All stuff with implications for later. What was resolved?
Given that you seem to be saying that this is something bad, I assume it would also be applicable to other books. And I also seem to recall that you did not share my perception that Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing series was one of the most detestable stories I have had the misfortune of subjecting myself to. So, if we were to use the first book, The Darkness That Comes Before (because it's the only one I've read the conclusion of, having thrown the second book against a wall at some point mid-read), and apply that same criticism, wouldn't you also find the book lacking?
As I recall, absolutely nothing is resolved in that book. It almost reads like a prequel, getting all the main characters to Constantinople (I forget many of the names in that series, given that they're the kind of names that make my players roll their eyes if I ever try to use them in a D&D game) so the Holy War can start... next book. Nothing about the characters is resolved either. I guess there's a resolution to the Byzantine court intrigue to place the Emperor's nephew in command of the armies in exchange for the liberation of imperial cities held by the Muslims, but that hardly qualifies as a significant plot point.
I read the first two books within a week of each other, so before I had much time to reflect on the weaknesses of the first book, I had already read the second. But I wonder what a re-read would do now; I haven't re-read any of that trilogy since 2006. Hrmm...Maybe after I re-read Dune and possibly WoT...
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT.
- 19/03/2010 09:30:25 PM
13167 Views
Heh, While I agree with him about it being derivative, I still encourage people to read it.
- 20/03/2010 02:36:47 AM
2603 Views
My problem with the reviews:
- 20/03/2010 06:29:08 AM
3250 Views
Hear Hear !!!
.......................
=
........................ *NM*
- 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM
1545 Views
.......................
=
........................ *NM*
- 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM
1545 Views
well I agree and disagree
- 20/03/2010 06:51:29 AM
2953 Views
Re: well I agree and disagree
- 20/03/2010 02:12:43 PM
2497 Views
I'm amused by some of the responses
- 20/03/2010 07:20:03 PM
2904 Views
Are you suggesting that we are unqualified to disagree with him ?
- 20/03/2010 11:21:44 PM
2626 Views
No, I said rather that it's ridiculous to make such disparaging comments about his takes
- 20/03/2010 11:37:56 PM
2650 Views
I will reply to myself: What's the problem McFly , chicken ?
- 21/03/2010 12:29:36 AM
2448 Views
My sister called me chicken once
- 10/04/2010 01:18:31 AM
2502 Views
Re: I'm amused by some of the responses
- 23/03/2010 04:50:42 PM
2554 Views
And I'm even more amused by this response
- 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM
2475 Views
- 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM
2475 Views
On a completely unrelated note...
- 24/03/2010 06:15:25 AM
2370 Views
Ha!
- 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM
2377 Views
- 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM
2377 Views
My congratulations then
. *NM*
- 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM
2310 Views
. *NM*
- 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM
2310 Views
Wow, you guys have completely missed the point of the Wheel of Time series
- 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM
2526 Views
- 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM
2526 Views
There's a point to it?
- 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM
2502 Views
- 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM
2502 Views
Yes, RJ has explained it at least a few times and the main sequence of each book invokes his message *NM*
- 24/03/2010 02:09:01 AM
1493 Views
You're not taking me seriously now, are you?
- 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM
2425 Views
- 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM
2425 Views
I meant the reason why RJ wrote WoT in the first place
- 24/03/2010 06:39:47 AM
2422 Views
And which, arguably, could be viewed as being done in a hackneyed way
- 24/03/2010 07:15:55 AM
2478 Views
I thought the point was to write about a bunch of stuff happening?
- 09/04/2010 03:42:49 PM
2487 Views
pfft wth-ever
- 26/03/2010 12:35:53 AM
2298 Views
Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was
- 26/03/2010 12:28:19 PM
2561 Views
bla bla bla
- 29/03/2010 06:17:07 AM
2455 Views
Wow. That post was more entertaining than Mr. Roberts' review. Thank you
*NM*
- 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM
1673 Views
*NM*
- 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM
1673 Views
You must have low standards for entertainment
- 29/03/2010 08:54:03 AM
2394 Views
Re: You must have low standards for entertainment
- 29/03/2010 09:13:44 AM
2495 Views
I know you were, thus the
at the least of my comment
- 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM
2326 Views
at the least of my comment
- 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM
2326 Views
Unimpressed
- 29/03/2010 10:50:07 PM
2790 Views
Isn't that a bit uncharitable, Dom, considering how much you approved of what I did with CoT?
- 30/03/2010 12:03:48 AM
2799 Views
Re: Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was
- 29/03/2010 04:32:23 PM
2504 Views
Might want to re-read their Wikis again.
- 29/03/2010 07:07:11 PM
2346 Views
Awards
- 29/03/2010 07:42:03 PM
2306 Views
That link is out of date
- 29/03/2010 07:54:56 PM
2298 Views
Re: That link is out of date
- 29/03/2010 08:22:03 PM
2442 Views
This is a battle of win/lose?
- 29/03/2010 08:47:54 PM
2338 Views
Re: This is a battle of win/lose?
