[Serenity]

Finished Steven Saylor's The House of the Vestals (enjoyable without being great), then read Vernor Vinge's The Peace War (which was okay but not outstanding), and now about a third of the way through Dennis Lehane's The Given Day which, so far, is astonishingly good.

[worry]

I need to read more Lehane. I've only done Mystic River -- good movie, even better book. The guy knows how to get under your skin for sure.

[polishgenius]

After having reread Look to Windward - my favourite Culture book, not diminished at all by a third read- I've started Shift, by Hugh Howey. Already enjoying it a great deal.

[Baco Xtath]

Almost finished listening to Daemon. Very good book. Not really like Ready Player One as I had been led to believe. It's more like a ghost in the machine/internet psychological thriller. Also about 20% into Annihilation by Vandermeer. Style is very different than his usual, still good. Intriguing so far.

[Overactive Imagination]

Briar King, on 31 January 2014 - 12:44 AM, said:

I am. I just didn't ever read anything about this book beforehand to stay spoiler free but the differences in certain characters physical descriptions has truly fucked me up ATM, so I can only assume a metamorphose of sorts with some is down the road lol.

lol i think most people have the same reaction... but it is explained later in the book.

[Chance]

Going slowly through Remembered Blue Earth not that exciting yet but its nice with SF that doesn't have too many this is how it works but instead explains a bit more naturally.

[QuickTidal]

The first Simon Scarrow "Macro and Cato" book UNDER THE EAGLE is like Sharpe for Roman solidery!

So. Much. Fun!

[Chaeone]

QuickTidal, on 04 February 2014 - 11:24 AM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 02 February 2014 - 06:19 PM, said:

I hope Deep Sky goes out with a bang.

Just wait. It all ties together.

As for me, I finished THE CRYSTAL CAVE by Mary Stewart. Really good Arthurian stuff. It's still # 3 in my list of fave in that specific genre (after Jack Whyte's Camulod series, and BBC MERLIN), but I'll definitely be reading the rest of them.

I started both James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell's INNOCENT BLOOD and also Simon Scarrow's UNDER THE EAGLE.

I'd be interested to know how Simon Scarrow's books measure up to Conn Iggulden's books, i've never been able to find Scarrow's stuff in order in a book store, but if its any good i'd love to know, might be worth a cheeky e- book purchase

[JPK]

I finally finished 1984. I'd gotten hung up on a section of the book about 70 pages before the end and it took me awhile to muscle through. Glad I did though.

Still chugging along in Empire in Black and Gold. I'm enjoying it so far, but I do see why people think it's nothing special.

Finally, my copies of Absolute Sandman volumes 4&5 came in yesterday so I'm going to start again at the beginning and take my time until I finish the whole thing. Btw, should I order Absolute Death to go with it? I'm kind of tempted to just to satisfy the completionist in me, but I'm wondering it a worthwhile addition to the series?

[Puck]

Started Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Only a few chapters in, so can't say much about it.

[dietl]

Finished GotM. Next: DG, of course

[End of Disc One]

I don't think FoD directly contracts the original series much, except for Caladan Brood's age IIRC. Anything else it "contradicts" was just legend and myth. I could be wrong, I'm not one of the Malazan experts here.

[Baco Xtath]

Blazed through Daemon and Freedom ™. Loved these though they were heavy on the political/economic rhetoric. Still, really enjoyable. Trying to finish listening to Steelheart but every time someone swears "Calamity" "Sparks", "Calamity's Fires" I just want to quit. I don't mind invented swear words but this is just killing me. I've only got about 3 hrs left so I'll endure but if there's a sequel, I'll probably skip it.

Next up, Lamentation by Ken Scholes or Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley and The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams.

[QuickTidal]

So I got about halfway through Simon Scarrow's UNDER THE EAGLE.

Eh.

It's alright, but really nothing special. Like nothing really interesting happens. It could be called A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ROMAN SOLDIERY.

It's actually a little boring, and no one really is all that compelling character-wise.

It's like a poor man's SHARPE. Except SHARPE is a thousand times more compelling than either Macro or Cato.

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah i read a Scarrow once (no idea which one) it felt very bland...

[D'iversify]

Finished 2nd half of Book of New Sun and then stormed through Pratchett's Nightwatch.

[D'rek]

I'm about 80% of the way through The Stories of Ibis, which has been really compelling so far, though the current story got a little bit icky just recently. Definitely feels like it is building to a powerful emotional note.

I've also been reading Best Served Cold. A little under halfway through so far, and its very readable and entertaining, but at the same time the things the main characters overlook in planning their operations can be frustrating after reading careful and clever teams of characters like the Black Company and the Gentlemen Bastards. It's still fun to see the crazy personalities clashing while things spiral horribly out of control, though. The only other gripe is that the structure so far is more like a bunch of short stories than a novel... there's even some bits of characterization that I found had a bit of a weird "reset" between sections. Hopefully it'll come together a bit more cohesively in the second half.

