipelago and train people there. I'm not totally sure, but I believe there's also an island that has a lot to do with trade. Also, the fire... clergy, I guess? Has absorbed the light part, so basically there are only 5 separate elements remaining.  Some info I'm not quite 100% sure about, but I think the king of the archipelago might also be called The or a Pharao  Unfortunately this is pretty much all I remember.
63234
I was reading  and was strongly reminded of a series I remember reading in my teens.  This would have been a series of novels (possibly just one), published in English, and likely before 1980 - I read it in the 90s and it was fairly old, a used book.  I do not think it is the same as the linked question, which is why I'm asking this separately.  It was definitely a fantasy, not sci-fi.  Plot:  At least two girls (and possibly also some boys/other girls) are transported from modern Earth into a fantasy world.  I think they're a group of friends, possibly with some romantic pairings, and are in the 16-25 age range.  The first significant scene I remember is two of the girls ending up in a city, where they are taken in by an older female artist (might have been a different creative type, like a sculptor/actress).  She's lesbian/bisexual.  At some point she attempts to give one of the girls a love potion, but they reverse it on her, so instead the artist falls in love with the girl and accompanies her for the rest of the books.  Twist: It's later revealed that the artist's friends recognized the love potion and removed it.  She pretended to be in love and went along because she thought it would be interesting.  At some point at least one of the girls ends up basically being a magical sex slave/prostitute.  I remember her being tattooed or painted - I think in blue - and also possibly given some magical jewellery/piercings that ensure her obedience/love of her owner.  I do not remember much of the over-arching plot, just a few disjointed pieces:  The world has chaos/wild magic storms.  The books might have called them something else.  Anyone or anything caught by these storms is transformed into something else entirely, so different objects or species.  These show up throughout as minor plot encounters.  I think they can be defended against with a special material.  Near the very end, a large storm engulfs a major city, giving it entirely new architecture and transforming the inhabitants into green, hermaphrodites with a centaurish body structure.  I am not 100% sure this was the same novel, but I recall a secondary character with a secret - at night he turns into a woman (not just his body, but an entirely different person).  At some point it's revealed that the woman was his lover, and he saved her life by sharing his body with her - of course, now they can never meet/touch again.
8319
I read the first book in the 90s.  The characters are taken back in time and into other bodies.  There is a man, woman and a dwarf at least.  They use their modern knowledge to help rule.  They make revolvers at the end and the main leader is killed.
35611
I read a book quite a while back (probably quite a few years ago) that I downloaded (probably for free, but maybe not) on iBooks. I do not have iTunes anymore so I can't find it from there.   It was a fantasy book about a girl with magical ability. It was set in a different world to ours. Kind of medieval-esque? It starts with her in this keep, and she works there since her mother died. There are creepy guys there but she used her magic to hurt one and now they stay away. Then this man comes along, realises she can do magic, and takes her away and trains her. There is a big plot about saving the world I think. And there's a warm hot country where there is a man called something like Soluman.   That's all I can remember. If anyone knows or thinks they know what this is, could you please tell me? I know this is very vague, but it's all I can pin down. I'm pretty sure this was part of a trilogy or series of books. And I think it had a female author.
69670
I have been trying to find a book I read quite a few years ago. Well, there are 2, one being the sequel.  Now I'm sure my memory has been kind enough to mix parts of the 2 books, but I will do my best with the description.  The cover of the book had a hand print. As far as the story, a boy finds out he has some powers from some guy. I think he had a ring that allowed him to use his power. Later when training the boy, he has him learn to control his power by deflecting rocks or meteors or some rocky item. The boy ends up using too much force and shatters them, but eventually gets the hang of it. Another part close to the end, the boy has a vision, I think, of some other kid getting struck by lightning, so he figures out a way to save the kid, but gets struck by the lightning himself.  In the second book, I remember a part early on where a sign falls from a building toward some child, but the boy uses his power to save the kid; afterwards, no trace of the boy is found. A lady who witnessed it said something like it was her dead son (I'm guessing his mom from the previous book).   I'm having trouble remembering anything but that. I read them in '97 or '98, I believe. As far as the publication dates, I never checked.
107251
This is (I believe) a 1980s series of books set in the US after a nuclear war. The central characters I think are constant across the books although I only read one of them. One character is a weapons and explosives expert. The story features  secret US government teleportation technology developed before the war and located around the country in facilities like Cheyenne Mountain.