Trying to remember a fantasy book...

prq

About 15-20 years ago I read a fantasy book that I enjoyed but can't remember the title, or character names, maybe someone here can help me.

It starts with your usual young boy who lives somewhere in the woods and has a powerful wizard as protector. The bad guy of the book is eventually chasing this young boy.

(I know, so far this matches just about 90% of fantasy books out there...)

Eventually, there's a big battle near the end of the book, I believe at the entrance of a palace or a temple, and the bad guy is defeated by the young-boy-turned-hero. As the bad guy is dying, the powerful wizard approaches him and secretly tells him the young boy/hero is the bad guy's son (Star Wars influence?!). The boy is NOT informed the bad guy is his father.

Does this ring a bell to anyone? Sorry, I know it's not much except for that plot twist at the end.

Zapp Brannigan

He's the wizards son, or is he the bad guys son?

prq

The bad guy's son, sorry, will edit

Zapp Brannigan

Wizards First Rule. Maybe.
Link

prq

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Wizards First Rule.

Yes! The names Zedd and Rahl do ring a bell, must be it! Thanks!

Zapp Brannigan

Glad to be of help. Terrible series however, the next book he just starts ripping of Wheel of Time wholesale.

the culture of deference

Could be an Eddings book.

prq

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Glad to be of help. Terrible series however, the next book he just starts ripping of Wheel of Time wholesale.

Guess I was lucky in only having read the first one!

blatantrereg

I thought of that, but then thought there would have to have been some mention of the protagonist's monster sidekick. My mistake as the interwebs tell me that the monster sidekick was not in the first book.
The series is bad, and gets worse as it goes along. Became less about storytelling and more about shoving the author's philosophy on life down your throat as I recall. I think it can still be entertaining enough though if you just sort of turn off during the more annoying parts and don't expect anything special.

prq

blatantrereg wrote: »

I thought of that, but then thought there would have to have been some mention of the protagonist's monster sidekick. My mistake as the interwebs tell me that the monster sidekick was not in the first book.
The series is bad, and gets worse as it goes along. Became less about storytelling and more about shoving the author's philosophy on life down your throat as I recall. I think it can still be entertaining enough though if you just sort of turn off during the more annoying parts and don't expect anything special.

While I may reread the first book for nostalgia sake, I don't think I'll waste my time with the entire series. I've become too picky when it comes to fantasy books: Robert Jordan, George RR Martin, Robin Hobb, etc: all acclaimed, all start well, all become disappointing (for my taste).

Manach

Actually if this is the book, Wizards first rule, I rather enjoyed book 1. It was the the follow on ones that were below par. Offhand, did they make a TV series of this?

Zapp Brannigan

Manach wrote: »

Actually if this is the book, Wizards first rule, I rather enjoyed book 1. It was the the follow on ones that were below par. Offhand, did they make a TV series of this?

Yeah. Legend of the Seeker.

prq

Is the series any good?

wyrn

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Glad to be of help. Terrible series however, the next book he just starts ripping of Wheel of Time wholesale.

I actually preferred this series to WoT, there was a lot less of me shouting at it.

prq

I think I'll definitely give the TV show a try though. It isn't easy to find good fantasy tv shows and IMDB scores it at 7.7, can't be a total loss...

wyrn

prq wrote: »

I think I'll definitely give the TV show a try though. It isn't easy to find good fantasy tv shows and IMDB scores it at 7.7, can't be a total loss...

I didn't watch the show, took me ages to cop they were the same. I read up on it last year and it seems there are quite a few differences. I decided not to bother watching it as it seemed different premise (to me that is).

Son0vagun

Never read the books, but I found the TV should to be very bad, didn't enjoy it! Terrible acting. The wizard guy was shocking. The chick in it was hot and probably the only good thing in it.