[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

The Tyrant Lizard;347600 said:

I'm halfway through book one - so far the writing has kind of blown me away. I've never been so captivated by a book, whre nothing has actually happened. And that is mant as a complement. its a testiment to Bakker's writing that i'm still page turning with gusto

Book 2 might be better. Enjoy!

[carnage4u]

book 1 is great, book 2 starts great, and then 1 character overwhelms all others, and this book that makes you think has a cast of hundreds turns out to be a cast of 1 1/2 people..

such a good writing style, but with such frustration that makes me just sad and disgusted.


Its like watching a great movie that turns lame in the last 20 minutes.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

There is the one dominant character, but it didn't bother me like it did you.

[Darkwatch]

carnage4u;348489 said:

book 1 is great, book 2 starts great, and then 1 character overwhelms all others, and this book that makes you think has a cast of hundreds turns out to be a cast of 1 1/2 people..

such a good writing style, but with such frustration that makes me just sad and disgusted.


Its like watching a great movie that turns lame in the last 20 minutes.

Read book 3 things start turning.

[Illuyankas]

It's annoying, but I've only been able to find book 3 in local stores since about three weeks ago. I know it's been out a lot longer than that.

[The Tyrant Lizard]

just finished tDtCB. I thought it was a brilliant book with great characters and a good story line. I've always thought SE was borderline genius with his writing technique, but I think this guy is even more so. I wouldnt want to meet him in real life, just in case he leaps into the darkness that comes before and possesses me, making me one of his bitches.

[Sir Thursday]

The Tyrant Lizard;353391 said:

just finished tDtCB. I thought it was a brilliant book with great characters and a good story line. I've always thought SE was borderline genius with his writing technique, but I think this guy is even more so. I wouldnt want to meet him in real life, just in case he leaps into the darkness that comes before and possesses me, making me one of his bitches.

Haha, I suspect if you read Neuropath you'll want to avoid meeting him even more .


Sir Thursday

[Werthead]

I've met him in real life. Very funny guy. Spent ages praising Erikson and slagging off Goodkind. What more do you want from an author?

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Werthead;353549 said:

I've met him in real life. Very funny guy. Spent ages praising Erikson and slagging off Goodkind. What more do you want from an author?

That's great. Most authors tend to avoid blatantly bashing other authors. Good to see one letting loose on TG. Did anyone ask Erikson how he feels about Goodkind at the BBQ?

[Werthead]

Raymond Luxury Yacht;353575 said:

That's great. Most authors tend to avoid blatantly bashing other authors. Good to see one letting loose on TG. Did anyone ask Erikson how he feels about Goodkind at the BBQ?

Shit, I forgot to ask him at the signing if the chickens in Reaper's Gale and Tehol musing on whether they were evil or not was a 'tribute' to the GK.

[Illuyankas]

There was a conversation at the BBQ about Goodkind that Steve was there for - I remember suggesting that Kahlan is always ALMOST raped because when Goodkind's writing the scene he, er, 'finishes' before he finishes, if you know what I mean - but I think he stayed out of it. Anyone with a more reliable memory remember any more?

[Aptorian]

Illuyankas;354443 said:

There was a conversation at the BBQ about Goodkind that Steve was there for - I remember suggesting that Kahlan is always ALMOST raped because when Goodkind's writing the scene he, er, 'finishes' before he finishes, if you know what I mean - but I think he stayed out of it. Anyone with a more reliable memory remember any more?

That is a brilliant observation... also makes me slightly nocious.

Spoiler

I'm halfway through the second book of the prince of nothing. I agree it's good stuff. The battle scenes are good and imbues the reader with the intensity and grittiness of battle. The central characters are full and interesting and yes, Kelhus seems to dominate the story. But that's okay because I expect Kelhus to just grow more and more awesome as the story progresses.

What bothers me though are two things.

1. this No-god and the consult business. It's an interesting thing but it's used waaay to little. I only remember the Consult is even there when ever we get a POV from Sarcellus or that bird thing.

It's a pity because the scenes from sarjenus dreams are so awesome. The idea of the No-gods voice booming from a hundred thousand sranc throats, the consult having infiltrated all aspects of the society, etc.

I understand that these first three books are predecessors for two books about the second apocalypse, but still... it's disappointing.

2. Achamian denying the Mandate School the knowledge of Kelhus excistance. I'm just not convinced that a man who lives the first apocalypse every night and only exists to fight the consult would not had contacted the school.

