[Aptorian]

BOOK CLUB: THE BLACK TONGUE THIEF by Christopher Buehlman

January 1st - April 1st 2022.

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Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief begins a 'dazzling' (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.

But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.

Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.

“The Blacktongue Thief is fast and fun and filled with crazy magic. I can't wait to see what Christopher Buehlman does next." - Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of the Lightbringer series

New Year, New Book Club, New Reading Schedule.

1st quarter of 2022 we're reading The Black Tongue thief by Christopher Buehlman and Shogun by James Clavell

To make participation more inclusive and easier to follow along with this year, we're doing quarterly reads and picking two distinctly different books. Meaning for the members with busy lives and slow reading progress, it'll be easier to finish and you can chose whether you want to read both books or stick to one.

1st rule of Book Club: You are allowed to talk about Book Club.

2nd rule of Book Club: You are allowed to talk about Book Club even if you're not participating in Book Club.

3rd rule of Book Club: Spoilers are to be put in a black box and labelled properly with a chapter number and if you like to be precise a page number. Overall thoughts and feelings are fine and don't need to be spoilered, use discretion.

4th rule of Book Club: We'll make it up as we go along

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Reading prompts:

What do you think of the authors writing?

What do you think of the books story and plot?

What are the characters like? Who's your favorite? Who's your least favorite?

Are there any books you would compare this book to? Any you would recommend?

Did the book surprise you or disappoint you? Give us examples.

Is there any memorable quotes?

Would you recommend this book to others?

Did you like the book overall?

How many times is the phrase black tongue or black tongue thief used in the book?

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 02 January 2022 - 10:54 AM

[Aptorian]

Finished chapter 3.

This book is off to a great start. Funny, cunning protagonist, sharp dialogue, interesting characters, couple of good action scenes so far, clever world building and lots of little lore morsels for the fantasy fan.

[Aptorian]

Ending of chapter 5

Spoiler

Quote

“My name is Kinch, or Kinch Na Shannack, or fucking Kinch if you prefer. It won’t be the first time I’ve heard it,” I said. She grunted. I sat cross-legged on the sill, looking at the Spanth with my big, lady-killing green eyes. Eyes light like western jade, I’d been told. “Shall we journey west together?” She considered me. “What will you do for me?” “It’s what we’ll do for each other.” “So tell me.” “I’ll watch while you sleep. Sleep while you watch. I’ll lie to you when it doesn’t matter, but I’ll also lie for you when it does. If you let me do the talking, I’ll make sure you miss the pennycock with the pizzle-itch and get the best wine in the merchant’s barrel. You’ll never again meet a door you can’t get through nor a wall you can’t get eyes over. I need your arms, yes, but you need my nose. If you do the worst of the fighting, I’ll make sure you know where your foes are coming from and cull the weak ones. I won’t be your dog, but if you’re half the wolf I think you are, you’ve found a fox to run with.” She said, “Ask me again tomorrow,” and went to sleep with her back to me.

That was a hell of a sales pitch.

Buelhman is great at dialogue. I love Kinch's narrative and all the slang and weird vernacular.

[Tiste Simeon]

So I got the audiobook for this, read by the author himself. Like already mentioned the protagonist is a funny and sharp character and I'm already enjoying it about 30 minutes in.

[Aptorian]

P. 62

Spoiler

He saved a blind cat, the Author has just won my full support for the protagonist.

[Tiste Simeon]

This book has some great laugh out loud moments

Spoiler

brown magic for example

[Puck]

Thought I'm the only one reading this one instead of Shogun.

Finished chapter 20 today and it is really great fun, enjoying this book a lot. Kinch is one of my favourite types of protagonist and the dialogue is great and though I enjoy the flow of the narration, I actually wish there was more dialogue because it is so good. The pace so far is good, not too slow and not too fast. The setting is ok, but the little details and the tone make it enjoyable, especially the deviations from your standard fantasy stuff.

My only complaint so far is (beware spoilers up to and including chapter 20)...

Spoiler

...the Thieves' Guild. It's just too powerful (it basically rules the world), to the point that I keep wondering why it needs Kinch to go to Oustrim when it can just... do stuff. Why does Sesta need to hide herself in the cat so Kinch can carry the damn cat to Oustrim?!

I have high hopes that there will be a good reason since so far, the plot seems to be well thought through. Just putting it here so I can hopefully laugh at myself when I'm done.

Favourite quote so far has already been posted by Apt, it being Kinch's introduction to Galva.

And also these, because I have a childish sense of humour:

Spoiler

There’s nothing so opaque as the heart of a stranger.

“Men like you always find something to argue about when there’s nasty work to do.”
“That’s not fair,” I said. “I was going to—­”
“Shut your cake-­hole,” she said, brushing her hair away from her eye and leaving a bloody streak on her forehead.

“Yes, the cat is just a cat. But mind, I use his eyes and ears and steer him when I want to.”
“I thought he was blind.”
“He is. But I’m not.”
“So you’ve seen me at times I thought myself alone except for a blind cat.”
“I have.”
“I’ll try not to think about that too much.”
“Same here.”

