Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10802 Posts
    
Umass Amherst Baby!
 | | 03/24/2008 11:57 PM |
| Oyran77:
I always heard people
talk about how good the WoT novels were and I got to borrow them last
year from a guy. I read through the first novel and I liked the
storyline, but I really didn't like the writing style at all. Way to
descriptive on pointless details which bogged the story down. Then when
a scene would get interesting, it was pretty underwhelming & brief.
He elaborated more on the color & look of a womans gown then he did
on a confrontation between an antagonist & protagonist. I still
read through the second book hoping that now that the characters had
been established the pacing of the story would pick up more....but it
didn't. I also felt the characters were not very interesting. They came
off very very whiney. Even when they became more unique with power
(& got more interesting), they got even whinier. By the time I
finished the 2nd book I realized the good storyline was not enough to
make up for the annoyances of the writing & characters. I returned
the books & didn't continue with the next novel. It had an
interesting plot and would probably make a good tv series, but I wasn't
a fan of the books myself.
I'd be interested in hearing what
people like about this series of novels. It has a huge fan base so I'm
sure it's good regardless of what turned me off from it.
I
really liked the Dark Sun novels. I read each of those series and each
one was really good. I also read all of the Drizzt stuff. It's hit
& miss but overall they are really good. R.A. Salvatore became a
favorite author of mine. I'm currently reading the Dragonlance series
with Tanis, Tas, Raistlin, & those guys. I'm only on book 2 but
it's pretty good so far 
I agree wholeheartedly with your critiqe of the books. When I first read them I thought it was a Fellowship of the Ring knock off. In fact I feel it did start that way untill it became kind of a Kitchen sink fantasy series (i.e. just about everything but the kitchen sink). The Wheel of Time has all of these aspects that are reminscent of other works and Genres. In some ways that's why I find it an apealing series.
However by the 5th book I was feeling annoyed at the amount of inconseqential detail in the story. Detail was being used early on to Authenticate the series, but as the books continued they became unecessary and unwelcome.Â
| |
Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
|
Knight of the
Round Table
Thenameless
Warlord
9034 Posts
The Fortress of Solitude
| | 03/25/2008 12:08 AM |
| Posted By Cthulhufnord on 03/24/2008 11:57 PM
However by the 5th book I was feeling annoyed at the amount of inconseqential detail in the story. Detail was being used early on to Authenticate the series, but as the books continued they became unecessary and unwelcome.Â
This gets rather tedious. Detail is nice, if the writer has an eloquent delivery, but when you can tell that it's just page-filler, it becomes irritating. | |
Over 270 successful online DDM trades. | |
|
The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11226 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 03/25/2008 5:43 AM |
| I've thought about reading these and even bought cheap a few of the early books, but now I'm having second thoughts based on what I'm hearing. I like detail but it sounds a little too much for me.
Not to mention that each book is like 800 freakin' pages. It'll take me forever to read. | |
Ghendar - Now with 51% more snark
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
|
Pedro
Commander
3922 Posts
Czech Republic
| | 03/25/2008 8:11 AM |
| | Nothing is better than an 18-page long description of the architecture on one cathedral... | |
2007 & 2008 Czech Republic Champion
2008 Czech Republic's Player of the Year
2.0 Champion of Necromancers! (preferably not Evil:-))
Next Icon Called Shot: Baldur's Gate pack - Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc (and BOO!), Imoen, Xan, Sarevok...
Against the Giants Called Shot: Phoenix (/no luck)
Demonweb Called Shot: Yagnoloth (I like demons!)
Feywild Called Shot:
Starter 2009 Called Shot: | |
|
Wraithborne
Commander
3546 Posts
West Virginia
| | 03/25/2008 8:45 AM |
| | I love the series. I do agree that it got bogged down for a while, but the last book really picked up the pace. I'm a huge Padan Fain fan. | |
The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man's civilization is cast in ruin!
Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn...
A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil.
He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!
| |
|
The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11226 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 03/25/2008 9:55 AM |
| Posted By Pedro on 03/25/2008 8:11 AM
Nothing is better than an 18-page long description of the architecture on one cathedral...
Yup, nothing wrong with that...
In a cathedral architecture textbook.  | |
Ghendar - Now with 51% more snark
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
|
Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7146 Posts
Idaho. Yes, we have Gamers in Idaho.
| | 03/25/2008 11:58 AM |
| I haven't read the series, but a number of friends have. I do have the D20 book.
Frankly, it's rather limited, and I have no positive connotations with it other than breaking a few games wide open.
| |
Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Against The Giants Called Shot: Huge Green Dragon
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
|
Pedro
Commander
3922 Posts
Czech Republic
| | 03/25/2008 2:32 PM |
| Posted By Ghendar on 03/25/2008 9:55 AM Posted By Pedro on 03/25/2008 8:11 AM
Nothing is better than an 18-page long description of the architecture on one cathedral... Yup, nothing wrong with that... In a cathedral architecture textbook.
