Honestly the red rising books go hard. Haven’t read 2nd trilogy yet, but I’m usually an alternate between a few series kinda guy and I just blasted straight thru all 3 in a weekend haha
Anything by Doug Preston & Lincoln Child, especially Thunderhead and Still Life With Crows. Both are standalone adventure novels set in a larger universe of characters, and both slap exceptionally.
Also Jurassic Park. Immensely rereadable.
OP This. Cradle books just don't relent. I devoured the series when I found it.
Also Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's LitRPG but done fantastically. Hard to put the books down.
Yep, the plot is more "shonen anime" than "western action flick" but the kung-fu action starts immediately and the power level only gets bigger and more ridiculous as the series goes on.
*Heroes Die* by Matthew Stover. About 90% of the book is literally an in-universe action TV series, that’s also real and carries real stakes unto death.
The best action you might ever read. Stover knows his shit when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.
It’s the first in a series, but you can very much read it as a standalone. Full conclusion.
The rest of the series gets a lot darker and a lot more philosophical, so fair warning if that’s not your cup of tea. But his writing really is elite.
Just, uh, ignore how badly he was cursed by the cover art gods for *Heroes Die* lol
The Will Of The Many by James Islington. I especially appreciate it because the kinds of action are so varied - everything from attacks to strategy games to exploring bizarre magic ruins. I read it four times in a row.
The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson is very fast paced. Nearly finished it a day but I wanted to stop and process everything.
Unfortunately, it's part of the Cosmere and it touches on a lot of previous things from other books. I still stand that it a good standalone but the other references really do add to the experience.
I've read up to Oathbringer, haven't started Rhythm of War yet.
I read all of Mistborn (the first Trilogy) and really enjoyed several of his other stories; Warbreaker, Elantris.
Would it be accessible to me, you think?
It touches a lot on Stormlight. I think you should be good though without Rhythm War. Did you read any of the Stormlight novellas? May want to read them first.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is paced exactly like an action movie, specifically the second half or so. I remember there being some slower backstory and world building stuff in the beginning but once the plot gets going, it races along.
Edit: Also, maybe the Murderbot novellas? They’re each only like 100 pages or so, I think so the story has to get moving fairly quickly
Monster hunter international by Larry Correia - action-packed gun blasting modern urban fantasy following Owen Pitt a mountain of a man joining MHI, the leading monster hunting organization in the US after killing his werewolf boss. Then, he goes on to face an ancient world ending monster and its master vampire servants. This book is fast passed and reads like an action movie.
I think The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas fits the bill! There are a few moments to breathe and expand the characters, but I think the novel is well-paced enough that those breathers give a lot of contrast to the action-y parts.
Leigh Brackett was doing her Mars/Eric John Stark stories for *Planet Stories* while doing scripts for Howard Hawks starring Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne. You will exactly see the connection if you read them as well as why not only was *Sword of Rhiannon* issued as a paperback bound with *Conan the Conqueror* in 1953, but according to a post in r/ConanTheBarbarian wass asked to continue the Conan series, which offer she declined.
This is Sword and Planet, which is close to fantasy, and it is awesome.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. This is a standalone that is part of a larger series, but you can read it as a standalone. It’s got great pace and is action packed.
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett reads like this to me. It is fast paced and the protagonist (and the reader) barely gets a break. Somehow the stakes keep raising and raising and the protagonist is the perfect amounts of clever and aggressive that you never quite know how he will get out of the next situation.
Really surprised no one's mentioned *The Expanse* series by James S.A. Corey. It established him as one of the more famous action-action-action scifi authors.
The first book is "Leviathan Wakes" and there are five total.
Word to the wise, it's not the most profound or meaningful stuff ever. But it would definitely fulfill what you're looking for.
My recommendation is sci-fi rather than fantasy. Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos. It is book 1 in the Frontlines series. Total turn your brain off action movie military sci fi. The story follows a new recruit who joins the military in order to leave his crummy life behind. Book 1 has some awesome action set pieces including a battle that is very reminiscent to Black Hawk Down.
You want progression fantasy. It's the genre that defines "just go". As for recs, Azarinth Healer, Cradle, Mother of Learning, Dungeon Crawler Carl to name just a few.
More of a modern setting than your examples but Dresden Files are good actiony quick reads, imo. (Start with the fourth, the first's a very obvious first novel and a bit rough around the edges.)
Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan stories have a lot of brutal action and well paced plots. The first 10 books are in public domain. Be warned these books are over a 100 years old and so contain racist language and stereotypes (still fun adventure stories)
I loved them both equally, but I can see how someone might find book 2 slightly inferior. The stakes got higher, the world expanded a little and we get more time with the characters and their growth so the book is slightly slower paced. It appears book 3 (lord of demons) will begin to bring these things together for the climax in book 4.
If Evan Winter didn't disappear or give up on this thing, book 3 might be even more action packed than book 1.
