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Old 09-27-2015, 08:21 PM   #11
dickloraine
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Hm, I have read all of them. I think Erikson and Martin are literary much above Jordan and all three are a world apart from Goodkind. So that is also the answer to the most flawed. The first few books by Goodkind are okay, even enjoyable to read. But then it becomes all about his very crude "philosophy". The later books are literaly just three sentences repeated 500 pages.
So Jordan, Martin or Erikson it is.
The most "rounded" one would be Martin. The first three books are one of the finest fantasy I have ever read. His prose is beautiful, his charcters vivid and great. The world feels real. The story is both complex (the whole game of thrones) and simple fantasy (the big threat looming in the north). The flaws: Not finished yet and the latest books were still very good, but not as brilliant as the first three.

Jordan is the most conventional of the three. It is more classic fantasy, but in cinescope (both Martin and Erikson do much deconstruction of the genre) . I liked it very much. It is the longest of the three by far, if that is of importance. It is finished. Flaws: Some of the middle books are dull and not much happens. The last book is good, but not great. The man-women thing can be strange and nearly all female characters are somewhat annoying.
Erikson is maybe my favorite. It is the most difficult of the three. I personally like nearly everything of it. The world, the characters, the story. His writing is brilliant, but it is not as finely crafted as Martin. A big plus is, that all books are very good (the weakest is the first). Flaws: Not everybody's taste, seems to be a love it or hate it book. No explanations. You know only what the characters you read know (or think they know). And they lie

So, what to read? I would say, ultimately you will want to read them all, if you like fantasy. All three are at least in my top 10 and Tolkien, Erikson and Martin would be fighting for the top spot
So I would say, try Erikson. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is finished and if you like him, you will devour it.


Erikson is
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