R.A. Salvatore

[Sereyna]

A year or so ago, I read the first 3 of R.A. Salvatore's books, The Crystal Shard, The Halflings Gem, and I can't remember the name of the other of the first 3. I read them, but they really didn't do it for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, story's were ok ut not great, and all of that. Well, through many circumstances that I wont get into, I just picked of The Legacy. Im about 5 chapters in and I'm seeing pretty much the same stuff. Do his books get any better? I had heard that the Icewind Dale Trilogy were his first books, and that his writing gets far better afterwards, but thusfar I'm just not seein' it. My complaints-- Shallow characters who seem very unkillable ( C'mon, cant ya kill at least one off ? ),not deep enough storylines, and the always-happy endings. I WANT to like these books but so far they're not that great, IMO.

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

Oh BTW I wanted to pick up the Dark Elf Trilogy but they didnt have them at my bookstore, so I've just skipped ahead to the Legacy.

[Sereyna]

I guess I should also throw in some of my favorites:

I LOVE George R Martins books, A Song of Ice and Fire

Robert Jordan Wheel of TIme

Steven Kings' Dark Tower Series

Robin Hobb Farseer and Golden Fool trilogies

[Weiser_Cain]

They aren't all happy endings. I've read things I liked and things I hated from him but all in all it's fairly decent for such a long series.

I just finished reading "The Lone Drow" which is part two int the most recent trilogy, pretty good in my opinion.

 

I've aready said I liked the Elizabeth Moon's paksenarrion books. But for you I'd recommend the 'Bazil Broketail' books by Christopher Rowley. Why? I'm not sure, it is three in the morning and I think I deserve the right to be a little vague...

[Whitemithrandir]

Does it get better? 'fraid not.

[Oerwinde]

I guess I should also throw in some of my favorites:

I LOVE George R Martins books, A Song of Ice and Fire

Robert Jordan Wheel of TIme

Steven Kings' Dark Tower Series

Robin Hobb Farseer and Golden Fool trilogies

Song of Ice and Fire is the best thing to happen to Epic Fantasy since the beginning.

 

As for Wheel of Time.... I wish Robert Jordan would just finish the damn story so he can work on his spinoffs to make more money instead of doing them before he finishes. (Hey Rob, Prequels usually come after the story is told, not in the middle of it you GD sellout) The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse and now I'm almost done Crossroads of Twilight and the biggest event of mention is that Elayne got honey in her damn tea. I hope he has kids because when he dies and theres still 12 books left before the end of the series his kid can probably use his notes and write a single book that wraps the whole thing up and not feel like he rushed it.

[Tigranes]

Agreed. his newest book is a spinoff-prequel about Lan and Moiraine, too.

 

His last 4 books in the series have been "They will all do this... NEXT BOOK!"

[Whitemithrandir]

Well, the "about the author" section on almost every book lists his ambitions as "I'll keep writing until they nail my coffin shut".

 

I've got a hammer. Who's got the nails?

[deganawida]

The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse and now I'm almost done Crossroads of Twilight and the biggest event of mention is that Elayne got honey in her damn tea.

Dude, this had me rolling! I, too, loved the first three books (I thought The Shadow Rising was just as good), and am halfway through Crossroads at Twilight. What a disappointment! Your observation is pretty much spot-on, though I would say the making of heartstone is pretty important (although that goes against his own canon, as it should take both men and women). I had given him a chance to redeeem himself with Winter's Heart, which was pretty good and gave me hope that he would actually finish the saga (did you know that he only planned for four or five books total?). Alas, it is not to be.

 

As for Salvatore, I hate Drizzt with a passion. The Crystal Shard was fun, but the series went downhill from there. His "Crimson Shadow" series is fun, if immature in exposition, narrative, and dialogue, but I think that his Demon series is actually worth reading. Is it Tolkien? Heck, no, but it ain't Drizzt either, and is better than some other stuff out there. I especially like how he handles rangers in the Demon saga (much more like AD&D 1E rangers, rather than D&D 3.x rangers).

[Maedhros]

The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse

 

I disagree, books 4-6 were the best ones in my opinion. Number 7 was ok. And nr. 8 and 9 were not so great, but still good. CoT is the worst one of the 10, too little Rand and Forsaken, too much Elayne and Perrin.

 

As for Salvatore...the only reason I read his books is because of the character Jarlaxle..he rocks! :D Drizzt is just...bleh.

 

Song of Ice and Fire is the best thing to happen to Epic Fantasy since the beginning.

Agreed! Tyrion rocks! B)

[Oerwinde]

The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse

 

I disagree, books 4-6 were the best ones in my opinion. Number 7 was ok. And nr. 8 and 9 were not so great, but still good. CoT is the worst one of the 10, too little Rand and Forsaken, too much Elayne and Perrin.

I just thought Rand was a much more interesting character when he was trying not to channel and just relying on his skill. And Perrin was cool for a while, now he's just whiny.

[Volourn]

The Dark Elf, and Icewind Dale series were swell; but the others were ok at best at least the ones I read,,

[Child of Flame]

My favorite book of all time is Dracula (Brahm Stoker). My favorite series/trilogy of all time is C.S. Lewis' space trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength), which I'd recommend reading even if you aren't religous. My favorite author of all time is Isaac Asimov. My favorite book by Isaac Asimov is The Positronic Man (The Bicentennial Man in later releases), which is also a movie, but it was my favorite of his works before the movie. B)

[Maedhros]

The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse

 

I disagree, books 4-6 were the best ones in my opinion. Number 7 was ok. And nr. 8 and 9 were not so great, but still good. CoT is the worst one of the 10, too little Rand and Forsaken, too much Elayne and Perrin.

