Fantasy: reliable content

[douglas]

The entire Miles Vorkosigan series by Bujold is great and pretty clean.  I highly recommend it.

The Deed of Paksennarion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon is quite good, but it does have a small number of scenes that would not be appropriate for younger readers.  Offhand I can think of two: the punishment and expulsion of two members of the mercenary company the main character is in for a fairly nasty crime in the first book, and the aforementioned torture scene near the end of the third book.  The author is not shy about describing either of these, but I feel neither of them is gratuitous or there without a good reason.  The first is fairly short and serves to drive home that the crime is being adequately punished (the crime scene itself could be considerably worse, but it is only described by investigation and discussion of the evidence after the fact).  The second shows both just how nasty the bad guys are and how strong the will and faith of the protagonist is - the basic premise of the whole trilogy is "a paladin done right for once" - and the simple act of enduring the torture does a great deal to influence the audience to reconsider their path in life.

[Silk]

Hmmm. I'm not a hundred per cent sure you'd like this one, but in terms of adult fantasy you could always give Chris Wooding's "The Fade" a try. It's definitely a "grittier" kind of book. There's some sex, explicit without being graphic if that makes sense, and a lot of strong language and violence. Again, it's explicit without being too graphic, but it's not Martin or Abercrombie calibre violence. And it's an excellent book.

Like I said, not so sure about this recommendation, but the first 20 pages or so will probably give you a good idea of whether or not it's for you.

[The Jade Knight]

FYI:  "Shannara series" is plural, not singular.  I think he has at least 3 Shannara series.  I thoroughly enjoyed the one I read in high school (the Scions series, which is the 2nd).

Wizard's First Rule is probably also something you'd enjoy, but absolutely do not read any of the other books in the series—the first is the only relatively clean one (IIRC—it's been some years).

[mtbikemom]

Sorry, Jade Knight, but I despise Goodkind for many reasons and WFR left me eye-rolling.  His writing just doesn't hold up against well-rounded authors like Brandon and RJ.  I have a negative impression of Terry Brooks stuck in my brain, but have no idea why.  I know I read a short story of his in a Tor anthology once.  Maybe I didn't like it, but will try his books on your recommendation.  From the library.

   Douglas, I could not come up with the word "gratuitous" when I was posting.  It would just not come, but it is what I am trying to avoid, obviously, in relation to sex, violence and language.  Is the author letting the story flow are is he just trying to impress his "Jackass Generation" buddies?  (My phrase, thank you very much.)  A lot of R-rated movies fall into that category, I think, even though movies like "Up" make much more money.  In cool Hollywood, most young producer/directors don't want to be known for making something like Princess Bride when they can get invited to all the best parties for making Kill Bill.

  On second thought, I'm not sure, when given a choice between truly clean-but-realistic content, that I will choose to read a vampire-themed book, especially one that will offend in any way.  So maybe E.E. Knight will not top my list quite yet.  I know I have read and loved Patricia McKilip, but can't remember one title.  Weird.

[Bookstore Guy]

Technically, there are 6 different Shannara series. Half are good, beginners fantasy. The other half are re-hashes of the others.

Goodkind is icky. Through I am dying to get my hands on a free copy of his newest. Someone find me a PDF of Law of Nines and email it to me! I want to bash it on the review blog!

[mtbikemom]

LOL at "icky."  Perfect adjective in context.  Can't wait to read the Goodkind bashfest.

[ErikHolmes]

  On second thought, I'm not sure, when given a choice between truly clean-but-realistic content, that I will choose to read a vampire-themed book, especially one that will offend in any way.  So maybe E.E. Knight will not top my list quite yet.  I know I have read and loved Patricia McKilip, but can't remember one title.  Weird.

E.E. Knights stuff isn't your typical vampire book. In fact, I wouldn't call it a vampire book at all.

The Vampire Earth series is about a group of aliens from another world that first bring down most of human civilization through wars and engineered disasters, then take over in a Nazi like fashion. Only under their rule, resisting doesn't get you sent to a camp, it gets you eaten.

