[deegee]

Wow,...I have to be honest and say that I picked up this book because I loved the sound of the title and the artwork on the cover. Needless to say I gave it 5 stars because I loved it. Truly refreshing is what comes to mind when I think about it. I enjoyed Elantris but not nearly as much as this book. I found the characters interesting and human. I actually cared about them. Not like other books where I am screaming for someone to die because I am so bored. I am talking about most of the books on the shelf today that lack originality and quality of writing. (with the big exception of Steven Erikson obviously). For a new author I must say that this book really impressed me.

For me, the positives were:
1. Unique world building.
2. Original story.
3. Character depth.
4. Original magic system.
5. Not too many characters.(no offense, but some authors make me mad when they introduce too many characters because it's too hard to focus on anyone in particular, e.g.Martin)

I can't say that I found anything negative about this book except that I wish it had more poetry in it.

How does it compare to the malazan series? Well SE has everything I want in a fantasy book and I am not being biased but he is the king in my opinion....however this book is refreshingly different and I do recommend giving it a try....the paperback is out already and it's not too long of a read.

Also, I have to agree that Gene Wolfe's book of the new sun is awesome,...I am only part way through shadow of the torturer and I already really like it.
Reading Briar King now also by Gleg Keyes and it's pretty good...

Has anyone read Glen Cook's Black company?? If so, how is it? I know SE liked that series....just curious how others feel about it...

[lokiman]

I too liked Mistborn, cant wait for the sequel.

[Dr Trouble]

Glen Cook writes good stuff. If you can get through Crokus's narrative (And the others).

Never read Mistborn, may give it a try after I get through the mountain of novels I have.

(Gene Wolfe is my love )

[Amras]

I have this one on The Pile, waiting to be read in the near future. Could you compare it to anything more known? I have heard it being mentioned along with tLoLL, and if it's anything like that book I know I would love it.

[QuickTidal]

I'm waiting for the MMP of Mistborn. I read, and really enjoyed, Elantris, so I do want to read it....but the hardcover Mistborn is like $36.

Edit: the MMP IS out...picked it up today.

[ObsoleteResolve]

Mistborn: The Final Empire is one of my favorite fantasy books in the last few years. Excellent stuff.

[QuickTidal]

I remember reading Elantris and at first thinking, this is good. Not great, but good...only at first. As it progressed it got better and better, and at the end I was astonished where it ended up at. So I am hoping that this book does the same for me. Cheers to Brandon Sanderson!

[Riot]

Just finished Mistborn. Have to say that i enjoyed it far more than Lies of Lockes Lamora.
Story was more satisfying, and the magic system worked really well. Just ordered book 2 and hope that it carries on with the same consistency

[deegee]

[QUOTE=Amras;205968] Could you compare it to anything more known? I have heard it being mentioned along with tLoLL

Hmm yeah that is a tough one....I don't think it can be compared to anything else out there,...it's pretty different. Except maybe Elantris his first book....ie. Strong female character, original magic system, political turmoil, not too many characters to follow, fairly easy to read....yeah unless you have actually read elantris you might not know what I mean, so sorry if that doesn't help dude...

[deegee]

Okay, here is what is sitting on my shelf that is unread,...I would really appreciate opinions as to which ones are worth reading...

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
Kushiels Dart - Jacqeline Carey
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
Dread Empire - Glen Cook
Fools Errand - Robin Hobb
THousand Fold Thought - Scott Bakker
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Ill-Made Mute - Cecilia Dart Thornton
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Also considering War of the FLowers, Otherland, and Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, though I was not impressed at all with Green ANgel Tower

[cervantor]

deegee;208197 said:

Okay, here is what is sitting on my shelf that is unread,...I would really appreciate opinions as to which ones are worth reading...

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
Kushiels Dart - Jacqeline Carey
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
Dread Empire - Glen Cook
Fools Errand - Robin Hobb
THousand Fold Thought - Scott Bakker
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Ill-Made Mute - Cecilia Dart Thornton
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Also considering War of the FLowers, Otherland, and Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, though I was not impressed at all with Green ANgel Tower

That's a good list. Personally, I love the Jacqueline Carey series so I'd recommend that But Phillip Pullman and Scott Lynch are great reads as well, so I guess it just depends on what you're in the mood for next...

[ch'arlz]

deegee;208197 said:

Kushiels Dart - Jacqeline Carey
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Also considering War of the FLowers, Otherland, and Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, though I was not impressed at all with Green ANgel Tower

If you didn't like the Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, you'll probably want to skip Shadowmarch. The Otherland series is a personal favorite -- highly recommended! War of the Flowers was just OK. I've yet to read any China Mieville I didn't like, but ymmv. I resisted reading Jacqueline Carey for many years, I suppose because of a personal prejudice that a female writer with a rep for smuttiness had to be fluffy. I was wrong. The first Kushiel trilogy is very well done and well worth trying, unless you find the idea of S&M/BD so abhorrent that you can't even imagine having your wrists tied to the bedposts. That's not to say it's about S&M/BD, but that's one of many storylines. The first book of the second trilogy is also quite good while the second is less successful, but I'll read the third when it appears.

