Novels for inspiration

[Arthur]

There are topics for anime, films and even music that can serve as inspiration for Exalted, but I think this is the first one for novels. I need inspiration, and I would like to read a good book, so I thought I should ask here.


What I want is suggestions of novels -- easy ones, not literature -- that serve as inspiration for, but don't necessarily resemble, Exalted. I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi or post-renaissance stuff, but other than that, mostly anything goes.

 

[wordman]

I'm just getting around to one of the books mentioned as "inspiration" for Exalted in the 1E core book, Tanith Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth series. I wish I would have read it before starting my 1E campaign; I would have done it much differently.

 

[Heaven's Thunder Hammer]

I only read the first chapter of the black company book in a library and DAMN... If only I had a vancouver library card pass..! Those look pretty good.


Also:


Steve Erikson, "Gardens of the Moon" and Ian Esselmont "Night of Knives" are pretty cool. Definately have some exalted ideas in them...


Scott Bakker, "The Darkness that comes before" is the first in the "Prince of Nothing" series. Pretty wild out there high epic fantasy... Could give some new take on Abyssals and sorcery.


Generally I've been interested in grabbing the literature suggested in the beginning of each Exalted book. (Not that I've done it.) I have no interest in reading the "literature" type of stuff, just the sci-fi/fantasy books.

 

[Persell]

The Black Company is pretty sweet. Mystborn, by Brain Sanderson, is pretty nice too.

 

[Requiem of Forgotten Lore]

Without Remorse

 

[Mr. S]

The Romance of Three Kingdoms that they recommend is really great (several of you may be familiar with it from the games of the same name). But it's rather hard to read in it's normal novel form. I recommend threekingdoms.com (just ignore the giant colin powell thing on the front page, I have no idea what that's about) because it has a lot of explainers that give context for so much of the novel.


It also has random comments by fans that provide levity at times (they're about a half-step up from youtube comments)

 

[Mempo]

...Why did no one tell me Leia Weathington was writing Bold Riley comics again?


They're all good, but "The Wicked Temple" is classically Exalted in feel.

 

[StarHawk]

I am partial to the Renshai trilogy by Mickey Zucker Reichert The Last of the Renshai, The Western Wizard, and Child of Thunder. I just read them and I pulled many ideas for the setting from there.

 

[Solfi]

I am partial to the Renshai trilogy by Mickey Zucker Reichert The Last of the Renshai, The Western Wizard, and Child of Thunder. I just read them and I pulled many ideas for the setting from there.

... much obliged for that particular suggestion. It's been a long time since I've read something as epic and riveting. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the Aesir - A pantheon that never really have held my interest (even though being from the birthregion of the Aesir-myths ).

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

For a particularly perverse Abyssal, you can't go wrong with Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker.

 

[lordofthestorm]

When it comes to mass combat, the Redwall Abbey series by Brian Jacques is undeniable, if maybe not as magical. Lunar mass combat STs rejoice.

 

[Persell]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the Dresden Files (not the tv show, the series of novels). I like it, as an example of a mortal thaumaturge having to deal with the various weirdness out there. The rituals and such that Dresden uses is the perfect inspiration for mundane thaumaturgy. The various fae courts he has to deal with work very well as an example of a few different forces in Creation, like the Fair Folk and the spirit courts. The Denarians also work as an awesome Infernals inspiration, too.


The latest book just came out, and had a great example of what I imagine Lunar vs. Lunar combat would look like; I highly recommend it.

 

[Persell]

On the same Jim Butcher line of thought, check out the Codex Alera series. Interesting psuedo-Roman culture with folks running about with elemental powers. All sorts of Dragonblooded inspiration, especially for politics heavy games.

 

[Tedryn Nist]

I'd put in for the the Young Wizards books by Diane Duane. It's very good inspiration for Sorcery particularly long, ritual Sorcery. Among other things it has:


A form of magical speech that not only describes but defines parts of the universe.


A book describing everything in the universe including the powers-that-be in above language (Imagine an Infernal creating something like this and using it to restore the Yozis).


Alternate dimensions and planet hopping.


The creation of an entire intelligent race and fostering said race through its infancy.


Powers-that-be that can exist in different aspect among the same and different dimensions each with their own peculiarities.


Whale and cat wizards (for your dose of Lunar inspiration).


Really the series screams Exalted epicness no matter how you look at it. It even serves as a good inspiration for incantations and has one of my favorite lines: "Let the jagged teeth tear me, as they tear your ancient hate for aye. So rage proud Power, fail again, and see my blood teach death to die!".

 

[wordman]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the Dresden Files (not the tv show, the series of novels).

I've never read the novels, but am extremely interested in the RPG of it that's coming out, which will have at its heart the same system as Sprit of the Century, but expanded a bit to handle the mystical elements in Dresden Files.
Given that even the author of SotC tried porting that game to support Exalted's setting, you can bet that once Dresden is released, there will be one or more ports of it to Exalted developed pretty quickly. (I may even write one of them.)