[Macros]

About a third into DL, mostly setting the scene and letting us know what's happening on Malazan and the other islands.
So many big names floating about, the only on that bothers me is

Spoiler

Tatts, I haven't read GotM in a right few years now (due a gotm-reapers reread, fuck that noise that is tth,dod and tcg, but doesn't Lorn hate Tatts because she cut loose in the mouse as a junior cadre mage during a riot, a riot post empire creation. What's she doing floating about as a full on storm mage/ mistress (clearly being cheated on) so far back, surely she would have walked into a much more suitable position than cadre mage, and hardly would have been a junior nervous wreck like her memories of the mouse riots showed?
Just irked me a little seeing her as such a different character than the Tatts we got in GotM, everyone sort of fits in my head for the roads they go down

Enjoying so far. Heading to bed, I see my finishing this tomorrow after work.

[Puck]

Macros, on 16 November 2017 - 09:31 PM, said:

About a third into DL, mostly setting the scene and letting us know what's happening on Malazan and the other islands.
So many big names floating about, the only on that bothers me is

Spoiler

Tatts, I haven't read GotM in a right few years now (due a gotm-reapers reread, fuck that noise that is tth,dod and tcg, but doesn't Lorn hate Tatts because she cut loose in the mouse as a junior cadre mage during a riot, a riot post empire creation. What's she doing floating about as a full on storm mage/ mistress (clearly being cheated on) so far back, surely she would have walked into a much more suitable position than cadre mage, and hardly would have been a junior nervous wreck like her memories of the mouse riots showed?
Just irked me a little seeing her as such a different character than the Tatts we got in GotM, everyone sort of fits in my head for the roads they go down

Enjoying so far. Heading to bed, I see my finishing this tomorrow after work.

Not a spoiler, really, since it's GotM stuff, but hidden in case someone doesn't want to deduce what Mac is talking about:

Spoiler

Yes and no. It's pretty clearly stated that Tatts was new to command when she fucked up in the Mouse Quarter, not new to being a mage. She's 200+ in GotM and the info we're given is that she used to be the mistress of Mock (the pirate or something ruling over Malaz Island when Kellanved came knocking). She's never commanded anyone before, and is not the type to want to, considering she's turned down several promotions to High Mage by the time of GotM, meaning she's powerfull enough but unwilling. So no real contradiction there.

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 16 November 2017 - 07:45 PM, said:

Macros, on 16 November 2017 - 07:28 PM, said:

And as much as I'm enjoying Max Gladstone.
Sorry but I just arrived home to find deadhouse landing waiting for me.

All other books get kicked to the curb this weekend

It will be very hard for me, if I get my hands on this tonight/soon, to stave off stopping OATHBRINGER for a few days to read it...LOL

Enjoy!

As of 50% into Oathbringer, Deadhouse Landing is the better book. Finish it first.

In fact I was quite startled at the contrast when I started Oathbringer. ICE has seriously improved. He makes Sanderson look bland.

[Abyss]

Briar King, on 16 November 2017 - 06:41 PM, said:

Abyss, on 16 November 2017 - 04:25 PM, said:

In the end, i am a Malazfan. Shelved everything to get into DEADHOUSE LANDING.
Damn, it's good to be back in that world!

Fuck off. Damn BAM. I'm limited on Amazon now.

AND ITS GREAT!!!!!

[Macros]

Puck, on 16 November 2017 - 09:40 PM, said:

Macros, on 16 November 2017 - 09:31 PM, said:

About a third into DL, mostly setting the scene and letting us know what's happening on Malazan and the other islands.
So many big names floating about, the only on that bothers me is

Spoiler

Tatts, I haven't read GotM in a right few years now (due a gotm-reapers reread, fuck that noise that is tth,dod and tcg, but doesn't Lorn hate Tatts because she cut loose in the mouse as a junior cadre mage during a riot, a riot post empire creation. What's she doing floating about as a full on storm mage/ mistress (clearly being cheated on) so far back, surely she would have walked into a much more suitable position than cadre mage, and hardly would have been a junior nervous wreck like her memories of the mouse riots showed?
Just irked me a little seeing her as such a different character than the Tatts we got in GotM, everyone sort of fits in my head for the roads they go down

Enjoying so far. Heading to bed, I see my finishing this tomorrow after work.

