[Abyss]

Abyss, on 06 February 2012 - 07:30 PM, said:

...FRAGMENT by Warren Fahy. I'm spoiling nothing by revealing that this is, more or less, Jurassic Park with giant bugs. It has its flaws and is anything but original (planet full of homicidal bugs was done to death in the 70s and again in the last decade by the mil sf crowd) but generally works well and amps up the tension nicely. The author is fairly merciless in killing off cast members, including some you think will live, so that adds a nice touch to the well written actions scenes. He also does a good job of explaining the science of it without overdoing it. Not brilliant, but fun enough....

So late late last night i started PANDEMONIUM, which is Fahy's sequel to FRAGMENT. It's mostly brain/off and fast and what i'm in the mood for.

Nice setup so far... a neat little pre-amble about how nasty eco-systems in caves can evolve isolated and uninterrupted for millions of years, and then a Cold War secret Soviet mining operation breaks through a wall and weird thingies start eating people. Hilarity ensues.

[HiddenOne]

Just finished Darkslayer Book 1, yet another free Kindle book. Kind of reminded me of Conan meets Felix & Gotrek meets some D&D game I played back in 2007

[Puck]

Rivers of London by Aaronovitch.. It's okay so far, just right between 'meh' and 'can't put it down' for now.

This post has been edited by Puck: 10 January 2014 - 11:59 AM

[Aptorian]

Puck, on 10 January 2014 - 11:59 AM, said:

Rivers of London by Aaronovitch.. It's okay so far, just right between 'meh' and 'can't put it down' for now.

I felt the same when I read it. It was nothing ground breaking but the fact that it was a British setting and that unlike Dresden for example, he is working with the authorities, made it more interesting than it should probably have been.

[Abyss]

Maybe Apt, on 10 January 2014 - 12:15 PM, said:

Puck, on 10 January 2014 - 11:59 AM, said:

Rivers of London by Aaronovitch.. It's okay so far, just right between 'meh' and 'can't put it down' for now.

I felt the same when I read it. It was nothing ground breaking but the fact that it was a British setting and that unlike Dresden for example, he is working with the authorities, made it more interesting than it should probably have been.

Agreed. I enjoyed the read. It didn't blow my thinkymeatz by any means, but it held my attention.
For what it's worth, 3 is just ok, but 4 raises the game a bit more.

[McLovin]

TURN COAT. From back in black (Company) to back in (dresden)crack!

[Rictus]

It happened just as you'd predicted . . . Reading Fool Moon right now, with an additional pile of Dresden to drown in. Gods below, I wasn't strong enough to resist.

[Puck]

Abyss, on 10 January 2014 - 03:20 PM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 10 January 2014 - 12:15 PM, said:

Puck, on 10 January 2014 - 11:59 AM, said:

Rivers of London by Aaronovitch.. It's okay so far, just right between 'meh' and 'can't put it down' for now.

I felt the same when I read it. It was nothing ground breaking but the fact that it was a British setting and that unlike Dresden for example, he is working with the authorities, made it more interesting than it should probably have been.

Agreed. I enjoyed the read. It didn't blow my thinkymeatz by any means, but it held my attention.
For what it's worth, 3 is just ok, but 4 raises the game a bit more.

I agree, it's keeping my attention and I like the setting (been to London last year, feeling nostalgic and all), the story so far, and the writing is witty enough, but so far I am simply annoyed by the main characters. But I admit that coming out of my last book, which did all the things I'm annoyed by in Rivers right, I should have expected the difference to be jarring. Still, fun enough for a bedtime read and maybe getting the next one should I see it on discount.

[Tiste Simeon]

Rictus, on 10 January 2014 - 04:55 PM, said:

It happened just as you'd predicted . . . Reading Fool Moon right now, with an additional pile of Dresden to drown in. Gods below, I wasn't strong enough to resist.

Twas silly to think otherwise.

[Aptorian]

Honestly, I disagree. In this day and age, except for the wizard working as a detective angle, the two first books are unremarkable. I realise we need to go around 15 years back in time to when the concept of werewolves and vampires in a modern setting was still "new and thrilling" but the first two books did not blow my socks off. Now, when they introduced

Spoiler

ghost hunting with a knight of the Holy Cross

, that was when I started to get excited.

