Source
r/booksuggestions•
Disarcade

Books about or involving classic fantasy bards

Hello everyone! As a kid, I adored the concept of bards as presented in fantasy books. Mystical lore tellers and collectors with very mysterious magic.

I have two specific examples in my mind. One is the bards as presented in Villains By Necessity by Eve Forward. It was a hugely influential book for me. Another is Blind Guardian's Bard Song well, songs.

I could never find stories about the fantasy bards, anything to tell me the story. Nowadays, I'm leading a D&D game, and one of my players is a bard. I'd love to read more about this, and to give them this kind of a bard story myself.

I'd love some suggestions. I've been looking for something like this for almost 20 years and never thought to ask.

Posted Oct 17, 2018, 6:37 PM UTC · edited

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RedeemedbyXRed Seas Under Red Skies•

Not a traditional bard, but if you would be interested in a fantasy series where the protagonist is OP at playing the lute and learns "magic" (such as sympathy, naming, sygaldry, etc.) at the world renowned University, you have to pick up The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Again, I would not call him a bard, but the main character is consumed by a love for music and it plays a prominent part in his life and throughout the story in numerous ways. He is from a people group who make their living as troupers and performers. I don't necessarily have a deep appreciation for music, but was moved by how much it means to this guy.

Also, this is one of the most highly recommended fantasy series out there, music or not. Check it out!

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

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DisarcadeOP•

I actually have never heard of this one, will definitely be checking it out!

3
wjbc•

This is not what you requested, so feel free to reject the suggestion, but one of the best series about non-magical bards is Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall series, (Dragonsong (1976), Dragonsinger (1977), and Dragondrums (1979)), set amidst the dragons of Pern. It’s a science fantasy. While the bards have no magic, they do have some special abilities beyond just singing and playing music.

A bard figures very prominently in the underrated Riddle-Master trilogy, by Patricia A. McKillip.

A bard is the main character in Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy, however note that it is unfinished.

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DisarcadeOP•

This is fantastic, thank you! I will check those out :D

2
mamatoto•

Not the classical mystical/magical bard, but the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski has a great bard whose name is Dandelion. Fun fact: All through the series, I kept pronouncing his name in my head as DAN-de-LEON for some strange reason.

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DisarcadeOP•

I've read some Witcher translated into Russian as a kid, and I found it strange but enjoyable. I also loved the game series. It's not quite what I'm looking for here, but a good series all around.

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pipperdoodle•

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series has several characters as or interacting with bards. Definitely this trilogy. Though prepare for angst galore and for the main conflicts to all be squashed into the ends of each book. Mind you I did like the series (At least these three) but some may not. One thing I did like about this trilogy was that there's actual songs (canon, I think, but someone the author knows maybe?) that describe events and characters from the book, and they're in cool bardic style.

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DisarcadeOP•

I really enjoyed some of her other work, so I'll definitely check this one out! Thanks.

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ABookishSort•

Bedlam’s Bard (Eric Banyon series) by Mercedes Lackey is another Bard series by her. I believe she also has a couple books in her Bardic Voices series. There is a bard side character in the Collegium Chronicles in her Valdemar series.

Moonheart by Charles de Lint.

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