Game of Thrones, are the books any good?

[DotCommunist]

Steven Ericksons Malazan Book of The Fallen is better written, longer (and therefore better value for money right ) and is soaked in a sense of history that is absent from Game of Thrones. I mean properly deep time. The mythic structure is far more interesting, the fight writing is more brutal without descending into gore for gores sake. Even the interior monologuing, something I think Martin is v good at, is better in the malzan books. And they got finished without having to draft in a new guy cos your man died (Robert Jordan, wheel of time) or forever unfinished because Martin bored of them and can't be doing with writing his way out of multiple dead ends. Can't say I blame him, how much of his life did he spend on those only for the money to go stratospheric in his declining years when the novels were picked up for TV? I'd dick around with Wild Card novels and other pet projects as well.

Now I'm not going to say the poems and chapter headings are better in Malazan Book of the Fallen because as a veteran of the sf/fantasy genre, I never read those anymore.

 

[lazythursday]

Steven Ericksons Malazan Book of The Fallen is better written, longer (and therefore better value for money right ) and is soaked in a sense of history that is absent from Game of Thrones. I mean properly deep time. The mythic structure is far more interesting, the fight writing is more brutal without descending into gore for gores sake. Even the interior monologuing, something I think Martin is v good at, is better in the malzan books. And they got finished without having to draft in a new guy cos your man died (Robert Jordan, wheel of time) or forever unfinished because Martin bored of them and can't be doing with writing his way out of multiple dead ends. Can't say I blame him, how much of his life did he spend on those only for the money to go stratospheric in his declining years when the novels were picked up for TV? I'd dick around with Wild Card novels and other pet projects as well.

Now I'm not going to say the poems and chapter headings are better in Malazan Book of the Fallen because as a veteran of the sf/fantasy genre, I never read those anymore.

People always say this, but the first book is really impenetrable and hard to read, and I've just never been able to stick with it. It all feels too much like a slog.

 

[PursuedByBears]

People always say this, but the first book is really impenetrable and hard to read, and I've just never been able to stick with it. It all feels too much like a slog.

Exactly this, I've tried to read the first book twice and given up.

 

[DotCommunist]

I didn't work the mythic structure out properly till Deadhouse Gates (book 3 iirc). I loved that it plunged into this world the way it did altho I believe erikson says himself that GOTM is a bit impenetrable. His co creator of the world, Ian Cameron Esselmont, is less dense but no less enjoyable, if you want an 'in' that also acts as a prequel to GOTM in a sense then his 'Night of Knives' is good go.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Daughter of the Empire series is very good and better than anything Janny Wurts or Raymond E. Feist have done alone.

 

[maomao]

The problem with the later books is too many narrative strands. Having eight different pov characters in the first book works because all of them are intertwined so well. By the fifth book there are 16 different characters taking a chapter at a time and it's really tedious. You're wanting to read what Arya or Tyrion are up to but you have to get through thirty pages of some inconsequential guard at some palace's point of view first.



I hope he doesn't finish it. I liked the TV ending.

 

[Artaxerxes]

The problem with the later books is too many narrative strands. Having eight different pov characters in the first book works because all of them are intertwined so well. By the fifth book there are 16 different characters taking a chapter at a time and it's really tedious. You're wanting to read what Arya or Tyrion are up to but you have to get through thirty pages of some inconsequential guard at some palace's point of view first.



I hope he doesn't finish it. I liked the TV ending.

I really soured on it when he introduced someone who traipsed through a later book who then promptly died.

 

[Karl Masks]

The first few are really good. It gets a bit lost at some point, all diarrhoea in the east and endless trudging about the Riverlands. I think the writing is fine, better than an awful lot of the genre, but it's obviously not literary fiction or anything. The big issue is why bother, when it won't be finished?

But despite that I would say it ranks alongside LOTR as the best fantasy series written. Can't think of much else that comes close.

Will it be finished? Probably, not by GRRM though. We all know the ending anyway: HBO perusades a young actress to get her kit off before promising that she saves the world.

I mean, Arya kills the Night King. Whoever he was.


Seriously though I am interested. Can probably get it on Kindle Unlimited and read it that way I guess.

 

[lazythursday]

Will it be finished? Probably, not by GRRM though. We all know the ending anyway: HBO perusades a young actress to get her kit off before promising that she saves the world.

I mean, Arya kills the Night King. Whoever he was.


Seriously though I am interested. Can probably get it on Kindle Unlimited and read it that way I guess.

For books I want to try but am unsure about parting with cash for, there's this woman called Anna with an amazing archive you might want to search for.

I think the ending, if ever written, will have significant differences from HBO, to encourage fans to read the thing. But pretty much odds on Arya still kills the Night's King though, it's what her arc leads towards.

 

[Gromit]

I hope he doesn't finish it. I liked the TV ending.

