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Which Fantasy Author Did You Find Most Disappointing?
MrsJoseph wrote: "Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "LeGuin huh... Well, I don't really hate her but I've not really been able to get into her stuff either.I have only tried the Earthsea series. One of the few times I'..."
Did you not like Earthsea because the way it was written? Some people could not read Lord of the Rings because it was written.
I just didn't care for the way the world was laid out in some ways. I read WoE but never got really involved. I suppose it was a good idea, but honestly, it just never rung true and didn't stay with me.
I think the style that Jordan wrote the first three books were like more like traditional fantasy, but the fourth book to me is where he changes direction.
The Dread Pirate Grant wrote: "Lol...Denae you missed our original boiled okra convo a few months ago. It's me and you against the world on the boiled okra front ;)"I had a co-worker who not only liked boiled okra, he also liked some sort of soup that was always made for Mardi Gras that has turkey necks and boiled okra. Sounded fascinating and like something I'd like to try.
Kevin wrote: "Did you not like Earthsea because the way it was written? Some people could not read Lord of the Rings because it was written. "I don't know. Something about it made me not care what was going to happen next. I was just blah about it. I felt the same way about the Riverworld series. I liked To Your Scattered Bodies Go but I didn't like it enough to finish the rest of the series. Too bad I didn;t figure that out until I'd bought all of them. I think I might read those one day, just on GP.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Did you not like Earthsea because the way it was written? Some people could not read Lord of the Rings because it was written. "I don't know. Something about it made me not care ..."
I felt the same one with Riverworld. I stop at book three, I felt that was going in all different directions.
I can't say I've found him "the most disappointing" but I've "that experience" as mentioned about The River World books with almost everything I can remember picking up by Philip José Farmer, well, not almost everything, everything. It seems mostly to be a case of good ideas but execution I didn't care for all that much.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I can't say I've found him "the most disappointing" but I've "that experience" as mentioned about The River World books with almost everything I can remember picking up by Philip José Farmer, well,..."Good to know! Maybe I won't read the rest...
I'd have to say Robin Hobb with her Liveship Traders series was one of the biggest disappointments I've come across. Wheel of Time 7, 8, 9 were pretty bad, but I've hope again!
After yesterday's reading of Darkfever I have to say the most disappointing reads lately have been the urban paranormal romance that's a lot more like chick-lit. Which I hate.
Carol wrote: "After yesterday's reading of Darkfever I have to say the most disappointing reads lately have been the urban paranormal romance that's a lot more like chick-lit. Which I hate."I truly HATED that book, Carol
Carol wrote: "After yesterday's reading of Darkfever I have to say the most disappointing reads lately have been the urban paranormal romance that's a lot more like chick-lit. Which I hate."I like the occasional PNR read but I too hated this book. The heroine is just so...Barbie. I thought I was the one lone female who doesn't love it. :)
no...I called it Mary Sue goes to Ireland to yell at people. lol
Whew! Such a relief to find other women feel the same--there were a lot of 4 and 5 star Goodreads reviews. Seriously, Maggie--it must be the only book I've ever read where someone hated everything in Ireland. I had read A Discovery of Witches right before, which wasn't much better. I'm now cleansing my palate with Monster Hunter International. Which leads me to think we need a phrase for the male version of chick-lit. :)
In defense of Darkfever, I think the main character starts off that way so she can grow throughout the series. Each book does get progressively better. I know a lot of people who would say book 5 (the last one) is a 6 star book. I don't agree, but if you normally like PNR/UF books, it might be worth continuing.
Actually, in terms of "disappointing reads," the urban PNR is often a let down. I went looking for an urban version of Marion Zimmer Bradley or Andre Norton. I assume part of the premise is strong heroines coping with an unusual environment, maybe with a little romance thrown in. I feel like authors frequently write about what they think of as "normal" women: clothes-obsessed characters who love to talk, frequently require (male) protection despite best intentions, get in trouble because they don't use a more thoughtful approach, and generally fall into model of privilege, barmaids non-withstanding. The language of the stories themselves is often simplistic.
