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What fantasy series do you just "not get?"
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Paul
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Dec 12, 2013 03:48AM
The Paksennarion series by Elizabeth Moon. Read the first book and it did nothing for me. I've read glowing reviews about how it is the way a paladin should be portrayed; I just guess I simply don't care about paladins and whether they're portrayed correctly or not.
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Satinder wrote: "Josh wrote: "For me, Thomas Covenant, Sword of Truth, and, oddly enough, The Name of the Wind.
It just felt like the whole book was one unlikable character going around doing things aimlessly wi..."
I agree, I am working on the second one now
I guess all the people who dislike Goodkind did not agree with his political views?
Seems a very active thread. Here is my 2 cents.There are number of series I dint get into, but mostly I compel myself to finish the series or atleast the current book. But below are the ones I tried, tried, yet I couldnt get a hold on.
1. Dresden Files - first 4 books of same story. Dont know whether Dresden is a capable magician or not, so many 'deus ex machina'.
2. A Song of Ice and Fire (halfway 2nd book) - Seeing the characters on TV was a lot better, maybe because there is no POV in TV. In books all the POV characters either die or suffer so much. Moreover no magic got introduced till then, there I gave up.
3. The Book of the New Sun, well after reading so much about Gene Wolfe, i was so disappointed. Read first 2 books, but it was mostly confusing.
4. Runelords - Finished one book - Even when GRRM kills gud guys and lets evil ppl live and win, i did not feel this mush pessimism as in Runelords.
5. Sword of Truth - Is there any actual content there in these stories. In fact I liked the first one, but the moment the sword was nullified so easily in the second, I quit.
6.Apprentice Adept - Did not complete first book. Who the heck reads these and there are 7 of these.
My opinion on Malazan, as Erikson points out on the foreword on the very first book, you will either hate this book or love it; And you will know it before you complete 2nd book. But if you finish the 2nd one, then you will come to love the series. Not many series I have read were I loved each and every book in the series (I am looking right at you Wheel of time) but this is one of those rare ones, where each one is as good as the others.
Kevin wrote: "I guess all the people who dislike Goodkind did not agree with his political views?"I enjoyed the Sword of Truth and I've read every book but I have to admit that the series has been trending downhill for a while and it has nothing to do with the author's political views but a lot with the fact that he hasn't had an original idea in the last few books and has been milking the same ones forever...
Terry Goodkind is a one trick pony and that's it...
As for the original thread I will have to say The Runelords.
The serie starts ok but goes downhill fast after book 2...
Another would be Anita Blake vampire hunter. I read the first 10 books or so and then one day I realized if I stopped reading her books I wouldn't feel bad at all about it so I did and I am glad for it.. Since then she managed to write 10 more books in as many years and I haven't purchased a single one...
Kevin wrote: "I guess all the people who dislike Goodkind did not agree with his political views?"If enjoyment of a FICTIONAL work is impossible because of the political views of the author, the author is doing something wrong.
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart. Totally thought I'd adore it.
Sword of Truth - just cannot make myself sit through another of his condescending diatribes.Thomas Covenant - just way too depressing.
Dresden - I wanted to love this series and was really disappointed with how much I yawned and rolled my eyes while reading it.
Game of Thrones - sorry people but...he's such a bad writer, cardboard characters, predictable behavior & scenes. This is the only series that I'm mentioning that I don't read because of the (lack) of talent of the writer. I understand it's only my opinion and he's very popular.
Add one more for Runelords. There were some pretty good ideas in the first one. It had a unique and original system. And maybe if I had read it when it was new. But I just couldn't get into it.
Josh wrote: "For me, Thomas Covenant, Sword of Truth, and, oddly enough, The Name of the Wind.
It just felt like the whole book was one unlikable character going around doing things aimlessly without any rea..."
I totally agree with this. I felt this book had absolutely no plot either, and could not STAND the main character not thinking through anything. I forced myself through this and will not be continuing the series.
Also, I did not care for the Hobbit nearly as much as I did when I was younger, something just falls flat for me now.
On the other hand, A Song of Ice and Fire and the Malazan series so far are some of the best fantasy I have ever read.
have to agree on Goodkind's work ... I more or less enjoyed the first one. they went downhill fast after that.
