[champ]

JPK, on 11 May 2023 - 08:38 PM, said:

I'm beginning to wonder if we need to split this into two threads. It's hard enough seeing spoiler tags for how much more awesome Sun Sword is in a few more chapters, let alone a bunch of tags for how awesome House War is shaping up to be.

My goal is to catch up to Tiste asap. What chapter are you at now?

Aye, I am conscious of that knowing I'm on a different path, I have been putting the book I am spoilering above the spoiler to try and help.

[Tiste Simeon]

JPK, on 11 May 2023 - 08:38 PM, said:

I'm beginning to wonder if we need to split this into two threads. It's hard enough seeing spoiler tags for how much more awesome Sun Sword is in a few more chapters, let alone a bunch of tags for how awesome House War is shaping up to be.

My goal is to catch up to Tiste asap. What chapter are you at now?

Chapter 22 now. I'll always try to put what I'm spoilering so people know whether to look or not. Like I won't see any of the House War spoilers that champ posts.

[pat5150]

I have to admit that it's pretty cool seeing you guys enjoying West's books. I didn't know whether or not many people would give her a shot when I raved about her the first time, so it's nice to see people as excited as I am!

I think I'm ahead of QT as far as the Sun Sword is concerned, so I'll likely be the first one to tell you how good the ending turns out to be.

As for House War, I've received all my books but volume 2 (which should arrive any day now). So I'm jumping into that series as soon as I'm done with this one!

At the same time, it's so weird that we're all raving about a series that's almost 3 decades old. . .

[Abyss]

Do we need/want a subforum, even a temporary one?


It's not like it's going to disturb anyone.

[champ]

Abyss, on 12 May 2023 - 01:26 PM, said:

Do we need/want a subforum, even a temporary one?


It's not like it's going to disturb anyone.

Subforum will probably be a good shout.

[champ]

City of Night spoilers, page 470...


Bloody hell man, this book...

Spoiler

Fisher... Lefty... then Rath... now Lander...

Damn...

[Tiste Simeon]

champ, on 12 May 2023 - 03:56 PM, said:

Abyss, on 12 May 2023 - 01:26 PM, said:

Do we need/want a subforum, even a temporary one?


It's not like it's going to disturb anyone.

Subforum will probably be a good shout.

Yeah then I can have my ponderous thoughts in a relevant thread while champ can live his own happy Michelle West existence in another one!

[QuickTidal]

champ, on 13 May 2023 - 06:55 PM, said:

City of Night spoilers, page 470...


Bloody hell man, this book...

Spoiler

Fisher... Lefty... then Rath... now Lander...

Damn...

Spoiler

Rath broke me. He goes out well, but still.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

QuickTidal, on 14 May 2023 - 12:18 AM, said:

champ, on 13 May 2023 - 06:55 PM, said:

City of Night spoilers, page 470...


Bloody hell man, this book...

Spoiler

Fisher... Lefty... then Rath... now Lander...

Damn...

Spoiler

Rath broke me. He goes out well, but still.

Spoiler

Lefty was the most heartbreaking for me. They're all rough though.

[champ]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 14 May 2023 - 01:12 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 14 May 2023 - 12:18 AM, said:

champ, on 13 May 2023 - 06:55 PM, said:

City of Night spoilers, page 470...


Bloody hell man, this book...

Spoiler

Fisher... Lefty... then Rath... now Lander...

Damn...

Spoiler

Rath broke me. He goes out well, but still.

Spoiler

Lefty was the most heartbreaking for me. They're all rough though.

City of Night spoilers up to page 534...

Spoiler

Aye man, everyone has been a blow...


Fisher hit me hard as he was the first and suddenly the book danger stepped up a notch and especially the way it was wrote... to be honest I was expecting Jay's den to mostly survive...


Lefty due to Arann, I must have read that page 4 or 5 times to know for sure what happened as it isn't clear at first but then you read a bit more and its a gut punch...


Rath, I was prepared, he had as good a death as he was going to get but aye man, still broke me... the way the book announces his death is that night made me want to put it down for a while ha...


