I'd recommend Guy Gavriel Kay, he's a decent enough author. Check out Tigana and Last Light of the Sun, but avoid his first series The Fionavar Tapestry unless you just LOVE Deus Ex Machina.
It's really that bad. There's no real danger, at any point through the whole book. Bah humbug.
Also, Laura Resnik is a wonderful author, she wrote a trilogy that started with In Legend Born. It's a very unique world, with memorable characters and a rich, compelling story.
I also just finished The Subtle Knife, the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, which starts with The Golden Compass (or The Northern Lights if you're in the UK). Very fun, can't wait to read the third book and see where this all goes.