As the other books thread is aimed at other stuff, may as well continue the MI format here
Read the Hobbit again last week. Just a perfect piece of fantasy literature. I find that it is very easy to almost brush over just how influential a book of it's sort is and look past it for it's simplicity. I think it could be a symptom of CGI in movies, modern technology etc. I found I was having the same issue when it came to reading Moby Dick. It's not until you almost place yourself into the landscape of these books that you begin to experience their vastness. A journey from a small shire to the Lonely Mountain or sailing across the world in a time without planes, steamships etc is something truly epic when you situate yourself in that worldview. I suppose that I am trying to approach reading more and more as an imaginary and creative experience, almost as I did as a child, not allowing myself to see the characters as portrayed in the movies, but actuvely create my own images of them etc. Bit of a rant here but i'm finding I'm enjoying reading tonnes more as a result.
I find it easier to get into Tolkien's world in the way you describe than pretty much most fantasy. It's just so rich and deep. Not like the overly wordy Wheel of Time, or the obtuse Malazan series e.g. Loads of fantasy does excitement, world-building etc but Tolkien is the master. Someone mentioned Le Guin in the other thread. She also had a knack for it.
Quote from: Pedrito on November 28, 2018, 12:46:52 PM
I suppose that I am trying to approach reading more and more as an imaginary and creative experience, almost as I did as a child, not allowing myself to see the characters as portrayed in the movies, but actuvely create my own images of them etc. Bit of a rant here but i'm finding I'm enjoying reading tonnes more as a result.
That's one of the reasons I won't watch Game of Thrones. I started on the series about 15 years ago and have read them so many times I've the whole world built in my head, I don't want to read the last books (if they ever come out) and start thinking of it like the TV show
The series is cool but if I were you I'd avoid it at this stage. I was spellbound when I first saw the LOTR films. I'd still have a major soft spot in my heart for them, but time has taught me that there is nothing like the books. In reality, the first film was incredible, but then it got very Hollywood after that. GOT is similar..amazing to see the vision realised, but, especially the last series, has been not so good. All very predictable and far removed from the books.
Bran Mak Morn by Robert E Howard worth mentioning. Bought a book full of the stories a while back and they are fanastic..an amazing writer.
Reading the 2nd of the Mythago Wood series - Lavondyss - by Robert Holdstock at the moment.
Anyone else read them? Really enjoying them.
Just to chime in on the LOTR books, I only read them for the first time a couple of years ago and I was truly captivated by how vivid and immersive they were. Just absolutely beautiful the way they allow one to really build the picture in the mind.
I completely forgot about the movies around 100 pages in or maybe less. Can't recommend them highly enough to anyone who hasn't tried them yet.
Other than the Tolkien stuff the only fantasy stuff I have read is the Discworld series, which I love.
Oh and The Long Earth series, which was hit and miss.
If you wanna delve deeper, I'd recommend Raymond E feist, Robin Hobb and Tad Williams for starters. Or get stuck into the Game of Thrones series. I'm reluctant to even call it a series as I doubt it'll ever actually be finished. In a way I'm very grateful for the show.
Quote from: Emphyrio on December 07, 2018, 01:09:57 PM
Or get stuck into the Game of Thrones series. I'm reluctant to even call it a series as I doubt it'll ever actually be finished. In a way I'm very grateful for the show.
It's crazy how long Martin is taking with the latest book. I wonder if what he has seen from the TV show post Dance with Dragons material has caused him to change things up in the books somehow. It would help explain the long wait.
Quote from: KingBuddha on December 07, 2018, 07:43:44 PM
Quote from: Emphyrio on December 07, 2018, 01:09:57 PM
Or get stuck into the Game of Thrones series. I'm reluctant to even call it a series as I doubt it'll ever actually be finished. In a way I'm very grateful for the show.
It's crazy how long Martin is taking with the latest book. I wonder if what he has seen from the TV show post Dance with Dragons material has caused him to change things up in the books somehow. It would help explain the long wait.
I reckon he's pulling a masterstroke and gonna release the last 2 at the same time. If he only releases the next one we'll never see the last one.
Saw Lotr films before the books and loved both. The first film is a near perfect feat of storytelling. The books just bring you into this amazing world which you can vividly create with the descriptions. He does meander a small bit but for the most part is near perfection for me.
