The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

[Fulseman]

I have had this book series recomended to me. Has anyone here read them?



I am about to finish the 10th book of the wheel of time. I enjoyed them a great deal and am looking for more.



Any other suggested reading?


http://www.drugwarfacts.org</p>

[Blazyn]

I read them a long time ago. I recall liking the books, and hating the main character - try the first one, you'll see. Have you read George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series? Very powerful, compelling stuff. After a long run of fantasy reading, I'm back on SF at the moment.


</p>

[Estral LC]

Yeah, the main characters in most of Stephen R. Donaldson's books are like the epitomy of anti-heroes. You love to hate them but at the same time find yourself cheering them on at times.



It's kind of eerie. heh


</p>

[Sskai]

Read them many times, well recommended.


<div style="text-align:center">http://sskai.homestead.com/files/evolution.jpg</div></p>

[Fulseman]

Thanks for the input. I don't know how the whole anti hero thing will go, but it might not be so bad.



What did you like about the Song of Fire and Ice books Blazyn?


http://www.drugwarfacts.org</p>

[Benrath]

It is pretty bad as anti-heros go, very different series to the Wheel of Time from memory.


</p>

I comparison to the Wheel of Time you might find them "Hard going".



I would say however if you feel like giving up after the first few hundred pages of the first book, stick with it, Donaldson is a master of emotion and character, but the setting of the scene is masterly and worth some "hard" reading.



Donlasdon is almost up there with Tolkien and as good as Robin Hobbs' Assassin & Liveship books (which are another top set).



The wheel of time books for me just ha d alinear feeling of an old DnD campaign.....(if that makes sense to anyone)


</p>

[Isloor]

I've read both the first and second chronicles countless times and really enjoy them. It can be tough going at first making the transition from the immaculate hero to a main character like TC but it's really a good read. I actually like the 2nd chronicles better overall but definitely start with the first trilogy.


</p>

[Fryarr]

I'm a very avid reader (have well over 200books at home) and the first time i read the chronicles i set it down after the first chapter or so. It starts slow and this usually drives me from reading things. Picked it up a bit later though and finished the whole set.



Very good read once you get past the beginning.





Also another good series is The Runelords (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812541626/ref=pd_sim_b_3/002-3647183-4032808?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance) By David Farland


</p>

[Twofists Afury]

If you liked the Wheel of Time, you will probably love the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind. I was a fan of the Sword of Truth Series, but by book 10 or so, there were so many subplots and characters I just kinda got lost in the journey. I hated how you would have a character mentioned briefly in book 2 and then they would pop outta nowhere in book 8 and I would think.. man... I remember that name.. who the hell is that?



I found myself rereading a ton of that just to make the pieces fit. Sword of Truth series is a great ride, and now that I think he is at book 10 or so... a great marathon read. Have read the current series 3 times now, awaiting the next book. Very highly recommended.


Never Play Leapfrog with Unicorns







Twofists Ofury (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=1182555)</p>

[Aviera Cerveth]

Kickass set of books


Aviera Cerveth

www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=274070 (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=274070)

</p>

[Gaereth]

Another vote for the Robin Hobb stuff. Very good reads.


</p>

[Blazyn]

This is easier than trying to give you my own review of George R. R. Martin:



www.amazon.com/gp/product...46&s=books



I don't think I've ever in my life physically dropped a book while reading it and said "Holy Shit!" - until I read these books. Tremendous story and character development. The only downside is that the first book starts off by introducing you to a large number of characters, and you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Just keep at it, you'll absorb it all and it's worth it.


</p>

I really disliked the Unbeliever stuff. Just no one in the books caught my fancy enough to care about them. Makes a great doorstop tho so I guess I'd recommend it if you have a problem with breezes slamming doors.



Love the Wheel of Time but I don't think Jordan is ever going to finish the series. He seems to like to take about 1.5 years between volumes. Excellent read tho.



Along sort of the same lines, you might enjoy David Eddings books. Two five volume sets: the Belgariad, and the Mallorean. Read them in that order.



As a bit of fluff you might also enjoy some old Zelazny. 'Nine Princes in Amber' to start.



In any case, I've got 20x7 feet of bookcase with nothing but paperbacks on them. I'll see what jumps off the shelf at me.




</p>

[Aarthebs]

I only read the first "Thomas Covenant" book and I just didn't get into it. I can definitely see how some people would love it, and others would just hate it. It's worth a shot, as its anti-hero is quite unique.



I'll gladly throw in my support for George Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series. Probably the best fantasy on the market today. Really can't say enough about this series, except that book 4 is taking entirely too long to get in my hands.



Hobb's assassin trilogy was pretty good. Not super-great or fantastic or anything, but definitely worth the read. It all takes place from a first-person PoV and Hobb really fleshes out her main character very, very well. Her character's names drove me bonkers, though. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":p">



As for the Sword of Truth series... well if you're a big fan of Ayn Rand and you looooooove authors who disguise their preachy bullshit behind a veil of fantasy, then you'll love Sword of Truth. Chock full of ridiculous plots, 1-dimensional heroes/villians, long, impassioned speeches that are really just Goodkind sneaking in his Ayn Rand agenda, and plenty of kinky sex scenes; SoT treads where other authors are too smart to go and leaves you angry at all creation wishing you could get your money back and beat the crap out of that pretencious, arrogant idiot of a writer who for some reason keeps getting book deals.



<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D">


Drop

MA/SR Scrapper of the Pinnacle Server!



Aartheb - Retired Monk - Formerly of Bertox</p>

[Estral LC]

I should have mentioned in my earlier post that Stephen R. Donaldson also has a sci-fi line of books known as "Gap" series (e.g. "The Gap into Conflict"). That series also features a unique and very potent anti-hero.



