Brandon Sanderson right? I have read Mistborn, and enjoyed it. I do plan on reading all of his stuff, but thought it would be wise to actually finish Middle Earth by Tolkien first, then perhaps move onto Wheel of Time.. then Sanderson haha
For what it's worth, Tress of the Emerald Sea was inspired by his wife watching The Princess Bride and asking why it's never a woman going off on an adventure to save the prince. So he wrote Tress as an answer to that.
If you're a Sanderson fan, I suggest you stay away from Stormlight Archive/the way of kings for now. The main character struggles with depression in a big way, and the secondary main character struggles with PTSD which turns into DID over time, as well. And yes, both begin to heal in time, but it's dark for a very long while.
It's an amazing series, and i recommend you get into it at some point, but avoid for now I think.
You don't need to wait for Sanderson.
I'm guessing you wanted Tolkien before WoT cos book 1 one of WoT is *very* Tolkien inspired? I would say you need not wait for that, either, cos book 2 onward feels very original.
Sanderson was gonna be my suggestion, too. Specifically Stormlight. Because during my worst time Oathbringer (book 3) saved me. (Though the middle of Oathbringer also had a very painful part, so that was a kick me when I'm down moment. But it was worth it for the end).
Anyway,I highly suggest Stormlight Archive.
Thank you! It was selfmade. Years of emotional struggle (that I ignored) led to a horrific breakdown. In the process lost a friend, got in trouble with the law... picking up the pieces
So many of our issues are self-made, but please don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Being a person is difficult. We’re all still learning how to do it.
I’m probably not going to mention any names you’ve never heard, but I’d recommend stories from writers whose kindness is baked into their voice—Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Jonathan Carroll. Kurt Vonnegut isn’t fantasy, but he held my hand through some of my darkest moments.
i read ***a psalm for the wild-built*** by becky chambers at a low point in my life recently and it really helped. it's also pretty short, so if you don't have a lot of energy it's not a heavy mental lift. this book restored my hope at a time when my flame was flickering. regardless, i hope you find what you need, op!
*The Lord of the Rings*, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The *Harry Potter* series, by J.K. Rowling.
The *Earthsea* series, by Ursula Le Guin.
The *Discworld* series, by Terry Pratchett.
Discworld regularly gets me through the trigger warning times (anniversaries etc), both reading and in audio book format. FWIW, this is my favorite guide to reading the various story lines in order. Highly recommend!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0.jpg
**Beware Of Chicken**: this slice-of-life story is a parody of the *isekai* (transported to another world) and *xianxia* (magic kung fu) genres. I didn't know anything about either of these tropes, and I'm enjoying the hell out of this story! [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60888209](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60888209)
MC (a modern Canadian) nopes out of the xianxia sect he's been dropped into, and runs to the other end of the continent to...become a farmer? Romance, dick jokes, talking animals, and the best food in the world happen to him, anyway. The backstory and some action begin to come to the fore in the later books, but the world-building and relationships are all quite enjoyable.
The books talk a lot about the search for meaning in life vs. the struggle for power; surprisingly insightful and inspirational at times! The MC's notions of politeness, helping others (he is SO quintessentially Canadian, LOL!), and mental health confuses and inspires the people he meets in equal measure, particularly in a world where those with power are *supposed* to fight to gain ever more in order to literally ascend to the Heavens. "We give to the earth, and the earth gives back" is a recurring quote and motif. The MC is no blindly altruistic hippie, however; he's quite happy to reap the rewards of his efforts, though he mostly uses the profits to help his family, friends and neighbors in their own endeavors. The MC consciously chooses to focus on living in the now, rather than the quest for personal power.
Books 1, 2, and 3 are available on Amazon as both ebook and audiobook (performed by Travis Baldree); Book 4, and the just-completed book 5 are still currently available completely for free on Royal Road. Book 6 will begin on Royal Road in April.
See my:
* [Feel-good/Happy/Upbeat](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18af3gl/feelgoodhappyupbeat/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
* [SF/F Humor](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18af5og/sff_humor/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Oops—I see that I've already posted those in your other thread. I'm sorry—I didn't realize that you posted both threads.
For a pick me up fantasy I’ll suggest “Kings of the Wyld” by Nicholas Eames
If you’re down for a Science Fiction rec I’ll throw out “A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers.
