Dear David Eddings supports a saga somewhat better than Robert Jordan - The Belgariad is a classic although some of the later stuff (Elenium, etc,) I found a bit repetitious.

Try Alan Dean Foster - especially the "Spellsinger" series for a bit of fun & nonsense.

Robin Hobbs' Farseer trilogy is great, quite dark. Review of Ship of Magic.

Terry Goodkind (Wizard's First Rule et sub) has a nice fresh voice and does emotional bits brilliantly. Review of The Sword of Truth.

Tad Williams is fab, and in person looks like an elf, which helps.

Charles de Lint is prolific, but not all linked sagas for a change. Refreshing new Canadian backgrounds with some classic fairylore woven in, not all "nice" either!

Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry (3 books) is one of my all-time faves, but I don't like his other stuff nearly as much. He always uses a historical event as a kick-off point, adds some appropriate legends and then lets rip - perhaps they're too historical and not fantastic enough for me? He's a fascinating man, Canadian, a lawyer until he made enough money from the writing, and a brilliant, cuttingly witty speaker. Review of Sailing to Sarantium.

I like Patricia McKillip and some of her books gave me the zig, but that's par for the course!

Don't forget Tolkien - it's fashionable to sneer nowadays, but The Lord of the Rings and, even more so, The Hobbit remain classics.

Recommended for children

Originally written for children but as appropriate if not more so for adults, are all Alan Garner's stuff (The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Owl Service, etc.) and Susan Cooper whom I've re-read again and again. Also C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" series - a touch preachy but still great invention and (we're really going back here) E.Nesbit, 5 children & It, etc. Go raid the kids' section of the library!