Help me rank fantasy epics — I need data for a new website.?
If you read fantasy epics, will you please help me by rating any you’ve read (whether you liked them or not) on a scale of 1-100 (1 means “that was the worst thing I ever read” and 100 means “that was the best thing I ever read”).
I am compiling data for my website.
Please only rate epics you’ve actually read all the way through.
THANKS!
Kat
FantasyLiterature.net
6 Responses
Honesty
22 Apr 2010
joe s
22 Apr 2010
Feats of danger the greatest desire
Life balances on the highest wire
Leading lions threw hoops of fire
The audience holding breath from sound
As their hearts begin to pound
Nothing to break the fall to ground
The challenge of who will dare
The trance of the eyes that stare
The scalp tingling and standing hair
It’s the most memorable show in town
The magic secrets of a clown
Is to make you laugh with a frown
Living life to its fullest degree
Facing death and escaping free
It’s the greatest show you’ll ever see
Persiphone_Helle
22 Apr 2010
If by epics, you mean series, I would rate Glen Cook’s Garret series at 99 and Roger Zelazney’s Amber Series at 99 also. Pax- C
kevinnapolitan
22 Apr 2010
I would say RA Salvatore’s works are a 9/10
Terry Goodkind’s works are 10/10
and Raymond fiest’s works are 8/10
harry w
22 Apr 2010
Gene Wolfe Book of the New Sun- 95
Tolkien Bored (sorry Lord) of the rings 50
Adults: if you appreciate imagery read Wolfe
lauriafern
22 Apr 2010
Here are my rankings. I pretty much agree with Honesty, actually, but he didn’t mention some that I loved.
Tolkien:
The Lord of the RIngs – 95 (I love them, but I now skip over all the poetry)
David Eddings:
The Belgariad – 100
The Mallorean – 90
The Elenium – 95
The Tamuli – didn’t read, so can’t rate it
The Elder Gods – 80
Stephen R. Donaldson:
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant I (1st Trilogy) – 85
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant II (2nd Trilogy) – 75
I rank the second one lower, mainly because I hated the ending. It made sense, and it fit, but I still didn’t like it. 
Mordant’s Need – 100
Mordant’s Need is a 2 volume set that involves a woman from our world going thru a mirror into another world where mirrors don’t reflect, but are gateways to other worlds. It was totally awesome.
Robert Jordan
The (Unending)Wheel of Time Series – 50
I have to agree with Honesty here, only he has more patience than I do. Mine ran out after book 8.
Terry Goodkind:
The Sword of Truth Series. – 75
I loved these books at first, but I think he’s following Robert Jordan into the never ending story cycle. I finally stopped reading after book 6.
Isaac Asimov:
Foundation Novels – 95
These aren’t really fantasy novels, but they’re great reading anyway 
In a lifetime of devouring books, the best series I ever read, bar none, is The Belgariad by David Eddings. I adore that series; I’ve read it at least 8 times now. I rate it 100. A close second is the companion series, The Mallorean, also by David Eddings. I would rate that one 90. Other Eddings series are also pretty good: The Elenium: 80, followed by the Tamuli: 75. The Tamuli is less cohesive than the Elenium; hence the lower score.
Obviously, Tolkien’s "Rings" cycle is excellent – the only reason I rate it a 95 instead of 100 is because not everyone will have the patience for all the poetry and songs in it.
Tad Williams’ "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" (more commonly known as the Dragonbone Chair) series is decent, worth one read but not more than that. I’d rate it a 72.
CS Lewis’ "Chronicles of Narnia" is excellent. Worth many repeat visits. I give it a score of 95.
The worst series I ever read is the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I can’t believe I got sucked into wasting so much of my life reading descriptions of the bric-a-brac on the walls and the stitching on every unimportant character’s hemline. UGH! Way too much wasted space on descriptions and not nearly enough plot/character development. I kept hoping it would get better, but after ten books, even my considerable patience has been completely exhausted. If Jordan could have just reigned himself in, he could have cut the first ten books down to a very enjoyable three, but instead you have to wade through page after page of drivel to get to the last ten pages of the book, which is the only time anything remotely interesting actually happens. Why? To sell more books, of course. Lots of people will disagree with me, I’m sure, but I rate this series a 7 out of 100. Absolutely intolerable.