09-02-2008, 09:36 AM
The first book in what will eventually be a ten book series is called Gardens of the Moon. So far, eight of the books have been written. I think the author is in pretty good health.
They are big long complicated books. They do remind me of GRR Martin's books and The Wheel of Time series. They have a huge cast of characters with the books alternating with two main story lines. It's got the big confusing scope but it doesn't get bogged down in all that whining about destiny. They are books about the military and empire building. It's also told from the side of the bad empire. The soldiers are noble but their cause might not be just. It reminds me a lot of the Joe Abercrombie books but the scope is much bigger.
They way the first book starts was quite confusing. They were throwing around terms and creatures and situations and I felt completely lost. This had the effect of making me want to read more to see if things would ever clear up. They did. Everything gets quite violent. You almost have to get to book three before you get a good grasp of what is going on. It's not until book two you get a sense of what is the penultimate battle. It is a trip worth taking. Some of the books are better than others. I think book three, Memories of Ice, is the best so far.
If you are jonesing for your Game of Thrones fix, this might be the solution. But it is a big commitment of time. Two of the books have yet to be written. But that leaves eight books in front of you. As I always say, it's not about quality but quantity.
They are big long complicated books. They do remind me of GRR Martin's books and The Wheel of Time series. They have a huge cast of characters with the books alternating with two main story lines. It's got the big confusing scope but it doesn't get bogged down in all that whining about destiny. They are books about the military and empire building. It's also told from the side of the bad empire. The soldiers are noble but their cause might not be just. It reminds me a lot of the Joe Abercrombie books but the scope is much bigger.
They way the first book starts was quite confusing. They were throwing around terms and creatures and situations and I felt completely lost. This had the effect of making me want to read more to see if things would ever clear up. They did. Everything gets quite violent. You almost have to get to book three before you get a good grasp of what is going on. It's not until book two you get a sense of what is the penultimate battle. It is a trip worth taking. Some of the books are better than others. I think book three, Memories of Ice, is the best so far.
If you are jonesing for your Game of Thrones fix, this might be the solution. But it is a big commitment of time. Two of the books have yet to be written. But that leaves eight books in front of you. As I always say, it's not about quality but quantity.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit
