Interesting Books

"The Dark Tower" by Stephen King is a set of eight books, even if there are actually seven books and the so-called 4.5-part (The Wind Through the Keyhole) was published first eight years after the last book. There is also a short prequel, "The little Sisters of Eluria". It's certainly an interesting series of books, but somehow, I couldn't get to get along with it. In order to like it, you have to like the way Stephen King writes. He often has a difficult way of writing and makes up his own words in this book series. He often uses "slang" expressions that are very specific, so that it is often difficult for a non-native American to interpret the content correctly. Another thing I didn't like about these books was the fact that the story about the Gunslinger himself (gunslinger) doesn't cover all the books. There are often stories embedded in them that have little or nothing to do with the hero himself. If someone likes Stephen King, one might like it this way. However, when I compare these book series with, for example, the 14 books by Robert Jordan "The Wheel of Time", "The Chronicles of Fate and Choice" by K.S. Turner, or "The Book of Deacon" by Joseph Lallo (see also below), I find these epic fantasy book series much better and more impressive. In my opinion, some of the events or twists in Stephen King's stories lack any kind of logic. At least for me. But to each his own.

If somebody likes fantasy stories, I would warmly recommend "The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan to everyone. It's quite long, 14 books all together. But I read all of them with enthusiasm. I was also touched by the author's story. He was diagnosed with the blood disease amyloidosis and died without finishing this monumental book series/fantasy epic. His wife, in close collaboration with his best friend Brandon Sanderson, has finished the story from his remarks and comments. The last three books (The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, A Memory of Light) have been written in this way. You can tell that the style has changed a little, but the story is still told in an exciting way.

"The Chronicles of Fate and Choice" by K.S. Turner I found also amazing. The language is much easier to understand and read, unlike e. g. from Stephen King, particularly for non-native English speaker. It is divided into three parts (1. Before the gods, 2. Tumultus, 3. Time: the immortal divine). I found the first two parts very exciting and interestingly written. The third part is a bit weaker, especially the first half, but then it gets more exciting again.

"The Blood Destiny" by Helen Harper is not very sophisticated, but I found it entertaining. It's a mixture of The Vampire Diaries, Harry Potter, and the Twilight Saga. It reads well, the language corresponds to modern English for young people, and it's relaxing—at least, in my opinion. If you like this genre, I can only recommend it.

"The Quickening" by Fiona McIntosh (Book One: Myrren's Gift, Book Two: Blood and Memory, Book Three: Bridge Of Souls). It is quite an interesting story, well written and very exciting.

"The Book of Deacon" by Joseph Lallo (1. The Book of Deakon, 2. The Great Convergence, 3. The Battle of Verril, 4. The D'Karon Apprentice). A beautiful book for fantasy fans, also a tetralogy. At the centre is a young woman, Myranda, who has to prove herself against dark forces in order to save the whole world. She becomes a chosen one. There are wizards, witches, dragons, and so on. She herself learns and develops magical powers to fight evil. From my point of view, it is excitingly written.

"Otherland" by Tad Williams, a four-part novel (City of Golden Shadow, River of Blue Fire, Mountain of Black Glass, Sea of Sliver Light). It's about a huge computer network in the near future where you can log in and experience other worlds, fairytale stories or past human events, such as the Wild West, Greek or Egyptian myths, in a kind of simulation.  I found the books quite exciting, even if, for me, some passages were slightly confusing and occasionally contain too many unnecessary details or side stories. Nevertheless, it is still a very interesting story idea.