- 29/03/2010 09:03:07 PM
2377 Views
*considers employing the Chewbacca defense*
- 29/03/2010 09:28:06 PM
2359 Views
Re: *considers employing the Chewbacca defense*
- 29/03/2010 09:44:58 PM
2575 Views
The final point explains the "defense"
- 30/03/2010 12:24:56 AM
2267 Views
Re: The final point explains the "defense"
- 30/03/2010 01:33:04 PM
2229 Views
No, no, no
- 30/03/2010 06:38:41 PM
2294 Views
Re: No, no, no
- 30/03/2010 07:51:34 PM
2403 Views
Still continuing, huh?
- 31/03/2010 02:10:13 AM
2356 Views
Re: Still continuing, huh?
- 31/03/2010 03:56:57 PM
2319 Views
He's now reviewed the third book
- 26/03/2010 12:27:16 PM
2552 Views
Well, this time I must disagree with him
.
- 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM
2271 Views
.
- 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM
2271 Views
I don't think he was claiming that RJ was alone in doing that
- 29/03/2010 07:44:07 AM
2271 Views
Hah!
- 29/03/2010 06:07:28 PM
2289 Views
Well...
- 29/03/2010 06:52:10 PM
2199 Views
Differing perspectives, I guess.
- 29/03/2010 07:58:13 PM
2394 Views
I suppose
- 29/03/2010 08:50:43 PM
2303 Views
Re: I suppose
- 30/03/2010 12:18:30 AM
2441 Views
Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue?
- 30/03/2010 12:52:01 AM
2274 Views
Re: Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue?
- 30/03/2010 07:45:08 AM
2459 Views
But why only them?
- 30/03/2010 08:07:00 AM
2357 Views
The Shadow Rising review
- 02/04/2010 09:42:53 AM
2544 Views
I wonder if this borders on trolling
- 02/04/2010 02:29:58 PM
11090 Views
That would be a mistake
- 02/04/2010 09:16:25 PM
2556 Views
Re: That would be a mistake
- 02/04/2010 10:28:56 PM
2316 Views
I agree, Roberts is more and more coming across to me as just bitter
- 10/04/2010 01:24:52 AM
2424 Views
Little late to this one as well
- 10/04/2010 11:12:04 AM
2452 Views
Perhaps you should have led with this bit
- 10/04/2010 02:52:23 PM
2542 Views
I guess I just presumed that people would read the header to his blog
- 12/04/2010 03:54:10 AM
2359 Views
- 12/04/2010 03:54:10 AM
2359 Views
What review? I couldn't find one...
- 02/04/2010 08:00:45 PM
2508 Views
Re: What review? I couldn't find one...
- 02/04/2010 09:22:13 PM
2516 Views
See my comment below
- 02/04/2010 09:32:54 PM
2584 Views
Re: See my comment below
- 03/04/2010 09:31:22 AM
2902 Views
Sorry I'm late in responding, but I've been quite busy this week
- 07/04/2010 09:45:48 PM
2773 Views
Speaking of irritation
- 02/04/2010 10:50:04 PM
2482 Views
To be fair, even among the RaFOers there have been tons of posts that missed certain events
- 09/04/2010 03:47:30 PM
2349 Views
Commentary, then?
- 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM
2352 Views
- 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM
2352 Views
Here's the thing...
- 02/04/2010 10:11:18 PM
2310 Views
Re: Here's the thing...
- 02/04/2010 10:31:56 PM
2147 Views
Re: Commentary, then?
- 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM
2266 Views
- 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM
2266 Views
for a man that bitterly complains about an author who is padding his work
- 08/04/2010 09:41:07 PM
2486 Views
1400 words is long-winded?
- 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM
2529 Views
- 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM
2529 Views
since you can sum up those 1400 words in about 25 yes that's longwinded
- 09/04/2010 01:36:16 PM
2404 Views
Except I didn't really sum it up, as I left out quite a bit
- 10/04/2010 11:15:42 AM
2431 Views
You are very defensive over this
- 10/04/2010 01:54:15 PM
2234 Views
Nah, more of a devil's advocate than anything else
- 12/04/2010 03:57:12 AM
2287 Views
Well Larry I have started reading Gradsil by Adam Roberts
- 07/04/2010 08:59:28 PM
2462 Views
I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes!
- 07/04/2010 09:50:39 PM
2342 Views
Re: I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes!
- 08/04/2010 01:06:20 PM
2199 Views
Which Invisible Man?
- 09/04/2010 09:58:44 AM
2428 Views
He brings up some interesting points, if in an unnecessarily rude manner
- 08/04/2010 12:42:25 PM
2358 Views
To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM
2358 Views
- 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM
2358 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM
2893 Views
- 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM
2893 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM
2366 Views
- 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM
2366 Views
why are you so bothered by people being unimpressed with Roberts?
- 10/04/2010 02:19:08 PM
2369 Views
Not bothered as much as I am bemused by the ad hominems, to be honest
- 12/04/2010 04:11:12 AM
2688 Views
And in vol. 5, Roberts discovers the horrors of the circus
- 09/04/2010 09:57:03 AM
2347 Views
Basically he just states the "nothing happens"-argument...
- 09/04/2010 03:26:02 PM
2237 Views
Well, what was really resolved here?
