[Esa1996]

Nicodimas, on 17 December 2015 - 01:23 AM, said:

Charlie Nom, on 16 December 2015 - 10:25 PM, said:

joining Prince of Nothing club

It's weird I really want to like them they have such great reviews, but never can finish even the first. Just soooo boring..where is the hook?.

The first book had a good prologue (The Kellhus part), then Cnaiur had some good chapters at around 30% through. It doesn't really get interesting until around 55%. Then onward the first book was pretty good. Still, I already mentioned it up thread that I see the series as over rated.

[QuickTidal]

Esa1996, on 17 December 2015 - 03:59 PM, said:

Nicodimas, on 17 December 2015 - 01:23 AM, said:

Charlie Nom, on 16 December 2015 - 10:25 PM, said:

joining Prince of Nothing club

It's weird I really want to like them they have such great reviews, but never can finish even the first. Just soooo boring..where is the hook?.

The first book had a good prologue (The Kellhus part), then Cnaiur had some good chapters at around 30% through. It doesn't really get interesting until around 55%. Then onward the first book was pretty good. Still, I already mentioned it up thread that I see the series as over rated.

These books have been on my hate list for a long time now. I read the 1st book, and half of book 2 before giving up and swearing off Bakker forever. What an utterly horrid series.

[Mentalist]

The "retelling of the 1st Crusade" is ok.
The piecing together of the 1st Apocalypse is neat.

Kellhus is atrocious and the only reason I still read the series is to see him die horribly.

The rest is hit or miss...

[Tiste Simeon]

QuickTidal, on 17 December 2015 - 04:13 PM, said:

Esa1996, on 17 December 2015 - 03:59 PM, said:

Nicodimas, on 17 December 2015 - 01:23 AM, said:

Charlie Nom, on 16 December 2015 - 10:25 PM, said:

joining Prince of Nothing club

It's weird I really want to like them they have such great reviews, but never can finish even the first. Just soooo boring..where is the hook?.

The first book had a good prologue (The Kellhus part), then Cnaiur had some good chapters at around 30% through. It doesn't really get interesting until around 55%. Then onward the first book was pretty good. Still, I already mentioned it up thread that I see the series as over rated.

These books have been on my hate list for a long time now. I read the 1st book, and half of book 2 before giving up and swearing off Bakker forever. What an utterly horrid series.

Yes QT you have been my long time ally in hating the Prince of Nothing (or maybe the Book of Nothing!?) series. I just didn't get the love.

[End of Disc One]

I'm surprised by people singling out The Warrior Prophet as the worst book of Prince of Nothing. That one was definitely my favorite of the trilogy.

[polishgenius]

Abyss, on 17 December 2015 - 05:23 AM, said:

Harry Potter redux.

There are plenty of criticisms of Kingkiller that I can see the merits of, but I'm not and never will be having this one.


It's Earthsea redux.

[Salt-Man Z]

polishgenius, on 18 December 2015 - 09:10 PM, said:

It's Earthsea redux.

Speaking of books I didn't like...


Actually, I bet I'd appreciate them a lot more than I when I first read them almost 9 years ago...

[Kanese S's]

I dislike The Virus by Thorin. It's a bunch of pseudo-intellectual, internet tough guy bullshit.

[Esa1996]

Almost forgot, the most over rated book series in the history of mankind: Lord of the Rings. Again, I don't hate the series, in fact I quite like it, but it is ridiculous when some people compare stuff like ASOIAF/WOT/Malazan with it saying "X is ALMOST as good as LotR." Personally I see all three as far superior to LotR.

[Abyss]

Esa1996, on 19 December 2015 - 07:01 PM, said:

Almost forgot, the most over rated book series in the history of mankind: Lord of the Rings. Again, I don't hate the series, in fact I quite like it, but it is ridiculous when some people compare stuff like ASOIAF/WOT/Malazan with it saying "X is ALMOST as good as LotR." Personally I see all three as far superior to LotR.

Agreed. I see where the love comes from, but i have never felt it.


It took me three tries over 20 years to finally read LotR, and then only because the movies were starting up and i felt like i should have read the books first.

