Fantasy Books

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Sue Ridgepipe said:
The first book, Sword of Shannara, was almost a scene for scene ripoff of LOTR... can't believe he got away with this level of blatant plagiarism. This is why the TV series started with the second Shannara book (Elfstones of Shannara). If there is a second season it will feature the third book (Wishsong of Shannara).
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Nah, the TV series started with the second as they wanted one with strong female characters as well and the first book copped grief at the time it came out for having none. With every fantasy series these days having strong female main characters (except for the offal that is Twilight), there was no way they'd start with book 1 for TV.
 
Just finished the last book in Brian Staveleys The Unhewn Throne trilogy. Awsome series. Original story and one I struggled to put down. Very fast moving with plenty happening. The only thing I can compare it to would be Anthony Ryans Raven song. 4.5 stars here. Btw any of you guys on goodreads?

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Crapulous said:
Just finished the last book in Brian Staveleys The Unhewn Throne trilogy. Awsome series. Original story and one I struggled to put down. Very fast moving with plenty happening. The only thing I can compare it to would be Anthony Ryans Raven song. 4.5 stars here. Btw any of you guys on goodreads?

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Is it any good?
 

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Sue Ridgepipe said:
Erikson's next book, Fall of Light, is due in April I think... really, really looking forward to this. Forge of Darkness was brilliant and sets up the next two books in the Kharkanas trilogy perfectly.
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Frustrating wait for Fall of Light, delayed by a year, but was released last week and totally worth the wait. Just a phenomenal book demonstrating everything Erikson excels at... epic world building, lotsa deep characters, and a wicked sense of humour.

Quokka said:
I might have said this before as the Malazan books pop up every now and again in this thread but there's also some fantastic humour in them, particularly in the later books. A few characters like Bugg and Tehol are played for laughs and had me literally lol'ing but plenty of others get a witty reply or some other joke.
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There is a "battle" at the end of book 8, Toll the Hounds, that is one of the highlights of the entire series. Won't spoil it by giving away who or why, but it is easily the funniest things I've read in any book. Somehow Erikson manages to splice the telling of this ROFLcopter "battle" with one of the series' heaviest and emotionally draining fight scenes taking place simultaneously within the same city. Absolute genius piece of writing and that actually enhanced the impact of both, and just one example of why Erikson is the best epic fantasy author going around (substantially better than the massively overrated Jordan and Martin).
 
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Andre said:
Nah, the TV series started with the second as they wanted one with strong female characters as well and the first book copped grief at the time it came out for having none. With every fantasy series these days having strong female main characters (except for the offal that is Twilight), there was no way they'd start with book 1 for TV.
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I heard different.

I'm sure having a strong female lead was important, but primary reason was Sword of Shannara is a scene for scene ripoff of LOTR.

Anyway, looks like its been renewed for season two, which will mean adapting Wishsong of Shannara. I tried watching the first season but couldn't finish it, MTV really butchered it with a bizarre over emphasis on love triangle and limited budget.
 
Reading "Circus Of The Damned" by Laurel K Hamilton. Good, but, as it is the first Hamilton I have read and isn't the first book in the series it has taken me a little monger than I expected to get into it.
 
Started Emperor of Thorns. First 20 odd pages are promising. Have enjoyed the series a lot- I think it would translate to TV quite well. Especially a HBO production.


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Teriyakicat said:
Poor you. You should've told them you were trail-blazing, not reading fairy books!! People who don't read the same stuff just don't understand, do they? ;) The Fantasy genre has exploded over the last ... I don't know- 20-30 years.... hasn't it?

I actually started with Vol 2 of Stephen Donaldson's Illearth War, which I borrowed from a camp up in the Goldfields (WA), so I could read it on my flight back to Melb. I then bought the rest of the series, one at a time, trying to read each one overnight as I was studying for my final Uni exams... I still don't think I've ever read Vol 1.
My sister then gave me an old copy of The Hobbit that she was about to toss from her class library set because it was falling apart. Of courso then buy the boxed set of The Lord of the Rings.

My single bookshelf (which I nicked from work) in my donger in the Goldfields has now given way to 6 bookcases - I think there's about 1500 books now and I'm struggling to fit them in, despite double-stacking them.

I'd be interested in hearing how other posters here kicked off their fantasy addiction ;)
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I think i started with dragons of spring dawning (at time no idea about series and that it was a conclusion lol), remember thinking how dumb is this laurana to get herself captured. Then darksword followed by wishsong of shannara (again that pesky no idea about order) leading on to david eddings which really started the addiction.

Fortunately the wife shares book addiction problem.
 
