Recommend a Fantasy Series - Page 5

Hell, if he were simply setting aside his unfinished series for something new that had him excited I'd at least understand that. However, the new stuff Martin constantly touts isn't even anything he's even written. The Hunter's Run book is something he handed off to another writer that he himself supposedly hadn't worked on since 1982. The Wild Cards series of books that feature his name haven't contained any of his stories in about fifteen years.

He's not touting some new creative endeavor that has taken his focus away from his old one[ he's touting new books that don't even contain anything he's written. As far as I can tell his output the last ten years consists of Book Four and a Dunk and Egg story in 2003 that may well have been written years earlier.

Going by his LJ, that seems to be an exaggeration. He just has mixed depression/anxiety. Lots of people struggle with it.

Just bought it this afternoon thanks to my fellow chewers and this thread. I look forward to turning on the heater (it's cold here at the moment) and snuggling up with it this evening.

Since this is the fantasy topic I thought I'd ask here about a specific fantasy book I'm looking for. I can't remember the title or the name of the author. I know it was originally published sometime in the '80s by DelRey with cover art by Darrell Sweet of a knight with a giant sword riding on the back of a giant Clysdale sized horse. What I recall of the plot involved a platoon of soldiers in Vietnam somehow being transported to this fantasy land where they fight dragons and sorcery. I think that's the plot. Appreciate the help from anyone who knows what book I'm talking about.

You just described 90% of the fantasy book covers of the 80s.

Oh, and the book was The Doomfarers of Coramonde, the first part of a two-book series by Brian Daley:



Daley also wrote the original Han Solo trilogy, which is well worth reading.

Thank you. That's what I've been looking for. The Han books are really worth checking out?

They're fun, pulpy reads that are blissfully unburdened by the EU nonsense that popped up in the wake of Zahn's trilogy. It's just Han and Chewie having adventures around the galaxy pre-Star Wars.

Before Chewie got hit by a moon...

It's taken me a long while. But I've finally given up on all that Star War's Del Ray shit. Legacy of the Force? Coming out with 5-6 Filler Hardcovers in a row, with almost zero plot progression.

Fuck this shit. Also...Star Wars: The Old Republic? Gaaagh!!

I am sticking strictly to The Dresden Files from now on.

They're great. They get the characters of Han and Chewie JUST RIGHT and are quite a bit of fun to read.

I still feel strangely compelled to read that SW zombie novel, DEATH TROOPERS. I know I'll regret it.

Okay, 'cause no one asked for it, here's Richard's Essential Star Wars Reading (If You're Gonna Read Star Wars):

• The original Star Wars adaptation. It says Lucas on the cover, but it was ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster, and it's got tons of apocryphal background info that really underlines that Lucas did not have all this planned out from the get-go.
• Alan Dean Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye. The very first EU book, but pretty much tossed aside as non-canon these days for reasons that are obvious once you read it. But Foster's a better author than 99% of the others who have written Star Wars books.
• Brian Daley's Han Solo novels. For reasons stated above.
• The David Michelinie/Walt Simonson run on Marvel's Star Wars comic. The best run in the history of the series, with some great twisty plotting by Michelinie and some fantastic art from Simonson. Shame they didn't stay on the book longer than they did.
• Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. Granted, I haven't re-read them in some time, so maybe it was the novelty of finally having new Star Wars material after eight years, but it's a fun series that sadly led to wave after wave of unmitigated, byzantine crap.
• The X-Wing series by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston. Keeps the focus on Rogue Squadron and space battles, and lord knows Stackpole can write some military sci-fi.
• ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH THE NAME KEVIN J. ANDERSON ON IT. Seriously. Even if he's just editing it. If his Star Wars stuff doens't convince you of it, look at what he and Herbert's kid are doing to Dune.

The Lando Calrissian books aren't bad, either. They're not as much fun as the Han Solo books but they're pretty entertaining.

Regarding 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye': from what I understand, THAT would have been the second film if Harrison Ford hadn't signed on for TESB.

I have them, just never read them, so didn't want to include them. But I have heard good things about them, and the author, L. Neil Smith, has written a ton of space opera, so he seems a good choice.

I'd heard it was a low-budget sequel idea in case Star Wars wasn't a huge hit.

Shit, I remember reading the EU novels with the retarded biotech aliens and the moon on Chewie and shit. The only good book out of this crap is Matthew Stover's book, as he's great author.

His Caine books are superb (Heroes Dies, Blade of Tyshalle and Caine Black Knife).

Also, I must sincerely agree with you on the Kevin J. Anderson factor. Absolutely wretched.

Anyway, back to fantasy, if you want to get in on the ground floor of the next big thing in fantasy, the first book in Brandon Sanderson's proposed 10-book series The Stormlight Archive, The Way of Kings, is out. I've gone through the Prelude, Prologue and first chapter and there's some impressive world building going on. Plus Sanderson's knack for inventive magic systems is on full display.

Let me know how it turns out. But I have some smalls doubts he can pull a Steven Erickson (10 books of quality) .

Is Mistborn worth my time BTW? And Richard, tried Heroes Die yet?