Watched first season of Got and then read all the books before the second season. Love both but the books are miles better and where it started to go ahead of the books the dialogue just dosent have the same cadence and delivery as Martin creates.
Be it Lotr or Got or anything really if I've seen the tv show I'll just forget it and create my own world. If I've read the book first then I'm a harsh critic.
Lastly on to the third book of the Dune series. The first book is hands down amazing. An epic feat of sci fi. The world and universe it creates are astounding. The next two are very good two but just can't get to the level of the first. And the director behind Arrival, Sciario and the new blade runner is making 2 films out of the first book. Get in.
Feist's first book Magician is an absolute classic, I'd say the Riftwar and Serpentwar sagas are all pretty essential but the get very hit and miss after that, usually miss. Pulled it together enough to give the whole thing a mostly satisfactory conclusion
I must be the only fucker who enjoyed all the Feist stuff, pretty much. Definitely one of the best conclusions to a series ever, too.
Re; Dune, the first one is Tolkien-esque in its scope but I thought the series was a bit heavy going from book 2 up to, maybe, Chapterhouse Dune. I thought the quasi-religious elements took over at the expense of action and all the other elements that were in the original. If you're going to read the last 1 or 2 books which are written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, you'd be very much advised to read the prequel series. While they are Dune-lite, they are very well written, easy to read books which give a brilliant insight into the finding of spice, time folding, early days of the significant houses etc. Going to do a re-read of the whole series at some stage.
On the topic of Kevin J Anderson, he wrote an excellent space opera epic, The Saga of the Seven Suns. I think he's due to write a follow up series to it, so I'll have to do a re-read of that at some stage too.
Quote from: Emphyrio on December 08, 2018, 06:33:59 PM
I must be the only fucker who enjoyed all the Feist stuff, pretty much. Definitely one of the best conclusions to a series ever, too.
I think the problem I had with the later ones was that after the Serpentwar he started releasing them yearly, and they just seemed to miss the scope and detail of the earlier ones. I mostly enjoyed them all the same but they always just seem a bit lacking in parts
The Waylander books by David Gemmel and the Drizzt novels by RA Salvatore were always an easy and enjoyable read.
I lost a copy of Magician by Feist that my friend gave me when I moved into my first student gaf.
I've always regretted not finishing that book, it was just a delight to read!
I've since read (and finished!) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman which was such a spellbinding read.
Attempted to finish reading one of the 40k books but just really couldn't get into it.
Few mentions of the Dune series above, is the whole series worth a go? I'm finally reading the first book properly, or rather, listening to the audiobook version. Will definitely try the next two books at least. The audiobook version is good overall but it seems to randomly switch between a single narrator doing all the characters and an actual full cast, which is counteractive to the immersion.
Checking out Tad Williams' new Osten Ard book The Witchwood Crown... Nice to get back to that world after so many years since the first trilogy.
Any thoughts on The Wheel of Time getting to tv.
Haven't read anything by him since Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, which is probably top 3 fantasy series. Read about half of the first book that was more sci-fi but really didn't take to it. What's his other stuff like?
Still collecting old 'Fighting Fantasy' books more out of nostalgia than anything else but some of the titles are genuinely entertaining.
Just finished up Darien by Conn Iggulden, pretty decent, reminds me a bit of Feist in places. It's relatively short though so focuses more on the immediate story without getting too much into the background of the world, hoping he'll expand on it more in the sequels
Not a patch on his Khan books though
300 pages into Dune...how have I never read this? Wow!
Quote from: Pedrito on August 22, 2019, 06:53:43 PM
300 pages into Dune...how have I never read this? Wow!
Amazing alright.
Just finished The Magicians trilogy. According to the blurb it's "Harry Potter for grown ups". Apart from a bit of riding and occasional excess drinking, it's not. Borrows more from C.S Lewis. Not as rich by any means. In fact the Harry Potter series has more depth.
Just started Neuromancer. 3 books in the series. Looking forward to a change of pace. Fuck knows when I'll get to the Sebastian Bach biography.
Let me know how that Neuromamcer goes because I was thinking of buying it. I'm actually a novice with sci-fi books. Any other decent stuff out there?
Do androids dream of electric sheep and use?
Never read Dune! It's so good!
