[Morgoth]

amphibian, on 31 October 2014 - 12:14 AM, said:

Morgoth, on 30 October 2014 - 06:58 AM, said:

Just started Gone Girl. Hoping it'll be half as good as the reviews say.

If you decide to read her other books, read Dark Places and pass on Sharp Objects.

Yeah? What makes them so different? I'm hundred or so pages into Gone Girl and will probably order more of her stuff.

[QuickTidal]

Finished Mark Lawrence's PRINCE OF FOOLS, and that was a real blast of a read! thoughts in Ded-thread.

[amphibian]

Morgoth, on 31 October 2014 - 07:39 AM, said:

amphibian, on 31 October 2014 - 12:14 AM, said:

Morgoth, on 30 October 2014 - 06:58 AM, said:

Just started Gone Girl. Hoping it'll be half as good as the reviews say.

If you decide to read her other books, read Dark Places and pass on Sharp Objects.

Yeah? What makes them so different? I'm hundred or so pages into Gone Girl and will probably order more of her stuff.

Sharp Objects is like a murderous Virgin Suicides and is possibly one of the whitest books ever written. It's not a good book either.

Dark Places is a better book in the "solve the cold case of a murdered loved one" vein. Really gets at poverty and voyeurism as well. Still pretty white, but tolerably so.

[JPK]

So, Ex-Heroes. I'm about halfway through now and have to ask... How many books are out right now?

[Mentalist]

Still reading "Dawn of Swords". Really weird book.

As a fantasy novel, it's average. But so far it's really not a fantasy novel. it's a gigantic thought experiment with a whole bunch of philosophising about free will v destiny, and how human societies inevitably turn to violence.

kind of like ASOIAF in the ridiculous plotting, and so far it seems there's very little good that's happening to the multitude of POV characters.

Interesting, though not necessarily good is how I'd describe this one so far.

[Baco Xtath]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 01 November 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

So, Ex-Heroes. I'm about halfway through now and have to ask... How many books are out right now?

Ex-Heroes
Ex-Patriots
Ex-Communication
Ex-Purgatory

Finished Mr.Shivers. Awesome book. Starting City of Golden Shadow (Otherland 1), I read it over a decade ago and never continued but I'm looking forward to listening to it being as how one of my favorite narrators reads it. Also, the Scar (Mieville's) is newly released on audible so I'll be getting that when my new credits come in in a couple days, along with Bennett's the Company Man.

[Abyss]

Baco Xtath, on 01 November 2014 - 11:46 PM, said:

The Incredible Kitsu, on 01 November 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

So, Ex-Heroes. I'm about halfway through now and have to ask... How many books are out right now?

Ex-Heroes
Ex-Patriots
Ex-Communication
Ex-Purgatory
...

And they're awesome.

[amphibian]

Ex Purgatory is very frustrating for 45% of the book, then things get rolling. It's a clumsily handled set up, but the characters and the story pull through.

[End of Disc One]

Finished Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan. This series just keeps getting better and this was probably my favorite yet due to the last 75 pages or so.

Also in the middle of The Widow's House by Daniel Abraham. This book is awesome. At this point I'd say it's the best in the series yet, mostly because of the Marcus chapters. And one character reappearance that made me do a fist pump.

[Tiste Simeon]

Just finished Royal Assassin. Despite the fact that really, nothing much actually happens, that was one hugely gripping book. Will put some more thoughts down tomorrow when I'm more awake...

[worry]

I loved book 3. It goes places fantasy doesn't usually go in terms of really gripping, sometimes-trippy psychological horror. The Mountain Kingdom rules, and it's got one of my favorite finales of all time.

[JPK]

Thanks for the info guys, I ordered the other three. I'll also keep what you said about purgatory in mind when I get to it Amph.

[worry]

I can see that. I definitely read the first trilogy in my college days when I had tons of free time, and I didn't read them one after the other (or w/o pausing to read other books even).

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 02 November 2014 - 02:30 AM, said:

Baco Xtath, on 01 November 2014 - 11:46 PM, said:

The Incredible Kitsu, on 01 November 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

So, Ex-Heroes. I'm about halfway through now and have to ask... How many books are out right now?

Ex-Heroes
Ex-Patriots
Ex-Communication
Ex-Purgatory
...

