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nixie

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I've just finished Edddings, Crystal Gorge,so I've had enough fluff for the year.Now I need help in deciding what to read next,shoud I read The Great Book of Amber,start Erikson's Malazan series or read some Gemmell? or maybe I should reread Fiest in readiness for Flight of the Nighthawk,cant decide,suggestions welcome.
 
Well Nixie I haven't read Gemmel's books and from what I can gather from this forum his quite good but not in the top bracket.

HMMM.. the other 2 are tough because both are great fantasy works.

I'd start with the Amber series becasue that one you can come closer to a completion than Erikson who has book 6 of 10 out in Feb 2006.

As you know I've read eveyrthing by Feist and whilst he's quite an enjoyable read not in the top bracket, so definitely more on the fluffy side than Erikson or Zelazny although still much better than Eddings for me anyway.

Hope this helps you in deciding what to tackle in what order... :D
 
Two absolutely great choices there - Zelazny and Erikson. It depends what you're looking for in a novel, though.
If you want something relatively light, a step up from Eddings, but not a complete departure from his style, you may want to try some Feist - either Magician or Daughter of the Empire. Gemmell is the other author there I would call light, but again a different style - heroic fantasy, but not exactly the best in the sub-genre. If you take all the action bits from Eddings and expand upon them, make them a bit better, and then you've got Gemmell. I'd say Feist would be a better choice though, and if you were looking for someone like Gemmell you'd be better off reading Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, which are the same subgenre, and is a lot better. But then, if it's re-reading, you should probably try some new authors, at least until you've read a decent amount of the best fantasy authors.

The two which aren't really light reads, but they're also some of the best fantasy there is, both comfortably in my top 10. Usually I recommend Erikson without reservation, but it depends what you're looking for. Erikson's Malazan series is amazing, but it's also one of the most complicated series ever written, and takes a lot of effort to read. It is epic in the most literal sense, unlike most of those in the epic fantasy sub-genre. He's my favourite author at the moment, but the problem you may have, which a lot of people do, is that the first book, Gardens of the Moon, isn't nearly as good as the rest without a re-read, and it puts people off.

I think actually reading Zelazny's 1st Chronicles of Amber first would be your best choice, because it is excellent, not too hard to read, and it's completed, and IMO the characters are slightly better done than in the Malazan series. It's also a lot more original in style and ideas than a lot of the Malazan series (not to say that this isn't original), and it is one of the key works of the sub-genre New Wave, and definitely a better introduction to it than Moorcock's Elric. The 2nd Chronicles aren't supposed to be nearly as good, but still a long way above most fantasy. I haven't read them though. Then after reading Amber I'd go on to reading the Malazan series, as by then you'll have a good idea of what some of the best fantasy is, and a much more advanced writing style than Eddings, Feist etc.
 
After reading Martin's ASOIF, then moving on to Bakker's The Darkness that comes before and Warrior Prophet in about 2 months I felt like something light and predictable hence Eddings, now I feel I want something with a bit more bite.
I shouldn't really have put Fiest in as I have read all of his books it's just every now and again I re-read Magican,So looks like is going to be Erikson or Zelazny.
I switch from complex to light depending on my moods.
 
Zelazny is the lighter of the two, but still excellent. Erikson is similar to Bakker in lots of ways, and more complex. Zelazny is closer in style to ASOIAF, as Amber is based around the feuding, plotting princes of Amber, each trying to become king of Amber like everyone in ASOIAF trying to get the throne.
 

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