[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 31 August 2022 - 05:32 PM, said:

QT I realised when the show came out that I had most of the series on my Kindle. I've never read it and I'm tempted to start (perhaps interspersing it with other books).

Do you think it's worth beginning without the nostalgia factor that you might have?

I think the 1st book is a Tolkien-ish clone, but not overly bad either, but 2-6/7 are excellent (some of the best Fantasy Epic fiction I've read) 5 being my total fave, and 7/8-10 are a bit slower paced and padded, but 11-14 brings things home strong, especially once Sanderson stepped in to end it. I liked those final books but I recall being lost a lot of the time since I'd skimmed the slower books and had lost then momentum I had with the earlier books and I should have been more patient.

So yeah, I think it's worth it, and I'll be interspersing my re-read with other books are well so as not to get burned out.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 31 August 2022 - 05:39 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 31 August 2022 - 05:32 PM, said:

QT I realised when the show came out that I had most of the series on my Kindle. I've never read it and I'm tempted to start (perhaps interspersing it with other books).

Do you think it's worth beginning without the nostalgia factor that you might have?

I think the 1st book is a Tolkien-ish clone, but not overly bad either, but 2-6/7 are excellent (some of the best Fantasy Epic fiction I've read) 5 being my total fave, and 7/8-10 are a bit slower paced and padded, but 11-14 brings things home strong, especially once Sanderson stepped in to end it. I liked those final books but I recall being lost a lot of the time since I'd skimmed the slower books and had lost then momentum I had with the earlier books and I should have been more patient.

So yeah, I think it's worth it, and I'll be interspersing my re-read with other books are well so as not to get burned out.

My response to this q is always the same... start the series. You'll know quickly enough whether you want to keep going.

If it hooks you, the infamous mid series slog isnt so bad when you can skim and have all the books in hand, unlike many who waited years for mostly disappointments, and the end is great.

[Avatar]

Started in Rothfuss' the Name of the Wind. Love the writing. The hate for him from some of the readers online seems pretty intense. And I got a bit worried after reading about the 3rd book might not be coming at all. But so far I'll just go along and take the risk it will be a 2 book-trilogy.

[QuickTidal]

Avatar, on 01 September 2022 - 10:32 AM, said:

Started in Rothfuss' the Name of the Wind. Love the writing. The hate for him from some of the readers online seems pretty intense. And I got a bit worried after reading about the 3rd book might not be coming at all. But so far I'll just go along and take the risk it will be a 2 book-trilogy.

Fair warning, it's Pat's self-insert masturbatory fantasy without as fleshed-out villain as of the end of book 2. It's not good and it only gets worse and duller as you go on. If it stays at 2 books the villain simply does not exist in any threatening way...so you have two books of Gary Stu being the BEST at everything, and getting the women, and other self-insert stuff.

Plus Dragon Cow.

[Avatar]

Haha, thanks QT, I'll consider myself warned!

[worry]

I finished Crimson Empire book 3 -- very satisfying ending to one of my top series in a long while. Everything about the sense of humor in these things clicked with me, and even though they're all doorstoppers with odd pacing, they just never bored me. I liked every moment. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose!

Spoiler

If I thought the high point was gonna be the marauding giant demon possum in book 2, well book 3 broke out a couple Dire Pangolins to set me straight.

Now I started The Gameshouse by Claire North. So far it's a lot of Italy stuff, but I have faith she'll turn things around.

[Tiste Simeon]

Renewed For 2 More Seasons, on 01 September 2022 - 02:34 PM, said:

I finished Crimson Empire book 3 -- very satisfying ending to one of my top series in a long while. Everything about the sense of humor in these things clicked with me, and even though they're all doorstoppers with odd pacing, they just never bored me. I liked every moment. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose!

Spoiler

If I thought the high point was gonna be the marauding giant demon possum in book 2, well book 3 broke out a couple Dire Pangolins to set me straight.

Now I started The Gameshouse by Claire North. So far it's a lot of Italy stuff, but I have faith she'll turn things around.

I'm struggling through Crimson Empire book 2. I get the humour thing and I do like how everyone is basically a bit of a self aware idiot (to a point anyway) but I don't really like anyone (except the Moochers obviously...)

Oh and Gameshouse is fantastic. I really hope you like it!

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 01 September 2022 - 08:25 PM

[worry]

I hope so too, but it's gonna just be my bathroom book for now since I'm also reading Sandman. I have the omnibus version and I can't lug that around everywhere. Depending on which one I finish first, I might need to see a doctor.

[Salt-Man Z]

Yeah, GAMESHOUSE was an absolute blast.

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

QuickTidal, on 01 September 2022 - 12:51 PM, said:

Avatar, on 01 September 2022 - 10:32 AM, said:

Started in Rothfuss' the Name of the Wind. Love the writing. The hate for him from some of the readers online seems pretty intense. And I got a bit worried after reading about the 3rd book might not be coming at all. But so far I'll just go along and take the risk it will be a 2 book-trilogy.

Fair warning, it's Pat's self-insert masturbatory fantasy without as fleshed-out villain as of the end of book 2. It's not good and it only gets worse and duller as you go on. If it stays at 2 books the villain simply does not exist in any threatening way...so you have two books of Gary Stu being the BEST at everything, and getting the women, and other self-insert stuff.

Plus Dragon Cow.

Meh, it's not great but it's not terrible. Considering the heaping praise you recently gave the WoT, with it's well known faults, this is over the top. It's not Goodkind bad in any sense of things.

