When it comes to fantasy novels, I think George RR Martin's series is the best thing to come out in the last several decades. It's not finished yet - four books of a projected seven are out, and the writing is going slower than I might like. He's a year later than he thought he'd be on the next book (he hopes it will be out next fall now).
But if you haven't checked them out yet, and are up for a realistically grounded fantasy with lots of politics and great characters, try picking up
A Game of Thrones. Just be warned - Martin is known for doing bad things to characters you've come to like. The books can get pretty brutal. But then they're inspired by the War of the Roses, a pretty brutal time in history.
And sure, there are dragons. And zombies. And sorceresses. And Giants. But for all that, he's created a world where magic is
rare and mysterious. Magic lurks in the background, while the foreground is taken up with very human characters engaged in intrigues and wars. And nothing about these wars is justified or pleasant. He really shows the effects of a medieval war on the farmers peasants, even while we follow the lords and knights.
I could go on, but the point is I figured if we're going to have a "Fantasy Discussion" forum, these books really needed a thread...