New member needs new series.

[Northoceanbeach]

Hi. I just finished the wheel of time series and need a new series to occupy my time. I'm having trouble finding something good. I would like it to be a long series so I can come to know and love/hate the characters.

I am open to scifi or fantasy with no real preference. Ill tell you briefly what I've read and what I thought about it to help you have an idea of me.

Wheel of time - favorite. Now, I thought it got boring in the middle, and I didn't like the female characters but overall it was great.

Sword of Truth - second favorite. I found each book harder to put down than the wot but overall whole I liked the story arc it was too predictable. I just knew that the heroes would good tortured like crazy and win at the last minute. I like the plot, but sometimes too predictable and preachy.

George Martin - I've read four. They are good but not great. It's hard I bind with the series because the characters always die. At the end of four books there is not a character that I care if they win or lose.

Gene Wolfe - liked alot. This one for the plot.

Lotr - definitely great, but unfortunately I saw the movies first.

Shannara - pretty terrible. Predictable Tolkien else and dwarfs rip off

Stephen king- also very terrible. Silly.

First Malazan book of the fallen - I so wanted to like this, but is was so confusin I couldn't get into it. I almost never dont finish a book but I didn't finish. It's like the author expected me to understand his world, or like I had picked up book four.

I'm sure I've read more but that's all I remember now. I would mind some really mind bending stuff, maybe where it's really earth in the future past like wot of something.

 

[Montero]

You've not given any science fiction examples. As your fantasy tastes run to the epic, I'll take a guess and suggest Peter Hamilton's Reality Dysfunction trilogy - as that is large, multi-planet, multi-charactered and colourful.

 

[hitmouse]

Lyonesse Jack Vance
Perdido Street Station/The Scar China Mieville
Captain Bluebear/Rumo/The City of Dreaming Books/The Alchemeister's Apprentice Walter Moers
Titus Groan Mervyn Peake
Corum Michael Moorcock
Elric Michael Moorcock
Hawkmoon Michael Moorcock
Majestrum & sequels Matthew Hughes
Aberystwyth Mon Amour & sequels Malcolm Price
The Eyre Affair & sequels Jasper Fforde

sure I will think of more as soon as I have posted this.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Welcome to the Chrons Northoceanbeach.

An interesting selection of books so far and I like the way have told us what you like and the reasons behind your like/dislike. It should make it easier to choose some other series for you.

The first thing that sprang to mind, especially as you enjoyed The Wheel of Time novels are the Mistborn books by Brandon Sanderson. He completed the WoT for Robert Jordan and if you enjoyed the last three books you should enjoy these. It's not a massive ongoing series, but Sanderson is pretty prolific so there is plenty of other stuff.

The books of Robin Hobb, The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveships, The Tawny Man and many more all set within the same world, with strong characters. (Nasty thing happen to some of the characters though!)

If you want something lighter but an awful lot more of them, there are the Discworld books of Sir Terry Pratchett, a good number of books, (30ish) all set on the same world, comedic and thought provoking. As a whole they are not interconnected but they are in many ways beyond that.

The Kingslayer Chronicles. There are only going to be three and there are two available so far, by Patrick Rothfuss

There are probably a few more worth mentioning, but I'll let a few others have there say!

 

[ratsy]

I am with Perp (who seems to have quite similar reading tastes to me)

Robin Hobb would be a great series to start.

I also just finished the WOT series which was great and have read all the Goodkind books (which in retrospect was a slight waste of time)

Stephen King on the other hand is far from terrible IMO. He is one of the worlds best story tellers.

But go for Hobb if you want a long series

Another small epic I just loved was the Acacia Trilogy. One of my favorites in the past few years.

And Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series would be right up your alley

 

[Northoceanbeach]

Thanks for the replies! Ill try to edit my posts in the future. I can't find the button now though.
Sandersons mistborn might head my list.

Kingslayer I've heard good things.

Rothfuss too sounds cool.

Jim butcher. I've seen it but thought it looked too detective novel. I think I would like more of an entire new world created than just set in our world with a twist of magic.

Discworld no. No comedy. I read hitchhikers guide and didn't like humor mixed with sci fi.

