Should I read the Gap series?

Post by **peter** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:30 am

TCTC - Best books I have ever read by far. Daughter of Regals and other short stories - Loved these short Gems. Mordants Need - Got one third through the second book and realised that I was never, never going to like this story so abbandoned the attempt. Question - Should I read the Gap series?

Post by **Cagliostro** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:28 pm

Personally, I think the Gap series is a better crafted story than the Covenant books, but they don't go for the heart the way Covenant does. It's definitely more heady, and I think his best series, but don't expect to be frequently moved like in Covenant. It's a lot more of a cold place.

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:36 pm

Yeah, I have to agree with Cag...the Gap is better writing. Awesome series, but possibly not for the faint-hearted apparently.

--A

Post by **Akasri** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:51 pm

The Gap series is the best sci-fi series I've read. It's brilliant in the way the story is crafted and how the characters play out against each other.

Some people are turned off by the first book, and give up on the series. But it only gets better as you go along and the last couple of books are awesome.

Can you tell I like it?

Post by **High Lord Tolkien** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:43 pm

Revisit Mordants Need.
It all comes together at the end.

Awesome set of books.
I'm going to reread them myself soon.

Post by **StevieG** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:51 pm

^^ What they all said!

Especially to revisit Mordant's Need. The last half of the 2nd book is awesome, IMO.

The gap is must-read SRD too. I wasn't the least bit put off (as in tempted to put the book down) after the 1st book. But obviously some are...

Post by **balon!** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:32 am

Gap is some of my favorite sci-fi.
The first book held my attention a little less than the others in the series, but even so, is one of my favorite books.

The series has a lot of interplay and some good twists, overall a quality story.

Post by **peter** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:18 am

Thanks for the reply's guy's, a pretty resounding YES I would say - and the comments re Mordants Need have given me food for thought as well.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:55 pm

Hell yeah...read them both.

--A

Post by **CovenantJr** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:30 pm

Yes, the Gap is very, very good - but you have to be prepared for it to lack the cheeriness of Covenant. It doesn't have the warm fuzzy bits. It's an excellent series, but it is unrelentingly bleak in a way that Covenant won't prepare you for.

The first book is quite different to the rest of the series, though, so don't let it put you off. It's still good, but it doesn't give any indication of the depth or complexity that comes later.

Post by **peter** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:29 am

CovenantJr wrote:Yes, the Gap is very, very good - but you have to be prepared for it to lack the cheeriness of Covenant. It doesn't have the warm fuzzy bits. It's an excellent series, but it is unrelentingly bleak in a way that Covenant won't prepare you for.

The first book is quite different to the rest of the series, though, so don't let it put you off. It's still good, but it doesn't give any indication of the depth or complexity that comes later.

Yes. That continual bleakness thing does worry me a bit. I found Stephen King's Dark Tower series just too bleak and put it down for that reason. The occasional glimpses of true beauty in Covenant plus the essential 'likableness' of the Lands inhabitants made the books for me. I don't want to be left feeling 'depressed' after my evening reading sesions, if you understand me. That doesn't mean I can't cope with a rough story line, but I do like something in it that makes it all worth while.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:57 pm

Overall, your brain will be pleased. And your excitement gland as well (I'm not talking naughty bits). The last book of the series was the first time I ever did the "edge of my seat" reading of a book through the whole thing.

Post by **kevinswatch** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:40 pm

Hell yeah.

-jay

Post by **CovenantJr** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:19 pm

I never felt depressed after reading, but I did sometimes feel like I'd been beaten with a large stick.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:28 pm

Yeah, I'd agree with Cov - it's more brutal than depressing. The chronicles are much more depressing.

Post by **peter** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:56 pm

Yeah - Brutal I think I can do - it's 'bleakness' that gets to me if you know what I mean.

Post by **StevieG** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:53 pm

"Brutal" is a much better description. Another thing I've heard from people who couldn't get into it is that they couldn't care for any of the characters. Initially it is probably true, but as it goes on, there are many to care for, and sympathise with. Personally, it had me hooked from the start.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:03 pm

I've tried Gap twice. First time I didn't make it through TRS. Second time, I made it, then half of FK. That was it for me. I just wanted to scream and/or cry every second of those X hundred pages.

I hadn't even noticed what Stevie just said, but now that he points it out, it's true. I had no attachment for any of the characters, so putting it down was easy.

Clearly, there's something good that comes later. Many people whose taste in books is similar enough to my own have said it's the best, so I trust that there is. I just don't have the emotional strength to get to it.

Post by **CovenantJr** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:50 pm

Wuss.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 2:48 pm

C'mon, we all know Fist is a softy.

StevieG wrote:Personally, it had me hooked from the start.

Me too. And it just got better and better.

--A

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Should I read the Gap series?

Should I read the Gap series?