Yasmine is an incredibly sweet person and a good friend to have in a critique group. For disappointing authors, I second Goodkind and Hamilton. I thought the first Goodkind book sucked and only made it about 3/4 of the way through before finally giving up. Never picked up another.
I'll also add Lois McMaster Bujold, who I do recognize as a gifted writer but whose work I found dull, and it was "disappointing" only in that I'd heard so many good things that I was really looking forward to her books.
Oh, I know. No offense taken. Just thought I'd throw in a nice word about her. She's a neat lady. Her books are not my type of reading, though I wouldn't mind getting to the point where something I write turns up on the shelf at Walmart :)
R. Scott wrote: "Yasmine is an incredibly sweet person and a good friend to have in a critique group. For disappointing authors, I second Goodkind and Hamilton. I thought the first Goodkind book sucked and only m..."
Oh how could I forget the squalid heap of writing Goodkind has produced.
Squalid heap.....that is a perfect turn of phrase to describe Goodkinds later writing!
Jessie wrote: "I'd have to say Robin Hobb with her Liveship Traders series was one of the biggest disappointments I've come across."Well that was something I wasn't expecting to see here.
I saw Eddings crop up a couple of times. I remember stopping his books when I was in highschool, but damned if I can remember why I no longer liked them. Maybe I'll have to go back to some of them.
Rob wrote: "Jessie wrote: "I'd have to say Robin Hobb with her Liveship Traders series was one of the biggest disappointments I've come across."Well that was something I wasn't expecting to see here.
I saw ..."
I know I am in a small minority. It just didn't work for me. :(
I've read 2 books by Hobb, the first 2 in the Soldier's Son series. i like the first and detested the second...I mean it's one of those I'd have given less than a star if I could have. I didn't list her work however as I'm told those books aren't typical of her.As for Eddings, his work just never engaged me. I read one book way back when and all I remember about it is the protagonist traveling back and forth from place to place. The entire book seemed to be a series of "trips".
Eddings is all about the Great Quest. All his books are like that because he has a formula. The formula is:
- coming of age
- Great Quest
- Magic item
Hummm.... doesn't exactly inspire one to go, look up his work, does it?
Lol, not really but I enjoy it for the simplicity.
I dont know who did you the disservice of starting your sojourn into Robin Hobbs with the Soldier Son trilogy Mike but you oughta full arm slap them in the face. Ridiculous. For all thats good, pick yourself up a copy of Assassin's Apprentice and wash the taste out of your mouth with a bit of awesomeness.
The Dread Pirate Grant wrote: "I dont know who did you the disservice of starting your sojourn into Robin Hobbs with the Soldier Son trilogy Mike but you oughta full arm slap in the face. Ridiculous. For all thats good, pick you..."*grin*
YOu really like this series :-)
Thanks Grant...I'm more of a web of the hand to the larynx, guy.
It's true, MrsJ ;). Hobbs is to me what Lackey is to you ;)
lol! Rabid, huh? lol! Promise to crack them open the day they arrive......still have noticed NO Lackey on your list *folds arms and raises eyebrows*
I am not up on this (sorry, I'll have to catch up). I find Lackey is hot and cold for me. Some of her books I like a lot, and others seemed as if she needed a couple of bucks so rushed a book out and it got published.I have another set of Robin Hobbs books on my shelves waiting Grant. Unfortunately it's somewhere in the back of one of my double loaded shelves, so I don't know exactly where or which series. I'll hopefully get to it soon...within a year or so in other words. :)
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I am not up on this (sorry, I'll have to catch up). I find Lackey is hot and cold for me. Some of her books I like a lot, and others seemed as if she needed a couple of bucks so rushed a book out a..."I can see how you could say that...I became a fan long before I ran into those books...so I just sucked it up and read them regardless, lol. I think I read once that she wants to go out as one of the most prolific writers ever. She still has a ways to go...