Started Max Gladstone's Ruin of Angels, book six in the craft sequence. Really think I should have held off on this, as I'm too distracted by work/family stuff at the moment to really get into it. Labour Day weekend should make up for that though. But, the fact the book takes place where two cities overlap in reality, with squid gods (godlike squids?) being the only thing preventing the new city from reverting to the old one and wiping out most of the world is kinda cool.

I have the second and third Crimson Empire books around, but still not convinced to dive into them yet.

[QuickTidal]

Gwynn ap Nudd, on 02 September 2022 - 05:39 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 01 September 2022 - 12:51 PM, said:

Avatar, on 01 September 2022 - 10:32 AM, said:

Started in Rothfuss' the Name of the Wind. Love the writing. The hate for him from some of the readers online seems pretty intense. And I got a bit worried after reading about the 3rd book might not be coming at all. But so far I'll just go along and take the risk it will be a 2 book-trilogy.

Fair warning, it's Pat's self-insert masturbatory fantasy without as fleshed-out villain as of the end of book 2. It's not good and it only gets worse and duller as you go on. If it stays at 2 books the villain simply does not exist in any threatening way...so you have two books of Gary Stu being the BEST at everything, and getting the women, and other self-insert stuff.

Plus Dragon Cow.

Meh, it's not great but it's not terrible. Considering the heaping praise you recently gave the WoT, with it's well known faults, this is over the top.

The fuck? Heaping praise?

TIL This:

Quote

I think the 1st book is a Tolkien-ish clone, but not overly bad either, but 2-6/7 are excellent (some of the best Fantasy Epic fiction I've read) 5 being my total fave, and 7/8-10 are a bit slower paced and padded, but 11-14 brings things home strong, especially once Sanderson stepped in to end it.

is "heaping praise"

Gwynn ap Nudd, on 02 September 2022 - 05:39 AM, said:

It's not Goodkind bad in any sense of things.

Never said it was. I said it was 'self-insert/the protagonist never stumbles' fantasy and it is.

[amphibian]

If I remember right, you had a really really negative reaction that was over the top for what the writing actually was and it's stuck around for years.

The specific subject matter wasn't that long of a stretch in the book and it doesn't get icky in the way that needs a full series content warning. Plus we're currently experiencing an authorial drought that has no end in sight, so there's not been much incentive to revisit it. However, a newer reader deserves the chance to encounter something like this kinda fresh.

Stuff like Heinlein's later works or Good/Badkind does deserve a "warning - it gets icky and the writing doesn't get better".

[Briar King]

I didn’t mind Wise Man myself when it was new. I wonder how it would go on a re..

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Apologies for the comment on heaping praise on the WoT.

I do stand by "Fair warning, it's Pat's self-insert masturbatory fantasy without as fleshed-out villain as of the end of book 2. It's not good and it only gets worse and duller as you go on." is over the top for what it is. Feel free to disagree.

I wouldn't recommend starting the series to anyone, but that's for the simple reason it will likely never to be finished.

[Abyss]

Dragoncow, people.

The entire debate is ended by the existence of the dragoncow.

[amphibian]

I finished Tiamat's Wrath and Locklands. Two very, very good ends to series I enjoyed. Both books really displayed in connective, meaningful ways the emotional components of the characters and made what was happening matter more to me.

I think Locklands really had terrific action pieces that were inventive and completely fitting with the characters and powers. RJB can write action up there with the best of them and his last two trilogies (Cities, Founders) have been superb in that respect while working with some deeply cool themes and ideas.

I also finished Martyr, the new Anthony Ryan book that follows Pariah. I liked it overall - at times it felt like a reworking of something familiar with the rise of a notable Big War figure, but veered off into a messier, more interesting tale of a smart man constantly screwing up and trying to get out of the jams.

[Slow Ben]

Avatar, on 01 September 2022 - 10:32 AM, said:

Started in Rothfuss' the Name of the Wind. Love the writing. The hate for him from some of the readers online seems pretty intense. And I got a bit worried after reading about the 3rd book might not be coming at all. But so far I'll just go along and take the risk it will be a 2 book-trilogy.

I love Name of the Wind. Dragoncow and all. I still reread it often. Which makes the shitshow that is Wise Mans Fear all the worse.


Wrapped up Library at Mt. Char. Really solid. Really just tosses you into it with no setup or warning, kinda like another series we enjoy. Gonna let it marinate, then go back for a reread.

Started Lawrence's Red Sister, interesting so far.

[Slow Ben]

D-D-Double post.


I really enjoyed that Mt. Char was a standalone, with no investment in a series. There was another like that you all were talking about recently (although im in my 40's, so it could have been anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 years ago), any idea? As vague as that is. I'll go back and see if i can find it also.

[Tiste Simeon]

Slow Ben, on 03 September 2022 - 05:19 PM, said:

D-D-Double post.


I really enjoyed that Mt. Char was a standalone, with no investment in a series. There was another like that you all were talking about recently (although im in my 40's, so it could have been anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 years ago), any idea? As vague as that is. I'll go back and see if i can find it also.

Yeah man I reread it a year or so after the first time and there's so much to discover and really it is complete in its insane, brutal, hilarious standalone perfection. Honestly one of my favourite books ever.

[Briar King]

Night Angel 4 592pgs due 4/25/23.

Looking forward to this so much after the exp to hone craft with Lightbringer.

Shit I will for sure have to reread 1-3 before though…