Lander hit me bad, more for the impact on Duster as I really like... liked her character...


God dammit, Duster... I really thought she'd make it through due to Jay's description in the first book that she'd always have Duster just behind her off her shoulder... this hit me hard when Jay declares her dead in the carriage. I should have known when she started talking about how she'd finally found something she cared for and wanted to fight for...


And then, THEN, we get Arann, when Jay is crying over his body... I was crying too. This happening on screen and seeing it going down, this hit me more than the others. Even when he was brought back I was totally emotionally done...


Please no more!

I cannot see how these books would be better going in having read the other series first. The hits are so hard as I don't know they are coming. Having knowledge of who makes it through to the later books would lessen this series I feel...

This post has been edited by champ: 14 May 2023 - 01:08 PM

[pat5150]

For anyone interested, Michelle West's The Hidden City is 2.99$ on Kindle.

[pat5150]

champ, on 14 May 2023 - 01:06 PM, said:

I cannot see how these books would be better going in having read the other series first. The hits are so hard as I don't know they are coming. Having knowledge of who makes it through to the later books would lessen this series I feel...

I cannot fully judge, as I haven't read them. And yet, Jewel and her den's backstory doesn't play a big role in the Sun Sword. Jewel is important, and if you do get the back story of how Avandar became her domiciis, that gives you something I wish I had. But other than that, and I'm pleased to know that West hits hard in that other series, if I'm not mistaken, most of what has to do with Jewel's den will reach its culmination in the last 5 House War installments. As it is, at least up until the 5th volume of the Sun Sword, the chapters that focus on them act as interludes paving the way for that next stage in the saga.

Still, the fact that you enjoy those books as much as you do makes me want to read them first instead of jumping straight to volume 4 once I'm down with the Sun Sword!

[pat5150]

I just spent the afternoon finishing The Riven Shield and man does it set the stage for the grand finale to come!

If GRRM's The Winds of Winter and Patrick Rothfuss' The Doors of Stone came out tomorrow, I'd still read Michelle West's The Sun Sword instead.

Why so few people are even aware of this series, I'll never know!

[pat5150]

About 200 pages into The Sun Sword and the story is finally picking up. The first 150 pages or so had to do with Jewel's den and are mostly a set up for the final 5 House War books (methinks), but now we're back to the main plot and you can definitely feel that it's the beginning of the end.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

pat5150, on 19 May 2023 - 02:45 AM, said:

About 200 pages into The Sun Sword and the story is finally picking up. The first 150 pages or so had to do with Jewel's den and are mostly a set up for the final 5 House War books (methinks), but now we're back to the main plot and you can definitely feel that it's the beginning of the end.

Our difference in perspective is funny! Since I started with the House War books, I think of Jewel's plot and Averalaan as the main plot

[pat5150]

Yes! Must be weird!

[pat5150]

Over 350 pages into The Sun Sword and something totally unexpected just blew my mind. A somewhat innocuous detail from the prologue of The Broken Crown that completely flew under the radar and failed to ring any bell later on just came back to kick me in the balls with its capital importance. Makes me wonder if there are additional details that I might have missed in what pretty much every reader considers an overlong and sometimes boring prologue.

And now, 4000 pages down the line, it turns out that it's super important and I failed to make the connection while reading the previous installments.

[Abyss]

Starting THE UNCROWNED KING now....

[pat5150]

Abyss, on 22 May 2023 - 02:44 AM, said:

Starting THE UNCROWNED KING now....

Ser Anton and Aidan. . .

I think you'll enjoy this one more than the first volume!

[pat5150]

575 pages into The Sun Sword and it's evident now that the book is a slow burn gradually building up to the finale.

I can't say that I mind, for Michelle West continues to bring threads together, tying up loose ends and elevating her game as she goes on.

I gain more respect for this author with each new chapter I read. . .

After reviewing books for nearly 2 decades, I thought myself a bit jaded and didn't think I could be amazed in such a way anymore. It's nice to stand corrected.