A Song of Ice and Fire

[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:

---

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.

---

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.

[normalphil]

Originally posted by Wendigo:
\Terry Goodkind is a Robert Jordan hack, and that sado-masochist fetish he has doesn't attract me much.

Um... What sado-masochist fetish? (heh heh) You're not fantasizing about Mord-Sith between chapters now, are you?

I've got a strange thing with Goodkind's Sword of Truth. It keeps dropping off my 'Good Fantasy' list between books, and it keeps rocketting back up it every time I read a new one. I guess the conclusion is while the weight of opinion wears me down, the product will speak for itself. Just finished 'Naked Empire', and am still thinking 'Cool. That man knows how to turn a phrase into a meaning.'

Or you could just ignore all the white noise and bear in mind that nowhere in the words 'Sword of Truth' are the words 'Wheel of Time', and sit down and enjoy the book without trying to create new analogies.

[Teraswaerto]

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.

WoT was enjoyable up to (and mostly including) Lord of Chaos, but after that the story just got completely bogged down.

[ January 21, 2004, 13:16: Message edited by: Teraswaerto ]