Aildiin wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I guess all the people who dislike Goodkind did not agree with his political views?"I enjoyed the Sword of Truth and I've read every book but I have to admit that the series has bee..."
I gave up on the Runelords as I tried to read the first book one morning for three hours, and nothing.
I LOVED Malazan, and really like ASoIaF, but got bored to tears byThe Name of the Wind,
Gentlemen Bastards, and
The New Sun
Josh wrote: "For me, Thomas Covenant, Sword of Truth, and, oddly enough, The Name of the Wind.
It just felt like the whole book was one unlikable character going around doing things aimlessly without any rea..."
I agree Josh. I couldn't get into Thomas Covenant and gave up by Book #2. I've tried to read The Name of the Wind twice due to the great reviews it gets, but just can't find the interest to finish it. It kind of bored me.
J.W. wrote: "have to agree on Goodkind's work ... I more or less enjoyed the first one. they went downhill fast after that."What about his later work? I stopped reading him after the first few books I read turned out poorly, but has he improved at all?
I like the first one. Very deep, and I kept going, "Dude, where did you come up with that?"But, his politics and military. Ugh. Goodkind's military strategy is ludicrous.
He's got Sword and Armor armies that number in the hundreds of thousands. Obviously, he's never read Hans Delbruk. Armies like that would have such massive wagon trains and extended march orders that they'd almost be impossible to feed or maneuver.
Hans Delbruk debunked sources that claimed that Alexander faced over 3,000,000 Persians at Guagamela by pointing out that if they spaced their troops at all like Prussian march order from the 1800's, that the tail of the column would be leaving the capital just as the head was reaching the field.
Goodkind's Sword of Truth summed up.Book 1 - Stop the Bad Dude from doing the Bad Thing. Interesting world, good characters, nice start to a series maybe.
Book 2 - Oops We Messed Up and now We Must Fix It. Decent follow up book.
Books 3 to however many - Richard/Kahlan has been Kidnapped! Oh noes! Wander around the world to find him/her and stop to Lecture the dumb sheep peasants on how to Save Themselves and Be Independant. But mostly Richard is Angry! and They Save the Day and Lead the Battle and All in the Last Chapter! and Richard is Still Angry!
In later books, the very aptly named Richard is completely insufferable.Richard knows the "Truth". Richard can use "Reason" to find the "Truth". Never mind the GIGO principle. Reason will get you to Truth every time.
And, of course, Richard is never wrong.
JohnViril wrote: "In later books, the very aptly named Richard is completely insufferable.Richard knows the "Truth". Richard can use "Reason" to find the "Truth". Never mind the GIGO principle. Reason will get you..."
LOL. Sounds like his political views are showing.
Hmm..I have found my fantasy tastes tend toward the darker and grittier, more adult, than LOTR, Shanara, and similar epics.
I too do not get the Sword of Truth series, thought it was ok, nothing spectacular. I found it similar to the Wheel of time, which I found better written; but moved sooooo slooooow
Regarding the Malaazan books, confession time, I love them, but find them more work to read...I have the next one for me, Reapers Gale on the shelf, and have been putting it off.
Scott wrote: "Regarding the Malaazan books, confession time, I love them, but find them more work to read...I have the next one for me, Reapers Gale on the shelf, and have been putting it off."
Reapers Gale was when my joy of reading the series became hard work.
Reapers Gale was when my joy of reading the series became hard work.
I can't stand GRRM. He seems to have a good plot within his books, he just spends too much time on all the filler BS. It's not enjoyable reading at all.
Michele wrote: "Goodkind's Sword of Truth summed up.Book 1 - Stop the Bad Dude from doing the Bad Thing. Interesting world, good characters, nice start to a series maybe.
Book 2 - Oops We Messed Up and now We M..."
This post made me laugh and smile - because it's funny but also because it hits the mark perfectly.
For me probably The Name of the Wind, i felt like Ruthfuss is wasting his talent and my time. Moreover A Wizard of Earthsea, i found the prose painful to read
Matina wrote: "For me probably The Name of the Wind, i felt like Ruthfuss is wasting his talent and my time. Moreover A Wizard of Earthsea, i found the prose painful to read"Yes, I could not finish The Wise Man's Fear at all
Kevin wrote: "I guess all the people who dislike Goodkind did not agree with his political views?"Not at all. He leaves nothing to the imagination (he explains everything rather than allowing you to induce the feelings of his characters) and his writing style is stilted (the words just don't flow well and often seem like he is prostilitizing) I often read books by folks with differing political and religious views as I find it aids me in understanding them. But I insist that the books I read be well written. Mr. Goodkinds simply aren't.