I kind of dragged myself through the TC series but I enjoyed the Gap books.


</p>

[Gorkeyah]

I found the gap books good page turners.


</p>

This is how I descirbe the difference between "Wheel of Time" and "Song of Ice and Fire"



In WoT, Jordan will write, "So-and-so told a joke and the characters around him laughed."



In SoIaF, the character will actually say the joke and you will laugh.



In WoT, a character will die and the characters around them will cry.



In SoIaF, characters die and you will cry (or maybe get really, really pissed off).



I'm not trying to badmouth WoT - I still love the series in spite of the previous two books - but no fantasy I've read compares to G.R.R. Marten's work aside from Tolkein.


</p>

[Mrisda]

Second George RR Marin. Excellent.



Thomas Covenant are some of my all time favorites. Excellent character development and psychological writing.



Sword of Truth was excellent up until after the third book. Then it got so preachy I thought I was being recruited by some undergroudn militia with their own currency and flag. His latest book brings back the feel of his first couple, though, and you can safely skip most of the speeches longer than 6 paragraphs and not miss much.



Robin Hobb is unbelievably excellent. Very different from most other types of fantasy.



I've got more, but I'll be writing for hours if I recommend fantasy.


EQ - Mrisda Mriswith - Retired

WoW - Azgra - Shaman

"I'm surprised you don't like Nine Inch Nails more, because, you know... you're a morbid fuck."</p>

[Isloor]

SoIaF is also another great series. That last book with the incident with Robb and Catelyn tore me up. I think I reread those last few pages of that chapter like 20 times and then out the book down to try and work through the shock.


</p>

[ScytheEQ]

Can't stand Donaldson. Can't stand Jordan. Martin I would recommend staying far away from from until he actually writes the last book, otherwise you'll be in limbo for years like these poor schmoes. Then read his books <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> .



I recommend Steven Brust and Glen Cook.


</p>

[Situl]

With the SoT series by Goodkind I agree with Mrisda. It started out great. I loved the first book. The second wasn't quite as good and the third less. After that it's mediocre at best to borderline poor. But the last book close to the same lvl as the third was. Of course the last book is near the end of the line. Only 2 more till he's done with the series. I really only think I kept buying them just hoping it'll end then to actually read them.



Another trilogy that I can't beleive no one mentioned is Tad Williams: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. That is the best fantasy series I've ever read. I don't want to give anything away about it but damn it's great. He put in some history of the world and left room for future adventures without plans of writing them, he just put it in there to let us know the world doesn't stop at the end of the books.


Situl Silverscale (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=121643) Saryrn Server EQ RETIRED



Situl (http://wow.allakhazam.com/profile.html?5291) Alleria WoW</p>

[Twofists Afury]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>As for the Sword of Truth series... well if you're a big fan of Ayn Rand and you looooooove authors who disguise their preachy bullshit behind a veil of fantasy, then you'll love Sword of Truth. Chock full of ridiculous plots, 1-dimensional heroes/villians, long, impassioned speeches that are really just Goodkind sneaking in his Ayn Rand agenda, and plenty of kinky sex scenes; SoT treads where other authors are too smart to go and leaves you angry at all creation wishing you could get your money back and beat the crap out of that pretencious, arrogant idiot of a writer who for some reason keeps getting book deals.<hr></blockquote>



Or, your opinion of the book isn't affected by what you think the authors RL agenda may be, and you enjoy the well written and detailed fight and battle scenes. Or, you enjoy the grittyness of some scenes where he isn't afraid to hurt your favorite characters, or test their loyalties.



If you personally didn't like the series then that is your opinion. However, the way you describe it, is if you did like the series, your a complete fucking idiot.


Never Play Leapfrog with Unicorns







Twofists Ofury (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=1182555)</p>

What is the overall feeling for Dragon Lance Series?


</p>

[Mrisda]

Most of them are very quality. Some shitty ones, but that's the same deal with Forgotten Realms.


</p>

[Lyndar]

SoT = junk imho.



WoT = ok.



Belgariad and Mallorean are good.



I like Stephen Brust.


</p>

[Daitan Niyan]

Donaldson: Very well developed character. Tough read, but character development was outstanding. I read them at a young age and was fascinated by them. The series is in actuality a "tragedy" with an "anti hero"



Jordan: In the beginning held the promise of a truly epic tale, much like Tolkien, however has been drawn out too long. Convoluted, and hard to follow sometimes, with way too many sub-plots going on to keep track of.



Eddings: Good storyteller, I just wish he'd find new "characters" I've read nearly all of his books, and I see too many of the same "character profiles" among the different series. They are still good stories, however knowing that i'm going to see the same character types over and over again leaves me saying "meh"



Martin: Awesome. Still haven't finished it, but the time to read for me lately has just not been there. The above poster was very accurate in describing your responses to occurances in the books... he makes you Feel.



Goodkind: I've enjoyed them, however, I think this story, like Jordan's WoT, has been drawn out too much. It's like movies and sequels.... sometimes you just have to finish the story.



Regards,



Daitan Niyan




</p>

[Benrath]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>

Jordan: In the beginning held the promise of a truly epic tale, much like Tolkien, however has been drawn out too long. Convoluted, and hard to follow sometimes, with way too many sub-plots going on to keep track of.

<hr></blockquote>



And the vast array of characters turned out to be just plain stupid. Personally, I just think he realised he was onto a good thing and has been trying to milk as much money out of readers as he can. But thats me being cynical I suppose.


</p>

[Ebbin]

See, I think the opposite..I think he hit a slump and has been forcing the last few novels. Either he has a block, or he's lost the passion for this series and can't figure out a way to finish the series without destroying any future ability to sell different books.


</p>