Looking for a new powerful series....

[mattbrown1160]

Hi I was wondering what to read after the WOT series. The Prince of Nothing and The Sword of Truth series interested me, but i am up to different suggestions. I want something powerful like WOT and LOTR. Please help....... -thanks

[Guest Egwene]

If you have a look at the thread 'recommended authors and series', you'll find ten pages of what to read next. I keep adding books to my wishlist from that thread. You get a good feel for which ones are universally liked (or disliked).

 

Another way to find a good book is look under some of the readers lists on amazon that turn up when you look up your present favourites. Then crosscheck with the actual reviews for that book and you get a good idea of what it is about.

[vikingdriver]

Egwene hit it on the head but I highly and soundly recommend Anne McAffrey's Dragons of Pern Series. it's a 15 book wonder.

[Werthead]

Hi I was wondering what to read after the WOT series. The Prince of Nothing and The Sword of Truth series interested me' date=' but i am up to different suggestions. I want something powerful like WOT and LOTR. Please help....... -thanks[/color']

 

Hmm, the two utter polar opposites of the epic subgenre.

 

The Prince of Nothing is an incredibly powerful series, with deep, complex characters and set in a very grim world (based heavily on our own history). It has worldbuilding on a par with Tolkien or Jordan, characters that are far more realised and truly vast battles that eclipse anything in either LotR or WoT. However, some people complain about the lack of warmth in the book. Like Frank Herbert's Dune, it's a series about the coming and growth to power of a messiah who isn't as perfect as everyone else thinks, and 'likable' characters are somewhat thin on the ground. This doesn't stop them being interesting. It's an astonishing work of epic fantasy and Bakker will certainly be remembered long into the future.

 

Goodkind, on the other hand, is a talentless hack who stole most of his ideas from other authors (including very notably Robert Jordan), writes in a utterly horrific manner, has failed miserably to create even one character you can care about and uses the books to project his own tedious political ideology. His central character is certainly an interesting definition of a hero (someone who kicks eight-year-old girls to death because they insult him and massacres unarmed peace protestors). He also used an evil chicken as a villain, and not in a funny way. Avoid.

[Gondring]

One ive been reading recently is Steven Erikson's Malazan Book(s) of the Fallen

For me its generally origional, Dark, and the guy is not afaid to kill off anyone at all which always surprises me to laughter/tears with a turn of the page.

[Kivam]

Highly reccomend the Malazan Book of the Fallen (Book 1 is Deadhouse Gates; depending on whether you are in the US or UK it is up to either book 4 [coming out soon] or book 6)

 

Also, I assume you've read it but George R R Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire is a must.

 

Now I have to check out this Prince of Nothing thing.

 

Stay the hell away from Goodkind - Book 1 of the series was a fun read, the rest are TERRIBLE

[Gondring]

6?? You all have 6?? Ooo I am so finding a way to import 5 & 6 then after 4 comes out in August.

[Kivam]

6?? You all have 6?? Ooo I am so finding a way to import 5 & 6 then after 4 comes out in August.

 

No, I've only read 1-4 (I review books for a national publication and I was handed book four, so that was actually the first book I read - then I immediately went out and bought 1-3). Whatever you do, don't google search Erikson - there are spoilers out there everywhere since people in the UK have books 4 5 & 6 already

[Gondring]

I wonder if Amazon UK will ship to the US... Gotta check it out.

And yea id hate to read any spoilers since he keeps you on your toes so much, itd be a shame to find out and be let down while reading the book.

[Werthead]

Just to let you know that Steven Erikson completed Book Seven, Reaper's Gale, last week. It will be published in the UK and Canada in March 2007.

 

You can import the other MBF books from Clarkesworld Books in the USA (they pre-import them from abroad) or from Amazon.ca if Amazon.co.uk proves too expensive.

 

I know some Malazan fans hate Bakker, but most seem to love it as well. Bakker is something like a collison between Martin and Erikson, with the sorcerous battles of Erikson and the more gritty feel of Martin.