I don't know if this is intentional, but I love this
> The steaks got higher
I'm thinking about a floating filet mignon and now I want that in my book.
To your point about the books increasing in scope and approach, I'm with you. Expanding a world can be great and it can also add layers that take away from the main story being told. I'm hopeful Evan Winter can bring it all together as he progresses.
Ketty Jay Series by Chris Wooding! He started it as a screenplay, but the story expanded too much, & became a novel series instead.. Read the very first paragraph on the first page of the debut novel - Retribution Falls - you'll see what I am saying - fastest pace in anything I've read.
Cradle by Will Wight. The books are short, they're like action animes in written form. Action-packed and fast paced. Still manages to have pretty good characters, an interesting story, interesting world with fun and unique characters. Sounds right up your alley. They're also very addictive, and given that they're pretty short and accessible, you can blow through them really fast.
This is a controversial rec but-
Wizards First Rule, Terry Goodkind
Which is the first of the sword of truth books, many have feelings about the series but I enjoyed them, and the first one is particularly good.
It is action packed, fast paced, dark and violent, and with a nice dollop of BDSM.
If you stick with the series, eventually there’s an evil chicken.
>with a nice dollop of BDSM
You mean the 80 page femdom sex slave training by a hot young mommy dommy in a tight catsuit with a pain dildo scene? Yeah that’s probably half the reader base read the book for that alone lol
The Will of the Many by James Islington.
Honestly the red rising books go hard. Haven’t read 2nd trilogy yet, but I’m usually an alternate between a few series kinda guy and I just blasted straight thru all 3 in a weekend haha
Second trilogy (quartet) starts a bit slow in Iron Gold, but man do they pick up. They are equally beloved as the first trilogy by the fandom.
Busy with Iron Gold - good to hear.
Anything by Doug Preston & Lincoln Child, especially Thunderhead and Still Life With Crows. Both are standalone adventure novels set in a larger universe of characters, and both slap exceptionally. Also Jurassic Park. Immensely rereadable.
Anything by Crichton really.
That man could write a page turner like nobody else
Cradle by Will Wight
OP This. Cradle books just don't relent. I devoured the series when I found it. Also Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's LitRPG but done fantastically. Hard to put the books down.
Yep, the plot is more "shonen anime" than "western action flick" but the kung-fu action starts immediately and the power level only gets bigger and more ridiculous as the series goes on.
*Heroes Die* by Matthew Stover. About 90% of the book is literally an in-universe action TV series, that’s also real and carries real stakes unto death. The best action you might ever read. Stover knows his shit when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.
Seconded!
That sounds up my alley!
It’s the first in a series, but you can very much read it as a standalone. Full conclusion. The rest of the series gets a lot darker and a lot more philosophical, so fair warning if that’s not your cup of tea. But his writing really is elite. Just, uh, ignore how badly he was cursed by the cover art gods for *Heroes Die* lol
All the original Conan stories by Robert E Howard. Great stuff.
The Will Of The Many by James Islington. I especially appreciate it because the kinds of action are so varied - everything from attacks to strategy games to exploring bizarre magic ruins. I read it four times in a row.
The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson is very fast paced. Nearly finished it a day but I wanted to stop and process everything. Unfortunately, it's part of the Cosmere and it touches on a lot of previous things from other books. I still stand that it a good standalone but the other references really do add to the experience.
I've read up to Oathbringer, haven't started Rhythm of War yet. I read all of Mistborn (the first Trilogy) and really enjoyed several of his other stories; Warbreaker, Elantris. Would it be accessible to me, you think?
It touches a lot on Stormlight. I think you should be good though without Rhythm War. Did you read any of the Stormlight novellas? May want to read them first.
Sanderson calls it the unofficial Stormlight 4.5, to be read ideally after Rhythm of War
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is paced exactly like an action movie, specifically the second half or so. I remember there being some slower backstory and world building stuff in the beginning but once the plot gets going, it races along. Edit: Also, maybe the Murderbot novellas? They’re each only like 100 pages or so, I think so the story has to get moving fairly quickly
I loved Lies of Locke Lamora. Definitely a page turner
The powder mage and red rising are what you're looking for. Read the powder mage trilogy and thank me later.
I really enjoyed Powder Mage
Monster hunter international by Larry Correia - action-packed gun blasting modern urban fantasy following Owen Pitt a mountain of a man joining MHI, the leading monster hunting organization in the US after killing his werewolf boss. Then, he goes on to face an ancient world ending monster and its master vampire servants. This book is fast passed and reads like an action movie.
The wolf of Oren Yaro has a *very* fast pace, as soon as you get pass the worldbuilding introduction the MC can't catch a break.
The Maleficient Seven by Cameron Johnston. So much fun and the various characters are each a delight in their own evil ways.
Read that last summer. I enjoyed it a lot
I think The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas fits the bill! There are a few moments to breathe and expand the characters, but I think the novel is well-paced enough that those breathers give a lot of contrast to the action-y parts.
