The Name of the Wind (Hey Wert!)

[Karana Majin]

I have been plowing through a lot of books lately, mostly on YOUR recommendations.  I adored The Lies of Locke Lamora and was thrilled to find out there was a second book out already! 

 

Anyway, I just finished The Name of the Wind.  Not... brilliant.  But gripping!  Fun!  GREAT characters.  I liked it a lot.  The ending definitely left me wanting more, too. 

 

So, left from my original library foray is The Darkness That Comes Before by Bakker.  I'll let you know what I think when I finish that one.  (Holidays might slow me down, though.)

 

My only complaint?  All your excellent recs are ongoing!  I need more finished series!

[Zachary]

A finished series, you say?

 

I got a good one. Not sure of the name, but it's by John Marco. The names of the books are...

 

The Eyes of God

The Devil's Armor

The Sword of Angels

 

Happy reading.

[Werthead]

I'd be interested to see what you make of The Darkness That Comes Before. It is very different to The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Name of the Wind. Those two books are enjoyable rollercoaster rides with some nice elements of depth of them. In a movie analogy they're intelligent Hollywood blockbusters whilst The Darkness That Comes Before is Apocalypse Now. If you can bear with it, it is brilliant though.

 

Based on your liking of Lynch and Rothfuss though I can steer you solidly towards my (very) occasional drinking buddy Joe Abercrombie and his First Law Trilogy:

 

1. The Blade Itself (out now in the UK and US)

2. Before They Are Hanged (out now in the UK, February in the US)*

3. Last Argument of Kings (out in March in the UK, September in the US)*

 

* Those unable to wait for the US publication of these two books are directed to The Book Depository, who will deliver UK books to the USA or pretty much anywhere in the world WITH NO DELIVERY CHARGE.

 

Anyway, this trilogy is fast-paced, action-packed and fun with some fantasy characters and in the final volume a series of 'twist' endings that absolutely took my breath away. The final chapter is possibly the single most finely-judged ending to a lengthy fantasy epic since The Lord of the Rings. Frankly, this is now the ending that Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire have to live up to. And that's not hyperbole.