Going from ASOIAF to A Wheel of Time possible?

[Lord Orys]

I love reading asoiaf. I've read through the series 3 times and I'm on my first character re-read. I've started the first book in the Wheel of Time series and I just can't do it. I'm just really turned off at the whole Light and Dark, Good and Evil plot line, and after Martin's morally ambiguous characters and grey world, I just can't get into it.

Does anyone enjoy this series after reading asoiaf? Do character motives/relationships get better as it progresses? I really want to try and get into it.

[polishgenius]

I suspect that at least one person has probably done it, yeah.

[Night's_King]

This again? Please, please no.

[SilentRoamer]

Not all characters are wholly good or wholly evil in WoT. Yes the dividing line between light and dark, good and evil is more defined in WoT but this is as a consequence of the plot. However, there seems to be this weird consensus that Martin is the first person to write morally ambiguous characters.

Some of the character motivations and relationships are a bit off in WoT but I think the epicness of the overall series makes it worth the read.

Opinions do vary on this and it is quite a heated topic.

Also I don't understand how someone can read a series 3 times and then do a character read, is there nothing else out there on your reading list? Two reads of a series is normally enough to hold the plot firmly in ones mind.

Others will probably disagree with me but that's my two cents.

[sologdin]

probably less distasteful than ATM, but rather more so than brandy to beer.

[andrew_]

I'm currently up to book 10 in the WoT series and enjoying it, it's definitely not as clear cut good vs evil as you might think it is, there is a lot more gray territory than is let on early in the series, but I still understand where you're coming from to an extent, it's simply not on the same level as ASOIAF.

It's great filler before the tWoW comes out :drunk:

Also the Great Hunt (immediate sequel to EoTW) is my favorite in the series and I highly recommend reading it, if you finish the Great Hunt it and you're still not hooked then drop the series I reckon.

[Night's_King]

You either hate the series or you love it. And you will find out that people can get really heated up on that topic.

I, for myself, love the series. Yes, it is a war between good and evil, so what? Does a good tale need so-called grey characters? No. Eventhough, you will find out, that the characters in WoT are clearly not good or evil and you will find your grey characters.

The books in the middle are hard to get through, because they are really slow paced, but, in a political sense, a lot more complex than Ice and Fire.

If you can't get through the first book, go back to rereading Ice and Fire, if you don't have more books on you list.

[Toblakai]

I think WoT is great despite its issues. The first book is purposefully reminiscent of LotR so it seems very balck and white. This will change as the series progresses and moves beyond the obvious Tolkien influences, but it will always remain more good vs. evil than ASoIaF.

But there so many great series out there, so whether WoT is your cup of tea or not, I would suggest stop wasting time rereading ASoIaF over and over again.

Steven Erikson

Joe Abercrombie

R. Scott Bakker

Scott Lynch

Brandon Sanderson

Brent Weeks

Daniel Abraham

Patrick Rothfuss

Robin Hobb

Mark Lawrence

That was in no particular order, not by any means exhaustive, and just as they popped in my head. Have at it! Screw Martin until he actually publishes the next book.

[protar]

I can't really say I'd recommend Wheel of Time after you've read ASOIAF. Especially if you're not enjoying the first book - the first few books are the best. I've never managed to get more than 6 or 7 books in personally. In my opinion it's too big for its boots - Jordan took what could have been a simple, charming Tolkien imitator and blew it up into a bloated 14 book series. To commit to such a large undertaking I need a story to be great, not decent. I always like to compare it to a School Christmas Meal. It's not half bad, and it's Christmas so you're having fun, but ultimately it's not Christmas Dinner: The Turkey is dry, the gravy is thin and the potatoes are flat, cardboard cutouts which make you seriously question the cook's relationship with women.

[Night's_King]

Steven Erikson

Joe Abercrombie

R. Scott Bakker

Scott Lynch

Brandon Sanderson

Brent Weeks

Daniel Abraham

Patrick Rothfuss

Robin Hobb

Mark Lawrence

[sologdin]

nobody puts bakker in the corner.

