Fantasy novels [Merged]

[tRiStAn]

Well, I must say Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is my favorite fantasy saga. In fact, I can't wait for Book Nine!!!

How about you?

[Moiraine]

HELLO!!!! My nick says it all, fellow WOTist :D I've thought about posting a thread like this one, but specifically for WOT series, never got around to it. I heard that book 9's title is "Winter's Heart" and it may come out in November (*cross fingers*). I've been re-reading the series, I'm now about to finish book 4. There's another WOT fan here, I'll wait for him to speak for himself. (paging Jonny)

[sampaguita]

I'm a fan of the "older" books... not so old but older. The Dragonriders of Pern I really enjoyed! (By Anne MacCaffrey) Also, the DragonLance series are really interesting. then there's the Chronicles of Narnia, of course. But my favorite series would have to be by Terry Brooks and his Shannara series. Great reads! (I got his autograph!!! Woo-hoo!! :))

[Moiraine]

sampaguita ikaw na naman! LOL I always see you in the threads :P
Grabe you got the author's autograph, can I strangle you with envy? hehehe I've been dreaming of seeing Jordan and getting his autograph and maybe chatting a while din *sigh* I read Dragonlance too! I like Chronicles a lot more than Legends, because I HATE Crisania (forgot the spelling) but the ending of Legends, man, I cried even while telling it to my friends.

[sampaguita]

Moiraine! :) I do see you posting everywhere! lol... I'm quite interested in this Wheel of Time series. I think you got me a little hyped up about it. Tell me what it's about so I can maybe pick one up when I have time (goodness knows when that'll be!). But I'd like to pick one up just the same. Have you read any of the Death Gate novels? It's one of my favorites too!

And yes! Terry Brooks what at the bookstore here a couple years ago! I stood in line for almost an hour and missed a class just so I could get his autograph! hehe... It was definitely worth it! He gave me a little kiss on the cheek too! :)

[Barok]

Q&A....Q:fantasy rin ba ang category ng mga articles na nababasa sa mga tabloid(e.g.Xerex)? A: ay mali, pantasya pala yon..hehehe

[tRiStAn]

guys, try checking out J.R. Modessit's Chaos Series. They' re also kinda cool. :)

[Moiraine]

Barok iba na yan, wholesome talk dito. :P

tRiStAn what's it about? How many books are there in the series?

sampaguita I repeat... inggit ako!! hehehe tiga-States ka pala bruha (said in a friendly manner yan), kaya pwede mo talga ma meet mga authors when they go on tour argh!!! I've read the Death Gate cycle, sila Hickman and Weis din yon diba? Sartans and Paetries or something, I haven't touched it in years. I thought it was ok, but I'm telling you (para mas ma-hype up ka) Wheel of Time is a LOT LOT LOT better!!! lol I'm now re-reading Book 6, even though I've got papers and tests due soon. That should show you how much I like this series. So far there are 8 books in the series, the 8th book was criticized but no matter, just read the first book, the series just gets better and better. Jordan's world has often been praised for being so complex; imagine, he created nations, each one unique and with its own customs, culture, political system. It's not the usual D&D magic-user, fighter, elf type, but it's just as interesting, maybe even more. We've both read and liked Dragonlance and Death Gate cycle, so assuming our tastes are similar enough... I bet you'll LOVE WoT too!! :D Anyway! sobrang haba kahit explain lang what it's about. Try mo na lang if you want, check it out online.
How about this Terry Brooks? What about his series? Convert me! lol

[sampaguita]

Moiraine: :P
Hmmm... anong unang novel ni Jordan? I'd like to read that. I just visited some of the WOT hps and so far like the storylines and character descriptions. So! I think I'm gonna pick the first book up from the library as soon as my midterms are done!

About Brooks' series, I loved his Shannara novels! (He's also done a few StarWards ones.) The series deals with four lands that he created that's roaming with druids and elves and all that fun fantasy stuff! You know how it goes, traveling and meeting new people, becomming fast friends with the least expected group of heroes and heroines ever, and then setting out to conquer evil and rid the world of it! Exciting stuff I tell ya! :) Try hitting this site if you think you might be interested! http://www.terrybrooks.net (there's loads of other cool links about him and his novels too!)

