-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
End of GoT left you unsatisfied? Check out the Wheel of Time, a legendary 15 book fantasy series
- Thread starter Deleted member 279
- Start date
I haven't read it, but Prince of Thorns seems to have that reputation?
I mean not really? He basically plays to her ego and convinces her to spare him. As to the second point, he not only fails to teach them about it, but when he tried showing off his skills in bed his partner basically told him to stop wasting time
I mean depending on the protagonist I can't really agree with this assessment either, hell his Stormlight Archive books are basically all character focused, and he put a ton of effort into both the arcs as well as foreshadowing events etc imo.
I also add my voice to suggesting this series, while I feel it ends kind of meh, I felt that the characters were so incredibly flawed and human that much could be forgiven for it.
I agree, the actors that lend their voices to the adiobooks are the same ones in Sanderson's other novels and they do a fantastic job of the reading, and make it so much easier to differentiate characters.
I was listening to the Game of Thrones audio-book, and while I like the narrator's voice, he has approximately 3 voices, and with a cast of characters as big as ASOIAF it's going to be a nightmare to go through.
Great series that badly needed a better editor. If you can force yourself through the low point (and it is a long as shit low point; I spent a long time reading book 10), the last two books are an incredible payoff. When I'm going for a reread, I just read those.
Eh, I liked WoT, but the style is a bit different than ASoIaF/GoT as to recommend it blindly to its fans.
I wasn't saying he ignores his characters, I just dont think they're very good.
I will say - he's getting a lot better over time. Jasnah especially is a really interesting character in the books. Adolin is interesting as well.
I've been under the impression that Prince of Thorns is suuuper fucking dark and the main character is a massive piece of shit, so it definitely sounds a bit darker than what Soup is looking for.
I thought the ending was wildly exciting - though that might be because most of the trilogy is fairly light on plot - but yeah, its characters are definitely the main attraction. Not only are the characters themselves fantastic, the POV characters have incredibly distinct, cohesive voices that add so much to the reading experience for me. Logen, Bayaz and Glokta in particular ensured The Blade Itself and The Last Argument of Kings their spots in my all-time favorites.
I cant see how got fans will like this necessarily. Wot is a much more "normal" arc. The world building is on par definitely but it doesnt have the unexpectedness of got. Btw this is my fav fantasy series and I think it could be amazingly done in a tv show (apart from how the hell theyll do the hard magic system) but dont see how this is an alternative for got fans. Maybe show fans. Cant see it for book fans. If you go in with an open mind tho an amazing series and if youre looking for strong female characters which pay off then yes definitely. Nyneavie , Egwene, Elayne, Avienda, this series is chock full with good strong female arcs. And also how females in the series at time fall into the folly of men and make generalizations its very interesting from that perspective. Many times I couldnt help but chuckle when reading it from a different perspective.
Ah fair enough lol
Yup, those three characters are definitely three that I will pretty much always remember, they really were done just fantastic.
I dropped it by book 9. Or was it book 10? I honestly don't remember. There were like a billion characters by then and NOTHING of importance was happening. Was bored out of my mind and took a break. When I tried to pick it up again I didn't remember shit. I know that the later books by Sanderson are supposed to be awesome and I WOULD like to finish the story eventually, but eh...
Those are the slow parts . Books 9-11 are so slow on certain plotlines when Perrin essentially spends 2-3 books more or less moping around cause he loves his significant other. 12-14 pick up and satisfying conclusion.
The first few books are pretty good but it gets really bad for entire books for a long time. There's a ton of other series that are better I think.
I can't remember which book it is but around 2 or 3 or 4 there is a written sequence that is awesome and I hope some day it translates well into TV/movie.
I'm aware of this. I just couldn't get past those parts is all and now I don't remember shit. I even tried to read some of the wikis online as a refresher, but all those damn (mostly useless) characters and pointless drama in the tower and stuff just made me give up all over again.
The real answer is Dune. Yeah, it's considered science fiction but it has a lot more in common with medieval fantasy and no doubt it was a huge inspiration for ASOIAF.
Dune 1-3 is a complete trilogy and it's fantastic. You've got closure there for sure.
Dune 4 shakes shit up significantly and is my favorite. 4-6 all work as standalone continuations of the universe so if you don't like one as much you can hope you like the next better or just stop and be good.
Personally, I loved all of Frank Herbert's Dune novels. Just don't read his son Brian Herbert's trash fanfiction.
Dune 1-3 is a complete trilogy and it's fantastic. You've got closure there for sure.
Dune 4 shakes shit up significantly and is my favorite. 4-6 all work as standalone continuations of the universe so if you don't like one as much you can hope you like the next better or just stop and be good.
Personally, I loved all of Frank Herbert's Dune novels. Just don't read his son Brian Herbert's trash fanfiction.
