[Otataral Toblakai]

At present, the books i've read (prior to) that are akin to MBotF are:

1. A Song of Ice & Fire (possibly my first epic fantasy series)
2. A Wheel of Time

What'd you recommend (books like MBotF)?

[Defiance]

Glen Cook's Black Company books are supposed to be good. SE has named them as a major influence, and I guess the Black Company is supposed to be similar to the Bridgeburners. I have the first omnibus, Tales of the Black Company, sitting on my shelf to read after I finish my Malazan reread.

[Harvester]

Well, there are like, at least, 10 similar threads already.

Click

Clicky

Clickedy

Derp

This post has been edited by Harvester: 31 October 2010 - 12:03 AM

[Hetan]

There is currently nothing out there as good as MBotF- nothing. period. fullstop... and I have tried, I have tried to find something that ticks the boxes.
I guess it's just a matter of perspective at the end of it all, but I will carry on looking.

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

Bakker is similar in the grittiness and realism of Malazan. And he also does the visually epic scenes very well. Very different types of worlds though I think.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

WhiskeyJackDaniels, on 31 October 2010 - 07:58 PM, said:

Bakker is similar in the grittiness and realism of Malazan. And he also does the visually epic scenes very well. Very different types of worlds though I think.

I literally just finished the Prince of Nothing trolology last night. I'd definitely recommend it to any Malazan fans.

[Harvester]

Everything about PON is great stuff, except the battle scenes, they border on being atrocious imo.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Harvester, on 01 November 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

Everything about PON is great stuff, except the battle scenes, they border on being atrocious imo.

Yeah, I sort of skipped through the parts at the end of the third book where it was from the point of view of the mages fighting, specifically Eleazaras. So boring. Everything else was great.

[Gothos]

I go through the first book of Bakker's first trilogy when I have a free moment at work. It's great stuff so far.

[Aptorian]

In before all the Bakker haters descend (Oh Dolorous Menhir, where art thou?)

I liked the PON series and I agree that there are a lot of similarities between the two, the grittiness, the stories rooted in human nature and our aggressive history, the philosophy.

Personally I liked the action, especially the mage stuff, if nothing else, Bakker has created one of the most fascinating and beautiful magic systems I have seen. The last convergence where a certain someone goes Super Sayian was fucking kick ass.

How ever I will be the first to say that there are parts of the books that just drag on and on. In between the good stuff there is a lot of slow sections, with more or less boring character interactions, or pointless intrigue. Especially Esmenet (I think she is called) and her scenes were agonising at times, waaaah I am just whore, life sucks, etc. and similarly Achamian, for all the awesome he holds within him, is EXTREMELY ignorant a lot of the time and spends way too much time bitching to himself. Also he is the worst spy EVER.

[Gothos]

I just noticed the potential awesome of it being the Prince Of Really Nothing.

[Harvester]

Aptorian, on 01 November 2010 - 12:49 PM, said:

Personally I liked the action, especially the mage stuff, if nothing else, Bakker has created one of the most fascinating and beautiful magic systems I have seen. The last convergence where a certain someone goes Super Sayian was fucking kick ass.

I have to agree, Bakker's take on magic is what I loved most about these books.

[Chance]

Just have to

Whisper, on 31 October 2010 - 08:34 PM, said:

WhiskeyJackDaniels, on 31 October 2010 - 07:58 PM, said:

Bakker is similar in the grittiness and realism of Malazan. And he also does the visually epic scenes very well. Very different types of worlds though I think.

I literally just finished the Prince of Nothing trolology last night. I'd definitely recommend it to any Malazan fans.

Might be worth telling but for each fan of Bakker there is a rabid hater...it is the kind of series which evoke strong feelings. Personally I recommend reading a good history of the first crusades instead its the same thing. But that has been the subject of at least two-three threads before this one.

/Chance...who liked the first book...and generally never stop reading a series midway...

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Whisper, on 01 November 2010 - 12:30 PM, said:

Harvester, on 01 November 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

Everything about PON is great stuff, except the battle scenes, they border on being atrocious imo.

Yeah, I sort of skipped through the parts at the end of the third book where it was from the point of view of the mages fighting, specifically Eleazaras. So boring. Everything else was great.

Heathens! Bakker's fights( both mundane and magical) are, IMO of course, great. The mundane ones are very poetical and I loved the choral scenes of the Holy War , As for the magical ones, how can't you like a guy with blazing eyes and mouth burning someone with a dragon head?

This post has been edited by Bauchelain the Evil: 02 November 2010 - 11:10 AM

[Harvester]

I like the magic scenes, especially the Psûkhe, but come on, the battle scenes are just a pile of names no one really cares about, or at least I didn't.
To me they felt far too detached and on a stylistic level too in stark contrast to the rest of the novel(s).
Yeah, just my opinion. (:

[Werthead]

This might be a stupid question, but you have checked out the Malazan prequel novellas and also the books in the same world by Ian Cameron Esslemont?

Bakker is the obvious answer to what is the closest series out there to the MBF overall, although there are many differences. Otherwise it depends what elements really appeal.

For example, if it's Erikson's demented sense of humour (particularly Kruppe, Pust and Tehol), then I'd recommend Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. Guards! Guards! is an ideal entry point to the series.

If it's the battle scenes and the musings on morality and warfare, then Paul Kearney (whom Erikson hugely rates) should be your first stop. His classic Monarchies of God series has been reissued in two recent omnibus editions, the first of which is Hawkwood and the Kings.

If it's the structure (moving between continents and casts of characters), then Joe Abercrombie's work might be worth a look. His first trilogy, The First Law, is one story and then the follow-up, Best Served Cold, moves to a new continent and a new cast, whilst minor characters from the first work reappear unexpectedly. The Heroes then swaps back to one of the previous landmasses but with a (mostly) new cast. The books are quite dark, gritty and funny as well.

Otherwise you might want to check out Erikson's inspirations: The Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson.

[Abyss]

The DRESDEN FILES series by Jim Butcher.

It is urban fantasy, first person pov and the books are short fast reads, nothing at all like SE and ICE's cast-of-thousands epic fantasy doorstoppers.
And it is awesome.

The first is ok. The second is interesting. The third picks up the pace and by the fourth you will be joining the rest of us in the Butcher subforum craving your yearly drescrack fix once you read the ten or so that are already out there in conveniently affordable mmpb format.

- Abyss, is yo pushah.

[Toke]

It's difficult to achieve the complexity of Malazan, but I think Joe Abercrombies books come close in terms of characters and ancient history of magic. Somehow they both remind of me of each other. Few of the best books I read last year those Abercrombie ones.