[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 14 April 2022 - 03:45 PM, said:

Hmm I mean I am quite invested in it right now and while Iron Gold has been so far the weakest entry IMO I have heard others say it really gets better in Dark Age...

Do it.
Dark Age is STUNNING.

[Tiste Simeon]

I do already have it so it's not like I'm spending extra on it...

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 18 April 2022 - 04:12 PM, said:

I do already have it so it's not like I'm spending extra on it...

Speaking as someone who has lately had ample authors go amok and leave me not wanting to read their work, i ack Pierce Brown's abortive NFT nonsense, but it came and went and afaik no one got hurt except Pierce and whoever he was working with. It's not worth denying yourself a book this good.

[Tiste Simeon]

I've started it now and am already happy with that choice though it's weird that they've used different narrators for certain of the characters (the guy voicing Lysander for example)

[Tiste Simeon]

I'm glad you persuaded me Abyss, this is really good. I felt Iron Good was missing some of the "fist pump" moments of the first trilogy but already I've had a couple in the scenes from the war on Mercury. Hail Reaper!

[Tiste Simeon]

Ok I think I'm done with this series. I was mostly enjoying it but there have been a few things that have been annoying me, for example that they've got new narrators for two of the characters. One of them sounds quite like the one from the previous book but the other is so vastly different it's utterly baffling. They've gone from a feisty Irish girl to a sort of semi laid back girl with a slight cockney accent. Not to say that she's not a good narrator it's just very jarring!

I can live with that on the whole but I'm just not really enjoying it like I did the original trilogy. I don't know why but I just haven't been able to get into it as much.

Things have been picking up though and I'm beginning to enjoy it again, lots of things happening with the multiple narrators...

And then

Spoiler

they crucify a baby upside down on a tree. I think I'm done. My capacity for extreme violence is a lot lower than it used to be. Like, this has made me nope right out. It feels as though he was just doing it for sick value and there's no need for it. If you want to kill a baby for plot purposes i can understand it but man this just feels so OTT in order to create disgust and you could say it's worked to the point where I'm ready to just stop listening completely which I've never done yet with an audiobook, not even the incomprehensibly boring slog fest that was Memory Sorrow Thorn!

So what do you think? Is it worth continuing? There's about 8 hours left. I really want to see the part where Darrow realises who Lysander is, I dunno why I'm just excited about that and I hope it's in this book if I do continue!

Maybe I'll take a break and come back to it but after that bit I've lost my impetus to continue...

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 22 April 2022 - 09:48 PM, said:

I'm glad you persuaded me Abyss, this is really good. I felt Iron Good was missing some of the "fist pump" moments of the first trilogy but already I've had a couple in the scenes from the war on Mercury. Hail Reaper!

Tiste Simeon, on 12 May 2022 - 07:56 AM, said:

Ok I think I'm done with this series. I was mostly enjoying it but there have been a few things that have been annoying me, for example that they've got new narrators for two of the characters. One of them sounds quite like the one from the previous book but the other is so vastly different it's utterly baffling. They've gone from a feisty Irish girl to a sort of semi laid back girl with a slight cockney accent. Not to say that she's not a good narrator it's just very jarring!

I can live with that on the whole but I'm just not really enjoying it like I did the original trilogy. I don't know why but I just haven't been able to get into it as much.

Things have been picking up though and I'm beginning to enjoy it again, lots of things happening with the multiple narrators...

And then

Spoiler

they crucify a baby upside down on a tree. I think I'm done. My capacity for extreme violence is a lot lower than it used to be. Like, this has made me nope right out. It feels as though he was just doing it for sick value and there's no need for it. If you want to kill a baby for plot purposes i can understand it but man this just feels so OTT in order to create disgust and you could say it's worked to the point where I'm ready to just stop listening completely which I've never done yet with an audiobook, not even the incomprehensibly boring slog fest that was Memory Sorrow Thorn!

So what do you think? Is it worth continuing? There's about 8 hours left. I really want to see the part where Darrow realises who Lysander is, I dunno why I'm just excited about that and I hope it's in this book if I do continue!

Maybe I'll take a break and come back to it but after that bit I've lost my impetus to continue...

I ack the scene that bothered you is disturbing, bordering on gratuitous. I do think that it fit the story, as brutal as it was., and it was a major major moment for few characters, at least one of whom i am very fond of.
I vote you stick with it. There is some glorious stuff ahead. Full disclosure, there is also some very dark stuff ahead. I think it's worth the trip.

[Tiste Simeon]

I don't mind dark stuff tbh I'm quite ok with it but for various reasons that scene was too much for me.