I find Philip K Dick to be hit and miss. Defo check out Asimov's Foundation series. You can't go wrong with Arthur C Clarke. He was an absolute genius. I really enjoyed the Saga of the Seven Suns by Kevin J Anderson. He finished the Dune series with Frank Herbert's son and they co-wrote a load of stuff in the Dune universe too. It's kinda Dune-lite but the prequels are great to give the background to the major Houses.
I wish! Haven't read it in 20 years.
Ahhh I understand now. It's a perfect companion piece to all the philosophy stuff I've been reading lately. Absolute quality
I read Neuromancer again last year. I wanted to get though Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, as I'd never read them, but it had been a long time since I'd read Neuromancer, so needed to reacquaint myself with it. Gibson's writing style is pretty dense with details so it almost warrants multiple read throughs anyway.
Dune though is one of the high points of the genre. I even had a read along book and record as a little kid that piqued my interest very early on. Its crazy in this day and age to think that they attempted a kid friendly line of merchandise and action figures for the 1984 movie. Sought out the movie on VHS a few years later, which inevitably led to the book much later. I got as far as God Emperor of Dune in the sequence and gave up short ways into Heretics for some reason that I can't recall...
Haha, had no idea about the action figures for 1984.
I read Dune and Dune Messiah about 10 or 12 years ago, both great. I never got around to reading the rest, even though I bought them all around that time.
Philip K. Dick - read A Scanner Darkly and Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said, plus if you can track down his short story collections (there's a five volume, chronological series), they're pretty good too.
Another shout for Arthur C. Clarke, his standalone novels are just as good as his series (though 3001 was crap).
Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow is fantastic, my favourite book. As much a character study as sci fi, but it's quite compelling. The follow-up (Children Of God) is good too.
Quote from: Noisymute on August 23, 2019, 02:05:25 PM
I read Neuromancer again last year. I wanted to get though Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, as I'd never read them, but it had been a long time since I'd read Neuromancer, so needed to reacquaint myself with it. Gibson's writing style is pretty dense with details so it almost warrants multiple read throughs anyway.
Dune though is one of the high points of the genre. I even had a read along book and record as a little kid that piqued my interest very early on. Its crazy in this day and age to think that they attempted a kid friendly line of merchandise and action figures for the 1984 movie. Sought out the movie on VHS a few years later, which inevitably led to the book much later. I got as far as God Emperor of Dune in the sequence and gave up short ways into Heretics for some reason that I can't recall...
That's mental I used have a load of them action figures because they used be sold off quite cheap in Dunnes or somewhere I can't recall when I was a kid. Haven't even thought about them since then
I had the sticker album!
I could be mixing stuff up here, I might be thinking of Battlestar Galactica or something similar. There was definitely a load of Dune sticker albums and colouring books and the likes doing the rounds. Can't imagine how much all that junk would be worth now.
I've been going back over my Brian Lumley books and have started the Necroscope series again. On book 2 now and for the life of me can't remember reading this when I was in my late teens and early 20s'. Good fantasy with a little horror.
I've got a pile of thise that were my old man's, never got near to reading them (I have 100+ unread books of my own on the shelf).
Just finished Dune...christ that was good. The novel had an effect on me in so many ways, an incredible piece of work. The ecological element of the entire work made me entirely question my combined blasé, laissez faire attitude to the environment. There's so much in there, politics, philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology. It works on levels that so much that is labelled 'great' or 'genius' sadly does not work on. Can't recommend it highly enough. I have the second book ready and waiting to read.
One I just saw on my bookshelf which I haven't thought about for a while but I remember being absolutely unique in the genre is A Canticle For Leibowitz. Definitely check it out Peter.
Quote from: Noisymute on August 23, 2019, 02:05:25 PM
I read Neuromancer again last year. I wanted to get though Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, as I'd never read them, but it had been a long time since I'd read Neuromancer, so needed to reacquaint myself with it. Gibson's writing style is pretty dense with details so it almost warrants multiple read throughs anyway.
Let me know how the following two books go. I'm a bit over halfway through Neuromancer but I'm not blown away just yet. I can see where The Matrix got its influence from and it has a cool sort of noir feel but the story isn't exactly riveting so far.
If you've a Kindle and like a good scfi novella then you can download my book for free this weekend.
The Martian Journal
http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CX9LFYQ
On the 31st January 2178, a life pod from the Hercules XXI, which was on a delivery mission to the Clarke station orbiting Mars, was picked up by a rescue ship. The location of the pod was in the vicinity of a recent explosion, the source of which has not been identified or revealed.
