Fantasy Book Club discussion

The Forge of Darkness, spoiler thread.

Well I finished the book, but I will not be buying the sequel.

There were no characters that I really cared enough about to want to follow up on.
I found the plot rambling and as at the end of the book I was still clueless over what was actually the main plot.

In short the first book offered me nothing to make me want to continue reading.

Ellen wrote: "Well I finished the book, but I will not be buying the sequel.

There were no characters that I really cared enough about to want to follow up on.
I found the plot rambling and as at the end of t..."
Thanks for your honesty Ellen.

Ellen, did you read the main story first?
I just ask because I thought this was fascinating, but Id read the main story so had known a good amount of the characters already.
This is supposed to stand alone, but I can see where it really wouldn't if you weren't familiar with what is going to happen.

It was indeed the first book I have read by this author and so agree that probably played a part in my non enjoyment of it.
However I am shocked that this is a stand alone book, nothing at all is resolved in the plot to the point I wonder if I was reading the same book as you.

well, I guess I shouldn't say stand alone-it is the first of a trilogy. But the trilogy itself is supposed to stand alone from the main series.
But the main series has a LOT of scenes with Anomander Rake, and delves into his relationship with Mother Dark, and his relationships with his brothers, so in many ways just being same characters of the same world would make a sort of dependence.

It's taken me nearly three months, but I've finally finished! Anyone else still reading?!

I really struggled to choose a rating, but went with four stars in the end. I enjoyed the complexity of the plot, and I could really see how things were coming together by the end, with strands being set up for the next book. Having said that, the whole book was so, so serious, to the point where I found some sections almost unintentionally funny, or at the very least po-faced, when they were supposed to be emotional.

Completely undecided over whether I'll continue the series, but I'm definitely going to go back and have a second look at Gardens of the Moon.