Funnily enough i read THE HOBBIT four times before i finished LotR once, and that was probably my very first fantasy book.

[Arthur Dayne]

I read this entire topic from the beginning and was shocked at how long it took to blast on Goodkind. I actually read all his books and would say I was a fan... right up to the moment I discovered this board and started reading WoT... Talk about eye opening.

Funny, I was seriously just thinking about The Lord of the Rings. As I physically can't stomach reading past chapter 7 at the moment, I suppose it's only fitting that people should finally bring these books up in the last like 5 posts. It's a HUGE difference to have seen the movies and try to go back and read the books. Cannot unsee, so now i'm left constantly telling myself that what i'm reading isn't the SNAIL PACED DRAGGING PIECE OF COLD POO SLIDING DOWN THE WALL IN A BLIZZARD that I now think they are, are they?

Also, Crossroads of Twilight made me skip 2 books in WoT. Not just skim. Skip.

[Esa1996]

Arthur Dayne, on 07 January 2016 - 08:07 PM, said:

I read this entire topic from the beginning and was shocked at how long it took to blast on Goodkind. I actually read all his books and would say I was a fan... right up to the moment I discovered this board and started reading WoT... Talk about eye opening.

Funny, I was seriously just thinking about The Lord of the Rings. As I physically can't stomach reading past chapter 7 at the moment, I suppose it's only fitting that people should finally bring these books up in the last like 5 posts. It's a HUGE difference to have seen the movies and try to go back and read the books. Cannot unsee, so now i'm left constantly telling myself that what i'm reading isn't the SNAIL PACED DRAGGING PIECE OF COLD POO SLIDING DOWN THE WALL IN A BLIZZARD that I now think they are, are they?

Also, Crossroads of Twilight made me skip 2 books in WoT. Not just skim. Skip.

Two? Why? The latter half of Knife of Dreams is freaking awesome. COT was bad though.

[paradanmellow]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 17 December 2015 - 07:03 AM, said:

I re-read them recently and have to agree. I really enjoyed them the first time, the setting is fascinating, but the actual story on a second read didn't hold up for me. As you say, no "epic" to speak of and the majority of it reads like "Kvothe has no money - Kvothe has money - Kvothe looks like having the opportunity to have more money - Kvothe has no money" ad nauseum.

About Kingkiller:

Spoiler

I went through the first book alright; "mature" Kvothe was excellent (!), his sidekick Bast too, even the chronicler. The inn was a great setting, the mystery/foreshadowing also.
But when the story of his life began it was a slow tumble down a mountain which got worse in the second book when, like you say, he's either got money or he doesn't (lol, until you brought it up, I didn't even know that was the thorn in my side!). The money issue is the worst of his false problems, because he's the sort of youth to which nothing bad can happen. And everything happening at the Eolian and with his "girlfriend" is a total waste of time. I don't wanna read about music. Btw, what makes his gf so perfect?
The only interesting character at his school is not even the main character, it's the mad teacher, Elodin. (Eolian, Elodin = wind). Left midway book two. Who knows, someday might continue.

[Andorion]

paradanmellow, on 23 January 2016 - 05:08 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 17 December 2015 - 07:03 AM, said:

I re-read them recently and have to agree. I really enjoyed them the first time, the setting is fascinating, but the actual story on a second read didn't hold up for me. As you say, no "epic" to speak of and the majority of it reads like "Kvothe has no money - Kvothe has money - Kvothe looks like having the opportunity to have more money - Kvothe has no money" ad nauseum.

About Kingkiller:

Spoiler

I went through the first book alright; "mature" Kvothe was excellent (!), his sidekick Bast too, even the chronicler. The inn was a great setting, the mystery/foreshadowing also.
But when the story of his life began it was a slow tumble down a mountain which got worse in the second book when, like you say, he's either got money or he doesn't (lol, until you brought it up, I didn't even know that was the thorn in my side!). The money issue is the worst of his false problems, because he's the sort of youth to which nothing bad can happen. And everything happening at the Eolian and with his "girlfriend" is a total waste of time. I don't wanna read about music. Btw, what makes his gf so perfect?
The only interesting character at his school is not even the main character, it's the mad teacher, Elodin. (Eolian, Elodin = wind). Left midway book two. Who knows, someday might continue.