I think people hate him because he jams his political views down your throat through Richard. This does not work especially when the reader does not agree with his political viewpoint. But he does this to a degree because his writings and characters are suppose to be similar to Ayn Rand's books, and many don't like her books for similar reasons.
Matina wrote: "For me probably The Name of the Wind, i felt like Ruthfuss is wasting his talent and my time. Moreover A Wizard of Earthsea, i found the prose painful to read"I felt it was more of the character of Kvothe being a arrogant know it all.
Kevin wrote: "I think people hate him because he jams his political views down your throat through Richard. This does not work especially when the reader does not agree with his political viewpoint. But he does ..."I don't care for politics in books. Period. I get enough of it at home. Online. On the news. I use reading as an escape from all that. So when an author brings too much of their views into their writing, on the right or left, I get turned off by it.
I have read Tolkien, but I have to admit that I can't stand his writing style. Superior? Hardly. He broke the versimilitude in his work over and over and that alone is enough for me to hate the book. Once you burst the bubble, you've killed the story. I couldn't get through the Sword of Truth series. I never even finished the first book. The characters were 2D and fell in love but know nothing about each other? Stop. I just can't do that. There's damn near zero interaction between them and you want me to believe they're madly in love? I just can't.
Nienna wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I think people hate him because he jams his political views down your throat through Richard. This does not work especially when the reader does not agree with his political viewpoint..."Nienna, what about "politics" that don't pertain to our world? Like say, political scheming to achieve a particular end within the context of the fantasy world? So that you don't get anything that you would recognize as "Republican" "Democrat", "Libertarian" or "Constitutional".
JohnViril wrote: "Nienna wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I think people hate him because he jams his political views down your throat through Richard. This does not work especially when the reader does not agree with his poli..."Well. That's a tough one to answer. Because I do like historical novels and historical fantasy. And series like A Song of Ice and Fire. So I guess I can read books that have some political themes in them. But when it turns into a right vs left, Republican vs Democrat, Conservative vs Liberal, etc thing I automatically tune out. I hate the Us vs Them of politics. My family is very political, very outspoken, and very argumentive about their beliefs and so avoid it as much as possible in my reading.
Paul wrote: "The Paksennarion series by Elizabeth Moon. Read the first book and it did nothing for me. I've read glowing reviews about how it is the way a paladin should be portrayed; I just guess I simply don'..."My problem is that in the first book, the first half was pretty good, but the second half of the book, it was too cliche as everyone is in trouble, and only the main character has the ability to save them as the main character somehow always avoid capture.
I'm another one who disliked Wizard's First Rule. I thought the plot was derivative, the characters were unrealistic, and the violence was sophomoric. I don't mind reading about politics I disagree with, unless it's poorly written, but the consensus seems to be that Goodkind didn't do it very well. I'm honestly not sure what he did do well.I'll probably offend some people here, but I also really didn't get anything by David Eddings, R.A. Salvatore, or Anne McCaffery. Oh, and I didn't like The Black Company.
For me, my tastes have change as I've gotten older as well. I actually didn't mind Goodkind when I was in my early twenties and read the Sword of Truth series until the end of Book #4, but then it lost my interest. I enjoyed Eddings in my late teens. But haven't read anything by either author for some time.Part of my "problem" is that I really like trilogies. Give me three books and I'm happy. Four books in a series at a pinch. I find that generally after three or four books, I usually want the author to give me something else, something fresh.
Agree. 3-4 books is the perfect length for me. Or at least authors who break their books up into smaller series. Like Robin Hobb. Her Farseer, Liveship, and Tawny Man trilogies can be read together or read on their own.
Nienna wrote: "JohnViril wrote: "Nienna wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I think people hate him because he jams his political views down your throat through Richard. This does not work especially when the reader does not a..."Part of it, I think, is that he really does jam it down your throat. The avatar of his views is held up to be this perfect, amazing person but all of his opponents that hold different views are depicted as stupid, ignorant, and not worth a damn. The best politically-oriented fiction provides an interesting examination of the issues, not simply a straw man attack.