I remember reading The Lark And The Wren and thinking what a great book, so I picked up like 3 other of her "Bards" series. They got weaker as they went. It was that way with several of her books. Now I have a couple that have waited for years on my shelves that I keep just setting back. I know she can write, I'm just not big on a lot of her work. Of course some of that could just be personal taste.
I've never read Lackey. That's something I'll have to fix, soon.
I haaven't read it yet, but I picked up Lark and Wren over at Baen free books for, well, free! Try that one Jason
I will keep that in mind! Thanks, Maggie!
I just went to the Bean website. They are giving away so many ebooks!!! Awesome find! Thanks again, Maggie!
If I knew you didn't know about it, Id have told you earlier!
I know, I know MrsJ. Okay I just finished a zombie book sensei turned me onto so tell me which Lackey book to read and I'll dl it tonight :)
You just did tell me about it, Maggie! :)
The Dread Pirate Grant wrote: "I know, I know MrsJ. Okay I just finished a zombie book sensei turned me onto so tell me which Lackey book to read and I'll dl it tonight :)"Well, first - what are you in the mood for? she does a bunch of different styles and flavors, including urban. My favorite series is her Heralds of Valdemar starting with Arrows of the Queen because it explains what is going on...
Tracey wrote: "They caught me with The Shadow of the Lion - there was a free preview somewhere, and before I knew it I was ignoring the budget and buying the hardcover. I thought it was fantastic -..."Loved The Shadow of the Lion!
I also love Joust. I'm ok with Alta but I didn't care for the last two at all. The last two should have been 1 book AND the ending was just...abrupt. But since I have the first two books I've given serious consideration to buying the last two just to read the ending during a re-read.
I would love to share some of my most disappointing reads, but the truth is I have a hard time remembering the names of the authors and their respective books for two reasons:1. it has been about six or seven years since i ran across a book that i didn't like
2. i didn't finish reading the books and never purchased it...so out of sight out of mind.
I will say the last time i dropped a series was David Gemmel's Rigante series. I loved the first two books but the third seemed to close to modern times for me to get into it (I love books where they get to use swords). I think that had more to do with me and not Gemmel's writing however. The story went past the era I was interested in. He is still one of my favorite authors though.
*waves* Hi everyone! This is a great topic (and reading through, it seems like I'm in good company in my dislikes). I won't bother to harp on Twilight as it's been done so well by so many: suffice to say it's rare that I actually throw a book across the room, and I dented the wall with that one. I absolutely loved the first 5 or so books in LKH's Anita Blake series, and then they became (IMO) minimally plotted vehicles for increasingly repetitive sex scenes, with so many "mirror" moments it seems like her MC is perpetually out of body. But I wasn't really surprised by these: I'd already heard from fellow readers, and I just had to see for myself.
Books I was surprised not to like: Robin Hobb's Dragon Keeper. I loved her Farseer and Tawny Man books, and I really wanted to love Dragon Keeper, but it just dragged for me.
Also, (don't kill me) I was disappointed by the last 3 books of King's Dark Tower series. They weren't bad, exactly, but I felt like they lost some of the stark drama and mystery of the first 4 books, and I wasn't impressed by the, erm, massive authorial intrusion.
I am still hugely fangirl-squee-psyched about the movies, though. :)
Gwyanna - did you read her Liveship series before Dragon Keeper? Dragon Keeper is more a follow up to Liveship than Farseer and Tawny Man, so if you hadn't read Liveship, that might explain not loving the Dragon ones as much.
Fantasy Aficionados
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Tantalize (other topics)Tantalize (other topics)
Sword and Sorceress (other topics)
Temple of the Winds (other topics)
Memories of Ice (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Mercedes Lackey (other topics)Terry Goodkind (other topics)
Steven Erikson (other topics)
David Eddings (other topics)
Robert Jordan (other topics)
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I have only tried the Earthsea series. One of the few times I've purchased only book 1 in a series before readin. I didn't like it that much.