[polishgenius]

I think WoT is great despite its issues. The first book is purposefully reminiscent of LotR so it seems very balck and white. This will change as the series progresses and moves beyond the obvious Tolkien influences, but it will always remain more good vs. evil than ASoIaF.

But there so many great series out there, so whether WoT is your cup of tea or not, I would suggest stop wasting time rereading ASoIaF over and over again.

Steven Erikson

Joe Abercrombie

R. Scott Bakker

Scott Lynch

Brandon Sanderson

Brent Weeks

Daniel Abraham

Patrick Rothfuss

Robin Hobb

Mark Lawrence

That was in no particular order, not by any means exhaustive, and just as they popped in my head. Have at it! Screw Martin until he actually publishes the next book.

An alternative, less epic-fantasy-focused list of alternatives:

Felix Gilman

China Mieville

Nnedi Okorafor

Matthew Stover

NK Jemisin

Kate Griffin

Ian Tregillis

Hal Duncan

Neil Gaiman

Terry Pratchett

[David Selig]

Wait, isn't ASOIF about Light vs Dark and Good vs Evil? You know, humans vs Ice Monsters, Azor Ahai vs the Great Other, etc, etc...

[Night's_King]

An alternative, less epic-fantasy-focused list of alternatives:

Felix Gilman

China Mieville

Nnedi Okorafor

Matthew Stover

NK Jemisin

Kate Griffin

Ian Tregillis

Hal Duncan

Neil Gaiman

Terry Pratchett

While Mievilles books are readable, he is one of the biggest clowns alive. Please don't buy anything by him.

[sologdin]

interesting. is the clownishness arising out of his phd dissertation on international law or what?

[protar]

Wait, isn't ASOIF about Light vs Dark and Good vs Evil? You know, humans vs Ice Monsters, Azor Ahai vs the Great Other, etc, etc...

That is yet to be seen. Until that conflict actually comes into the forefront we can't say whether or not the Others are truly evil. I think to claim that they're definitely evil after all of the moral ambiguity throughout the rest of the series is rather short-sighted.

ETA: If we look at the one character who is the most set against fighting the Great Other - Melisandre - and her morality, it should be clear that things won't be so clear cut.

[Yersinia]

I always like to compare it to a School Christmas Meal. It's not half bad, and it's Christmas so you're having fun, but ultimately it's not Christmas Dinner: The Turkey is dry, the gravy is thin and the potatoes are flat, cardboard cutouts which make you seriously question the cook's relationship with women.

I never got past the 3rd WoT book so I can't really assess the accuracy of the statement, but beautifully put.

[David Selig]

That is yet to be seen. Until that conflict actually comes into the forefront we can't say whether or not the Others are truly evil. I think to claim that they're definitely evil after all of the moral ambiguity throughout the rest of the series is rather short-sighted.

ETA: If we look at the one character who is the most set against fighting the Great Other - Melisandre - and her morality, it should be clear that things won't be so clear cut.

I guess the Others are slaughtering people en masse and creating ice zombies out of the goodness of their hearts.

Let's call a spade a spade, they are a textbook cliched fantasy villains and there is a huge chance they will remain so.

[Toblakai]

I guess the Others are slaughtering people en masse and creating ice zombies out of the goodness of their hearts.

Let's call a spade a spade, they are a textbook cliched fantasy villains and there is a huge chance they will remain so.

What if they are ghosts of an old race wiped out by humans long ago. But maybe they still have living children far north and want to protect them by wiping out the evil humans.

Obviously not claiming this but there would be many ways to show that they aren't evil.

[Diziet]

Wait, isn't ASOIF about Light vs Dark and Good vs Evil? You know, humans vs Ice Monsters, Azor Ahai vs the Great Other, etc, etc...

Let's not forget the Starks vs Joffrey/Lannisters, and later Starks vs Freys/Boltons which is at the heart of the series and is good vs evil by any stretch.