[polishgenius]

I'm reading Catherynne Valente's new one, Space Opera. It's about a space eurovision contest in which mankind is singing for its survival. It is as preposterous as you'd expect but also shaping up to be pretty awesome.

[stone monkey]

After so many recommendations, I'm reading American Elsewhere. Enjoying it so far, although the plot beats are a little obvious. It reads a bit like a version of American Gods where Gaiman was not so determined to show off to you how damned erudite he is.

[QuickTidal]

In a flurry of late night reading (sacrificing previous sleep), I finished GREY SISTER last night, and it was as excellent as I'd hoped it would be (fuller thoughts in Ded-thread). I didn't know how Lawrence would top RED SISTER, but he found many ways. What an ending! Now begins the long wait till the 3rd book.

Started the second Powder Mage book, CRIMSON CAMPAIGN by Brian Mclellan...it's nice to be back with Tamas, Taniel, Ka-Poel, and Adamat and everyone else! That opening interrogation was awesome.

[Abyss]

BLACK STAR RENEGADES.

I'm not sure about this one.

Basic space opera storyline with a fun twist early on, the subtle little Star Wars refs are fun (acceptable for a book called 'a love letter to Star Wars'), decent action... but the writer suffers from serious tell-don't-show and barely 1/3rd thru it's becoming irritating.

[Dutch]

Currently reading Bridge of Souls (book 3 of the Quickening series) by Fiona McIntosh.

Before I started the Quickening I had finished the Percheron Saga and the Valisar Trilogy also by McIntosh.

I must say that I really like the books. Some plot twist you can completely predict, but others are a total surprise.

To me McIntosh also has some Erikson tendencies.

The ease with killing off characters and how some characters where you really sympathize with in the start change into someone where you would bury your fist into it's face and really loathe.

She also has a recurring theme like Eriksons pothsherds

How many times that I have encountered "you jest" or jest in any other form.

[worry]

Surely you jape.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Wilde's Updraft.

[Yllana]

just finished Morgan's The Dark Defiles and I got to say, I am kinda miffed at how it ended. I know I'm a sap and this is grimdark-ish fantasy, but

Spoiler

I really would have hoped for a happier ending for Gil, not some kind of last stand/eternity locked in another dimension. As for Eg...great way to go, but 200 pages before the end of the book? Not a single interaction with Gil? Grrr

Apart from that, Ringil is definitely one of the most entertaining characters I've been reading about lately.

[Mentalist]

Finished "Hymn", and with it, the Psalms of Isaak . Need to collect my thoughts and put them down in proper reviews for both this and "Requiem" , but short form: glad I stuck out with it. Scholes mostly sticks the landing. The beginning of "Hymn" threw me off a bit, as he's introduced a brand new element that I felt could end up really throwing the whole thing off, but he made it work, I feel.

Now that I'm going back to 2 books at a time, the next commute read will be the first Alex Verus book, "Fated" , while at home, I think I'll give "Chronicles of the Long War" a spin, before going back to the backlog-clearing project.

[amphibian]

Yllana, on 11 April 2018 - 11:22 PM, said:

just finished Morgan's The Dark Defiles and I got to say, I am kinda miffed at how it ended. I know I'm a sap and this is grimdark-ish fantasy, but

Spoiler

I really would have hoped for a happier ending for Gil, not some kind of last stand/eternity locked in another dimension. As for Eg...great way to go, but 200 pages before the end of the book? Not a single interaction with Gil? Grrr

Apart from that, Ringil is definitely one of the most entertaining characters I've been reading about lately.

I need to go spoilers on this one.

Spoiler

My theory is that Ringil is in the Ravens friend weapon. More specifically, his consciousness is in a "stack" type thing. So while it hangs up on the wall, he's still there like a crazy ass King Arthur, sleeping.

[polishgenius]

amphibian, on 12 April 2018 - 02:03 AM, said:

Yllana, on 11 April 2018 - 11:22 PM, said:

just finished Morgan's The Dark Defiles and I got to say, I am kinda miffed at how it ended. I know I'm a sap and this is grimdark-ish fantasy, but

Spoiler

I really would have hoped for a happier ending for Gil, not some kind of last stand/eternity locked in another dimension. As for Eg...great way to go, but 200 pages before the end of the book? Not a single interaction with Gil? Grrr

Apart from that, Ringil is definitely one of the most entertaining characters I've been reading about lately.

I need to go spoilers on this one.

