David Eddings

Yep, I like them too - I didn't know there was a new series out though so I'll have to look for it.

He's an entertaining writer - influenced by Lord of the Rings probably but still good.

Do you like Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks?

I'm sure that I've read the first dozen pages of a few Terry Brooks novels and not liked them. I believe the same is true of Anne McCaffrey, but if so, it would have been many, many years ago. What do you like about those two writers? What are their good points?

I've enjoyed the Eddings as pleasant, self-indulgent reading rather than as Great Literature or Ground Breaking Fantasy. I felt that Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress and The Rivan Codex were simply reshuffled working notes--overpriced and not terribly interesting.

The Redemption of Althalus seemed a little slow-moving and ponderous, but the fault could have been in me.

A complete bibliography:

http://scifan.com/writers/ee/EddingsDavid.asp

Two weeks ago I lent @The Belgariad@ to a sixty-five year old classmate who had read very little fantasy. She thought they were delightful escape reading.

Terry Brooks Running with the Demon was a very different storyline and quite dark. I enjoyed it. It is part of a series of 3. I can't say too much without giving away the storyline - like Eddings and McCaffrey they are entertaining, not heavy literature. It is worth trying Running with the Demon again?

McCaffrey - I like the way she creates worlds that interlink through various books , her imagination in creating alien species and ethoses (lord that probably isn't a proper word!). They are just a good read when you don't want something that needs too much concentration and a fun storyline (like Eddings).

I liked the Wizard of Earthsea trilogy by Ursula le Guin as well.

I'm a painter and not good at literary crit I'm afraid

Re: David Eddings


I've read the Belgariad. It was fine but i felt that some of the concepts weren't exactly original and the way it is presented, pales in contrast to other authors. For light reading/ entertainment probably.

Here is a link to an exerpt from Edding's latest:

http://www.twbookmark.com/books/63/0446532215/chapter_excerpt17594.html

Personally, I find Eddings discoursing on the gods a bit tedious. He's much better on the foibles of mortals. Still, I ordered the book from the Science Fiction Book Club--www.sfbc.com--and anticipate a Good Read.

I really loved the Ellenium and the Tamuli ..... I much prefered them over the Belgariad and the Mallorian.

Sparhawk was one of the greatest characters ever.

The byplay between him and Flute (Aphrael) always made me laugh.

I liked Althalus simply because it wasn't like the Belgariad. A book all by itself. No sequals, no series, just that and nothing else.

Don't get me started on Robert Jordan.

I read the first few Belgariad and another one, I forget the series, but the main character was a warrior, and had a g/f / crush who was to be queen. That was mildly interesting. Seemed to me tho, with the Begariad and the other one, that he drew a map and decided to go to all the places there.

The Word series that Viv was talking about was a great read. I enjoyed those. Also liked Robin Hobbs Liveship Traders series. Still need to read the last one. Her Assassin series I didn't like, but after reading the Liveship I decided to take another look at the Assassin series, and have re-read the first book. Better than I remember it being. I recall that series being dark and it seemed to me she picked on Fitz quite a bit.

If I never read another Wheel of Time book it'll be too soon for me. Too many words on too many pages with nothing happening. I got up to the one before Winter Heart before quiting in disgust. Closure, man! Closure! Try it some time.

I have found, tho, that I much prefer a series of books that take place in the same universe, like the Liveship books, or Raymond Feist's Midkemia stories. You know the universe, and what to expect, but with different characters, and different times, it seems to go better. I have noticed when Feist likes to kill everyone off at once and hand it off to the next generation. Don't really agree with that, but I will admit he does it well; it fits the storyline quite well.

maybe i should give it another go but i didn't warm to Sparhawk as a character.

Re: David Eddings


I read the first two books of The Belgariad, and liked them a lot. But the others seemed less interesting. Or maybe I just got tired of the same story.

I read these books a long time ago, but one small scene stuck in my mind. For some reason, the boy in the story uses some magic to create a small flower. The deed seems relatively unimpressive to the more powerful magicians who are watching, but what none of them realize is that the flower has seeds, and they are viable, and a new form of life has just been created. The idea of creating not just an item, but a living organism, complete with a genetic history was intriguing to me.