[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah that makes a lot of sense. A fantasy group I'm part of on Facebook has a lot of people who love it and then there's often people going "I've started this but it's not amazing..."

I really appreciate the worldbuilding and the sheer amount of detailed lore, history etc. I wish he was better at writing characters though. I'll keep at it, but I have so many other books to read is going to take me a long time...

[Macros]

In light of other author book gaps, the 2/3 year spans for the later books isn't actually that bad. Erikson is surely the exception bashing out a doorstops a year to finish a massive series

[Abyss]

Macros, on 09 February 2024 - 04:41 PM, said:

In light of other author book gaps, the 2/3 year spans for the later books isn't actually that bad. Erikson is surely the exception bashing out a doorstops a year to finish a massive series

In present context, no. Rothfuss, Martin, Lynch have taught us all a harsh lesson on that front, albeit for a variety of reasons. At the time it was a thing - most authors were steady to 1-2 years between books - but there were far less places and range to shriek about it.

[Macros]

Finished crown of swords.

I think we reach peak Nyneave wanker in this book, from what little I recall of later books, she's a complete pastiche of the stubborn woman and just a tool.
Rapey grannie is still rapey, Faile is a douche and Cadsuane is a gimp as well.
Honestly, how this was ever held up as strong women characters is beyond me

[Macros]

Crossroads.

The hunt for failure

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Abyss, on 08 February 2024 - 07:35 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 08 February 2024 - 11:45 AM, said:

...
All in all it's an ok book. I definitely don't quite see the huge amount of love it gets but maybe if I'd read this 15 or more tears ago I'd love it just as much.

It's partly a function of the when... at the time there were a bunch of classic series... Shannara, RiftWar, Belgariad, but WoT was 'new', went bigger, and Jordan's style of writing (which people frequently forget had been refined writing seven or so Conan books) was incredibly readable. There weren't ten other massive fantasy epics on the go when WoT launched, and the hype around it grew to critical mass around book 4, where the temptation to grab all four massive doorstoppers and dig in was more than people could resists, and no one knew the series was going to run 14 books with years in between the later entries because in 1992 that was not a thing that happened and there was no internet to whine about it if it did.

This is nail on head why I think the series worked for me the first time I read it - it was my first big fantasy epic post reading Lord of the Rings. I didn't know any other comparative series so it worked on a level that I think just wouldn't land if I picked it up fresh now having read Hobb, Erikson, Martin when he's on form etc.

[Tiste Simeon]

Really struggling with book 4. Once again I like the setting and the plot on the wedding but man I can't stand most characters. I'm going to have a rather long break straight after this as I have so many other books I'd rather read.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I'm in no way holding up these couple of moments as making it worth the slog, the three hundred too many interchangeable Aes Sedai etc, but I got to them relatively recently in audiobook and they both hit like a hammer (spoilers for The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, both):

Spoiler

When Verin lies about the colour of Egwene's dress, and the whole scene unfolds. I really hope we get there in the TV series, because Meera Syal is already a great Verin and it would be lovely for her to get to play her to conclusion.

Spoiler

"My name is Nynaeve ti al'Meara Mandragoran, and the message I want sent is this. My husband rides from World's End to Tarwin's Gap, towards Tarmon Gai'don. Will he ride alone?"

I'll put up with whatever level of nonsense the TV series cares to throw at us to see Zoe Robins get to deliver this scene - she'd be exquisite.

Spoiler

Egwene during the Seanchan attack on the Tower. I don't have a lot of time for Sanderson, as discussed in the TV series thread, but he writes Egwene beautifully and this was some of his best work.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 26 February 2024 - 02:43 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

I have... Officially given up. I am about 65% through book 4 and I'm just not enjoying it. I just don't care enough about the characters and what is going on with them. I can't do it anymore haha

I think I'll read the Wikipedia summaries to see what happens plot wise but I just have too many other amazing books to read to waste my time slogging through this.

If I'd read this 25 years ago it would possibly be my favourite series but as it stands I can't be bothered.

I'm a little ashamed that my determination has gone but that feeling is far outweighed by my relief that I don't have to read anymore 😂

[Tsundoku]

Fair enough, although IMHO 4 and 5 are pretty much my favourites.

Console yourself though with the knowledge you have spared yourself the experience of books 7-10. Which are banal word-shit-salad of the lowest order.

[Tiste Simeon]

Tsundoku, on 28 February 2024 - 01:38 PM, said:

Fair enough, although IMHO 4 and 5 are pretty much my favourites.

Console yourself though with the knowledge you have spared yourself the experience of books 7-10. Which are banal word-shit-salad of the lowest order.

That was part of my thinking: if I am struggling to get through book 4, how am I going to survive The Slog? Do I even want to attempt it?

[Abyss]

Let me spoil some non specific things for you in a very general way...

Book 4 meanders and ends big. It's a good ending, not the bestest you've read, in some ways it's more middle book than 1-3, but it is a good finale.
Book 5 amps things up steadily. It is absolutely a slow build that steadily increases the pace. The last third is excellent and finale is one of the best in the series.
THEN the slog begins.

If you're struggling w 4, i'd say skim til the end, read it, see if it brings you back. If it doesn't, bail. If it has you interested again, stick around for 5 which is truly Jordan at a high point.

Can't be bothered? Bail. There are other worlds than this.

[HoosierDaddy]

Abyss, on 28 February 2024 - 02:23 PM, said:

...

Can't be bothered? Bail. There are other worlds than this.

"Go then. There are other worlds than these."

Are you pointing him towards the Tower? For sure epic. For sure waaaay different than Jordan, lol.

[Abyss]

HoosierDaddy, on 28 February 2024 - 02:48 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 February 2024 - 02:23 PM, said:

...

Can't be bothered? Bail. There are other worlds than this.

"Go then. There are other worlds than these."

Are you pointing him towards the Tower? For sure epic. For sure waaaay different than Jordan, lol.

I just like the reference when people are DNFing a fantasy series. It's always funny when someone hates on TDT but seems apropros elsewhere.

[Macros]

I'm like 60% on crossroads and man does NOTHING happen in this book

[Abyss]

Macros, on 01 March 2024 - 06:24 AM, said:

I'm like 60% on crossroads and man does NOTHING happen in this book

Oh gods... we waited three years for that book and got so little for the bother.

[worry]

Well it's called Crossroads of Twilight, not Busy Intersection of Twilight.

[Macros]

Ugh

What a waste of paper all the printed copies of that book are

A big fucking pile of nothing.


Like NOTHING

Book 11 is the last book by RJ? I recall reading it when it came out, feel like Terez defended him because he had promised some massive revelation or something and it was an island full of random people we had never heard of drinking the kool aid and it was a nothing.

Do I have another book of nothing in me to get to Sanderson, which I haven't read before?

[HoosierDaddy]

Knife of Dreams isn't nearly as bad as Crossroads. If it gets you to the Last Battle trilogy its worth it to at least skim.

[amphibian]

Wiki summary it. Should have wiki summary'ed every book past the fourth one.

I DNF the series after how bad Crossroads and Knife were, but the summaries helped give me closure.