MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Never ... ever ... ever read The Farseer Trilogy!

aristotle9 · 12-12-2011, 04:27 PM

The fact that you mention Goodkind without qualifying that only the first book in his series is anything but terrible pretty much disqualifies your opinion.

First off, there is NO Deus Ex Machina in the end of this series. Deus Ex Machina is "a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object." Getting the Elderlings to come and kick the raiders asses was the projected resolution throughout the series, so that is out. Or perhaps you refer to swapping bodies with Fitz and Verity? Still does not qualify because taking control of or the sharing of another's body was part of the skill over and over again in these novels.

If you want to see Deus Ex Macina and since you like Goodkind, try "sticking the Sword of Truth in the Boxes of Orden" on for size - perhaps the most contrived ending of a series ever put to paper. He might just as well have written "and Richard opened his eyes and realized it was all a dream!" Hobb suffers from no such issue.

And are you really critcising a story about a highly traumatized teenager, written in first person, that he didnt self identify enough of his good qualities? Really? Its a key component of his character that he has issues of self worth. Its what make him believable and worth reading about. Perhaps instead of being a struggeling teen, he could of been the greatest swordsman AND the greatest wizard AND the greatest philosopher AND the greatest small businessman AND the greatest sculpter AND the greates pseudo-rugby player to ever live! But alas, we can't all be as perfect as Richard Rhal!

The two criticism that holds in these books is that A) the last book could have a good deal less "Fitz in the wilderness" stuff and B) instead given those pages over to expanding the end of the story to make more of important things like losing Molly, or falling for Starling, etc. Of course you're not allowed make that criticism either if you like Goodkind as he nearly killed us all with neverending trek back from the Pillars of Creation, the completely pointless Game of Life matches and the afformentioned absurd 5 page series tie up that can be summed up by "and in an inextricable random bit of wackiness, Dick decides to stab the box with the sword, becomes omnipotent, and make everything better." Goodkind... please!

12-12-2011, 04:27 PM	#29
aristotle9 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: none	Deus Ex Machina? Do you understand what that means? The fact that you mention Goodkind without qualifying that only the first book in his series is anything but terrible pretty much disqualifies your opinion. First off, there is NO Deus Ex Machina in the end of this series. Deus Ex Machina is "a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object." Getting the Elderlings to come and kick the raiders asses was the projected resolution throughout the series, so that is out. Or perhaps you refer to swapping bodies with Fitz and Verity? Still does not qualify because taking control of or the sharing of another's body was part of the skill over and over again in these novels. If you want to see Deus Ex Macina and since you like Goodkind, try "sticking the Sword of Truth in the Boxes of Orden" on for size - perhaps the most contrived ending of a series ever put to paper. He might just as well have written "and Richard opened his eyes and realized it was all a dream!" Hobb suffers from no such issue. And are you really critcising a story about a highly traumatized teenager, written in first person, that he didnt self identify enough of his good qualities? Really? Its a key component of his character that he has issues of self worth. Its what make him believable and worth reading about. Perhaps instead of being a struggeling teen, he could of been the greatest swordsman AND the greatest wizard AND the greatest philosopher AND the greatest small businessman AND the greatest sculpter AND the greates pseudo-rugby player to ever live! But alas, we can't all be as perfect as Richard Rhal! The two criticism that holds in these books is that A) the last book could have a good deal less "Fitz in the wilderness" stuff and B) instead given those pages over to expanding the end of the story to make more of important things like losing Molly, or falling for Starling, etc. Of course you're not allowed make that criticism either if you like Goodkind as he nearly killed us all with neverending trek back from the Pillars of Creation, the completely pointless Game of Life matches and the afformentioned absurd 5 page series tie up that can be summed up by "and in an inextricable random bit of wackiness, Dick decides to stab the box with the sword, becomes omnipotent, and make everything better." Goodkind... please!