[polishgenius]

Maark Abbott, on 30 November 2019 - 03:47 PM, said:

So I could use some recommendations. Wife wants me to have something to open on Christmas day given that my HK416 Nendoroid doesn't release until next year, so I feel like some books are in order. Got my eye on Dragon's Path, and have budget from her for two more...

Ninefox Gambit is a space opera with some morally murky machinations to spare, I know you enjoy a touch of darkness. Also lots and lots of weirdness. First of a trilogy.


Thunderer by Felix Gilman for something not new, but well good and under-read. First half of a duology.

[Aptorian]

I'm about 80% through Leviathans Wake and I'm really conflicted about this book.

On the one hand it's an interesting story and it has great characters. On the other hand the book is about 200 pages too long. It spends far too much time telling and then showing.

It feels like reading "Baby's First Sci-fi Book", it's kinda low sci-fi with very little speculation about where science realistically would take us a couple hundred years into the future. In that sense it feels anachronistic, outdated even by 2020 in some ways.

Spoiler

Also - Zombies? Really? I mean I get that it was at it's zenith a decade ago but seriously?

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 01 December 2019 - 08:06 PM

[polishgenius]

That feeling was one of the reasons I put the series down for seven years after reading the first one, but having re-read it and then carried on very recently there's good reasons why the first book plays it so careful. It's a bit similar to why the first two and a half books of the Dresden Files are very templat-y and cliche even by the standards of urban fantasy of the time. It's building a base for a lot to go on.

[amphibian]

polishgenius, on 01 December 2019 - 12:05 AM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 30 November 2019 - 03:47 PM, said:

So I could use some recommendations. Wife wants me to have something to open on Christmas day given that my HK416 Nendoroid doesn't release until next year, so I feel like some books are in order. Got my eye on Dragon's Path, and have budget from her for two more...

Ninefox Gambit is a space opera with some morally murky machinations to spare, I know you enjoy a touch of darkness. Also lots and lots of weirdness. First of a trilogy.


Thunderer by Felix Gilman for something not new, but well good and under-read. First half of a duology.

It is less of a straightforward space opera and more of a very character focused palace intrigue story with space navy battles taking the place of land wars.

I quite liked the whole thing and totally understand the usage of space opera, yet it's not a simple "chosen one battles enemies and wins". Yoon Ha Lee is much more like N.K. Jemison (100,000 Kingdoms) than he is like Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game).

[Andorion]

amphibian, on 02 December 2019 - 01:29 AM, said:

polishgenius, on 01 December 2019 - 12:05 AM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 30 November 2019 - 03:47 PM, said:

So I could use some recommendations. Wife wants me to have something to open on Christmas day given that my HK416 Nendoroid doesn't release until next year, so I feel like some books are in order. Got my eye on Dragon's Path, and have budget from her for two more...

Ninefox Gambit is a space opera with some morally murky machinations to spare, I know you enjoy a touch of darkness. Also lots and lots of weirdness. First of a trilogy.


Thunderer by Felix Gilman for something not new, but well good and under-read. First half of a duology.

It is less of a straightforward space opera and more of a very character focused palace intrigue story with space navy battles taking the place of land wars.

I quite liked the whole thing and totally understand the usage of space opera, yet it's not a simple "chosen one battles enemies and wins". Yoon Ha Lee is much more like N.K. Jemison (100,000 Kingdoms) than he is like Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game).

Also there are some aesthetic similarities with Ann Leckie.

Speaking of whom, I finished Unkindest Tide which was absolutely superb and have almost finished Ancillary Sword - Bk 2 of the Radch series. A bit slow. But its heating up

[polishgenius]

amphibian, on 02 December 2019 - 01:29 AM, said:

It is less of a straightforward space opera and more of a very character focused palace intrigue story with space navy battles taking the place of land wars.

I quite liked the whole thing and totally understand the usage of space opera, yet it's not a simple "chosen one battles enemies and wins". Yoon Ha Lee is much more like N.K. Jemison (100,000 Kingdoms) than he is like Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game).

I mean sure but it's far more focused on the big empire battling side of it than a Song of Ice and Fire but you wouldn't question that being epic fantasy. It's also all those other things but it's definitely space opera, with a fairly strong lean towards military SF.

I love it tbh.

[Macros]

Finished Arm of the Sphinx last night.

As good as the first.

An excellent but of world building and character development

[Maark Abbott]

amphibian, on 02 December 2019 - 01:29 AM, said:

polishgenius, on 01 December 2019 - 12:05 AM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 30 November 2019 - 03:47 PM, said:

So I could use some recommendations. Wife wants me to have something to open on Christmas day given that my HK416 Nendoroid doesn't release until next year, so I feel like some books are in order. Got my eye on Dragon's Path, and have budget from her for two more...

Ninefox Gambit is a space opera with some morally murky machinations to spare, I know you enjoy a touch of darkness. Also lots and lots of weirdness. First of a trilogy.


Thunderer by Felix Gilman for something not new, but well good and under-read. First half of a duology.

It is less of a straightforward space opera and more of a very character focused palace intrigue story with space navy battles taking the place of land wars.

I quite liked the whole thing and totally understand the usage of space opera, yet it's not a simple "chosen one battles enemies and wins". Yoon Ha Lee is much more like N.K. Jemison (100,000 Kingdoms) than he is like Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game).

I am getting a Legend of the Galactic Heroes vibe off of that description. Tell me more.

[Aptorian]

Macros, on 02 December 2019 - 06:29 AM, said:

Finished Arm of the Sphinx last night.

As good as the first.

An excellent but of world building and character development

Did you ever figure out why the Sphinx has an arm?

[Maark Abbott]

Aptorian, on 02 December 2019 - 08:44 AM, said:

Macros, on 02 December 2019 - 06:29 AM, said:

Finished Arm of the Sphinx last night.

