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Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:12 pm
by RocketScientist
Not a big Feist fan. I tried reading the Serpentwar series, and I liked the first one, but Rise of a Merchant Prince bored the heck out of me. I gave up after that. But I seem to have a whole bunch of his older books, so maybe I'll give him another shot eventually.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:53 am
by Arydra
RocketScientist, have you ever read Jordan's New Spring? I found it at a bookstore a few days ago and I just finished reading it.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:06 pm
by RocketScientist
I haven't. Is that the prequel?
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:06 pm
by Arydra
Yes, it is all about how Moiraine meets Lan. I actually quite liked it, although it was short it did have it's moments.
Also, finished Memory of Light yet?
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:19 pm
by RocketScientist
Yep. The day before yesterday. Great end to the series. I still can't believe it ended. Wow.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:40 am
by Arydra
What where your favorite parts in the book?
► Show Spoiler
Mine was honestly Mat and his relationship with the Empress. Also, I laughed a lot during the part with the people from Hinderstrap.
While the parts about Rand's conflict with the Dark One was important, it really was dwarfed by the rest of the character's struggles, which was the focus of the book. Also, what did you think about Egewene dieing?
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:09 pm
by RocketScientist
► Show Spoiler
The Hinderstrap people were awesome.
And I liked the idea of using the canons... er, dragons, through gateways. That was genius. Egwene had kind of been bugging me with her brat fight with Rand. She always seemed to grow childish around him. So I was kind of glad she got to redeem herself and show her real strengths. I wasn't affected by her death really until Mat found out about it. The way he seemed so thrown by it is what made it hit me. I was really expecting to find out that Olver was Gaidal Cain, though, so that was a surprise. I still think he was/is.
I think the most surprising things to me were the Sharans showing up (never saw that coming), and Min. I've never liked Min. She's always seemed really annoying to me. But I think with Tuon giving her the doomsayer position, she really came into her own. She seemed to surprise everyone with that, too. lol. I was really impressed with Mat's storyline, and with Logain. I always liked him. I almost feel like I need to read the whole thing over again from book 1, though. I did a complete read through just before Towers of Midnight came out, but I'm probably due a full reading. Eventually.
I think I need to get a Kindle or some other kind of tablet/eReader, though. I've got an awful lot of books taking up an awful lot of space, and yet I need more. lol.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:01 pm
by Arydra
► Show Spoiler
I never saw the Sharans coming either. I had thought he would have had control over Murandy or the Black Tower, but that idea was thrown out quickly. I actually went back and looked at the map to try and find out who he could have had control over. I would have to agree with you about Min, she was always just seemed somewhat out of place, right up until Fortuna made her a part of the court. I myself was surprised when Logain refused to go after the sa'angreal, and instead decided to help the civilians instead. I had expected him to leave part of his force, while the rest searched for the sa'angreal.
Olver does not strike me as being Gaidal Cain reborn. Olver is to old and not "ugly" enough. More likely Gaidal Cain was reborn into a new body somewhere else. Although, it would be hysterical (and a little improbable) if Briget was reborn as one of Elayne's children.
You should definitely do a comprehensive read of the series. However, you should also try and include A New Spring, it is short and funny
.
ick, a kindle. I only read actual books, not e-books. My little collection is growing all the time and I am going to have to add a new bookcase to continue storing all of my books. Just this last weekend I bought 5 new books, including the Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:01 pm
by RocketScientist
► Show Spoiler
idk, they did say over and over how ugly Olver was. And how he had a nose that looked like a squashed potato. Plus he hated Brigitte on first sight, which she said Gaidal always does. He seemed like a good fit to me.
If I keep buying physical books, I'll end up on Hoarders.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 10:18 pm
by Arydra
► Show Spoiler
I never remember them saying if Olver was ugly or not. On the upside, you just gave me a reason to re-read the whole series again from books 1! Thanks rocket!
Wanna race to see who ends up their first?
I could see the episode now.
"This all began on a forum on the internet. A group of people made a commitment to keep buying physical books until they could no longer get out of their houses. Now, the brave team of Hoarders will enter these houses, along with the fire department, to rescue these poor souls. We will be right back after these messages..."
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:21 am
by RocketScientist
► Show Spoiler
Welcome. Meanwhile:
http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/Olver wrote:Appearance: He is referred to as being very ugly with a massive, squashed nose, big ears that stick out, and a mouth which is too wide. He is gaunt.
