this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2023
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Fantasy books, stories, ＆c
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These lists are so subjective. For example, The Dresden Files have been around for a while, but I wouldn't consider them to be the top of the fantasy genre. Also, no Robin Hobb?
I don't dislike Dresden Files but I'm liking it less as it veers further & further from its initial premise. Book 1 and book...er, 16? the latest one...are so tonally different. Power creep, yeah, is part of it, but also it went from "fun noir throwback starring Detective Hard-Boiled" solving things cleverly (and without spellslinging ALL the time) to "what if a Jedi with the power of God and pop culture references on his side fought Irish folklore kaijus while Bigfoot was watching".
Like... I'm strapped in for the ride and enjoying it besides but the series seems to have gotten a lot less intellectually stimulating and than before and is now "big powers do a fighting".
Just me?
I gave up after book 3 so I don't have much valid input here. :)
I didn't mind the first book, but I do see why people do. It was definitely rough. But it had that nior vibe you were talking about, so it works for me despite its edges.
The last two books, on the other hand, I absolutely hated. PT/BG is the biggest pile of crap I've read from Jim. I feel like his editor was replaced by a Disney exec for that publication. I understand he had a rough time during writing, but the quality is shockingly off from the rest of the series. You can see the elements of the usual Dresden Files entry in between the books, but it's so padded out with filler and gratuitous bombast that it's a slog to read.
Imo this is kind of a recurring theme for Jim when he gets to wrapping up a series. Codex Alera does this, though most of those books are still some of my favorite. Unfortunately, the only way Jim seems to be able to power up the witty, clever guy is to just make him the secret grandson of the last big badass strong guy in the series and suddenly the witty, clever guy is the new zomg over 9000 guy.
I agree on this. I'm enjoying it none the less and I like the direction its going in. To me, it's like going to see a movie like "Nobody"
You know what you're getting into. You know you'll be entertained. You know it won't be too long. And you know it'll never make a list as one of the greats or win any awards.
The "oh so nerdy" references weren't quite so ubiquitous earlier in, were they? The question popped into my head the other day but I don't feel like going back to check.