Anyone reading any fantasy novels?

JamesEightBitStar · Post by **JamesEightBitStar** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:26 am

Not long ago I read the first five Chronicles of Amber novels.

I'll admit they were gripping--I read all five in a row and didn't stop til I was done. I haven't done that with a book since the days when I used to read Goosebumps.

Right now, I happened on a copy of Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong and am reading it. I'm not sure if it counts as fantasy--its based on China's civil war but the story accepts magic and gods as if they really exist. Then again, in China they probably do. I dunno, my jury is out on that one.

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:05 am

Finished up Shadows Linger, which was pretty much just as good as the first one (and different enough in plot that it didn't feel like a retread). I'm sure I'll read The White Rose soon. I stumbled yesterday upon The Infernal Sorceress by Gary Gygax (part of Paizo's "Planet Stories" line*) at Barnes & Noble, bought it, and am about 50pp in. Alas, at least so far it's really terrible. I'm talking Lin Carter bad -- his descriptions are flat and uninteresting and don't make the world seem at all real, every line of dialogue is painfully stilted and awkward, and at least so far I agree with the TSR editor who accused the two protagonists (Ferret and Raker) of being blatant rip-offs of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (even moreso than Gord and Chert already were). I'll read this through to the end, in hopes that the plot will be interesting enough to counterbalance the awful prose, but at least so far I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but the most dedicated Gygax fans.

*Speaking of which, I don't like the way these books are bound -- the cardboard on the covers is too heavy and the binding way too stiff compared to novels from the likes of Penguin, Vintage, etc. This (along with the high price-point) is the main reason why, even though their release schedule is always intriguing, I'm more likely to seek out older second-hand copies (as I've done with Almuric, Jirel of Joiry, and the Brackett and Moorcock stuff) than actually buy the Paizo releases.

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:11 am

T. Foster wrote: it's really terrible. I'm talking Lin Carter bad --

Ooo. That's bad.

grodog · Post by **grodog** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:11 pm

Ouch. I picked this up a few weeks ago with some B&N gift certificates, but haven't started reading it yet. It doesn't sound promising, though....

I did read the Gord story in "Of Dice & Pen" and it was abysmal: clearly not written by EGG and the story and plot were very lame.

quatzl · Post by **quatzl** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:54 pm

Just finished David Gemmel's "Legend". It is the first book I have read by him. I would recommend it. Some parts were strangely moving. I just picked up "Gates of Fire", which is a historical fiction piece on the battle of Thermopylae. Anybody read it? Also based on its mention here, I picked up the first book of "The Black Company". I am about halfway through it. I like it, but the writing style is a bit all over the place. Is that just the author's "way", or does it tighten up in the following books?

Aliegha · Post by **Aliegha** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:22 am

just did Abhorsen. i think mr nix is about out of undead ideas. Sabriel and Lirael would be kewl pcs though...

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:23 am

T. Foster wrote: I stumbled yesterday upon The Infernal Sorceress by Gary Gygax (part of Paizo's "Planet Stories" line*) at Barnes & Noble, bought it, and am about 50pp in. Alas, at least so far it's really terrible. I'm talking Lin Carter bad -- his descriptions are flat and uninteresting and don't make the world seem at all real, every line of dialogue is painfully stilted and awkward, and at least so far I agree with the TSR editor who accused the two protagonists (Ferret and Raker) of being blatant rip-offs of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (even moreso than Gord and Chert already were). I'll read this through to the end, in hopes that the plot will be interesting enough to counterbalance the awful prose, but at least so far I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but the most dedicated Gygax fans.

Just finished this (literally a few minutes ago). It's definitely bad, but perhaps not as bad as I suggested above. The dialogue is terrible (but no worse than in any of Gary's other novels, or module boxed-text for that matter) and way too much of the descriptive text feels like describing game mechanics (the details of everybody's weapons and armor, the detailed descriptions of fortress architecture, and especially all the talk about spell-casting and heka) but it moves along fairly quickly (especially in the second half) and the heroes are likeable (if blatantly ripped off from Leiber -- yeah the GM-clone is taller the the Fafhrd clone, who was also raised as an aristocrat instead of a barbarian, and they have a whole lot less interest in sex, but those are minor differences in the face of all the similarities). Don't be in any hurry to read this, but if you're a Gary fan and could get through the Gord books this one will go down just as easily. I've definitely read much worse.

team-preston · Post by **team-preston** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:17 am

After a talk with Todd Lockwood, and perusing his site for a while, I was stung by the Drizzt bug and have started re-reading R.A.Salvatore's novels on the character.

Post by **Philotomy Jurament** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:40 am

Wow, I think that killed the thread.

team-preston · Post by **team-preston** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:50 am

Scary innit?
I think it's shocked amazement.

The Salvatore Drizzt books are a guilty pleasure and WAY not my normal reading material. Usually I read things like Jack Whyte's Camaloud Chronicles, Tad Williams, George RR Martin, The Black Company novels, the Joel Rosenberg Guardians of the Flame series was fun as well. Robert Jordan was kind of hit or miss (which I guess is true with most authors). Terry Goodkind's series was fun for the first 3-4 novels (I got bored after that). Read all the Moorcock Elric stuff too (the original emo kid).

I do enjoy game fiction by the Black Library, especially anything by Dan Abnett or Graham Mcneill.

Yeah, every once in a while I get a hankering for some Dragonlance Chornicles too.

Cheers!

JP

Flambeaux · Post by **Flambeaux** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:19 am

My wife and I have been enjoying S.M. Stirling's books set in the Emberverse, starting with Dies the Fire. Post-apocalyptic alternate history.

The best part: after reading the first couple of books, my wife turned to me and said, "I finally understand what a D&D game is supposed to feel like. I finally 'get' the hunting for treasure, killing monsters, trying to civilize the wild thing that's going on in the game."

Needless to say, it's improved her enjoyment of gaming.

And they're well written.

francisca · Post by **francisca** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:26 am

team-preston wrote: The Salvatore Drizzt books are a guilty pleasure and WAY not my normal reading material.

Yeah, uh-huh. Sure.....

Next, you'll tell us you like Friends and think 3e is pretty OK, but not *really* your type of game....

team-preston · Post by **team-preston** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:59 am

It's TRUE!
Ironically when I list favorites in Music I list: Tool, APC, Metallica, Korn, Disturbed, and Zamphir.

For books it's Tarnsman of Gor, anything Conan, and of course my absolute favorite DRIZZT Do URDEN, OMG! Liek whoa!

Ironically, the Gor books were an...interesting read. My brother counted them as his favorite series. Looking at his track record with women it's easy to see.

Algolei · Post by **Algolei** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:47 am

team-preston wrote:Looking at his track record with women it's easy to see.

Oh yar? I was on the women's track team in high school, too.

francisca · Post by **francisca** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:43 am

Algolei wrote:
team-preston wrote:Looking at his track record with women it's easy to see.
Oh yar? I was on the women's track team in high school, too.

So, you aren't a pygmie, then.