[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 27 September 2019 - 01:11 PM, said:

Got back into Melanie Rawn's EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI ...
And yes, I'm aware that she's not finished the trilogy yet. I know I'm only asking for a long wait after book 2...still...

QT.

Bud.

She wrote book 2 in 1997.

She's written like ten other things since then.

You're kidding yourself.

[Abyss]

Maark Abbott, on 30 September 2019 - 07:12 AM, said:

Abyss, on 27 September 2019 - 06:05 PM, said:

Andorion, on 27 September 2019 - 06:25 AM, said:

I surrender.

I have started Gideon.

I WIN AGAIN!


....and wow if this book doesn't stick the landing i am going to feel like SUCH an asshole....

Maark Abbott, on 27 September 2019 - 07:32 AM, said:

Abyss, on 26 September 2019 - 02:52 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 26 September 2019 - 07:46 AM, said:

Also re Gideon I will take some opinions from my reading group. From what you guys say it all sounds dandy but I'm not getting burned by a hype train for a third time.

It's funny isn't it...? ....those times when a chunk of this Forum gets all buzzy about a book and some little part of your brain just wants.... very water-cooler'esque.

Mostly my brain doesn't want to jump on a hype train that face slams me into a reading brick wall again, given that I've only just started reading again after the last one I was assured was brilliant (and wasn't).

I will watch like a cautious sneaky rogue and consider.

I get it. I totally get it. I am wholly resistant to reading almost anything that 'everyone is raving about'.

It just happened that two of my favorite authors and a third who i just recently found and very much enjoyed were all willing to stick their names on the thing.

Maark Abbott, on 27 September 2019 - 12:47 PM, said:

T77, on 27 September 2019 - 12:46 PM, said:

It doesn't hurt to download the Kindle sample.

Bold of you to assume I am one of the digital proletariat

Dude, you're posting. On a forum. On the internet.

Obviously I mean in terms of how I read, you damn trolloc lover.

You can read a damn sample, luddite.

[Abyss]

Traveller, on 30 September 2019 - 07:07 AM, said:

Racing through Golden Son, which I started immediately following Red Rising. RR did start out a bit YA-ish but soon ramped up.

Darrow reminds me a lot of Jorg, without the real crazy element. Enjoying it a lot.

You're in for a treat w books 2-3. And 4 is good. 5 is mindblowing.
Then you're fucked waiting like the rest of us.

[Abyss]

worry, on 29 September 2019 - 01:58 AM, said:

Okay I bought the version of Gideon with the black pages. Now how do I have sex with it?

You have to bone it.

[Chance]

amphibian, on 01 October 2019 - 01:56 AM, said:

Chance, on 30 September 2019 - 01:34 PM, said:

Finished the latest Alex Verus novel Fallen today and found it pretty nice, still not the best Urban Fantasy around but certainly nice enough and it has a few really good moments towards the end.

A ton of payoffs in relation to what had gone before. I still feel like Jacka isn't able to conjure truly brain melting fantasy for sustained bursts. It's all little pieces and a return to the world we live in.

Still worth it though.

Probably one of the best in the series among the last few at least, could have made a pretty decent end to the series with a few changes to the last events.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 01 October 2019 - 02:55 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 27 September 2019 - 01:11 PM, said:

Got back into Melanie Rawn's EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI ...
And yes, I'm aware that she's not finished the trilogy yet. I know I'm only asking for a long wait after book 2...still...

QT.

Bud.

She wrote book 2 in 1997.

She's written like ten other things since then.

You're kidding yourself.

I'm aware, and I admit that I bought it initially long months ago because the cover is one of my favourite Michael Whelan pieces of art ever...but also because I'd never read Rawn.

Now I'm over 200 pages into this and I'm adoring it. So you know...I'll take the wait when it comes after book 2.

That said, Rawn DID report/let slip to another author that she was working on book 3 in 2017 after book 5 of another series was done, so I'm crossing my fingers it's just taking her time to get it done since then. I don't hear a whisper of her working on anything else in the meantime...so MAYBE?

And to be fair, the reason this one stopped was because of a deep depression (that revolved around the death of her mother) the first two books sent her into (as far as I'm aware anyways)...so I can't begrudge her not wanting to dip back into that until she's willing as I can't imagine the feelings it might dredge up.

That said, this book has solidified me into loving her work, so I'll deinfitely check out her other series.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 01 October 2019 - 01:09 PM

[polishgenius]

Finished Bear's Jenny Casey trilogy, finally. Probably the weakest of her trilogies that I've read, but I absolutely love the other three so that's not really a knock. And some of that probably simply has to do with the setting not being quite as interesting to me as the more unusual settings of Jacob's Ladder and Edda of Burdens in particular. Still absolutely worth picking up. Some stellar character work and corking twists in the story.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 01 October 2019 - 01:08 PM, said:

Abyss, on 01 October 2019 - 02:55 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 27 September 2019 - 01:11 PM, said:

Got back into Melanie Rawn's EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI ...
And yes, I'm aware that she's not finished the trilogy yet. I know I'm only asking for a long wait after book 2...still...

