Black Company is roughly finished. There are two planned books that have been in planning for 10+ years that probably won't come out.
If you start it, get the omnibus editions. They break it down into 3, I think, phases.
Books Fantasy Reads
- Thread starter Alock1
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Black Company is roughly finished. There are two planned books that have been in planning for 10+ years that probably won't come out.
If you start it, get the omnibus editions. They break it down into 3, I think, phases.
It's a bit slow to get into and the first book leaves you hanging without much real resolution. It picks up.
The Bloody Nine...
But, is it any good? I have heard good words about it, but so far it doesn't look great and it isn't giving me the need to read a book for day (like I did with Mistborn when I read the entire trilogy on four days).
It is good. It took me forever to read the first half of the first book but then I read the rest and the other books over a week or two.
Finished the First Law trilogy. A good reading. While the story isn't great and the magic system is really basic (just magig, no question asked) the characters (which are a lot) have great depth, something that I enjoyed. Also, all characters are gray characters, another thing I love.
Some twists in the road (especially on the last one), a lot of politics and many awkward dialogues. My favorite characters were Glokta and Bayaz.
Some twists in the road (especially on the last one), a lot of politics and many awkward dialogues. My favorite characters were Glokta and Bayaz.
Out of 10?
Also, rate the other fantasy books you've read so I can compare else it's pointless.
Also, rate the other fantasy books you've read so I can compare else it's pointless.
I did feel that the epic city battle didn't quite live up to expectations.
Haven't ever thought about rating fantasy books so here are only some ratings on the heat of the moment. I am not exactly an expert on this genre so the rating might not be that great.
A Song of Ice and Fire:
A Game of Thrones 10/10
A Clash of Kings 10/10
A Storm of Swords 11/10
A Feast for Crows 8/10
A Dance With Dragons 8.5/10
The Kingkiller Chronicles:
Name of The Wind 10/10
The Wise Man's Fear 8/10
Mistborn:
The Final Empire 8/10
The Well of Ascension 7/10
The Hero of Ages 7.5/10
The First Law:
The Blade Itself 7/10
Before They Are Hanges 7.5/10
The Last Argument of Kings 8/10
Yeah, it wasn't done that great. The battles were done better on the second book IMO.
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Just finished the first two books of The Stormlight Archives. Classic fantasy saga. Very nice read. I liked it. Quite similar to WoT.
If you haven't read this, do so.
If you haven't read this, do so.
So I finally took the plunge and started Wheel of Time. Finished Eye of the World and it's a fantastic read. Similar to Fellowship of the Ring as someone said but pretty much better in every area. Going to start the next one soon.
I am currently on book 5 of the WoT. Still holding up.
I am jelous. I like to read that saga but I am scared to start it, at-least not until I finish my master degree (around 15 months from now). My problem on fantasy books is that when I start reading I simply can't stop (read Mistborn of 4 days and The First Law on a week). Considering how big WoT is, I guess that I will have to spend a month doing nothing else except reading it.
But definitely on to do list together with Malazer.
You, have fun on reading it!
I am jelous. I like to read that saga but I am scared to start it, at-least not until I finish my master degree (around 15 months from now). My problem on fantasy books is that when I start reading I simply can't stop (read Mistborn of 4 days and The First Law on a week). Considering how big WoT is, I guess that I will have to spend a month doing nothing else except reading it.
But definitely on to do list together with Malazer.
You, have fun on reading it!
I had been postponing reading WoT for a long time now due to the scale of it but it was well worth it. It might take me a long time to read all of it though as I don't have much time other than weekends.
Next on my list is Mistborn/First Law.
Mistborn was weird. At times it felt like I was reading a video game.
Yeah, especially the first book was exactly that.
- Show the characters
- A few low level fights (making you familiar with the game)
- The intermediate fight
- The big moment (also a twist)
- final boss
- create the atmosphere for sequel
Still I enjoyed it a lot.
Yeah the first book was almost like a video game. I quite liked the premise and enjoyed reading it.
Have you read Alloys of Law? Is it any good?
Haven't read it yet. I read that it is a novella (and there will be several others) but not part of the new Mistborn trilogy.
Yes it's really good. Not quite as good as the other 3, but it's a brilliant way to indulge yourself in more of the series.
All I know is that its set about 300 years after the events of the main trilogy and is itself a part of trilogy. The 2nd book is expected later this year.
Cheers mate. Will get into it right after I finish LOTR.
Not a trilogy. Sanderson said that he will publish other stories with the protagonists of that book, but didn't mention that it is a trilogy. The new Mistborn trilogy will be published sometimes later (probably after he finishes the Stormlight Archive) and the technology would be similar to that of today's world. Later, he plans to publish the third Mistborn trilogy with technilogy achieving faster than light travelling. And all those 9 books, and 10 books from Stormilght Archive, the Elantris trilogy (currently is published only the first book) and several other novels which aren't published yet are set in the same universe and are somewhat related to each other. The goal is that there will be 36 novels (and a few other novellas like the Alloy of Law and even a few short stories) set there with at-least one charater taking part in all of them.
The Alloy of Law is similar to Dunk and Egg novellas from GRRM. Stories that come while people are waiting for the main books.