This post has been edited by D'rek: 10 February 2014 - 12:29 AM

[Morgoth]

I finished City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire by Roger Crowley. It was an immensely satisfying read, and taught me how interesting that period of Mediterranean history (1200-1600) actually was. Not to mention how unique Venice was as a nation and political entity.

It took me longer to finish than it normaly would, maninly because I found myself postponing reading about the Fourth Crusade and the following sack of Constantinople in 1204. In my opinion one of history's great tragedies, and knowing at least some of the consequences, reading about it anew makes me feel sad and a little angry.

Having finished that I started Three Days to Never by Tim Powers. When in doubt go for a mystical conspiracy thriller.

This post has been edited by Morgoth: 10 February 2014 - 09:51 AM

[QuickTidal]

Started Brian Staveley's THE EMPEROR'S BLADES.

I'm only about 40 pages in so far...but holy shit I'm already sucked right in.

Also, taking typical Western fantasy aspects and applying them to a distinctly Eastern populated/enacted setting is quite refreshing.

Also, big fucking Kestrals that elite soldiers fly on...is pretty badass.

We'll see how this turns out, but I'm already pleasantly surprised, and I've only been introduced to two of the three main characters so far.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 10 February 2014 - 03:05 PM

[Abyss]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 30 January 2014 - 08:22 PM, said:

About 2/3 of the way through Accelerando (just finished Amber's section). I was not expecting to enjoy this book so much — I think the best way for me to describe it would be as a plausible (to a point) romp through a possible near-future technological acceleration that uses current technologies and techniques and extrapolates what they could be like in the next 10-60+ years. This grounds it in the familiar (at one point, the main character's mental server falls victim to the Slashdot effect) while still allowing an exploration of the alien....

I tried so hard to like this book because i generally love all things Stross, but for me it never clicked. i found it floundered, wandered and characters did long drawn out things that never paid off in any way that made the read feel worthwhile. I liked the space exploration story in theory but it was dragged down by boring characters and trite developments disguised as plot.

QuickTidal, on 31 January 2014 - 06:06 PM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 31 January 2014 - 03:07 PM, said:

I've begun reading the Breach by Patrick Lee.

It's okay. I was expecting a bit more complex and sci-fi but it does the job. It feels sort of like a Dean Koontz book so far. A man and a woman get shacked up for some reason. Each of them have a past but it brings them together. They have to overcome terrible odds/circumstances but in the end they power through.., or something.

Without wanting to spoil anything, books 2 and 3 basically show that Book 1 was table setting for the real story. Which is why it kind of masquerades as a typical thriller with supernatural-y bits to it....but trust me, things go batshit insane later on.

polishgenius, on 31 January 2014 - 04:05 PM, said:

I've read The Breach, but I can't remember very much about it. It's a totally insubstantial book imo. The ideas mean I should want to read the sequels but I don't.

PG, I feel that you should take mine, Abyss, and Salt-Man's recommendation...read the sequels. DO IT!

Maybe Apt, on 01 February 2014 - 10:43 AM, said:

Finished the Breach. I have to admit, it got pretty interesting towards the end. The "Whisper" entity is a great plot device.

I am now thoroughly psyched to see where things go in the next books.

Baco Xtath, on 02 February 2014 - 09:37 PM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 02 February 2014 - 06:19 PM, said:

Finished Ghost Country by Patrick Lee.

Not as fun or interesting as The Breach, considering this has been described as a trilogy, I was expecting a story that built directly upon the ending of the first book and continued the "Alias" like future nonsense.

Ghost Country was just another book in the similar style but using a different gimmick. Pretty formulaic when you look closer. I hope Deep Sky goes out with a bang.

Does.

QuickTidal, on 04 February 2014 - 11:24 AM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 02 February 2014 - 06:19 PM, said:

I hope Deep Sky goes out with a bang.

Just wait. It all ties together.
...

I agree w QT (obviously, because my nanites finished overwriting his brain about two weeks ago). BREACH was a fun action thriller with some neat sf elements. Each subsequent book amps up the sf a little more but generally doesn't lose the action. I had a few issues with DEEP SKY but overall loved it and really enjoyed the trilo.

It was one of my most unexpectedly awesome reads of last year.

Briar King, on 08 February 2014 - 03:18 AM, said:

Ok so I'm 235 pgs into FoD and I just don't know what to make of certain things. I honestly don't think I'm enjoying this one. It just feels like SE is forgetting established characters origins to me. Idk this has just been a hard read for me to get into.

Sussex Months, on 08 February 2014 - 01:09 PM, said:

I don't think FoD directly contracts the original series much, except for Caladan Brood's age IIRC. Anything else it "contradicts" was just legend and myth. I could be wrong, I'm not one of the Malazan experts here.

