tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post177062530370205091..comments2024-03-22T19:07:21.790+00:00Comments on The Wertzone: A History of Epic Fantasy - Part 27Adam Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-85685550888101683192015-11-16T22:19:36.122+00:002015-11-16T22:19:36.122+00:00Ah pen names, I'll just call her Hobb for now....Ah pen names, I'll just call her Hobb for now.<br /><br />Hobb is a good writer but she's never been able to seal the deal with me. Like Kate Elliot, another writer who's skill I admire, they're able to captivate me but not keep me. I usually love the first book, then I grow disenchanted with later volumes of the series.<br /><br />It might be plot-related or maybe even the development of the character doesn't go the direction that satisfies me.<br /><br />Brent Week's Night Angel trilogy has superficial similarities to Hobb's first trilogy. But his books kept my interest and Hobb's didn't. <br /><br />All three are good at worldbuilding and dialog. None are bad writers. That's why on reflection, I think the Hobb plot just didn't hold me.Mark Andrew Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16067839551819472664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-87106029263711382962015-11-16T13:59:25.655+00:002015-11-16T13:59:25.655+00:00Good article. One minor error I noticed though: my...Good article. One minor error I noticed though: my copy of the first volume of the Liveship Traders series is about 100pp shorter than the final volume - not really almost half its size.Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15210812771765182815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-42932110118232912662015-11-16T10:48:39.541+00:002015-11-16T10:48:39.541+00:00As much as I agree with most of what you write, We...As much as I agree with most of what you write, Wert, (and count me in among those who praise your series of essays) I cannot share your view on magic - or maybe I understand you wrong.<br />In this installment you count "magic" as one of the [defining] tropes of epic fantasy alongside big armies and travelogues. In an earlier installment (part 25 which focused on Harry Potter) you called magic "a stalwart feature of epic fantasy".<br />While magic undoubtedly is to be found in epic fantasy it is hardly confined to this sub-genre! I'd say that magic (in a broad sense) is one of the defining features of fantasy in general, not epic fantasy. Heck, sword-and-sorcery, a sub-genre that is clearly not identical with epic fantasy, bears magic in it's name!Jenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03623941508503788134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-25610717278124050052015-11-16T00:35:18.037+00:002015-11-16T00:35:18.037+00:00This article touches on why I could never get into...This article touches on why I could never get into our really enjoy the Malazan books: I didn't care about what was happening because the characters were either ciphers or unlikable. JD Woodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11533235145896724351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-56404304891536910762015-11-15T18:30:01.486+00:002015-11-15T18:30:01.486+00:00The original Farseer is still one of my all time f...The original Farseer is still one of my all time favorites! You're spot on when you identify the relationships as key.<br /><br />However, I've always thought that one of the most interesting relationships is between Fitz and Burrich. Fitz and the Fool have always gotten all the attention, but to me that is the most difficult to identify with.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04865984345201102128noreply@blogger.com