Onboard the pod was one survivor in a serious but stable condition. A deceased crew member was found in a body bag. The cause of death is currently unknown.
A journal of the last few weeks has been found and is currently being inspected.
Quote from: Emphyrio on August 31, 2019, 04:58:39 PM
Quote from: Noisymute on August 23, 2019, 02:05:25 PM
I read Neuromancer again last year. I wanted to get though Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, as I'd never read them, but it had been a long time since I'd read Neuromancer, so needed to reacquaint myself with it. Gibson's writing style is pretty dense with details so it almost warrants multiple read throughs anyway.
Let me know how the following two books go. I'm a bit over halfway through Neuromancer but I'm not blown away just yet. I can see where The Matrix got its influence from and it has a cool sort of noir feel but the story isn't exactly riveting so far.
Neuromancer, and the subsequent companion novels all follow those multiple, seemingly disperate, narratives that only really come together towards the end. There's also the point that Gibson is so heavy on details, and throws in a lot of his own made up nomenclature for imagined pieces of technology, slang etc that's not really explained - you kind of have to figure it out as it goes along. I had to stop and start Neuromancer a few times when I first read it. Thought I might have zoned out on the detail and missed something important while reading.
If you get to the end of Neuromancer, and it all comes together for you in the end, give the follow ups a go. They're pretty much more of the same. Still some obscure weirdness in there, but they're maybe a little more direct on their plot lines.
There's always Richard Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs series of books which are more straight forward Cyberpunk stuff. Nothing special, but three enjoyable books that you'd barrel though in no time. There's a ropey Netflix adaptation of Altered Carbon which deviates a lot from the book.
Christopher Tolkien has passed away. I reckon his genius is only very marginally behind that of his da. He deserves huge credit for The Silmarillion amongst many others.
The work he did was amazing. Neil Peart and Christopher Tolkien in the space of a few days...what an imprint both left on my life and countless others.
He didn't quite make it to his eleventy-first birthday, but some innings all the same! The pride and joy of his father's legacy, no doubt.
Reading LOTR currently having only finished it a few months back. Got a couple of the illustrated versions by Alan Lee from back in 1991..The Fellowship and Return of. Couldn't find the Two Towers. I have the full massive illustrated version from Harper Collins but want the 3 separate books. Like good artwork on an album it just enhances the whole reading exprience. Also have an illustrated Silmarillion back home that I'm itching to read again. The paperback is on the shelf but it's just not the same. A real masterpiece, been years since I read it..an amazing piece of work by both father and son.
Big time. I'm gonna go through Robin Hobb's fairly comprehensive collection after the Hugh Cook series I'm currently reading and then do a Tolkien re-read.
As an aside, anyone read the History of Middle Earth books? Is there enough there to keep interest or does it deal with real minutae that only scholars would really appreciate?
I can ask an expert friend for you.
I thought you might actually have read them.
Never gone beyond the Silmarillion and a few passages here and there of Unfinished Tales, etc. Gotta leave something for retirement!
Here's what she says (credibility: librarian who organized the Festival in the Shire one year):
QuoteAhh good question. OK so it's all the notes associated with the creation of middle earth. Like it's not a linear narrative of the actual history. It's the history of how it was written. Ya get me?
If they want to ease themselves in I'd recommend starting with vol 6 Return of the Shadow and continue reading vols 7 and 8. That's the history/ALL Tolkiens notes on the writing of LOTR. If they are familiar with Silmarillion they should start vol one Book of Lost Tales one. If they can deal with Silmarillion they can deal with History of Middle Earth.
If they aren't familiar with silmarillion but want something beyond LOTR and hobbit I recommend Unfinished Tales.
[They've got Silmarillion covered.]
They'd be well able for history of ME I'd say then.
Cool, cool. Mucho appreciado. During the re-read I'll also get to the 2 (?) books after The Children of Hurin so it's nice to be able to read some new material in there too.
Massive fan of The Hobbit, Lotr and Silmarillion. The Children of Hurin I found a slog, though maybe it was my frame of mind. I'd be tempted at that recommendation above just to see what might transpire. Sounds heavy going though.
I found, to my surprise, that The Children of Hurin was a bit of a slog too. I just didn't connect with it as much as I expected.