Wiki has it as part of Wax and Wayne Trilogy. But yeah going by the size of the book, it seems like it is a Novella. Also, didnt know Stormlight Archive is part of the same universe as Mistborn. Should get my hands on that soon. Thanks for the info mate.
The Allow of Law is a novel (85 000 words). I didn't like it much, probably because I am not a fan of westerns, and the only things I really liked is how the past characters were talked about (mostly just as background).
@Revan interested in finding out about Stormlight and Mistborn being same universe. Any links? I've read both and they look totally unrelated to me.
http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/Cosmere
http://thewertzone.blogspot.it/2012/02/brandon-sanderson-plans-36-volume.html
Hoid is the character that takes part on each of Sanderson 'Cosmere' books. Usually he makes only a very short appearance and we don't know almost nothing for him yet.
wow, never knew that. Seems he has some serious plans. It will be interesting to see if he ties things together or it just remains a lose connection which is more an easter egg than any really impact
Started The Hobbit and then planning to finally read The Lord of The Rings.
I think that sometimes after he finshes The Stormlight Archive and the second Mistborn trilogy, he is planning to make a saga that will take place in Hoid's homeworld. There we will learn more about how things are related (although I think that he said it can also be read as a standalone saga). But until then, it is all only easter eggs.
I think that sometimes after he finshes The Stormlight Archive and the second Mistborn trilogy, he is planning to make a saga that will take place in Hoid's homeworld. There we will learn more about how things are related (although I think that he said it can also be read as a standalone saga). But until then, it is all only easter eggs.
I think The Hobbit is a much better read than Lord of the Rings.
Really Lance? Lord of the Rings isn't written particularly well compared to modern pieces but it's detail and world building are unrivaled for me. I love it.
Hobbit is enjoyable but it is less dark and more child friendly.
Hobbit is enjoyable but it is less dark and more child friendly.
Yep. I rate Fellowship of the Ring up there with The Hobbit. After that it goes downhill, in my opinion. Overly long, convoluted, and monotonous.
LotR is written beautifully and has great depth but the actual plot is a bit weak imo. Drags a bit too much.
Some people enjoy reading about extensive descriptions of the landscape. Some don't. I'm in the latter group, personally found LOTR hard to get through, but to each their own. I still appreciate that Tolkien's lore has influenced almost every fantasy writer in the past few decades.
I do think the detail can go too far, and I think that it's a 'tough read' due to how it's written. It's one of those books that I found you appreciate more once you've finished it and can take in the scale better, rather than at the time waiting for more to happen.
Fellowship is easily the best I think. I also think it's by far the best film.
Fellowship is easily the best I think. I also think it's by far the best film.
Reading the Simarillion was like reading a history book. I found it tedious but I know people that loved it because they love building the world inside their head.
When I was a kid I went through The Hobbit in record time. Loved every second of it. I think it took me about six attempts to get through LotR.
I skimmed parts of LOTR for the same reasons as some of you, no such issues with the Hobbit that I just finished.
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Finished The Hobbit. An awful, boring, badly written and completely uninteresting reading. Didn't liked anything on it at all.
Although, I realize that I may be too old to read it now, probably a decade ago it would have looked much better.
Probably the only book I have read when I liked the movie infinitely more. Regardless, that the movies aren't that great.
Although, I realize that I may be too old to read it now, probably a decade ago it would have looked much better.
Probably the only book I have read when I liked the movie infinitely more. Regardless, that the movies aren't that great.
Lord of the Rings is poorly written too Rev, and can be boring at times with him sometimes going into far too much detail.
Whether the epic moments and world building can make up for it to you I'm not sure. It was a fantastic introduction to the genre for me but it's hard to go back to.
Whether the epic moments and world building can make up for it to you I'm not sure. It was a fantastic introduction to the genre for me but it's hard to go back to.
I guess that I'll give it a try. I don't mind details (loved Russian authors books) and like the world building and other stuff. However if the book is as poorly written as this, then I doubt I may survive the entire trilogy.
Still I am hoping that it will be better considering that it wasn't written for kids.
Still I am hoping that it will be better considering that it wasn't written for kids.
What was it that you didn't like about it? I read it a few years ago (can't remember what age I was but I'm twenty now, so maybe I was like fifteen or something) and I really enjoyed it.
Mainly the writting. It was poor, hilariously poor. I seriously think that if I try I might come with a better writting. For example Sanderson - who is brilliant at plots and magic system, but only average at writting and dialogues - would look like a master compared to this. And I fecking hate when the narrator tells you that this story is for another time or will happen later or some equally ridiculous bullshit.
Also, despite having many characters, the author doesn't develop any of them. They are all characters with a name, a minimal story (Bilbo and Thorin, others don't even have it) and nothing else. You don't give a shit for any of them. Thorin died, who the feck cares?! On a book which was written good, that would have been an epic moment. I also didn't liked the plot that much and things happened so fast. Smaug dies on what, 3 seconds of fight?!
I found the movies much better and the changes which were made created a better story. Much more details, characters were more deep, etc etc.
Probably if I had read it when I was 15 (and haven't read before books which are written ridiculously good like Kingkiller and ASOIAF) I would have appreciated it more. But now, its only value is for historical reasons. Otherwise, it is a shit reading for someone who is on his twenties.