And they're awesome.

amphibian, on 02 November 2014 - 05:42 AM, said:

Ex Purgatory is very frustrating for 45% of the book, then things get rolling. It's a clumsily handled set up, but the characters and the story pull through.

It works but it absolutely is different from the first three books. The payoff is all good tho.

[Mentalist]

Mentalist, on 01 November 2014 - 11:11 PM, said:

Still reading "Dawn of Swords". Really weird book.

As a fantasy novel, it's average. But so far it's really not a fantasy novel. it's a gigantic thought experiment with a whole bunch of philosophising about free will v destiny, and how human societies inevitably turn to violence.

kind of like ASOIAF in the ridiculous plotting, and so far it seems there's very little good that's happening to the multitude of POV characters.

Interesting, though not necessarily good is how I'd describe this one so far.

so this. Just finished it. Holy shit, the book is awesome.

it starts out as a weird thought experiment, then halfway through it gets dark like ASOIAF and "Forge of Darkness" took some crack and spawned an offspring book that delivered untold suffering to its characters for seemingly no reason all of a sudden. Then it went into several holyfuckthisisepicawesome scenes, and it ended up with one of the biggest mindfuck revelations I've ever read in fantasy. I'm trying to think when was the last time I was so sidewinded by what an author did since the Red Wedding. And this is a whole other level.

Apparently, this series is the early history of the world Dalglish set his earlier fantasy works on. I don't know if those were any good, but holy crap, I want more of this series.

[Tiste Simeon]

Briar King, on 03 November 2014 - 02:49 AM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 03 November 2014 - 12:25 AM, said:

Just finished Royal Assassin. Despite the fact that really, nothing much actually happens, that was one hugely gripping book. Will put some more thoughts down tomorrow when I'm more awake...

I've said it before but that was by far my fav Fitz bk of the old 6! GL with bk 3...I've said this also that was by far my least fav Fitz bk of the old 6.

worry, on 03 November 2014 - 03:03 AM, said:

I loved book 3. It goes places fantasy doesn't usually go in terms of really gripping, sometimes-trippy psychological horror. The Mountain Kingdom rules, and it's got one of my favorite finales of all time.

worry, on 03 November 2014 - 03:22 AM, said:

I can see that. I definitely read the first trilogy in my college days when I had tons of free time, and I didn't read them one after the other (or w/o pausing to read other books even).

Thanks chaps. Here are some more thoughts on Farseer 2 now I'm a bit more awake.

I mentioned that "nothing happens" and while this obviously isn't strictly true, a majority of the book is Fitz wondering around a castle pondering on stuff that is happening elsewhere. He seems to go round the houses to visit people to get help at each stage: Verity, Burrich, The Fool, The King, Chade, Molly, Verity etc... Yet I found it utterly fascinating. Kind of like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy where a majority of the action happens off screen.

I am sure I have read this series before but almost nothing is familiar and everything is exciting. The only frustration I have is that it is SO FREAKING OBVIOUS what Regal &co. are up to, yet somehow no-one notices it for ages... I kept getting really annoyed at everyone going "Ooh, can't say anything against Regal, that's treason despite the fact that the entire Kingdom's resources are depleting and ending up in Regals family home, and let's not even mention the fact that he is blatantly changing history..."

Meh. Third book should be fun now!

[amphibian]

Hobb is an experience. Fun may be a relative thing, as she loves to make miserable things happen to her characters in order to drive the story.

[Mentalist]

After the sheer insanity that "Dawn of Swords" turned out to be, I need smth lighter.

This week my commute reading will be "Fifty degrees below", the second book of Kim Stanley Robinson's "Science in the Capital" trilogy

[Abyss]

Contemplating what to read next... the E/TRP(S) are suitably massive...
...coming off a run consisting of of Morgan's DARK DEFILES, SE's WILLFUL CHILD and Butcher's WORKING FOR BIGFOOT i've hit epic fantasy, sf and urban fant in a short time...
...maybe some mil sf, i've been itching to get into Campbell's LOST FLEET follow-ups...
that said, the KETTY JAY series has been taunting me for a while now...
tho BIGFOOT was enough of an urbfant tease that Jacka's ALEX VERUS bk 3 is also pretty tempting...

[polishgenius]

Abyss, on 03 November 2014 - 03:34 PM, said:

...maybe some mil sf,

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.

You're welcome.