OK, so I'm about to dive into the Wheel of Time books...

[SidDithers]

by Robert Jordan.

Who's read them and what are your thoughts. I tend to go at a series hard, and will plug through the entire set, even if I don't particularly like them. Yeah, a bit crazy, I know.

I don't want a repeat of the Sword of Truth series, where the first couple of books were OK, but reading last books was like going to the dentist.

Sid :hi:

[TZ]

1. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

Now there are a couple of weakish entries in the series, but even those weak ones are much much better than the latter books in the Sword of Truth Series (I finally made myself finish that series last year--what a disppointment that turned out to be!).
And so far it seems that Brandon Sanderson has done a fine job picking up where Robert Jordan left off (RIP Mr. Jordan).
Its a toss up weather I like this series or George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series.
My big complaint is sometimes he doesn't advance the very complex plot lines much, because of numerous character development and interactions but I like the characters very much.
I think you are in for a real treat. Far superior to even the BEST stuff of Terry Goodkind...

[SidDithers]

2. Thanks, TZ...

I'll check out Song of Fire and Ice too.

:hi:

Sid

[SidDithers]

6. OK, so I put down WOT to read Game of Thrones...

wanted to have it done before the HBO series started up, and I loved it.

Might have to finish Ice and Fire before going back to book 4 of WOT :)

Sid

[semillama]

3. If you love novels that have huge backgrounds and histories

then this is the series for you. I think his WoT world is as fully realized as Tolkien's Middle Earth, if not more so. I thoroughly enjoy them; I'm reading the comic book adaptation that's being published now. Faithful to the books, and really good representations of the characters. Worth checking out for folks who've read the series.

[MrModerate]

4. My only real knock on the series . . .

Is the lack of editorial discipline/ethical behavior exercised by the publisher. They made a decision early in the series that they would string it out for the maximum number of volumes possible, even if if killed the author (bad joke).

There is no justification for the length of the series. Fer Chrissakes, *6* volumes should have been plenty. I read them as they came out (up to a point) and it's obvious that the length is not necessary to achieve the storytelling goals. The reader would never miss a thing if they were half as long. It's pure greed on the publisher's part.

As it stands, the series represents a significant portion of a year's reading to get through, and is simply not good enough to justify the investment of time.

Too many good books out there to invest so much time in WOT.

[spin]

8. Agreed. I started the series years ago and stopped after

four or five books.

It was a great series but I could see that it would never end.

[semillama]

5. I'd recommend anything by Brandon Sanderson too

He's the author who was tapped to finish the series, and he's become one of my new favorite authors. I'm reading his new book, The Way of Kings, right now, and it's a concept he's been working on for about 15 years or so. Very inventive, creative writing, interesting three-dimensional characters and he comes up with the most inventive systems of magic I've ever come across.

[Ninjaneer]

7. Absolutely loved it, HOWEVER

I would recommend reading it before you start reading A Song of Ice and Fire. WOT just can't match ASIF's action and pace. Also after reading ASIF, most other things feel lacking to be honest. I read WOT first and then came across ASIF. I'm very thankful it happened that way.

[Codeine]

9. Don't!

OMG, just do not do it. I'm going to break from the crowd here and say I think they are the most overrated example of craptacularity since David Eddings started grunting half-digested Tolkien out of his mudpump. It's worse than shit; it's shit in slow-motion.

[SidDithers]

11. Have to agree with you Codeine...

I think I finally just gave up around the middle of the 5th book. Song of Ice and Fire was so much more interesting.

Now we have to wait years for George Martin to finish #6.

Sid

[Orrex]

12. Read the next 58 books in the series, and then you'll start to come around

It really picks up after book 114.

[Richard D]

10. Been reading these . . .

. . . and I really wish they were a lot shorter. The story is good, there's just a lot of weird and needless padding in it. Almost seems like Jordan's goal was to have a series with so many characters in it that no one would ever be able to come close. Many of the characters are pulled in from seemingly nowhere and vanish after one mention. I'm 6 books into it and wish I could find an abridged version. I don't think I'll get through the rest of them.
(I never even consider abridged version, btw)