[Tiste Simeon]

I shall not enquire further then but I'm glad answers will be coming.

[champ]

Tiste Simeon, on 13 October 2022 - 07:35 PM, said:

Does anyone know of a good synopsis of the Thorns books?

If you go to the start of King/Emperor it gives you a bullet point summary of the previous book. If you got any questions happy to answer. I'll try do a summary if I get more time.

This post has been edited by champ: 19 October 2022 - 08:40 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

champ, on 19 October 2022 - 08:39 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 13 October 2022 - 07:35 PM, said:

Does anyone know of a good synopsis of the Thorns books?

If you go to the start of King/Emperor it gives you a bullet point summary of the previous book. If you got any questions happy to answer. I'll try do a summary if I get more time.

Ah good point though I'll have to find the books first haha I haven't seen them for a while. It's not that essential tbh but I'm interested in what went on.

[flea]

I have finished the Sister series. What should I read next?

[pat5150]

flea, on 23 October 2022 - 02:58 AM, said:

I have finished the Sister series. What should I read next?

The Book of the Ice trilogy, of course! Unless you haven't read the Impossible Times trilogy, which should be read first.

[flea]

pat5150, on 23 October 2022 - 10:24 PM, said:

flea, on 23 October 2022 - 02:58 AM, said:

I have finished the Sister series. What should I read next?

The Book of the Ice trilogy, of course! Unless you haven't read the Impossible Times trilogy, which should be read first.

Thank you! What about his first two trilogies?

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Mark Lawrence seems very unusual among fantasy/sci-fi authors in having a rigorous background in mathematics (PhD) and quantum physics. Do any of his books make substantive use of that (i.e. not just hand-wavy justifications that require no or minimal (... or negative, or imaginary (if not octonion)...) understanding)?

I have read

Spoiler

the Thorns and Red Queen's War trilogies but the quantum mechanics just seemed like hand-wavy pop mystical justification for magic... unless there was some substance there I missed. Wouldn't really count the accelerator being shaped like a doughnut, though I guess that's something.... To be fair it's been a while since I read them.

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 24 October 2022 - 03:18 PM

[Macros]

I think regarding the first two trilogies, it's hand wavy because of where the world is technology wise (sort of post medieval?). The axiom of technology sufficiently advanced appears like magic holds.

The later trilogies.... A mix I guess I'd say

[Cause]

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 October 2022 - 03:16 PM, said:

Mark Lawrence seems very unusual among fantasy/sci-fi authors in having a rigorous background in mathematics (PhD) and quantum physics. Do any of his books make substantive use of that (i.e. not just hand-wavy justifications that require no or minimal (... or negative, or imaginary (if not octonion)...) understanding)?

I have read

Spoiler

the Thorns and Red Queen's War trilogies but the quantum mechanics just seemed like hand-wavy pop mystical justification for magic... unless there was some substance there I missed. Wouldn't really count the accelerator being shaped like a doughnut, though I guess that's something.... To be fair it's been a while since I read them.

His background is used, but the magic/technology is in effect magic. The science he uses in his books is so far beyond anything we so far currently possess that its beyond theoretical.

Dont read unless your very far along the third trilogy

Spoiler

we eventually learn that ship hearts/stars are essentially holes into other dimensions. The fact that they are spheres as not discs is I believe an accurate representation of how we think such holes/wormholes would really exist. A wormhole wouldn'tnecessarily be a disc or tunnel that moves from A to B (ST deep space 9, wheel of time) but a sphere. Fold a piece of paper in half and punch a pencil through it you have a wormhole. But thats in 2D. In 3D I believe they now think it would appear like a sphere.

So his background helps make the handwaviing come across as possible and not just a wizard/scientist did it. You can strain your disbelief enough to think this could make sense

This post has been edited by Cause: 24 October 2022 - 06:57 PM

[pat5150]

flea, on 24 October 2022 - 02:22 PM, said:

pat5150, on 23 October 2022 - 10:24 PM, said:

flea, on 23 October 2022 - 02:58 AM, said:

I have finished the Sister series. What should I read next?

The Book of the Ice trilogy, of course! Unless you haven't read the Impossible Times trilogy, which should be read first.

Thank you! What about his first two trilogies?

Oh shit, you haven't read them yet? Then you must read those first!

[Mark Lawrence]

pat5150, on 25 October 2022 - 01:34 AM, said:

flea, on 24 October 2022 - 02:22 PM, said:

pat5150, on 23 October 2022 - 10:24 PM, said:

flea, on 23 October 2022 - 02:58 AM, said:

I have finished the Sister series. What should I read next?

The Book of the Ice trilogy, of course! Unless you haven't read the Impossible Times trilogy, which should be read first.

Thank you! What about his first two trilogies?

Oh shit, you haven't read them yet? Then you must read those first!

Everyone must should read ALL my books!

http://mark---lawren...o-lawrence.html

[flea]

That's definitely the impression I'm getting.

[JPK]

I finished up Limited Wish. I though it was better than One Word Kill but I think this series just isn't for me. I plan on polishing off Dispel Illusion at work on Monday and then I'm looking forward to starting Red Sister later in the week.