Also! (Ang dami! hehe...) The Dragonriders of Pern series I mentioned is really one of the classics. You should check it out to see if you like it. I never thought twice about dragons until MacCaffrey's novels! She really brings out a different light in them. And the worlds that she creates herself are exciting! Check out this site when you have time! :) http://www.bsc.net/dragonweyr/default.html and http://home.earthlink.net/~lessa /

(Grabe talaga! I feel like I'm writing a review for the books! :P I think we just go off when we talk about fantasy novels! lol...)

[Mikoid]

I just finished the 8 WoT books, and it does seem to get a bit arduous towards the end of Book 8. I also recently finished the PC game, where you get to play an Aes Sedai with an arsenal of ter'angreal, and I must say that it's an excellent combination of story, breathtaking graphics and cutthroat gameplay.

The best part is that you get to fight Ishamael, Padan Fain, and the Black Sedai, as well as explore such classic locations as the Waygates, the Blight, and the ominous Shadar Logoth.

Unfortunately, there's not much interaction with Rand and his bunch ... it's really a pure spinoff with very little relation to the actual books.

I also enjoyed the Dragonlance books ... I found Legends to have stronger characterization and a deeper plot than the Chronicles, which was originally written to be an RPG adventure.

Has anyone read the "4th Chronicle", Dragons of Summer Flame? It's a lot of fun, and while it does tend to be much too corny at times, it's nice to see some of the old characters together again.

[Telcontar]

Sampaguita and Moiraine: I have read it all : dragonrider of pern series, the Shannara series, the Sparhawk series, Jordan's Wizard series and of course my favorite by Tolkien which is "Lord of the Rings". I have all of these books but I have yet to complete the Wizard series and have yet to read the "WOT" since no one yet convinced me that it is worth my time reading.


If any if you have any books that you could suggest as a good read then please suggest it as it has been a long time since I have read any fantasy books.

[Moiraine]

sampaguita the first book is entitled "The Eye of the World" You get your money's worth with Jordan because (except for Book 8) all his books are THICK and with small print, takes hours and hours of wonderful reading. I checked out the sites you recommended. The Terry Brooks excerpt pages were not available, sayang. The Dragon Pern site had this interesting tidbit: "From book to book you find yourself wondering how Pernese such as Menolly, F'lar, Robinton, and ARAMINA (...)" LOL

Mikoid it's hard to relate the game to the series because the story itself isn't finished yet. You don't really know who's who or what's what until Jordan finishes the last book. (which I hear is probably 3-4 books from now) Speaking of WoT characters, I HATE Padan Fain and Sevanna. hehehe just wanted to get that out of my system. I haven't read any Dragonlance novels after Legends, mainly because I don't like it when other authors continue the story. Is the "4th Chronicle" written by Weis and Hickman? I love Dragonlance, but I have to agree with what someone said, compared to WoT, Dragonlance is like a Hollywood action movie. What do you think?

Telcontar I've been rambling on and on about Wheel of Time :) Try it! Among all the fantasy books I've read, I love it the most. I tried reading Tolkien, but I labored through "Hobbit" and couldn't get pass the scene where they crossed the forest in "Fellowship of the Ring" (I think). I know lots of people love it, but it was just too slow-paced for me I guess.

[Mikoid]

Moiraine: I agree, Padan Fain as a villain started to really wear thin.

I guess one of the cool things about the WoT game was the fact that you could appreciate how the game artists brought Jordan's world to life. Balefire, which is the most powerful use of the One Power in the books, is truly awe-inspiring in the game, as it not only erased the existence of its target, but in some cases the corridor from which it came as well!

The places were similarly awesome. Shadar Logoth had mist that seeped through the walls and chased you, while in the Ways, you had the black wind "Machin Shin" which appeared like a black wall of whispering, disembodied faces sucking the life out of you.

There are also little snippets from the book used to describe the more than 40 types of ter'angreal in the game.

