[tenpoundhammer]

As a counterpoint to the praise of "The name of the wind" I read it on an HN recommendation and didn't enjoy it. The writing, characters, and story were all boring and poorly constructed, I kept thinking to myself, 'This is starting to get exciting I bet something good will happen' but nothing ever did. The world building and magic system was pretty well thought out but within the confines of 'The name of the wind' it was never put to good use.

If you like great world building and magic systems I would recommend Brandon Sanderson series 'The Stormlight Archives' or 'Mistborn'

[aerovistae]

Sorry it didn't appeal to you! I actually did read two books of The Stormlight Archives though and found it not too bad but ultimately rather generic sword & sorcery. I forgot nearly everything about the book as soon as I put it down. The only idea that stayed with me was that of a blade that passed through everything unhindered and didn't harm organic matter except to sever the nerves it passed through, that was a neat battle concept.

[fredzel]

Maybe try Malazan Book of the Fallen, in terms of worldbuilding and plot/lore depth it is far ahead of any other (modern) fantasy books. Sheer scale of the world and its history might be a bit overwhelming at first, as it is not an easiest read, but often if you don't understand something it means that it will be referenced later in the book (or later in the series).

[aerovistae]

I've had this recommended before actually. I'll get a copy soon!

[tenpoundhammer]

That's actually really interesting how subjective reading experiences can be. It's amazing that we basically had opposite reactions to these books. I wonder what is the best approach to sharing subjective reviews? It would be nice to give reviews in a way that helps others make a better choice.