[Tiste Simeon]

I finished Liar's Key and loved it. Still not quite understanding how magic came into the world but trusting that it'll be revealed at some point.

The Wheel of Osheimn is going to be fun

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 15 November 2022 - 10:47 PM, said:

...The Wheel of Osheimn is going to be fun

Yes, yes it is.

[champ]

Tiste Simeon, on 15 November 2022 - 10:47 PM, said:

I finished Liar's Key and loved it. Still not quite understanding how magic came into the world but trusting that it'll be revealed at some point.

The Wheel of Osheimn is going to be fun

Re the magic system:

http://mark---lawren...-system-is.html

Spoiler

But as far as I can remember (this may be incorrect knowing my memory) after the day of a thousand suns, it cracked and thinned the veil between realities meaning that what was once not possible, those with sufficient "will" could now make it become possible.

The Broken Empire books explains this as normal reality has a wheel turning, everything running in order, well after the thousand suns this wheel is broken and running out of control, if it continues to run out of control and people continue using magic, the veil between realities will crack and everything will go boom. So Jorg ultimately fixes this metaphorical wheel and eliminates magic from the world. There is a prophecy stating that two Ancarths working together will fix the world and him and his bro do this... and they are able to do this thanks to the Jalan books...

This post has been edited by champ: 16 November 2022 - 07:09 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

Thanks! There was a bit of an explanation near the beginning of The Wheel of Osheim about how what the builders did was cracking reality which enabled magic to start to be possible and the more it is used, the more powerful it can be. In hopefully going to roar through this book!

Though I still don't remember what Jorg did haha may have to reread that series when my TRP thins out somewhat.

[champ]

Tiste Simeon, on 16 November 2022 - 05:06 PM, said:

Thanks! There was a bit of an explanation near the beginning of The Wheel of Osheim about how what the builders did was cracking reality which enabled magic to start to be possible and the more it is used, the more powerful it can be. In hopefully going to roar through this book!

Though I still don't remember what Jorg did haha may have to reread that series when my TRP thins out somewhat.

Re Jorg:

Spoiler

Start of the books you see Jorg and his family attacked, mother killed, little brother William killed and Jorg dying hanging on the thorns... feels guilty watching his brother die whilst he could do nothing but hang there, thinks he should have gone to help William and die with him at the least... but he survives... yey... and feels really guilty... boo...


You learn there are powers behind the scenes all fighting each other trying to control the game, using people as pawns, prophecies swirling about and it was because of this that led to the attack. Sageos the dream witch is one of these powers and also employed by Jorg's dad, King Olidan, he influences Jorg for years whilst he is on his travels unbeknown to Jorg until later on...


Anyway Jorg levels up, becomes King by stealing his uncles domain and wants to become Emperor so after a shit load of shenanigans and travelling the empire to learn about it he also learns about the Dead King. Zombies, necromancers, general evil shit has been grinding up and levelling up too over these years and they are all ruled by the Dead King who wants to take over the world...


Dead King has come from nowhere to become a mighty monster showing unbelievable strength and will to bind the evilers to his side.... Chella the necromancer is one... remember her...


Jorg learns of how the Builders broke the world and best way to describe it to him set a wheel spinning out of control that if not fixed will destroy everything as they know it...The more magic is used the more the wheel spins...


So towards the end, we have Jorg aware of the prophecy which was two Ancarths working together to fix or save the world, something like that, he thought it could be him and his Dad as the last two Ancarths alive but his Pops pops it so that cannot be. it... we have Jorg on his way to a council that happens every so often, there they try to pick an emperor, this never happens due to infighting... we also have the Dead King on his way to the council too to be the ultimate party pooper...


Jorg being Jorg, nicely convinces everyone to vote him Emperor because if they don't, the Dead King who is at their doors will kill everyone...


Dead King has a nice... brotherly... chat with Jorg, we learn the Dead King is actually William who used his power of will to become this monster so he can take revenge of Jorg for abandoning him...


So because for so long people of the lands have prayed for an Emperor, it has gathered a certain pray power about the mantle, when Jorg becomes Emperor he uses the mantle of power to destroy the Dead King... but he cannot leave his brother alone again and he twigs with the prophecy him and his bro can fix things... he needs to die so he can join his bro in fixing it... he asks poor Rikey to kill him and Rikey cannot, bless his simple soul but Chella certainly can.She stabs Jorg in the heart killing him. Jorg's soul travels to meet Williams soul and together they go to this "wheel" and right it stopping it spinning and stopping the magic of the world....


At the end we see Jorg become a ghost in the machine, a computer duplicate... he'd been given an eye glass on his travels and the eye glass of the builders scanned him and made a copy of him...


And that is that... Or something like that anyway...

[Tiste Simeon]

Wow thanks! I vaguely remember some of those things!

I'm very much enjoying this series right now and I do recall enjoying the Thorns series but I think I like this one better thus far!

[JPK]

Tiste Simeon, on 17 November 2022 - 09:31 AM, said:

Wow thanks! I vaguely remember some of those things!

I'm very much enjoying this series right now and I do recall enjoying the Thorns series but I think I like this one better thus far!

I've got good news for you then. I'm about halfway through Red Sister (trilogy after Red Queen's War) and it's excellent so far as well. Just as engaging as RQW.