4 ms·

It is over ten years old so doesn’t fit the list. I’m curious what you think it does that’s so good, I read the first one because a friend really liked it and

It is over ten years old so doesn’t fit the list. I’m curious what you think it does that’s so good, I read the first one because a friend really liked it and I just found it competently written epic fantasy. In contrast I remember reading Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson and thinking I had never read that combination of Black Company style moral ambiguity and a world with deep history before, and really wanting to read more. Or A Game of Thrones where the writing was just so good.

albatross13 5y ago
I guess maybe it's not for everyone- I'm just a sucker for epic fantasy and Sanderson hits all my buttons. I enjoy his world building, his descriptive writing style, the way he writes combat gets me hype, etc. Hah, I love this because it demonstrates just how different people's tastes can be. A Song of Ice and Fire did not jive with me: I felt like Martin's writing style got real old real quick (killing characters started to feel like a crutch) and the story just couldn't keep my attention anymore around book four. But to each their own, that's what makes the world spin!
- ip26 5y ago
  killing characters [...] the story just couldn't keep my attention anymore You indirectly nailed the biggest reason why I stopped reading that series. Once it became clear virtually every character would be quickly axed, I could no longer invest emotionally in any of the new characters.
  - albatross13 5y ago
    Yeah it's wild- some people seem to really enjoy it, others it's a huge turn off. My wife and I have had a few discussions about it and we both always settle on "Man I really liked it for awhile...but eventually it was just too much".
ip26 5y ago
Perhaps its strength is a lack of glaring weaknesses, which isn't as easy or common as it would sound.
saalweachter 5y ago
Incidentally, I'm trying to listen to Gardens of the Moon on audiobook right now and I just have no idea what's going on. (It took me awhile to get into audiobooks; I had to start with books with a good first person narrative and work my way up to the third person. I don't know if the writing style of Gardens of the Moon just doesn't work with audiobooks or if it's just something you have to play really close attention to, but every so often I find myself going "Wait, where did the last set of people in the story go? Who are these new people and how is this related to the story that was being told earlier?")
gerikson 5y ago
The Malazan Book of the Fallen is the only fantasy multi-volume series I've bothered finishing. I couldn't even get through the first volume of the Wheel of Time series...

albatross13 5y ago

I guess maybe it's not for everyone- I'm just a sucker for epic fantasy and Sanderson hits all my buttons. I enjoy his world building, his descriptive writing style, the way he writes combat gets me hype, etc. Hah, I love this because it demonstrates just how different people's tastes can be. A Song of Ice and Fire did not jive with me: I felt like Martin's writing style got real old real quick (killing characters started to feel like a crutch) and the story just couldn't keep my attention anymore around book four. But to each their own, that's what makes the world spin!

ip26 5y ago
killing characters [...] the story just couldn't keep my attention anymore You indirectly nailed the biggest reason why I stopped reading that series. Once it became clear virtually every character would be quickly axed, I could no longer invest emotionally in any of the new characters.
- albatross13 5y ago
  Yeah it's wild- some people seem to really enjoy it, others it's a huge turn off. My wife and I have had a few discussions about it and we both always settle on "Man I really liked it for awhile...but eventually it was just too much".

ip26 5y ago

Perhaps its strength is a lack of glaring weaknesses, which isn't as easy or common as it would sound.

saalweachter 5y ago

Incidentally, I'm trying to listen to Gardens of the Moon on audiobook right now and I just have no idea what's going on. (It took me awhile to get into audiobooks; I had to start with books with a good first person narrative and work my way up to the third person. I don't know if the writing style of Gardens of the Moon just doesn't work with audiobooks or if it's just something you have to play really close attention to, but every so often I find myself going "Wait, where did the last set of people in the story go? Who are these new people and how is this related to the story that was being told earlier?")

gerikson 5y ago

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is the only fantasy multi-volume series I've bothered finishing. I couldn't even get through the first volume of the Wheel of Time series...