Sorry, I digress. Dragons of Summer Flame is written by Weis and Hickman. It's set around 20 years after the events in Legends, and involve a lot of the children of the original cast (Caramon and Tika's, Tanis and Laurana's, and one BIG surprise).

While the Dragonlance series is considered pulp fantasy, I grew up on it and identify strongly with the characters, particularly the contrast between Sturm and Raistlin.

Telcontar: if you want good fantasy writing, you could try out the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. It's about a modern-day leper, an outcast from society, who one day wakes up to find himself in a fantasy land in great peril, where he's regarded as a Messiah.

Cheers, folks!

BTW, anyone played or still play RPGs?

[tRiStAn]

Moiraine: It's all about the never-ending war between the forces of Chaos and Order. Black Wizards are called the order-masters, while the White Wizards are the chaos-masters. The logic behind that is that White is the combination of all colors so that it is "chaotic" in nature. On the other hand, black is the absence of light so in essence, it is more orderly. There are also the Gray Wizards, those rare people who balance the use of chaos and order, in contrast to the White And Black Wizards who use exclusively chaos and order respectively. Anyway, there are about 7 books in the series. What's unique about it is that the first book is actually the last in the series. The succeeding books are kinda historical flashbacks...explaining in detail how the whole series culminated in the first book.

[Moiraine]

Mikoid I take it the game artists did a FAR better job than the book cover artist did, except for Moiraine in Book 1, those covers were terrible! There's a coffee book table of WoT on sale, and my brother said the images there were disappointing too. Anyway, now that you mention it, the game does sound exciting! Mordeth of Shadar Logoth and Machin Shin of the Ways... creepy stuff really. Whenever I read Machin Shin's 'dialogue' "scream the song sing the scream warm blood suck the marrow..." gives me goosebumps. Did you just download the game or buy it somewhere? I tried downloading something, a map that you can explore if I remember correctly, but I wasn't able to make it run.

>;children of the original cast (Caramon and Tika's, Tanis and Laurana's, and one BIG surprise).

What BIG surprise!?! Crisania and Raistlin's child? or *gasp* Kit and Lord Soth's?? Tell me tell me! I cried when Sturm, and Flint, and Raistlin (most of all) died... that last scene in Legends just breaks my heart everytime I read it... did you cry too? :) I played D&D with my siblings when I was a child. And another RPG, sci-fi, I don't remember what the name was, "Star Frontiers" or something, but mostly D&D.

tRiStAn interesting thing about that Chaos series, the Blacks are the good guys while the Whites are the bad guys. It's usually the other way around. Doesn't the format spoil things though? No matter what you read in Books 2-7 you already know how it's all going to turn out in the end.

[Mikoid]

Moiraine: I'd love to post the "surprise" in the new DragonLance novels; however, I don't wanna leave any spoilers here for anyone to stumble upon.

Just send me an e-mail at michaelpalacios@email.com or ICQ me at 6510397 and I'll tell you all about it!

As for the WoT Game, I bought a copy in Greenhills. Note that it is rather demanding on your PC hardware. Unless you have a good 3D card, you won't be able to run the game at all.

Apologies: it's not Padan Fain whom you fight in the game, it's Mordeth!

For some screenshots of this awesome game, check out http://www.wheeloftime.com / ...

[Moiraine]

Mikoid I am flabbergasted, shocked, poleaxed! All my guesses were wrong. Never even thought of ~that~.

Playing the WoT Game in our PC is out. I tried playing Tomb Raider here, but the computer wasn't strong enough to show all the nice graphics.

>;http://www.wheeloftime.com /

I think this is where I downloaded the map, but it wouldn't run (I don't know how Winzip works *sheepish*).

[Mikoid]

Moiraine: If you're really, really interested, you could try renting a computer at a network gaming cafe to try it out. The requirements to enjoy the WoT game would be a Pentium III 450 with a Voodoo III video card, nothing less. There's a shop in Katipunan called CD-ROMania that offers this kind of firepower.

As for the the hot info on Dragons of Summer Flame, I must say that I could not put the book down once I started. I didn't care whether Dragonlance seemed so childish when compared to new stuff like the Wheel of Time ... or even that the story wasn't that great. It was just so nice to see the old characters rolling around in the dirt one more time...

