Recommended Reading?(Fantasy)

[Fivelives]

Ooh, yeah. I forgot about the Riftwar saga. I've only ever bothered with the first 5 books or so, mostly because it started to peter out for me around book 3, and 4 just got downright ridiculous (think God-like power and obvious plot hole patches - "haha, you didn't actually rip my arm off and beat me to death with it kill me, I was just using an illusion to make you THINK you did!). I occasionally pick others up to read them, but they've mostly not been all that memorable.

Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master are still two of my favorite books, though.

Dagnabit Fivelives, don't spoil the books for me! I want them to CONTINUE to be good.. lol

I haven't read them in over a decade, so I'm pretty sure that's not an actual spoiler.

[Proudmoore]

I disagree with all the bashing of the Earth's Children saga. Sure, the plot gets (very) repetitive towards the end of the series (last two books) - but the depth of the book *other* than the plot is quite impressive.

A series I can strongly reommend is James Clavell's Asia Saga. It's somewhere between historical fiction and fantasy, and in places the books are only loosely tied together, but it is a brilliant and enthralling - not to mention long - read.

Sadly, Clavell died with a number of books unfinished, but the 6 books of the Saga (King Rat, Tai-Pan, Shōgun, Noble House, Whirlwind and Gai-Jin) are all fantastic and detailed reads.

[Levantine]

Not gunna lie, I picked up Game of Thrones on a whim and it's actually heaps good.

[Shyrtandros]

Not gunna lie, I picked up Game of Thrones on a whim and it's actually heaps good.

Due to the whole "HBO special" thing my book store I shop at has a table dedicated to the series... and for some reason.. I can't bring myself to buy it..

[Levantine]

I kinda don't want to see the show now that I'm actually reading the books. TV adaptations always let me down. D:

[Fivelives]

So far, the show is staying pretty true to the books. But it's early yet. I still can't believe that they went ahead with it before the series is even finished - are they just going to leave it on a cliffhanger until if/when Martin ever writes another book or something?

[Sabindeus]

So far, the show is staying pretty true to the books. But it's early yet. I still can't believe that they went ahead with it before the series is even finished - are they just going to leave it on a cliffhanger until if/when Martin ever writes another book or something?

why not? It'll take them years to catch up to the books.

[Aerron]

So far, the show is staying pretty true to the books. But it's early yet. I still can't believe that they went ahead with it before the series is even finished - are they just going to leave it on a cliffhanger until if/when Martin ever writes another book or something?

The next book is supposed to hit on July 12th. That gives them 4-5 years of TV before they catch up.

[Fivelives]

It only took him nearly 6 years to write "Dance With Dragons"

[Kelaan]

I believe a linear extrapolation would give us durations of between 7 and 9 years for Winds of Winter (ETA 2016/2020?) and 9-12 years for dream of spring (ETA ~2030? ). Unless I did it wrong. Of course, that also assumes that a linear or polynomial extrapolation of the time he takes to write books would have any bearing on reality.

[Sabindeus]

I believe a linear extrapolation would give us durations of between 7 and 9 years for Winds of Winter (ETA 2016/2020?) and 9-12 years for dream of spring (ETA ~2030? :D). Unless I did it wrong. Of course, that also assumes that a linear or polynomial extrapolation of the time he takes to write books would have any bearing on reality. :D

also assumes he'll live to end it. :(

[Garov]

I believe a linear extrapolation would give us durations of between 7 and 9 years for Winds of Winter (ETA 2016/2020?) and 9-12 years for dream of spring (ETA ~2030? ). Unless I did it wrong. Of course, that also assumes that a linear or polynomial extrapolation of the time he takes to write books would have any bearing on reality.

Fortunately the old coot has added economic pressure to focus on the series now, as he has an HBO show and it won't just be readers that are craving more but also watchers. Well, I can hope anyway right?

Regarding the Ice & Fire discussion: If complexity isn't your thing, it isn't your thing. There's no right or wrong, just opinion. I personally love the series. Watching an entire kingdom basically play Daes Da'mar (or however it's spelled) is far more entertaining to me than listening to Elayne talking about the Game of Houses and how her not inviting so and so to a tea party has repurcussions through the kingdom. I prefer to be shown the consequences, not told about it.

Re Riftwar: Loved the first Riftwar segments of the books. When they move onto the Serpentware thing they started to lose me. After that I just couldn't keep up anymore.

Re WoT: In my opinion this series tanks from 7 -11. Bowl of the winds took a book when it could have been 2, perhaps 3 chapters. There was just so much stretching out of the story it became slow and boring for me. Word is Tor thought Jordan could self edit his own work. To me, the series suffered because of it. Sanderson taking over was the best thing for the series. It's sad it took the man's death for the story to get back on track.

[KysenMurrin]

Something that has slipped my mind until now - Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora is pretty good, it's more an action/crime caper novel than your regular fantasy. It's the first book in a series (though each volume is self ocntained, I believe) about a gang of modern-style con artists (think Hustle, Ocean's Eleven, you know) in a fantasy setting.

[Kelaan]

Oh, man, that sounds awesome. Thanks!

[amh]

Gave Sanderson's Mistborn series a spin over the weekend. Awesome.