Recommendation question: quest fantasy with a team/party flavor

[womzilla]

One of the people in my weekly gaming group really, really likes the Dragonlance novels, especially the early ones actually by Weis and Hickman. One of the things he particularly liked about them was the ensemble cast--that the novels weren't about a single hero and her companions, but about a team. I'm not terrifically widely read in that type of quest fantasy, and I was at a loss of what to recommend.

I checked, and he's read some Robert Jordan and David Eddings. Of course he's read Tolkien. And he's not averse to reading better books*, but my friend is definitely looking for things very specifically like what he described. Any suggestions?

*Two of us suggested Tigana, which does have a strong ensemble cast and is not fundamentally dissimilar to a quest fantasy--on reflection The Fionavar Tapestry is much more likely to appeal to him.

Comments

[montoya.livejournal.com]

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn is very ensemble-y, plus also excellent.

Scott Lynch's books have a strong central protagonist, but he's part of a team of thieves.

LWE's Wizard Lord et seq. have a team of Chosen that have to band together to defeat the Dark Lord, although the books end up more subversive of quest fantasy than not.

[washa-way.livejournal.com]

Robert Asprin's MythAdventures books might edge too far into parody, but they might do the trick; the Thieves' World collections might be suitable as well.

You can recommend Terry Brooks, but that's a step I'd hesitate to take for several reasons.

Heck, if he wants multiple characters, point him to Nine Princes in Amber and stand back.

[yankeefanjeff.livejournal.com]

I am the friend Womzilla referred to. Amber is awesome, but not even close to what I asked for. :-)

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

The Last Unicorn, although as quest fiction goes it's a bit inside out (and I mean that as a high compliment).

And I agree about Tigana.

[washa-way.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah--Tigana is definitely a good choice here. And Beagle, too--The Innkeeper's Song and The Folk of the Air are a bit off-kilter for a quest fantasy fan, but I sure love 'em.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

Kay in general is good for this. I mean, it isn't always quest fantasy, but it is always ensemble.

I've not read them, but perhaps Glenn Cook's Black Company books would work? And maybe Stephen Erickson's works, which I've also not read?

Hm. Perhaps some of Tim Powers -- On Stranger Tides and Last Call, perhaps. Or Sanderson. Maybe McKillip. Maybe. I may think of more tomorrow.