I also find it silly that the... second? third? most powerfull school in the known world, ONLY HAS ONE SPY!?! ONE?!! ... IN ALL THE HOLY WAR?!!

baah.

[Yellow]

I think the Mandate are actually pretty low down on the scales of influence. They're masters of all things that rock, but unfortunately not politics.

I also wish there was more about the Consult and the No-god in PoN, but from what Bakker has spoken about, I take it there will be much more in future books. So I can't wait for those I think this series is so far the best one out there (that I've read), so I'm hoping it lives up to its potential.

[Greymane]

Aptorian;354473 said:

That is a brilliant observation... also makes me slightly nocious.

Spoiler

I'm halfway through the second book of the prince of nothing. I agree it's good stuff. The battle scenes are good and imbues the reader with the intensity and grittiness of battle. The central characters are full and interesting and yes, Kelhus seems to dominate the story. But that's okay because I expect Kelhus to just grow more and more awesome as the story progresses.

What bothers me though are two things.

1. this No-god and the consult business. It's an interesting thing but it's used waaay to little. I only remember the Consult is even there when ever we get a POV from Sarcellus or that bird thing.

It's a pity because the scenes from sarjenus dreams are so awesome. The idea of the No-gods voice booming from a hundred thousand sranc throats, the consult having infiltrated all aspects of the society, etc.

I understand that these first three books are predecessors for two books about the second apocalypse, but still... it's disappointing.

2. Achamian denying the Mandate School the knowledge of Kelhus excistance. I'm just not convinced that a man who lives the first apocalypse every night and only exists to fight the consult would not had contacted the school.

I also find it silly that the... second? third? most powerfull school in the known world, ONLY HAS ONE SPY!?! ONE?!! ... IN ALL THE HOLY WAR?!!

baah.

There's more of the Consult in the third book as well, and we get a little insight into what motivates them, but yeah Bakker seems to be keeping them off screen as much as possible.

As for the Mandate, I can sort of buy they only have one spy in the Holy War, if we assume a spy must equal a fully fledged sorceror. The Mandate is the smallest School in terms of numbers, they only have something like 50-60 ranking sorcerors (not including trainess) They probably have regular informants and the like, but it probably takes months for their information to reach Atyersus. The Mandate's power comes from the Gnosis, that's the only reason they can match it with the much larger Schools.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Aptorian;354473 said:

Spoiler

2. Achamian denying the Mandate School the knowledge of Kelhus excistance. I'm just not convinced that a man who lives the first apocalypse every night and only exists to fight the consult would not had contacted the school.

I also find it silly that the... second? third? most powerfull school in the known world, ONLY HAS ONE SPY!?! ONE?!! ... IN ALL THE HOLY WAR?!!

baah.

Yeah that is really annoying. The whole time I was wishing Achamian would just warn Nautzera already.

[Asheroth]

Dolorous Menhir;355452 said:

Yeah that is really annoying. The whole time I was wishing Achamian would just warn Nautzera already.

OMG SAME

That was probably my one quibble with what I thought was an absolutely fantastic series. There's no plausible explanation for why Achamian doesn't warn the Mandate. I mean, the man is wracked with horrifying dreams of death and destruction every night. Kellhus' hold on him isn't enough to explain away Achamian's silence. And it's not like he ever even makes a conscious decision to remain silent. It's like he keeps putting it off, and putting it off, until suddenly Kellhus is king and Akka goes all 'I RENOUNCE!'

[Yellow]

Like, totally

This post has been edited by Cougar: 23 October 2008 - 11:13 AM

[The Tyrant Lizard]

I'm reading the third book now. Having read the second - and I must admit I was expecting a pile of drivel from according to some of the posts on here - I found it held its own with the first book. I saw no drop off of talent or style or excitement. I even think the second book was better. I thought the way he wrote about the woes the holy war faced, one after the other, was brilliant. The battles are great, the characters are great, and I love the general idea of the Consult/Mandate thing.

Few authors are as ruthless with their characters as this man is. Torture is piled upon humiliation upon degredation upon shame. The only one who is spared is Kellhus, and then even he gets a fare amount of shit.

The one thing I didn't really like was Cnaur's decent. I dont know how things end up with him, but I hope he dont go completely mental.

[Aptorian]

Just wait

[Mentalist]

Apt, or Cougar, or somebody, maybe we should re-spoilerize this thread?