What does everyone think of James Barclay?

BigBadMick

BigBadMick

The Big Potato
Joined
Mar 20, 2002
Messages
53
Hi everyone!

I was just wondering what everyone thinks of James Barclay's books. I'm reading Dawnthief at the minute and it seems okay.

Has anybody else read his novels and got any opinions?

Should I go ahead and read the whole series of 3(I think...) books so far?
 
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Never read him :(

But I hear he is very good! I am only saying that because I know he is a member of this forum! :D

NOM = James Barclay ;)
 
Er?? It is Monday Morning over here, so I may be a bit unclear!

But didn't I say NOM is James Barclay ;)
 
The Barclay Boy

Good writer - action packed adventure, plenty always happening and not afriad to pull the rug out under the reader when it hurts most. Stick with them. And I'm not just saying that coz he's on the forum :)


S.
 
I really enjoyed Barclay's Chronicles of the Raven
Barclay is one of the top writers to emerge in recent years. I'd put him up there with Mieville and Marco, though different type of storyteller (Heroic Fantasy). I reviewed Dawnthief for the site a while back, Here is the review.

Great action, believably characaters, plausibly built world.

The newest one, Elfsorrow starts a new set, Legends of the Raven.
 
Do any other fantasy authors use this forum?

I was just wondering - do any other published fantasy authors use this forum?
 
Neil Cladingboel is another example - he has written the excellent Erebus Trilogy.

Gary Wassner is also another well known author using this forum.

I sure one of the Moderators will provide you better and clearer information as I only have a rough knowledge of these authors. :)
 
Some of the authors MAY NOT want it to be known their "real" identities, let THEM decide if they want to reveal who they are.
 
I read Chronicles Of The Raven quite recently... I was very impressed. I was especially impressed with the way the characters interacted with each other. Anyone who has ever served in the armed forces will understand when I say... you will never have friends as close as the friends you served with, especially if you have seen action.

This came across really well in the book... and the interplay is more believable for me.

I think it is a good blend of traditional fantasy themes and a more cutting edge style. Very fast paced, but not in your face.
 
Some of the authors MAY NOT want it to be known their "real" identities, let THEM decide if they want to reveal who they are.
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All right, all right, I'll admit, I'm Terry Goodkind. I first visited this forum to see if you liked my books, which you don't, but I'm working on changing what you hate in my upcoming books...



And for any of you who actually believed that, I laugh at you.:D



And in actuality, my name came from a Goodkind novel, just because I thought that being a killer chicken would be fun.
 
James Barclay is definitely one of my fav fantasy authors. The storries are dead exciting, which is really important to me, but better still is the way his character are portrayed, and relate to one another. Very easy to connect to, which gives some of the plot lines that little extra heart-wrench that makes the tale more vivid/intense.

I have Elfsorrow on order....not long now :).
 
Originally posted by Killer Chicken


All right, all right, I'll admit, I'm Terry Goodkind. I first visited this forum to see if you liked my books, which you don't, but I'm working on changing what you hate in my upcoming books...



And for any of you who actually believed that, I laugh at you.:D



And in actuality, my name came from a Goodkind novel, just because I thought that being a killer chicken would be fun.
Click to expand...

Shucks, KC, I thought you were serious. If you were, then at least I now know where to go to kill you. :D

JUST KIDDING!!!

Keeping with the thread, Barclay's books are British-publication, right? I mean it's not available in the US? I asked my parents to get me the books when they went to the States and they said they couldn't find it.
 
Hey now, no attempted assinations... Just to make this clear, I am not, I repeat, not Terry Goodkind.

But yeah, I'm hearing good stuff about this James fellow. I'll have to write his name on my ever growing list of authors to read.
 
Haven't tried any Barclay. Basically because I'm a bit fed up with "motley band of heroes goes a-quest'in".
 
Well, thanks for all the kind words and I am guilty as charged in terms of my identity.

By the way, any who do read and don't like my books, please post and say why. I'm interested in all opinion, positive and negative, after all, it is one of the best ways to learn and improve.

By the same token, just saying 'I thought they were crap' without any back-up (for books by any author) is one example of an anonymous cheap shot and consequently, one example of posts I (and I hope all forumites) will treat with the contempt they so richly deserve.

Enough of my pratt;ing. On with the discussions on what are by some distance the best SF&F boards on the web, made so by the contributors as much as the creators.

www.jamesbarclay.com

(couldn't resist the brief advert, sorry...)
 
Had a look at your great website:)

I didn't realise you were that young! And success already:)

I glad you are a Englishman, It is nice to see more inspirational fantasy authors deriving from the Britannic Empire!

However, I must stress you have one significant flaw in your biography, that is............you are an Ipswich Supporter!!

Why not support the most entertaining and sexiest team around.....the one and only Chelsea FC!

Petir has cut off his ponytail:(

:D :D :D

I hope that Elfsorrow will be a huge success, I'm sure it will be. :)
 
Originally posted by estranghero

Keeping with the thread, Barclay's books are British-publication, right? I mean it's not available in the US? I asked my parents to get me the books when they went to the States and they said they couldn't find it.
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I saw Dawnthief at a local Barnes & Noble. I think Gollancz has begun a distribution deal with I think Sterling Publishers to place some of the books they publish in the US, including James Barclay.
 
Just to clear up - Fitz, you are right, Sterling are helping Gollancz place Dawnthief trade in US bookshops and one result has been a reasonably priced Dawnthief trade paperback being available on amazon.com. (Beware, the expensive versions of Dawnthief and Noonshade are also available on amazon.com...)

What happens with Noonshade is not clear yet but I hope we'll do the same thing. Meanwhile, we try and secure a US publishing deal.

Belgarion - thanks for your Elfsorrow thoughts. It's always a slightly nervous time, just a couple of weeks ahead of publication but my first review (in Starburst here in the UK, has been positive).

But Chelsea... can't say I find them sexy, but they do under-achieve don't they? (Yes, we got relegated and you can't under-achieve much more than that but you know what I mean about Chelsea.) And will Gudjohnsen go to Sunderland? Will Hasselbaink move on as is his wont? And will Chelsea even qualify for the UEFA next season? Hope things go OK for you but you've got problems at the Bridge. By the way, shame Petit did for his ponytail - he could carry it off and look stylish but then, he is French. It's Seaman that should be cutting his hair...

(Apologies to all non-English football supporters for the above...)
 
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