I'm reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It has been compared to the works of Tolkien but this comparisson doesn't really make any sense. Even though they've got elves and magic in common they are very different. Like Tolkien she takes her work seriously. Compared to Tolkien not seriously enough though, however that comparison is unfair.
No it's more like War and Peace meets Harry Potter. It's like the roleplaying game Castle Falkenstein with the Unseelie Court lurking in the background but without the steam-punk.
It is set in England during the Napoleonic Wars in which two wizards are fighting against Napoleon thorugh the use of magic. The mood is delightful and I would like to recommend it to anyone out there reading my stuff.