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Recommend-A-Book
TorturdChaos:
Thought I would add some more to this list. I have been unpacking some of my books...that have been in boxes for about a year now...
Anyways, just re-read The Belgariad series & The Malloreon series by David Eddings, each are 5 ~400pg ish books, take place one after another. Were out of print for a while, but have recently be re-print in 2 volumes for each one. Books 1-3 in one volume, then books 4&5 in the second. It is a very stero-typicle fantasy storyline for both books, with rather stereotypical characters, but I feel Eddings does a good job of using the stereotypes to add comedy to the books.
Ok thats it for now, when I finish reading another series I'll add it on here If i liked it.
forevr:
The problem with Eddings is his language use. It's way too simple imho.
Great for beginners but not good enough for those of us who has read books in English for years now.
They are childrens books.
I've finished "The First Law" by Joe Abercrombie and the spinn-off "Best Served Cold"
Currently reading a biography about Madame de Pompadour.
Ixarku:
--- Quote from: forevr on September 10, 2009, 10:42:27 PM ---The problem with Eddings is his language use. It's way too simple imho.
Great for beginners but not good enough for those of us who has read books in English for years now.
They are childrens books.
--- End quote ---
I can agree with this. I enjoyed the Belgariad / Mallorean when I was in high school twenty years ago, but the books didn't age well when I reread them a few years ago.
I stumbled across Guy Gavriel Kay's "The Fionavar Tapestry" recently and just finished the first book today. Kay assisted Christopher Tolkien in editing "The Silmarillion". I'm impressed with his writing so far -- the Tolkien influences are very obvious, of course, but Kay manages to combine the good elements of Tolkien's style with his own strong characterizations. There’s an immediacy and a very human element to Kay’s characters that makes them appealing as heroes and heroines.
lStealtherl:
Guy Gavriel Kay is (or was, I don't read much anymore except for studies) one of my favourite fantasy authors. I'm not as sure you can see the Tolkien influences (although you can read in reviews everywhere that points them out, I prefer to make an opinion of my own, and in my case I don't see much, he has enough to stand on his own), but since the story is an alternative version of the Arthur legend that's where I see similarites. Except for the Fionavar I particularly like Tigana and The Lions of Al-Rassan.
Ixarku:
--- Quote from: lStealtherl on September 13, 2009, 08:47:37 PM ---Guy Gavriel Kay is (or was, I don't read much anymore except for studies) one of my favourite fantasy authors. I'm not as sure you can see the Tolkien influences (although you can read in reviews everywhere that points them out, I prefer to make an opinion of my own, and in my case I don't see much, he has enough to stand on his own), but since the story is an alternative version of the Arthur legend that's where I see similarites. Except for the Fionavar I particularly like Tigana and The Lions of Al-Rassan.
--- End quote ---
The following is just my perspective, of course; you or anyone else is more than welcome to disagree. :) I haven't actually read any reviews of Kay's stuff, and I didn't know anything about his background until I was halfway through The Summer Tree, but by then I had already formed my opinion. Certain similiarities with Tolkien leaped out at me immediately – Rakoth as a variation on Morgoth, is just one example.
In Fionavar, at least, Kay does a lot of world building like many other fantasy authors, but it's his choice of words when he delivers the backstory which to me is very reminiscent of Tolkien. As well, the heroes and villains native to Fionavar tend to display the same sort of larger-than-life characteristics that Tolkien’s characters often show. Kay also tends to use more elaborate language when portraying scenes of epic battles and similar external confrontations.
But what I really like about Kay’s writing is that he also mixes his style up. In contrast to the Tolkien-esque elements, he also at times switches to a very direct, almost “old school” style of writing that reminds me of, say, Roger Zelazny or Philip Jose Farmer. Actions tend to be short and to the point. Descriptions of things extraneous to the immediate scene are minimal. Dialogue is direct, and word choice / sentence structure tend to be simpler. He resorts to this other style particularly when he’s delving into the internal conflicts of his characters, especially those from Earth. With this approach, Kay makes it very easy to relate to his characters as people as well as heroes.
I think what it boils down to is that Kay takes certain essentials of Tolkien’s style – mainly the things that a lot of fantasy fans would think of as “epic” – but he avoids the pitfall of becoming too enraptured with his own creation. He combines the best elements of Tolkien with an experienced writer’s sense of pacing and what makes for good drama – in short, I think he improves on Tolkien’s writing style considerably, adding a “modern” edge to it.
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