What about a famous and respected novel?  | |
2007 & 2008 Czech Republic Champion
2008 Czech Republic's Player of the Year
2.0 Champion of Necromancers! (preferably not Evil:-))
Next Icon Called Shot: Baldur's Gate pack - Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc (and BOO!), Imoen, Xan, Sarevok...
Against the Giants Called Shot: Phoenix (/no luck)
Demonweb Called Shot: Yagnoloth (I like demons!)
Feywild Called Shot:
Starter 2009 Called Shot: | |
|
zenthrus
Commander
4834 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 03/25/2008 4:26 PM |
| Posted By Pedro on 03/25/2008 2:32 PM Posted By Ghendar on 03/25/2008 9:55 AM Posted By Pedro on 03/25/2008 8:11 AM
Nothing is better than an 18-page long description of the architecture on one cathedral... Yup, nothing wrong with that... In a cathedral architecture textbook. What about a famous and respected novel?
As to the appeal of WoT? It's essentially a rehash of the American Frontier mythos (uncorrupted, idealic "West" vs. corrupt, decrepit "East) coupled with the Heroic Journey of Self-Discovery motif. It's sufficiently Tolkein-esque (despite having inferior writing quality) to appeal to fans of Tolkein. Jordan offers a world of hybridized ethnicities which are suspended between being comfortably familiar and exotically foreign which is appealing. And there is always a market segment who really seems to like overly-verbose descriptive writing (ever read Modesitt's "Recluse" series?).
| |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
Trade References | |
|
dagonet
Sergeant
442 Posts
| | 03/25/2008 5:40 PM |
| Posted By zenthrus on 03/25/2008 4:26 PM
As
to the appeal of WoT? It's essentially a rehash of the American
Frontier mythos (uncorrupted, idealic "West" vs. corrupt, decrepit
"East) coupled with the Heroic Journey of Self-Discovery motif.Â
It's sufficiently Tolkein-esque (despite having inferior writing
quality) to appeal to fans of Tolkein. Jordan offers a world of
hybridized ethnicities which are suspended between being comfortably
familiar and exotically foreign which is appealing.
That Jordan lost control of his plot and was not able to regain it is,
I think, a very real tragedy. Because the series could have been truly
outstanding, and there are parts (I'm thinking in particular of the
flashbacks which reveal the truth of the history of the Aiel) which are
quite beautifully written.
Posted By zenthrus on 03/25/2008 4:26 PM
And there is always a market segment who really seems to like
overly-verbose descriptive writing (ever read Modesitt's "Recluse"
series?).
*gag* That's not verbosity; that's an unrestrained obsession with
minutiae. Everything I know about furniture-making, I learned from
Recluse. *shudder*
Cthulhufnord, If you can track them down, the three Chronicles of Athas
books written by Lynn Abbey (The Brazen Gambit, Cinnabar Shadows, and
The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King) are quite excellent, although they
do take some liberties with the setting's established canon. Such as it
is. =) | |
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Champion of Kyuss and his Servants of Squishy Doom | |
|
Wraithborne
Commander
3546 Posts
West Virginia
| | 03/25/2008 5:43 PM |
| Posted By zenthrus on 03/25/2008 4:26 PM Â And there is always a market segment who really seems to like overly-verbose descriptive writing (ever read Modesitt's "Recluse" series?).
Â
I read 2 of them....I liked them pretty well, but if I'm reading a series, I want it to be about the same group of people. I just need that continuity I suppose. That's what made the first 4 Shannara books so hard for me to get through oh so ong ago. | |
The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man's civilization is cast in ruin!
Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn...
A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil.
He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!
| |
|
Oryan77
Sergeant
955 Posts
| | 03/25/2008 5:50 PM |
| Posted By zenthrus on 03/25/2008 4:26 PM
And there is always a market segment who really seems to like overly-verbose descriptive writing.
I thought Tolkien's writing was too descriptive, but it's tame compared to Jordan's
I have to admit though...after reading both LotR & WoT, it taught me to be more descriptive as a DM in our RPG game. I don't spend 15 minutes describing the color, smell, & detail of the BBEG's jock strap, but I now at least quickly mention the smells & sounds here & there along with the visuals of an environment.