Some of the relationships between characters in FoD are not what we thought we knew from the MBF.
There are a couple of possible explanations but i won't get into spoiler territory here.

D, on 10 February 2014 - 12:28 AM, said:

...I've also been reading Best Served Cold. A little under halfway through so far, and its very readable and entertaining, but at the same time the things the main characters overlook in planning their operations can be frustrating after reading careful and clever teams of characters like the Black Company and the Gentlemen Bastards. It's still fun to see the crazy personalities clashing while things spiral horribly out of control, though. The only other gripe is that the structure so far is more like a bunch of short stories than a novel... there's even some bits of characterization that I found had a bit of a weird "reset" between sections. Hopefully it'll come together a bit more cohesively in the second half.

I truly enjoyed the caper elements of BSC, including the episodic way the story is told. It was one of things that i thought made the book stand out and stand above JA's earlier works.



Did a little vacation reading while i was away...

Fahy's PANDAEMONIUM. Sequel to FRAGMENT, this is more of the same... characters so stereotypical or archetypical they're painful, awful dialogue, hamhanded set-ups, ... but as in FRAGMENT he sets up such an interesting 'lost world' setting with such cool beasties that i could forgive all the shortcomings just to read what sort of fucked up mollusc the surviving characters had to run away from next. Seriously, the flaws in these books are many and obvious and at times irritating, but Fahy is a genius at making monsters and that kept my attention. Strictly at the shallow end of the stupid fun pool, but held my attention.

Rachel Caine's ILL WIND. Couldn't do it. I've started this book three times and each time i get about twenty pages in and something shinier catches my attention and off i go. I give up. No STORM WARDEN series for me. I tried, i really tried.

Butcher's GOBLIN GHOUL. This was ok. Semi-decent Dresdencrack, more STORM FRONT than DEAD BEAT by a longshot. More in the ded-thread.

...and then we have...

R. M. Meluch's TOUR OF THE MERRIMACK sf series. HOLY. FUCKSTARS. Where has this series been hiding and why have none of you told me to read it?
Y'know that time when you glance at a book in an actual mortar and brick, it catches your eye, and for no good reason at all you simply MUST buy it? And then despite all indications to the contrary, IT IS GLORIOUS!?
Well that was this series... the first four books (written 2005-2008 or so) were repackaged as two collections THE MYRIAD/WOLF STAR and SAGITARRIUS COMMAND/STRENGTH AND HONOR... i was passing thru a monster Barnes & Noble down south and these caught my eye... scanned the first book back blurb, nothing particularly original... mil sf, mighty ship, brave crew, bold captain, evil bugs enemy, military ubermench other enemy... seen it all before and have a stack of similar already in the TRPFHAB.... looked inside despite myself, read a page or two... wtf space marines with swords... seriously....? Pass. Put it down. Picked it up again... read another page... oh fuckit why not Ill Wind is pissing me off anyways... and grabbed the second too because vacation/money/drunk/whatever.
And the books rock. Seriously i enjoyed these beyond all expectation and more. Devoured the first set, and well into the second, will grab book five the instant i'm done with four and probably pre-order six. Think my reactions to Lee's BREACH series, Campbell's LOST FLEET, maybe even Clines' EX-HEROES series... these books are a fuckload of fun. Not quite really mil SF... the focus is the crew of a military ship but the books don't go full mil SF a Weber/Ringo/White or even Campbell, a tad less time is spent on tactics/strategy and a bit more on the personalities. There is some time spent on the logistics of fighting bugs and ubermench, the proper use of big ships and fighters, etc etc but not as technical as the usual mil sf authors go. Plus with way better characters than usual... seriously... i wavered on writing this more than once, but fuckit, i'll just say it... US Marines, 89th Brigade, Blue Squad, Alpha Flight of the Monitor-class battleship Merrimack fast became my favorite fictional military marine squad since the Bridgeburners and Bonehunters. And Capt John Farragut my fave commanding officer since Whiskeyjack. Meluch nails the combination of misfits, incompetents and outright idiot men and women who also happen to be asskicking bug hunting badasses when things go sideways in a way i don't think i've seen since SE did it so very well. She even managed to create an entirely rational, logical reason for them to carry swords and use them on a regular basis. Ok, fine, the groundpounder marines also fly fighters... it's a stretch, but Meluch manages to make even that make sense, albeit a bit creatively handwaved (short version... fightercraft are cheap, marines are cheaper, so they're essentially expendable infantry in space). And yes, i wrote 'she', R. M. Meluch is a female author, writing military sci fi... and doing a great great job of it.


Recommended, esp for anyone who liked the LOST FLEET series but wanted more starfighters and hand-to-tentacle and away missions.