recommended fantasy books?

Didn't Salvatore start with the Forgotten Realms area of TSR? I think so, hence the hack and slay aspect you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!

Yes, I believe he did. I read the first book "Homeland" when I was rather young and got the impression that Salvatore truly has very low expectations when it comes to his readers' abilities to figure out things for themselves. Last month I stumbled upon book II, "Sojourn", by mere chance and decided to give it a go. It occured to me that maybe the second book would add something new. Not surprisingly, it doesn't. The reader is still lead by the hand by a writer that clearly wants to rush the action until it is sure to become a numb blur. There are intrvals of pseudo deep soul-searching but they are awkward and almost ashamed to dare invade the battle-driven routine.

I dislike RA Salvatore's works too, I dislike his writing and his characters. The only thing I like is the prevalence of magic and the battles/wars, but, how every character has like 10 amazing magical items is a little annoying. Whats the point if they're so common? Too often his books read like a narrative from a game.

I know what you mean, apparently magic is "out there" and is not all that hard to tap. Also, his "mean" characters gloat in their own evilness. That's seriously annoying, the only thing missing is the villain laughter and a fade out to make it something straight from a cartoon.
Yes, it's an extent version of Dungeons and Dragons.

So Chris,
I share your opinion of Jordan and how the books have sort of trailed off over the last four or five. (I think TFOH is the last great one). Are you going to pick up Knife of Dreams next month? I think I still will. I keep saying I'll give him one more chance. Then I say it again even after the disappointment. I guess that, even though nothing seems to happen of late, I still love the writing style for the most part. I skipped New Spring, however.

Can't wait for Feast for Crows in November. Assuming it actually happens this time, lol.

I'm not. I was really pissed off in book, 9 I think, when they progressed the story about a week through the entire thing. Faile was kidnapped in Book 8 afterall, I figured by the end of 9 she'd be rescued... no. Then when she wasn't even rescued by the end of book 10 I got really pissed off at the slow pace.

So I swore off robert jordan. I will not read another one of his novels until the series is finished (if it is ever finished).

As for my favorite, I think it was either the 4th or 5th one. Still, I don't hold them that highly. Like I said his cultures are just mishmashes (japanese looking people who dress like europeans for example). Also I dislike how he sometimes seems to write himself into a corner and then suddenly a new previously unmentioned means of escape is offered, how convenient!

The sex is pretty annoying too, "I had sex now I'm lecherous and dirty, I'm ashamed. " Grow up.

The magic system is great though.

I hate the *sniff* I'm with you, my entire reading group here is doing the same thing. It depends on what all I have in the queue as to when I will read it. Fires of Heaven was five, I think and that's where it just got slow and cartoonish. I am concerned Martin will too, but haven't seen any signs of that other than the 'Tor' delays.
i also got tired in WoT how plain stupid the characters are. Blind. For all the time I invested, I need to finish it, but I may be dead before it is complete. Hell, he may be dead for all we know.....

I grew up anxiously awaiting the Terry Brooks trilogy The Sword of Shannara being the first. Also liked his Magic Kingdom For Sale books but a different level of fantasy. Also after reading the first trilogy I would stay away from the most recent books in the Shannara series.

I've been wondering on those. Sword was one of the first I read back in middle school. Liked it, even with the LOTR similarities. Quit after Elfstones. I didn't care for magic Kingdom and have never gone back and read the newer ones. Picked some up used and was wondering if I would get around to reading them, but had no great desire. Thanks for the tip there!

I have hopes for Martin keeping up his pace just by his style of writing.

Sometimes you only learn things in SOIAF through correspondence. You don't get a full account of a battle or something, you maybe just get a letter from one character to another. So it moves along pretty quickly.

I managed to finish the first WoT book. And I nearly finished the second, too. I got as far as buying the third but never got around to starting it. And some point it became clear I would have to re-read the first two before I got around to understanding the third and that, I'm afraid, would be a bit too much.

It seems to me that the series suffer from the "Things are about to happen" followed by some vision/flashback, add a bit of a foreboding sense, and then forget to actually MAKE things happen.
So the series haven't ended? I was under the impression that the final book had been published earlier this year but it's plausible that I am wrong.

Btw, has anyone read Terry Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" series? I was considering giving it a go, but it seems like such a massive project that I wanted to make sure it was worth it before plunging head first into what may be complete waste of time

I've read the first four Goodkind books. Had hopes, but after the first one I became bored. Seemed like a rip off of Jordan. Try the Sword of Truth and see what you think. It was decent.....

Oh, and as for WoT. Ended? There are more open plot lines and unexplained whatevers than ever before. Last couple of books only moved it along for a week or so. Seems they just pull on their braids and have headaches and say 'burn it.' Sucker that I am, I'll see it through. As for Martin, I flat out love what you were talking about. Battles fought, but only talked about through letters, conversations. Characters suddenly wind up dead, switching sides. Almost used Roose Bolton as my user name here.

Only a few weeks?! That's insane...
I'm still following the quest to capture the "Great Horn". I know what you mean about having invested too much on it just to drop it out flat, I only read two books and already feel like that, in a way. I simply cannot bring myself to give up and admit I've read all those pages in vain.
On the other hand, if the latest books manage not to cover more than a few weeks (and unless I am quite mistaken, they are still every bit as long as always) I must re-think my options.
Maybe Jordan simply does want to quit writing? Or maybe it's his way of proving that since there are "no beginnings" maybe there are "no endings" as well...
Odds are he is very content throwing off books at Orbit books, and you know how it goes, "The more the merrier"

Well, the other books have really pissed a lot of his fans off, given the delays with WoT. I have a suspicion that Path of Daggers and Crown of Swords were one book, but Tor split them in two. Money. Just a theory. Don't get me wrong, I still love the series, just got very annoyed by the way it has gone of late. Of late, lol, that means, what, the last ten years?