[Malindhe alCoren]

I thought I was a freak for not taking to Goodkind (The Sword of Truth). Thank you. I worked with a lady that recommended the series highly, and I couldn't quite understand why I felt so repulsed by the middle of the second book.

 

I started WOT nearly 10 years late, so I had absolutely no problem "getting into" and staying up with it. This method only works if you read slow enough to not finish everything on the shelves before the next one comes out. Needless to say, I had my hands full for a couple of years and didn't need something else to satisfy that "urge" (that is such a weak word here) to read MORE.

 

That was not the case recently, so even though I feel compelled to share with you ones that I seem to enjoy, keep in mind that I have only gotten through one of each... and, how much is it really worth? I got through the first Goodkind as well.

 

Elizabeth Hayden: Rhapsody (1), Prophecy (2), Destiny (3)... there may only be 3 books??

 

L.E. Modesitt, Jr.: Saga of Recluce. **funny fact #339 - I had actually read the first one already, and on the re-read found that I don't recall a single thing from the book - I have dismissed it to my intense relationship with WOT**

 

One thing I know that probably sounds really stupid is my method for picking another series (because I truly like them so): I was thinking that TOR fantasy might not sign on a new author unless they were really good (like I said, what do I know?). I am very happy now to find out that there is a list of good series to pick up. I will need to use it.

[Kivam]

I like Haydon - in fact, I think she wrote the best Novella of all of the authors in the Legends series, including several on Steve's list. But she's not deep enough on a regular basis for me to consider her one of the greats. BTW, there was a 4th book - Elegy for a Lost Star.

 

Modesitt is good, and has that unique/weird present-tense writing style, but like Terry Brooks is HIGHLY repetitive in his story lines

[vikingdriver]

I mentioned McAffrey's "Dragon's of Pern" Series earlier but I have been completely remiss by not mentioning the fuul complete series of Frank herberts "Dune" One helluva Epic adventure.

[Illiara]

Haydon's series is good. There's five books, with Requiem for the Sun being #4, and Elegy for a Lost Star being #5.

 

I haven't read Legends, but I found the first book of Haydon's when I was in our town library, trying to find a copy of KoD. I was browsing the shelves, and saw the book. I had also checked out CoT and New Spring and read those first, then opened Rhapsody. I only wish that I had started that earlier, it took me two weeks for CoT. I had to scramble to finish it.

[Kivam]

Haydon's series is good. There's five books, with Requiem for the Sun being #4, and Elegy for a Lost Star being #5.

 

I haven't read Legends, but I found the first book of Haydon's when I was in our town library, trying to find a copy of KoD. I was browsing the shelves, and saw the book. I had also checked out CoT and New Spring and read those first, then opened Rhapsody. I only wish that I had started that earlier, it took me two weeks for CoT. I had to scramble to finish it.

 

Yep, forgot about Requiem.

 

Here's the Publisher's weekly review of Legends, which singled out Haydon:

 

"Brimming with action and energy, wit and charm, pathos and joy, Silverberg’s anthology of short novels from 11 masters of fantasy, six of whom contributed to the original Legends (1998), provides a dazzling display of the genre’s variety and versatility... Elizabeth Haydon’s entry, Threshold, follows five doomed friends left to guard the remnants of a civilization about to be destroyed in a cataclysm after most of the populace has already fled to a safe haven: a stunning tale of courage and honor, duty and friendship, it may be the book’s best entry..."

[The Boar]

I realize that this thread primarily focuses on the fantasy aspect, but I did see Asimov up there and being my namesake I am unable to refrain from a reply. The Foundation is falling apart on my bookshelf.

 

The Anne McAffery fans out there have left out another well written series. At least in my opinion. Pegasus.

It gave an interesting rendition of the future and had enough political ideals to keep it fresh, but not so many that it was preachy. Albeit it did lead into the less interesting Rowan series.