[Chance]

Got through the last of the Watch books by Sergei Lukyanenko and found them mostly very good, more urban fantasy in this vein would be great but seems unlikely since they really aren't the popcorn action/detective stories that most urban fantasy is. They are a bit uneaven especially towards the end of the series, perhaps an unavoidable fact of dividing each book into three distinct stories that are part of the same story. There are things I've got a hard time with such as russian nationalism, conservatism and mostly Lukyaneko has problems making interesting female characters but thats small thing compared to the rest.

[Andorion]

Finished RS Belchers Shotgun Arcana, and halfway through LM Bujolds Chalion2

[Serenity]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 17 August 2015 - 02:20 PM, said:

Currently reading The Chanur Saga omnibus by C.J. Cherryh. I had a false start with this book a few months ago, finding it hard to get into. But I gave it another try this month and was immediately hooked. It's a bit confusing at times, especially when trying to parse what some of the aliens are saying — sometimes the hani make as little sense to me as the t'ca. Overall though, I'm really enjoying it.

For me, that applies to most of Cherryh's stuff that I've read - difficult to get into, give up, return and get hooked, end up enjoying it. I must get back to the Foreigner series soon.


Last night I finished Abnett's First and Only. I know nothing about the Warhammer 40k universe (apart from playing a bit of Dawn of War II) but I rather enjoyed it. His style kind of makes me think it's what Mil SF would be like if written by David Gemmell or Bernard Cornwell. Shall definitely read some more of that series.

Now making as start on Bujold's A Civil Campaign.

[QuickTidal]

Serenity, on 18 August 2015 - 10:28 AM, said:

Last night I finished Abnett's First and Only. I know nothing about the Warhammer 40k universe (apart from playing a bit of Dawn of War II) but I rather enjoyed it. His style kind of makes me think it's what Mil SF would be like if written by David Gemmell or Bernard Cornwell. Shall definitely read some more of that series.

If you like the first book, oh man are you in for a treat! Twelve more volumes of pretty solid greatness, with a thirteenth on the way!

[Serenity]

QuickTidal, on 18 August 2015 - 12:01 PM, said:

Serenity, on 18 August 2015 - 10:28 AM, said:

Last night I finished Abnett's First and Only. I know nothing about the Warhammer 40k universe (apart from playing a bit of Dawn of War II) but I rather enjoyed it. His style kind of makes me think it's what Mil SF would be like if written by David Gemmell or Bernard Cornwell. Shall definitely read some more of that series.

If you like the first book, oh man are you in for a treat! Twelve more volumes of pretty solid greatness, with a thirteenth on the way!

Good to know! Just wish I'd taken the plunge when the omnibus editions were easier/cheaper to get hold of

[JPK]

I finished The Dark Defiles last night. I thought that it was great, the action scenes are where I feel that book really shined. I definitely need a palette cleanser after how dark that ended up though, so next up is Witches Abroad by Sir Terry.

[Macros]

Finished up Reign of Ashes by Gail Z Martin.

The first book in the series was somewhat formuliac, the second (reign) read like a poorly run D&D campaign, is this her worst work or is all her stuff of a similar standard?

[JPK]

Macros, on 19 August 2015 - 04:50 AM, said:

Finished up Reign of Ashes by Gail Z Martin.

The first book in the series was somewhat formuliac, the second (reign) read like a poorly run D&D campaign, is this her worst work or is all her stuff of a similar standard?

I read the first three in her Chronicles of the Necromancer series a few years back and I'm sad to say that they were definitely in a similar vein.

[Gabriele]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 19 August 2015 - 05:59 AM, said:

Macros, on 19 August 2015 - 04:50 AM, said:

Finished up Reign of Ashes by Gail Z Martin.

The first book in the series was somewhat formuliac, the second (reign) read like a poorly run D&D campaign, is this her worst work or is all her stuff of a similar standard?

I read the first three in her Chronicles of the Necromancer series a few years back and I'm sad to say that they were definitely in a similar vein.

I read an online chapter a few years ago and found her writing rather subpar. Never was interested in the book because of that. Looks like I didn't miss out much. Though she got some cool covers.

I'm re-reading some classics right now. First Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus and now Balzac's La Cousine Bette. It may well be the start of a few weeks of that sort of books.

[Macros]

The blurb of ice forged and the cover caught my attention, but ashes was so poor I doubt I'll be reading anything else of hers.

[Tattersail_]

Read this back a couple of pages. Has no one read Magic Breaks yet?

I accidentally pre bought it I'm April and I finished whatever I was reading last week on my Kindle and just before buying a new book I saw I had the new Kate Daniels book. What a ride. I read it within a couple of days, it was so good. I like where it's going aswel.

