@djjd62,
Well I've not read the novellas, so there's no common ground. I do intend to read themthough. I saw the series on the television first, and unlike the vast majority of Sword and Sorcery that I see on the television I was unable to predict what was coming next.
I then got into the books and read them really quickly, I was grabbed. After having read the books, I felt the sex on the series was gratuitous (Well, just one scene in particular) especially as I was watching it with my 19 year old daughter. I'm sure it got more viewers that way, but it didn't need it, the acting was brilliant.
The main proble is it's not finished there's still two volumes to go. The last volume came out five years later than promised. I just want to know how the bloody thing ends.