Help me out here.

[The Procrastinator]

Wurts is definitely up there with GRRM in my opinion, although to confuse matters, as far as stand-alones go I much preferred The Master of Whitestorm (an older book by Wurts) to Hell's Chasm. But everyone's different.

Another series you might try out is the Winter of the World trilogy by Michael Scott Rohan, beginning with The Anvil of Ice. This series is a real classic as far as I'm concerned. Epic and mythic themes, historical echoes, great fantasy (not too overdone, but nice and strong) - based in an Ice Age North America long long ago, using Scandinavian, Asian and Native American motifs.

[GOLLUM]

Yes, Rohan's series is much underestimated and his descriptions of the ice as a malevolent evil unsurpassed. A good suggestion indeed.

@Grimward: Deathgate Cycle is easily Weiss and Hickmann's finest work much like the Word and Void trilogy and possibly the original Sword Of Shanarra is Brook's best work.

[Barristan's Squire]

weis and hickman .. (no offense meant here) are some of the worse authors i think ive read.. but.. i did read the death gate cycle and thought their masterpiece. this masterpiece being nearly good. imo

i hope none find that insulting.

thanks for all the info GOLLUM.

I will keep that all in mind as I start my new adventures.
I cant wait until my new books arrive.

you have all been a great help.

perhaps i will soon join your ranks of Wurtz fans.

[Clansman]

Barr, expect the same quality from Wurts and Erikson, as coimpared to Martin, but do not expect them to be the same. Open your mind to the differences, and you will really enjoy it. If you don't, you won't.

Cheers, and happy reading!

[hikari-sa]

I myself am an erikson junkie. I reread them so often i have to replace the books about once a year. The Authors that i have enjoyed since then have been varied. I hit up Abercrombie, Lackey( when i want unicorns and dragons), sara douglas( she tends to help me fall asleep), esslemont if you can find him. The selection in the states in decent if you know where to look. Jim butcher has some pretty good stuff.

[GOLLUM]

Off-topic:

Hikari-Sa have you tried R Scott Bakker, Kate Elliott, Tad Williams, Paul Kearney or Greg Keyes to name just a few?...

I've got both Esselmnot novels BTW. The Malazan books seem easy to find in Australia.

[hikari-sa]

tried kate elliot, I liked her.. I am pretty willing to give anyone a try once. I have been asking people here who i should try out and now i have a list of what to go on hehehehe. I don't know why but america doesnt seem well stocked when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy

[Clansman]

To Ride Hell's Chasm it is, then!

[Grimward]

My turn to go a little off-topic here. Did you read the Rose of the Prophet trilogy by Weis and Hickman, Gol (or any of the rest of you good folk, for that matter!)? I should know better than to ask, but....

If not, it's light-hearted and (in my opinion), unique among their work. It's not as crafted as Deathgate, but a very enjoyable read, all the same, if one likes W&H...

OK, returning thread to its regularly-scheduled Barristan assistance!

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Grimward

My turn to go a little off-topic here. Did you read the Rose of the Prophet trilogy by Weis and Hickman, Gol (or any of the rest of you good folk, for that matter!)? I should know better than to ask, but....

If not, it's light-hearted and (in my opinion), unique among their work. It's not as crafted as Deathgate, but a very enjoyable read, all the same, if one likes W&H...

OK, returning thread to its regularly-scheduled Barristan assistance!

Yes I've read those. They were quite an enjoyable read. These days the only thing I continue to collect from W&H is the dragonlance series. When you think about it for someone who is nowadays pretty fixated in finding works that do not tow the mainstream fantasy tropes I've read (and contine to) every book Brook's has ever written, have all of the Drizzt series (collector edns.) by Salvatore and read until recently all of Feist. I think it has to do with my childhood and wanting to hark back to those simpler fun-filled times.....

[Althain's Warden]

At what point did you stop with Feist Gollum? I know a fair few people who were dissapointed with the dark war trilogy but most of those that i speak to fell the Rides a dread legion was an improvement, if your not up to date you might want to check it out. He's certainly no wurts/ martin (or erikson from what i hear but he's next onm my list after Gemmell) but it's still good all the same imo.

[Connavar]

To Ride Hell's Chasm is the only good stand alone by Wurtsor the best first book ?

When someone like Gollum says she is good and prose stylist i must try this author.

Is she more like Kearney in epic,heroic action or more like GRMM,Erikson about too many characters, and so on ?I know which type of i prefer of those.

[Clansman]

Conn:

TRHC is a stand alone that was published around 2003 or 2004. It was her third stand-alone, and it is excellent. It does not have a multiplicity of characters, I would guess, because it is only one book. There are three main characters, and the secondary characters are fleshed out, but don't take center stage all that often. The focus is certainly on the main characters. Good mystery story begins the novel, then all hell breaks loose about half way through.

The big epic series have lots of characters because, well, they are big epic series. The Wars of Light and Shadow, now at 8 large novels, with 3 to come, has a lot of characters and sub-plots and twistings and weavings, all of which Wurts eventually resolves (at least so far!).

TRHC would be a great way to sample her work, and you are not committing to a big long series (which you appear to wish to avoid). Her first novel, a stand alone, Sorcerer's Legacy, is a short, sharp thing that you could read in an afternoon. The other stand alone is The Master of Whitestorm, which had a very Conan-esque flavour to them, but without the Conan character, if you follow me. It was like a series of short stories linked together by a thread, which is resolved in the end. TRHC is a much better example of her style, as the other two are from very early in her career.

[Connavar]

TRHC sounds good and what im looking for.

I dont want commit to long series unless its an author im sure i like reading. The Master of The Whitestorm sounded good too but its not availible in library system like TRHC. So my choice is easy since i mostly go after stand alone for new authors.

I dont mind epic multi character series if i like the author. Only reason i dont read more of Erikson series is the second was a big dissapointment compared to Gardens of the Moon.

[Hilarious Joke]

Only reason i dont read more of Erikson series is the second was a big dissapointment compared to Gardens of the Moon.

Interesting - I'm reading Deadhouse Gates and I am enjoying it more than Gardens of the Moon. But from what I can gather, quite a few people agree with you Conn.