Stephen Donaldson

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I just checked and there isn't a Stephen Donaldson post. Yet it says right in the description this is the spot to find Donaldson posts. What gives?

5 days until the new book comes out, "Fatal Revenant". 6 days until I start waiting two frickin years for the third book. I wonder how that George RR Martin book is coming?

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Dude, it's out an in the stores (at least it is up here at Borderlands - I saw it this evening). Maybe you should move up here? Better bookstores...

[King Bob]

I thought Donaldson retired after he made the $ in the 1980s. Does he still have a following? Am I the only one who never read the Thomas Covenant series? (I admit that I am on principle against series.)

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

What principle has Donaldson violated that made you not read his books. I can understand not reading them because you find Donaldson an egocentric ass or that he writes with a thesaurus by his side. But Principle. Explain more, King.

As for Donaldson, I enjoy all his books. He had a second TC trilogy. He did a fine fantasy novel series called A man rides through. He did scifi in the Gap series. It was Donaldson's take on the Ring cycle. He even dabbled in noire PI stories under the pen name Reed Stevens.

All his characters are broken and looking for redemption. Some find redemption and don't realize it. You have to like the dark twisted aspect of it.

[King Bob]

Well that was around the time that SF/fantasy series really started to get popular. And I've always been put off by a planned series of novels. I don't mind reading one and then maybe reading a sequel later, but to start a book knowing that I'll be left hanging with at least a year until the next one? I just can't do it. And once the series is complete, the sheer mass is daunting. Plus Donaldson had a high page count in each volume, which also made me shy away. Nothing personal against him, just my general tendency.

The last series I read was about five years ago, I reread the first three Dune books and then read books 4-6 for the first time. But that was unusual.

Although I will admit that I just got a cheap copy of Zelazny's first Amber book to reread, and if I like it enough I may read the others (now that they're all in a convenient one volume edition).

[The Queen]

I don't mind reading one and then maybe reading a sequel later, but to start a book knowing that I'll be left hanging with at least a year until the next one? I just can't do it. And once the series is complete, the sheer mass is daunting.

I much prefer knowing there's a series and that there's more to come. I love finding a new author and then finding out that there's 5 or 6 or 16 or 17 books in the series that I can count on having for the next few weeks. It's just so nice to not always have to learn new characters and situations, but to fall back into a familiar world and see what happens next. Then again.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

i prefer it when all of the books are available and for sale used, or just arrive in a box from G-Man.

Oh, G-Man, just finished the history of 19th Century Venice that was with the last shipment. He is a very good writer and I enjoyed it. Now I want to read his history of Byzantium.

Books being returned to you next week, plus the stack from my recovery.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Do you want the abridged one volume or the three volume set off which I have the first two. He's also just released a history of the mediteranean. It's a lot of the same ground but he does expand it somewhat. Go Etruscans!

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

One volume would be just fine, thanks! Please wait for me to send you the other stuff.

-Y

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I was a little put off by the first 170 pages of whining by the main character. It gets a bit tiresome that every chapter opens with Linden Avery avowing to find some answers, answers to questions I'm still a little unsure.

But things pick up after that. She goes and does things. All the characters you know and love return. She finds herself in dire situations, from which she eventually manages to extricate herself. Covenant and her son act wierd, but we find resolution. It is quite epic and now it's done and I find myself asking questions like why can't he write any frickin faster. Although having read this one, I'm okay waiting for the next two. I'll be happy when they come out. It's not the desperation I felt reading the first trilogy. Is that the difference in reading books when I'm eighteen and twenty eight? It is twenty eight, right.

You still need a thesaurus to get through the books or just do I want a do and ignore the big words. Puissance? Theurgy? Eventually all his characters use the big words when speaking which I find funny.

My main problem with the book was that I should have read Ruins of the Earth again. There were quite plot points and characters and themes from that book that kept popping up that it would have been pretty good to know. Which means I'm going to have to go back and read. Reading this book was like taking a test you hadn't quite studied for. You were familiar with the material, you just weren't going to get a good grade.

What makes the books good are the characters that surround the main character. Linden Avery is a mess, but her supporting cast all have the qualities we want or at least want to see in a big book. They are honorable and strong and always do the the right thing. One of the big themes of the books is Linden Avery is given tremendous power, enough to destroy the world. And there is a good chance in the end she will do just that. But her friends trust her enough they will stand by her decisions. It's a fantasy novel because theses good friends stay through all the whining and the teeth gnashing.

I don't know if I could recommend the book. It was quite long. It stalled for a 170 pages. And if you don't like people wallowing in their misery as they try to save the world it might not be your cup of tea. Plus, you should read the other books first. The countdown to the next book begins now. I guess I'm only six or seven years away from the conclusion.