I'll stick with it. I've got so far that I really want to see how this ends but I'm not sure I'll bother getting the last one (I'm sure once it finally comes out I'll change my mind haha)

[amphibian]

The death you're talking about does wreck everyone connected to it. I viewed it as a Hetan in Malazan level thing where the brutality of it was the point that separated a resolution of possible reconciliation from the resolution of this ends with one side living.

[Tiste Simeon]

amphibian, on 13 May 2022 - 02:13 AM, said:

The death you're talking about does wreck everyone connected to it. I viewed it as a Hetan in Malazan level thing where the brutality of it was the point that separated a resolution of possible reconciliation from the resolution of this ends with one side living.

Yes, I've been comparing it to that scene in my head and for some reason I never had quite the same kind of visceral reaction with that scene (disturbing and horrifying though it clearly is). I think that a) I was a lot more connected and involved with DoD than I have been with this second trilogy and b ) my own personal circumstances. I have babies. My life revolves around them right now and I think it got to me. Also there's the horrible violence I see IRL which is making me lean more towards slightly less horrific books (loving Wayfarers for that exact reason) at the moment. I dunno. I've moved on anyway and I'm glad I did cos I'm massively digging what Lyria is doing as a result of said scene.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 13 May 2022 - 08:38 AM, said:

.... I'm massively digging what Lyria is doing as a result of said scene.

It has an impact on the characters, it was definitely not gratuitous.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 13 May 2022 - 02:40 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 13 May 2022 - 08:38 AM, said:

.... I'm massively digging what Lyria is doing as a result of said scene.

It has an impact on the characters, it was definitely not gratuitous.

Yes I see it. I think at the time I had a "oh no. This is too much" reaction. Which is fine and good. And I don't think wanting to stop is a bad thing but fwiw in this case I'm glad to have continued.

Incidentally I'm really enjoying the discussion around reading, violence and what is too much Vs what works for the story. Very interesting

[End of Disc One]

That scene was the only part that went too far for me, as well. I still vote "stick with it." The rest of the book is not all dark.

[End of Disc One]

Book 6 coming May 2, 2023, and there will be another book after that.

Not too surprising that book 6 won't be the last, given how much is still left to resolve. Still, this is my most hyped book right now.

[Abyss]

Three chapters into LIGHT BRINGER... versus the massive action piees that started prior books this is a much quieter, focused on the messy aftermath of the end of DARK AGE. No recap, just bare suggestions of where everyone is at other than Darrow. It works even if i did have to find a recap before proceeding.

"Minimal carnage" AHAHAHHAHAHAheeee i love this series.

[Tiste Simeon]

I want to get this I really do, because I want to find out what happens to people, but books 4 and 5 kept getting progressively worse IMO. I almost DNF book 5 but sunken cost fallacy kept me going.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 25 July 2023 - 06:09 PM, said:

I want to get this I really do, because I want to find out what happens to people, but books 4 and 5 kept getting progressively worse IMO. I almost DNF book 5 but sunken cost fallacy kept me going.

You are right. 4 is just ok, mostly meh and outright annoying on some plotlines.
I loved 5, I thought it was brilliant and draining and brutal and glorious so if you didnt enjoy it...look, I think it's ridiculous to read something for enjoyment and not enjoy it, there are other things to read.
I dunno, I'll get back to you when I've finished 6.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 25 July 2023 - 05:33 PM, said:

Three chapters into LIGHT BRINGER... versus the massive action piees that started prior books this is a much quieter, focused on the messy aftermath of the end of DARK AGE. No recap, just bare suggestions of where everyone is at other than Darrow. It works even if i did have to find a recap before proceeding.

"Minimal carnage" AHAHAHHAHAHAheeee i love this series.

The title of chapter 9.... 'Shit Escalates'.
...considering where ch8 ends... this is gonna be a trip.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 26 July 2023 - 02:49 AM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 25 July 2023 - 06:09 PM, said:

I want to get this I really do, because I want to find out what happens to people, but books 4 and 5 kept getting progressively worse IMO. I almost DNF book 5 but sunken cost fallacy kept me going.

You are right. 4 is just ok, mostly meh and outright annoying on some plotlines.
I loved 5, I thought it was brilliant and draining and brutal and glorious so if you didnt enjoy it...look, I think it's ridiculous to read something for enjoyment and not enjoy it, there are other things to read.
I dunno, I'll get back to you when I've finished 6.

I'll keep an eye on your pondering then

[Abyss]

End of Disc One, on 06 July 2020 - 06:52 PM, said:

I'll be interested to hear what you think about book 2. Pretty much everyone agrees that shit escalates, and that book 2 is a better representation of what the series is like.

Not a Sheep, on 06 July 2020 - 04:11 AM, said:

On pg 355. Well that shit escalated quickly...

Abyss, on 26 July 2023 - 01:56 PM, said:

The title of chapter 9.... 'Shit Escalates'.

Hee