Wheel Of Time = best fantasy series ever.

[adams901]

I got that when it 1st came out, it is a good game and is even better to play if you have read the books. When I first played it I found myself looking forward to what was coming next, running around places you have read about in the book made it much more enjoyable, while running through The Ways, Shadar Logoth and the White Tower I found myself making references to the book. I think the game compliments the books very well and it makes the books more enjoyable to read

I still want my RTS game ...


Has anyone read Jordans short story set before the Eye Of The World?, it answers some questions I found myself asking after I read the Eye Of the World. I found it in a book which had a collection of shorts by many fantasy writers including pratchett

 

[ECA]

Yes its in the legends series, and deals with some backstory about moraine and lan etc.

Its worthwhile, even if you only buy it for one short story like I did.

 

[adams901]

Thats the book... I orignally got it for pratchett but finding jordan there was a bonus, especially as it was that short story that got me interested in the wheel of time.

 

[Munkey-]

I'm sorry, but George R. R. Martin's "A song of Ice and Fire" just has to be the best fantasy series ever.

Read it. I could go into it but i'm tired so *shaking arse smiley thing*


Wheel of Time never really captured my imagination.

Sorry

 

[adams901]

may you burn in hell

 

[ECA]

Originally posted by adams901
may you burn in hell

Seconded, but with the minor alteration of the Pit of Doom.

 

[SilverHood]

I tried reading Eye of the World as my first fantasy book after LoTR... just couldn't do it... too much of everything.

I started out reading David Gemmel, Lion of Macedon & Black prince.... both fab books

read some of his other books; had em all on the book shelf, might as well read 'em.

Then I started reading Raymond E Fiest: Riftwar, Serpentwar and the in between ones.... very good at the start, but got tedious towards the end.

Was looking for something else, Saw Eye ofl The world on the bookshelf, starring back at me.

Started reading, started enjoying the story.... never stopped.

This was about 2 years ago.
Read all of them except the new one... started going through them all again, so I can be up-to-date when I read book 10.
Just started book 8...

one thing I noticed... lots of things don't make sense the first time you read it through..... but the second time, the first books are even better.

Lord of Chaos is the best so far I think, book 3 and 4 managing to be medicre.


personally, I find reading about Mat the most entertaining... how about you guys?

 

[doh_boy]

Originally posted by SilverHood
Ipersonally, I find reading about Mat the most entertaining... how about you guys?

only after the second door/portal jobby.

 

[wolfeeh]

hmmm

munkey :| f00

as for the characters... yes i think mat is the one with most substance to him post-gateway thing... egwene really gets on my tits at the moment... and i simply can't BELIEVE the ending of crossroads of twilight.

 

[ECA]

Re: hmmm

Originally posted by wolfeeh
munkey :| f00

as for the characters... yes i think mat is the one with most substance to him post-gateway thing... egwene really gets on my tits at the moment... and i simply can't BELIEVE the ending of crossroads of twilight.

Yeah its a little dumb, and makes you wonder how her side can win, unless its deliberate, which when I read that chapter again seemed possible. But then it mentions betrayal.

Its probably the oddest ending to one of the books so far, and we have to wait another year to find out what happens next.

 

[xane]

For me, the best fantasy was by Fritz Leiber; the Swords series, with its two central characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and their adventures in and around the fabled city of Lankhmar in the land of Nehwon, this stuff was written some time back and is possibly one of the first fantasy chronicles to have a mixture of good writing and imaginative concept, for example, the "Thieves Guild" comes from it.

Lots of hero fantasy is poorly written sixth form stuff, e.g. Conan and Elric, and verges into "pulp fantasy", Eddings first effort was actually quite good, but IMO he stretched it too far with his successive writings and it became pulp and long winded.

Leiber is an excellent writer and the books cover many different adventures, some of fighting, some of love, some of scheming, some of politics, some of humour, and rather than do it to death he has written other works as it was from an age where rabid marketing wasn't as advanced.

The Swords series was actually a compilation of many short stories that appeared in magazines and arranged into seven basic books by Leiber, Swords and Deviltry is required reading as it introduces the two characters and details their first encounter, when you start the second book Swords Against Death the adventures really start to get exciting and interesting.

Many of the stories are available individually and there are some alternative (re-)compilations so you have to be careful, stick to the original "Swords" books and you wont go wrong.

Most stories are quite short, the longer ones are "novelettes" in their own right, there is not too much background to confuse you either, as present in many of the common series (WoT and LotR included).

In many ways, his work mirrors that of my favourite Sci-Fi author; Philip Dick, and his writing is just as good.

Another often forgotten fantasy series is Anne McCaffrey's Pern (Dragons) series.

