[Zsinj16]

Okay, I've never read this author, so I was curious, why does everyone hate the fantasy author Melanie Rawn? Everybody on this board keeps calling her Melanie Yawn. To me, her books look quite good with the dragons and sorcery and all. So, what does everyone seem to hate about her?

[DarthV]

For the most part, I enjoyed her books... but there a couple concepts that I did find difficult in them:

1. All the family trees... everything just gets muddled after a while.

2. The characters are the nobles of the land, but have no ability to compromise. A little cooperation goes a long way...unfortunately it never happens.

[FitzChivalry]

Basically, her books are long soap operas with countless characters that don't make any difference to the plotline except that they marry each other all the time.
The world building is pretty boring, no original elements and the politics are tedious and don't make much sense.
90% of the book you'll read about this character or the other (you stop remembring who they are after 200 pages) falling in love with another character, that might be the cousin of their best friend or might be their mother's maid or something like that, who knows, who cares.
10% is actually for magic, politics and action, but nothing too original.

[Arty]

Well, I happen to have really liked her Dragon Prince/ Dragon Star series. I liked that her characters kept meeting and falling in love with each other. I liked that it was "all in the family". But I also liked the convolutions of the plot, the political intrigue, and I especially liked the magic systems.....and the DRAGONS!!
Yes they are heavily character based, yes they are descriptive, and yes that is exactly why I liked them. I have no patience for books missing these vital elements. I like character based fantasy, I like human fantasy.

Melanie Rawn has written other series besides what I have mentioned above. I will say that I read book 1 of each and have never bothered with the rest. They seemed disjointed and I had no feelings (positive or negative) for any of her characters.

[Cadfael]

I don't hate her, or pass judgement on her writing... but she has never been able to 'grab' my interest, I have tried... but I have never yet finished one of her books.

[tamlyn]

when i picked up her book and read a bit I nearly threw the book across the room - but i couldn't actually say why i hate them, i just do.

[Zsinj16]

Oh, see I imagined that because she wrote about dragons and swords and sorcery and all that stuff, that she would be similar to a writer such as the excellent Margaret Weiss or Tad Williams. I see now that I was certainly wrong! Another reason that her books looked good to me was because they hadexcellent-looking covers and were really thick. I guess this situation really breathes life into the old addages: "Never judge a book by its cover" and "Size doesn't matter"!

[Bardos]

I don't know... if I ever get my hands on her books, I'll give her a try and see...
I always give them a try, anyway *shrug*

[Cadfael]

Hang on Zsinj16, don't just take our word for it, you may like them... try one from the library before you shell out any cash... and if they appeal to you.. go for it http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[e-Morgana]

Though I seem to be absolutely in the minority here, I'll admit that I really like Mel. I've enjoyed the Dragon Prince series and the first two books of her Exiles Trilogy and am eagerly awaiting Captal's Tower (No. 3). I admit though, that I write myself out a diagram to keep track of all the characters and their relationships (there's just so many of them) and I'm sure most people couldn't be bothered doing that. I love the "interpersonal stuff" though and as I've said previously, I'm a soppie, romance lover at heart. Just thought I'd add a little balance to the argument.