I need something new to read.

[Althain's Warden]

Kk Gollum, i'll check it out in a few months when i've got through my current reading list. Will post back and hopefully have something more positive to report !
Currently reading 'The keys to paradise' by the same author that co-wrote the war of powers (can't remember his name! ) quite good but nothing special.

 

[GOLLUM]

Kk Gollum, i'll check it out in a few months when i've got through my current reading list. Will post back and hopefully have something more positive to report !
Currently reading 'The keys to paradise' by the same author that co-wrote the war of powers (can't remember his name! ) quite good but nothing special.

Yes please do, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

I wouldn't generally concur that Wurts is that similar to Erikson or Martin except that all three write current series that could be described as being EPIC in nature and all are very good authors.

I find taht Janny's wirting style is quite different from Martin or Erikson and in fact Martin and Erikson are probably closer together in style and content than Wurts is to eirher of those two gentlemen.

In other words I'm not so sure that lovers of Erikson and Martin will embrace Wurts with quite the same level of enthusiasm. She's just got a different style, no better or worse than the other two, although as a sidenote I think Erikson is the weakest as a writer technically eventhough he is my fav of that group of three.

My 2c....

 

[Patch]

I would also like to recommend Abercrombie, seams to fit right with what you want. Very dark, lots of twists and interesting flawed characters.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

In other words I'm not so sure that lovers of Erikson and Martin will embrace Wurts with quite the same level of enthusiasm. She's just got a different style, no better or worse than the other two, although as a sidenote I think Erikson is the weakest as a writer technically eventhough he is my fav of that group of three.

I find that very interesting Gollum! I'm currently reading Deadhouse Gates, and even though I've heard that this book is overshadowed by Memories of Ice, I am thoroughly enjoying it, and I find his description and balancing of parallel storylines top notch.

 

[GOLLUM]

I find that very interesting Gollum! I'm currently reading Deadhouse Gates, and even though I've heard that this book is overshadowed by Memories of Ice, I am thoroughly enjoying it, and I find his description and balancing of parallel storylines top notch.

I agree his writnig is still of a very good standard but not as economically brilliant or constructed as Janny or as well described as Martin but not far behind....Of course where I feel he has it over the other two is the worldbuilding, magic systems (although Janny's is more cerebral in a way) and complexity of storyline, which being a details man, I particularly appreciate.

Let's face it, all three of those people as both storytellers and writers are IMO very very good indeed.

Cheers..

 

[Fried Egg]

It's funny because world building is just something that is just isn't something I look for in a book anymore...

 

[GOLLUM]

For me it's an essential part of fantasy i.e. imaginary world with back story/history as it lends more believability to the worlds which the characters inhabit. Of course without solid characterization and engaging plot elements you don't have much of a hope of sparking people's interest no matter how well the world is realized and having a combination of all three is what for me makes for some of the most compelling reads.

Cheers....

 

[Fried Egg]

When it comes to fantasy, I suppose the three things I look for most are (in no particular order):

1) Being beautifully written/elegant prose.
2) Depth of imagination/vision.
3) Engaging story/plot.

Note, characterisation wasn't on my list. For me that counts as a nice to have, but not that important. World building however I don't even like to have. It invariably involves large amounts of text which is a digression from what I want to read about. Lend's believability? I thought a pre-requesite for reading fantasy was the willingness to suspend disbelief?

 

[GOLLUM]

I understand where you're coming from FriedEgg but actually I've always found some of the most engaging fantasy to also be the most believable. Paradoxical, perhaps even counter-intuitive but there you go. Getting someone to become so absorbed in your creation that they begin to almost believe it themselves is something of an achievement IMO. I think I would include world building as part of 'depth' of imagination as you currently list it.

You're certainly correct that having infodumps that don't serve to advance the plot or if handled badly can be a major turn-off or distraction in ones reading. I'm therfore also inferring that the ability to seamlesly weave storyline and characters within a fully-fleshed world can be a very rewarding experience when done well.

Yes, I neglected to say beautiful or at the very least interesting prose is right up there in my criteria for recommending books to others.

Getting late so I must retire for the evening but nice chatting with you.

Cheers...

 

[thepaladin]

I just finished The Warded Man, I was surprised by how much i enjoyed it. I believe the 2nd book is coming out in the UK this year which means we'll probably not see it on this side of the atlantic till next. The way it goes I suppose.

There have been a lot of good sugestions, I liked Cook's Black Company books....

Have you read Moorecock? It's a matter of taste some like him some totally dislike him. I'd say try his Eternal Champion stuff if you haven't read it. Most people have read Elric, but Hawkmoon and the other are readable.

One of my favorite books is (it's a single volume that contains all three books of a trilogy, so i list it as one book) The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Well, I'm not sure if it's really anything you're looking for, but there ARE a couple suggestions I could quite possibly make here.-----Both series are by Piers Anthony, and I think-now people, please don't pelt me with stones-that they might enlighten you quite a bit.-----The first would, of course, be the Incarnations of Immortality series. Yes, I have to say they're rather confusing and jumpy, but the characters within all of them have their very deep fatal flaws, especially in the eighth, Under a Velvet Cloak.-----The other series would be perhaps a less famous one-the World of Tarot. It's a strange series full of strange events, but you might enjoy it.