I just thought Rand was a much more interesting character when he was trying not to channel and just relying on his skill. And Perrin was cool for a while, now he's just whiny.

I agree about Perrin, not about Rand though, I think it's interesting to see how he changes as a person throughout the books. But you've gotta admit, Mat is ten times cooler in the later books compared to books 1-3.

[Oerwinde]

The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse

 

I disagree, books 4-6 were the best ones in my opinion. Number 7 was ok. And nr. 8 and 9 were not so great, but still good. CoT is the worst one of the 10, too little Rand and Forsaken, too much Elayne and Perrin.

I just thought Rand was a much more interesting character when he was trying not to channel and just relying on his skill. And Perrin was cool for a while, now he's just whiny.

I agree about Perrin, not about Rand though, I think it's interesting to see how he changes as a person throughout the books. But you've gotta admit, Mat is ten times cooler in the later books compared to books 1-3.

Book 1, Perrin was my favorite Character, then Rand until book 3 or so when Rand goes nuts and starts channelling like mad. Now its Mat. Lan is such a **** now that I'm just plain disappointed. And Robert Jordan's real weakness is that he refuses to kill characters and just keeps introducing more.

[Sereyna]

Robert Jordan's real weakness is that he refuses to kill characters and just keeps introducing more.

 

 

Amen to that

[Whitemithrandir]

I've got the perfect ending to this series.

 

"Rand looked up into the night wondering where his women went. He saw a tiny bright spec getting bigger and bigger. He scratched his groin and grunted. 'Hmm... I wonder what it is...'

 

In fact, he was still scratching his groin when the meteor hit, annihilating all life on this sad, sad little planet, and everybody would have lived happily ever after, had all of them not been burned to a bloody crisp by the ensuing conflageration."

 

THE END.

[Maedhros]

I belive the end of Wheel of Time will be better and more entertaining than that. RJ does write good endings to his books, give him that.

[Jurgenaut]

The first 3 were amazing, then they slowly started to get worse

 

I disagree, books 4-6 were the best ones in my opinion. Number 7 was ok. And nr. 8 and 9 were not so great, but still good. CoT is the worst one of the 10, too little Rand and Forsaken, too much Elayne and Perrin.

I just thought Rand was a much more interesting character when he was trying not to channel and just relying on his skill. And Perrin was cool for a while, now he's just whiny.

I agree about Perrin, not about Rand though, I think it's interesting to see how he changes as a person throughout the books. But you've gotta admit, Mat is ten times cooler in the later books compared to books 1-3.

Book 1, Perrin was my favorite Character, then Rand until book 3 or so when Rand goes nuts and starts channelling like mad. Now its Mat. Lan is such a **** now that I'm just plain disappointed. And Robert Jordan's real weakness is that he refuses to kill characters and just keeps introducing more.

Maybe some WOT-spoiler here..

I agree fully. Ever since Mat was healed from the dagger, he's been the whole reason I continue to read. While reading the chapters about Elayne and her political dealings in andor all I can do is wonder where the next Mat-chapter is.

 

Perrin started out ok, but after saving Two Rivers, he's been boring.

 

Rand, very interesting character, but... I don't know. His wielding of the one power has made him too strong to actually develop any tension.. (eg. Will he beat these monsters or not? Of course he will.)

 

I find the forsaken (the ones left alive) to be more interesting than most of the main good guys.

[Maedhros]

I find the forsaken (the ones left alive) to be more interesting than most of the main good guys.

 

I agree! There should be books where they are the Main characters! I also agree with Rand being too strong, but I still find his chapters to be highly enjoyable, unlike Elayne and Perrin's. <_<

[Whitemithrandir]

Rand is getting a lot to be like Neo, now that I start thinking about it.

[Mazzarin]

Never read WOT, but Rand reminds me a bit of Tomas form Feist`s RiftWar saga, the seconds book features near immortal warriors and he just cuts them to ribbons.

 

Even the way he does it is crap, he runs in, all dead. End.

[Maedhros]

Hmm, no. There is no one even close to Tomas in fighting skills in Feists books, but there are lots of persons who (almost) matches Rand in the OP (Taim, Logain, Demandred, Moridin..) And besides, if he weren't strong in the OP all the Aes Sedai (Including Egwene and Co) would be bossing him around, and that would be VERY annoying.

[deganawida]

I found that Winter's Heart restored some of the old Rand to life, at least in my opinion. In that book, he didn't focus on using the One Power so much, but used mainly his wits and his sword. With the taint there, and with him being hunted, he seemed to shun using saidin to accomplish his goals, which had IMO the effect of freeing his personality from the "I am made of stone" Rand that we have been subjected to since book 6 at the latest (there's a bit too much of that "new" Rand in book 5 for my tastes, though he can still be human). I much prefer Rand as a human character, rather than a demigod.

 

Major Spoilers Ahead!!!! Do Not Read If You Want Surprises!!

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know when the series will end. Mat still hasn't lost his eye (Odin), and Rand still has both hands (Tyr/Tew). Also, Rand hasn't lost everything yet. All these events have been foreshadowed since the beginning of the series.