an interesting fantasy series, with the world loosely based on the
Byzantine Empire but with magic and other fantasy elements. The main
sequence involves a cohort from one of Julius Caesar's legions being
magically transported to the world of Videssos. An interesting premise.
Turtledove puts in lots of interesting detail. I guess he managed to get
some use out of his dissertation on Byzantine History.
<http://makeashorterlink.com/?W1D032F66>http://makeashorterlink.com/?W1D032F66
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345330676/qid=1067953676//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i6_xgl14/002-7469279-8680839?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)
regards,
larry
At 05:16 AM 11/4/2003, you wrote:
>Cheers Jim
>
>
>I'll check them out and let you know how I get along
>
>
>Mark
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Campbell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Sent: 03 November 2003 16:05
>To: CF-Community
>Subject: Re: The Elder Gods
>
>I loved the Thomas Covenant books as well. If you haven't read it - the
>"Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy by Tad Williams is amazing. The
>first book is "The Dragonbone Chair" - I couldn't get past the first few
>hundred pages for the longest time - I think it's because I was young
>and not very patient and hoping for more action or something. It's a
>wonderful story, very Tolkien-esque, and he borrows heavily from Mervyn
>Peake (in my opinion) in the third book.
>
>Speaking of Peake, his Gormenghast series is very interesting. He
>apparently went insane while writing it, which explains the
>out-of-left-field third book, Titus Alone, but the first two are really
>interesting. There's also a BBC miniseries based on the books that's a
>lot of fun.
>
>What else... My wife and I are Terry Pratchett fans - I think I've read
>all the Discworld books, but I might be mistaken. Brian Jacques'
>Redwall books are more on a younger level, but I've always enjoyed
>reading them. There's also the usual suspects like Robert Jordan's
>neverending Wheel of Time series, Terry Brooks' Shannara, Weis &
>Hickman's original Dragonlance "seasons" series (my second favorite
>series of books as a kid)... Stephen King actually wrote a terrific
>short fantasy novel - "The Eyes of the Dragon".
>
>Polgara is a lot like the Belgarath book. Written like you'd imagine
>Polgara would write, it fills in a lot of backstory and is worth the
>time if you've already read the other eleven books :)
>
>- Jim
>
>Mark Smyth wrote:
>
> >Hi Jim
> >
> > <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
> >/>
> >
> >I have read the Belgariad series about 3/4 times now, its an excellent,
> >excellent series. I'm 31 and first picked it up many moons ago and the
> >first time I seriously couldn't put it down. I thought Belgarath was a
>good
> >book also, but havn't read Polgara yet (whats your opinion?).
> >
> >
> >
> >After the Belgariad he went downwards pretty quick in my opinion and I
> >havn't really been able to get into his later books.
> >
> >
> >
> >I also really loved "The chronicles of Thomas Covenant" by Stephen
> >Donaldson, which is another excellent series in a similar vein to the
> >Belgariad.
> >
> >
> >
> >What other series like the 2 above you recommend? I'm definitely in need of
> >a good read...
> >
> >
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >Mark
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Jim Campbell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Sent: 03 November 2003 15:25
> >To: CF-Community
> >Subject: The Elder Gods
> >
> >
> >I'm a guy in my late 20's so it goes without saying that I grew up with
> >Star Wars, and it was, not surprisingly, my favorite movie for a while.
> >I can watch it now and get past the rotten acting and stilted dialog and
> >Greedo shooting first (damn you, Lucas!), but I still appreciate the
> >effect it had on me as a child.
> >
> >As a kid, I was also a big, no, HUGE fan of David Eddings - I read the
> >Belgariad over and over again, all five books in only a few days. The
> >followup series - the Mallorean - was equally welcome. I knew the
> >characters inside and out, I could get lost in that world in a
> >heartbeat. Two followup "autobiographies" of main characters from the
> >series "Belgarath" and "Polgara" are in my book collection as well,
> >along with the "Rivan Codex", something of a "behind the scenes" wrap-up
> >of the minutae and process of developing what, at that point was
> >essentially a duodecology.
> >
> >So, the last statement is that I've been growing steadily more
> >disappointed with the Eddings' (he writes with his wife, Leigh), from
> >the second Sparhawk trilogy (The Tamuli), to the Redemption of Althalus
> >to the execrable Regina's Song - a non-fantasy set in Washington State,
> >filled with amalgams of every character they've ever written, put into
> >impossibly frustrating characters, in a plot with all the surprises of a
> >bowl of tomato soup.
> >
> >So, I approached the most recent work from them - "The Elder Gods" with
> >some trepidation. On one hand, their writing had become routine and
> >extremely predictable. On the other, the prospect of another fantasy
> >series had potential - maybe they were going to clean the slate and
> >start over with new ideas, and strong characters and... no, it sucks.
> >
> >Sucks is the best way to put it, as well. Eddings makes so much of his
> >knowledge of epic fantasy and classical literature, yet can't come up
> >with a unique idea anymore that's not wholly derivitave of his own
> >originally interesting characters. Oh, look, it's the snippy girl-god.
> >Oh look, it's the witty banter. Oh, look, a rag-tag cast of mismatched
> >characters. Oh, look, it's the good guys overcoming adversity and
> >suffering almost no casualties... on and on and on.
> >
> >Eddings, like Lucas, can't be faulted for a lack of imagination.
> >They've both created rollicking, evocative, fantastic worlds that you'd
> >want to be lost in forever if you had the chance. However, the other
> >shared aspect of their personality is that they just don't know when to
> >throw in the towel and call it quits. Eddings will trundle out the next
> >three books in what will likely be the worst series he's ever written
> >over the next few years. The world waits, nauseously, for Lucas' last
> >Star Wars movie, knowing, despite so much optimism, we all know how it
> >will turn out.
> >
> >Oh well. I'll always have Faldor's Farm to keep me company.
> >
> >- Jim
> >
> > _____
> >
> >
> >
> _____
>
>
>----------
>[
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