Malazan Empire: " Thorns " series by Mark Lawrence - Malazan Empire

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" Thorns " series by Mark Lawrence SPOILERS discussion of all books SPOILERS

#201 User is offline   nacht 

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 08:57 AM

View PostMark Lawrence, on 12 August 2013 - 08:16 AM, said:

View Postnacht, on 10 August 2013 - 09:39 AM, said:

@Amphibian
You absolutely must spoiler tag your post.


Spoiler tags appreciated - it's really a book that spoilers damage.

If you've read all three - which is 'best'? Vote here:

http://www.easypolls...4b0dc6104ade77c




What would the world be without the @Abyss. Somebody has to maintain order :-)

Mark, the series was awesome. Delicious blend of sci-fi and fantasy. In terms of crazy inventiveness, one of the best.

Would really love to read a new series (or at least a book) with the Builders backstory and a POV from Builder Ghosts.
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#202 User is offline   Malaclypse 

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 12:49 PM

I can't reply to amphibian properly without further spoilers but...I didn't mean what he thought I meant :thumbup:

#203 User is offline   Vengeance 

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 12:52 PM

View PostMark Lawrence, on 12 August 2013 - 08:16 AM, said:

View Postnacht, on 10 August 2013 - 09:39 AM, said:

@Amphibian
You absolutely must spoiler tag your post.


Spoiler tags appreciated - it's really a book that spoilers damage.

If you've read all three - which is 'best'? Vote here:

http://www.easypolls...4b0dc6104ade77c


That is a tough question. I ended up choosing Emperor mainly because it was still so fresh in my mind. However I would put both King and Emperor at the same level.
How many fucking people do I have to hammer in order to get that across.
Hinter - Vengy - DIE. I trusted you you bastard!!!!!!!

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#204 User is offline   QuickTidal 

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 01:50 PM

I'm nearly done, and I'd just like to go on record...

...
Spoiler

"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon
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#205 User is offline   QuickTidal 

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 05:51 PM

Just finished.

Gods. That is probably one of the very finest trilogies of fantasy material I've read ever. It's right up there with Erikson, Abercrombie, Martin et al.

I am literally on board for whatever Lawrence chooses to write in future. That was as enjoyable a finale to the series as I could imagine I wanted and more. Loved it.
"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon
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#206 User is offline   champ 

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 08:49 PM

View PostQuickTidal, on 12 August 2013 - 01:50 PM, said:

I'm nearly done, and I'd just like to go on record...

...
Spoiler



Aye...

Spoiler

This post has been edited by champ: 12 August 2013 - 08:51 PM

Tehol said:

'Yet my heart breaks for a naked hen.'
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#207 User is offline   Mark Lawrence 

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Posted 14 August 2013 - 07:50 AM

View PostBriar King, on 14 August 2013 - 02:10 AM, said:

@Mark I ll be PMn you soon to get shipping info for sig.

I ll prob get another HC of Prince though. I'm the one that got it from Amazon and it had the Sharpie marks on it.


Email me at empire_of_thorns@yahoo.co.uk

The two-way postage US-UK (oddly 50% more expensive on the return leg) means it is ridiculously expensive to send books and actually cheaper to buy a whole new signed book from VJ Books. I'll do it - but be warned!

I'm happy to send bookplates (signed sticky white labels) if people paypal the postage ($2).
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#208 User is offline   Coco with marshmallows 

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Posted 16 August 2013 - 06:52 AM

View PostMark Lawrence, on 14 August 2013 - 07:50 AM, said:

Email me at empire_of_thorns@yahoo.co.uk

The two-way postage US-UK (oddly 50% more expensive on the return leg) means it is ridiculously expensive to send books and actually cheaper to buy a whole new signed book from VJ Books. I'll do it - but be warned!

I'm happy to send bookplates (signed sticky white labels) if people paypal the postage ($2).



Shit, i've only got Prince on Kindle......
meh. Link was dead :(
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#209 User is offline   nacht 

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Posted 16 August 2013 - 08:09 AM

One thing I found to be really funny.

Spoiler


It reminded me of this story about Godel, perhaps the greatest logician ever.

Quote

he would eat only food that his wife cooked because he had an obsessive fear of being poisoned.


and guess what logically followed after his wife died;
he died of starvation.

When it comes to predicting people's actions, you can throw mathematics out.

This post has been edited by nacht: 16 August 2013 - 08:09 AM

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#210 User is offline   amphibian 

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Posted 16 August 2013 - 03:04 PM

Godel died three years before his wife. She was hospitalized for six months due to illness and he starved to death during that period in early 1978. She died in 1981.

Your point still stands, even if the details changed.
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#211 User is offline   nacht 

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Posted 16 August 2013 - 10:04 PM

View Postamphibian, on 16 August 2013 - 03:04 PM, said:

Godel died three years before his wife. She was hospitalized for six months due to illness and he starved to death during that period in early 1978. She died in 1981.

