[Slow Ben]

Finished DoD , roll on CG!

[Tiste Simeon]

Briar King, on 10 January 2018 - 04:38 PM, said:

Alternative Goose, on 10 January 2018 - 04:29 PM, said:

I never finished Black Prism. I was so close to the ending too. I loved the concept of the magic system but I loathed that fat Pug-wannabe of a kid protagonist. I couldn't stomach the idea of having to read 5 books or more of that dumb bastards bumblings.

He gets better

Agreed. I hated Kip for the first book and a bit. Came to love him!

[worry]

Kip?! That's worse than Kyle!

[Aptorian]

Still miles better than "pug".

[EmperorMagus]

Macros, on 10 January 2018 - 07:25 AM, said:

You didn't love every page of Sharpe? You sir, are a philistine

Nope I did not.

Don't get me wrong, everything in those books that has to do with fighting is genius levels of good, and the books are certainly page-turners. But the author's insistence on creating bullshit romance side-stories, cowardly treasonous antagonists in every book, and entire books based on crappy intrigue plotlines rather than his straightforward fighting style really hurts the series. Furthermore, it's a lot easier to not give your protagonist a fortune every couple of books rather than doing so and then having to Deus Ex Machina him out of it because the character has to be poor for him to be interesting.

This post has been edited by EmperorMagus: 11 January 2018 - 05:40 AM

[EmperorMagus]

Briar King, on 11 January 2018 - 05:48 AM, said:

This is the Rome books you told me about when I just starting First Man in Rome correct Mac?

Nah, these are adventure/war books about an officer in the British army during the Napoleonic wars.

[Macros]

EmperorMagus, on 11 January 2018 - 05:39 AM, said:

Macros, on 10 January 2018 - 07:25 AM, said:

You didn't love every page of Sharpe? You sir, are a philistine

Nope I did not.

Don't get me wrong, everything in those books that has to do with fighting is genius levels of good, and the books are certainly page-turners. But the author's insistence on creating bullshit romance side-stories, cowardly treasonous antagonists in every book, and entire books based on crappy intrigue plotlines rather than his straightforward fighting style really hurts the series. Furthermore, it's a lot easier to not give your protagonist a fortune every couple of books rather than doing so and then having to Deus Ex Machina him out of it because the character has to be poor for him to be interesting.

Granted the later published books (chaos, prey, Trafalgar) are clearly just money spinners the original published books (eagle, gold, rifles etc) are fucking ace.
I will fight you!

[Macros]

Briar King, on 11 January 2018 - 05:48 AM, said:

EmperorMagus, on 11 January 2018 - 05:39 AM, said:

Macros, on 10 January 2018 - 07:25 AM, said:

You didn't love every page of Sharpe? You sir, are a philistine

Nope I did not.

Don't get me wrong, everything in those books that has to do with fighting is genius levels of good, and the books are certainly page-turners. But the author's insistence on creating bullshit romance side-stories, cowardly treasonous antagonists in every book, and entire books based on crappy intrigue plotlines rather than his straightforward fighting style really hurts the series. Furthermore, it's a lot easier to not give your protagonist a fortune every couple of books rather than doing so and then having to Deus Ex Machina him out of it because the character has to be poor for him to be interesting.

This is the Rome books you told me about when I just starting First Man in Rome correct Mac?

The series is the 'Eagle' series by Simon Scarrow, I *think* the first in the series is Under The Eagle. It's reminiscent of Sharpe in its make up as in there is a main protagonist with a trusty best friend, an is loose historical fiction. The series is up to about 15/16 books now, but like Sharpe the later novels are suffering a little bit of Mary sue on the main character, but the first...ten at least a page turning popcorn fun, plenty of action and not overly long. A totally contrast to McCullaghs Rome books bear in mind, there's little by way of historical accuracy in them as the main characters are all fictional, and it's not about Rome political arena really, it's about life in the legions on the frontier

[stone monkey]

Late to the party, I'm sure, but I just finished NK Jemisin's awesomely good The Fifth Season and am about to start on The Obelisk Gate. With The Stone Sky.the final book of her Broken Earth Trilogy, waiting for me in the wings. Fantastic writing and a wonderfully well-built world and characters.

I got them all at a remaindered book shop for £2 each; which probably says bad things about the reading public's taste, I guess.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 11 January 2018 - 09:39 PM

[Mentalist]

Alternative Goose, on 10 January 2018 - 04:29 PM, said:

I never finished Black Prism. I was so close to the ending too. I loved the concept of the magic system but I loathed that fat Pug-wannabe of a kid protagonist. I couldn't stomach the idea of having to read 5 books or more of that dumb bastards bumblings.

10 chapters in and he's a coward, socially-awkward, overweight 15 year old whose mom was a village drug addict. I wouldn't expect anything great from a "chosen one" like that.

