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Yeah, I've found myself really enjoying the series. It took a little while for me to get into the first book, but when I did I practically devoured the rest of the books. I wish the fat bastard would hurry up and release A Dance with Dragons. :mad2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ouch!
I think I'm the only person in the world who thought A Song of Ice and Fire was decent and entertaining, but grossly overrated and not anywhere near "best series ever." Some of the characters are interesting enough, but some of them are endlessly frustrating. The writing is usually pretty good, but some of the plot points seem very forced. I'd have to look back through my old LJ review to give specific examples since it's been a while, but those were my general thoughts. I also have not read at least the most recent book; I read all that was out as of a few years ago.
I used to be a fan of Dragonlance as well, many years ago. When I say "used to be" I mean that I haven't read any of the books for a very long time.
Me and one of my best friends (she has read many of the books) used to nerd about them together and stuff back then. I think I've perhaps read 3-5 books in the series or something. I also own one of the books myself, but I don't remember which one, since it's now been packed away (because of me moving) - I think it's on the Chronicles ones, though.
Other than that I'm a big Lord of the Rings fan, and have also read the entire Harry Potter series. The Narnia books are also pretty good (at least the ones I've read).
But yeah, I like fantasy books. It's probably one of my favourite genres overall. A good friend of mine also recommended me the His Dark Materials trilogy, so I might give them a go at one point.
A Feast for Crows features only the most frustrating and obnoxious characters in the series (Cersei, Jaime, Breine, Sam, etc.) while only having brief mentions of or cameos from the best (Jon, Bran, Tyrion, etc.) and yet still manages to be the best book (as far as I'm concerned) in the entire series. Definitely worth a read.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raistlin
I went back through my LJ. A Feast for Crows was the last book I read, and that was early 2006. If that's the last book, then Martin is sure taking his sweet time.
Anyway, I found it to be by far the worst book in the series. Between a sloppy plot contradiction no one in the story actually points out ((SPOILER)Jamie being originally reluctant to push Bran out the window and only did so upon Cersei's demands; later, these positions somehow switch people) and the mind-numbing boringness of some parts, I just could not care. There were quite a few chapters that just dragged on with repetitive and/or irrelevant crap. Nothing actually happens in it until the end. It's partially that Martin decided to focus on only the boring/annoying characters, and partially that there are so many boring/annoying characters that for some reason warrant being focused on so much.
My complaints about the rest of the series, summarized: Catelyn Stark's character was retarded to the point of being unrealistic. In the first book, (SPOILER)Edward's and Lady's deaths felt incredibly forced, as if those scenes were written as an afterthought to the rest of the story, or if Martin got there in the writing and all of a sudden decided he needed to kill someone. The "plot twists" were set up to the point of being predictable.
There are some good characters, which are the saving grace for the series (Tyrion, in particular), and the overall writing is fairly decent. I just don't see it rising anywhere near the level of a lot of the praises I see.
A Song of Ice and Fire has probably my three favorite books in the genre, but I'm at the point where I won't recommend the series anymore. Between the overrated fourth book, the author's treatment of his own fans (except the ones who pump his apparently fragile ego) and the people who spend their lives scouring the internet so they can get off over their own superiority at their infinite patience and supposed "insider knowledge" of the industry -- it's a terrible scene to even get involved with IMO. :irked:
I enjoyed Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind, but as the second book has now seen a multi-year delay when Rothfuss himself suggested the entire series had been mostly written already, I fear it could be GRRM all over again. Rothfuss has been a much better sport about it IMO, but who knows how long that can and will last?
The Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker might be interesting for more mature readers and/or those who are looking for some fantasy without the traditional Tolkien/D&D stereotypes. The main character is a pretty interesting study in the anti-hero archetype. There's very little redeeming about him, but sometimes you can't help but root for him anyway because the alternatives for the characters you actually like are often worse. Unfortunately, for newcomers, the series is a bit of a mess at the beginning with lots of invented/irregular place and people names thrown at you.
I really liked AFFC actually, but I'm getting extremely pissed off at the waiting times between books. At this rate I'm not expecting the series to ever get finished.
I really liked the first two books of The First Law, but for some reason I stopped reading about halfway through the third. I don't know why; I didn't dislike it or anything. I probably just got distracted by a bunch of other stuff.
A series I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet is Discworld. It's not exactly a standard fantasy series since it uses common fantasy tropes to satirise the real world, but it's one of the longest running series that has actually managed to maintain a high level of quality throughout its entire existence, and it gains points for not taking itself too seriously.
I used to read Dragonlance but I haven't read any of the new series that have come out since Amber and Ashes, and don't really feel like I'm missing anything either.
I'm currently reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, which mixes modern urban fantasy with noir detective fiction. It's light entertainment, but it succeeds admirably at what it sets out to do.
I also agree with Bunny about Salvatore and Rothfuss. Though I haven't read any of Salvatore's works since the trilogy that began with The Thousand Orcs either.
Oh hey, good man! I have only picked up the first two books, but this is another rather bleak series which demands more reading! The world built is very in-depth, names scattered like leaves in the four winds, loaded with a rich history, and makes you feel as if you are following a story within a world versus a story with a world kind of attached and unbelievable! I absolutely second this!Quote:
Originally Posted by Crowseye
Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestries and Weis' Death Gate Cycle are my two fav serious...
I thought they were much better than the LoTR because for me that had a lot more emotion in it especially Fionoavar (sp) ..Of course I am also slight biased with he former because the beginning scenes were set in downtown Toronto!
I'm on the second to last book of Death Gate and then I decide to pick up the first Percy Jackson book. Oops. I read 120 pages in one sitting. I guess I like it. HOWEVER, I was taking mental notes about all the things about it that I thought were poorly written. :P
And I LOVE Discword. I forgot about ti! I need to read some more of those.
Death Gate Cycle was pretty good. I liked it more than Dragonlance and may actually bother re-reading it one of these days.
I've heard good things about Guy Gavriel Kay; I guess I should probably check him out. Brandon Sanderson's another one I keep hearing good things about (and he writes at an absurd rate, too).
We read Tigana for God Hates Fraggles, and while it was an okay book, I think Dr Unne happily pointed out all the disappointing bits for everyone with Guy Gavriel Kay! Tigana was alright, but I will not be reading it again or buying more books by the author!
I agree completely with Lynx about Guy Gavriel Kay. Tigana was mediocre at best.
Wheel of time.
I'm a big fan of Raymond E. Feist. The Riftwar Saga was the best thing I've ever read, but that's not really saying a lot. Most of the books I own I've had since I started readin in middle school.
I was really into Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame when I joined EoFF, but after the first five books the series went away from it's roots in a bad way.
I just got into R. A. Salvatore's work. I avoided his stuff like the plague but now that I like it I can't remember why.
All the other stuff I've read is young adult fantasy. I should check into some of the stuff you guys have listed. I need to expand my horizons.