I think the TV ending was going to be the book ending but when everyone but you hated it with a passion (I literally want to set fire to it somehow)... George thought oh shit I need to change everything and went back to square one. Destroying any chance of it being completed.

 

[krtek a houby]

Steven Ericksons Malazan Book of The Fallen is better written, longer (and therefore better value for money right ) and is soaked in a sense of history that is absent from Game of Thrones. I mean properly deep time. The mythic structure is far more interesting, the fight writing is more brutal without descending into gore for gores sake. Even the interior monologuing, something I think Martin is v good at, is better in the malzan books. And they got finished without having to draft in a new guy cos your man died (Robert Jordan, wheel of time) or forever unfinished because Martin bored of them and can't be doing with writing his way out of multiple dead ends. Can't say I blame him, how much of his life did he spend on those only for the money to go stratospheric in his declining years when the novels were picked up for TV? I'd dick around with Wild Card novels and other pet projects as well.

Now I'm not going to say the poems and chapter headings are better in Malazan Book of the Fallen because as a veteran of the sf/fantasy genre, I never read those anymore.

Said it before but, imho, it's worth repeating - the epic 10 book series (haven't read outside of it) is most rewarding. Thank you for bigging it up, otherwise don't think I would have ventured into that world.

As for George RR's saga, if he doesn't finish it, fair enough. He may have writer's block or just be tired of the series. It was good while it lasted. A bit too much padding here and there, but not as bad as Jordan.

In the meantime, Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is humorous and no padding whatsoever. Also recommended.

 

[Karl Masks]

I think the TV ending was going to be the book ending but when everyone but you hated it with a passion (I literally want to set fire to it somehow)... George thought oh shit I need to change everything and went back to square one. Destroying any chance of it being completed.

That's unlikely, he told them what the ending was going to be.

 

[Artaxerxes]

That's unlikely, he told them what the ending was going to be.

He did but the series absolutely ballsed up any subtlety to it and did the ending badly.

 

[Karl Masks]

He did but the series absolutely ballsed up any subtlety to it and did the ending badly.

Certainly. It was fucking stupid to the point of illiteracy.

HBO saw grimdark fantasy and just though "play with her arse!" and that's what we got. I ended up finding the whole thing v. depressing but I can recognise a good story in there, along with the worldbuilding.

 

[Gromit]

That's unlikely, he told them what the ending was going to be.

My point exactly. George said this is my intended ending. Everyone hated it.
Maybe because of the crack handed way they just dropped it on us or maybe they'd have hated it however it was delivered.
Either way it was enough to make him do a double take and rip up his notes.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I've read the books, watched the series and listened the audio books.

 

[Karl Masks]

I've read the books, watched the series and listened the audio books.

and write/sing the theme tune?

 

[Karl Masks]

Steven Ericksons Malazan Book of The Fallen is better written, longer (and therefore better value for money right ) and is soaked in a sense of history that is absent from Game of Thrones. I mean properly deep time. The mythic structure is far more interesting, the fight writing is more brutal without descending into gore for gores sake. Even the interior monologuing, something I think Martin is v good at, is better in the malzan books. And they got finished without having to draft in a new guy cos your man died (Robert Jordan, wheel of time) or forever unfinished because Martin bored of them and can't be doing with writing his way out of multiple dead ends. Can't say I blame him, how much of his life did he spend on those only for the money to go stratospheric in his declining years when the novels were picked up for TV? I'd dick around with Wild Card novels and other pet projects as well.

Now I'm not going to say the poems and chapter headings are better in Malazan Book of the Fallen because as a veteran of the sf/fantasy genre, I never read those anymore.

I have read Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates and Night of Knives. Would love to read them all, but they are LARGE and the chapters are LONG. The worldbuilding is incredible. Not easy to follow what's happening. I do think Erikson needs a stricter editor. I have the first 3 on audible, but I'm not sure that was wise as the stories are so immense that following them on audio is not easy

I read Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill as fantasy fans rave over this. It's not grimdark remotely. In fact it's very tropey. Quite enjoyable but very safe. The sequels are meant to be much much better. Self published as well.

I read the book in a few days, which is something I haven't done in ages so I'm happy to have reignited my reading, thanks to Kindle settings that are eyesight friendly. My days reading print are gone I think.

 

[xenon]

I constantly switch between The Heros and Red Country as my favourite. Though the final trilogy is sublime too.

He has a new book coming out in January which isn't related to these books.

Best Served Cold is great too and will be interesting to see how the TV adaptation works out. But I'd read the First Lore trilogy before the stand alones, so you know and care about the characters.

 

[xenon]

Speaking of Stephen Erikson. I've had the Dead House Gates on my virtual bookshelllllllllf for oo, about 12 years now. Maybe I'll read it at some point this decade. I did quite like Gardens of the Moon but have forgotten everything except a few gripping scenes.

 

[xenon]

Oh I quite enjoyed Dan Cook (IIRC) Cronicles of the Black Company.