[Overactive Imagination]

Reading "The Mirror at Midnight" by Adam Hochschild. I am enjoying something other than fantasy.. learning about real things in our world for a change!

It's also very well written, readable, and interesting.

[Mentalist]

Grief, on 03 January 2014 - 01:22 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 02 January 2014 - 11:03 PM, said:

Not Brent Weeks, on 02 January 2014 - 10:41 PM, said:

Just finished Joe Abercrombie's "Before they are Hanged". Hugely disappointed in this book and the series in general. One book to go, there better be one hell of a payoff at the end of thé third one or I am going to be pissed.

I am so confused. I've heard Abercrombies name pop up a lot these past years, how he is part of a new promising generation of Fantasy. How he writes dark and edgy and clever modern fantasy. If this is the face of modern fantasy I going to be seriously depressed.

See, now it was the end of BTAH that sold me on him. It subverts nearly EVERYTHING he'd established and turns it all on its ear. I was floored with the ending (in a good way).

But yeah, Worry is right, I'll be interested to see what you thin about the 3rd book. Get on it. I'm not telling you anything about it.

As a counterpoint, I found the "subversion" to be predictable, poorly executed, and lacking in any sort of impact, much as the rest of the books were, and remain bemused as to what all the hype is about. If you didn't like the first two I would be surprised if you enjoy the third.

eh, the First law had its moments, few as they were.

Best Served Cold, though, was a fantasy re-telling of the Count of Monte Christo, which was pretty awesome.

"The Heroes" was fairly "meh" after. I'm yet to read "red Country". Abercrombie is hit and miss. Fairly entertaining, but not really profound.

in other news, I'm really liking the way Kim Stanley Robinson is spinning a Europe-less alternative history in "The years of rice and salt". The underlying fantastical elements aren't doing much for me, but aside from that, it's a really cool book.

[Overactive Imagination]

I didn't really like Abercrombie that much. I finished the trilogy but half way through the final book I kind of realized it sucked.

A few of the bloody Nine parts were amazing though - almost as badass as characters in Malazan.

I also liked Glokta even though he was a total ripoff of Tyrion Lannister.

[worry]

Hogwash!

[Kaamos]

I'm a couple of hours into Blade Itself audio book and no complaints so far (although I'm glancing around for a proper plotline instead of characters showing up...).
Wild Cards #1 was enjoyable, must find out moar...


Will no prince valiant in shining armor explain to a poor clueless blonde this hype about Brent Weeks, though???

[Aptorian]

Read through this thread: http://forum.malazan...sin-bookseries/

It Begins when Obdigore made a quip about Weeks making sock-puppets.

[lastname]

Overactive Imagination, on 03 January 2014 - 06:09 AM, said:

I didn't really like Abercrombie that much. I finished the trilogy but half way through the final book I kind of realized it sucked.

A few of the bloody Nine parts were amazing though - almost as badass as characters in Malazan.

I also liked Glokta even though he was a total ripoff of Tyrion Lannister.

Not really seeing that. if you want to stretch things, you could argue that Tyrion Lannister was a total ripoff of Miles Vorkosigan and on and on.

This post has been edited by lastname: 03 January 2014 - 08:58 AM

[Ukjent]

Reading all the Conan stories, its surprisingly good.

[QuickTidal]

Mentalist, on 03 January 2014 - 04:35 AM, said:

"The Heroes" was fairly "meh" after.

I'm gonna admit something here. I've not read all of THE HEROES.

In the Dark Fantasy anthology that came out before it, Abercrombie had THE FOOL JOBS as his contribution to it, and it featured Craw's gang. I loved it. Short and sweet. Was excited to see them in full novel action.

But every single time I pick up THE HEROES, I get about halfway through (at best) and give up as it's mostly more of the same from page to page.

Chasing on BEST SERVED COLD (which I only half liked. I HATED the ending), that served to make me wary of Abercrombie being hit and miss.

I LOVED the First Law trilogy....but anything after that I've been spotty on.

I've yet to read RED COUNTRY, it languishes in my TRP and I've no rushing urge to get to it any time soon.

[Grief]

Odd, as I remember it's usually the later stuff people say is better when Abercrombie comes up. May just be a case of "Oh, you didn't like those ones but give THIS a try, you're bound to love it!". For that reason I think I have a copy of BSC kicking around somewhere, that I've never really been able to make inroads on. Can't say it's a priority.

