I would say fantasy is my favorite genre but I just could not get into this series for some reason. i know I read at least the first two but I barely remember them at this point. I just have this vague impression of endless suffering and misery. i don't really recall what the plot even was. In a way, they reminded me of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series by Stephen R. Donaldson at least in terms of tone.
I still have them sitting on a shelf and I'll probably give them another try at some point though I'm sure I'll have to start over or I won't know what is going on, lol.
Starting over seems inevitable... I agree on that . And now over halfway through the third book I have to say that the cruelty and the suffering hasn't diminished one bit. If anything it has reached new absurd levels :)