The Cheap/Free Ebooks Thread!

#1741 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 13 September 2023 - 09:35 AM

I think I'll go with Under Heaven and then A Song for Arbonne to get me in then go from there

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#1742 Abyss

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Posted 13 September 2023 - 01:43 PM

pat5150, on 12 September 2023 - 08:19 PM, said:

I read them in order as they came out, so chances are I wouldn't have enjoyed Tigana as much if I'd read it after the other books Abyss mentioned.

As QT pointed out, the Sarantium duology is fabulous. And yes, the trio comprised of Children of Earth and Sky, A Brightness Long Ago, and All the Seas of the World make for great reading. And for me, both Under Heaven and River of Stars rank among his very best works.

I'm jealous of anyone who gets to discover GGK for the first time. It's like a first visit in Paris or Rome or something like that. Nothing quite compares. . .

That said, Fionavar and Last Light of the Sun shouldn't be your gateway to Kay's body of work. Chances are you won't give him another shot if you start with either.

I think FIONAVAR works for what it is. A reasonably 'informed' fantasy lit fan won't have difficulty w the tropes or inherent issues w portal fantasy. A complete newb might be thrown right out or fall deeply in love w the genre, hard to guess.

Tiste Simeon, on 13 September 2023 - 09:35 AM, said:

I think I'll go with Under Heaven and then A Song for Arbonne to get me in then go from there

I see no problem w this approach. Enjoy!

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#1743 QuickTidal

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Posted 13 September 2023 - 02:03 PM

pat5150, on 12 September 2023 - 08:19 PM, said:

I'm jealous of anyone who gets to discover GGK for the first time. It's like a first visit in Paris or Rome or something like that. Nothing quite compares. . .

My first visit to Paris had us nearly mugged/robbed by no less than 10 different scammers, and it stank of dog shit more often than not.

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#1744 Salt-Man Z

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Posted 13 September 2023 - 04:38 PM

QuickTidal, on 13 September 2023 - 02:03 PM, said:

My first visit to Paris had us nearly mugged/robbed by no less than 10 different scammers, and it stank of dog shit more often than not.

When was this? My wife and went in I think 2016, stayed about a 15-minute walk away from the Eiffel tower, and couldn't have had a more delightful experience the entire time we were there.

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#1745 QuickTidal

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Posted 13 September 2023 - 04:42 PM

Salt-Man Z, on 13 September 2023 - 04:38 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 September 2023 - 02:03 PM, said:

My first visit to Paris had us nearly mugged/robbed by no less than 10 different scammers, and it stank of dog shit more often than not.

When was this? My wife and went in I think 2016, stayed about a 15-minute walk away from the Eiffel tower, and couldn't have had a more delightful experience the entire time we were there.

2015 I think? We walked all around for hours. We were accosted by thieves in front of the Palais Royale, the park near the Louvre, the park near the Eiffel Tower, the street in front of the Opera House, the street near Sacre Cour, and the street in Montmartre outside of a bakery shop (I could be forgetting some).

And yeah, French people don't pick up after their dogs apparently...so it smelled a lot.

eDIT: Bear in mind we were on a Cruise, and this was an excursion and you wear a badge to identify your group so you can get the right bus back to the ship...so perhaps that marked us? But considering that I read that Barcelona was the worst for pickpockets and thieves...Paris was terrible and we never encountered any one in Barcelona in the three days we were there. Nowhere else in our whole trip to many cities that 2 weeks were as bad for thieves as Paris....Venice was a close second.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 13 September 2023 - 04:44 PM

"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

#1746 pat5150

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Posted 14 September 2023 - 02:01 AM

Damn QT, I've been to Paris like 5 times or so and never had any trouble. Then again, I'm a French speaker and I never wore such a badge. I figure it's a magnet for lots of unwanted attention.

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#1747 QuickTidal

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Posted 14 September 2023 - 02:02 PM

pat5150, on 14 September 2023 - 02:01 AM, said:

Damn QT, I've been to Paris like 5 times or so and never had any trouble. Then again, I'm a French speaker and I never wore such a badge. I figure it's a magnet for lots of unwanted attention.

Hey I expected to enjoy it, but the MINUTE I stepped off the tour bus that brought us into the city a clipboard was jammed into my stomach and I had to SCREAM at the chick who did it cause I knew the scam. Ditto outside the Paris Opera where they tried the "Is this your ring" scam, screamed at them to get the fuck away from me.

And again, I'm baffled that in Barcelona I encountered nothing like that, even thought I was warned about it ahead of time being a haven for pickpockets. Nawp.....Paris. Craziness.

"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