Last edited:
oh hell no. I mean got has its whole mess going on itself.
The first few books are pretty good but it gets really bad for entire books for a long time. There's a ton of other series that are better I think.
The first FLW trilogy is great but I feel the other three books are better in general. Maybe it's because the overall plot of the first trilogy is quite weak and the ending is disappointing (to me at least). The characters were amazing anyway. I would kill for a mini series of Best served cold. Monza and her revenge are amazing.
Loved The Wheel of Time however it drags a stupid amount in the middle of the series, you have to be really committed to it to get through them.
Like others, I'd highly recommend Malazan Book of the Fallen. Other series to keep an eye out for would be The Belgaria Series by David Eddings, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (and also his new series The Stormlight Archives), The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson.
Probably my favourite fantasy book is Magician by Raymond Feist (and it's subsequent series The Riftwar Saga).
Like others, I'd highly recommend Malazan Book of the Fallen. Other series to keep an eye out for would be The Belgaria Series by David Eddings, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (and also his new series The Stormlight Archives), The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson.
Probably my favourite fantasy book is Magician by Raymond Feist (and it's subsequent series The Riftwar Saga).
I did audio books my first read and made it more interesting . Btw audio books for the series is amazing. But yeah no it was a whole sequence of crap for a about a book and a half (3 books of slowness 1.5 books of essentailly rubbish imo) but yeah it picks up and concludes well and ties the arcs together so its quite satisfying when you get to the end. I wont lie Im the type who is okay skipping chapters and reading the summary online so I did that for some perrin chapters. I went back to them later once I was done ... but god those were such a drag. I love her I love her I miss her . I was like omfg I get it lets move on.
malazan is a trippy series to read, once you read it other fantasy is really, really hard to digest anymore since it all feels like YA novels compared to malazan. Its like 10 books though and a few of them are MASSIVE, I think it took me 2 years to read through it all but no regrets.
while they aren't really anything alike, finishing it reminded me a lot of finishing Nier Automata in just how I felt about ideas
while they aren't really anything alike, finishing it reminded me a lot of finishing Nier Automata in just how I felt about ideas
I'm a huge fantasy fan, but could never warm to The Wheel Of Time. I was never a fan of the pacing or the characters.
If you're after a fantasy series that is similar in tone to A Song Of Ice And Fire, I'd recommend the same series that George R R Martin does: The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. They have a much smaller and more personal scale than ASOIAF, but a very dark tone, and they can be quite unpredictable (which is a rarity in this genre). I can see why GRRM likes it.
If you're after a fantasy series with a big scale that's also easy to read, then I'd recommend Magician, by Raymond E Feist. I'm actually really surprised that nobody has tried to adapt that as a big budget TV show yet, I think it'd be amazing. It's just a great story. Everyone I've recommended it to has loved it.
Some other recommendations:
The Belgariad series, by David Eddings. Can be a bit predictable and formulaic at times, but the story is well told and it's very easy to read. Lighthearted, but with a grand scale.
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, by Tad Williams. It can drag in some places (he needed a better editor I think), but it has a great story at its core and great characters to go with it, so it's well worth battling through the slower bits as well. It's quite bleak at times, much like ASOIAF, but worth the ride.
If you're after a fantasy series that is similar in tone to A Song Of Ice And Fire, I'd recommend the same series that George R R Martin does: The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. They have a much smaller and more personal scale than ASOIAF, but a very dark tone, and they can be quite unpredictable (which is a rarity in this genre). I can see why GRRM likes it.
If you're after a fantasy series with a big scale that's also easy to read, then I'd recommend Magician, by Raymond E Feist. I'm actually really surprised that nobody has tried to adapt that as a big budget TV show yet, I think it'd be amazing. It's just a great story. Everyone I've recommended it to has loved it.
Some other recommendations:
The Belgariad series, by David Eddings. Can be a bit predictable and formulaic at times, but the story is well told and it's very easy to read. Lighthearted, but with a grand scale.
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, by Tad Williams. It can drag in some places (he needed a better editor I think), but it has a great story at its core and great characters to go with it, so it's well worth battling through the slower bits as well. It's quite bleak at times, much like ASOIAF, but worth the ride.
I will agree with op on one thing tho the series concludes in a very satisfactory sense. Plot lines wrap up . Things seem earned etc (Its not perfect somethings just have some wrap up fast feel due to yada yada etc but overall arc and story are satisfying as hell)
Malazan is much more like a trashy comic than anything else. Certainly not anything that degrades the rest of popular fantasy fiction.
Book 2, 3, and 5 are worth reading though. At least if you immediately skip any chapter in book 3 in which the word "mhybe" can be found.
Yup, I quite dug this series myself. Would highly recommend it to others interested in checking out more fantasy novels.