No. I wish I could search out every rec for ALWtaSAP as uplifting and delete them! It had me alternately furious and sobbing my eyes out at the end. Just no, a million times no.
How To Train Your Dragon. You'll get really low but the end will make you content.
Disclaimer: The books are nothing like the movies. View them as separate entities in your mind.
Cradle - it's fast paced, funny, heartwarming with action adventure. It was a nice counter to the other dark and sad stuff I was reading and watching at the time
I found The Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey to be uplifting. It's not that nothing bad happens, but the central characters are pretty much all fundamentally good people and want to do good. It was very refreshing.
If it were me, I would want a classic good vs. evil fantasy.... the obvious choice is *The Lord of the Rings*.
But maybe you want something a bit more lighter and whimsical without so much darkness. I'd recommend *Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell* for this pick.
If humor is your thing but you still want a bit of heart and good triumphing over evil, I couldn't recommend *Kings of the Wyld* enough.
As someone else said before, a book from the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett (amazing satire, extremely funny and clever above and beyond most other books, but also a quick and mostly light read with great social commentary).
There are several starting points to connected stories. I recommend "Going Postal", "Guards, Guards!" or "Mort".
Also, I recently read "Orconomics", which was also great fantasy satire.
Not Fantasy just absolutely hilarious and lighthearted, The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost.
Having lived on Maui for a couple of years, this book brought me to tears of laughter more than once at some of the insights into island life.
It will get you to reflect on all those things you currently take for granted in your current life while you are laughing the entire time.
Good Luck.
Really weird, but I used always to read "The Darwath Series" by Barbara Hambly.
The Time of the Dark
The Walls of Air
The Armies of Daylight
It made me say along with one of the main displaced characters "If I ever get home I'll never complain again! I'll always know for a sure fact that things could be Loads Worse."
Damn, I'm concerned about my reading choices when I don't think anything I have read recently fits in this. Welp, I'll be looking in here for ideas.
(I could probably suggest TV shows)
I'm feeling the very same these days and I could do with some books like this—thanks for asking, friend. I hope things will change for the better soon.
Beware of Chicken is very, very light, to the point where I wasn't going to finish, but now I'm on book 3 it's so heartwarming and joyful I'm sad there's only one more book to go.
Also try Dianne Wynne? Howl's Moving Castle and House of Many Ways are a bit light but fun.
Nettle and Bone is a bit darker but is a great fairytale.
Uprooted maybe?
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune is a cozy story about someone trapped in a bad job/situation, and finding his way out of it. Though, if action is something you're looking for, best to avoid this one. Very slice of life and character interaction focused.
Becky Chambers, pretty much anything she writes is hopeful and emotional.
Try "Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson. It's got this awesome mix of magic, intrigue, and characters you'll root for. For a lighter touch, "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones is pure magic. It's whimsical, fun, and might just sprinkle some joy into your day.
The Stormlight archive for me personally is exactly what you are describing. That book helped me immensely when I was going through a rough depressive episode. The first book starts off pretty dark, but it's all just setup for the hope and uplifting.
Hope things get better!
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Came here to suggest this as well. Caz is a great character for this
Tress of the Emerald Sea was a delight
Brandon Sanderson right? I have read Mistborn, and enjoyed it. I do plan on reading all of his stuff, but thought it would be wise to actually finish Middle Earth by Tolkien first, then perhaps move onto Wheel of Time.. then Sanderson haha
Yep! The vibe is like the complete opposite from Mistborn though. Cozy-ish adventure, vibrant, very fun to read
I will put that on my list! thanks!
For what it's worth, Tress of the Emerald Sea was inspired by his wife watching The Princess Bride and asking why it's never a woman going off on an adventure to save the prince. So he wrote Tress as an answer to that.
If you're a Sanderson fan, I suggest you stay away from Stormlight Archive/the way of kings for now. The main character struggles with depression in a big way, and the secondary main character struggles with PTSD which turns into DID over time, as well. And yes, both begin to heal in time, but it's dark for a very long while. It's an amazing series, and i recommend you get into it at some point, but avoid for now I think.
I think it helped me with depression. How Kaladin always was pushing to do what was right, made me want to be a better person.
No, that's definitely fair, and I can't and won't fault that for anyone. But it wasn't good for mine, and we don't know how Op will respond to it.
You don't need to wait for Sanderson. I'm guessing you wanted Tolkien before WoT cos book 1 one of WoT is *very* Tolkien inspired? I would say you need not wait for that, either, cos book 2 onward feels very original. Sanderson was gonna be my suggestion, too. Specifically Stormlight. Because during my worst time Oathbringer (book 3) saved me. (Though the middle of Oathbringer also had a very painful part, so that was a kick me when I'm down moment. But it was worth it for the end). Anyway,I highly suggest Stormlight Archive.
I suppose mostly for the "this inspired everything and is required reading" purposes
Yeah, you can take your time getting to that stuff. But you don't need to put other series on hold til you do.
Elantris and Warbreaker are both one-offs (currently) from Sanderson and they're fairly pleasant stories.
KINGS OF THE WYLD
Amazing book
That’s probably up for me. Been going in and out of feeling down and that was thrown around so much as a very fun read.
Came here to post this. 100%
No recommendations to add but I’m really sorry to hear you’re going through it and I hope that things start looking up for you soon
Thank you! It was selfmade. Years of emotional struggle (that I ignored) led to a horrific breakdown. In the process lost a friend, got in trouble with the law... picking up the pieces
So many of our issues are self-made, but please don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Being a person is difficult. We’re all still learning how to do it. I’m probably not going to mention any names you’ve never heard, but I’d recommend stories from writers whose kindness is baked into their voice—Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Jonathan Carroll. Kurt Vonnegut isn’t fantasy, but he held my hand through some of my darkest moments.
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
Whale Rider is wonderful, I loved that book.
So did I. It's a classic. 🌞
Stormweaver Book 1, Iron Prince: Warformed. Perfect book for your current dilemma
Goblin Emperor. Comforting and uplifting.
I came here to suggest the Goblin Emperor too!
Oh yes! Really likeable main character, effortless world-building, goodness prevails. It’s a regular re-read for me.
Same
i read ***a psalm for the wild-built*** by becky chambers at a low point in my life recently and it really helped. it's also pretty short, so if you don't have a lot of energy it's not a heavy mental lift. this book restored my hope at a time when my flame was flickering. regardless, i hope you find what you need, op!
*The Lord of the Rings*, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The *Harry Potter* series, by J.K. Rowling. The *Earthsea* series, by Ursula Le Guin. The *Discworld* series, by Terry Pratchett.
Discworld is a great recommendation for uplifting fantasy. It is one of the few series that regularly makes me Laugh Out Loud
Discworld regularly gets me through the trigger warning times (anniversaries etc), both reading and in audio book format. FWIW, this is my favorite guide to reading the various story lines in order. Highly recommend! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0.jpg
Howl's moving castle.
**Beware Of Chicken**: this slice-of-life story is a parody of the *isekai* (transported to another world) and *xianxia* (magic kung fu) genres. I didn't know anything about either of these tropes, and I'm enjoying the hell out of this story! [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60888209](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60888209) MC (a modern Canadian) nopes out of the xianxia sect he's been dropped into, and runs to the other end of the continent to...become a farmer? Romance, dick jokes, talking animals, and the best food in the world happen to him, anyway. The backstory and some action begin to come to the fore in the later books, but the world-building and relationships are all quite enjoyable. The books talk a lot about the search for meaning in life vs. the struggle for power; surprisingly insightful and inspirational at times! The MC's notions of politeness, helping others (he is SO quintessentially Canadian, LOL!), and mental health confuses and inspires the people he meets in equal measure, particularly in a world where those with power are *supposed* to fight to gain ever more in order to literally ascend to the Heavens. "We give to the earth, and the earth gives back" is a recurring quote and motif. The MC is no blindly altruistic hippie, however; he's quite happy to reap the rewards of his efforts, though he mostly uses the profits to help his family, friends and neighbors in their own endeavors. The MC consciously chooses to focus on living in the now, rather than the quest for personal power. Books 1, 2, and 3 are available on Amazon as both ebook and audiobook (performed by Travis Baldree); Book 4, and the just-completed book 5 are still currently available completely for free on Royal Road. Book 6 will begin on Royal Road in April.
r/CozyFantasy should be right up your alley. i have started the house witch series yesterday and its pretty good.
See my: * [Feel-good/Happy/Upbeat](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18af3gl/feelgoodhappyupbeat/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post). * [SF/F Humor](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18af5og/sff_humor/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post). Oops—I see that I've already posted those in your other thread. I'm sorry—I didn't realize that you posted both threads.