The vampires aren't sexy Dracula's, but biologically engineered killing machines. The book is more like Terminator then anything else I think. But instead of living in a future where you are hunted by machines and robots, you're hunted by H.P. Lovecraft type creatures and monsters. It's more of a war story then anything else.  

[Bookstore Guy]

we have a review for the newest EE Knight on our blog tomorrow.

[douglas]

 Douglas, I could not come up with the word "gratuitous" when I was posting.  It would just not come, but it is what I am trying to avoid, obviously, in relation to sex, violence and language.  Is the author letting the story flow are is he just trying to impress his "Jackass Generation" buddies?  (My phrase, thank you very much.)  A lot of R-rated movies fall into that category, I think, even though movies like "Up" make much more money.  In cool Hollywood, most young producer/directors don't want to be known for making something like Princess Bride when they can get invited to all the best parties for making Kill Bill.

The author is female in this case, and my impression of it is that it's all story.  Yes, it's a female character getting tortured for an extended period, and a considerable portion of it is quite explicit.  Yes, rape is involved.  However, it's all done on stage (religious cult following a god of torture, all the worshipers are there to watch), quite a bit of focus is on how the audience reacts to it, and long before it ends the actual torture starts getting glossed over and eventually almost omitted entirely and the scene's focus clearly settles on how a lot of the cult's members are realizing that this torture thing isn't as fun as they thought it would be.  Oh, and all the actual rape comes after the glossing over begins.

So, yeah, substantial explicit torture in one major scene but done in a way that I recommend it anyway.  The Deed of Paksennarion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon is an excellent read.

The Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold is a better read and without any torture.

Read them both.

[Silk]

I... I'm suddenly fascinated to read this scene that you describe.

*scribbles down*

(Does that make me a bad person?)

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Well, people do try to torture Miles, but he thwarts them by quoting the entire text of Richard III.

[sortitus]

The Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold is a better read and without any torture.

No, there's a quick torture scene (most of it happens off screen) in The Warrior's Apprentice. I second the recommendation.

Well, people do try to torture Miles, but he thwarts them by quoting the entire text of Richard III.

I... don't remember that part....

[douglas]

(Does that make me a bad person?)

Only if you skip the rest of the trilogy to read only that scene.

Well, people do try to torture Miles, but he thwarts them by quoting the entire text of Richard III.

Really?  Which book is this in?  I don't remember that at all, but it sounds perfectly in character for him and I haven't actually read all of the series myself yet.  Large portions of it, but not all of it.

No, there's a quick torture scene (most of it happens off screen) in The Warrior's Apprentice. I second the recommendation.

I don't doubt you, but it's short and minor enough that I don't remember it at all.

[Pink Bunkadoo]

Well, people do try to torture Miles, but he thwarts them by quoting the entire text of Richard III.

I always loved that part.  (From Brothers in Arms).   

From The Warrior's Apprentice--there's that bit with Bothari and the pilot.  Ergh.

The things that Mark goes through in Mirror Dance kind of overshadowed my experience of the book the first time through.  When I went back to it later I realized how short that section really is.  And not very graphic, at that.... I think it's more the description of the psychological effects.

The Vorkosigan series is excellent (my very favorite series, in fact) but it does have a few things that may make it unsuitable for the OP's requirements.  (There's that almost-rape scene in Shards of Honor.)  Not graphic.  I would probably recommend it to my mom, but not my twelve-year-old nephew.  Yet. 

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I read it at approximately age 14 or maybe 15. Lois came to Books & Co during their sci-fi month and Diann Thornley introduced me to her and her books. Barrayar was her newest at the time, and I think Maureen McHugh was also there that month signing China Mountain Zhang. That gives me a good date range.

Anyway I kind of glossed over the near-rape scene. The series does not at all glory in sexual violence, that's for sure. I wouldn't read it if it did.

The part about reciting Richard III is in chapter 9 of Brothers in Arms, the first 11 chapters of which you can read for free here: http://www.webscription.net/chapters/0743435583/0743435583_toc.htm