Not a spoiler, really, since it's GotM stuff, but hidden in case someone doesn't want to deduce what Mac is talking about:

Spoiler

Yes and no. It's pretty clearly stated that Tatts was new to command when she fucked up in the Mouse Quarter, not new to being a mage. She's 200+ in GotM and the info we're given is that she used to be the mistress of Mock (the pirate or something ruling over Malaz Island when Kellanved came knocking). She's never commanded anyone before, and is not the type to want to, considering she's turned down several promotions to High Mage by the time of GotM, meaning she's powerfull enough but unwilling. So no real contradiction there.

Fair enough, looks like I'm due a reread!

[Maark Abbott]

worry, on 16 November 2017 - 08:50 AM, said:

When you have that many words, try to edit them in alphabetical order instead of story order, for easy comparison. You'll spot most of the typos right off.

Pretty sure we've cleaned them out which is good! I'm not really reading much other stuff at the moment. I've been dabbling with the KonoSuba manga instead.

[T77]

I had The Stone Sky and The Fall of Dragons queued up, but seeing all the positive buzz on DL I bought it on Audible and will start today.

[polishgenius]

T77, on 17 November 2017 - 04:07 PM, said:

I had The Stone Sky and The Fall of Dragons queued up, but seeing all the positive buzz on DL I bought it on Audible and will start today.

I would say that both those books are better than DHL, but in fairness, we are all Malazfans so I can't knock the decision.

[acesn8s]

Finished The Great Ordeal. On to The Unholy Consult.

Spoiler

Achamian and Skiotha, together again. Just like Riggs and Murtaugh, only a lot more dysfunctional.

[T77]

polishgenius, on 17 November 2017 - 04:31 PM, said:

T77, on 17 November 2017 - 04:07 PM, said:

I had The Stone Sky and The Fall of Dragons queued up, but seeing all the positive buzz on DL I bought it on Audible and will start today.

I would say that both those books are better than DHL, but in fairness, we are all Malazfans so I can't knock the decision.

Anything Malazan or by Glen Cook is almost impossible for me not to read upon release. I don't know what I was thinking by even considering it. Looks like I've got 3 good books ahead, possibly 4 with Oathbringer, but I am #9 on the queue for the Oathbringer audiobook from my library, so it will be a long wait for a 55 hour book.

[Abyss]

T77, on 17 November 2017 - 06:48 PM, said:

polishgenius, on 17 November 2017 - 04:31 PM, said:

T77, on 17 November 2017 - 04:07 PM, said:

I had The Stone Sky and The Fall of Dragons queued up, but seeing all the positive buzz on DL I bought it on Audible and will start today.

I would say that both those books are better than DHL, but in fairness, we are all Malazfans so I can't knock the decision.

Anything Malazan or by Glen Cook is almost impossible for me not to read upon release. I don't know what I was thinking by even considering it. Looks like I've got 3 good books ahead, possibly 4 with Oathbringer, but I am #9 on the queue for the Oathbringer audiobook from my library, so it will be a long wait for a 55 hour book.

I broke like a cheap toothpick and shelved everything i was reading (and i was reading some good books) to get into DL.
AND I'M PROUD, DAMMIT.

[Salt-Man Z]

It'd been so long since I last read a dead tree book, I had to search my nightstand to find where my bookmarks had gotten to...

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Page 5 of Assail.

[Macros]

Just finished DHL.

I'd say it was equal to Dancers Lament for me. Which was very enjoyable.

I think ICE has totally nailed the tone of Kellanved, and Dancer is...evolving into Cotillion page by page.

