Rating: 
Summary: Haunting and dark and worth reading!
Review: A friend of mine lent me these books to read ages ago, when I was living in Sweden. They caught me by surprise - I so rarely read fantasy because most of it is boring, repetitive, unimaginative, and not worth the time or money. These books are different. I wish that they were all still in print (since I've moved away from my only source!). Even after 5 years, these plots ands characters remain vivid in my mind. I keep wondering what happened at the end. If you find a way to read these, I recommend it heartily!
Rating:
Summary: Best in class
Review: Absolutely the most enjoyable non-Tolkein fantasy series I've ever read. Character's and events are as unpredictable as real life, and the environment in constantly surprising. One of the few series' I will read again and again. Read this series - you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: 10/10
Review: Brilliant. Proof that a fantasy series doesn't need to be populated be characters that are too morally predictable to be believable. These books won't please everybody (the evidence is in the sales sadly), but for those wanting a three dimensional fantasy world, you will be hard pressed to a find better storyteller.
Rating:
Summary: 10/10
Review: Brilliant. Proof that a fantasy series doesn't need to be populated be characters that are too morally predictable to be believable. These books won't please everybody (the evidence is in the sales sadly), but for those wanting a three dimensional fantasy world, you will be hard pressed to a find better storyteller.
Rating:
Summary: The start of something good
Review: Despite the name (which is effectively 'Generic Fantasy number one'), this book is an excellent read and the introduction to what is possibly the best fantasy series yet written. If you're tired of the typical cliched rubbish (I mention no names but take a bow 'The Belgariad'), you will really enjoy this. (By the way, if anyone else in the world has noticed that there are actually NINE types of wizard, please confirm that it's not just my imagination). In conclusion, silly name but great book. Just read the first few pages and you'll be hooked - 'It was Phyphor's birthday. He was 5736(?) years old. He saw no cause to celebrate.....' For more, read the next 500 odd pages.
Rating:
Summary: A series that I pray Mr Cook shall continue
Review: From the first few pages I was enthralled. Here finally was a fantasy with characters displaying all the active characteristics of real people in unrealistic situations. I am an avid fantasy reader and amatuer author and would like to express my admiration for someone that I feel is a (Dare I say it?) genius in this field... GREAT STUFF.
Rating: 
Summary: Completely at a loss...
Review: I am utterly astonished at the number of five star reviews being given to a book so poorly written. The 'anti-hero' characters argue like bickering children and often commit actions that contradict previously established character traits. Each chapter begins with an index entry to describe a character, the ultimate betrayal of the 'show, don't tell' golden rule held by good authors everywhere. The dialogue is full of illogical lines, my favourite example to pick on being "This doesn't mean we have a common cause, it just means we all want the wizard dead." One of the greatest qualities of fantasy fiction - that it offers you an escape to a world where heroes still exist - is sadly betrayed when none of the characters are particularly admirable. This isn't a fantasy novel, it's a circus.
Rating:
Summary: Completely at a loss...
Review: I am utterly astonished at the number of five star reviews being given to a book so poorly written. The 'anti-hero' characters argue like bickering children and often commit actions that contradict previously established character traits. Each chapter begins with an index entry to describe a character, the ultimate betrayal of the 'show, don't tell' golden rule held by good authors everywhere. The dialogue is full of illogical lines, my favourite example to pick on being "This doesn't mean we have a common cause, it just means we all want the wizard dead." One of the greatest qualities of fantasy fiction - that it offers you an escape to a world where heroes still exist - is sadly betrayed when none of the characters are particularly admirable. This isn't a fantasy novel, it's a circus.
Rating: 
Summary: Embarrassing
Review: I am very embarrassed to read these reviews, because they're obviously written by the "author" himself. Actually, it is questionably if any of his books has had more than ten readers, so having ten people reviewing one on Amazon is just a bit too much, especially since almost all of them say that this series are the best fantasy books (or just "best books", even more absurd) ever written. For anyone that is not Hugh Cook, and has read some of his writing, it is obvious that noone cold like them. It is a miracle that they even got published. Please note, if you doubt that Cook writes his own reviews, one, that they are all very similar, and two, many mention details of his way of writing, the way plots develop parallel to each other etc, that for one thing is common to most books, and isn't exactly the first thing that would come to mind in writing an Amazon review. If still in doubt (that is, if anyone ever will look at the reviews of this "book") check Cook's homepage, zenvirus.com, which is every bit as good as his books! You can read his section on "Writing fiction" to convince yourself. Also check his "Japanese dictionary" with two unique entries, probably the best part of his webpage. Shame on Hugh!
Rating:
Summary: Embarrassing
Review: I am very embarrassed to read these reviews, because they're obviously written by the "author" himself. Actually, it is questionably if any of his books has had more than ten readers, so having ten people reviewing one on Amazon is just a bit too much, especially since almost all of them say that this series are the best fantasy books (or just "best books", even more absurd) ever written. For anyone that is not Hugh Cook, and has read some of his writing, it is obvious that noone cold like them. It is a miracle that they even got published. Please note, if you doubt that Cook writes his own reviews, one, that they are all very similar, and two, many mention details of his way of writing, the way plots develop parallel to each other etc, that for one thing is common to most books, and isn't exactly the first thing that would come to mind in writing an Amazon review. If still in doubt (that is, if anyone ever will look at the reviews of this "book") check Cook's homepage, zenvirus.com, which is every bit as good as his books! You can read his section on "Writing fiction" to convince yourself. Also check his "Japanese dictionary" with two unique entries, probably the best part of his webpage. Shame on Hugh!
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