Spoiler

My theory is that Ringil is in the Ravens friend weapon. More specifically, his consciousness is in a "stack" type thing. So while it hangs up on the wall, he's still there like a crazy ass King Arthur, sleeping.

One of the earlier books

Spoiler

makes it fairly clear that thanks to the damage to time thanks to whatever quantum dismantling the humans did during the war with the Martians, Ravensfriend is what inspired the legend of Excalibur and the Lady in the Lake, so I'm fairly sure that you're not only right that he's like King Arthur but to some level he's supposed to be King Arthur.

[Maark Abbott]

Finished TUC. Onto Kings of the Wyld.

[Yllana]

about Ringil:

Spoiler

since I've only read the first Kovacs book, I can't comment on how Ringil's current state of being ties into the lore as a whole, but I'm just not a fan of these " a character's soul lives on/ character is stuck in another dimension all alone/ character is sleeping" and so on endings. For me the fact that a characters is separated from all their friends, their body is possibly destroyed and their soul is put on ice is more depressing than them actually dying. And considering the fact that the series so far had been pretty gritty and down to earth I expected a more this-worldy ending for Ringil.

Damn, now I need to read something that makes me happy.

[Tiste Simeon]

Man I'm way behind on Mark Lawrence... I need to read read more. I think I read the original Jorg trilogy and that's it. It seems he's got another couple of series out now right?

[Slow Ben]

Abyss, on 09 April 2018 - 03:28 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 09 April 2018 - 03:16 PM, said:

Abyss, on 09 April 2018 - 03:08 PM, said:

I am waiting until Mark finishes the trilogy.

I AM. DAMMIT.



Assh0les.

As you've often said to others about Dresden, Et al.

"Why would you deny yourself the glorious reading enjoyment...to wait?"

I mean, there is already two books out, you may as well.

Mostly because from experience Mark is one of those authors who i really enjoy more when i can read the entire story, beginning middle end, in one go.

I enjoyed the first two BROEKN EMPIRE books but the break until book three dragged and I had some difficulty getting back into it. In contrast, i absofuckinglutely loved loved LOVED reading the entire RED QUEEN'S WAR.

So, that.


...so IT DOES NOT HELP WHEN CERTAIN PEOPLE TALK UP A SERIES THAT ISN'T DONE YET, JUST SAYING.

I'm waiting as well. A year or so to wait for 1 more is well worth getting to read all 3 in a row.

[Macros]

Tiste Simeon, on 12 April 2018 - 10:39 AM, said:

Man I'm way behind on Mark Lawrence... I need to read read more. I think I read the original Jorg trilogy and that's it. It seems he's got another couple of series out now right?

There's the red war trilo, set in the broken empire.
Road brothers, a collection of shorts from the broken empire
And then first two of his latest trilo, red and grey sister

[Abyss]

Macros, on 12 April 2018 - 11:55 AM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 April 2018 - 10:39 AM, said:

Man I'm way behind on Mark Lawrence... I need to read read more. I think I read the original Jorg trilogy and that's it. It seems he's got another couple of series out now right?

There's the red war trilo, set in the broken empire.
Road brothers, a collection of shorts from the broken empire
And then first two of his latest trilo, red and grey sister

RED QUEEN'S WAR, actually. Completed trilo, and utterly totally worth your eyes, time, and brainzez.
One of my favorite reads of last year. If you enjoyed the Jorg trilo even a little, you will likely love this.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 12 April 2018 - 03:24 PM, said:

Macros, on 12 April 2018 - 11:55 AM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 April 2018 - 10:39 AM, said:

Man I'm way behind on Mark Lawrence... I need to read read more. I think I read the original Jorg trilogy and that's it. It seems he's got another couple of series out now right?

There's the red war trilo, set in the broken empire.
Road brothers, a collection of shorts from the broken empire
And then first two of his latest trilo, red and grey sister

RED QUEEN'S WAR, actually. Completed trilo, and utterly totally worth your eyes, time, and brainzez.
One of my favorite reads of last year. If you enjoyed the Jorg trilo even a little, you will likely love this.

RED QUEENS WAR is my fave Lawrence jam no question, and Jalan is my fave character he's invented.

[Mentalist]

I can second that. Jalan is an anti-hero who's actually likeable, unlike Jorg. And Snorri is just awesome.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 12 April 2018 - 03:47 PM

[QuickTidal]

Mentalist, on 12 April 2018 - 03:47 PM, said:

I can second that. Jalan is an anti-hero who's actually likeable, unlike Jorg. And Snorri is just awesome.

And Jalan + Snorri makes for such an incredible duo.