Ah, here's another good series. Not as much depth as WoT, but with very strong characters: Raymond Feist's Magician series.

[Moiraine]

Mikoid I don't think I'll go to a computer shop and play the game there. I get easily excited (frightened too) when playing an RPG, I don't want to look like an idiot in front of strangers.

>;I didn't care whether (...) the story wasn't that great.

I browsed through amazon's site, and I made the mistake of reading the first few lines of a customer review... ARGH! I have an idea of what horrible thing will happen already!! Anyway I was hoping to find the title of the book before Dragons of Summer Flame, but I didn't see it. Do you by any chance remember it already?

Does anyone know how long it usually takes for a book to reach the Philippines after it is first released in the States?

[Mikoid]

Moiraine: here are the 2 DragonLance books: The Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame, both by Weisk and Hickman....

Following are their respective links on Amazon.com ...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786902604/ref=sim_books/103-0326194-6598235
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786905239/qid=952296069/sr=1-1/103-0326194-6598235

[Moiraine]

Winter's Heart update!!!!

People were saying it might come out in November, but from this interview with Jordan, maybe even earlier than that!

"The new book, the ninth in 'The Wheel of Time', is Winter's Heart. I am aiming to finish it by May of 2000. If the publisher does what it normally does, Tor should have it out two months after I finish it."

Read the interview at http://www.locusmag.com/2000/Issues/03/Jordan.html

Oh happy day! :D

[abraqkadabra]

i suggest you read novels by neil gaiman.. he's extremely good... the sandman series is his.. stardust, neverwhere... their good.. :)

[Gilbey]

ouch!!!!!! i am familiar with all of the stories... i feel so ancient again.... 8(

anyway - talking about fantasies, you forgot one good author - Marion Zimmer Bradley and her Darkover Planet and its anthologies.

I have over 300 books on science fiction and fantasy been reading since i was in high school (80s) pa!

[sampaguita]

Gilbey:
No way!

*dreams about walking through Gilbey's library...*

Hu-waw!

[Gilbey]

Sampaguita, i have read the stories - dragons of pern, have the whole series regarding pern, and the death gate cycle.

margaret weis and tracy hickman are good in creating worlds and their diagrams.

you should try to read the sword of truth novels, they are simple and easy to read and i love them since they reflect on life. each book has one philosophy that is true.

the wheel of time is good and the most complex of all the fantasy that i have read. not only is there a whole new world, but the characters are so intertwined and each really given his own history and telling. which is why i doubt if it would end up on the ninth book.

[tRiStAn]

i forgot to mention Terry Brook's Shanara Series. they're also interesting. :)

[Assassin_Mage]

Mikoid:
I agree with you about "the chronicles of Thomas covenant" (1st and 2nd chronicles)

it is one great read. It is my favorite over and above Dragonlance or WOT.. Te unbeliever is simply the ultimate anti-hero. I have read all the books in the series but have ye to complete my collection.....

The magician series of Raymond feist is also good. As for the shannara series, one can see upon reading it that it is a copy of Tolkien's LotR series. I dunno if it is just me but that is how it comes across..

As for WOT.. the first books are great.. but in the later ones.. it starts to grate on you especially the crown of swords.. since the actio is so delayed.. so played out.. but I would still gladly get book nine. :D

I have also read the pernese book :D and from the very first I read it, I have loved it.. until now.

Dragonlance was the rage with my friends and still is.. I like it and I have to say that the ending was really astounding. a great one..

BTW.. anyone of you heard of "The Lodoss wars"?

[Jacob]

If you want escapism, this is the genre for you.

Aside from the essential Tolkiens, I've had my share of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels. I've also read the first three parts of the Wheel of Time and Sword of Truth sagas. While they're enjoyable, you begin to notice the cliches, stereotypes (especially of the different races - dwarves, elves, necromancers. etc), and predictable plots.
Especially The Wheel of Time and Sword of Truth series. Both are mushy and overwrought, you feel that a little editing may cut it 1/3 less.

It seems the authors all read Tolkien and refered to AD&D for character archetypes.

