personally, I LOVE huuuuge series. The bigger the better. All my fave books are already large tomes, and part of a larger tale. To be honest if a books under 400-500 pages I look at it with suspicion, suspecting that they've cut corners in regards to character development and worldbuilding etc. to cram their creation into a much smaller space - and I’m often proved right, with a few notable exceptions. I like my fiction epic, I like long and convoluted plotlines, I like huge casts of characters and massive worlds. I LIKE the fact that I often have to go back and dig around in previous volumes. I LOVE the fact that I often have to come on here and beg Boaz to tell me what the hell is going on.
HOWEVER - they must be GOOD, large books. The only thing worse than a crappy novel with little plot, one dimensional characters and a poorly realised and boring world is a HUGE book with page after page of dull descriptive drivel that STILL doesn't actually address any of the aforementioned problems (yes, I’m looking at YOU mr Donaldson, and Robert you've been slipping the last few books!).
If a writer can justify the shelf space with gripping plotlines, intelligent and dynamic characters and stunning worlds I’d RATHER they told their tale in 10,000 words rather then 1,000, I’d RATHER they spent 10 volumes exploring their creations rather than just one.
But only if it's all brilliantly written, and justified.
Martin, Eriksson, and bakker are all doing very well so far. But so was Jordan for a fair while.
We'll just have to wait and see.
