Suggestion for fantasy novel that reads at or beyond a graduate school level?

I'm a graduate student in the psych/mental health field, but I've always had a passion for literature, especially fantasy literature. Lately, all the recent books that I've been reading have been so disappointing lately because of the reading level they are at. They are marketed towards adults, but I feel like they read at a high school or middle school level. Some examples are Game of Thrones, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Name of the Wind, and especially the Harry Dresden series (but I expected no less from that one, hehe).



I'm not sure if it's because I'm now used to reading scholarly research journals, books and articles for the past few years as a grad student where every other word has twenty syllables, haha ;) I just want something that reads at a high level (grad school level or beyond, I'll even settle for something at a college level) with a nice splash of GRE vocabulary. Suggestion please.Suggestion for fantasy novel that reads at or beyond a graduate school level?
Hahaha, "with a nice splash of GRE vocabulary". I'd say buy a GRE practice book, and for all the sample questions replace the sample names with Elven or Wizard names and make a story out of it. I'm not entirely big on fantasy( I haven't read many lesser known authors), but I'd say science fiction based works would have some higher brow words. Mostly words that deal with theoretical or metaphysical things. Basically the odd end GRE words that you question their existence, and then you realize they deal with psychology or some sort of science tend to come about in the form of science fiction more so than fantasy. Realistically though, if you were to find a book that had a vocabulary of GRE-esque words it'd be as interesting as prep book.
Hunger games

Blaze

Girl with the dragon tattoo

Clean cut by lynda la plantSuggestion for fantasy novel that reads at or beyond a graduate school level?
Yes, it's you and what they are cramming into your head. Most "scholarly research journals" aren't written well, they're merely written with a bunch of high-brow BS words. It's academic crap for academia. You've just been schooled for so long that you've been trained to believe that crap.



Meanwhile, stories are stories because they pull people in - because they aren't academia BS. Academia BS doesn't sell, because the vast majority of people recognize it for what it is - BS. You're rather stuck now, but you can get unstuck, if you want. (And part of you can remain stuck, if that's the crap you want to join in, but, hey, academia doesn't really have to be BS. It can be written clearly, so you don't have to be stuck there either.)



Isaac Asimov is famous as a college level sci-fi author. Robert Heinlein wrote at a sophisticated level without going over the top in the BS department. Tolkien, of course, is a must read, if you aren't into children's books.



And, if you have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to academia BS, read Joseph Williams book, "Style: Toward Clarity and Grace." I think my last recommendation will help you more than any story could. Just because someone can write pages of $20 words, doesn't mean anyone should. Writing is to communicate - not to make everyone notice the writer. If the writer wants to be noticed, I'd recommend a nice neon green T-shirt with a matching blue mohawk and "Notice Me" tattooed across the face. lol



All written with that degree you seem to think is important and in every day language. ;)
im working on itSuggestion for fantasy novel that reads at or beyond a graduate school level?
You think Game of Thrones and Malazan Book of the Fallen are for high school??? Dude, just because a book doesn't have "GRE vocabulary" doesn't mean it's for high school! Harry Potter and The Inheritance Cycle, now those are books for high school!



Quit thinking that books need complicated words like expergefaction or honorificabilitudinitatibus for it to be considered an "adult" book. Do you think most adults even know these words? Would anyone buy these books? Wouldn't it be easier to just replace these words with their more common counterparts?



I agree with Lynn; don't mix academic and fantasy writing. If you want adult novels, you're already reading them. If you want even harder novels, try some books by Victor Hugo; they may not be fantasy but they do contain hard words!