[euol]

deegee;208197 said:

Okay, here is what is sitting on my shelf that is unread,...I would really appreciate opinions as to which ones are worth reading...

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
Kushiels Dart - Jacqueline Carey
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
Dread Empire - Glen Cook
Fools Errand - Robin Hobb
Thousand Fold Thought - Scott Bakker
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Ill-Made Mute - Cecilia Dart Thornton
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Also considering War of the FLowers, Otherland, and Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, though I was not impressed at all with Green ANgel Tower

As has been said, that's a good list. Best one on the list will depend on your personal tastes. Personally, I'd pick Golden Compass--but I'm a sucker for inventive worldbuilding. The Novik books are, unfortunately, excellent. (Still smarting from being smacked around by her at the Hugo awards.) Lies is great, Hobb is always good, and there's nothing out there like China. My order of read, if I were picking, would be:

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik
Fools Errand - Robin Hobb
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Thousand Fold Thought - Scott Bakker
Kushiels Dart - Jacqueline Carey
Dread Empire - Glen Cook
Ill-Made Mute - Cecilia Dart Thornton

And I only rank the Bakker and Carey books so low because the others are so good. The only one on the list I didn't really care for that I've read was the Ill-Made Mute.

Edit--Glad you liked Mistborn! Thanks for the thumbs up.

[deegee]

euol;208503 said:

As has been said, that's a good list. Best one on the list will depend on your personal tastes. Personally, I'd pick Golden Compass--but I'm a sucker for inventive worldbuilding. The Novik books are, unfortunately, excellent. (Still smarting from being smacked around by her at the Hugo awards.) Lies is great, Hobb is always good, and there's nothing out there like China. My order of read, if I were picking, would be:

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik
Fools Errand - Robin Hobb
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Thousand Fold Thought - Scott Bakker
Kushiels Dart - Jacqueline Carey
Dread Empire - Glen Cook
Ill-Made Mute - Cecilia Dart Thornton

And I only rank the Bakker and Carey books so low because the others are so good. The only one on the list I didn't really care for that I've read was the Ill-Made Mute.

Edit--Glad you liked Mistborn! Thanks for the thumbs up.

Wow thanks for the info!! Yeah I work at a bookstore and a few people that I work with absolutely love the Golden Compass, even saying that it surpasses the harry potter series....I will definetely try out that order of reading....it's so hard to decide sometimes lol....

[QuickTidal]

Pullman. Definitely. If you haven't read The Golden Compass yet my friend DO so!!

[Obdigore]

I cannot find another topic on this, so I finished the Mistborn trilogy.

It was pretty good, and the ending was better than I expected it to be. He took a page from Erikson in what he 'allowed' to happen.

Anyone else finish the trilogy (Hero of Ages is out in paperback in the US) and have any thoughts they want to share?

[HoosierDaddy]

I loved this series. Mistborn was very original, and the magic systems are fantastically novel, and well developed and used by Sanderson. I feel the writing improved as the series moved along, and Sanderson's clues were subtly and very well placed within the story. The big "wow" moments of the third book where he finally reveals some of these things are great.

Mistborn I'll be able to read over and over again. However, after having read The Well of Ascension and Hero of Ages, I doubt I'll read those maybe more than a couple of times more. This is simply because once the secret is out, the fun of "not-knowing" is somewhat lessened. But, as for first reads I'd recommend this series time and time again, and have done so to fellow epic fantasy fans who have also enjoyed it.

[alt146]

 Obdigore, on May 4 2009, 08:34 PM, said:

I cannot find another topic on this, so I finished the Mistborn trilogy.

It was pretty good, and the ending was better than I expected it to be. He took a page from Erikson in what he 'allowed' to happen.

Anyone else finish the trilogy (Hero of Ages is out in paperback in the US) and have any thoughts they want to share?

I read it a while back and thought it was very well done, but I'm a fan of his books in general. I've read most of them and have enjoyed them all, I really hope he does well finishing off the Wheel of Time.

The only criticisms that I might have is that the second book was quite as good as the other two, but a lot of what happens in it is setting up the final book. And I dont really identify as much with his characters as I do in some other books. Not that they're bad, I just dont connect, but that's probably just me.

Other than that they're very well done. The world building and plot construction are some of the best I've seen, everything is very well laid out. Almost all of the information that he gives you is relevant in some way later in each book or the series and the twists in the plot are logical and well foreshadowed. I also like his attitude in general - he's very supportive of people trying to become writers and talks alot about the actual work that went into his various books on his website.

@the list earlier - Pullman is good, but a little Young Adult. I liked it (and the Harry Potter series) but it might be a little childish if you're not into that kinda thing. Personally I loved R Scott Bakker and would recommend it, but opinions on it are very split around here. The same thing can be said about Perdido Street Station. I finished it today and loved it, but not everyone likes it.

[kcf]

my thoughts on the trilogy are here with links to reviews for the individual books. I quite liked it and thought that it ended rather well.

[Eddie Dean]

One of my top 3 fantasy series of all time. I'm with indiana boy with book 1 being a big time rereader. The next two were quite enjoyable, but book one was so awesome that they paled by comparison. One of the most original fantasy books around. Also, Sanderson has a new book "Warbreaker" coming out in june... can't wait.