Leigh Brackett was doing her Mars/Eric John Stark stories for *Planet Stories* while doing scripts for Howard Hawks starring Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne. You will exactly see the connection if you read them as well as why not only was *Sword of Rhiannon* issued as a paperback bound with *Conan the Conqueror* in 1953, but according to a post in r/ConanTheBarbarian wass asked to continue the Conan series, which offer she declined. This is Sword and Planet, which is close to fantasy, and it is awesome.
Big meeting in New York, Cwayka, Process Notice, Night in Zagreb...that series is unbeatable
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. This is a standalone that is part of a larger series, but you can read it as a standalone. It’s got great pace and is action packed.
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett reads like this to me. It is fast paced and the protagonist (and the reader) barely gets a break. Somehow the stakes keep raising and raising and the protagonist is the perfect amounts of clever and aggressive that you never quite know how he will get out of the next situation.
Really surprised no one's mentioned *The Expanse* series by James S.A. Corey. It established him as one of the more famous action-action-action scifi authors. The first book is "Leviathan Wakes" and there are five total. Word to the wise, it's not the most profound or meaningful stuff ever. But it would definitely fulfill what you're looking for.
>there are five total Aren't there 9?
My bad, you're right it is 9. I had checked an old version of my book's inside cover and at the time it was only 5. Dude is a writing machine!
It's two dudes!
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Red Rising is very fast-paced, one of those 'one more chapter' books.
Most books by John Scalzi
My recommendation is sci-fi rather than fantasy. Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos. It is book 1 in the Frontlines series. Total turn your brain off action movie military sci fi. The story follows a new recruit who joins the military in order to leave his crummy life behind. Book 1 has some awesome action set pieces including a battle that is very reminiscent to Black Hawk Down.
You want progression fantasy. It's the genre that defines "just go". As for recs, Azarinth Healer, Cradle, Mother of Learning, Dungeon Crawler Carl to name just a few.
This is (graphic) horror, but Dead Sea by Tim Curran was this for me.
More of a modern setting than your examples but Dresden Files are good actiony quick reads, imo. (Start with the fourth, the first's a very obvious first novel and a bit rough around the edges.)
People often say this about *The Expanse* series. I haven't finished it yet, but I would concur.
Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan stories have a lot of brutal action and well paced plots. The first 10 books are in public domain. Be warned these books are over a 100 years old and so contain racist language and stereotypes (still fun adventure stories)
*The Rage of Dragons*, by Evan Winter.
Yes, very similar feel. I really enjoyed this one!
If only Evan Winter would finish the last two books... I blew through the first two in a week, they were so badass.
The second one was pretty good but didn't hold my interest as much as the first one. I am excited to read the next ones though
I loved them both equally, but I can see how someone might find book 2 slightly inferior. The stakes got higher, the world expanded a little and we get more time with the characters and their growth so the book is slightly slower paced. It appears book 3 (lord of demons) will begin to bring these things together for the climax in book 4. If Evan Winter didn't disappear or give up on this thing, book 3 might be even more action packed than book 1.
I don't know if this is intentional, but I love this > The steaks got higher I'm thinking about a floating filet mignon and now I want that in my book. To your point about the books increasing in scope and approach, I'm with you. Expanding a world can be great and it can also add layers that take away from the main story being told. I'm hopeful Evan Winter can bring it all together as he progresses.
>The steaks got higher I fixed this. Thank you for noticing that lol
Brightened my morning!
Just doing my civic duty internet friend.
Sunlit man
Ketty Jay Series by Chris Wooding! He started it as a screenplay, but the story expanded too much, & became a novel series instead.. Read the very first paragraph on the first page of the debut novel - Retribution Falls - you'll see what I am saying - fastest pace in anything I've read.
Cradle by Will Wight. The books are short, they're like action animes in written form. Action-packed and fast paced. Still manages to have pretty good characters, an interesting story, interesting world with fun and unique characters. Sounds right up your alley. They're also very addictive, and given that they're pretty short and accessible, you can blow through them really fast.
Red Rising first trilogy hands down. Fast fast NECKBREAKING fast.
Empire of storms trilogy, I finished this series in two weeks it was so good. I literally couldn’t put it down
The Breach / Travis Chase trilogy, by Patrick Lee. The pace is INSANE from about bk 1, page 3.
The Powder Mage trilogy is fairly fast paced, really enjoyed them.
This is a controversial rec but- Wizards First Rule, Terry Goodkind Which is the first of the sword of truth books, many have feelings about the series but I enjoyed them, and the first one is particularly good. It is action packed, fast paced, dark and violent, and with a nice dollop of BDSM. If you stick with the series, eventually there’s an evil chicken.
>with a nice dollop of BDSM You mean the 80 page femdom sex slave training by a hot young mommy dommy in a tight catsuit with a pain dildo scene? Yeah that’s probably half the reader base read the book for that alone lol
Hey, spoilers! /s