Rise to Power versus Deeply Depressing

Lets face it, a whole bunch of fantasy fans got into the genre in the first place by reading a rise to power type of novel. What's a Rise to Power Novel? You know the type, and no I'm not talking about that kiddy fantasy movie not-to-be-spoken-of.

The basic jist is boy lives life, supplanted by boy realizes power supplanted by boy rises the ranks. Ok, ok, I get ahead of myself because lts face it, "Boy" is usually "girl." But that's another topic for another day. Lets get back on topic, L.E.Modisett and his Recluse series, Harry Potter and Enders game are all ones we've all fallen in love with, based on our generation. I have some friends that remember when Ender's game was the first book they read, which got them into Scifi, or even kids today who tell me about HP, blah blah blah. Not to mention the Dragonlance/Forgotten Realms series, every other book is the Rise-To-Power mantra.

And then theirs DD, deeply depressing. Ever heard of Robin Hobb? Me, like many male fantasy fools (mff) found themselves enticed by the title, "Assassin's Quest." I said to myself... "hey! Assasins! Cool!" Then you read the first couple chapters and it's about this kid who's being persecuted, then turns into an Assassin. 6 books later your crying to yourself late at night, realizing the whole series is just making this character's life into a living hell.

A more up-to-date version would be George R. R. Martin's creation and his lately one "Feast of Crows." Talk about depressing! At one point in the 2nd book, he litterally KILLED OFF EVERY SINGLE MAIN CHARACTER. (With exceptions of course) And, like a sap, I was first in line to preorder my copy of his next stringyoualong novel.

But, while the RTP books got me into Fantasy initally, I feel myself drawn to the DD books. Not because of i cut myself at night, (dramatic pause) but because I feel more reading each page, I feel and care about the character that much more. Maybe it's just me, but I the Dragonlance "Lets say Sorcercer 10 times per paragraph to entice the readers," style of novels just don't do anything for me anymore.

-Longbow