QT.

Bud.

She wrote book 2 in 1997.

She's written like ten other things since then.

You're kidding yourself.

I'm aware, and I admit that I bought it initially long months ago because the cover is one of my favourite Michael Whelan pieces of art ever...but also because I'd never read Rawn.

Now I'm over 200 pages into this and I'm adoring it. So you know...I'll take the wait when it comes after book 2.

That said, Rawn DID report/let slip to another author that she was working on book 3 in 2017 after book 5 of another series was done, so I'm crossing my fingers it's just taking her time to get it done since then. I don't hear a whisper of her working on anything else in the meantime...so MAYBE?

And to be fair, the reason this one stopped was because of a deep depression (that revolved around the death of her mother) the first two books sent her into (as far as I'm aware anyways)...so I can't begrudge her not wanting to dip back into that until she's willing as I can't imagine the feelings it might dredge up.

That said, this book has solidified me into loving her work, so I'll deinfitely check out her other series.

Hey, you enjoy her work, so all good. And i cast no aspersions on her reason for not finishing the series.
But let's not pretend this isn't just another instance like your weird love for Taylor Swift, and watching Downton Abby, and wtf was that with The Bachlorette honestly dude call a spade a spade, Abraham or maybe Sanderson GRRM will likely finish SIF before you see bk 3 sucker.

[worry]

Finished Holy Sister. Surprisingly emotional finale. I wasn't always excited by this series like I was with his other books, but each one delivered on what it set up in truly surprising and remarkable ways, with this last one being the best of the bunch. And it turned out I was more invested in some of these characters than I thought, which was a nice feeling.

Started Gideon the Ninth which better be good or I'm setting it on fire.

[Maark Abbott]

QuickTidal, on 30 September 2019 - 01:32 PM, said:

So while you've all been reading Gideon, I've dived fully and non-regretfully into my first Melanie Rawn novel, EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI, and I must say that it is absolutely engrossing as hell. It's giving me Kate Elliot/Crown Of Stars vibes as far as the world and the politicking. What's REALLY interesting is that Lenfell is (as a result of a disastrous war in its ancient history) matriarchal...and I mean to the nth degree. Men wear coifs, and are basically treated much like women are usually treated in a medieval fantasy setting....like I just read a chapter where you learn that brothels (Bowers) are run by women and populated by young men for noble women to pay for. Man, it's so interesting because that's such a different POV than I'm used to reading in this sort of book. It's also wonderfully written from a prose angle. Rawn is adept at setting the table...I mean hell, I had a prologue about a young male (50-60 pages), then another 50-60 with the first of the three lead sister characters, then another 50-60 with the second sister, and am about to embark on another 50-60 revolving around the youngest sister...BEFORE the narrative really takes off at around page 200+.

Anyways, really enjoying.

Did she write this before or after the Sunrunner books?

I only ask because whilst Sunrunner was very formative for me (especially with lengthy prologues), the second series especially crossed heavily into narm territory when trying to address issues of real life.

Thinking of narm, the pacing on this Friedman book is wacky. MC rocks up, goes to a shop, takes the shopkeep on a date and now is doin it doin it doin it all within the space of 50 pages.

[Abyss]

Maark Abbott, on 03 October 2019 - 07:24 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 30 September 2019 - 01:32 PM, said:

So while you've all been reading Gideon, I've dived fully and non-regretfully into my first Melanie Rawn novel, EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI,...
Anyways, really enjoying.

Did she write this before or after the Sunrunner books?

I only ask because whilst Sunrunner was very formative for me (especially with lengthy prologues), the second series especially crossed heavily into narm territory when trying to address issues of real life.

Thinking of narm, the pacing on this Friedman book is wacky. MC rocks up, goes to a shop, takes the shopkeep on a date and now is doin it doin it doin it all within the space of 50 pages.

Book 1 was pub'd right after the sixth SUNRUNNER book.
I remember thinking that the second Sunrunner trilo had a 'bigger' epic feel than the first, but the characters and story weren't nearly as interesting.

I recall a wholly hamhanded attempt at addressing abortion in the second trilo, some weird attempt at caste systems, some adoption stuff but that was plot...

As for Friedman, hey you didn't need 50 pages of them dating, did you?

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 03 October 2019 - 02:22 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 03 October 2019 - 07:24 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 30 September 2019 - 01:32 PM, said:

So while you've all been reading Gideon, I've dived fully and non-regretfully into my first Melanie Rawn novel, EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI,...
Anyways, really enjoying.

