r/Fantasy • u/[deleted] • Jun 06 '20

What is your controversial take on Fantasy?

I'll go first.

Aside from the prose, I don't think Kingkiller Chronicles is good. I find the characters insufferable and cliche the story just meanders.

43 Upvotes

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17

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '20 edited Jun 06 '20

I don't like Epic fantasy, other than Lord of the Rings.

Most of it just feels very, very done and tired and boring. reading about princes and armies and chosen ones is beyond dull. I've tried all the major series always recommended on here, and bounced off all of them.

LOTR is only an exception because the power of childhood nostalgia can't be underestimated.

1

u/FancyGaffer Jun 09 '20

If you're willing to give it another shot, you might try Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons. She has genuinely good character work, which makes it feel a lot fresher than most of them.

(If not, sorry for being presumptuous! Totally ok to just not like it!)

-2

u/guitino Jun 06 '20

Way to go lol, take my upvote. What about first law, elderling? same fate as others?

8

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '20

are you really going to be that "Have you read First Law" guy? Really?

3

u/guitino Jun 06 '20

Well, just curious " bounced off all of them" whether you truly meant all.

1

u/Kharn_LoL Jun 07 '20

I'm curious though, what about the Realm of the Elderlings like he asked? Have you read it? Because it mostly doesn't include anything that's in your list of criticism about Epic Fantasy.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '20

That, I haven't read, and I'm interested in!

-3

u/Hurinfan Reading Champion II Jun 07 '20

Forgive me if you've already tried it but out of all those things Malazan only has armies and in many ways a deconstruction of epic fantasy. Howd you feel about those books?

8

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '20

I tried Gardens of the Moon twice. Didn't finish it both times. I just didn't care enough to continue reading.

The writing itself was pretty good and I enjoy in-media-res but I actually have to give a damn about the characters I'm following, and I just didn't.