The Silmarillion is perfect and the last book released, The Fall of Gondolin, I have very high hopes for. It's actually the only story from that age that I always wanted to know more about. It's very much in the middle of the first age stuff and LoTR but surely it must be one of the most important events in the whole Middle Earth history. I thought I'd only get insights to it in the appendices so I can't wait to get to that.
I used to read LOTR at least once a year for a long time, but for some reason I only went through Silmarillion once and never dived into his other stuff
Is their a list of how the books go in chronological order? Not when they were written but starting with the early time of Middle Earth and moving forward?
Quote from: Emphyrio on January 17, 2020, 01:41:04 PMI'm gonna go through Robin Hobb's fairly comprehensive collection after the Hugh Cook series I'm currently reading and then do a Tolkien re-read.
I've read The Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies, just another 8 books in the series to pick up before reading the lot from scratch! I have her Soldier Son trilogy on the shelf, I might tackle that before diving back into that big series.
I read the Farseer and Soldier Son trilogies ages ago. Gonna re-read The Farseer and continue that saga. There's a prequel book too so might actually start there. I'm hoping she doesn't add any more as there's enough there to keep me going a good while.
Quote from: Trev on January 17, 2020, 05:22:01 PM
I used to read LOTR at least once a year for a long time, but for some reason I only went through Silmarillion once and never dived into his other stuff
Is their a list of how the books go in chronological order? Not when they were written but starting with the early time of Middle Earth and moving forward?
Start with The Silmarillion, then the Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin. While I haven't read the latter two, I
think that takes you up to the end of the Second Age. Then The Hobbit and LoTR.
I started a Robin Hobb book and it seemed really cliché. I think it was the Assassin's Apprentice. Gave up after a hundred pages or so. Should I have stuck with it?
I would. It's old school fantasy but there are a few nice twists and turns to hold the interest. I've read that trilogy twice and plan on doing so again when I tackle that series as a whole. The Liveship Traders trilogy (second in the series) is where I got on board (pun intended), there's a bit more to chew on there, but I'd read them in order, personally.
Could I be a dick and plug my own book(s)? It's an ebook so Kindle or ereader is the only way to get them. I just released the final part of my scfi trilogy this week, The Martian Maraud as well as a complete collection.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084KWYPXN
Quote from: Kunt 4 Life on February 10, 2020, 08:04:02 PM
Could I be a dick and plug my own book(s)? It's an ebook so Kindle or ereader is the only way to get them. I just released the final part of my scfi trilogy this week, The Martian Maraud as well as a complete collection.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084KWYPXN
Michael 'kunt 4 life' Burnside :laugh:
Best of luck with the book(s) pal. Fantasy not my bag unfortunately.
Cheers dude .
Couldn't use my handle here as a pen name unfortunately :abbath:
Have any of you read the Gormenghast books? No idea if they're any good but they keep popping up in ads on my computer.
Not yet, though I've owned them for years (including the 'unfinished' last book). My old man reckoned they were great.
I read most of the first one. It all seemed fairly pointless, if I'm honest. Wasn't arsed finishing it.
Reading The Witcher currently. Anyone else had a read of it?
Toying with the idea of reading The Witcher before I watch the series.
Read Lyonesse by Jack Vance. Nice to read a self-contained fantasy story for a change. On the flipside, starting The Farsser series, having previously read the first trilogy, doing a re-read of those before moving on. Must be about 15-18 books in the whole saga.
Quote from: FlyinBrian on February 05, 2019, 10:47:21 PM.
Any thoughts on The Wheel of Time getting to tv.
I finished the books about a year ago so looking forward to seeing how it develops in the series. I'm gonna wait til the xmas holidays to start watching after S1 has been fully released but I'd be interested to see what fans of the books make of it.
I just recently finished Terry Brooks' The Heritage of Shannara. Found it a bit of a slog really so had to read some other books during the 4 books in the series (pain in the shoulder from holding the omnibus edition!). Is the original Shanara series worth checking out?
I've only read the Heritage books and the prequel to the Sword trilogy. Must be 20 years ago so I can barely remember them but I enjoyed then at the time. The other Brooks stuff I've read have been average at best (Word And The Void trilogy, Landover series).
Quote from: Snare on November 23, 2021, 10:50:48 PM
Quote from: FlyinBrian on February 05, 2019, 10:47:21 PM.
Any thoughts on The Wheel of Time getting to tv.
I finished the books about a year ago so looking forward to seeing how it develops in the series. I'm gonna wait til the xmas holidays to start watching after S1 has been fully released but I'd be interested to see what fans of the books make of it.
