Any books similar to say Eragon? From zero to hero?

[Spl4sh3r]

First thing I thought about when you mention random farmer was The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

[Dasffion]

Magician Raymond e. feist
Mistborn Brandon Sanderson
Wheel of Time Robert Jordan
Belgariad David eddings

[jazen]

Paksenarrions Deed or something like that....Dragonbone Chair trilogy by Tad WIlliams...Both zero to hero

- - - Updated - - -

I think he wants to finish before his own death from reading it. Wheel was great until he felt the need to spend 300 pages on 2 days in book 8 or 9....

First thing I thought about when you mention random farmer was The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

[Carnum]

I would highly suggest The Warded Man....complete zero to hero, well thought out and utterly badass.

[coockiedough]

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is one of the best series i`ve ever read.

[AceofHarts]

+1 for Wheel of Time. Definition of Zero to Hero.

[Dhrizzle]

+1 for Wheel of Time. Definition of Zero to Hero.

Make that +2, WoT has at least five zeroes-to-heroes.

[Dervrak]

Make that +3 for Wheel of time...

If you have a few months or a year to spend on a series (depending on how fast you read)...
The series is an enormous 15 long books (14 and a prequel with most around 800-1000 pages small print), but it is only one main story arc about a boy from a small village growing into a power ruler and magic user who is fated to fight what amounts to the devil himself. A warning though, many people feel the series just moves too slow and tends to get bogged down in side plots and secondary characters (sometimes for almost entire books).

[AceofHarts]

Make that +2, WoT has at least five zeroes-to-heroes.

i'd make it 6 and throw in Min. not quite hero but she definately went up in the world.d

[Zoma]

The Belgariad/The Mallorean - David Eddings

Two series, five books in each. The Belgariad is the zero-to-hero part, The Mallorean is his continued adventures after becoming the hero. There are also two stand alone prequel books, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress. They aren't specifically about the zero-to-hero, but if you enjoy the Belgariad and the Mallorean, you may as well read the stand-alones as well.

Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson

Fourteen books, plus one standalone prequel. There are multiple zero-to-heroes in this series.

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn - Tad Williams

Four books (Three if hardcover. For paperback, the 3rd book is split into Part 1 and 2). Slightly different from the other two I suggested, as the amount of magic is different. In the first two series I suggested, there are plenty of magical battles, with fireballs being thrown at each other and stuff like that. This series is more like Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, where there are plenty of supernatural elements and fantasy creatures, but you aren't going to see two wizards facing off in a duel.

[Alusen]

Definitely Wheel of Time, Shadows of the Apt is another zero to hero series with the final book coming out next August.

[obdigore]

Almost every book/series written or begun in the 80s and 90s is zero to hero. The genre term is 'Farmboy Saves the World'. Here is a couple examples of the better stuff:

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.
Wheel of Time.
Every Single Book of Modesitt Jr's Recluce is 'zero to hero' with a new person.
Codex Alera.

Seriously, it is a huge Genre thing and was especially dominant at the end of the 20th Century.

edit: aaaand I didn't see the second page. Def +1 Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and WoT. Magician by Feist is another good one I'll +1. If you are looking at easier/teen reads, the Drizz't stuff has a couple storylines of farmboy saves the world.

[Deleted]

This is a good set of books that I hardly see recommended enough and it fits your criteria minus the time skip. It also sets up the rules and whys/hows of the way magic works somewhat like Eragon did but in quite a bit more detail if you liked that aspect

Yes, definitly go read Malazan book of the fallen. Its perfect.
Edit wrong quote, wanted to quote that post about steven ericson

[Wozniak]

Apparently the Malazan books are really good

[Zoma]

Apparently the Malazan books are really good

I like the Malazan books, but they don't really fit the zero-to-hero theme. Most of the main characters started out as heroes, as well as a few that might seem like zero-to-hero, although it turns out they were heroes before, we just didn't know about it yet. Off the top of my head, only two characters go from zero to hero, a thief and a fisherman's daughter, and neither of them are present for quite a few books. Another that comes to mind is a nobleborn, so he doesn't really count as starting at zero, even though he probably does the largest upgrade of any character.

[Deleted]

Try the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

[obdigore]

I like the Malazan books, but they don't really fit the zero-to-hero theme. Most of the main characters started out as heroes, as well as a few that might seem like zero-to-hero, although it turns out they were heroes before, we just didn't know about it yet. Off the top of my head, only two characters go from zero to hero, a thief and a fisherman's daughter, and neither of them are present for quite a few books. Another that comes to mind is a nobleborn, so he doesn't really count as starting at zero, even though he probably does the largest upgrade of any character.

The real farmboy to savior is only cutter. Apsalar gets possessed by a god and gets a bunch of powers because of it, which doesn't really fit the farmboy to savior theme.

And yes, if you want Epic Fantasy, Malazan is the best written so far.

[Pious Lemon]

Two of my favourite "zero to hero" type series are the two written by Brent Weeks. The Night Angel Trilogy and Lightbringer series. Both are set in different universes with more books in the work for both (The NA Trilogy, which is completed, reads like a prequel somewhat, with more in store for the future - Lightbringer has 2/4 books released). I really enjoy his writing and world building. Not overly complex but definitely an excellent read (lots of fantasy elements and really interesting 'magic' in both).