The only series I hated entirely this far is the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series by Karen Miller. Those book were completely shit in my opinion. Both the writing and the storyline.Book 1 of Malazan was horrible. It was like a bad World of Warcraft rehash, but I persevered and found book 2 much better. Although I have to say that I have now put the series on hold to read some more casual stuff (which is almost everything in the fantasy genre).
I didn't dislike Goodkind, but his stories became to repetitive. The same can be said for WoT and in addition to that the WoT had some pretty horrible characters. Especially the women were awful and I hated Matt so badly I quit the series at book 6.
Sieger wrote: "I didn't dislike Goodkind, but his stories became to repetitive. The same can be said for WoT and in addition to that the WoT had some pretty horrible characters. Especially the women were awful and I hated Matt so badly I quit the series at book 6."Why did you get to book 6 if you hated the series? *scratching head*
I´m in book 1. I just don´t like the feeling of it. Will probably never finish it.
Sieger wrote: "The only series I hated entirely this far is the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series by Karen Miller. Those book were completely shit in my opinion. Both the writing and the storyline.Book 1 of Malazan ..."
I felt that Kingmaker Kingbreaker could have been one book as there were parts in the two books that seemed to drag on with no detail or anything happening.
Sieger wrote: "The only series I hated entirely this far is the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series by Karen Miller. Those book were completely shit in my opinion. Both the writing and the storyline.Book 1 of Malazan ..."
I tried to get what people liked about the series and to be honest the first book was nice and even up until the third book it was pretty okay, but then it became more and more repetitive. It sort of became a loop with characters having the same feelings en the same conversations over and over again. Finally at book six I gave up. Have you never forced yourself to continue with a series just because a lot of people told you it was great. I can name a dozen books I finished which I didn't like because people told me to keep reading, the foremost example being any of Dan Browns books which are of topic here :P.
I am probably one of the only ones that think that both of Sanderson book that came out in the fall of 2010 The Way of Kings and The Alloy of Law were horrible books, but I still bought them when they came out. The problem with Way of Kings I could not get attached to a character being a slave bridges, and The Alloy of Law felt too cliche and trope type of a book.
I like The Way of Kings but I do think it is way too repetitive. I honestly don't think it needed to be as long as it is.
I tried reading the first WoT bookThe Eye of the Worldover a decade ago and having just come off reading A Game of Thrones I found it cliched, dull, and boring. I've never given it a second chance because of everything I've been told or read about it since then,even my friends who have loved it could never really convince me it was worth my time.It just seems like something best read when you're a teenager or very young adult.
Political views are why I can't stand any of Stephen King's newer books
Chiming in with my 10 cents...I could not understand why anyone would waste time on the Twilight series. I read the first book, though it was so poorly written it made me nauseous, and I tried reading the second, only getting halfway before I just threw it against the wall in frustration that the protagonist is a complete idiot. I also didn't get into GRR Martin's Game of Thrones series, mainly because it was obviously more about politics than it was about fantasy and people and relationships, plus there was the whole grim horror aspect that I really dislike (I am NOT a fan of the horror genre, and I do not get why people like to be scared or revolted). But I have read and enjoyed some of GRRM's other books, like a Song for Lya. I also read 5 of the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, and I tried to read the 6th book, but it was getting repetitive and boring and I just got bored with all the battles and war and bloodshed. Also, lots of going on and on about politics and soforth always turns me off. Oh, and I never understood how anyone could get past the first book in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series. Awful man who writes awful books.
Oh, and I have to say that original Thomas Covenant series was okay until the total BS ending, where the main character just dissolves! I was so pissed off at Stephen Donaldson that I wanted to strangle him, and then I read his "The Real Story" and I was so offended by the misogyny and total BS in the way he treated rape and his female characters that I vowed not to read another one of his books, ever. And I haven't. I felt the same way about Harlan Ellison's "A Boy and His Dog"
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Ship Who Searched (other topics)The Eye of the World (other topics)
A Game of Thrones (other topics)
The Alloy of Law (other topics)
The Way of Kings (other topics)
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Steven Erikson (other topics)Steven Erikson (other topics)
Steven Erikson (other topics)