This post has been edited by Puck: 09 January 2022 - 11:39 PM

[Abyss]

 Aptorian, on 09 January 2022 - 02:17 PM, said:

Ending of chapter 5

Spoiler

Quote

“My name is Kinch, or Kinch Na Shannack, or fucking Kinch if you prefer. It won’t be the first time I’ve heard it,” I said. She grunted. I sat cross-legged on the sill, looking at the Spanth with my big, lady-killing green eyes. Eyes light like western jade, I’d been told. “Shall we journey west together?” She considered me. “What will you do for me?” “It’s what we’ll do for each other.” “So tell me.” “I’ll watch while you sleep. Sleep while you watch. I’ll lie to you when it doesn’t matter, but I’ll also lie for you when it does. If you let me do the talking, I’ll make sure you miss the pennycock with the pizzle-itch and get the best wine in the merchant’s barrel. You’ll never again meet a door you can’t get through nor a wall you can’t get eyes over. I need your arms, yes, but you need my nose. If you do the worst of the fighting, I’ll make sure you know where your foes are coming from and cull the weak ones. I won’t be your dog, but if you’re half the wolf I think you are, you’ve found a fox to run with.” She said, “Ask me again tomorrow,” and went to sleep with her back to me.

That was a hell of a sales pitch.

Buelhman is great at dialogue. I love Kinch's narrative and all the slang and weird vernacular.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH

This was fantasy fan crack. I was already enjoying the book but this just pulled me all the way in.

[Abyss]

 Tiste Simeon, on 09 January 2022 - 05:06 PM, said:

So I got the audiobook for this, read by the author himself. Like already mentioned the protagonist is a funny and sharp character and I'm already enjoying it about 30 minutes in.

This is the first author other than Neil Gaiman who can actually narrate his own books.
The voice is so so perfect. Even the singing.

[Aptorian]

 Tiste Simeon, on 09 January 2022 - 09:48 PM, said:

This book has some great laugh out loud moments

Spoiler

brown magic for example

I think what really sells that is the Spanth's reaction. I love how stoic or even keeled she's been so far in the story.

[Tiste Simeon]

 Abyss, on 10 January 2022 - 03:20 AM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 09 January 2022 - 05:06 PM, said:

So I got the audiobook for this, read by the author himself. Like already mentioned the protagonist is a funny and sharp character and I'm already enjoying it about 30 minutes in.

This is the first author other than Neil Gaiman who can actually narrate his own books.
The voice is so so perfect. Even the singing.

Turns out he's from Florida so he just be putting the accent on all the way through. That's pretty impressive.

[JPK]

I just started this before I started work today. I'm going the audiobook route like Tiste and Abyss, and I happily echo that he's doing a great job with the narration. I also appreciate that he actually has a decent pace and that I've barely had to speed this one up to make it feel like a natural speaking pace to me.

Just finished chapter 5.

Spoiler

I really love the training/debt system here. I can't imagine why, but it feels so natural. As of now I'm not making many predictions, but I would bet an Owl that he sees that fiddle again.

.

[Abyss]

Ch 25 The Kraken.

Holy.
Fuck.

[Aptorian]

China Mieville's Kraken?

Don't recall my exact feeling on that book. Weird and creative but perhaps a bit too weird? Loved the Star Trek teleporter guy.

Edit: wait, this isn't the reading at the moment thread. Where am I? Who am I?

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 12 January 2022 - 05:12 AM

[Puck]

 Abyss, on 12 January 2022 - 04:32 AM, said:

Ch 25 The Kraken.

Holy.
Fuck.

Started this chapter before work today and couldn't finish before arriving there. Aaargh.

[Tsundoku]

CAPT Pedantic here, shouldn't this thread be here:

https://forum.malaza.../142-book-club/

[Aptorian]

Only when the book club entry finishes.

While the read through is "active" we hang out in the main book forum for the sake of visibility, so that the freaks that don't use the "View New Content" button has a chance to discover the threads.

[Tsundoku]

Ah, fair enough. Though in that case shouldn't the "Book Club" subforum be renamed "Book Club Archive"?

[JPK]

Chapter 33:

Spoiler

Goblins!

[Aptorian]

I feel like I've kind of hit a lull in the story around 2/3rds through. I don't really care for where the story is going, sort of feels like it lost track of the goal.

Chapter 39, around p. 260.

Spoiler

When they got on the whaling ship I was fine with them going hunting, fighting the bad ass Kraken, having a show down with ship bully. Cool beans. Now get back on land. I want to see those giants!

But then it just keeps going and going. Right now they're in some kind of spa town and Kinch spends more time trying to get tail with his moon wife or what ever than getting the job done

I want a Dungeons and Dragons adventure, with a knight, a mage and rogue. Not what ever this is.

Actually that might be what is really rubbing me the wrong way. I want the power fantasy of the wise cracking, super skilled thief protagonist, who's in love with money, who's smarter than everyone else and gets away with his shenanigans. Instead he's not even able to win a fist fight, almost gets eaten and generally seems lost at this point in the story. I mean that's realistic and creates tension but it's not vibing with me.

Goblins seem cool though.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 13 January 2022 - 04:47 PM