Did she write this before or after the Sunrunner books?

I only ask because whilst Sunrunner was very formative for me (especially with lengthy prologues), the second series especially crossed heavily into narm territory when trying to address issues of real life.

Thinking of narm, the pacing on this Friedman book is wacky. MC rocks up, goes to a shop, takes the shopkeep on a date and now is doin it doin it doin it all within the space of 50 pages.

As for Friedman, hey you didn't need 50 pages of them dating, did you?

I should qualify my earlier statement about COLDFIRE...while I ran into issues that stopped me reading it....I DO fully intend to get back into them at some point as I still have them in my ToRead pile.

[Maark Abbott]

Abyss, on 03 October 2019 - 02:22 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 03 October 2019 - 07:24 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 30 September 2019 - 01:32 PM, said:

So while you've all been reading Gideon, I've dived fully and non-regretfully into my first Melanie Rawn novel, EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI,...
Anyways, really enjoying.

Did she write this before or after the Sunrunner books?

I only ask because whilst Sunrunner was very formative for me (especially with lengthy prologues), the second series especially crossed heavily into narm territory when trying to address issues of real life.

Thinking of narm, the pacing on this Friedman book is wacky. MC rocks up, goes to a shop, takes the shopkeep on a date and now is doin it doin it doin it all within the space of 50 pages.

Book 1 was pub'd right after the sixth SUNRUNNER book.
I remember thinking that the second Sunrunner trilo had a 'bigger' epic feel than the first, but the characters and story weren't nearly as interesting.

I recall a wholly hamhanded attempt at addressing abortion in the second trilo, some weird attempt at caste systems, some adoption stuff but that was plot...

As for Friedman, hey you didn't need 50 pages of them dating, did you?

Yeah, it was the Andry 'but abortion is wrong!' rant that really kind of killed the suspension of disbelief for me. Think it happened in book 5 or 6.

RE Coldfire - I'd rather have 50 pages of slow burn rather than 'hey I just met you and this is crazy, but here's an earthquake, receive my babies'.

QuickTidal, on 03 October 2019 - 03:30 PM, said:

Abyss, on 03 October 2019 - 02:22 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 03 October 2019 - 07:24 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 30 September 2019 - 01:32 PM, said:

So while you've all been reading Gideon, I've dived fully and non-regretfully into my first Melanie Rawn novel, EXILE: THE RUINS OF AMBRAI,...
Anyways, really enjoying.

Did she write this before or after the Sunrunner books?

I only ask because whilst Sunrunner was very formative for me (especially with lengthy prologues), the second series especially crossed heavily into narm territory when trying to address issues of real life.

Thinking of narm, the pacing on this Friedman book is wacky. MC rocks up, goes to a shop, takes the shopkeep on a date and now is doin it doin it doin it all within the space of 50 pages.

As for Friedman, hey you didn't need 50 pages of them dating, did you?

I should qualify my earlier statement about COLDFIRE...while I ran into issues that stopped me reading it....I DO fully intend to get back into them at some point as I still have them in my ToRead pile.

It seems promising, but the pacing being sort of wacky is a worry. I don't want to wind up with another series that zooms along like Rush to Ascendancy did (and ultimately that was a huge part of me not reading Kellanved's Speed).

[Tsundoku]

Abyss, on 03 October 2019 - 02:22 PM, said:

Book 1 was pub'd right after the sixth SUNRUNNER book.I remember thinking that the second Sunrunner trilo had a 'bigger' epic feel than the first, but the characters and story weren't nearly as interesting.

Yup. First trilo was OK (they tended to go down from book 1 but the end was still decent) but the second trilo somehow killed most of my goodwill toward that entire series.

QuickTidal, on 03 October 2019 - 03:30 PM, said:

I should qualify my earlier statement about COLDFIRE...while I ran into issues that stopped me reading it....I DO fully intend to get back into them at some point as I still have them in my ToRead pile.

You won't shouldn't regret it. While most of the characters are fairly standard-to-decent, Gerald Tarrant is outstanding and one of the most interesting I have ever read. But I don't read a lot of truly heavy lit type stuff so YMMV.

Maark Abbott, on 04 October 2019 - 07:41 AM, said:

It seems promising, but the pacing being sort of wacky is a worry. I don't want to wind up with another series that zooms along like Rush to Ascendancy did (and ultimately that was a huge part of me not reading Kellanved's Speed).

It's nowhere hear that fast. It's one of those series where characters' motivations actually make sense because most of them are three-dimensional. And I love the world-building and magic system etc. I'd call the pacing "about right".