Fortunately there are authors like Terry Pratchett and Glen Cook, guys who don't take fantasy too seriously (after all it's a fantasy). Pratchett with his bumbling wizards and Cook's black-humored Black Company are very entertaining and refreshing in this staid genre...

[l'ange]

hi jason, i dont read fantasy novels. they try to escape reality nga kasi. pero, what i like about the genre is the idea behind it. it sees the surreal as better than the real. literature is seen as an opening to a vast matrix of better worlds than what we have here. im not saying i too am escapist; but this idea is interesting.

anyways, tRiStAn is complaining because he already posted this topic way long time ago raw.

[Gilbey]

jacob...... escapism? anyway... you have read the sword of truth novels... i like them... fantasy but i do apply them to life.... totoo naman iyong mga wizard's rule....

i know what you mean about the parallelism between robert jordan and the sword of truth.... well... at least it was a good reading

[Jacob]

Actually, I'm looking for that thread. Medyo mabagal lang ang pag-download kaya di ko masyadong pinagtiyagaan hanapin. :)

[tRiStAn]

To the WOT aficionados: when will Book 9 be released?

[FarOutFreak]

Malapit na yung Book 9?

E hindi ko pa nga naabot yung 4, e. Isa-isa lang. Ang kakapal ng mga libro na yan! Baka gusto nilang ilabas ko si Callandor.

I am the Dragon Reborn... nye.

http://www.pinoyexchange.com/silly.gif

[tRiStAn]

Bumping this to the top. :D

Guys, is the ninth book out already?

[Jacob]

You guys maybe interested, but there's a Wheel of Time collectible card game. It's close to Magic or Pokemon with slightly different mechanics. May dice pa nga e.

I only finished three books of the WoT series. It's quite long and the pace is glacier-like. Pero what's admirable is Jordan's worldbuilding skills. There's so much detail, sometimes you get overwhelmed by it. It's really an interesting saga, but only if I have time to read it.

On the other hand. Raymond Feist's books are quick and dirty. I just finished the Serpentwar Saga. Yes, there are lots of cliches in Feist's novels but the way he writes, he turns it into exciting cliche. If you're a fan of fantasy novels with epic battles, pick this one up. I have a suspicion Mr. Feist plays Warhammer a lot.

Another thing, don't make the mistake of reading Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. It's a poor imitation of Jordan's WoT. Mushy, contrite and predictable, it's also underedited and plagued with inconsistent pacing - nothing happens for 2/3 of the book then things get crammed in the latter part, especially in Wizard's First Rule. But then again, it may be just me.

[denslim]

definitely, the fantasy classics involves (but not limited to): not in order

lord of the rings trilogy, wheel of time series, dragon books by anne macCaffrey, shannara series by terry brooks.

but add to that marion zimmer bradley's darkover series, Stephen donaldson's Thomas covenent, the unbeliever, chronicles... katherine kurtz's Deryni series, piers anthony's incarnations of immortality books (mix of fantasy sci-fi)...

my friends and i are going to open an internet cafe/bookstore/video store shop which will have emphasis on sci-fi (aside from business books and computer/internet books) post your most wanted books para we can have more ideas about what other sci-fi books to import. thanks!!! good reading to all!

[flyderman]

Hey guys, how do you find Tolkien's LOTR trilogy?

[kijarel]

Ummm, *slinks in slowly* i hate both WOT and LOTR... am i still welcome on this thread? :D

my obsessions of the fantasy genre:

Valdemar - Mercedes Lackey
Deverry/Westlands series - by Katharine Kerr
Darkover - Marrion Z. Bradley
Riftwar, Serpentwar, Empire series - Raymond E. Feist
Deryni - Katherine Kurtz
Fire Stone, Crystal etc.- Tanya Huff
Cheysuli series - Jennifer Roberson
Choices(short story) - Lynn Michals
Renata char short stories - Patricia Duffy Novak
Sword and Sorceress sht stories - Vera Nazarian

And More Who Elude My Memory At The Moment...

Regards,
kij-girl

[kijarel]

oh and i forgot...

