I've read it. It is an ok book. As others have said, it is targeted more at a younger audience. Characters are not as deep as you would be used to, but the plot it self was decent from memory. Book moved along fairly quicky and had plenty of action. If you have nothing else to read, I woud give it a shot if you like superhero type stuff, if not I would read his other books over this one.
Books Fantasy Reads
- Thread starter Alock1
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Foundation/Empire. One of the best SF series ever. I used the series at a stretch when I was in Uni. Absolutely loved it. But it does not seem to have re-read value. I picked it up again a couple of times, but couldn't get interested again. Though the old memories are still superb.
Wanted to start on Dune, but somehow I keep putting it off...
Red Country made me read the First Law again. Though I was impressed with Bloody Nine and Bayaz characters, I realize I still had under appreciated them much. Bayaz comes across as a Grade A villain and I want to one more series that kills him in the end.
Yeah I've found that too. I read Foundation years ago and loved it, but couldn't get into it when trying to re-read. Guess it's a good thing that there are 15 or so books in the series, means I've still got a long way to go!
Some people find Dune a bit cliché if they read it after reading a ton of other sci-fi, but that's more a measure of the influence Dune has had. It's definitely worth reading, brilliant book
Just finished 'Emperor of Thorns' which concludes 'The Broken Empire' trilogy from Mark Lawrence.
I think that it was by far the strongest book on the series. It had a very nice (though extremely easy to predict) ending. I don't even know if the 'twist' was for both Jorg and the reader or only for Jorg, considering that the identity of
can easily be understood far earlier than it gets revealed. Also, I came to love Jorg despite him being the biggest scum on the history of fantasy books (well, at-least the biggest scum protagonist).
Anyway, I didn't like much the first two books but I guess that it was a saga which was worthy to be read only for this book.
I also absolutely loved the part with AI and quantum mechanics (apparently Lawrence is an AI researcher).
Saying that, I am not planning to read Lawrence's new trilogy.
I think that it was by far the strongest book on the series. It had a very nice (though extremely easy to predict) ending. I don't even know if the 'twist' was for both Jorg and the reader or only for Jorg, considering that the identity of
the Dead King
can easily be understood far earlier than it gets revealed. Also, I came to love Jorg despite him being the biggest scum on the history of fantasy books (well, at-least the biggest scum protagonist).
Anyway, I didn't like much the first two books but I guess that it was a saga which was worthy to be read only for this book.
I also absolutely loved the part with AI and quantum mechanics (apparently Lawrence is an AI researcher).
Saying that, I am not planning to read Lawrence's new trilogy.
Not sure, where to post this but this is probably as good a thread as any.
Red Eagles Entertainment released a ~15 minute pilot for Wheel of Time on the 9th Feb covering the prologue of Eye of the World, starring Billy Zane as Ishmael. It was shite. Like really really shite. The absolute worst. On youtube for those interested. ******* McDougal stopped narrowly short of calling it shite but apparently she wasn't consulted and was completely unaware of it which is just downright disrespectful. The pilot is an absolute travesty. It's turned one of the best prologues into....something.
Background on it here - http://www.vox.com/2015/2/10/8014499/wheel-of-time-pilot-fxx
And some more:
Red Eagles Entertainment released a ~15 minute pilot for Wheel of Time on the 9th Feb covering the prologue of Eye of the World, starring Billy Zane as Ishmael. It was shite. Like really really shite. The absolute worst. On youtube for those interested. ******* McDougal stopped narrowly short of calling it shite but apparently she wasn't consulted and was completely unaware of it which is just downright disrespectful. The pilot is an absolute travesty. It's turned one of the best prologues into....something.
Background on it here - http://www.vox.com/2015/2/10/8014499/wheel-of-time-pilot-fxx
And some more:
Yeh, they did it just so they didn't lose the rights. That's why they spent no money on it, because it was never intended to be an actual show.
I still don't get the point of getting the rights to do movie/TV show for highky succesful fantasy books, then just doing nothing for a few years and then making this just to extend the rights for it. Likely the won't do anything again.
Mistborn was the same, but the company (who apparently were also big fans of the series) gave the rights back. Kingkiller Chronicles is at the same stage, the rights belonging to a company who isn't planning to do anything.
All of this is even more strange considering that such a TV show (if done right) can become highly popular conidering that Game of Thrones set the road for that.
Mistborn was the same, but the company (who apparently were also big fans of the series) gave the rights back. Kingkiller Chronicles is at the same stage, the rights belonging to a company who isn't planning to do anything.