As good as the first.

An excellent but of world building and character development

Did you ever figure out why the Sphinx has an arm?

Was it drawn by Strong Bad?

[Tiste Simeon]

Aptorian, on 02 December 2019 - 08:44 AM, said:

Macros, on 02 December 2019 - 06:29 AM, said:

Finished Arm of the Sphinx last night.

As good as the first.

An excellent but of world building and character development

Did you ever figure out why the Sphinx has an arm?

I finished it too. The Arm is represented by a person the Sphinx chooses to go and do their bidding in the tower, the physical presence of the Sphinx.

I thought it was excellent and while it did dip in the middle it was a strong finish. Starting the third one, THE HOD KING today.

[Aptorian]

Oh wait, is this the Senlin Ascends series?

[Tiste Simeon]

Yep

[polishgenius]

Maark Abbott, on 02 December 2019 - 08:38 AM, said:

I am getting a Legend of the Galactic Heroes vibe off of that description. Tell me more.

I'm not familiar with Legend of the Galactic Heroes but from the sounds of it this is a lot less sprawling- the first story is told almost entirely from one PoV, the later books have a couple more- but I'd also bet that Galactic Heroes isn't as morally weird as this.

[Macros]

Book club announcement.

December book, starting next week -

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia

It's on Amazon at a reasonable price at the minute, or your local library possibly too

Don't be shy, we're nice

[Aptorian]

Also we're gearing up for a ten book reread of the main Malazan series in 2020.

https://forum.malaza...43#entry1390843

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 02 December 2019 - 07:58 PM

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 28 November 2019 - 04:07 PM, said:

Abyss, on 27 November 2019 - 03:17 PM, said:

...
Meanwhile TRUE BASTARDS take a lot of what worked in GREY BASTARDS, adds some more interesting character writing and moves along very nicely. Enjoying this.

My reactions to chapters 25-27(ish), summarized...


HOLY FUCK!
HOLY FUCKING FUCK!!!
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN???
DID THAT JUST REALLY HAPPEN????
AND THAT? AND THEN THAT????
WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK WAS THAT????
WAIT... I'M ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK????

...aaaaand Just Finished.


There are multiple sequences and action scenes thru the rest of the book that provoked similar reactions. The author seriously upped his game with this book. Entirely enjoyable, not nearly as grimdark as the concept suggests.

Worth the dollars and brainzeztime, earbook has a great great narrator.

[JPK]

Abyss, on 02 December 2019 - 09:13 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 November 2019 - 04:07 PM, said:

Abyss, on 27 November 2019 - 03:17 PM, said:

...
Meanwhile TRUE BASTARDS take a lot of what worked in GREY BASTARDS, adds some more interesting character writing and moves along very nicely. Enjoying this.

My reactions to chapters 25-27(ish), summarized...


HOLY FUCK!
HOLY FUCKING FUCK!!!
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN???
DID THAT JUST REALLY HAPPEN????
AND THAT? AND THEN THAT????
WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK WAS THAT????
WAIT... I'M ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK????

...aaaaand Just Finished.


There are multiple sequences and action scenes thru the rest of the book that provoked similar reactions. The author seriously upped his game with this book. Entirely enjoyable, not nearly as grimdark as the concept suggests.

Worth the dollars and brainzeztime, earbook has a great great narrator.

Thinking of grabbing these two with my last two credits. How was the narrator for book 1 since they changed?

[Maark Abbott]

polishgenius, on 02 December 2019 - 06:57 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 02 December 2019 - 08:38 AM, said:

I am getting a Legend of the Galactic Heroes vibe off of that description. Tell me more.

I'm not familiar with Legend of the Galactic Heroes but from the sounds of it this is a lot less sprawling- the first story is told almost entirely from one PoV, the later books have a couple more- but I'd also bet that Galactic Heroes isn't as morally weird as this.

True, GalHer has a lot of POVs but you can generally boil those POVs down to Alliance and Empire, and then they have their internal power struggles. Morally it's pretty grey, especially at the point where

Spoiler

an entire planet is nuked by a noble house to make a point, and the protagonist on that POV path allows it to happen because it demonstrates a political point

.

It's pretty huge in scope but my thought was it is primarily a political intrigue story which happens to span a galaxy and feature space navies for combat sequences.

[Abyss]

JPK, on 02 December 2019 - 09:24 PM, said:

Abyss, on 02 December 2019 - 09:13 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 November 2019 - 04:07 PM, said:

Abyss, on 27 November 2019 - 03:17 PM, said:

...
Meanwhile TRUE BASTARDS take a lot of what worked in GREY BASTARDS, adds some more interesting character writing and moves along very nicely. Enjoying this.

My reactions to chapters 25-27(ish), summarized...


HOLY FUCK!
HOLY FUCKING FUCK!!!
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN???
DID THAT JUST REALLY HAPPEN????
AND THAT? AND THEN THAT????
WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK WAS THAT????
WAIT... I'M ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK????

...aaaaand Just Finished.


There are multiple sequences and action scenes thru the rest of the book that provoked similar reactions. The author seriously upped his game with this book. Entirely enjoyable, not nearly as grimdark as the concept suggests.

Worth the dollars and brainzeztime, earbook has a great great narrator.

Thinking of grabbing these two with my last two credits. How was the narrator for book 1 since they changed?

They're both good. I have no complaints. The bk 2 narrator truly excels but be fair she has more drama to work with, nails it.

I think they're totally worth picking up without hesitation. Great fun, great fantasy, solid ends to both books, with hooks for what comes next but zero cliffhang. Unlike say Abercrombie or Lawrence imnsho, who i will (buy the books but) wait til a trilo is done before reading, these are not so tightly wound as to make that worth waiting versus reading sooner.