[Lord Raziel]

I am sorry to bring this up , because I know this will cause another Eddings against everybody argument by some people, sorry its not personal, but I have to.

I just recently read his Book Redemption of Althalus. Agian I have no idea what possesed me to do this, maybe I was just bored, maybe i thought it would be different from his other two series, I guess I was wrong. Eddings is a good writter for those just learning about fantasy, but after you have read some other authors work you realize he is just not as good.

His story lines are all the same, and much of his characters are too.

In every series you have a mortal that is in close contact with the dieties of the land Sparhawk and Araphael , Belgarath and Aldur, Now Althalus and Dweia, Also he always uses the time altering in his book , gods using there powers to make time still or slower than normal. Making thieves or bullies into good guys. Silk was a thief , a swindler and a liar, Althalus was a thief a liar, a swindler , and he is now the man character of the book , and a good guy to boot. The women are annoying , they have no realness to them and always have the same crappy traits.

These are just some of the things that irritate me about his books , I think he should start writing childrens books and leave fantsy alone.

Whatever you do don't read this book , it is a terrible waste of paper , even if it is recycled. I have nightmares now, and I don't know if the'll ever go away.

On another note I was thinking about reading the Amber Series I haven't seen it in Barnes and Noble or Waldenbooks, do is it out of print or hard to find, If you have any information please let me know.
Thanks


lord Raziel
Angel of Darkness
Commander of the Darien Knights

[Barbarossa]

There is a fairly recent omnibus edition of the amber series, all 10 books in one volume.
You propably didn't see it because the shelves can't bear the weight http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif .
I would check Amazon, if I were you, but then living in Germany Amazon is the only way to get English language books anyway

[polgara]

I have to admit i agree with you (im thinking about changing my name!!!!)

[Kierk Soren]

On the eddings thing, have not read him and most likely won't. I to was considering buying the Amber series, and was holding the omnibus edition mentioned, lets just say this- it will keep you busy and redifines "doorstopper" fantasy(it's quite nice though). I also read in another post by someone who knew Zelazny's work well that he felt the first 5 books were the better and not to bother with the last 5? Any opinions on that. Related to that, if that is true I would like to direct your attention to www.bookshop.co.uk (http://www.bookshop.co.uk) which carries the Millennium press(division of Orion) Fantasy Masterwork series. It' s edition of the Amber series is only the first five books and is nice looking. To check out the other attractive offerings from this series go to www.sfsite.com (http://www.sfsite.com) and look on the lower left hand menu for SF Masterworks and Fantasy Masterworks to link to covershots and brief reviews. I myself am dying to get the editions of The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, which I think are much nicer than the two offered here in America( don't really care for the Don Maitz covers,notably the one used on the second edition). Anyway check it out.


[This message has been edited by Kierk Soren (edited May 18, 2001).]

[Barbarossa]

I can only agree that the first five amber books are superior to the last 5.
If i wouldn't bother with the last five i'm really not sure though.

as for the fantasy masterworks series, I can only reccomend it, I'm right now reading the "tales from the dying earth" by Jack Vance, and also got a reprint of "fever dreams" by George R.R, Martin from them. Very reccomendable.

[Rob B]

Belgarion, Where are you? This neither did I say or imply anything about Mr. Eddings.
http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

The Science Fiction Book Club does a nice job of publishing the omnibus volumes. I've got a Conan omnibus, 2 Alvin Maker by OSC omnibuses, 2 Elric omnibuses and Dying Earth & Amber (1-5) on the way.

[Pathir]

Haven't read latest Eddings, and apparantly thankfully so...
Dying Earth tales by Vance are great, as are Amber 1-5 and, although maby not as good, 6-10.
Gene Wolfe's Books of the New Sun are very good, not anyones cup-of-tea I suppose, but IMO classics (he was inspired, so the tale goes, by Vance's Dying Earth books)

[Belgarion]

Here I am Fitzflagg!!


Everyone is entitled to their opinions but they CANNOT go around and tell people NOT to read this book or that one!!!! Who do they think they are?

I loves SNICKERS chocolate bars but not like BOUNTY cohoclate bars. Do I go around telling the world not to buy a BOUNTY bar? No.....that is SAD and VAINLY pointless and stupid.

What I am trying to say is simply this...........everyone is different and everyone has different tastes. I know from many Eddings's fans sites that there are 1000s of people if not 100,000s or millions who loves his stories.

Every book will please someone and upset/bore someone else. Even authors such as MARTIN/FEIST/JORDAN are reffered as RUBBISH by SEVERAL people. That doesn't make them rubbish does it?? No, or course not. THERE ARE TWO SIDES OF A COIN!!

Each author targets and pleases a specfic group. Eddings tends to satisfies the group of readers that like light fantasy that is wonderful and slightly comical.

If LORD RAZIEL is disappointed with his latest book...then that is fair enough...I am sorry that he cannot appreciates it. He obviously read all the other Eddings books and since he bought the latest one, he must have liked Eddings previously. But LORD Raziel is a total idiot to bad-mouth an author for his work. He should have said something like.....

" I bought Eddings's Redemption of Althalus but was disappointed with it as it tends to apes his previous series. If readers wishes to read a different story from him other than the Belgariad/Mallorean series then I would recommend you to avoid it"

This statement would be suitable and fair, not stupid comments that are childish as he stated in the original post.

This forum in my personal opinion should NEVER tell people to avoid reading this book or that book. People should from time and time read books that are not so good so that they can appreciate the really good books!! One of the greatest joy about reading books is that reading EXCELLENT COMPULSIVE UNPUTDOWNABLE books brings great joy out of the person and that cannot be achieved unless you have read some bad books in the past. How can a book be regarded as GOOD if you cannot compare it to a BAD one. THink hard on that.

Eddings is a very good author and he doesn't need to prove himself any more.

Lastly, I like SNICKERS bars....does anyone have a problem with that?.....no.....good.

There I feel a lot better as I have got this nasty lump of my chest!!

There, FitzFlagg....are you relieved I havent lost my touch!!

[Rob B]

Touche, Belgarion, just KNEW you would pop in on this one! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

You know your Eddings ramblings were annoying as hell at first and now...well..er..um..they are still annoying. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif Just kidding, but you are right, your opinion about Eddings is just as valid, etc. etc., just like Lord Raziel is entitled to suggest that we don't buy the book.

We shouldn't get into name calling here, THAT will get us nowhere. We can "bad mouth" authors for their work as much as we want, as long as we back up that opinion with lucid reasons, much like Lord Raziel did. He did not just say "Oh the book sucks don't buy it!", he gave us reasons.

MANY topics in this forum are DEDICATED to whether or not we should or should not buy/read a book, that is what all the recommendation topics are for.

How can a book be regarded as GOOD if you cannot compare it to a BAD one. THink hard on that. I guess that is what Eddings is for, for those who don't care for his writing.

No I don't like SNICKERS bars, but a REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP on the other hand....

[Zsinj16]

I find it very easy to predict that if anybody else on this board so much as says an inkling of their opinions against Eddings' works once more, Belgarion is most likely to get TERRIBLY angry and start a terrible apocolyptic war that results in the end of the world, and most likely the end of the sffworld board, unless we could have some interplanetary allies somewhere that could bring it back to life and continue it amongst other planets in our galaxy! LOL! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif