Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

[Thanatos]

Also 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.

[Carnage]

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?

[Thanatos]

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.

[Emphyrio]

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.

[Carnage]

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.

[Emphyrio]

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.

[Carnage]

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.

[Emphyrio]

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. 

[Circlepit]

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?

[Carnage]

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.

[astfgyl]

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.

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

[Emphyrio]

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.

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.

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?

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.

[Carnage]

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.

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).