todays reading

[Sei'taer]

I finished Well of Ascension and was pleased with it. I am now half way through reading The Darkness That Comes Before and I have to say that even though it is slow going in parts, it is a very good book. I'm impressed so far. I usually don't like books that take place after a world ending war or flood or whatever, but this one is pretty good. Anyone else read it?

[JSUCamel]

I rather thoroughly enjoyed Well of Ascension, and it boggles my mind that others hated it.

Oh well.

[Rune420]

I think I'm going to read that series when I am done reading Raymond E Feist, and Steven Erikson. Everyone has said it was so good...

[Sei'taer]

I don't know why they wouldn't like it either, Camel. I thought it was great and I really liked the ending...good twist there.

[JSUCamel]

I really should give Deadhouse Gates another go.

There are only two books that I've never finished that I can recall. One was some book my babysitter got me for my birthday back in 4th grade. I forget what it was called, but I must've tried reading it a dozen times and finally gave up and threw it out. I'd always get about 1/4 of the way through it.. 100 pages or so, and then get bored and quit reading.

Deadhouse Gates is the other one.

[Rune420]

You really should Camel. I was a non-believer also, before about halfway through Deadhouse Gates. All the books since, and I'm on Bonehunters now, have been totally awesome.

It took me two tries to successfully read through books one and 2 though. I loss interest the first go.

It's an awesome series, but the fact that the first two books are kind of a pain to get through, keeps it from being truly great IMO.

[Tamyrlin]

I remember those days...

[Terez]

haha, Tam hasn't done a re-read since he started Theoryland 10 years ago.

[caladanbrood]

The Darkness that Comes Before catapaulted Bakker into the "big three" of modern fantasy authors among a certain clique (the one I'm in:D) along with Martin and Erikson. It's a seriously good book :) The later two in the series are also good, though a bit heavy on the characterisation and light on everything else. A lot of people end up thinking he's a horrific misogynist, though he isn't (I've met him, he definitely isn't).




90% of the people who try to read Erikson give up at some point in the first two books. We like to think only the superior make it through eventually... like an initiation, if you will.




Of course, we're wrong.

[Terez]

Yeah, you're biased. :p Even major Erikson fans admit the first book is weak, though most seem to love the second. I loved the Deadhouse Gates by the time I finished it, but it was very, very hard to get through. It didn't really pick up till the last third of the book, and Felisin made me want to kill someone the whole time...I must be misogynist...

[Sei'taer]

I must be goofy then, cuz I liked every one of them.

[JSUCamel]

You're a regular ol' simian, Taer.

Or was that your kid?

My memory's going bananas these days.

[Terez]

I must be goofy then, cuz I liked every one of them.
I liked them all too. But do you really think that Gardens of the Moon is on a level with the other volumes?

[caladanbrood]

I preferred GotM to DhG, to be honest. It's certainly better than HoC.

[Terez]

You still have issues with Karsa? :p

[Sei'taer]

Karsa? I liked Karsa too.

[caladanbrood]

It wasn't just to do with Karsa, although that didn't help. It was an unsatisfying book from start to finish, and I think by a distance the weakest of the series (though don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it).

[Ozymandias]

I'm trying to read Deadhouse Gates and just can't get into it (I think thats what it is... its the one with the two types of demons, and some Empire... whatever). I'm in the middle of Feist's Riftwar, which I did not like at all, and that. I actually disliked the pair of them so much I started a re-read of WoT.

The umpteenth time through the Shadow Rising is still better than anything other authors can churn out.

Oh, and Bakker's books were great. I just thought the hero wasn't very good. Kellhus seemed too powerful and was too heartless for me, and the guy I liked (the spy, who's name I forget) just got totally screwed.

[Crispin's Crispian]

I didn't think GotM was weak at all, it's just hard to get through the first quarter of it, or so. DhG is 10x better on a reread, because you realize how much you missed.

I started Feist, but couldn't even finish the first book. I think I started reading it a few days before WH came out, or something.

[Zaela Sedai]

I'm going to bring GotM on my cruise as the only book...that will force me to get past the 1st page.


Well od Acension was great, cant wait til 10/20 :)

[caladanbrood]

(I think thats what it is... its the one with the two types of demons, and some Empire... whatever).
What?:confused:

[Crispin's Crispian]

What?:confused:

I think there is an empire involved somewhere in that book.

Two types of demons--maybe the Tays's Demon Lord, or some of the ones he summons at Pale? Or maybe it's MT with Kenyll'rah and Kenryll'ah? Kennel Cough?