I've said it many times before, I don't think ICE suits the doorstoppers, I didn't really enjoy his Malazan series, bar NoK. NoK has much more in common with the path to ascendancy books than the other 6, in its tighter pacing and story and so it's not really surprising to me that it's the only other ice book I really like.

Anyway

I am really looking forward to the final book, I assume it will deal with finding a throne.
Possibly two?

[worry]

I like his door-stoppers. For me though, I just tend to think he's so married to anticlimax -- like, way more than SE is -- that it became its own kind of weird thing. It's risky to do at the end of one long novel, let alone four (RotCG had a more traditional climax, I'd say), and the results were mixed in terms of return on investment (worked spectacularly in SW and Assail, not so much in OST or B&B, for me).

With NoK, not so much a problem, and with this series, climax is hardly the point...or at least, a big convergence isn't as important as some good character-work to round out each novel.

[Andorion]

Macros, on 17 November 2017 - 11:39 PM, said:

Just finished DHL.

I'd say it was equal to Dancers Lament for me. Which was very enjoyable.

I think ICE has totally nailed the tone of Kellanved, and Dancer is...evolving into Cotillion page by page.

I've said it many times before, I don't think ICE suits the doorstoppers, I didn't really enjoy his Malazan series, bar NoK. NoK has much more in common with the path to ascendancy books than the other 6, in its tighter pacing and story and so it's not really surprising to me that it's the only other ice book I really like.

Anyway

I am really looking forward to the final book, I assume it will deal with finding a throne.
Possibly two?

worry, on 18 November 2017 - 12:18 AM, said:

I like his door-stoppers. For me though, I just tend to think he's so married to anticlimax -- like, way more than SE is -- that it became its own kind of weird thing. It's risky to do at the end of one long novel, let alone four (RotCG had a more traditional climax, I'd say), and the results were mixed in terms of return on investment (worked spectacularly in SW and Assail, not so much in OST or B&B, for me).

With NoK, not so much a problem, and with this series, climax is hardly the point...or at least, a big convergence isn't as important as some good character-work to round out each novel.

I think ICE has finally found the style he is most comfortable in. He needed to stop writing SE-lite books and he has. And it works. This is turning out to be an excellent series.

Worry has a good point about the anti-climax - ICE wrote huge books with all the material and elements for a proper Malazan convergence, and too often that convergence disappointed, except in SW which I consider to be the best book of that series

[Mentalist]

Finished "Fortunes of Africa". No overall conclusion, this is just a very brief history. I did pick up some interesting things out of it, possible material for further research into the topic.

Anyways, gonna finally start "Dancer's Lament"... and I suspect it'll soon be a commute boo, too, because I find it very difficult to put "Magic Shifts" down when I get off the bus. I might just finish it on Mon.

[T77]

About 4 hours into DHL and I think it's very good so far. I like it more than DL, which I thought was good. If it continues at this pace it could be ICE's best work to date. He really seems to have improved as a writer with this book.

[JPK]

Hey Oathbringer peeps! I'd gotten slightly behind on the Sanderbot's works. I haven't gotten through either the third Wax and Wayne book or Arcanum yet. Are either of those going to be important to read before Oathbringer?

[QuickTidal]

JPK, on 20 November 2017 - 04:49 PM, said:

Hey Oathbringer peeps! I'd gotten slightly behind on the Sanderbot's works. I haven't gotten through either the third Wax and Wayne book or Arcanum yet. Are either of those going to be important to read before Oathbringer?

The Arcanum "Lift" story EDGEDANCER is. I haven't yet hit a Lift-centric interlude in OATHBRINGER, but I'm FAIRLY sure OATHBRINGER happens after EDGEDANCER and as a result there is a MAJOR story development that happened in that short story which is very relevant. You don't need to buy Arcanum anymore to read it either, as Brandon has released it a standalone novella too. But if you own Arcanum, dip into that story at the very least.