I didn't really noticed the first time around, likely because I took a long time to start DG after reading GotM, but back to back the massive improvement in the writing really shows.

It's not primarly the prose - though his metaphors, turns of phrase, his dialogues and descriptive skills have improved quite a bit, but it's his storytelling in general too, his approach to characters. His writing just got a lot more efficient with DG.

In hinsight, GotM reads a bit like an overambitious book. DG and MoI in comparison are books from a writer who master his craft enough to write something as ambitious and complex.

Too bad he didn't do a more extensive rewrite of GotM, though I guess by the point he sold it he was more interested in moving on.

I must say evem in later books I find his editor a little light-handed. When Erikson decides something is no longer a secret, oh my.... the guy likes to repeat himself. I've lost count of how many times he contrived to put the explanation of Silverfox in MoI, but it's a lot. By mid book, if any of his reader was able to forget she was born in Tellan and she has the souls of a sorceress and an Elder Goddess, he must be a goldfish or something. Same for Bauchelain and his pal. Every new character who meets them goes on repeating one summons stuff and the other makes undead stuff. No wonder these books are so big. There's not a ton of useless scenes, but there is sure is a lot of information/thoughts it's realistic for a character to have but that the reader already knows from previous POVs.



There is indeed a lot. It gets really fascinating to pay attention to all of it by DG and MoI, but in GotM he went over the top, to the point of self-indulgence. There was no way the average reader could absorb most of it, so it was mostly noise. It's a fairly simple story made complex to follow by drowning the readers in a sea of details quite extraneous at the time.

And let's say I have mixed feelings about writers of fat series who write their books virtually expecting the reader will re read them down the line. I'm sure pleased I waited so long. I wouldn't have enjoyed Erikson much at the pace of one book a year, I think. I've already given with Jordan, very nearly got screwed by his death, but I'll see it through the end now, but already with Martin I gave up after book 3. It's good, but I don't plan on re reading it multiple times like WoT, so I'll wait until I can read at least a big chunk before waiting (and at the pace he keeps nowadays, I suspect that won't be soon).



Take your time, as far as I'm concerned. I can read fast when I must, but I hate to use speed reading when I read for pleasure. So I'll keep reading each of the reviews, but I'll get quite behind you I'm afraid. I'm reaching the 2/3 mark in MoI at this point.




And I'll have a look at that too.