A Song of Ice and Fire

[Karacan]

Go for Wheel Of Time, by Robert Jordan, if you have a few spare months to read. Great story, brilliant writing. Very twisted story, too, though the main characters are a bit too flat for my taste (they're all governed by two or three emotions each), but he more than makes it up with the tons of supporting chars.


Anyhow, for a Song Of Fire And Ice mod, have a look at the great boardgame conVersion which came out autumn Last year. Dominions players should like it, it's all about causing your opponents' armies to retreat, and not to extinguish.

[Wendigo]

I second (or third, or...) the recomendation on G.R.R.Martin, A Song of Ice & Fire is IMO the best Epic fantasy series currently in development.
Excellent characters, plot & credible World-building.
Nº4, 'A Feast for Crows', should be out this year.
His old shorter works like 'Fevre Dream' or 'Windhaven' did not catch me so much.

I cannot stand D. Eddings same as Zen, all that teasing each other from the characters while they are saving the world gets old after a while.

Terry Goodkind is a Robert Jordan hack, and that sado-masochist fetish he has doesn't attract me much.

Robert Jordan started Wheel of Time very strong (although nº1, The Eye of the World draws from Tolkien a bit too much), but he's lost control of the story in the latter books. Books 1-5 up to 'Lord of Chaos' are very enjoyable however, if slightly soap operish.

Light reads, good to introduct your kids to Fantasy literature: Terry Brooks (Shanara) & Margaret Weiss (Dragonlance).

If you like swords & sorcery stuff you cannot go wrong with the original Conan stories, by Robert L Howard.

A writer that is gaining momentum is Steven Erikson (Malazan Empire books), he's up to nº4. His work is almost archeologic in scope, with an ancient world walked by multiple races & Gods, and the power levels are slightly out of control IMO (basically, everybody is an ascendant, powerful mage/warrior or a human capable of dealing with the previous). It's fantasy on steroids, entertaining anyway if you do not get lost following the stories.
Each book has a kind of self-contained story, which is kind of refreshing in this age of long waits until the next installment in a series.

Cheers,
Pepe

edit: typo with names

[ January 22, 2004, 15:09: Message edited by: Wendigo ]

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Karacan:
Go for Wheel Of Time, by Robert Jordan

IMO, it's highly boring. And I'm a patient reader, so that's saying a lot about just how much of a chore these books are. If anyone dislikes Eddings, then run, don't walk, away from Jordan. 10 books thus far and he's still at least 2 books away from a wrap. It's obvious he's writing these books just to make money for himself and his publsher. (Lots of money.) The story just drags on, and on, and on. Dozens of admittedly interesting and well-developed characters, like Eddings (only more so). The story is big on telling you what the characters think, but they don't do much. Just talk, debate, ponder, and drag their butts occasionally someplace else to talk some more to each other.

Fair warning.

[ January 20, 2004, 10:55: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Teraswaerto]

Originally posted by alexti:
George R.R. Martin is the only one fantasy writers I know in whose books the future is unpredictable His other books, for example Windhaven and Fever Dream are very good too. And some old short story (Sandkings?) is almost a scenario for some strategy game (Warlords?) :-)

But does anybody know another author of similar quality?

Try Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. He's even better than Martin, especially if you like a world with loads of magic and non-human races. Much more "fantastic" than A Song of Ice and Fire, and just as gritty.

[Teraswaerto]

Originally posted by Wendigo:


(basically, everybody is an ascendant, powerful mage/warrior or a human capable of dealing with the previous)

A bit of an overstatement. There are several central human characters without superhuman abilities. Whiskeyjack, Crokus/Cutter, Dujek Onearm, Murillio, etc.

[Bossemanden]

George R R Martin is great. Other very good writers are:
Steven Erikson
Robin Hobb
Raymond E Feist
J V Jones
Harry Turtledove (Not really fantasy)
Peter F Hamilton (Sci-Fi)

[normalphil]

Originally posted by Arryn:

quote:

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Originally posted by Karacan:
Go for Wheel Of Time, by Robert Jordan

IMO, it's highly boring. And I'm a patient reader, so that's saying a lot about just how much of a chore these books are. If anyone dislikes Eddings, then run, don't walk, away from Jordan. 10 books thus far and he's still at least 2 books away from a wrap. It's obvious he's writing these books just to make money for himself and his publsher. (Lots of money.) The story just drags on, and on, and on. Dozens of admittedly interesting and well-developed characters, like Eddings (only more so). The story is big on telling you what the characters think, but they don't do much. Just talk, debate, ponder, and drag their butts occasionally someplace else to talk some more to each other.

Fair warning.

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Your milage may vary. Wheel of Time isn't action/adventure, it's a drama with action/adventure in it. And it doesn't change the fact that the Wheel of Time is a continuous, consistantly good narative.