- 10/04/2010 11:25:25 AM
2329 Views
Well...
- 12/04/2010 05:05:20 PM
2452 Views
So very little was resolved and much was set into motion, then?
- 12/04/2010 06:55:45 PM
2406 Views
Yes...
- 12/04/2010 10:51:08 PM
2148 Views
Ever read Umberto Eco's How To Travel with a Salmon?
- 12/04/2010 11:07:19 PM
2474 Views
I guess...
- 13/04/2010 10:03:03 AM
2458 Views
Sounds like you value prolixity for the sake of prolixity, to be honest
- 13/04/2010 04:41:07 PM
3597 Views
Nah...
- 13/04/2010 05:29:34 PM
2157 Views
He's read and enjoyed Proust, among others
- 13/04/2010 07:37:39 PM
2263 Views
Ah, well...
- 13/04/2010 09:45:45 PM
2202 Views
Dismissive, much?
- 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
2383 Views
- 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
2383 Views
About that bifurcation...
- 14/04/2010 02:02:15 AM
2350 Views
Sorry that I was busy yesterday and didn't have a chance to reply until now
- 15/04/2010 01:46:54 PM
2477 Views
So, if you don't mind...
- 13/04/2010 05:51:06 AM
2382 Views
That's fine with me
- 13/04/2010 06:31:41 AM
2341 Views
I'm sorry, but he's totally right. "The Circus" made me put down this series for 5 YEARS.
- 09/04/2010 03:38:16 PM
2364 Views
Lord of Chaos commentary
- 16/04/2010 03:39:39 PM
2324 Views
No no. It was Lord of Heaven!
- 16/04/2010 05:51:11 PM
2225 Views
Yeah, I noticed that
- 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM
2145 Views
- 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM
2145 Views
I would love the see him review Goodkind...
- 16/04/2010 11:51:07 PM
2370 Views
I don't wish that on anyone who doesn't have copious amounts of alcohol
- 16/04/2010 11:57:41 PM
2266 Views
A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn?
- 23/04/2010 08:36:17 AM
2394 Views
Re: A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn?
- 29/04/2010 06:02:28 PM
2341 Views
I disagree
- 29/04/2010 09:34:49 PM
2165 Views
The Path of Daggers commentary
- 07/05/2010 10:39:03 AM
2487 Views
Winter's Heart
- 21/05/2010 12:46:14 PM
2463 Views
I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read
- 21/05/2010 04:49:31 PM
2316 Views
Re: I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read
- 25/05/2010 05:05:09 PM
2462 Views
WH was my least favorite novel in the series, and that is saying a lot.
- 28/05/2010 03:15:13 PM
2313 Views
I completely agree with his KoD post. Here is my favorite quote:
- 28/05/2010 03:08:31 PM
2636 Views
Roberts reflects back on WoT 1-11, with answers to questions asked of him
- 25/06/2010 12:51:29 PM
2432 Views
This guy should be burned at the stake
- 25/06/2010 03:22:34 PM
9905 Views
Are you done making a fool out of yourself, Mark?
- 26/06/2010 06:53:37 PM
2373 Views
Oh come on...
- 26/06/2010 09:06:01 PM
2442 Views
Well, the burning at the stake was a bit much...
- 26/06/2010 10:19:40 PM
2441 Views
Well, really! You brought the comment to his notice...
- 26/06/2010 11:34:08 PM
2444 Views
And your point is...?
- 27/06/2010 12:37:00 AM
2453 Views
Well...
- 27/06/2010 05:38:12 AM
2407 Views
Indeed... I think it's rather clear that Larry's goal has been to cause trouble
- 27/06/2010 10:57:36 AM
2586 Views
It's not about honour being beschmirched. It's about poor quality arguments. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 04:09:23 PM
1354 Views
One year later...
- 27/03/2011 03:40:29 AM
2267 Views
Re: One year later...
- 28/03/2011 05:03:32 PM
2506 Views
I see you subconsciously support critical takes.
- 28/03/2011 11:41:48 PM
2510 Views
No I conciously support telling you and him that you are pathetic, arrogent, & jelous. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 01:40:36 PM
1402 Views
Jealous?
- 30/03/2011 05:20:32 PM
2278 Views
You both are jelous of Jordan's tremendous succes.
- 30/03/2011 10:27:36 PM
2293 Views
Please learn how to spell the word "jealous" before tossing it about in the cavalier fashion you do
- 30/03/2011 10:54:36 PM
2323 Views
The fact that you teach is supposed to be a surprise?
- 31/03/2011 01:23:45 PM
2243 Views
After reading the standard-issue checklist of generic, tossabout pejoratives...
- 01/04/2011 03:06:18 PM
2401 Views
I agree, I didn't even notice it was an old post, definitely did not deserve to be revived. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 02:41:12 PM
1312 Views
Now I notice as well that this is a year old. You're very silly, Larry, very silly. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 04:13:38 PM
1437 Views
Yep!
- 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM
2220 Views
- 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM
2220 Views
He's not an "author", he's just a stupid troll, do not feed him *NM*
- 30/03/2011 02:39:19 PM
1327 Views