Margaret Weis
David and Leigh Eddings

Regards,
kijarel-girl :)

[Bostsip]

one word:
TOLKIEN!

[f0r5aK3n]

Piers Anthony's Split Infinity Series is one of the best Fantasy series I've read!

[Quasar]

Sinong mga in dito sa fantasy-adventure books? naghahanap kasi ako ng magandang book yung talagang type ko ang story parang Lord of the Rings pero mas ma-action pa. baka meron kayong maisu-suggest na title sa kin. thnx!

[crazed_cutie]

You can try David Eddings... he has this two 5-book episodes. the first 5 is the Belgariad and the second 5 is the Mallorean. They are more continuous.

They're actually very interesting. It's a quest... similar to the Lord of the Rings.... I love reading those and I will glad to recommend it to you...

National Bookstore doesn't seem to sell much of those but, I think you can try Powerbooks (i think that's the name... hehe)

happy reading! =)

[Apudyukay]

Wishsong of Shanarra and the Heritage of Shanarra series by terry brooks is really nice. though its not as popular as LOD series, its still ok imo. hope u find the time to read it.. :)

and maybe u might wanna try checking out Atlantis series by greg donegan. err its a military type fantasy thriller fyi... :)

[arwensedai]

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

Since you like LotR, then you wont have a problem with a book being detailed. The WoT series' plot is so addictive! There are currently 9 books already, and book 10 will be out by November. It's difficult to score Book 1 at National, but they have Books 2-9. Same with Powerbooks.

[undomiel]

Lloyd Alexander! he has this great 5-book series called the Prydain Chronicles or Chronicles of Prydain. it's also a quest-type story. it's REALLY fun to read.

book 2 (The Black Cauldron) & book 5 (The High King) are Newberry award winners. i know most bookstores sell these two...but never the entire set. sayang.

[isaachayes]

I love reading stories about knights, dragons, etc...

im currently reading George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones now. its a good book.

Does anyone here read fantasy books like the books of Goodkind, Terry Hobb et al?

=)

[takawtamayo]

dati..pero ngayon la ng time :(

[toron]

ako.. mahilig ako diyan. pero kasi halos online nalang ako parati, kaya i go to onlineliterature.com to read rin

[grobanite]

last year lang ako nagstart magbasa ng fantasy books =) so far, the best fantasy books i have read are the once and future king (t.h. white), stardust (neil gaiman) and ella enchanted (forgot the name of the author).

am currently on the lookout for re-written fairy tales where the female lead is the heroine and not the damsel in distress.

[jeune_fille]

Yes, favorite ko..... pero *** mga nababasa ko pa lang eh *** Wot, LOTR, HP....

Planning to read pa Swords of Truth, at *** books ni Neil Gaiman

[Assassin_Mage]

yeah I read fantasy, am actually a fan of it. even before Harry potter came into the scene.

as for Game of Thrones, did you know that there is now a card game based on it? its actually nice

[SiOMs]

loved stardust by neil gaiman :D
ngayon nasa christmas wish list ko ang chronicles of narnia :*)

grobanite what's the once and future king by t.h. white about?

[Drizzt]

fogotten realms and dragonlance novels.. :D

R.A. Salvatore Books medyo kumpleto ko na..

[grobanite]

Originally posted by SiOMs
grobanite what's the once and future king by t.h. white about? [/B]

hi SiOMs :wave:

The once and future king is about the life of king arthur -- from birth till death -- ganda ng story. i especially like the king arthur - lancelot - guenevere (not sure sa spelling) love triangle.

[SiOMs]

Originally posted by grobanite
hi SiOMs :wave:

The once and future king is about the life of king arthur -- from birth till death -- ganda ng story. i especially like the king arthur - lancelot - guenevere (not sure sa spelling) love triangle.

thanks grobanite! *okay*

i actually went to amazon.com to read the excerpt, and it was ok. have you read bulfinch's mythology? meron din kasi shang kwento about king arthur... i was just wondering kung same lang ang kwento nila :)

padagdag lang din: edith hamilton's mythology is also one of my favorites if considered din tong fantasy book :grinroll: