Hey, fellow time-wasters, I am having a bit of a difficult time finding fantasy reviews that reflect my own sensibilities. I'm tired of starting a recommended book, getting attached to certain characters and story lines and then, all of a sudden and often unnecessarily, the graphic sex, torture, really sick stuff in general . . . kicks in and I have to skip, scan ahead and decide whether or not to continue reading. I generally put the thing down and brood over the wasted time.
I sense that there are others on this forum whose preferences run in the same vein as mine. I can handle a certain amount of graphic detail, especially violence, as long as it does not cross the line into indulging the sick fantasies of the author. (George RRM comes to mind as I've ranted before.) This seems hard to avoid in most modern fiction and I would like to avoid it.
SOOOO, what have you read and loved that you would feel comfortable passing on to a beloved, impressionable son, daughter, niece, nephew?
As an example, I did a Google search for "good traditional fantasy" and came up with a few book lists on Amazon lately. I decided to try Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. There was a sex scene early on and it was very well-written, but had an element of pain/pleasure that I considered potentially unhealthy. It was so well done, though, that I am still reading and hoping I don't regret it. The way Kay writes the inner thoughts of his characters rings very true to me, unlike some authors who practically castrate their young male characters to avoid writing about sex at all. Both extremes are not to my liking. I've gotta believe my fantasy to enjoy it!
I read a lot of YA (young adult) novels to keep my heart and mind where they ought to be and indulge my passion for a good story. I think a lot of YA is just as good, if not better, than most of what is put out for general consumption, so please include any really good YA novels you have come across, if anyone posts here. Patrick Carman is a favorite.
I know there are a lot of gray areas on this topic and that the line is not a fine one and that one person's "clean content" is another's semi-porn, but I hope to get a few good recommendations out of this and discover previously unknown gems of fantasy. Sci fi is also welcome.