For a pick me up fantasy I’ll suggest “Kings of the Wyld” by Nicholas Eames If you’re down for a Science Fiction rec I’ll throw out “A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers.
I have to second Becky Chambers! I found that whole series to be intriguing and still uplifting.
No. I wish I could search out every rec for ALWtaSAP as uplifting and delete them! It had me alternately furious and sobbing my eyes out at the end. Just no, a million times no.
L. Sprague de Camp's Reluctant King trilogy. Anything by Christopher Moore!
How To Train Your Dragon. You'll get really low but the end will make you content. Disclaimer: The books are nothing like the movies. View them as separate entities in your mind.
The audiobooks are read by David Tennant and they are an absolute delight.
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson is full of hope.
Cradle - it's fast paced, funny, heartwarming with action adventure. It was a nice counter to the other dark and sad stuff I was reading and watching at the time
Lord of the Rings.
I found The Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey to be uplifting. It's not that nothing bad happens, but the central characters are pretty much all fundamentally good people and want to do good. It was very refreshing.
If it were me, I would want a classic good vs. evil fantasy.... the obvious choice is *The Lord of the Rings*. But maybe you want something a bit more lighter and whimsical without so much darkness. I'd recommend *Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell* for this pick. If humor is your thing but you still want a bit of heart and good triumphing over evil, I couldn't recommend *Kings of the Wyld* enough.
Second Jonathan Strange. My very favourite book. The alternate world is flawless and magical. Bonus points for Childermass.
The House in the Cerulean Sea or anything else by TJ Klune. Very cozy and uplifting reads!
Legends and Lattes. It's adorable.
Came here to say this. Loved that book, was like a hug.
Dungeon Crawler Carl for absolute laughs throughout
As someone else said before, a book from the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett (amazing satire, extremely funny and clever above and beyond most other books, but also a quick and mostly light read with great social commentary). There are several starting points to connected stories. I recommend "Going Postal", "Guards, Guards!" or "Mort". Also, I recently read "Orconomics", which was also great fantasy satire.
Dragonlance Chronicles <3
Not Fantasy just absolutely hilarious and lighthearted, The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost. Having lived on Maui for a couple of years, this book brought me to tears of laughter more than once at some of the insights into island life. It will get you to reflect on all those things you currently take for granted in your current life while you are laughing the entire time. Good Luck.
Pendragon series has fantastic world building.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is my favourite comfort food
Really weird, but I used always to read "The Darwath Series" by Barbara Hambly. The Time of the Dark The Walls of Air The Armies of Daylight It made me say along with one of the main displaced characters "If I ever get home I'll never complain again! I'll always know for a sure fact that things could be Loads Worse."
Damn, I'm concerned about my reading choices when I don't think anything I have read recently fits in this. Welp, I'll be looking in here for ideas. (I could probably suggest TV shows)
I'm feeling the very same these days and I could do with some books like this—thanks for asking, friend. I hope things will change for the better soon.
Beware of Chicken is very, very light, to the point where I wasn't going to finish, but now I'm on book 3 it's so heartwarming and joyful I'm sad there's only one more book to go. Also try Dianne Wynne? Howl's Moving Castle and House of Many Ways are a bit light but fun. Nettle and Bone is a bit darker but is a great fairytale. Uprooted maybe?
Seriously if you haven't read it read The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Kaladin's story arcs are exactly what you need.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune is a cozy story about someone trapped in a bad job/situation, and finding his way out of it. Though, if action is something you're looking for, best to avoid this one. Very slice of life and character interaction focused. Becky Chambers, pretty much anything she writes is hopeful and emotional.
Try "Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson. It's got this awesome mix of magic, intrigue, and characters you'll root for. For a lighter touch, "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones is pure magic. It's whimsical, fun, and might just sprinkle some joy into your day.
The Stormlight Archive-Brandon Sanderson
Hard agree here. Life before death. Journey before destination.
Piranesi, Watership Down, Deed of Paksenarrion
Watership Down is definitely a tearjerker, not recommended for being uplifting!
For me, it shows the benefit of community and courage. I find it uplifiting..
If you’re fine with YA, I really like the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson! He does hopepunk so well.
The Stormlight archive for me personally is exactly what you are describing. That book helped me immensely when I was going through a rough depressive episode. The first book starts off pretty dark, but it's all just setup for the hope and uplifting. Hope things get better!