What are you reading? Options

[Alexander]

Right now I'm about to start a new book actually, but I'm a bit torn. I've got the Appeal from John Grisham, American gods by Neil Gaimann and the first Shannara books by Terry Brooks. All were acquired on my recent trip to Orlando, and I'm not sure which to begin with tbh as all are quite appealing

[Burnt Sierra]

I don't think that I have ever recommended a fantasy trilogy before, yet the best books I've read in 2008 have been just that. Step forward newcomer Brent Weeks and his "Night Angel" trilogy - "The Way of the Shadows" "Shadows Edge" and "Beyond The Shadows". They've all come out in the last 2 months, and I highly recommend them. Best fantasy series I've ever read. Ever. I've never felt more inspired to get writing again, they've reminded me of just how entertaining a really good fantasy series can be.

[Burnt Sierra]

I don't think that I have ever recommended a fantasy trilogy before, yet the best books I've read in 2008 have been just that. Step forward newcomer Brent Weeks and his "Night Angel" trilogy - "The Way of the Shadows" "Shadows Edge" and "Beyond The Shadows". They've all come out in the last 2 months, and I highly recommend them. Best fantasy series I've ever read. Ever. I've never felt more inspired to get writing again, they've reminded me of just how entertaining a really good fantasy series can be.

Okay, note to self. Never, ever post a comment like this up anywhere again, straight after finishing a series.

Best fantasy series I've ever read. Ever.

Oh good lord. There's no objectivity at all present there, just excitement from having put the final book down about 15 minutes before posting that comment. Lets try to give a more balanced comment shall we?

It’s bloody good. There’s the simple truth. It's not the best fantasy trilogy ever written, but it is bloody good. It’s very much in the style of George R.R. Martin – smaller in scale though obviously – with a very gritty feel to the world. Like Martin it uses a technique I’m not usually fond of, multiple 3rd person viewpoints, each chapter from one of the characters eyes – which drives me insane sometimes, I have to fight the urge to skip over several chapters to find out what happens next with the current character.

It's very exciting (he knows how to write action sequences, I'll give him that), very inventive and very ambitious. Which is staggering considering they are the author’s debut novels.

So, to sum up. Whilst it’s not quite as inventive as Tim Powers or Neil Gaiman, not quite as beautifully realised a world as Bujold or Martin and not quite as well written as Gene Wolfe, it’s still a superb work, that impressed me no end – and by far the best new fantasy series that I've read in the last few years. I feel confident that fans of “A Song Of Ice and Fire” won’t be disappointed. For what it’s worth I highly recommend it.

That's a bit better isn't it?