Your point still stands, even if the details changed.


Thanks for the correction :-)
This is another good example of why humans are unpredictable.

(Brains filled with wrong data) and/or (illogical conclusions) and/or (selecting from choices (quasi?)randomly independent of logic)
It is a miracle (of Mockra?) that we survived so far.
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#212 User is offline   Mikkelinski 

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Posted 17 August 2013 - 09:12 PM

Aaaaaand done, aaaaand wow! If by any chance you read this Mr. Lawrence, thanks for writing something so not only entertaining, but also satisfying. I feel like I suck at compliments, but thank you, it was a real blast! His Dark Materials for some reason felt somewhat similar with it's ending, if only because they both made me stop and want to wait with reading my next book in line in order to digest it properly. So that makes it in the top two (Price of Spring coming a close number three) in terms of impact, and I a number one for pure entertainment!
I really liked how
the Builders came into more prominence in this book and didn't remain as tools for Jorg (and his opponents), but got a will of their own. Despite both them and the magicians being effectively "sci-fi" it meshed really cool with the medieval world and the dynamics of the Empire, church and political power plays. I guess it's part of what made them (the books) unique in flavour and feel. Hmm, don't really know what else to say at this point (like I mentioned, I'm going to let it digest, and cool down on my use of parentheses,
then I'll be back!)

I'm no
t even annoyed at managing to buy two copies on my Kindle, which is a real waste since I cant give it away to someone. Somehow it let me buy it in the Kindle store despite pre-ordering it, so now I have two on it heh - but it was more than worth it! For anyone who hasn't read it, just do it already!

edit: fixed the most atrocious of my spelling. I need to read over before I post stuff because, iRamble (patent pending).



This post has been edited by Mikkelinski: 17 August 2013 - 11:33 PM

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#213 User is offline   Mark Lawrence 

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Posted 20 August 2013 - 07:03 PM

View PostMikkelinski, on 17 August 2013 - 09:12 PM, said:

Aaaaaand done, aaaaand wow! If by any chance you read this Mr. Lawrence,


Of course I'll read it! I'm in this thread for the duration Posted Image

Many thanks for the kind words. Appreciated.
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#214 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 02:50 PM

Am avoiding upthread spoilers but had to post that i'm halfway through KING and it's AWESOME.

Am glad i did the PRINCE reread first because it's adding a whole other level to Jorg's development and refreshed my memory of the supporting cast, which is also getting some great treatment in this book.

So happy i have EMPEROR standing by. Books like these are why i love reading a whole series back to back.
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#215 User is offline   Morgoth 

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Posted 22 August 2013 - 06:28 AM

Finished the book and it was pretty fantastic. It's a rare skill to write good endings, and the end of Emperor was everything I could have hoped for.
Take good care to keep relations civil
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#216 User is offline   Obdigore 

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Posted 22 August 2013 - 07:03 AM

View PostMorgoth, on 22 August 2013 - 06:28 AM, said:

Finished the book and it was pretty fantastic. It's a rare skill to write good endings, and the end of Emperor was everything I could have hoped for.


I hope the next book covers
Spoiler

Even though it is about the Red Queen, iirc.

This post has been edited by Obdigore: 22 August 2013 - 07:03 AM

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#217 User is offline   Studlock 

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Posted 22 August 2013 - 11:05 AM

I have a question, does the kid ever get more likeable (or redeemable even)? That was my biggest beef with the first book. The actual writing was awesome but the story felt dry to me mostly because I really disliked Jorg. I read half-way through and had to put it down because of it. While I wouldn't goes as far as calling the book nihilistic in it's depiction of justice and compassion (say like the Prince of Nothing) but it's on the far end of the spectrum of idealism vs cynicism.
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#218 User is offline   amphibian 

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Posted 22 August 2013 - 04:28 PM

Yes, he gets more likable, but the point of Jorg is to be straddling the balance between "readable" and "off-putting".

Lawrence doesn't like violence, but Jorg lives in a world where it often is the fastest method to get things done. There's much more politicking and exploration of the world, as well as increased characterization and interaction with other characters that make you care about Jorg.

But he's still an immense jerk - who is usually right and often evil in his methodology.
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#219 User is offline   birthSqueeze 

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Posted 23 August 2013 - 01:36 AM

I actually liked Jorg's ruthlessness. He did what he needed to do to win even if it meant killing massive amounts of people at once and he was really clever about it too. It was Lawrence's writing style I couldn't stand. Lack of detail, messy plotting, abrupt endings, and a ridiculous premise sums it up pretty well. Prince of Thorns is a very engaging book, but I don't get what all the praise is about.

My opinion seems to differ from the norm, but I noticed so many flaws to this series.
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#220 User is offline   Morgoth 

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Posted 23 August 2013 - 06:36 AM

that's just, like... your opinion man.
Take good care to keep relations civil
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