A lost Hedge Knight

[Bullvyn]

OK, My story...

Months ago, a friend of mine recommended to my wife to read a series of books that was the greatest books ever written. I didn't pay much attention to them thinking it was just over reaction. My wife bought the first book, but with her work schedule she found little time to read. One day, with nothing else to do. I picked up her book "A game of Thrones" and it was like magic. I never put it down. I read book after book, BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!. I finished all 4 books before she was done with the first.

Now for the first time in a long time, I have nothing to read before I go to bed. I just finished "A feast for Crows" 2 nights ago and I am having an awful time falling asleep at night to getting my reading fix. It feels like a drug addict without any drugs.

So I look up on the GRRM website and it says the next book isn't gonna be out till around January!!!! What will I ever do?

Now I ask you guys, true fans of the books. Whats good out there? Something that comes close to the type of fantasy that GRRM has created. I have read D&D type fantasy and sci-fi. I'm also a big comic book fan, but now I'm turned onto the GRRM type fantasy.

Any suggestions?


Bullvyn


P.S.
If there is any wonder about my name, yes is it a misspelled version of Buliwyf from "Eaters of the Dead" aka "13th Warrior" I play a character on World of Warcraft named Bullvyn.

[TK-421]

Perhaps try the Katherine Kerr series. 11 books so far and counting (2 more coming soon to finish the series). It's a celtic type of approach to fantasy and pretty good. The series is:
Daggerspell
Darkspell
The Bristling Wood
The Dragon Revenant
A Time of Exile
A Time of Omens
Days of Blood and Fire
Days of Air and Darkness
The Red Wyvern
The Black Raven
The Fire Dragon
The Gold Falcon

Should keep you busy until January. I'm sure my fellow GRRM fans could suggest some of his books.

[red_temple]

You can also try the GRRM novellas:

The Hedge Knight
The Sworn Sword

They chronicle the lives of Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg. They take place in Westeros about 100 years prior to AGOT.

These are in the "Legends" anthologies, edited by Robert Silverberg.

[Winters_Sorrow]

Originally Posted by red_temple

You can also try the GRRM novellas:

The Hedge Knight
The Sworn Sword

They chronicle the lives of Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg. They take place in Westeros about 100 years prior to AGOT.

These are in the "Legends" anthologies, edited by Robert Silverberg.

It's also available as a graphic novel by the Dabel Bros. The Hedge Knight that is, not The Sworn Sword (yet).

Other GRRM type fantasy (and I'm assuming you mean "grown up" fantasy where bad things can happen to good people) include:

Riftwar saga by Raymond E Fiest - Magician, Silverthorn, Darkness at Sethanon is best to start with. Magician especially is a real tour de force IMO.

R Scott Bakker and Steven Eriksson also have a large and vocal following.

Robert Jordan was promising in his earlier "Wheel of Time" books but beware of major lag in the last few books where some actions/characters really grate. The first couple are decent though, so you may wish to try them yourself.

David Gemmell is decent as well - his recent Rigante stories are probably a good place to start, although some of my favourite novels are his much earlier standalones.

Anyway, there's a few pointers - I'm sure others will have their input.

Welcome to the forums, Bullvyn. You have been bitten by the bug, there is no escape

[Boaz]

Bullvyn, I feel for you... we all do. But I'm gonna lay a hard truth on you... we waited five years between ASOS and AFFC. Yes, I said five years, that is not a typo.

The good news: ADWD will be good. Martin (in this series, at least, I've never read any of his other works) works dilligently at his craft. He does not crank out multiple books a year to sate his readers, he works on a good story no matter how long it takes.

The bad news: Be patient.

[Dolorous Edd]

Buy Steven Erikson's malazaan Series (6 books at the moment) and Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy (3 books, suprisingly enough! (with a new story arch involving the same characters in the works)) - read them til your eye's bleed. And then sit around, gazing forlornly at your bookshelf thinking, "what the hell do i read now?", as nothing else comes close to matching them to be honest.

Oh, except tad William's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy, which was the first fantasy i read after Tolkien's stuff. Trully brilliant, with some really nice, unexpected twists in the story.



That's REALLY good stuff. Gemmel, feist, kate Elliot etc. are good, solid, entertaining author's, but their stuff doesn't hold a candle to the works above. The problem with reading Martin is that books you thought we really good beforehand suddenly seem a bit crap.

[genisis2]

Originally Posted by Dolorous Edd

Buy Steven Erikson's malazaan Series (6 books at the moment) and Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy (3 books, suprisingly enough! (with a new story arch involving the same characters in the works)) - read them til your eye's bleed. And then sit around, gazing forlornly at your bookshelf thinking, "what the hell do i read now?", as nothing else comes close to matching them to be honest.

Oh, except tad William's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy, which was the first fantasy i read after Tolkien's stuff. Trully brilliant, with some really nice, unexpected twists in the story.

MY GAWD hes so on the money. Both authors mentioned above are fantastic for different reasons. So many authors pale in comparison. My 3 favorite authors are GRRM, Bakker and Erikson not in any order and their writing styles are so different but so enjoyable.

[williamjm]

Guy Gavriel Kay has written some excellent books which have some things in common with GRRM's work (medieval Epic Fantasy without too many Tolkienesque cliches or traditional 'quest' plotlines, good characterisation). The best I've read are "Tigana", "A Song For Arbonne" and the two-book series "Sailing To Sarantium" and "Lord Of Emperors". His book "The Lions Of Al-Rassan" is also very highly praised, but I've not read it yet.

[Bullvyn]

OH wow! I never expected so many resonses!!!!

All great suggestions! and I will look up each and every one!

yeah, over the years I have read stuff from R.A. Salvatore, Troy Denning, uh..Ed Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham..ect....But next to GRRM they would be in the same Genre as something a 12 year old would read....apperently all these years I was blind!

I am so excited to start looking on the internet and research your guys suggestions. Find something that "clicks" with me.

As for a 5 year wait...WOW! I think I would have a heart attack! I gotta know what happens at the wall with Stannis and Lord Snow! Where the hell did Tyrion go???? I am hoping Bronn has a bigger part in this next book, I like him (was hoping I got Bronn on the personality test, but got the Mountain that rides). I am also wondering if they ever find the missing Stark Uncle, what was his name? Benjen I think...would be cool if he was coldhands.

Bullvyn

P.S.
Public service announcement about myself. Although I love to read. I am one to admit, I am no writer. So bear with me on all my typos and what-not. I just like to babble!!!! >whats spellcheck????< LOL

[williamjm]

While Salvatore/Denning/Cunningham might be reasonably entertaining for some light reading (Greenwood isn't even that good), I wouldn't say any of them could remotely compare to Martin or Kay or Erikson or Feist or even the more flawed Big Name Epic Fantasy authors like Williams or Jordan.

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by Bullvyn

Where the hell did Tyrion go????

Read the new preview chapter on GRRM's website. It's all classic Tyrion (drinking, whores, smart ass remarks and all) and answers your question, although not what's his final destination.