Later on the page it does say that Jordan said Olver wasn't Cain, though. I don't know. I'm not convinced. The page on that site about Cain said that some people thought/think Cain is Jur Grady's infant son.
Anyway you still have to read it again.
We will be crushed by books before they get to us.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:23 pm
by Arydra
Not really. If we stacked the books just right and had a chute so someone could give us food each day we could totally live for quite a while. And it is not like we would ever get bored, with that many books you would think that we could find something to read.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:50 am
by Alavar
RocketScientist wrote:► Show Spoiler
idk, they did say over and over how ugly Olver was. And how he had a nose that looked like a squashed potato. Plus he hated Brigitte on first sight, which she said Gaidal always does. He seemed like a good fit to me.
If I keep buying physical books, I'll end up on Hoarders.
secondhand bookshops. They do miracles to us, bookhoarders. It might be painful at first, but sometimes necessary (I should know, I went through this phase recently. Now I have room for new books
)
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:03 pm
by RocketScientist
I'm trying to do this now. I'm dividing the books I don't need into sell/give away/donate piles. Ugh. I've condensed my bookshelves some. They almost all fit on the full length wall shelves now, rather than needing extra shelving as well.
This is the spring cleaning from hell, is what it is.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:47 am
by WastesTime
I'm arranging a flat that I'm soon moving into with my fiancee and we thought of a great idea - a whole wall covered with shelves. It's gonna be one big segment with squares as shelves. It will look a bit like this:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsics ... o1_500.jpg
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:48 am
by John
That is really rad. I am a huge fan of recessed bookshelves. But depending on the architecture of the walls, it can be a pain to implement if they weren't planned for when the walls went up.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:46 pm
by lingrem
I want walls high enough to need a ladder!
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 10:52 pm
by RocketScientist
I love that! I want rooms big enough that I don't have furniture against every bit of wall. I could definitely use a ladder up to my top bookshelf. I have to stand on my desk to move the books around on it.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:02 am
by Arydra
So you want a personal library similar to the one in Disney's Beauty and the Beast?
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:32 am
by RocketScientist
That would save me from having to throw out books I'm probably never going to read.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:05 am
by firefly
Very cool list (I am way behind, only read 6 of the - I am counting series as just one book)
Alavar wrote:SamWiser wrote:Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.
Ugh... I despise those. I never really got through Sado-Masochistic rape (-ish?) content of first book, and didn't get "greatness" vibe from it before that. (I was told it gets better, though). Nobody seem to mention this - be warned
It doesn't really get better for long. The first book wasn't really the most gruesome one, in my opinion. I did read them all but at one point had to put the books down and clear my head for a week or so (not sure which volume, but not one of the first I think). I read very fast and in bulks so the whole thing messed with me a bit.
You made me miss the Mists of Avalon. I must go back to the library and dig them up. Also the Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King is very fun. Oh the tales I could tell you about napkins in that book
And not darker than most fairytales. I once got a copy for an 11 year old.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Sat May 03, 2014 7:17 am
by Benjarrus
I wonder if anyone has read the series of books that begins with "Goblin Hero"? Thunt and his wonderful comic/characters and humor inspired me to look for more goblins in my reading. The books in this series are a great read, I recommend them to Goblin fans.
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 2:37 pm
by Mec
I would like to add to the canon:
Bram Stoker, Dracula
I don't know whether Stoker created a lot of the characteristics of vampires or whether he copied from earlier stories. But either way, his Count Dracula is all-out terrifying, even today. Stoker is good at building suspense and characters for many chapters before a battle breaks loose.
(This makes me feel like writing an article for Cracked.com: 6 things your grandparents liked that mop the floor with this generation's weaksauce.)
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 2:45 pm
by WastesTime
Mec wrote:I would like to add to the canon:
Bram Stoker, Dracula
I don't know whether Stoker created a lot of the characteristics of vampires or whether he copied from earlier stories. But either way, his Count Dracula is all-out terrifying, even today. Stoker is good at building suspense and characters for many chapters before a battle breaks loose.
(This makes me feel like writing an article for Cracked.com: 6 things your grandparents liked that mop the floor with this generation's weaksauce.)
"Dracula" is the landmark, but in Gothic fiction, not fantasy
But I definitely agree with what you just said - Stoker's magnum opus is amazing!
Re: Fantasy Books Canon
Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 5:13 pm
by ChuckDaRighteous
I'd say Frank Herbert's is a must read. Surprised it and the sequels are not on the list. The prequels his son did were pretty good too.
Also thought the Eragorn series by Christopher Paolini was a worthwhile read.