I have been out of the loop for some time now with the Shannara Series. I read up until Antrax and was so distraught by Walker Boh's death that I never went on to Morgawr or any of the subsequent sequels. Should I even bother? I have some loyalty to Brooks because of the Elfstones, which I consider one of the best fantasy novels of all time, but I must say I was sorely disappointed in the last two books of the Heritage series and whole voayage of the Jerle Shannara stuff.

I have only read the Prequel and the Original Trilogy, but if you liked Elfstones and havn't read the First King of Shannara, I would get on it. His most recent stuff is renowned for its badness.

 

GRRM isn't exactly the same form of High Fantasy, so be ready for a 'culture' shock.

I would like to vote both "Yes" and "Read George R R Martin"

 

Terry Brooks does a good job with the Ilse Witch. I'm not going to tell you more, but I enjoyed the rest of that trilogy, despite the fact that I really liked the character of Walker Boh. In fact, in part because of how much I liked Walker. You should finish it.

 

The Tanequil trilogy that followed was good but not great. I read it because I read alot, but it seemed a little shallow to me.

 

But A Song of Ice and Fire is far better, in my opinion. Just be ready ... if you read it more than once, YOU might end up getting killed off :D .

I wasn't keen on the Shannara series at all and I greatly preferred A Song of Ice and Fire. So I'm voting #3 up there. :D

The thing about Song of Ice and Fire is that there are no main heroes or main villians. Just a bunch of characters manuvering for power and trying to kill each other (often succeeding) with no real "Dark One" type villians (that I could tell anyway), no great quest, or great ideal of battling for a brighter future. If you can accept that and are happy to read a series that's more like historical fiction set in a dulled down fantasy world then the more usual fantasy settings then you'll love Ice and Fire because it is very clever and inventive. For me I only enjoyed reading about one of the characters, and he promptly died, while reading about the rest was a bit like reading Elayne dominant chapters in latter WOT so I stopped bothering after the first book.

 

Just through I'd put in my two cents just to prove that the praise for Song of Ice and Fire isn't universal.

I've only read the Sword, Elfstones, and Wishsong of Shannara. I thought the Sword was a cheap ripoff of LOTR, but I really enjoyed the Elfstones and the Wishsong. I'm unimpressed with the first two books of the Magic Kingdom series. I'm almost finished with a Game of Thrones, however, and I find it rivetting.

Bela will be the glue that holds the Fourth Age together

They're going to make glue out of Bela? :shock:

The thing about Song of Ice and Fire is that there are no main heroes or main villians. Just a bunch of characters manuvering for power and trying to kill each other (often succeeding) with no real "Dark One" type villians (that I could tell anyway)' date=' no great quest, or great ideal of battling for a brighter future. If you can accept that and are happy to read a series that's more like historical fiction set in a dulled down fantasy world then the more usual fantasy settings then you'll love Ice and Fire because it is very clever and inventive. For me I only enjoyed reading about one of the characters, and he promptly died, while reading about the rest was a bit like reading Elayne dominant chapters in latter WOT so I stopped bothering after the first book.

 

Just through I'd put in my two cents just to prove that the praise for Song of Ice and Fire isn't universal.[/quote']

 

No, but you have made a lot of false assumptions based on not reading the later books though. The world is more fantastical than it first seems, it just takes a while for those elements to come through (God, if you haven't even finished the first book the world must seem very dull at the moment). There is a hint of a possible 'Dark One'-style plot, although it is done very, very differently (and far better) to WoT or LotR. There are more quest-like elements in the later books, although these are more like military missions than LotR-style "Dispose of the plot coupon," quests. Finally, there are plenty of people battling for a brighter future, they are just hard to pick out among the scheming power-grabbers.

 

In summary, ASoIaF is the best epic fantasy series out there, bar none, and is certainly worth reading. However, it is not for younger readers and may be a culture shock if you are more used to something like Brooks or Eddings. If ASoIaF was on TV, for example, only HBO would get away with showing it.

I have read all the Song of Ice and Fire books and I don't like them. Don't get me wrong, they are riviting and well written, but the are just plain depressing to me. Almost like reading Steven King in some ways. The same atomsophere of death and destruction. No hope. I would not really recomend reading them unless you are prepared to be shocked and depressed for days. But that's just me.

I am off subject though. Terty Brooks, I put no. He isn't bad, but he isn't good either, and his charicters are shallow.

I'd say there was hope in the books, it's just somewhat off in the distance. If you want a really bleak, perhaps even nihilistic fantasy series, than Bakker's Prince of Nothing Trilogy is even more depressing (although brilliantly written and characterised).

They're going to make glue out of Bela?

Well, Gandaal, the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and I'm afraid that that's what it wills, or at least, that's what I concluded it wills in a different thread and added that as my sig for a joke. Most people either (properly, perhaps) ignore it, or else (good grief) don't get it. You're the first to both understand it and comment on it; stick around for your prize! :P