Have to echo Malazan if you don't mind getting quite deep in the quagmire that is Erikson's world (it can be really difficult to keep up at times and be prepared to not have everything explained to you - this was his intention). One thing is that the world is definitely not fun. He takes quite a pessimistic attitude towards most aspects (love, friendship, heroes, etc). Can be depressing and tragic. Must be said however that this is the best epic fantasy series I have read.

[Hilltopperpete]

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series was an enjoyable read, there's about a dozen books in all, but the first one is pretty standalone. There is lots of magic, but also lots of sex and violence, and progressively longer preachy monologues as the series weighs on. If you're in the mood for light, YA fare, this ain't it. I very much enjoy the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik- it's dragon warfare told from a British perspective and set in the Napoleonic age- Peter Jackson optioned the rights for the series and will probably start working on adapting them after the Hobbit is all done. Novik actually worked on the Neverwinter Nights game series, and writes in an awesome early 19th century dialect that will wrinkle your brain. The books are incredibly fast reads, and so much fun. Anything by Tolkien or CS Lewis is great too, if you haven't read all of LOTR, Narnia, or the Space Trilogy, you're missing out. L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time is a fun, fantastical read. Dave Barry (awesome comedy writer) and Ridley Pearson (all the adventures!) cowrote together a neat Peter Pan series starting with Peter and the Starcatchers. Jonathan Stroud has some pretty fun books- the Bartimeus Trilogy is fantastic and chronicles the zero to hero from both the hero and the unwilling observer's perspective. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the ilk are easier ways to digest Jane Austen, if you're into that kind of thing, and Twilight might not actually be the worst thing ever written if (again- if you're really into that kind of thing or if you're into a female who is). I enjoyed the Shadowhunter world with Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones series), didn't care to see the movie though. There are two sets of novels, the Clockwork Angel series (3 books, set in 19th century) and the Mortal Instruments series (6 books set in the present, last one releases in May). The Hunger Games books are great- and are especially interesting if you follow the rise and fall of single-party states, there's a shocking relevance to the dissolution of contemporary regimes such as the continuing saga in Egypt. Harry Potter is always a fun reread. Discworld by Terry Pratchett is pretty trippy. I really enjoy the Circle and the Paradise Series by Ted Dekker- the Circle series is really unique in that you can read any of the books first or last and they paint a different, cohesive narrative. I'd probably call Frank Peretti my favorite author, he doesn't do many zero to hero things, but he writes a lot of supernatural thriller types, headlined by This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness which consist of alternating chapters of human thriller stories and a shadow world of angels and demons battling for their souls.

[AceofHarts]

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series was an enjoyable read, there's about a dozen books in all, but the first one is pretty standalone. There is lots of magic, but also lots of sex and violence, and progressively longer preachy monologues as the series weighs on. If you're in the mood for light, YA fare, this ain't it. I very much enjoy the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik- it's dragon warfare told from a British perspective and set in the Napoleonic age- Peter Jackson optioned the rights for the series and will probably start working on adapting them after the Hobbit is all done. Novik actually worked on the Neverwinter Nights game series, and writes in an awesome early 19th century dialect that will wrinkle your brain. The books are incredibly fast reads, and so much fun. Anything by Tolkien or CS Lewis is great too, if you haven't read all of LOTR, Narnia, or the Space Trilogy, you're missing out. L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time is a fun, fantastical read. Dave Barry (awesome comedy writer) and Ridley Pearson (all the adventures!) cowrote together a neat Peter Pan series starting with Peter and the Starcatchers. Jonathan Stroud has some pretty fun books- the Bartimeus Trilogy is fantastic and chronicles the zero to hero from both the hero and the unwilling observer's perspective. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the ilk are easier ways to digest Jane Austen, if you're into that kind of thing, and Twilight might not actually be the worst thing ever written if (again- if you're really into that kind of thing or if you're into a female who is). I enjoyed the Shadowhunter world with Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones series), didn't care to see the movie though. There are two sets of novels, the Clockwork Angel series (3 books, set in 19th century) and the Mortal Instruments series (6 books set in the present, last one releases in May). The Hunger Games books are great- and are especially interesting if you follow the rise and fall of single-party states, there's a shocking relevance to the dissolution of contemporary regimes such as the continuing saga in Egypt. Harry Potter is always a fun reread. Discworld by Terry Pratchett is pretty trippy. I really enjoy the Circle and the Paradise Series by Ted Dekker- the Circle series is really unique in that you can read any of the books first or last and they paint a different, cohesive narrative. I'd probably call Frank Peretti my favorite author, he doesn't do many zero to hero things, but he writes a lot of supernatural thriller types, headlined by This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness which consist of alternating chapters of human thriller stories and a shadow world of angels and demons battling for their souls.

dude. paragraphs. please. use them. and lots of sex in sword of truth? i remember 1 actual sex scene where he actually described shit. the rest w as pan to the fireplace, and there wasn't much of that. and yeah. sword of truth wasn't that good.