It's also good to know that I'm not a sourpuss for not liking the WoT books. As much praise as I've heard from the series, I thought I was the only fantasy setting fan that didn't like the series!
| |
Miniatures for sale *more added 07/17/08*: Click here
I will buy your unwanted D&D WotC minis collection (DDM only). Email me your asking price! | |
|
Oryan77
Sergeant
955 Posts
| | 03/25/2008 6:12 PM |
| Posted By dagonet on 03/25/2008 5:40 PM Cthulhufnord, If you can track them down, the three Chronicles of Athas
books written by Lynn Abbey (The Brazen Gambit, Cinnabar Shadows, and
The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King) are quite excellent, although they
do take some liberties with the setting's established canon. Such as it
is. =)
That's a great series. It's even better if you're already familiar with how evil & corrupt the templars on Athas are since this book is about a templar (bad guy) that leaves his career and tries to be a good guy. I thought that was an original idea for a main character in a book.
My favorite Dark Sun series was the The Tribe of
One Trilogy. Maybe not so much for the storyline, I just thought the main character was really cool. I always wanted to play a multiple personality PC in D&D....and this guy had 9 personalities!
| |
Miniatures for sale *more added 07/17/08*: Click here
I will buy your unwanted D&D WotC minis collection (DDM only). Email me your asking price! | |
|
Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10802 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 03/25/2008 8:08 PM |
| Padin Fain is indeed one of my more favorite characters.
Posted By Wraithborne on 03/25/2008 8:45 AM
I love the series. I do agree that it got bogged down for a while, but the last book really picked up the pace. I'm a huge Padan Fain fan.
The last book I read.... which may not be the 5th book, ended with Rand cleaning the Male half of the scource. I picked up the next book expecting it to pick up on that, or at least let me know what was up with the other Ta'vern. No such luck, I was disgusted with the series by the time I finished reading that book.
| |
Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
|
Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7146 Posts
Idaho. Yes, we have Gamers in Idaho.
| | 03/26/2008 8:25 AM |
| Posted By Oryan77 on 03/25/2008 5:50 PM Posted By zenthrus on 03/25/2008 4:26 PM
And there is always a market segment who really seems to like overly-verbose descriptive writing.
I thought Tolkien's writing was too descriptive, but it's tame compared to Jordan's  I have to admit though...after reading both LotR & WoT, it taught me to be more descriptive as a DM in our RPG game. I don't spend 15 minutes describing the color, smell, & detail of the BBEG's jock strap, but I now at least quickly mention the smells & sounds here & there along with the visuals of an environment. It's also good to know that I'm not a sourpuss for not liking the WoT books. As much praise as I've heard from the series, I thought I was the only fantasy setting fan that didn't like the series!
Agreed. Tolkiens Purple rose is nothing compared to the Loquacity of Jordan. I started reading the first book last night, and it's Ragingly Purple prose.
| |
Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Against The Giants Called Shot: Huge Green Dragon
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
|
Oryan77
Sergeant
955 Posts
| | 03/26/2008 10:19 AM |
| Posted By Teflon Jeff on 03/26/2008 8:25 AM Posted By Oryan77 on 03/25/2008 5:50 PM Posted By zenthrus on 03/25/2008 4:26 PM
And there is always a market segment who really seems to like overly-verbose descriptive writing.
I thought Tolkien's writing was too descriptive, but it's tame compared to Jordan's I have to admit though...after reading both LotR & WoT, it taught me to be more descriptive as a DM in our RPG game. I don't spend 15 minutes describing the color, smell, & detail of the BBEG's jock strap, but I now at least quickly mention the smells & sounds here & there along with the visuals of an environment. It's also good to know that I'm not a sourpuss for not liking the WoT books. As much praise as I've heard from the series, I thought I was the only fantasy setting fan that didn't like the series! Agreed. Tolkiens Purple rose is nothing compared to the Loquacity of
Jordan. I started reading the first book last night, and it's Ragingly
Purple prose.
I don't mean to sound like a total moron, but what's the Purple rose in reference to? I've never heard the term Purple rose before. | |
Miniatures for sale *more added 07/17/08*: Click here
I will buy your unwanted D&D WotC minis collection (DDM only). Email me your asking price! | |
|
Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7146 Posts
Idaho. Yes, we have Gamers in Idaho.
| | 03/26/2008 10:34 AM |
| Overly descriptive text, that breaks the attention from the story to itself.
http://irregularwebcomic.net/1631.html
(Contains wikipedia link)
| |
Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Against The Giants Called Shot: Huge Green Dragon
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
|
vanrulzz
Underboss
2468 Posts
¯\(°_o)/¯
| | 03/26/2008 4:28 PM |
| i havent read them, so i will agree with every single opinion in this thread at the same time.
I AGREE | | | |
|
Wraithborne
Commander
3546 Posts
West Virginia
| | 03/26/2008 8:15 PM |
| Posted By vanrulzz on 03/26/2008 4:28 PM
i havent read them, so i will agree with every single opinion in this thread at the same time.
I AGREE
That means you agree with me!!!
Mark that one down on your calendar. | |
The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man's civilization is cast in ruin!
Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn...
A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil.
He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!
| |
|