Crankyhawk said:
I think i started with dragons of spring dawning (at time no idea about series and that it was a conclusion lol), remember thinking how dumb is this laurana to get herself captured. Then darksword followed by wishsong of shannara (again that pesky no idea about order) leading on to david eddings which really started the addiction.

Fortunately the wife shares book addiction problem.
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I don't think you're going to get an answer from Teri, unfortunately she left the whole board a long time ago, which was a great pity.
 
The Belgariad by David Eddings was where my fantasy addiction began, and that's heavily influenced the fantasy I read now. Looking back on it now the series is probably quite simplistic when compared to some of the modern fantasy series I've read, but I still love it to this day even though its probably been 15 years since I last read the books from start to finish.
 
Hi all. Those who have read Goodkinds Sword of Truth Series, is it worth persisting with?

Up to stone of tears, and struggling with what can best be described as pretty boring / pretty crappy writing.

does it get better?
 

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Happy Mastenator said:
Hi all. Those who have read Goodkinds Sword of Truth Series, is it worth persisting with?

Up to stone of tears, and struggling with what can best be described as pretty boring / pretty crappy writing.

does it get better?
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Faith of the Fallen is probably the best book in the series imo. However, after the first two, the rest are fairly repetitive garbage.
 
Happy Mastenator said:
Thinking I will look for something else then. Not overly enjoying
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Yeah if they haven't grabbed you early they only get worse

I enjoyed the first couple of great coats books by sebastian de castell. Third... well a mixed finish
 
Happy Mastenator said:
Hi all. Those who have read Goodkinds Sword of Truth Series, is it worth persisting with?

Up to stone of tears, and struggling with what can best be described as pretty boring / pretty crappy writing.

does it get better?
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I haven't read Goodkind myself but from what I have seen, he is pretty divisive.
 
gaskin said:
Agreed but I am a bit of a Brando Sando fanboy. Have you read Rhythm of War yet?
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Not yet, although this thread reminded me to buy it 😃
Im currently halfway through the Licanius Trilogy by an Australian author who lives in Mornington. Once I'm finished that I'll go back to the Archive.
gaskin said:
I haven't read Goodkind myself but from what I have seen, he is pretty divisive.
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He's been accused of stealing ideas from other fantasy authors which I think is a bit rich myself considering most fantasy concepts are pilfered from one author or another.

I think the real controversy is the fact that he's a right wing nut and the whole series is essentially socialism/communism bad, capitalism good. One book was essentially about how Americans owe Native Americans nothing and that its actually dangerous to provide reparations or acknowledge any wrongs done by your ancestors.
 
Happy Mastenator said:
Hi all. Those who have read Goodkinds Sword of Truth Series, is it worth persisting with?

Up to stone of tears, and struggling with what can best be described as pretty boring / pretty crappy writing.

does it get better?
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I didn't mind it, but it is very repetitive, overly preachy and reads for each book as if someone is starting the series at that book, with all the 'Richard is the Seeker, Kahlan is the Mother confessor etc. etc. recapping'. Faith of the Fallen (book 6) would be the best of the series and the last 3 books are almost a mini-trilogy wrapping it up, that are enjoyable (if you skim the preachy monologues).

If you're a Wheel of Time fan you could easily hate it. So many ideas blatantly ripped from Jordan's work, the Sisters are blatant Aes Sedai copies, right down to Dark Sisters (Black Ajah), the Blood of the Fold are Whitecloaks except in Red cloaks etc.

Also stay away if you consider the character of the authors you read. Goodkind was a prick about Jordan when Jordan was diagnosed with his illness.
 
Andre said:
I didn't mind it, but it is very repetitive, overly preachy and reads for each book as if someone is starting the series at that book, with all the 'Richard is the Seeker, Kahlan is the Mother confessor etc. etc. recapping'. Faith of the Fallen (book 6) would be the best of the series and the last 3 books are almost a mini-trilogy wrapping it up, that are enjoyable (if you skim the preachy monologues).

If you're a Wheel of Time fan you could easily hate it. So many ideas blatantly ripped from Jordan's work, the Sisters are blatant Aes Sedai copies, right down to Dark Sisters (Black Ajah), the Blood of the Fold are Whitecloaks except in Red cloaks etc.

Also stay away if you consider the character of the authors you read. Goodkind was a prick about Jordan when Jordan was diagnosed with his illness.
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Almost Bene Gesserit, eh? :eek:
 
FredLeDeux said:
Almost Bene Gesserit, eh? :eek:
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Yeah, there's some similarities between them and Aes Sedai, along with Freeman and Aiel, but there's a difference between one being an inspiration for another and copying most of it and barely bothering changing a thing.
 
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