 

[bodhi]

Phillip K Dick is one of the few Sci-Fi/Fantasy authors whose books dont bore the living tits off me. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was fantastic, admittedly I did only read it cos of Bladerunner. I bought Ubik ages ago - really need tog et round to reading it.

Other good Sci-Fi authors are Arthur C Clarke (Space Oddysey = best Sci-Fi series evar) and Iain M Banks, even tho I was sure Banks uses several illegal substances to come up with his plotlines.

 

[-Ultimate]

I'm pretty new to this area, i read the legends book and through that got into Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, which i enjoyed. I think i'll try the WOT series next then after reading this thread

 

[Trebz]

Re: Re: hmmm

Originally posted by ECA
Yeah its a little dumb, and makes you wonder how her side can win, unless its deliberate, which when I read that chapter again seemed possible. But then it mentions betrayal.

Its probably the oddest ending to one of the books so far, and we have to wait another year to find out what happens next.

** THISS CONTAINS SPOILERS **

Finished the book last night and finally dared read the WOT posts on this forum. I haveto say, crossroads of twilight was a dissapointment. Don't get me wrong, it lived up to jordans usual fantastic style, but nothing seemed to happen. 2/3rds of the book were spent at each of the main character with them thinking on things and deciding where to go yet not actually doing anything. There was nothing really profound in it either, no cool stuff to lead up to, bit of a simple book really.

I mean, the ending of the last book was awesome with Rand attempting to cleanse saidan, but the whole thing was merely a backdrop in this book and then when they did mention it it was oh so brief.

Bit miffed i've had to wait so long for something not that great.

 

[SilverHood]

we can just hope that it put everything into context, so we get a great book next time....

but some WoT books are better than others.
I loved lord of chaos, but the 2 following we're not so good in comparison. Then things picked up pace again.

 

[ECA]

It seems like he writes one fast paced book, then writes 2-3 slow ones for everything else to catch up.

Theres just SO MUCH he has to write about though, events happening to so many characters, that if the book was 3000 pages long, it would still feel short.

 

[SilverHood]

yeah, Winter's Heart was pretty slow too

next one had better be a good one...

btw, anyone else heard that there are only 12 books in total?

So we're only 1 book away from the grand finale!

 

[adams901]

I heard he was taking it to 15 books.... I just hope he doesnt die before he finishes because if he does I would have wasted all that time reading those books

 

[ECA]

Originally posted by adams901
I heard he was taking it to 15 books.... I just hope he doesnt die before he finishes because if he does I would have wasted all that time reading those books

Well he does roughly one book a year and he's in his 50's isnt he?

He does look a bit overweight.

It would be so fucking annoying if he died before he finished it.

Hopefully he's drawn up the plot for the entire series somewhere so it can be ghost written if he ever does bite it.

 

[Summo]

Yer all freaks. Read some proper books.

 

[old.milou]

Originally posted by doh_boy
There's a FPS based on the unreal engine iirc.

http://www.planetwheeloftime.com/game/story/

Forums and stuff here (at ze bottom)

 

[Tenko]

Originally posted by Munkey-
I'm sorry, but George R. R. Martin's "A song of Ice and Fire" just has to be the best fantasy series ever.

Read it. I could go into it but i'm tired so *shaking arse smiley thing*


Wheel of Time never really captured my imagination.

Sorry

I really like the WOT series but book ten is unbelievably non-eventful.

however....

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN "A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE" KICKS ASS!!!!!!!


These books are currently the best you gonna find in the epic fantasy genre. Check out the reviews for A song of Ice and Fire if you dont believe me.

Compare the reviews on Amazon for the later (not the earlier) WOT books with the Song of Ice and Fire books for example.

 

[fatdragon]

i havent read any of the other post but wheel of time is pure genius i would like to see it made into a movie i think it would be better than LOTR

The Rift War saga by Raymon e. feist is very good too



would also make a kick ass movie

 

[Testin da Cable]

tbh I thought "Silverthorn" was a tad pish. "Magician" and Darkness were pretty good imo

 

[fatdragon]

the first 3 books were great
and also kings buccaner and princes of the blood was good too.


i have all the books just havent read the last few yet. started reading the wheel of time which is v.good

attempted disc world bored me straight away

 

[Testin da Cable]

I haven't yet managed to find any WoT at a bookstore around here yet sadly. Oh well...that's what amazon is for heh.

 

[fatdragon]

i order mine from the book shop where i work they get the book in next day so i just before i finish the book usaly half way through.



but if u dont wanna go outside and get some fresh air you are right thats what amazons for

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by Testin da Cable
I haven't yet managed to find any WoT at a bookstore around here

 

[fatdragon]

I am just playing wid ya )

 

[Testin da Cable]

I'm not very appreciative of humor today. I put it down to a severe lack of caffeine.