[caladanbrood]

I think there is an empire involved somewhere in that book.

Two types of demons--maybe the Tays's Demon Lord, or some of the ones he summons at Pale? Or maybe it's MT with Kenyll'rah and Kenryll'ah? Kennel Cough?
Well there are Empires involved in all the books - it's a series of books about (mostly) the Malazan Empire, after all ;)

There aren't really any noticable demons in DhG that I recall, especially compared to the others, each of which have quite definite demonic characters.

[Terez]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't think much of Feist...

And in DhG, there's the D'ivers and the Soletaken...not demons, but that might be what he's talking about...

[Ozymandias]

thanks terez, that was what I was talking about. Weren't they classified as demons? In any case... just couldn't get into those books. I find its difficult for authors to introduce so many separate characters at the very beginning and be able to craft a coherent and engaging plotline. RJ, for example, starts with lots of characters but develops them simultaneously before letting them go. Tolkein develops his main characters, and then introduces and expplains other guys once a basic premise for the story has been established.

I find it very difficult to read a book where we meet 10 characters, all in different places with different motivations, all moving in their separate ways. It doesn't give me a feel for the geography or mood of the books... which is why I couldn't do DhG.

[Terez]

thanks terez, that was what I was talking about. Weren't they classified as demons?
Not that I recall....just shapeshifters. A character that was ignorant of what exactly they were might have mistaken them for demons...I don't remember...
In any case... just couldn't get into those books.
As we said, it's much easier once you get into book 3, because it returns to the characters/places you're familiar with from book 1.

[Davian93]

Feist has his moments. He's not up there with RJ but his books have always been readable.

[Terez]

There's a big difference between "readable" and "enjoyable"...

[Sei'taer]

I read Feist when I was still in high school, the Riftwar Saga. I thought they were good then, but I haven't read them since then. I think I'll just continue to look on them fondly.

[cathar]

it took me 5 tries to finish GotM and I've been reading DHG for months. I just can"t get into it.

[GonzoTheGreat]

I read Feist when I was still in high school, the Riftwar Saga. I thought they were good then, but I haven't read them since then. I think I'll just continue to look on them fondly.
Have you read the Empire trilogy too?
That's set on the other side of the Riftwar front, on the world of the invaders. I can definitely recommend it.

[Terez]

I only read the Riftwar books. I had borrowed from the same guy who lent me WoT to read, and he had the next set, but I declined to read them because the first set seemed so...dusty. It's like, the story was good, but all the characters seemed really shallow, and all the action contrived. If that makes sense to you, I might like the second set. If not, I probably shouldn't read it.

[1Powerslave]

I got through The Darkness That Comes Before thinking it was an interesting and good book bordering great. The second book I got halfway through before I just had to throw it out the window for good. I was fed up with the main character who was so powerful he could do whatever he wanted, and make anyone do whatever he wanted. Using a technique poorly explained. That was too boring. Top that off with him being a character written not to be likeable. Yeah, that was original, but you can't carry a book with originality.

[GonzoTheGreat]

Terez, I think that a lot of that comes from Feist's writing style. The Empire series was co-written with Janny Wurts, and I think that helped a lot.

[Gilshalos Sedai]

Yeah, but Janny Wurts' other works sucked. I read them because I loved the Empire trilogy. The stuff she did on her own was so unreadable, I put it back down in the book store after reading half the first chapter. So, I'm gonna have to say, that might've been Feist's influence.

[Terez]

Maybe he um....inspired her somehow?

[Ozymandias]

I got through The Darkness That Comes Before thinking it was an interesting and good book bordering great. The second book I got halfway through before I just had to throw it out the window for good. I was fed up with the main character who was so powerful he could do whatever he wanted, and make anyone do whatever he wanted. Using a technique poorly explained. That was too boring. Top that off with him being a character written not to be likeable. Yeah, that was original, but you can't carry a book with originality.

So, for reference, was this more or less well explained than Cat Crossing the Courtyard or Boar Rushing Down the Mountain?:D :D :D

[Mort]

Yeah, but Janny Wurts' other works sucked. I read them because I loved the Empire trilogy. The stuff she did on her own was so unreadable, I put it back down in the book store after reading half the first chapter. So, I'm gonna have to say, that might've been Feist's influence.

Yeah I've read the Empire series and I liked it alot, but I never picked up Riftwar, thought about it once or twice though.

Is Riftwar within the same time period as Empire btw?

[Gilshalos Sedai]

Yes. Just the other side of the Rift.