I read Good Omens a few weeks back and really enjoyed it. I finished it in one of those evening sessions that stealthily shift into the early hours of the morning, and would absolutely recommend it. Though if you don't like Pratchett it probably won't be your cup of tea (if you don't like Gaiman but do like Pratchett, I think you'd enjoy it anyway). After reading it I can feel a Pratchett binge coming on. I still have a good few of them to read, but am starting to realise how sad it'll be when I've read all of them...

[QuickTidal]

I don't think I know anyone who read GOOD OMENS and didn't like it. It's a treat from cover to cover.

[amphibian]

Good Omens wasn't ever in my favorite ten of Discworld books. Adding Gaiman just dilutes the Pratchett to me.

Sir Terry is a far, far better novel writer to me - and teaches people more while making them laugh uproariously.

[Rictus]

The Darkness That Comes Before - This thing's terrific, really. I really like the mystery surrounding the violent past of, uh, Eärwa -- makes me devour the pages. Took me a bit to get used to the strange names and the enormous map, but I'm finally beginning to see what's what here. I must get more of Bakker's books as soon as possible, I think. His work seems almost on a par with Erikson at times, but it's too early to tell.

[Grief]

I wouldn't say Pratchett is a better writer as such, but I did feel it was closer to being a Pratchett novel than a Gaiman one tone-wise. That could just be because Pratchett's style is more instantly recognizable. Reading about whose idea what parts were I think I'd actually say Pratchett has some of the weaker parts (Aziraphale and Crowley are wonderful, the children are a little weaker). I think as well that Gaiman adds an edge that makes it a bit more exciting than some Pratchett. While I'm not sure it's better than my favourite Pratchett I do think it holds up favourably if you compare it to most the books Pratchett was writing previously/at the time

Oh, and Bakker is fantastic Rictus, the first trilogy is up there with any fantasy I've read.

[Mentalist]

Rictus, on 03 January 2014 - 06:06 PM, said:

The Darkness That Comes Before - This thing's terrific, really. I really like the mystery surrounding the violent past of, uh, Eärwa -- makes me devour the pages. Took me a bit to get used to the strange names and the enormous map, but I'm finally beginning to see what's what here. I must get more of Bakker's books as soon as possible, I think. His work seems almost on a par with Erikson at times, but it's too early to tell.

most things about Prince of Nothing are wonderful. But I absolutely despise Kellhus, which makes it far less wonderful overall for me.

Good Omens was the kind of book I read in one sitting, and then realized I was already about 50 pages deep into an instant re-read before putting it down. It was first and only Prachett, and my second Gaiman after american Gods which was fun, but not great

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 03 January 2014 - 06:39 PM

[Overactive Imagination]

lastname, on 03 January 2014 - 08:57 AM, said:

Overactive Imagination, on 03 January 2014 - 06:09 AM, said:

I didn't really like Abercrombie that much. I finished the trilogy but half way through the final book I kind of realized it sucked.

A few of the bloody Nine parts were amazing though - almost as badass as characters in Malazan.

I also liked Glokta even though he was a total ripoff of Tyrion Lannister.

Not really seeing that. if you want to stretch things, you could argue that Tyrion Lannister was a total ripoff of Miles Vorkosigan and on and on.

I've heard several other people online also make the Tyrion/Glotka connection. Even though Glotka is 6 feet tall or whatever I always imagined him as a dwarf simply because his voice is almost identical to Tyrion's.

[Aptorian]

How do you know what Glotka sounds like? And for that matter how tall he is?

To be frank, I don't see any similarities between the two at all. I know that Tyrion gets disfigured at one point but that hardly compares to Glotkas situation.

[McLovin]

Re-reading THE SILVER SPIKE, then I think I'll hang up Black Company for a while and maybe hit the dresdencrack.

[HiddenOne]

Steelheart by Sanderson

Actually pretty good stuff

EDIT: Finished it, enjoyed

This post has been edited by HiddenOne: 04 January 2014 - 05:36 PM

[JPK]

I just finished off Gun Machine. I enjoyed the book, but I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Crooked Little Vein or Transmetropolitan.

I'm going to start either Steelheart or Emperor of Thorns next, after I finish a first chapter test on both. I'm just not sure what I'm in the mood for more yet.