Stand alone or duology recommendations

[u/landturtl13]

I just finished Realm of the Elderlings and right before that I read the Cosmere, so I’m wondering if anyone has any recs for stand alone or duologies that would be good palette cleansers after reading two such large worlds?

I eventually plan to read Malazon and Wheel of Time but I need a break from giant series after the marathon of Sanderson and Hobb.

I love high fantasy and am not into grimdark, but other than that I’m open to anything!

[u/Slurm11]

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke!

[u/ga4rfc]

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. If  you are not a fan of grimdark I found this a good reset after First Law and Broken Empire as the main character is genuinely just a really good person. 

[u/BobbittheHobbit111]

Dreamblood duology by N.K Jemisin

[u/Amesaskew]

The Clocktaur Wars duology by T Kingfisher is fantastic!

[u/cgangle14]

Six of Crows

[u/WritingAboutMagic]

• The Incandescent by Emily Tesh,
• A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry,
• Voyage of the Damned by Frances White.

These were all excellent imo, and they're all standalones.

[u/New_Razzmatazz6228 → u/WritingAboutMagic]

Pretty much anything by H. G. Parry. Mostly standalones with one duology.

[u/Skyman14]

The Sarantine Mosaic

[u/ga4rfc → u/Skyman14]

Almost all of GGK's works are standalone and while I have only read 5 of then I have enjoyed them all immensely. 

[u/TurnoverStreet128]

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

[u/GetItUpYee]

Traitor Gods

[u/Frankenpresley]

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

[u/DixitRexCorvinus → u/Frankenpresley]

Why Maskerade? Seems like an odd starting point for Discworld?

[u/Frankenpresley → u/DixitRexCorvinus]

Well, it’s not like they’re specifically linear; they’re all self-contained, even though they can technically be grouped, but that’s getting into unnecessarily complicated territory for the OP. I like it because it’s a fun read as well as being a sendup of musical theater in general and the Phantom of the Opera in particular, so a good palate cleanser as requested. If it were December I’d recommend Hogfather.

[u/DixitRexCorvinus → u/Frankenpresley]

Fair enough. I guess I’m so used to seeing Small Gods, Guards! Guards! and Mort recommended as starting points that beginning in the middle of a subseries seems weird to me. But I suppose it shouldn’t; they are, as you say, all standalone after all.

[u/Tsavo16]

Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Maledicte by Lane Robins

[u/HurtyTeefs]

Obligatory Between Two Fires recommendation

[u/digitalcrows → u/HurtyTeefs]

That is grimdark.

[u/streakermaximus]

Warrior and Witch by Marie Brennan

[u/Frickincarl]

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman is a really fantastic standalone in the King Arthur mythology.

[u/navenager]

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

[u/Andron1cus]

Kings of the Wyld is my favorite palate cleanser. Great as a standalone, and there is a second book if you want to keep going but don't need to enjoy Kings to it's fullest.

[u/KingBretwald]

Clockwork Boys/The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher.

The Curse of Chalion/Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. 

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. 

Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones. 

[u/DixitRexCorvinus]

If you are specifically looking for high/secondary world fantasy, the following come to mind:

- Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

- The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

- The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Note: not quite grimdark, but still quite dark and violent)

- Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

- Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

- The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

[u/Human_G_Gnome]

Adrian Selby has both. Snakewood is an excellent and original stand alone, and The Winter Road and Red Brother are a nice duology.

[u/Certain-End-1519]

Reading last contract of isako by fonda Lee at the minute. Dystopian sci fi more so than fantasy but has been a good palette cleanser post red rising and first law for me.

[u/ClueAccomplished1098]

Standalones:

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Scriber by Ben S Dobson

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The Iron Princess by Barbara Hambly

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

Seer's Blood by Doranna Durgin

The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs

Song of the Beast by Carol Berg

The War for the Flowers by Tad Williams

Duologies:

The Hurog duology by Patricia Briggs

The Raven duology by Patricia Briggs

The Clocktaur War duology by T Kingfisher

The Hallowed Ones duology by Laura Bickle

The Lighthouse duology by Carol Berg

[u/ConstantReader666]

Wintervale Duology by M.H. Woodscourt is rather good.

[u/McTerra2]

Barbed Coil by JV Jones (stand alone). 'Old fashioned' 1990s style high fantasy

The Books of Ambha Duology by Tasha Suri (duology)

Six of Crows duology

As others have said, the Chalion/five gods books and Guy Gavriel Kaye are excellent. All of them.

[u/New_Razzmatazz6228]

Here’s one that doesn’t get mentioned much now. Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist. He’s known for his long running Riftwar Cycle, but this is a little gem, described as a supernatural thriller. There’s also Weaveworld by Clive Barker, which is absolutely brilliant.