I can't think of any sci fi series I've read. I don't even know of any but know I would like it from stuff like battle star galactica and some one off sci fi I have read. I like sci fi in theory I just need to find the right one. I would like maybe a parallel universe time traveling type of thing.

Stephen king. I have only read insomnia but it was bad. It was about good and evil gnomes that dressed like doctors and only these two old people could see them. To me that was too absurd.

 

[hitmouse]

Pratchett is really very different from Adams, and some of it is quite dark. Dont write off discworld.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Sci fi series, just for the mix?

Dune, epic in scope and in character numbers. The whole series might not turn you on but the first three books are very good.

For space opera Bujold's Vorkosigan books are good fun but not terribly serious. Very character focused, though.

Mistborn are quite good, as mentioned. I got a bit bored eventually (but I'm a sci-fi gal).

 

[Northoceanbeach]

I'm lucky to not get bored on my series so far. I read those two big ones. Wot and sword from beginning to end nonstop since they had already been completed after or shortly after I started them. Im hoping I didn't read the two best already and it's all downhill from here but two great ones with the best yet to come.

Is there a consensus we could have on what is generally accepted as the best series of all time and I will do that next? From some lists I've read online it looks to me like Martin is the favorite but alot of those same lists also include alot of elves and dwarfs stuff and whenever I read one of those I can't help but think they are copying Tolkien. He did pretty much invent elves, dwarfs, old pointy hatted wizards with white beards to the best of my knowledge. I think the word to describe those books is formulaic. Saying this I realize the sword of truth is quite formulaic in its pure white/black worldview and I do like them.

 

[ratsy]

Jim Butchers Codex Alera series is a fantasy series in a fictional world. He also writes Dresden books but those are totally different.

And no, you have not read the best and all else are downhill. There are so many great series out there..soooo many

 

[Bick]

I haven't read them at all, but have you ever seen or considered Ian Irvine? I've seen them on bookshop shelves a lot, and they seem to be well reviewed. Epic fantasy again, with lots of big books.

Everyone seems to agree that the Malazan books only hit their stride after the first book, so it may be worth trying the next one? (Deadhouse Gates) I actually liked Book 1, Gardens of the Moon, myself.

For Sci-Fi, there's always the Foundation books - seven of them in total. I read them all again over the last year or two and enjoyed them immensely.

 

[Heather Myst]

Here are some completed series or stand alone books that I would recommend:

If you like dark fantasy I would suggest Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie or his First Law trilogy.

Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series is excellent.

Jennifer Fallon's Second Sons trilogy.

David Coe's Winds of the Forelands series.

 

[hitmouse]

Is there a consensus we could have on what is generally accepted as the best series of all time ?

Nope.

 

[Boneman]

Is there a consensus we could have on what is generally accepted as the best series of all time ?

Nope.

Oh, wait! What about.... oh no, maybe you're right. LOTR?


Stephen King can be forgiven anything once you've read The Dark Tower series of seven books. I still don't like a lot of his horror stuff, but I forgive him...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

There is no consensus. I love King, but can't dig the Dark Tower, for instance. And as for me and Mr Martin -- I want to know if Jon lives. That's it. I didn't like it. It's all personal taste... good luck!

 

[ratsy]

Ha, I agree Springs...i read 2 of the dark tower and couldnt go on...but I love King

 

[Timba]

Since you mention Battlestar Galactica positively you might like some military scifi. Check the Baen site for a variety of series. I recommend David Weber, John Ringo, Elizabeth Moon (either her fantasy or scifi), Mike Shepard's Kris Longknife series and I know there are many more that are not coming to mind at this point.

You might also check out Ann McCaffery's Pern series which is a bit of a fantasy scifi mix.

 

[merritt]

Ice prophet series - Forstchen
Good reading!

 

[Lord Soth]

Oh, wait! What about.... oh no, maybe you're right. LOTR?


Stephen King can be forgiven anything once you've read The Dark Tower series of seven books. I still don't like a lot of his horror stuff, but I forgive him...

Well I don't really like LOTR! Erikson Guy Gavriel Kay, Hamilton, Asher, Banks (RIP) - all my favourite hardback writers.

 

[clovis-man]

You might like The Initiate Brother by Sean Russell. If so, then the sequel, Gatherer of Clouds is a logical next step. Epic scale fantasy in an Asian motif.