I just recently finished Terry Brooks' The Heritage of Shannara. Found it a bit of a slog really so had to read some other books during the 4 books in the series (pain in the shoulder from holding the omnibus edition!). Is the original Shanara series worth checking out?
I enjoyed the original Shannara series. It's nothing ground breaking but moves along quickly.
Watched the first episode of Wheel of Time. A couple of noticeable changes to the source material already, one in particular goes against the whole Dragon Reborn thing. I don't know what to make of it yet. At times it looks lavish, other times it looks cheap. Most of the episode is boring and then it all kicks off so pacing could be an issue going forward. In a sense that's probably in keeping with the books! There's an amazing story in there, enough to contend with Game of Thrones, I'm just not sure they'll get it right. I'm very much on the fence at the moment. I can understand why the reviews are so polarised.
I haven't seen any of the Wheel Of Time Show Barca few stills. It looks a bit like something from the sci-fi network. Cheap.
The comparison to GOT is inevitable and it will always pale in comparison production wise.
Have any of you read Malice by John Gwyne? Is it worth my few shillings?
Also what's sorely needed is the next Gentlemen Bastards book. The books so far are truly excellent.
Production wise, WoT should blow GoT out of the water. It's a Bezos vanity project with the specific aim of bettering GoT. But ya, it hasn't come close to that yet.
I've Locke Lamora and the follow up at home but because your man writes at the same pace as GRR Martin, I'll wait til closer the end of the series to start, whenever that'll be.
I haven't watched WoT, and never read it, but some friends who were well into it 20 years ago have said it's not awful. Disagree that it's intended to be competition to GoT though; I think this is basically treading water until the LoTR series comes out. That's billed to be the real vanity project.
LotR is likely to be on another level again but it was a Bezos directive that he wanted a GoT "killer" in WoT.
Quote from: Emphyrio on November 24, 2021, 09:56:57 AM
LotR is likely to be on another level again but it was a Bezos directive that he wanted a GoT "killer" in WoT.
Ah okay, fair enough. As someone else said, I'll wait until at least the first season is done and the reviews are in before deciding to give it a go or not meself.
I'm thinking I should have held out til Xmas to watch it myself. Fuckit sher.
Quote from: Circlepit on November 24, 2021, 08:07:35 AMAlso what's sorely needed is the next Gentlemen Bastards book. The books so far are truly excellent.
Yes, Immensely enjoyable series so far. The Thorn of Emberlain has been a long time coming. Out next year apparently...
Both this and Joe Abercrobie's First law series would be great to see getting a decent TV adaptation.
Its been nearly two decades since I checked out of the WoT series. They got boring and meandering after book six or so. Plot development started to move at a glacial pace as the roster of characters bloated. Didn't help that Jordan rarely killed off characters.
The first few episodes of TV show were not entirely awful, not great either mind. I can see it running out of steam once they get past the third book - if it even gets that far...
I tried to read The Sword of Shannara years ago and got halfway though. Was way to close a facsimile of LOTR for my liking. Though the First WoT book had its moments lifted directly out of Tolkien too.
I've read the first 10 WOT books, years ago. Blasted through the first 6 or 7 as I bought them together (from a now shut bookshop called Dandelion Books on Aungier St., picked up some secondhand gems there over the years), then the next few sporadically. By the time I was reading the tenth, I hadn't a clue who half the characters were, or where their allegiances lay. Given that a couple of them had adopted new identities I was totally lost by the time I finished it and left it there.
Plan is to pick up the rest and start from scratch, whenever I can be bothered. A daunting task, what was there - 14 books in the end?
The last one I remember reading was a total non-event. I think there was probably a chapter dedicated to each plotline/group of characters and by the time I got the end I felt the story had progressed infinitesimally. Hardly worth the slog.
Quote from: Carnage on November 24, 2021, 01:49:40 PM
I've read the first 10 WOT books, years ago. Blasted through the first 6 or 7 as I bought them together (from a now shut bookshop called Dandelion Books on Aungier St., picked up some secondhand gems there over the years), then the next few sporadically. By the time I was reading the tenth, I hadn't a clue who half the characters were, or where their allegiances lay. Given that a couple of them had adopted new identities I was totally lost by the time I finished it and left it there.