Somebody on Reddit described Kingkiller as "the epic struggle of one boy to pay off his student loans" I laughed.

[Maark Abbott]

I enjoyed Kingkiller 1 and the fact it was something a bit different. That let me look past any other issues, really - then again, for me to stop reading a book or series partway in, it has to do something to really nark me off.

[Abyss]

Moooooroarmoooooo.....

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Abyss, on 24 January 2016 - 01:18 AM, said:

Moooooroarmoooooo.....

Dragoncow cometh!

One of the other problems with Kingkiller is that Denna is supposed to be a huge mystery and I think I have her figured out, so she doesn't hold my interest they way I assume she's supposed to.

Basically:

Spoiler

I'm reasonably sure she is a Fey. Several comments by others (who seem to have known her a long time) to Kvothe that she never ages, the constantly changing names, the fact her patron Master Ash is very clearly not human (and possibly a Chandrian), the "magical" quality of her music and the fact she doesn't seem to give a fig for the morality of those surrounding her, she's very "apart". Happy to be proved wrong, mind, just having a fairly solid theory stops me caring every time Rothfuss drops a "Oooo look reader, Denna is doing something mysterious that won't be explained right now!"

[paradanmellow]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 24 January 2016 - 08:26 AM, said:

Abyss, on 24 January 2016 - 01:18 AM, said:

Moooooroarmoooooo.....

Dragoncow cometh!

One of the other problems with Kingkiller is that Denna is supposed to be a huge mystery and I think I have her figured out, so she doesn't hold my interest they way I assume she's supposed to.

Basically:

Spoiler

I'm reasonably sure she is a Fey. Several comments by others (who seem to have known her a long time) to Kvothe that she never ages, the constantly changing names, the fact her patron Master Ash is very clearly not human (and possibly a Chandrian), the "magical" quality of her music and the fact she doesn't seem to give a fig for the morality of those surrounding her, she's very "apart". Happy to be proved wrong, mind, just having a fairly solid theory stops me caring every time Rothfuss drops a "Oooo look reader, Denna is doing something mysterious that won't be explained right now!"

spot on! spot on, lass! bludgeon time!

Spoiler

for what I care, she can be the name of the wind itself - she sure has the depth of a sigh; and the possibility of not being proved wrong is of epic proportions.
in other words, I also mean to apologize to the author. having tried to write a book myself i can understand how hard it is, but didn't he have someone read it before publishing? don't people care about hair splitters anymore? he could have fashioned her 'in your face' secret in other, more subtle ways then add some distracting qualities other than being mysterious and playing magic music, lol;
and not giving a damn about morality without either passing for a whore or a retard is something which other authors have pulled off remarkably (Zelazny comes to mind) and given Rothfuss is supposed to be an avid reader, he should have known that already

Forgive me, Rothfuss, but I do care!

[RACHEL]

I read The Prince of Nothing trilogy and I didn't hate it but I felt no need to read any more in the series. I read the trilogy at the same time as another person on this site and we compared notes while we read. He loved it and could not wait for more and I wish I had felt the same because I love that feeling when you are so excited about a book series.

I hate to say it but Heroes Die didn't do it for me either. I liked Caine but I just could not get into it and at the end I had to skim read some of the last 50 pages just so I could finish and know what happens. Pallas seemed like a bitch and I could not care less about if she lived or died, except if she had I would have been sad for Hari/Caine.

[Maark Abbott]

At this stage, The Way of Kings is shaping up to be this book for me. I'm about 550 pages in and we've got a character arbitrarily ranting about 'god is real check my proofs out', which always irritates me. The main issues so far are a lack of pace, only one character out of the main cast has been likeable, the best character is so far a bit character used in interludes... I doubt based on what I've seen so far that I'll continue with the series. If it carries on being a 4/10, I don't know if I'll even finish it.