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Stuck on what to read while waiting for Winds


Ser-Arthur-Dayne

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Truth shines, Lyanna.

Are there Bakker-and-Rothfuss enthusiasts, I wonder? For me, these two authors provide a good litmus test for how useful a recommendation is for me.

To me, Bakker is the New Hope, while Rothfuss' is the worst book I've finished in a really long time. Others find the opposite. Then there are people like mormont who like neither.

But does anyone want to step forward and say that they like both? I'm honestly curious.

The moral of this story is to read Abercrombie and Lynch.

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I like both, and know plenty of others who do. I don't think it's particularly unusual.

Yeah, I enjoy both Bakker and Rothfuss (though I've only read his first book, he's not someone I'd really buy in hardback). I think Bakker is better, but not tremendously so. I'm not sure why someone would find them an either/or situation.

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Are there Bakker-and-Rothfuss enthusiasts, I wonder? For me, these two authors provide a good litmus test for how useful a recommendation is for me.

To me, Bakker is the New Hope, while Rothfuss' is the worst book I've finished in a really long time. Others find the opposite. Then there are people like mormont who like neither.

But does anyone want to step forward and say that they like both? I'm honestly curious.

Ooh, ooh, me! I like Lynch, too, though I've not gotten into Abercombie yet.

I think that both authors could be said to be overly wordy. Rothfuss has an overflow of mundane detail and side story, but Bakker has nearly endless supply of internal monologues and philosophizing. Most times, I don't mind it in either author. Then again, I read and enjoyed all the WoT books, so I imagine I am a horrible metric for such things :P

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Am I the only one Abercrombie doesn't appeal to? I read The Blade Itself and I found the characters uninteresting and quite cliché (even though I liked the crippled torturer), the worldbuilding not very original and the plot not very engaging. it wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't interesting enough to continue with the second one. I'd give it a 6/10.

Lynch, on the other hand, I loved. I apparently have a thing for writers who take forever with writing sequels.

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Am I the only one Abercrombie doesn't appeal to? I read The Blade Itself and I found the characters uninteresting and quite cliché (even though I liked the crippled torturer), the worldbuilding not very original and the plot not very engaging. it wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't interesting enough to continue with the second one. I'd give it a 6/10.

Lynch, on the other hand, I loved. I apparently have a thing for writers who take forever with writing sequels.

Yes, your the only one :cool4:

Honestly, I was gripped from the get go, but it is agreed that Abercrombie gets better throughout the trilogy. Also, he DID start with some stock characters, but he then ran them through the wringer over and over until they were not even recognizable. The series is short, I'd say give the whole trilogy a shot before giving up on him.

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Yes, your the only one :cool4:

Honestly, I was gripped from the get go, but it is agreed that Abercrombie gets better throughout the trilogy. Also, he DID start with some stock characters, but he then ran them through the wringer over and over until they were not even recognizable. The series is short, I'd say give the whole trilogy a shot before giving up on him.

Pretty much this. Abercrombie twists fantasy stock characters into completely new molds. Don't even get me started on Shivers in Best Served Cold.

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Am I the only one Abercrombie doesn't appeal to?

I wouldn't say I dislike his stuff, but I was kind of left with a "is this it?" feeling after reading the trilogy. Some amusing character turns and genre take-downs, but overall I can't say the books nudged any emotional reactions out of me or made me want to go back and experience sections of prose again.

Different strokes and all that, though. I recommended Durham in this thread, and I know a lot people find him pretty bland.

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...it really boggles my mind how anyone can relate the two. Just because two things are shelved in the same part of the bookstore doesn't make them alike...

My local library shelves computer books next to UFO books. Apparently this section is "Everything on Disc

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"Best Served Cold" -- fairly dazzling in places, and I loved some of the characterization. Haven't been able to get my nerve up to try the rest of Abercrombie. You gotta be tough to read him.

"Wheel of Time" -- just keeps rolling along, and nothing much ever happens. Tedium. Big surprise when Book 3 did not end the trilogy, chagrin when Book 4 did not finish it up, peeked at the end of Book 5 with still no :THE END to be seen. 'Nuff said.

Pratchett for comedy relief.

Thomas Covenant. Not interested in the character.

"Malazan" -- tough slogging. Dropped out early (my bad).

