[polishgenius]

So I finished Ash, and came to the conclusion that anyone who likes the Acts of Caine should read this book as soon as possible. It does take a little while to get going - it's 1300 pages long, so the first 200 pages being setup-ish is fine - but after about that point shit kicks off and it reads like the best kind of fusion between the Bridgeburners action in Malazan (including one of the finest siege sequences I've read) and Caine's adventures. Very, very good.


Now started On the Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynolds.

[Overactive Imagination]

Just read Aura by Carlos Fuentes. Very good. It's a quick read.. about one hour.. definitely would recommend.

[Baco Xtath]

polishgenius, on 21 December 2013 - 11:24 PM, said:

So I finished Ash, and came to the conclusion that anyone who likes the Acts of Caine should read this book as soon as possible. It does take a little while to get going - it's 1300 pages long, so the first 200 pages being setup-ish is fine - but after about that point shit kicks off and it reads like the best kind of fusion between the Bridgeburners action in Malazan (including one of the finest siege sequences I've read) and Caine's adventures. Very, very good.


Now started On the Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynolds.

Bought Ash; you've yet to steer wrong. Wanting to start On the Steel myself but it's not yet available on audible. Currently finishing a re-listen of Anansi Boys and about 1/4 way into Ex-Communication. Got Midnight Riot on deck as well as The Book Your Mad Ancestor Wrote. Also the Subtle Knife and Red Iron Nights...........and a re-listen of Memories of Ice.

[JPK]

Just finished The President's Vampire. Starting Embassytown now so that I can get back to Red White and Blood around Xmas hopefully. Have several good days to get some reading done so I think I can finish both by New Years.

[Salt-Man Z]

polishgenius, on 21 December 2013 - 11:24 PM, said:

So I finished Ash, and came to the conclusion that anyone who likes the Acts of Caine should read this book as soon as possible. It does take a little while to get going - it's 1300 pages long, so the first 200 pages being setup-ish is fine - but after about that point shit kicks off and it reads like the best kind of fusion between the Bridgeburners action in Malazan (including one of the finest siege sequences I've read) and Caine's adventures. Very, very good.

I've had ASH sitting on the pile for a year or so now. Time to move it up the queue, methinks. (Argh, to many good books to read!)

[Dragnipurake]

Agree that it had a slow start. The book kind of reminded me of several authors (cook, martin, jordan) and the hero was reminiscent of jorg ancrath at the start of the book. It was a nice long read in the end.

Nicodimas, on 20 December 2013 - 06:34 PM, said:

^ also liked The Red Knight. I really disliked the wild as the big bad, when I first started reading it, but it kinda grows on you as it goes..I think all his characters become way more likeable in the 2nd half..the 1st -third- didn't capture me at all.

Tried to read 'Promise of Blood' by Brian McClellan. Started out okay but soon got disgusted with it. It was like Bakker in that the 'hero' filled me with revulsion but the book had nothing thought provoking to it. Wish I could get my money back.

[amphibian]

Yeah, for those of you completely confused by the people talking about "Ash" above, they mean "Ash" by Mary Gentle. Not one of the eighty five other books by that name - including one about a lesbian human/fairy relationship or the other one about ghost-hunting detectives.

For really simple/commonplace/obscure titles being discussed, it's helpful to include the author.

[Morgoth]

Enjoying Millenium by Tom Holland, a non-fiction attempt at explaining how western-europe climbed to prominence around the turn of the first millenium AD.

I'm also Reading Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth. Another non-fiction, this one about the Byzantine empire and what its tenacity meant for the development of Europe. I caught an interest in this book having listened to the authors excellent podcast 12 Byzantine Emperors. I've not been able to read enough to decide whether I like it or not, but I have hopes.

[Tiste Simeon]

amphibian, on 23 December 2013 - 04:05 AM, said:

Yeah, for those of you completely confused by the people talking about "Ash" above, they mean "Ash" by Mary Gentle. Not one of the eighty five other books by that name - including one about a lesbian human/fairy relationship or the other one about ghost-hunting detectives.

For really simple/commonplace/obscure titles being discussed, it's helpful to include the author.

Yeah and it's only £2.49 or so on Kindle. Will be downloading.

Hang on did you mention something about a lesbian human/fairy relationship??

[polishgenius]

amphibian, on 23 December 2013 - 04:05 AM, said:

For really simple/commonplace/obscure titles being discussed, it's helpful to include the author.

Fair enough not everyone is hanging on my every post and it was on the previous page, but in my defence I did mention the author (and full title) in my first post on the subject.

[Abyss]

polishgenius, on 21 December 2013 - 11:24 PM, said:

So I finished Ash, and came to the conclusion that anyone who likes the Acts of Caine should read this book as soon as possible....

That's a strong, and potentially dangerous, reco there PG. I'm moving Gentle's ASH up the TRPFH accordingly...

polishgenius, on 23 December 2013 - 09:16 AM, said:

amphibian, on 23 December 2013 - 04:05 AM, said:

For really simple/commonplace/obscure titles being discussed, it's helpful to include the author.

