[Keyoke]

Anyone read the above series at all by Julian May? I recall reading the first book many years ago, and enjoyed it.

She seems to have written quite a few series, and I am curious as to wether they are good or not, or what your thoughts are on the Many Colored Land series.

Keyoke

[Hobbit]

Yes, this is an old one, Keyoke! :) Started these in the early 80's!

IMO, not bad, though one for entertainment rather than one that pushes the boundaries. Good fun and I managed to get a 'non-Sf' reader to read them! I would recommend the first 4 at least. (Erm... Many Coloured Land, Golden Torc, Non Born King the Adversary).

The other books in the series (Intervention, Jack the Bodiless, Magnificat) tend to fill in background using characters and places before the events of the Many Coloured Land. They're OK but you need to read the first four first!

Not that impressed with the Rampart Worlds series, her latest. Tries to be humourous but IMO doesn't come off that well.

[fortytwo]

I have read The Saga of the Exiles which starts with The Many Coloured Land and although like you, Keyoke it was a long time ago I remember really enjoying it .I can perhaps refresh your memory by copying the notes I made at the time.

It starts on Earth in the 22nd century when we have joined a small federation of space travelling nations.Most Terrans are docile and law abiding but for those that are not, a one way portal exists which can transport them 6 million years back to the Pliocene age.There they hope for a little more excitement,but as usual all is not what it seems!

I've listed below the series but there are also some associated series/books.
The Saga of the Exiles :
The Many Coloured Land
The Golden Torc
The Non-Born King
The Adversary

While I was typing that out Hobbit has nipped in and made some of my post superfluos!
A Pliocene Companion
Intervention

The Galactic Mileu Trilogy:
Jack the Bodiless
Diamond Mask
Magnificat.

I haven't read the latter books myself but I hope to one day.

[fortytwo]

I tried to edit my post above to say that Hobbit has stolen my thunder by being a faster typist than me.Some of my post now looks superfluos!

[kaseryn]

I've just started this series.. it's one of those that's in every used fantasy shelf u look at so i took that as some vote of popularity... plus the covers looked nice so it must be a good series lol Early days yet but it's got some interesting idea's :)

[Hobbit]

Faster typer, 42? Me? I'm a one digit left-handed typer, me...definitely not fast. :D

I'm pleased you filled in the details though. I found the later books OK, though not as fast/interesting a read as the first 4. Worth a read though and that's more than I can say for her latest series.... :(

I haven't seen A Pliocene Companion around for ages - a lovely shade of pink, if I remember right - is it out of print now?

[Keziah]

I read and loved Intervention and the Galactic Mileu Trilogy before i knew about the Exile books (i generally like to read books in order but in this case i don't think it mattered). I started reading the exile ones a while ago and while they are good i didn't like them as much as the other ones and am in no hurry to finish the serries.

I just got Black Trilliam, that May co-wrote with Marion Bradley and Andre Norton, out of the library, has anyone read this? is it any good?

[fortytwo]

Hobbit, if you mean The Rampart Worlds series I'm inclined to agree with you.I've only read Perseus Spur and I was not to impressed,and a friend of mine who shares books with me hated it.
Can't help with A Pliocene Companion, that's the one book of the series (that I know about) I haven't got.

Nac, Black Trillium was one of the first fantasy books I read, all I can say about it though was that it was no hardship reading it which usually means for me that it was just average with nothing outstanding, nothing to stick in the mind.
42

[Hobbit]

Nac, at the risk of sounding repetitive, agree with 42 here!

Read Black Trillium, thought it was OK, but nothing more.

You're right - I don't think it does matter which way round you read them, but I got a lot more out of it by reading them in the published order. There's another dimension there - a bit like Hobb's Farseer and Liveship books. you don't have to have read them in that order, but if you do, there's more.... but I could be wrong. :D

[Sammie]

Black Trillium - i THINK i read this many, many, years ago - the name rings a bell. Anyone wanna tell me what it's about, so i can see if it's the same bk?

Otherwise, i havn't read anything by julian may