Mieville -- hated repulsive New Crobuzon at first. Now an enthusiastic fan because of the brilliant imagination and vocabulary.

Gaiman -- flights of poetry amid the shivers and suspense. Even the kiddy books are interesting.

Neal Stephenson -- best ever. Just try and keep up.

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I like most of the older authors like Pratchett, Hobb and Jordan, but I like the newer authors better as they take the old tropes and twist or turn them on their head. This being said, Erikson's Malazan the Fallen, is my most favorite series. It is dense and confusing as this world is enormous and there are hundreds of characters and POV's. These books are chock full of portends and foreshadowing. Check out the Malazan forum as there are thousands of fans similar to ASOIF fans who spend oodles of time teasing out what actually happened and what might be coming. Malazan makes ASOIF seem simple. You have to stick with the books until book 4 or 5 to get addictively hooked and it is a commitment of 10 books of ~1,000 pages each.

More recent authors that I recommend:

Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn trilogy and The Way of Kings (1st in 10 book series) Brandon is a fantastic world builder and he has a unique magical system with engaging characters. He has epic battles and lots of death but he is not into gratuitous violence and is not a taboo breaker like GRRM.

Daniel Abraham - The Long Price Quartet. Bit slow in parts but great medieval world and characters to care about.

Joe Abercrombie - The First Law Trilogy

Scott Lynch - Lies of Locke Lamora - medieval world and swashbuckling anti hero.

Jim Butcher - Codex Alera - 6 books (a rip roaring medieval fantasy) and his Harry Dresden series, a modern day wizard saga that is super addictive - 11 books done in a 22 book series.

Robert Redick - The Chathrand Voyage series is a fascinating read. Story occurs on a magically infused boat with all sorts of magical creatures in a medieval world.

With the older fantasy series and these newer ones, there is more than enough to keep you satisfied in reading until the next ASOIF book. There are no other writers just like GRRM but there are other excellent authors with brilliant stories.

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Been meaning to read Sanderson for a while, and your other recs are board favorites for many of us. But I gotta say...

Jim Butcher - Codex Alera - 6 books (a rip roaring medieval fantasy) and his Harry Dresden series, a modern day wizard saga that is super addictive - 11 books done in a 22 book series.

Robert Redick - The Chathrand Voyage series is a fascinating read. Story occurs on a magically infused boat with all sorts of magical creatures in a medieval world.

Pokemon and tropes galore, I have heard the back-story a hundred times, still cant get into Butcher, either series. And I HATED Redick's first book. So much potential in the first half, followed by the worst crash after a promising start I have ever seen.

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Truth shines, Lyanna.

Are there Bakker-and-Rothfuss enthusiasts, I wonder? For me, these two authors provide a good litmus test for how useful a recommendation is for me.

To me, Bakker is the New Hope, while Rothfuss' is the worst book I've finished in a really long time. Others find the opposite. Then there are people like mormont who like neither.

But does anyone want to step forward and say that they like both? I'm honestly curious.

My word, I had no idea I possibly openened up a new interesting venue of discussion here. :lol:

Unfortunately for me, Rothfuss is still in my "to read" pile (Abraham's part 2 and a couple of British spy and crime noir novels are above him in the pile) but he is one of the most talked of "modern" fantasy/SF authors lately together with Bakker.

As you know, I have my issues with Bakker, but I still think his works are a milestone within the genre for taking F/SF where it has never been before. Aspect Emperor is also on my "to read" list, as I feel even with the issues, Bakker has created something that should be read, if nothing else as a point of reference. I can't say I "like" Bakker as such, but I find his works interesting, I suppose? Definitely different. It's nothing I would read to relax or have a bit of fun though.

And that's enough with the Bakker praise from me. :P

Among the "modern" authors so far, everyone knows I am a Mieville fangirl, but when it comes to smooth writing and telling a great story, Daniel Abraham continues to impress.

I have tried reading the Malazan series twice now. I haven't been able to get more than 200 pages into the first book. I still can't figure out why he has so many marines running around a fantasy series.

I think if you continue, the marines are the least of the problems with figuring out where Erikson is going with his story. :)

That said, you can probably start with "Deadhouse Gates" (second book) without losing a lot. It's also better held together than "Gardens of the Moon".

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