[Attalus]

Thanks for replying, Timber. I will take it as a good sign that you took a while to get into it. I don't mind a little darkness if there is heroism and derring-do, like the Elric novels. For instance, I was never able to get into The Daughter of the Drow, because everyone is so damned unpleasant and doing evil things for what seem to me to be trivial reasons. I was able to get through The Dark Elf Trilogy only because I liked Drizzt. But, yeah, I do prefer likable heroes and a recurring cast, witness my fondness for some of the most durable fantasy series. Lieber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories can be quite unpleasant, like Adept's Gambit, which has some really heartbreaking areas, but, at least the immortal duo end up killing the bastard and rescuing the girl. And that is satisfying.