All of this is even more strange considering that such a TV show (if done right) can become highly popular conidering that Game of Thrones set the road for that.
Has anyone read Bone Season by Samantha Shannon? Apparently its ridiculously popular and has a film in production. I've just met the authors younger brother today who says he's really excited with what it could turn out to be
I wish they'd do something completely different: come up with a new story set in the world (which would have to have the author in creative control at least partially). Most fantasy books have an extensive world with lots of history and interesting areas, why not explore some of that in films and tv instead of hacking books apart and trying to put them back together in a different format? It makes more sense to write something new specifically instead. Shame that it's not likely to ever happen.
That's truly awful, one of the worst pilots I have seen probably.
@Edgar Allan Pillow I enjoyed the book anyway, you can sleep soundly again now.
From what I read, they bought it at a time when GoT type series were not popular. Spent about 63k to keep it live with them over the years and now trying to cash in. Hope Sony buys it outright from them and creates something good. That pilot is cringe worthy.
Well at least for Mistborn, it seems like the ones who bought the rights tried to do something but didn't find people convinced enough to found it. It seems like many books rights are bough but just a small part of them manage to become movies.
That's the hyped YA title of 2013 ? I don't know, it seems like every year we've got the new Harry Potter (2014 was Half Bad). When I see the first page of reviews of GR (just counting if there are more than 5 one or two stars or how some reviewers I know for being critical rate it), I'm more likely to bet I won't like it. Still got it on my TBR though.
That's the hyped YA title of 2013 ? I don't know, it seems like every year we've got the new Harry Potter (2014 was Half Bad). When I see the first page of reviews of GR (just counting if there are more than 5 one or two stars or how some reviewers I know for being critical rate it), I'm more likely to bet I won't like it. Still got it on my TBR though.
Just finished Tigana (standalone novel) from Guy Gavriel Kay.
A magnificient reading. The prose is very good, the story is also good. The characters have eneough depth and while the book starts like a classic powerless good people against bad powerful ones (the formula we have on LOTR, WoT, Mistborn etc) you soon see that it is completely different. One person might look a scum from one point of view, but then when you see him closer from an another point of view, you sympathize with him.
I also thought that the politics was played well enough.
Would recommend it to any fantasy reader, but especially to fans of A Song of Ice and Fire. On some aspects it is quite similar to it, low on magic, politics and gray characters. 9/10
A magnificient reading. The prose is very good, the story is also good. The characters have eneough depth and while the book starts like a classic powerless good people against bad powerful ones (the formula we have on LOTR, WoT, Mistborn etc) you soon see that it is completely different. One person might look a scum from one point of view, but then when you see him closer from an another point of view, you sympathize with him.
I also thought that the politics was played well enough.
Would recommend it to any fantasy reader, but especially to fans of A Song of Ice and Fire. On some aspects it is quite similar to it, low on magic, politics and gray characters. 9/10
Any idea how it compares to Sailing to Sarantium? Been tempted to get Tigana out of the library a couple of times, but never go around to it since StS was only about a 5/10 for me.
No idea. This is the only Kay book I have read.
It is brilliant though. You'll like it. Well that, or you're a monster.
Fair enough, thought that might be the case. Loads of people gush about both of them, and they both have similar ratings on GR, but they do seem to be very different from what I've heard. I'll probably give it a try sometime
Half the World from Joe Abercrombie - It is a decent book (well, it is Abercrombie after all). It continues very well the Shattered Sea saga. Saying that, I feel that the book didn't reach the heights of Half a King. Brianne of Tarth (that would be Thorn) was a nice protagonist, but not near as good as Glokta (that would be Yarvi). In fact, I think that the best parts of the book were those with Yarvi on them (who is an absolutely great character).
The part before the ending was predictable, the ending though was totally unpredictable for me:
Still, definitely worthy to read. 7/10
The part before the ending was predictable, the ending though was totally unpredictable for me:
Predicting the duel was easy and I did that from the beginning. Thorn losing came as a big surprise though
Still, definitely worthy to read. 7/10
I've been debating on this for a couple of years now. Maybe I'll give it a whirl after your review.
Well, went a bit sci-fi (fatigued from fantasy books).
The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy - This book is hilarious. I don't think that I have laughed with any book as much as with this (although Bukowski's Pulp comes close). The Babel Fish:
The bit with humanity being a computer in use by mices was even better.
'Nough said, 10/10
The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy - This book is hilarious. I don't think that I have laughed with any book as much as with this (although Bukowski's Pulp comes close). The Babel Fish:
The bit with humanity being a computer in use by mices was even better.
