Anyone here read The Name of the Wind?

[wyndslash]

is it any good? i've been thinking of reading a good fantasy novel with little to no main romance thing going on.

[caleb72]

It is bloody marvellous!!

[rhadin]

I read it when it was released. It is good fantasy, but contrary to many readers' views, I think it is simply an OK book, not great or marvelous or any other superlative. Having read both the first and second volumes in the trilogy (The Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear), I can only assume that there is a point to the narrative that will become apparent in the third volume, which will be released who knows when (the second volume was more than a year late in release).

[DiapDealer]

I made the mistake of reading it. Now I'm waiting for the series to be completed... at which point I'll gladly pick it back up. Not groundbreaking or nearly matching the hype, but good.

Great writing style, but there's no kind of natural story arc--and no resolution whatsoever. The book just stops. As does the second book from what I've heard.

[BoiseShan]

I'm not (typically) a scifi/fantasy reader, but The Name of the Wind blew me away (pun intended!). Wise Man's Fear was also very good--but I didn't think it was quite as good.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Great writing style, but there's no kind of natural story arc--and no resolution whatsoever. The book just stops. As does the second book from what I've heard.

This pretty accurately describes it. I LOVED it I've read the second one as well, and while I liked it, it did have some parts that dragged. Didn't quite measure up to the first one, but it was very close. Can't wait for the third.

NotW reminded me of a hybrid between Harry Potter (boy goes to wacky wizarding school) and Robin Hobb's Farseer series (boy is somewhat special, but screws up and is somewhat stupid about things). The writing was very Hobbish with all the detail and weird story arc.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

is it any good? i've been thinking of reading a good fantasy novel with little to no main romance thing going on.

If you're just looking for a good fantasy book, I highly recommend the first book in the Wheel of Time series, Eye of the World. The rest of the series.... well, it's good and bad, but it's especially long. But the first book is more-or-less a stand-alone, and it's very very good.

I'd also recommend the Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson. I rank the series (but especially the third book, when it all falls into place) among my top 5 favorite reads.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I made the mistake of reading it. Now I'm waiting for the series to be completed... at which point I'll gladly pick it back up. Not groundbreaking or nearly matching the hype, but good.

Great writing style, but there's no kind of natural story arc--and no resolution whatsoever. The book just stops. As does the second book from what I've heard.

I've been intrigued by all the hype, but I may take the same approach and wait. I try to avoid large/neverending series consisting of one huge storyline that demands a 10 book commitment or whatever, where the series is essentially one giant novel.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by queentess

NotW reminded me of a hybrid between Harry Potter (boy goes to wacky wizarding school) and Robin Hobb's Farseer series (boy is somewhat special, but screws up and is somewhat stupid about things). The writing was very Hobbish with all the detail and weird story arc.

I have to agree on the similarities between Rothfuss' Kvothe and Hobb's FitzChivalry characters. I'm also reminded of Severian and his "unreliable narrator"-ness from Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun.

I find it all very entertaining, but Rothfuss has a slight case of diarrhea of the word-processor. A slightly more aggressive editor could fix that right up.

[wyndslash]

thanks, guys

i think i may wait until the series has ended, or something. will also look up everyone's recommendations

[DiapDealer]

If you don't mind one big story spread over multiple books, then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It's very good. So, don't let me sway you in that way. I've just personally put a halt to a lot of my series reading--unless each book in the series can stand on it's own (relatively speaking; I don't mind some dangling threads for later books).

I'm just one of those weirdos who'd like to see The Series be the exception in the SFF genre, rather than the rule. Save The Series for something/someone truly special... instead of making it a requirement for every single story/author that stumbles in the door. I love endings. I love them so much that I'd like every "book" I read to have one. But that's just me

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If you don't mind one big story spread over multiple books, then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It's very good. So, don't let me sway you in that way. I've just personally put a halt to a lot of my series reading--unless each book in the series can stand on it's own (relatively speaking; I don't mind some dangling threads for later books).

I'm just one of those weirdos who'd like to see The Series be the exception in the SFF genre, rather than the rule. Save The Series for something/someone truly special... instead of making it a requirement for every single story/author that stumbles in the door. I love endings. I love them so much that I'd like every "book" I read to have one. But that's just me

i love endings too, but i also like spin-off stories about the characters after all is said and done i really can't think of a good m/m fantasy series apart from Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series, though...

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

i love endings too, but i also like spin-off stories about the characters after all is said and done i really can't think of a good m/m fantasy series apart from Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series, though...

Well, if you like urban fantasy, there's always Tanya Huff's* well-written and very entertaining Blood and Smoke series.

The Blood series was the basis of the TV show Blood Ties and one of the main characters is Henry Fitzroy, who's openly bisexual and involved with both men and women throughout the series (which, admittedly, is centered on an m/f/m love triangle in-between the supernatural case solving).

The Smoke series continues the story after it wraps and focuses on Tony, a supporting character in the Blood books, who's promoted to the main, and very definitely and openly gay, with both realistic romantic relationships and unattainable mancrushes.