Plan is to pick up the rest and start from scratch, whenever I can be bothered. A daunting task, what was there - 14 books in the end?
Think it's 14 including the prequel. If I'd called it quits during the reading of the series I'd find it very hard to go back to. I read them all consecutively a while back. Plodding is an understatement but the last few books are very good and the ending is worth it but it's some commitment to get to that point.
Just had a look there, 14 books plus the prequel. I'm tempted to buy the boxset so I'll have a full, matching collection but €175 is a bit pricey when I have the first 10 and the prequel already, albeit in two different prints.
Pricey enough alright. I picked them all up on awesomebooks.co.uk for about €3 each. Most of them hardback. Would have been nice for them all to be a set but fuckit.
Aye, it's just the finnicky bollocks in me that wants them all to match (I have 5 out of the first 6 Dune books in the same print, can't track down Dune itself in the same print and it kills me. See also: Clarke's Odyssey & Rama series, among others...), but it's a bit much. Might treat myself for christmas.
Not to pollute the high-brow Books thread....Finished the last trilogy in the First Law series. Not as good as the earlier books but still better than most stuff.
On book 2 of the Powder Mage trilogy. Described as the French Revolution with magic, which seems accurate. Pretty good.
Running low on stuff on my "to read" list now so hopefully this inspires new stuff for me to check out before I start into my Tolkien re-read.
I'm on the second book of John Gywnes series The Faithful And The Fallen.
It's not bad. A bit like Wheel Of Time with some GRR Martin thrown in.
I still feel like I'm looking for something to stand up to those 2 authors within this genre. Despite The Wheel Of Time going on and on i thoroughly enjoyed it and A Song Of Ice And Fire is spectacular.
Amy recommendations?
One of the first fantasy series I read was Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow And Thorn. Really enjoyed it, I've read it twice and will probably do so again. He's written a sequel series, I think the final book is out this year. Worth a go.
Quote from: Carnage on November 24, 2021, 04:14:57 PMAye, it's just the finnicky bollocks in me that wants them all to match (I have 5 out of the first 6 Dune books in the same print, can't track down Dune itself in the same print and it kills me. See also: Clarke's Odyssey & Rama series, among others...), but it's a bit much. Might treat myself for christmas.
I have all the asoiaf books in one print except the first one too and it's fairly fucking annoying to look at them lined up like that
Quote from: Carnage on October 22, 2022, 04:31:39 PMOne of the first fantasy series I read was Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow And Thorn. Really enjoyed it, I've read it twice and will probably do so again. He's written a sequel series, I think the final book is out this year. Worth a go.
That was one of my favourite series. I read something else by him, can't remember the name but it had a more sci-fi slant and I couldn't get into it at all. I found The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb to be somewhat in the same ballpark as Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. They both have the usual fantasy tropes but not in a bad way. I read the rest of the series which has a few trilogies in there and it ends really well but the original trilogy is the best. I might read Memory... again if there's a follow up series.
Quote from: Circlepit on October 22, 2022, 04:26:51 PMI'm on the second book of John Gywnes series The Faithful And The Fallen.
It's not bad. A bit like Wheel Of Time with some GRR Martin thrown in.
I still feel like I'm looking for something to stand up to those 2 authors within this genre. Despite The Wheel Of Time going on and on i thoroughly enjoyed it and A Song Of Ice And Fire is spectacular.
Amy recommendations?
Wheel of Time is excellent if you're prepared to suffer through the waffle and I can see why people wouldn't but I'm glad I saw it through. If you're looking for another long saga, apart from Robin Hobb, I'd look at Raymond E. Feist. His first book is very highly regarded but I loved the series all the way to the end.
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham who also wrote The Expanse series, if you're familiar with the sci-fi show, is also quite good.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson and Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire are also well worth a go if you're looking for GRR Martin type stuff.
Quote from: Emphyrio on October 22, 2022, 04:56:04 PMQuote from: Carnage on October 22, 2022, 04:31:39 PMOne of the first fantasy series I read was Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow And Thorn. Really enjoyed it, I've read it twice and will probably do so again. He's written a sequel series, I think the final book is out this year. Worth a go.
That was one of my favourite series. I read something else by him, can't remember the name but it had a more sci-fi slant and I couldn't get into it at all.
Otherland, I think? I read the first three at the time, the last one hadn't come out yet, yet to read that. No, it wasn't great but it passed the time (I was working nights in security at that time).