[Andorion]

Tattersail_, on 19 August 2015 - 05:48 PM, said:

Read this back a couple of pages. Has no one read Magic Breaks yet?

I accidentally pre bought it I'm April and I finished whatever I was reading last week on my Kindle and just before buying a new book I saw I had the new Kate Daniels book. What a ride. I read it within a couple of days, it was so good. I like where it's going aswel.

Uh you mean Magic Breaks (2014) or Magic Shifts (2015)?

I have read Magic Breaks and it is awesome. Things get kicked up a notch.

I am hoping to be able to get Magic Shifts pretty soon.

I believe Quiicktidal is reading Magic Breaks.

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 19 August 2015 - 06:03 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 19 August 2015 - 05:48 PM, said:

Read this back a couple of pages. Has no one read Magic Breaks yet?

I accidentally pre bought it I'm April and I finished whatever I was reading last week on my Kindle and just before buying a new book I saw I had the new Kate Daniels book. What a ride. I read it within a couple of days, it was so good. I like where it's going aswel.

Uh you mean Magic Breaks (2014) or Magic Shifts (2015)?

I have read Magic Breaks and it is awesome. Things get kicked up a notch.

I am hoping to be able to get Magic Shifts pretty soon.

I believe Quiicktidal is reading Magic Breaks.

Yep, I'm on the last like 60 pages of MAGIC BREAKS. Man, they really ramp things up to 11 in this one!

I won't read MAGIC SHIFTS right away, but probably in the next little while.

[amphibian]

Tattersail_, on 19 August 2015 - 05:48 PM, said:

Read this back a couple of pages. Has no one read Magic Breaks yet?

I accidentally pre bought it I'm April and I finished whatever I was reading last week on my Kindle and just before buying a new book I saw I had the new Kate Daniels book. What a ride. I read it within a couple of days, it was so good. I like where it's going aswel.

I finished Magic Shifts a couple days ago. It's pretty good and the villain of the moment is quite good, but the meta-story doesn't progress much beyond some... moments. This will make more sense to those who've read the book. I'd advise people going into this to expect more of an episodic story than something connecting to the meta-story of Kate and her past.

I also finished The Grace of Kings. It's written in a way that is much, much closer to Homeric Iliad and Odyssey than a usual fantasy book. What I mean by that is that the overall story focuses on important characters who are the chosen of meddlesome gods and that the human characters are somewhat flat and info-dumps are frequent, as new characters are frequently introduced with explanations of their background, abilities, social position etc. right there and then. The story is delivered in a way that evokes East Asian and Pacific Islander traditions and the tech/social level is kinda analogous to late Roman Empire tech/society. I'd recommend it to people who are ok with something that is very much NOT Malazan in style. I didn't love it, but others might. It's different, it's well written for what it is, and Liu's next book should be interesting.

[amphibian]

Just finished The Vagrant by Peter Newman.

Wow. It's like Mad Max + The Gunslinger + Phyrexian invasion. Very, very good.

[EmperorMagus]

amphibian, on 20 August 2015 - 02:52 AM, said:

Just finished The Vagrant by Peter Newman.

Wow. It's like Mad Max + The Gunslinger + Phyrexian invasion. Very, very good.

I agree that it's very good, but I feel like I didn't get the full experience because I don't understand what the writer is trying to tell us through the story. I feel like this story is a lot deeper than it seems at first glance.
I can't decide whether The Usurper is the most incompetent big baddy ever or the most creepy one.
Also, I feel like this is what P.V Brett's Demon Cycle could've been if he was a good writer.

[QuickTidal]

Started YOU'RE NEVER WEIRD ON THE INTERNET (ALMOST) by Felicia Day...and I'm really kind of meh on it. Like it's decent, and interesting...but maybe I just know too much about her already from her own blogs, podcasts, ect. to feel like I'm getting much new information. I dunno. I was SUPER excited about reading it...but I'm simply kind of meh on it just now. Perhaps I'll put it down and pick it back up later.

[worry]

Is it an autobio? A memoir? Essays?

[QuickTidal]

@Worry: It's an Autobio.

On topic: So it turns out that the Black Library isn't JUST re-releasing all the Gaunt books in their singular form with new cover art...but the Eisenhorn books have gotten that treatment as well...and the good news is that two of the three repackaged books are already out.

So I'm reading XENOS by Dan Abnett (Eisenhorn #1)

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 21 August 2015 - 10:38 AM

[polishgenius]

I like Felicia Day and all, but has she really had a remarkable enough life to be worth a biography, auto or otherwise?