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 04 October 2019 - 10:38 AM

[Maark Abbott]

Tsundoku, on 04 October 2019 - 10:37 AM, said:

Abyss, on 03 October 2019 - 02:22 PM, said:

Book 1 was pub'd right after the sixth SUNRUNNER book.I remember thinking that the second Sunrunner trilo had a 'bigger' epic feel than the first, but the characters and story weren't nearly as interesting.

Yup. First trilo was OK (they tended to go down from book 1 but the end was still decent) but the second trilo somehow killed most of my goodwill toward that entire series.

QuickTidal, on 03 October 2019 - 03:30 PM, said:

I should qualify my earlier statement about COLDFIRE...while I ran into issues that stopped me reading it....I DO fully intend to get back into them at some point as I still have them in my ToRead pile.

You won't shouldn't regret it. While most of the characters are fairly standard-to-decent, Gerald Tarrant is outstanding and one of the most interesting I have ever read. But I don't read a lot of truly heavy lit type stuff so YMMV.

Maark Abbott, on 04 October 2019 - 07:41 AM, said:

It seems promising, but the pacing being sort of wacky is a worry. I don't want to wind up with another series that zooms along like Rush to Ascendancy did (and ultimately that was a huge part of me not reading Kellanved's Speed).

It's nowhere hear that fast. It's one of those series where characters' motivations actually make sense because most of them are three-dimensional. And I love the world-building and magic system etc. I'd call the pacing "about right".

I am glad it's not gonna be as spoody as Rush, that would kill it for me.

[Maark Abbott]

Tsundoku, on 04 October 2019 - 10:37 AM, said:

Abyss, on 03 October 2019 - 02:22 PM, said:

Book 1 was pub'd right after the sixth SUNRUNNER book.I remember thinking that the second Sunrunner trilo had a 'bigger' epic feel than the first, but the characters and story weren't nearly as interesting.

Yup. First trilo was OK (they tended to go down from book 1 but the end was still decent) but the second trilo somehow killed most of my goodwill toward that entire series.

QuickTidal, on 03 October 2019 - 03:30 PM, said:

I should qualify my earlier statement about COLDFIRE...while I ran into issues that stopped me reading it....I DO fully intend to get back into them at some point as I still have them in my ToRead pile.

You won't shouldn't regret it. While most of the characters are fairly standard-to-decent, Gerald Tarrant is outstanding and one of the most interesting I have ever read. But I don't read a lot of truly heavy lit type stuff so YMMV.

Maark Abbott, on 04 October 2019 - 07:41 AM, said:

It seems promising, but the pacing being sort of wacky is a worry. I don't want to wind up with another series that zooms along like Rush to Ascendancy did (and ultimately that was a huge part of me not reading Kellanved's Speed).

It's nowhere hear that fast. It's one of those series where characters' motivations actually make sense because most of them are three-dimensional. And I love the world-building and magic system etc. I'd call the pacing "about right".

I am glad it's not gonna be as spoody as Rush, that would kill it for me.

[Abyss]

Maark Abbott, on 04 October 2019 - 11:36 AM, said:

Tsundoku, on 04 October 2019 - 10:37 AM, said:

...

Maark Abbott, on 04 October 2019 - 07:41 AM, said:

It seems promising, but the pacing being sort of wacky is a worry. I don't want to wind up with another series that zooms along like Rush to Ascendancy did (and ultimately that was a huge part of me not reading Kellanved's Speed).

It's nowhere hear that fast. It's one of those series where characters' motivations actually make sense because most of them are three-dimensional. And I love the world-building and magic system etc. I'd call the pacing "about right".

I am glad it's not gonna be as spoody as Rush, that would kill it for me.

No, i think the pacing is solid enough. And once things get moving, it's pretty steady forward.


My main critiques with the series are time spent slogging from A to B, and the author's tendency toward the 'steady build to big finish', but there is ample character and plot development along the way that neither ruined my enjoyment of the story.

[Mentalist]

Finished "Brief Cases". I suspect at some point I'll have to construct a chart for the inevitable Dresdencrack re-read.

Good mix of stories, liked the various PoVs. Rolled my eyes several times reading "Jury Duty".

Next up, I once again remembered that i have the second KB&B collection sitting unread somewhere on my shelves. So I'll be digging into that.

Edit: finished "Wurms of Blearmouth". Now I want to re-read big parts of Malaz. Was it RG or TtH where on some sort of coast there's a Jaghut who buries his wife and does a similar reign of terror thing as Fangatooth? It seems Wrecker's coast is just SE's favourite playground, where each cove can hide a miserable settlement with a story to tell and hoary powers hiding in every shack.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 06 October 2019 - 05:59 AM

[Andorion]

I don't think I can finish Accelerando. There is a limit to reading random jargon.

[Tiste Simeon]

Ment - I think it's TTH when the Trygalle Guild lands there.