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I just read the first Wheel of Time book by Robert Jordan. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but he seemed to have a large number of passionate fans, so I gave it a read.
I enjoyed the first novel, but certainly wasn't left in awe. Is this a good series to read or are there other novels/series that are better (other than LOTR) in the genre?
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Jordan is very good at world building and the use of prophecy to foreshadow and drive plots. I have read them all extensively and even designed and run an online RPG based in this world.
The one area I take exception to in his writing is the feeling that his main characters are never in serious danger of death or failure. Every time they wind up in a precarious situation, I have come to expect some miraculous bail out either by outside action or dumb luck. It is no longer a question for me of if they will succeed, but how it will be accomplished.
I think it is very difficult to maintain the power and integrity of focus over a project that has consumed so many years in the telling, and there are some parts of this series that are just boring. He also has this horrible tendency to insert character recaps of thoughts and personality quirks, as if I am too stupid to remember the basic characterization of a Main Character I have been reading about for 10 volumes.
All this being said, I have personally enjoyed the series and will buy the final volume on its release.
For other series in the genre, I would recommend "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erickson (6 or 7 volumes at present); The Thomas Covenant books by Stephen R Donaldson (two trilogies); and of course the Ender series by OSC, although for me the first three are the strength of the series.
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You might try Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber series. The first one is NINE PRINCES IN AMBER.
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I liked the first four or five Wheel of Time books (the first three were the best), but George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (Beginning with A Game of Thrones) is probably the best written epice fantasy series I've had the pleasure of perusing. (I have yet to read A Feast for Crows though.)
Next, my choice would be Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy (beginning with Assassin's Apprentice).
OSC's Alvin Maker series is good ( first book being Seventh Son), but is more of an alternate American History/Fantasy.
R.A. Salvatore's Demon Wars sagas (two trilogies with an intermediate stand-alone novel--begins with The Demon Awakens and the stand-alone novel is Mortalis) are good.
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All right, I will be honest here. I dislike WoT with a passion. I don't think the world buiding was good--it was stolen of a piece from other works and no originality added. The characterizations are worse than flat, although they are that--they are repitive and annoying. His writing itself could be worse but isn't great either. I don't mind a heroes journey plots, most of us write it one way or another but just a tad of originality--please.
If you want to get into fantasy, I would recommend a number of other books but not that series. On the other hand, maybe its popularity got non-fantasy readers into reading fantasy which I do consider a good thing.
Obviously, I would recommend Lord of the Rings if you haven't read it. I would highly recommend A Song of Ice and Fire--although he writes way too slow, damn it. If you want a series with a more magical basis Runelords by David Farland is an interesting series. I am not generally a Jacqueline Care fan but I often recommend her The Sundering.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited March 21, 2008).]
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I agree that Wheel of Time started strong, it had the momentum a series needs, maybe the problem was that the momentum demanded a conclusion around book five or six at the latest, not book twelve.
I stopped reading when I opened one of them, Crossroads of Twilight I think, and could not remember who six out of the seven characters mentioned were, and rereading that much was far too daunting everytime a book came out. So I decided to wait until it was finished and then read from start to end.
Does anyone know what is happening with the final volume? Is someone working on it? I've never really been up to date with Wheel of Time news in case of spoilers.
Read George R.R. Martin (big surprise I said that) Robin Hobb's first nine books, Farseers, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man. Not her new series.
Also I think you should read Terry Brooks and David Eddings. Though same with Eddings, start from the early stuff and stop when it starts going bad. Brooks I haven't read all of, but have liked all I have read. And don't let Sword of Shannara fool you, it might be very like LotR, but it was written for an audience that had just finished LotR and wanted more, if you read his second and third books you will realise Brooks was better at getting out of Tolkien's shadow back then than many people are these days.
quote: Does anyone know what is happening with the final volume? Is someone working on it?
Brandon Sanderson is currently working on it. He has begun, and two of the editors that worked with Jim (Robert Jordan) Rigney, are devoting their time and energy to the culmination of this effort. Harriet (Jim's wife) is also working with Brandon on the completion of her husband's vision. She was very much a part of the creation and development of The Wheel of Time, and is an editor in her own right. You can keep updated here.
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I've never read Wheel of Time but it seems to provoke a pretty dichotomous response, those who love it, and those who hate it. I figure I should at least read it as part of my fantasy education.
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I would suggest the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. the first novel is Wizards First Rule. Amazing books, with one of the greatests MCs ever created. Long live Richard Cypher!
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The Fionavar Tapestry is, in my opinion, the best in high fantasy available right now. The book is a little old, but fantasy (particularly truly excellent fantasy) has a good long shelf life.
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The Eye of the World is as good as the WoT gets; if that didn't do it for you, don't waste your time further.
If you weren't that impressed with WoT, you just might have an aversion to vapid, shallow pulp literature. If that's the case, you should also stay clear of the Terrys (Goodkind and Brooks).
George R.R. Martin's stuff is the best I've read in a long, long time. You can't go wrong with some of the less well known classics, either, like The Once and Future King by T.H. White.
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I enjoyed the WoT series up to Volume 6. For me it started going downhill in Vol. 7 but I tried to stay with it and finally gave up on Vol. 10. I think it was just too many different characters to keep track of and too many simultaneous story lines going on.
From friends I heard that The Sword of Truth series by Goodkind is really good and that's one of the next I'll be starting.
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