Fair enough not everyone is hanging on my every post and it was on the previous page, but in my defence I did mention the author (and full title) in my first post on the subject.

I thought it was clear, but fair point i suppose, given the abundance of fairy lesbian romance lit fans here on the Otherlit forum.


Finished Ruckley's EDINBURGH DEAD.
Barely. I didn't love this book. The setting and time period were interesting, but i found the characters all too grim and taciturn, the periods between actual events too long without enough momentum, and the overall story fairly predictable. In a way, a lot of the things i didn't love about Ruckley's GODLESS WORLD trilo were still present here.

On to Jacka's ALEX VERUS bk 2, CURSED.

[champ]

Just finished with a full David Gemmell - Drenai book reread.

Onto a reread of Blood Song by Anthony Ryan then I have a first read of Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch to get through!

[QuickTidal]

Got annoyed with the stuff that I was trying to read before Xmas brings fresh books...so I'm re-reading HP & THE GOBLET OF FIRE and it's hitting the spot as my re-reads of HP normally do. They give me the warm and fuzzies.

[Traveller]

Can't go wrong with a bit of HP at Christmas. Half Blood Prince on tv last night, had to watch.

I don't know what to read. I've got Railsea, Iron Council and Red Seas under Red Skies downloaded, but not really in the mood.

So I started Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian instead. I love these books, but honestly, has the man never heard of breaks? He writes a wall of text a whole chapter long.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 23 December 2013 - 05:05 PM

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Eternity by Greg Bear.

I had read Eon a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it (I recommend it to those of you who like science fiction, multiverses, hyperspace tunnels that are infinitely long, things that are bigger on the inside, and humans with alien-like societies), but didn't realize that there was a sequel. Fortunately, while I was at a used bookstore searching for the last book in Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, I saw Eternity on the shelves and recognized the author's name. Only like 40 pages in so far, though, as it's been slow going — I had to go back and reread the last few chapters of Eon because I had forgotten a lot of the information.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 23 December 2013 - 05:32 PM

[Salt-Man Z]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 23 December 2013 - 05:27 PM, said:

Eternity by Greg Bear.

I had read Eon a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it (I recommend it to those of you who like science fiction, multiverses, hyperspace tunnels that are infinitely long, things that are bigger on the inside, and humans with alien-like societies), but didn't realize that there was a sequel. Fortunately, while I was at a used bookstore searching for the last book in Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, I saw Eternity on the shelves and recognized the author's name. Only like 40 pages in so far, though, as it's been slow going — I had to go back and reread the last few chapters of Eon because I had forgotten a lot of the information.

There's also a prequel, called Legacy, which I haven't read. I enjoyed Eon, but Eternity didn't do much for me.

[Abyss]

champ, on 23 December 2013 - 04:29 PM, said:

Just finished with a full David Gemmell - Drenai book reread.
...

How'd that go?
I've been toying with a Drenai reread for ages but never quite gotten around to it.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Brent-Man Weeks, on 23 December 2013 - 06:36 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 23 December 2013 - 05:27 PM, said:

Eternity by Greg Bear.

I had read Eon a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it (I recommend it to those of you who like science fiction, multiverses, hyperspace tunnels that are infinitely long, things that are bigger on the inside, and humans with alien-like societies), but didn't realize that there was a sequel. Fortunately, while I was at a used bookstore searching for the last book in Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, I saw Eternity on the shelves and recognized the author's name. Only like 40 pages in so far, though, as it's been slow going — I had to go back and reread the last few chapters of Eon because I had forgotten a lot of the information.

There's also a prequel, called Legacy, which I haven't read. I enjoyed Eon, but Eternity didn't do much for me.

Yeah, I saw there was a prequel too. Not yet sure if I'll choose to read that or not. And hopefully Eternity does more for me than for you

[champ]

Abyss, on 23 December 2013 - 06:46 PM, said:

champ, on 23 December 2013 - 04:29 PM, said:

Just finished with a full David Gemmell - Drenai book reread.
...

How'd that go?
I've been toying with a Drenai reread for ages but never quite gotten around to it.

I love David Gemmell anyway so it was great!

It has been ages since I had read the books but with it been a reread I did it in chronological order and it was epic, I only picked up Waylander as I was in a lull and wasn't sure what to read, after that I couldn't stop.

If it has been a while for you reading them then I would recommend!

[D'iversify]

Traveller, on 23 December 2013 - 04:57 PM, said:

Can't go wrong with a bit of HP at Christmas. Half Blood Prince on tv last night, had to watch.

Picked up the boxset of the films on Saturday, finally watched Deathly Hallows II, very enjoyable. Must say that I stopped reading the books after Order of the Phoenix, which I now view as a mistake as I very much enjoy the films of the last two books, but don't know if I can be bothered for some time to read them now (too much else on the to read list, too much of a fan of grey moralities and literary nihilism to deal with warm and fuzzy black & white moralities at the moment).