Mind you, the actual sex content of both sets of books is pretty low, so don't go in expecting lots of sexyfuntimes for either f/m or m/m.

But they're solidly written, entertaining reads with good character emotional development over the course of the series, and good cases to solve as well.

And they've just gone and released the first few books in the series in e-editions and will hopefully add the short story collection and the rest of the Smoke books (only have #3 currently).

And I should note that Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint is excellent indeed and an inventively low-key "mannerpunk" fantasy-without-seeming-to-be-fantasy, which has a number of mixed f/m and m/m and f/f relationships, with bisexuality being treated as practically the norm among the social set of the City With No Name.

One of the follow-ups, The Fall of Kings, is more directly m/m focused as far as the main relationships go, but it will not make nearly as much sense without having read Swordspoint first†.

All have been recently released in e-book editions, although Random House is now an Agency publisher, so no discounts applicable and they're more expensive than they used to be.

* A fellow Canadian who often incorporates LGBT characters into her worldbuilding. Her partner, Fiona Patton, is supposed to do so as well, but I haven't read any of her books.

† Also, the storytelling was kind of a letdown after the stuff that had been established in the first book, but The Privilege of the Sword kind of redeemed the series, which IMHO, might have been better off sticking to the single book even though I did enjoy reading the follow-ups to find out what happened next, even if I felt some of it just didn't go very well with what had gone before and might as well have happened in another City With No Name that inhabited an alternate universe of the original.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Well, if you like urban fantasy, there's always Tanya Huff's* well-written and very entertaining Blood and Smoke series.

The Blood series was the basis of the TV show Blood Ties and one of the main characters is Henry Fitzroy, who's openly bisexual and involved with both men and women throughout the series (which, admittedly, is centered on an m/f/m love triangle in-between the supernatural case solving).

The Smoke series continues the story after it wraps and focuses on Tony, a supporting character in the Blood books, who's promoted to the main, and very definitely and openly gay, with both realistic romantic relationships and unattainable mancrushes.

Mind you, the actual sex content of both sets of books is pretty low, so don't go in expecting lots of sexyfuntimes for either f/m or m/m.

But they're solidly written, entertaining reads with good character emotional development over the course of the series, and good cases to solve as well.

And they've just gone and released the first few books in the series in e-editions and will hopefully add the short story collection and the rest of the Smoke books (only have #3 currently).

And I should note that Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint is excellent indeed and an inventively low-key "mannerpunk" fantasy-without-seeming-to-be-fantasy, which has a number of mixed f/m and m/m and f/f relationships, with bisexuality being treated as practically the norm among the social set of the City With No Name.

One of the follow-ups, The Fall of Kings, is more directly m/m focused as far as the main relationships go, but it will not make nearly as much sense without having read Swordspoint first†.

All have been recently released in e-book editions, although Random House is now an Agency publisher, so no discounts applicable and they're more expensive than they used to be.

* A fellow Canadian who often incorporates LGBT characters into her worldbuilding. Her partner, Fiona Patton, is supposed to do so as well, but I haven't read any of her books.

† Also, the storytelling was kind of a letdown after the stuff that had been established in the first book, but The Privilege of the Sword kind of redeemed the series, which IMHO, might have been better off sticking to the single book even though I did enjoy reading the follow-ups to find out what happened next, even if I felt some of it just didn't go very well with what had gone before and might as well have happened in another City With No Name that inhabited an alternate universe of the original.

i don't want too many sex scenes; i like low-key romance, but i don't think i'd like it if the main relationship is a menage :P

i was meaning to buy Ellen Kushner's swordspoint and fall of the kings, but i should not have waited. both books are now $7.99, whereas last month, they were around $4-$5. it's upsetting.

i emailed amazon CS about it. while they didn't really answer my question, i was surprised that they gave me $5 promotional credit on all ebooks sold by amazon. i didn't think the pricing was their fault and it was very nice of them to do that.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

i don't want too many sex scenes; i like low-key romance, but i don't think i'd like it if the main relationship is a menage :P

Well, it's not a ménage in the Blood books (or the Smoke ones, for that matter, although Tony might perhaps fantasize it sometimes). It's a classic two-point love triangle which doesn't get resolved until the end of the series, practically. Although it is a bit of an open relationship due to the nature of one of the characters.

And the romance is a fairly low-key element as the books really do focus first and foremost on the supernatural investigations (although the relationship drama is a major part of the overall series plot, but backburnered relative to the rest).

Originally Posted by wyndslash

i was meaning to buy Ellen Kushner's swordspoint and fall of the kings, but i should not have waited. both books are now $7.99, whereas last month, they were around $4-$5. it's upsetting.

Well, Swordspoint is definitely worth the $8*, although I'd personally class Fall as a $5 or less e-book. It's an okay read, but just not even remotely in the same league, unfortunately.

Perhaps you could use part of your Amazon credit towards it? Although there might be other books you'd prefer to put your money towards until the *ouch* of the sudden pricejump goes away.

* I personally own 3 paper copies in French and English (old version & new version with extra stuff in the back), plus the English e-book, for what it's worth.