[polishgenius]

Abyss, on 10 January 2014 - 03:20 PM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 10 January 2014 - 12:15 PM, said:

Puck, on 10 January 2014 - 11:59 AM, said:

Rivers of London by Aaronovitch.. It's okay so far, just right between 'meh' and 'can't put it down' for now.

I felt the same when I read it. It was nothing ground breaking but the fact that it was a British setting and that unlike Dresden for example, he is working with the authorities, made it more interesting than it should probably have been.

Agreed. I enjoyed the read. It didn't blow my thinkymeatz by any means, but it held my attention.
For what it's worth, 3 is just ok, but 4 raises the game a bit more.

Yeah, pretty much. For me the series is at it's best when doing the magicians-working-for-Police thing, because the actual magic bit is done well but not spectacularly and as far as urban-fantasy-in-London goes, those are ten a penny and its depiction and use of London is for me competent but has been done better (though both those things do improve as the series goes on).
The police/detectiving aspect of me reminds me a bit of a magical Sherlock, which is fun.

[JPK]

I just finished The Wurms of Blearmouth. Gods, but I do love the B&KB novellas for their dark humor. I'd place it as my second favorite of them right after The Healthy Dead.

Now onwards to Emperor of Thorns.

[Abyss]

Maybe Apt, on 10 January 2014 - 07:30 PM, said:

Honestly, I disagree. In this day and age, except for the wizard working as a detective angle, the two first books are unremarkable. I realise we need to go around 15 years back in time to when the concept of werewolves and vampires in a modern setting was still "new and thrilling" but the first two books did not blow my socks off. Now, when they introduced

Spoiler

ghost hunting with a knight of the Holy Cross

, that was when I started to get excited.

Agree that scene w Michael was when the series really starts to take off, but bk 1 STORM FRONT wasn't about vampires or werewolves.

polishgenius, on 10 January 2014 - 07:53 PM, said:

...Yeah, pretty much. For me the series is at it's best when doing the magicians-working-for-Police thing, because the actual magic bit is done well but not spectacularly and as far as urban-fantasy-in-London goes, those are ten a penny and its depiction and use of London is for me competent but has been done better (though both those things do improve as the series goes on).
The police/detectiving aspect of me reminds me a bit of a magical Sherlock, which is fun.

Agreed, tho i really liked the Rivers/Gods aspects and thought that was relatively novel.. Gaiman has gone there, but it'n not otherwise as done to undeath as some urbfant tropes.

[Aptorian]

Hmm. It's been a long time since I read the first book but I am sure I remember that Vampire... was her name Bianca? In the first book but you are right, it wasn't the focus.

[Abyss]

Maybe Apt, on 10 January 2014 - 08:27 PM, said:

Hmm. It's been a long time since I read the first book but I am sure I remember that Vampire... was her name Bianca? In the first book but you are right, it wasn't the focus.

Yep. i think she's in like one scene as barely supporting cast.

[worry]

She wasn't a vampire, you're just really sexist.

[amphibian]

whether vampire or sexpot undead with a penchant for bloody murder, it's just semantics.

[End of Disc One]

I have about 100 pages left in Daniel Abraham's The King's Blood. I loved the first book but man, this is even better. It wouldn't surprise me if this ends up being one of my favorite series by the end.

[Ukjent]

Its good Months, so you have something to look forward to.
Reading Gene Wolfe Book of the New Sun: Volume 1 now and it looks promising, just have to figure it out first.

[polishgenius]

Graablick, on 11 January 2014 - 05:36 PM, said:

Reading Gene Wolfe Book of the New Sun: Volume 1 now and it looks promising, just have to figure it out first.

My advice? Do pay attention, but don't get hung up on understanding exactly what's happening- just go with the flow. Some things will chime, but it's not really designed to be digested on one go-through.
When you re-read it - and if you finish the series I strongly suspect you will reread it - that's when you can start figuring it out.