Wheel of Time, Malazan Book of the Fallen, or something else?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I've been racking my brain trying to decide which epic fantasy series to read next, and I keep jumping back and forth between these two. Both are so long, I'm weary of investing so much time in one series, but I have a craving for a new series. So, does anyone have any thoughts?

[Dark Muse]

I am currently reading The Wheel of Time series and I quite enjoy it over all. I am not familiar with the others, but I would recommend giving WOT a try.

[JBI]

I am currently reading The Wheel of Time series and I quite enjoy it over all. I am not familiar with the others, but I would recommend giving WOT a try.

The Wheel of Time drags a lot particularly in the middle, and I found myself resenting all the characters.

As for Malazan, I could not figure out the first book, so didn't try the second.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

That's what they say about Malazan, JBI, that it comes together as the series goes on. It sounds intriguing to me.

How far into WoT are you, Muse?

[Dark Muse]

That's what they say about Malazan, JBI, that it comes together as the series goes on. It sounds intriguing to me.

How far into WoT are you, Muse?

I am currently on Book Six

[Drkshadow03]

I've been racking my brain trying to decide which epic fantasy series to read next, and I keep jumping back and forth between these two. Both are so long, I'm weary of investing so much time in one series, but I have a craving for a new series. So, does anyone have any thoughts?

Wheel of Time was good when I was younger: like late high school to early college. Interesting magic system based on gender and elements (fire, ice, earth, etc.) Interesting mythology centered around different ages on wheel of time that keep repeating themselves, Dark One versus the Dragon Reborn, etc. He takes a lot of cliche fantasy elements, but reimagines them in interesting ways. The series is a lot of fun, consisting of a catchy universe like Star Wars. It has that same appeal that easily lets one fall into the story, mythology, and characters for the sheer fun of it. But like JBI suggests, Jordan loses his way somewhere in the middle of the series. The reason that he lost me is that the main plotlines stop moving and he focuses on tiny little sub-plots of minor characters. So like in book 6, the plots of the five or six major characters essentially stop and progress at a snail's pace, even though there are still chapters dedicated to them. And for the next like 3 books, the major characters are all standing around, talking and planning what they will do to resolve the problem, but never move those events further. It's pages and pages of them standing around talking about what they will do, interspersed with chapters of minor characters. That's when he lost me.

When Brandon Sanderson (another fantasy with a good series of his own from what I hear) took over after Jordan unfortunately died, the plots started moving again, but I never picked up the series again. I tried re-reading it from the beginning a few years back, but I found now that I'm older and have read better books in general from when I was younger and even better fantasy, Jordan's work comes off as childish and silly. I admit, though, I'm tempted to re-read the whole series and finish it.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Erickson's Malazan series is fascinating in that in some ways he pulls what Jordan does in the middle of the series, but at the beginning and is more successful. There aren't so much main characters in the series (although as the series progresses I'm not sure if this is true as I stopped after book 4), but rather there are main characters in each book that sometimes return in the later books and a larger overarching plot that is only hinted at in the earlier books. His magic system is even more complicated. Whereas Jordan's is based around gender and elements, Erickson's system is based around fantasy race and Warrens (mini-dimensions of magic where in some cases magical races and gods actually live) that users can draw magic from. Some Elder races can draw on certain warrens created just for their race. Some warrens are elemental base, others aren't. Even more interesting is gods can be killed and replaced with newer gods (happens in one of the early books), and mortals if they acquire enough power through some rare artifact or magic can ascend to godhood (which happens in the early books). Instead of taking medievial society as the background for his fantasy world, Erickson's world draws upon the Roman Empire and all the varied cultures they conquered. I think he has an anthropology background and it shows in his world-building. Obviously all this adds up to complicated world-building and history and mythology.

Like JBI, I found book 1 a bit confusing as it really drops you right in the action and is weaker than the books that follow it.

Memories of Ice, which I think is book 4, was one of the best Epic fantasy novels I've ever read. I remember it being really powerful stuff for an Epic Fantasy novel. This is a series I would definitely pick up again now that it is finished, whereas with Wheel of Time I have more reservations. I only stopped Malazan because I think when I was reading it only up to Book 6 had been finished and I was tired of reading incomplete fantasy series.

[OrphanPip]

Books 1-5 of WoT are alright, books 6-10 are unreadable, the last few have been alright again. It's better than The Sword of Truth series, which is just awful. Jordan got bogged down with his world, where in many of the middle novels you feel like nothing is happening at all. I remember joking with someone when I was 16 that one character had been attempting to rescue his kidnapped wife for the last 2 novels, and this irrelevant side plot had been prominent in both.

I don't know the Malazan series.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

That's what I always hear about WoT, how horribly slow the middle books are, and it really turns me off. If the books were only 200 or 300 pages, it wouldn't be a huge deal, but they're so damn long.

So far, it looks like I'm veering towards Malazan.

And, don't worry, I have no interest in Sword of Truth; I've heard barely anything good on that.

I'm also interested in Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings series, which starts with The Farseer trilogy.

[OrphanPip]

Robin Hobb is a competent fantasy writer, but she's nothing spectacular. I liked the Farseer Trilogy, but it didn't leave much of an impression. Her Soldier Son trilogy is more ambitious, tackling the issues of ethnocentrism and post-colonialism that plague much of fantasy. I thought it dragged, and was too cliche at time, but certainly interesting. I'm mixed about her because I think she often has good ideas, but she falls back on the formulaic stuff all the time. Farseer is more conventional and fun.

Have you read any Gene Wolfe? He's pretty good.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Yeah, I read his Book of the New Sun, and have The Wizard Knight duology waiting on my to-read pile. He's probably the most unique and original sci-fi/fantasy author I've ever read.

[Calidore]

Hobb's first Assassin/Farseer trilogy is excellent. Liveship Traders disappointed me, and the second Assassin trilogy was somewhere between the two. I picked up Soldier Son from a closing Borders, but haven't read it yet. Can't recommend that first trilogy too highly, however.

[togre]

I gave up on the Wheel of Time years ago after 2+ books. I've stalled on the Malazan series after 8-9 books. I've enjoyed the Malazan series a lot--but I still haven't really figured out what is going on--and some of the content makes me mull things. I'd definitely recommend it for a try. Great characters. Interesting plots.

If you go in a different direction Memory, Sorrow, Thorn is a very interesting "trilogy" (four books).

[Lokasenna]

I've only read the Wheel of Time, and it was quite a few years back now. The middle books do slow down - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the shift is very much one from action to politics. Now I rather enjoyed that, but I can understand if others would not.

I am planning, once the whole thing is finally published, to go back and read everything. Whether I'll enjoy it as much as I did when I was a teenager, I don't know - but for quite a long time the Wheel of Time was my absolute favourite thing!