[Miriamele]

I read this story in the "Legends" anthology that came out a while ago, and I thought it was absolutely dreadful. It was so incredibly long and boring, just to reach an ending where Martin uses some nasty gore to suprise the reader, I suppose (that's not what I call a suprise ending), and then it just ends. I also found the characters rather annoying.

What my question is, is this story representative of Martin's other work? Because a lot of people on this board seem to really admire his books, but if they are anything like that story I definitely don't want to read them.

Thanks.

[Barbarossa]

Well I for once loved the Hedge knight, by far the best story in legends IMHO. If you didn't like it you probably won't like ASoIaF either. It's somewhat different, with multiple POVs and characters you might find more appealing, but in many ways it's fairly similar in style.

On the other hand it's quite possible you would still enjoy GRRM older stuff, especially the "Tuf voyaging" story collection, or "Fevre dreams" a vampire story set on a Mississippi river boat.

Those are very different in style.

[Matrim]

Barbarossa,I agree that "Hedge Knight" is the best in Legends.Miriamele if yoy don't like it I am pretty sure you won't like A Song Of Ice and Fire either -it is written in the same style,with a lot of violence and murders.

[Miriamele]

Well, thanks for the advice. I think I'll avoid a Song of Ice and Fire then. Martin just isn't my cup of tea.

I found that Legends book quite useful, because there were a lot of authors in there that I hadn't read before, and it gave me a chance to try them all without investing in a dozen different books.

I would recommend it to any new fantasy readers.

Thanks again guys. :)

[allanon]

IMHO "Hedge Knight" is better than the books from aSoIF. The style was better, the characters-more in the type I like, there was no blood/sex stories.
But speaking about he best , I think that the "Burning Man" by Tad Williams was the best story, another bonus to "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn".
BTW, Barbarossa, congrats about Germany!;)

[Miriamele]

Allanon, I also thought that "The Burning Man" was the best story in that book. :) "Debt of Bones" by Goodkind was my second favourite. The Ursula LeGuin story was pretty good too, in a different kind of way. I also thought "New Spring" by Robert Jordan was alright. The one by Stephen King was really well written and imaginative, although maybe it was a little too weird. Most of the other stories didn't impress me too much. The ones by Orson Scott Card and Terry Prachett I couldn't finish at all.

Don't get me wrong, I thought that The Hedge Knight was well written, and realistic, but I just didn't like where the story ended up. It seemed awfully long just to reach such a disappointing ending.

[estranghero]

Miriamele:

Well, IMO 'The Hedge Knight' is certainly a good indicator of GRRM's writing style, including how his stories normally go. (For readers of both 'The Hedge Knight' and 'ASoFaI', you'll know what I mean.)

However, I think that the reason why GRRM wrote this tale the way it is because, like RJ's 'New Spring', this story is a pivotal point for the beginning of the whole 'ASoFaI' series.

I'd mention what it is but I'm too lazy at the moment to make spoiler warnings and I gotta get back to work.

[Elan Morin Tedronai]

Yes, the "Burning man" was really great story... Also "the Woodboy" and "New Spring" was few of better stories.

[Nevyn]

I really liked ' The Hedge Knight ' and am pleased to hear that the rest of his writing is similar . Have used LEGENDS to introduce myself to new authors like WILLIAMS & FEIST without disappointment so far.( bought the book for the Jordan story)

[Kingslayer]

Legends was actually one of my first fantasy buys.Like many people I bought it as an introduction to new authors, like Williams and Martin.I haven't read Martin's story yet, as I was just about to start on the ASoIaF series and didn't want anything given away, although I've heard that it's set 100 before A Game Of Thrones starts.I liked Pratchett's story, but found the Burning Man disappointing.I only read the firsr 15-or so pages, mainly because I didn't like how the story was split into little segments on each page.However, I returned to it later on and found it much better.Could be my maturing taste in fantasy :)