I don't think anyone has suggested the Prince of Nothing series, by R/ Scott Baker yet, which I would compare GoT to:
It also has a lot of (political) scheming, great characters, an extra supernatural force to spice things up (kinda like the white walkers), and an incredibly epic scale. Start with The Darkness That Comes Before . The follow-up of four books is called The Aspect-Emperor, which is also really cool.
It also has a lot of (political) scheming, great characters, an extra supernatural force to spice things up (kinda like the white walkers), and an incredibly epic scale. Start with The Darkness That Comes Before . The follow-up of four books is called The Aspect-Emperor, which is also really cool.
I really enjoyed the deconstruction aspect of the trilogy, but it will put off a lot of people allergic to "subversion" as the cool kids call it these days.
Oh man.
I stopped reading this when one of the main characters was stuffed into a box for a huge chunk of a book and nothing else seemed to really be happening. Was already skipping chapters and I didn't really want to be skipping any more.
Don't really want to return to them either.
I stopped reading this when one of the main characters was stuffed into a box for a huge chunk of a book and nothing else seemed to really be happening. Was already skipping chapters and I didn't really want to be skipping any more.
Don't really want to return to them either.
Books are highly ymmv, so I'm never surprised by the complaints. But I love the series. It's big, but you should know that from the sheer number of books. Jordan grappled with exactly the same problems GRRM has right now in that if you are writing character-centric, they can steer your story plan off the road and it ends up resulting in 2 more books. But it has tons of high points, ends fantastically, and TV will of course find a way to cut it into more streamlined pieces. And like GRRM, the world-building is incredibly detailed. (There's a reason Jordan has always been in the top 5-10 best-selling fantasy authors of all time) If you don't like it, drop it? But it's not successful at random.
I imagine WoT would have been on TV already, but Jordan famously would just take the money, thinking the TV part was a total crapshoot and probably going nowhere. "Better to take the cheque and get back to writing", basically. Sadly he didn't live into the peak Netflix era.
I imagine WoT would have been on TV already, but Jordan famously would just take the money, thinking the TV part was a total crapshoot and probably going nowhere. "Better to take the cheque and get back to writing", basically. Sadly he didn't live into the peak Netflix era.
This ain't it chief. I would recommend Wheel of Time to anyone in need of a fantasy fix in a heartbeat, but if GoT left a bad taste in your mouth and you want something to cleanse your pallette, I would consider something more concise and smaller. Throwing casual fantasy fans that may have started to give interest in the Genre right into this 14 Book monstrosity would only lead them to give up fantasy entirely than actually pursuing other series and broadening their horizons. But yeah, if you want to absolutely absorb and drench yourself in world building, get lost entirely in a new world and find yourself in need of a massive epic to just enjoy its inner machinations, Wheel of Time is there, waiting for you to open its pages and enjoy it.
Yes its massive. Yes there are a few issues going towards the middle where you might wonder if its worth it. I myself even took a break to start reading Sanderson material, but that was more to get accustomed to his writing style and overall feel so that I can have proper grounds to understand what exactly he brought for the final trilogy of books alongside Jordan's extensive plot details he left behind before he died. But its worth it. When the plot does move forward, or when there are focal points of massive importance in universe, those highs are pretty much up there with classics. Helm's Deep and Battle of Blackwater Bay? I raise you with the Battle of Almoth Plains, Sacking of the Stone if Tear, or Dumai fucking Wells. Character discovers something important or shifts the entire world view on its head with effects felt throughout the rest of the series? Journey into Rhuidean, The Cleansing, or anytime we see the machinations of the Forsaken in the background. Loveable characters who imprint themselves with major chapters and story arcs? Literally any fucking Mat Chapter. Just pick anyone at random and you'll fall in love with him. Basically it has its flaws, but its lows never go lower than A Dance of Dragons dragging its feet, since this thread started as a recommendation for something after GoT, and its highs just keep escalating book after book after book. Basically:
If you want something that keeps you on your feet most of the time, enjoy a world that was absolutely gluttonous in its description, something that is still readable as an adult with a smidge of juvenile behavior to lighten things up during the darkest points, and in general want to enjoy an open and closed story with a clear beginning and ending that will likely leave you satisfied (still on Book 11 myself) by the time you finish it, then look no further. Its 14 books of high fantasy in its cleanest, most distilled and purest form.
Yes its massive. Yes there are a few issues going towards the middle where you might wonder if its worth it. I myself even took a break to start reading Sanderson material, but that was more to get accustomed to his writing style and overall feel so that I can have proper grounds to understand what exactly he brought for the final trilogy of books alongside Jordan's extensive plot details he left behind before he died. But its worth it. When the plot does move forward, or when there are focal points of massive importance in universe, those highs are pretty much up there with classics. Helm's Deep and Battle of Blackwater Bay? I raise you with the Battle of Almoth Plains, Sacking of the Stone if Tear, or Dumai fucking Wells. Character discovers something important or shifts the entire world view on its head with effects felt throughout the rest of the series? Journey into Rhuidean, The Cleansing, or anytime we see the machinations of the Forsaken in the background. Loveable characters who imprint themselves with major chapters and story arcs? Literally any fucking Mat Chapter. Just pick anyone at random and you'll fall in love with him. Basically it has its flaws, but its lows never go lower than A Dance of Dragons dragging its feet, since this thread started as a recommendation for something after GoT, and its highs just keep escalating book after book after book. Basically:
If you want something that keeps you on your feet most of the time, enjoy a world that was absolutely gluttonous in its description, something that is still readable as an adult with a smidge of juvenile behavior to lighten things up during the darkest points, and in general want to enjoy an open and closed story with a clear beginning and ending that will likely leave you satisfied (still on Book 11 myself) by the time you finish it, then look no further. Its 14 books of high fantasy in its cleanest, most distilled and purest form.
With asoiaf I was bored for the Oldtown prologue in AFFC. I was generally otherwise having a good time. With my attempt at Wheel of Time I don't recall enjoying it at all. It was just a slog. I kept waiting for any of it to pay off.
Eh. One is a television adaptation, I'm not sure it's fair to compare the TV series to another book series.
BUT, the wheel of time is really good, but I started to lose he way after about the 6th book? Massive 1200 page paperweights
BUT, the wheel of time is really good, but I started to lose he way after about the 6th book? Massive 1200 page paperweights
End of GoT left you unsatisfied? Read Wheel of Time to experience what being unsatisfied truly means, you fucking amateurs!
I'm sure the OP means well but this is pretty much nonsense. WoT is the most generic fantasy novel tripe imaginable this side of a Piers Anthony book. None of the sociological nuance or political intrigue of GoT/ASOIAF, let alone the character depth.
I'm sure the OP means well but this is pretty much nonsense. WoT is the most generic fantasy novel tripe imaginable this side of a Piers Anthony book. None of the sociological nuance or political intrigue of GoT/ASOIAF, let alone the character depth.
There's like 5 or 6 different parts in Books 2-4 alone that would make for amazing watching, not just 1. Those 3 books after the girls make it to Almoth Plain in The Great Hunt are just pure hype, one scene hitting you after another.
The first few books are pretty good but it gets really bad for entire books for a long time. There's a ton of other series that are better I think.
I can't remember which book it is but around 2 or 3 or 4 there is a written sequence that is awesome and I hope some day it translates well into TV/movie.
yeah no I can get it as I said theyre different series . I think the only thing they have in common is well realized worlds otherwise different types of books. I think wot is amazing but as Ive said I wouldnt necessarily recommend it to a got reader.
Yeah, I do NOT think Wheel of Time is good for GOT fans. WOT has amazing world building/lore, but as echoed already is a huge slog to get through. Part of the problem is that Robert Jordan spends a lot of time REPEATING information in pretty much all the books. Info on characters, places etc. You can get away with reading the books out of order in most circumstances (though I wouldn't recommend doing this).
My all time favorite series is the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. Its high fantasy with a touch of sci-fi. It follows the story of a Vlad, a human (called Easterners) and practitioner of witchcraft making his way on the mean streets of the Dragaeran Empire.
There's also a prequel series called The Khaavren Romances that detail events and characters prior to the Vlad series. Its inspired by the works of Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeer's), being very verbose/wordy and features a lot of wordplay. Very fun albeit sometimes challenging read that will grow on you!
My all time favorite series is the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. Its high fantasy with a touch of sci-fi. It follows the story of a Vlad, a human (called Easterners) and practitioner of witchcraft making his way on the mean streets of the Dragaeran Empire.
There's also a prequel series called The Khaavren Romances that detail events and characters prior to the Vlad series. Its inspired by the works of Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeer's), being very verbose/wordy and features a lot of wordplay. Very fun albeit sometimes challenging read that will grow on you!
Generic Fantasy is more L.E Modesitt with the Saga of Recluce or Farland with The Runelords. Wheel of Time runs circles around those type of series imo. Its not up there with the classics the whole type, but it sure as hell isn't tripe or generic in the slightest way.
Great books.
Has adult themes so I would not recommend for too young readers or if one is looking for light reading.
I mean in some sense its working out better (and Ive seen that crap 20 min thing with billy zane) ... However while optimistic Im not fully convinced it can be done well on tv yet it just has such a hard magic system needs too much cgi . Will be a waaay harder adaptation that asoif. Think in 20-30 years it would be amazing. But now could work maybe dont know. hope the amazon thing works Im hopeful but concerned.
They can just handwave that any time you see magic happening without any of the intricate weaves its either from the POV of a non Ashaman or Aes Sedai, or someone of the opposite gender. Lazy as fuck, but it does bear weight as an in universe excuse that exists.