But the magic system seems cool. So very Sanderson, but cool

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 11 January 2018 - 10:32 PM

[the broken]

Assassin's Fate.



Oh, Fitz, Fitz, Fitz... (Ending Spoilers)

Spoiler

How unlucky can one man be?
I know he had like ten years of peace in the middle of it, but that death...

Trapped under rubble, abandoned by his friends, getting a faceful of liquid magic, getting out juust in time to watch them sail away, works so hard to get back and then finds out he's being slowly eaten alive by worms, and everyone he loves gets to watch his slow, painful, horrible death while not being allowed to actually react to it because the court is watching. It's painful just to read.

Don't care for the Fool now, he loses a lot of his redeeming characteristics, abusing everyone's trust to serve his own ends, without the benevolent streak he used to have. He actually complains that dead from worms Fitz is being cruel to him.

[Andorion]

Started reading The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler and the Silver Spike by Glen Cook

[Macros]

Claudius's invasion of Britannia up to Nero's ascension to power so far.
I have a feeling Vespasian will be covered at some stage

[Morgoth]

stone monkey, on 11 January 2018 - 08:59 PM, said:

Late to the party, I'm sure, but I just finished NK Jemisin's awesomely good The Fifth Season and am about to start on The Obelisk Gate. With The Stone Sky.the final book of her Broken Earth Trilogy, waiting for me in the wings. Fantastic writing and a wonderfully well-built world and characters.

I got them all at a remaindered book shop for £2 each; which probably says bad things about the reading public's taste, I guess.

I loved every single one of her books.

[QuickTidal]

Finished Dan Abnett's latest Gaunts Ghosts book THE WARMASTER.

Goddamn that was awesome. It's actually a lot, a LOT of setup for what seems to be the final act of the Ghosts stories...but all supremely compelling even so. Some BIG thumping revelations in this, including one that goes all the way back to NECROPOLIS. Just a solid, solid entry. I love that Abnett hasn't let the quality of these dip at all over what....fourteen books?

Not sure if I'll stay in WH40k for another book (I usually do), or dive into something else from my ToRead pile.

[Chance]

Going through Persepolis Rising and found it rather lackluster for the first little bit then

Spoiler

Avasarala

appeared and belters started being belters and I remembered why I like this series. Still finding the bad guys nearly caricaturish so far but that doesn't really matter.

This post has been edited by Abyss: 12 January 2018 - 04:11 PM
Reason for edit: spoiler for character name

[Abyss]

Chance, on 12 January 2018 - 03:59 PM, said:

Going through Persepolis Rising and found it rather lackluster for the first little bit then

Spoiler

Avasarala

appeared and belters started being belters and I remembered why I like this series. Still finding the bad guys nearly caricaturish so far but that doesn't really matter.

Agreed generally. That character's appearance signals the point where the book picks up the pace.
Re the baddies, i won't comment as you're not done.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 12 January 2018 - 04:50 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 January 2018 - 02:10 PM, said:

Finished Dan Abnett's latest Gaunts Ghosts book THE WARMASTER.

Goddamn that was awesome. It's actually a lot, a LOT of setup for what seems to be the final act of the Ghosts stories...but all supremely compelling even so. Some BIG thumping revelations in this, including one that goes all the way back to NECROPOLIS. Just a solid, solid entry. I love that Abnett hasn't let the quality of these dip at all over what....fourteen books?

Not sure if I'll stay in WH40k for another book (I usually do), or dive into something else from my ToRead pile.

This reminds me I know you gave me a basic guideline order to read that franchise in in the past but my notes where eaten when I got the new phone.

Main books reading order (This is minus the short stories which wedge into various places throughout). They JUST started reprinting these with new covers, so now is the time to get on board because I THINK they are only up to STRAIGHT SILVER so far on the reprints, so you can get the first 6, and then take your time getting the rest as they re-release over the next while.

1 First and Only
2 Ghostmaker
3 Necropolis
4 Honour Guard
5 The Guns of Tanith
6 Straight Silver
7 Sabbat Martyr
8 Traitor General
9 His Last Command
10 The Armour of Contempt
11 Only in Death
12 Blood Pact
13 Salvation's Reach
14 The Warmaster

[Macros]

I think I've only read up to Sabbat Martyr, from memory last time I was getting them only the black library had them on ebook, has this changed or are they still hard to get in digital form?

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 12 January 2018 - 05:06 PM, said:

I think I've only read up to Sabbat Martyr, from memory last time I was getting them only the black library had them on ebook, has this changed or are they still hard to get in digital form?

I think Black Library holds exclusivity rights for the ebooks, so you can't get them off amazon or anything, but they are all avail on the BL website, and those will load up fine on your device was far as I know.