I really enjoyed the Mistborn series. I don't think the last two books have the same oomph as the first one, but that's not to say they were bad; they just lacked the surprise and discovery of the first book, since we know the world by the time we get to them. But the third book is a really satisfying conclusion with an ending that comes as surprise but makes perfect sense if you keep in mind what's come before.

Heroes Die is on my (sadly) expansive list of "Yeah, gotta get to that soon" books. I'm such an obsessive book buyer -- and my Nook has only made things worse -- so I'm constantly buying new stuff while old stuff languishes unread. I need to take a year off and just read everything.

Seven

He's 9 on 9 so far Jay. Don't provoke me!
(I get the criticism it gets, but I don't have problems with it. No one pulled that feat and came close to what he's doing)


(and Rich, I got you Heroes in the book swap years ago!)

Which should give you an idea of how many goddamn books I have laying around!

Recently read Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates due to the recommendation of this thread and others (insert obligatory George R.R. Martin griping).

I enjoyed both, although, I'm not sure if it was all the forewarning/hype or what: But I didn't find Gardens of the Moon nearly the slog that it was billed as (my copy even had a foreword by Erikson explaining why he never rewrote it), but I also didn't find Deadhouse Gates as orgasmic as advertised either.

What can I expect from Book 3? (so I can secretly expect the opposite!)

Gardens of the Moon becomes a good read after you've read many of the other books.
Dead House Gates is fine example of what to expect from the series...mostly. If you don't like that one you might be done. The next two are very good and fairly similar.

The series is fine when the focus is relatively narrow. Later, when he really opens things up the problems begin to arise. These are just my opinions. I enjoy the series as a whole, and none of the books have been bad enough to keep me from reading the last book. Though, the last one was close.

I'm 14% through the book so far and I'm liking it. I do like the aspect of not explaining everything right away and letting you pick it up as you go along but it can be a little annoying at first.

Deadhouse was a favorite of mine due to Coltaine's story. THe whole Icarium buisness is rough.

Memories of Ice is EPIC compared to the rest of the series....

I liked the last one, but it's really half a book. I'll see how it goes in book 10. FEBRUARY CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH.

Glokta is fantastic! By the way, you're both wrong and right about the trilogy: originally it was just one book, it was the publisher's decision to split it into three parts. I'd also recommend reading Best Served Cold, which is set in a different part of the world as The First Law trilogy, and features several characters from the trilogy (and some definitely spoilers about where some characters are heading). Abercrombie's next (january 2011), The Heroes, is set in the North again, and features the return of several side characters from The First Law as well, as it is also set after Last Argument of Kings.

I finally finished The Way of Kings. Not that it was a slog, but more I was savoring it. I feel it really earned its length, especially in the climactic battle scene, which included one moment that I found genuinely moving in where it came from and where it took the characters. Sanderson's laid a hell of a foundation here.

It's worth the time? Haven't read any Sanderson beside Warbreaker, which I really liked.

Good to know.

Well, if you're not big on long series, keep in mind this is the first of a planned ten-book series, so, while the story does have a satisfying conclusion and doesn't simply end on a cheap cliffhanger, it's just the opening act.

Has anyone here read the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carringer? Any Good?

I like big series (the Malazan books are closing with their 10th one), if they're going somewhere. (hint: not George RR Martin)

Then I think you'll like this one. There's definitely a sense of something larger coming, without the book simply feeling like an extended prologue.

Anyone remember Sterling Lanier?

Okay so I've been attempting to plum the depths of my mind(and the interwebs) for a week or so now regarding a book series from my childhood. I think the series is paperback(might be mid-80's) and concerns(I think) an Irish adventurer and some female viking pirate. I can't remember too many details about it, but I remember digging the books at a younger age.

I'm just going to post this here since there's no normal Fantasy series thread or the like but Brandon Sanderson is releasing his next Mistborn book in November: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/03/mistborn-the-alloy-of-law-cover-a-details-emerge and I can't wait, I really enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy and this one shot that takes place a good while after the original books. I haven't read his Wheel of Time books but I loved the hell out of Mistborn and his latest book, Way of Kings.

If you're willing to read a comic book, The Sixth Gun is a great weird western about a fabled gun(One of six, but the most powerful. It bears more than a little resemblance to the idea of the ring in LOTR, but only surface elements) that all the bad guys are after, but it's bonded to the daughter of a preacher who was the first to protect it from the wrong hands. 

 

A good review of the first trade paperback:  http://www.bookslut.com/comicbookslut/2011_01_017015.php

Hey I come in here a few weeks later to mention The Sixth Gun, and I found I've already been beaten to it. Oh well, I think Hughes is right, this is a pretty delightful little fantasy/western confection.

 

 

I'm also just starting on The Heroes right now, which I picked up on the strengths of Abercrombie's previous books. It's pretty damn good so far, so I hope it maintains the tone.

Okay digging this thread up again, because I just wanted to mention that right now I feel like going straight for Steven Brust.

Brust is good swashbuckly fun.

I just finished reading The Phoenix Guards today, which only heightens the love I feel towards him over the Taltos series.

 

It's smart, literate, funny adventure writing set in a universe that's actually imaginative. Quite frankly his work should have a sticker with "Lauren likes this shit" written on the front.

Ha, I read "going straight for" as "heading directly to".  I'll just be over here.