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It's the Earth perspective (which Corwin also has) that attracts me. Without the cynical, modern-American-among-medieval-tightasses narration, Amber would be little more than another generic fantasy series to me. Although the multiverse concept is pretty cool too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
I very much liked the Coldfire Trilogy as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyron
Eragon is that book my mother keeps going on and on about (she works in an elementary school library). Something about it being written by a highschool student or something. /shrug.
Ah, well, that could well be it.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Corwin's focus is on Europe, and while he's conversant with Earth he's an Amberite first.
Merlin's an American brat.
I'm comfortable with disliking him for that, whereas you may have more sympathy with that background.
He talks exactly like an American from a '40s noir novel (hence the frequent comparisons of the Amber novels to stories by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler). He's Bogart with a sword.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
His speech patterns and attitude are practically identical with his father's. If you dislike one, then you ought to dislike the other.Quote:
Merlin's an American brat.
Well, a combination of luck and people helping him along. The whole beginning of Nice Princes in Amber until he got his memory back he would have been screwed without Random and later Deirdre. He never would have gotten out of the dungeon without Dworkin's help. He never would have found out about the primal pattern without the fortuitous arrival of the unicorn, and Brand would have been attuned to the jewel without first Fiona's and then Ganelon's help. I like Corwin, but his successes were not entirely on his own merits.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
In fighting, I'll give Corwin his due. He kicked a lot of ass. He even managed to beat to Benedict once.
Hah! They're anything but!Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Quote:
Originally Posted by Merco
Quick and easy read. My only complaint is the author/and characters seem to be in Love with his "land" even while he presents an evil opresive ruler. But hey I enjoyed it and bought the Sequal the week it came out.
I do not understand the judgement that you do me the honor to make. One certainly may enjoy the pleasure of seeing words put forth, or rather, set down, upon the page as much as he (or she) may enjoy the company of an attractive, or rather, comely, Lady who is as skilled with her sword as she is with her tongue.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
Anything by C.S. Friedman is excellent. This lady is a god amongst little gnome sized authors. Unfortunately she doesn't publish very often.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyron
I loved Black Sun Rising. The sequel (can't remember the title) was decent, but seemed like a rehash of the first one. I kinda hate Crown of Shadows. Tarrant's character got really watered down, and that stupid high priest guy fucked up a really cool setting.
Is C.S. Friedman related to Kinky Friedman? I could see someone named Kinky being a decent fantasy writer.
Gerard seems likeable enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Didn't he beat the crap out of Corwin with his bare hands after unfairly suspecting him of murdering one of the Princes?Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Corwin did look pretty damn guilty, so I wouldn't exactly say it was unfair of Gerard. He may have been a bit of a bully, but his actions were generally aimed towards protecting family members. The one kind-of-scummy thing he did in the books was actually on Corwin's behalf.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Gerard always seemed like an uppity, sanctimonious prick to me. The only likeable Prince, as far as I can tell, was Random. And he could be a real bastard too.
Well if you want a world that is not high fantasy try the The book of the new sun by Gene Wolfe. It is a combination of Fantasy and relics from Scifi explained through the adventures of a torturer apprentice who can't forget anything in his life. First book is The Shadow of the Torturer.
Similar, perhaps, but I read Merlin's voice as significantly younger and stupider than his father. He doesn't have the level of pride and passion that makes an Amberite. I can't see him delivering a "he was mine to kill" line.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
And Benedict, Llewella and Gerard are probably the best of them. That's not to say they're nice; they're just generally straightforward.
I have most affection for Julian.
Not on his own merits, perhaps, but none of those ones after Random and Deirdre were luck. Even then he did as well as he did because he suckered them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Dworkin, Fiona, and "Ganelon" all had their reasons for helping him as they did and claiming "why fancy, what luck" afterwards. The Unicorn, well, Dworkin certainly has pull there.
Gene Wolfe is my literary God and I prostrate myself before his greatness, but don't start with the Sun books -- it's like learning to eat food by going straight to a restaurant with 3 stars in the Michelin guide.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dangrim
If you've never read Wolfe before, begin with the Latro novels I mentioned in my initial post in this thread: very accessible but still flowing with the qualities that Wolfe fans love.
Follow that up with There Are Doors, which Wolfe himself has described as his favorite of his works.
After that, try The Knight and The Wizard.
THEN, and only then should you attempt the greatness of the Sun stories. You can read them in order of publication, but if you want to go in order of chronology within the storyline, begin with the Book of the Long Sun quadrilogy: Nightside the Long Sun; Lake of the Long Sun; Calde of the Long Sun; Exodus from the Long Sun. Four books, but available in two volumes: Litany of the Long Sun and Epiphany of the Long Sun.
Probably the most difficult of the Sun stories, but worth the effort.
Then do the Book of the Short Sun trilogy, which I just finished re-reading and currently consider my favorite of the 3 series: On Blue's Waters; In Green's Jungles; Return to the Whorl.
And finally, the epic of epics, the one that launched Wolfe's reputation into the stratosphere. The Book of the New Sun was published before Long Sun and Short Sun but it's the apex of the whole thing. Originally four novels -- Shadow of the Torturer; Claw of the Conciliator; Sword of the Lictor; Citadel of the Autarch -- and now available in two books: Shadow & Claw; Sword & Citadel. And definitely do not forget the brilliant coda, Urth of the New Sun.
I actually really like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081...lance&n=283155
Soldier in the Mist is a story of war told from the perspective of a soldier in Ancient Greece who has lost his long term memory in a battle.