re: need a new book series to read

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I always thought Robin Hobb was a man. So I guess that is two female fantasy writers I like.

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Yeah, she does a decent job of writing men for a woman writer, which is one of the reasons I like her. But you can tell a bit that it's a woman writer just by some of the way Fitz is written. But yeah, Robin Hobb is a pen name for her, think her real name is Margaret Lindholm or something like that. She wrote under the last name Lindholm for a while anyway, before she took off.

Just started reading and can't put down "The Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks. It's the first in a trilogy entitled the Night Angel Trilogy. He's not the most consistently well written author, but there are some really nice turns of phrase and the story is pretty engrossing at this point.

Right now, all I know is it centers largely around a young kid who scratches by as a grifter and cutpurse for a gang in a fictional, medieval style world. The enforcer of the gang is attempting a coup and uses his abuses to scare the younger members into line, in particular one of the main character's best friends. The main character's big plan is to take on an apprenticeship with a legendary assassin to learn to kill. Meanwhile, political machinations are going on in the background that you have to believe the main character will have some role in eventually.

I know, tl;dr and sounds ghey. But it's pretty damn good.

Not sure if said yet, but the Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny was written b/w 1967 and 1991 and is the most unique fantasy series I have ever read. Short too. I have all 10 books of the series in one giant book.

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Malazan Books of the Fallen by Steve Erikson



i'm almost finished with book one and still undecided about whether i'll continue. at some points i've loved the book, and at other times i've been underwhelmed. we'll see.

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I'd check out the second book if you have liked parts of the first. The second book is one of the best ones in the series, if you don't like it I'd say the series isn't for you after that point. Alot of folks actually recommend starting with the second book, then bouncing back to the first book before the third. Given the other books you are mentioning that you like in your post, I'd think you would enjoy the series, but who knows.

You are in a long list of folks that feel the same about the first book though. One of my friends had read the first book and stopped, then when I mentioned the series to him he was the same way as you, he had read the first and had no pressing desire to continue. I let him borrow the 2nd and 3rd books a couple months back and he was hooked, he's on the last book now. The first book is tremendously better on reread later on, once you can see how all the random stuff he throws at you actually has a purpose later.

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i've also heard great things about The Way of Kings

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Way of Kings is very solid, I actually like that and the Mistborn spinoff Alloy of Law much better than his Mistborn series. But given that he is planning on way of kings being a 10 book series I don't think I'd be in a hurry to read it. Good book though.

His characters are getting much better, which was one of his biggest weaknesses in Mistborn to me. Alloy of Law in particular I really enjoyed.

Another vote for Dresden Files here.


I don't think there is a part of a book that made me laugh harder than "MEEP! MEEP!"


Lots of good quotes from it though:

"Boobs are near the center of the universe, until you turn 25 or so. Which is also when young men's auto insurance rates go down.

This is not a coincidence."




"You're in America now....our idea of diplomacy is showing up with a gun in one hand and a sandwich in the other and asking which would you prefer."
"Did you bring a sandwich?"
"What do I look like, Kissinger?"