'Nough said, 10/10
Funny, I read that recently and would've given it only 4/10. It only made me laugh out loud in a couple of places, the rest was only mildly funny to me. There wasn't really all that much else to it outside of the humour either sadly, based on the reputation I was expecting a lot more.
About time you read that classic
One of my all time faves. If you haven't listened to the original radio shows then they are a blast too.
Book 2 , The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, is also fantastic.
42
I am not liking that much the second part (currently read 75 percent of it). It is good but still it hasn't been as funny as parts from the first book (Babel Fish, pan dimensional mice and 42). Still the restaurant at the end of universe (until they arrived there I didn't though that it is literally at the end of universe) and especially the dialogues with the depressive android are bloody brilliant.About time you read that classic
One of my all time faves. If you haven't listened to the original radio shows then they are a blast too.
Book 2 , The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, is also fantastic.
The original radio broadcast of the Restaurant of the End of the Universe part is hilarious, my view of the 2nd book might be coloured by that.
Haven't read it in a while.
Haven't read it in a while.
I've only been dipping in and out of this thread, but it's strange nobody has mentioned the Thomas Covenant trilogy or The Belgariad, the fantasy series I first read years ago. David Eddings and Stephen Donaldson could actually write, although they stretched the material way too thin in the lucrative follow ups to the initial bestsellers.
I actually found it quite tedious to read. The author seems to derive special pleasure in describing the suffering of Thomas, who stumbles from one pain to other endlessly.
Just finished The Final Empire. Great book. Kelsier
Just finished The Final Empire. Great book. Kelsier
Real good trilogy of books. Are you going straight onto the next one?
I miss Vin and Kelsier.
It's really bittersweet reading the references to Vin and Kelsier in the Alloy of Law.
I'm almost half way through the 2nd Mistborn book. 2 things:
1. Those metal fights get boring way too quickly. I find myself skimming over them in the 2nd book so far.
2. Sanderson does love reminding the readers that Vin was once a street urchin....in like every single chapter.
1. Those metal fights get boring way too quickly. I find myself skimming over them in the 2nd book so far.
2. Sanderson does love reminding the readers that Vin was once a street urchin....in like every single chapter.
It's really bittersweet reading the references to Vin and Kelsier in the Alloy of Law.
I must get onto reading that book. Think I'd be the same as you though, brilliant characters who I missed as soon as I finished reading the trilogy.
Couldn't disagree more on the first point, they were the best part of the books! Thought that the bits involving Elend's philosophical musing and the push/pull movements the most boring.
Repetition is one of Sanderson's biggest flaws imo. I think he's slowly learning to trust his readers more, but it's pretty painful in his earlier books. The number of times he described allomancy/feruchemy/hemalurgy was ridiculous
It's not a bad book, but it's a very shallow story imo. Surprised that he's decided to use Wax and Wayne for a full trilogy, hopefully it's a lot deeper. Longer books just like AoL would be a big disappointment after Stormlight.
I'll probably wait a few days to give myself a break and to catch up on a few tv shows I've neglected while reading The Final Empire. I won't read any other books in between reading the trilogy though if that's what you mean.
Well, the metal fights are almost entirely push and pull though. Throw coins, use Iron or Steel, push and pull. Rinse and repeat. Tin is the most interesting metal (and completely ripped off from WoT btw) but not of great use in a fight.
Tin is shown in much more detail later on (third book?) when Spook becomes a major character, complete with some good fight scenes. Agree that it's pretty awesome.
I think Sanderson missed a trick by putting so much fighting and so little stealth in the books. Could've been a good way to mix things up a little.
Yeah, fight scenes are a tough one. You want them to be realistic (within the magic system) and yet somehow not be repetitive. The best way is use them sparingly which results in a bigger impact when you actually have one.
Yeah definitely. There are a few fight scenes in the Mistborn trilogy where the creative uses of the magic make them memorable, would be a lot stronger if most of the more normal fight scenes weren't there. Sanderson seemed a bit too intent on emphasising how strong and awesome Vin is. Think he could easily cut 20% of most (all?) of his novels and they'd be a lot stronger without losing anything.
No accounting for taste, I guess.
You put your finger on the books' most unattractive element - the self-absorption of poor Tom in his endless miseries does strain the reader's patience - but the books show considerable creative imagination, and are much better written than the truckloads of sub-literary dross which followed them.
The fact is I must have liked the book as I recall finishing the trilogy, which I don't do of books I don't like. It's been years since I read that and the only thing I still remember is him being a leper and switching between worlds and the eternal suffering. Maybe I'll give a refresh read again something near future.