I don't know about you, but I've become pretty picky about my choices in reading material as I become an older, more sophisticated nerd. Remember when you were 12? You'd read any old crap from the scifi/fantasy section of Waldenbooks, especially if there was some green chick with cleavage on the cover. I must have had a dozen books just by Piers Anthony alone. Not to mention the whole Weis/Hickman saga (I was a Raistlin Majere fan, I'll admit. I'm not ashamed. I was 12, for God's sake.)
But once I grew up, and I'm guessing this is true for you all too, it became harder to find the good stuff. I don't have tons of time or disposable income to spend on books anymore. If I buy a book, or get one out of the library, I want to be able to finish it, at least. I don't want to throw it across the room in disgust before the second chapter is out.
I mean, yeah, there's always Pratchett, and he's great, but sometimes you want something a little more serious and gripping. Which is why I was happy to find The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. I read it over my vacation this summer, and it was really good. Just a solid, well crafted fantasy novel. The protagonist is a fully fleshed character, the plot is exciting, the history/world is well thought out, basically everything you'd want in a good fantasy.
I'm pointing this out because it's the first in the series, so there may not be as much hype as other authors yet. It's easy to overlook a single title on the fantasy bookshelf, when everything else is at least a trilogy. Also, the cover art is terrible. It looks like a vampire/native american/goth romance novel. Guh. It does nothing to sell the book.
Anyway, go out and buy/borrow it. I highly recommend it, if that means anything to you (NEWS FLASH: Random blogger likes book! Stampedes of fans mob local Barnes and Noble!)
Anyway, it's over 700 pages, so block out some time. I'm looking forward to re-reading it when I have some time to really devote to it. And keep your eye out for the sequel. Should be good.
But once I grew up, and I'm guessing this is true for you all too, it became harder to find the good stuff. I don't have tons of time or disposable income to spend on books anymore. If I buy a book, or get one out of the library, I want to be able to finish it, at least. I don't want to throw it across the room in disgust before the second chapter is out.
I mean, yeah, there's always Pratchett, and he's great, but sometimes you want something a little more serious and gripping. Which is why I was happy to find The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. I read it over my vacation this summer, and it was really good. Just a solid, well crafted fantasy novel. The protagonist is a fully fleshed character, the plot is exciting, the history/world is well thought out, basically everything you'd want in a good fantasy.
I'm pointing this out because it's the first in the series, so there may not be as much hype as other authors yet. It's easy to overlook a single title on the fantasy bookshelf, when everything else is at least a trilogy. Also, the cover art is terrible. It looks like a vampire/native american/goth romance novel. Guh. It does nothing to sell the book.
Anyway, go out and buy/borrow it. I highly recommend it, if that means anything to you (NEWS FLASH: Random blogger likes book! Stampedes of fans mob local Barnes and Noble!)
Anyway, it's over 700 pages, so block out some time. I'm looking forward to re-reading it when I have some time to really devote to it. And keep your eye out for the sequel. Should be good.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment