[polishgenius]

Maark Abbott, on 03 December 2019 - 08:28 AM, said:

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.

This is more battle focused than that, but the politics never turn off even during the battles - there's a lot of power-plays and things going on within the fleets/armies and decisions made in the battles count into that.

Morally, it sounds quite similar- similar calculations are made by the characters here.

[Aptorian]

Finished Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey. Can't say I loved it but didn't hate it either. I'm willing to read another couple (Seeing as I already bought the first five!)

Started Last Wish, the first book/prequel? In the Witcher series.

The writing isn't great but its kinda fun reading the stories that are referenced in the games I already played. I'm pretty sure that the first story about the Striga is the basis for the cinematic in the first Witcher game.

[Maark Abbott]

polishgenius, on 03 December 2019 - 04:40 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 03 December 2019 - 08:28 AM, said:

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.

This is more battle focused than that, but the politics never turn off even during the battles - there's a lot of power-plays and things going on within the fleets/armies and decisions made in the battles count into that.

Morally, it sounds quite similar- similar calculations are made by the characters here.

Aight cool, that gives me a decent feel for how it's likely to be.

[QuickTidal]

I'm not much for the New Canon Star Wars EU stuff...but I grabbed and started Claudia Gray's MASTER & APPRENTICE, as it's a pre-Clone Wars Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan book, and she is one of the only authors I truly respect working on these books, and yeah, it's pretty damned decent so far.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 04 December 2019 - 02:29 PM

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 03 December 2019 - 03:17 PM, said:

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.

And i have to add, having just reread the last 5 or so chapters, the action scenes in TRUE BASTARDS are mad fucking glorious. Kinetic, vividly written, great pacing, and the author really knows how to integrate fantasy elements like warboars and magic into a close ugly fight and make it work.


On deck i'm considering four MURDERBOT books courtesy of Audible's cybermonday sale, HELLDIVERS book 6, and Coates' WATER DANCER. Tough call....

... so in the interim a brief foray into IT BURNS, a documentary earbook about 'chili heads', the culture of people who eat the world's hottest chili peppers. It's fairly short, the narrator is engaging, and the people he interviews are alternately interesting and mad nucking futs.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 04 December 2019 - 02:58 PM, said:

...

On deck i'm considering four MURDERBOT books courtesy of Audible's cybermonday sale, HELLDIVERS book 6, and Coates' WATER DANCER. Tough call....

... so in the interim a brief foray into IT BURNS, a documentary earbook about 'chili heads', the culture of people who eat the world's hottest chili peppers. It's fairly short, the narrator is engaging, and the people he interviews are alternately interesting and mad nucking futs.

Just finished IT BURNS. Entertaining but i'm glad it was only three hours. The Chilihead culture is mildly interesting in a 'these people are nuts' sort of way but the author's attempts to connect it to addiction, spirituality, and his childhood eating disorder kind of detracts from the more interesting bits about the history of chilies, and the fierce competition to grow the world's hottest pepper.



On to MURDERBOT, about halfway into ALL SYSTEMS RED and very enjoying so far.

[Mentalist]

Finished "The Red Prince". Gonna try to wrap up this series before the end of the year; it's really turning out to be a pleasant surprise from a pretty formulaic beginning.

Will be picking up the last book this weekend.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama

[Mentalist]

Started "The World Raven", the last Long War book.

[Andorion]

Read Sourdough by Robin Sloan. A very different but very interesting book.

Also started the Jane Yellowrock series

[Chance]

Recently finished a few books Ashers the Soldier was pretty much what Asher has mastered now in his polity universe, good but nothing new really just more. Finished Richard Kadreys the Grand Dark and I'm leaning towards it being fairly awesome for some hard to describe mix of grimdark and steampunk in what feels very much like post ww1 Germany but isn't. Its hard to say though as the protagonist spend half the book being one of those passive types who things just happen to which I usually dislike strongly. There was the True Bastards also which was fine, even pretty good sometimes but it didn't impress.

Mentalist, on 08 December 2019 - 11:40 PM, said:

Started "The World Raven", the last Long War book.

Been thinking about trying that series how is it?

This post has been edited by Chance: 09 December 2019 - 06:10 AM

[QuickTidal]

Was holding off reading my copy of HOLY SISTER by Lawrence, because I didn't want to finish the series until I knew there was more Lawrence on the horizon....but now that I know the next series first book drops in April, I decided to dive in.

And of course I read it in a marathon 3 days over the weekend. It was a fantastic ending to the trilogy, and I really enjoyed how it wrapped up.

Next up RED COUNTRY by Joe Abercombie.

[End of Disc One]

BfuckinK, on 09 December 2019 - 03:56 PM, said:

Pulled out Licanus 1 and wrapped it in a napkin. It’s ready to go at any time now.

I think you'll like it. I'm currently reading book 2 and really enjoying it.

[Aptorian]

BfuckinK, on 09 December 2019 - 03:56 PM, said:

Pulled out Licanus 1 and wrapped it in a napkin. It’s ready to go at any time now.

Wrapped it in a napkin? Wut?

[QuickTidal]

And Licanius 3 is out VERY soon!

[Aptorian]

BfuckinK, on 09 December 2019 - 04:45 PM, said:

End of Disc One, on 09 December 2019 - 04:22 PM, said:

BfuckinK, on 09 December 2019 - 03:56 PM, said:

Pulled out Licanus 1 and wrapped it in a napkin. It’s ready to go at any time now.

I think you'll like it. I'm currently reading book 2 and really enjoying it.

‘‘Tis what I keep hearing! And I hope napkin works. Gonna get some latex gloves out if it doesn’t.

Again, WUT???

[JPK]

Aptorian, on 09 December 2019 - 04:59 PM, said:

BfuckinK, on 09 December 2019 - 04:45 PM, said:

End of Disc One, on 09 December 2019 - 04:22 PM, said:

BfuckinK, on 09 December 2019 - 03:56 PM, said:

Pulled out Licanus 1 and wrapped it in a napkin. It’s ready to go at any time now.

I think you'll like it. I'm currently reading book 2 and really enjoying it.

‘‘Tis what I keep hearing! And I hope napkin works. Gonna get some latex gloves out if it doesn’t.

Again, WUT???

Lol, they have white covers and he's afraid of staining them.

On that note though... You're gonna keep em outta your truck, right BK?

[Mercury]

My Unkie swears by The Magic of Recluse by L.E. Modesitt Jr. but as for myself I’m leaning more towards my Auntie and her smirk face when I agreed to try it out. I am not very far in and perhaps it does get better but dagnapit it’s just dull so far.

This post has been edited by Mercury: 09 December 2019 - 05:33 PM

[Abyss]

Mercury, on 09 December 2019 - 05:29 PM, said:

My Unkie swears by The Magic of Recluse by L.E. Modesitt Jr. but as for myself I'm leaning more towards my Auntie and her smirk face when I agreed to try it out. I am not very far in and perhaps it does get better but dagnapit it's just dull so far.

I read 4 or 5 of these and found them fairly by-the-numbers consistent. They do get a bit better as the author improves but there is no MEMORIES OF ICE holydragonfuck level escalation.
I bailed on the series because i found the plots seemed to recycle.

[Obdigore]

Abyss, on 09 December 2019 - 06:18 PM, said:

Mercury, on 09 December 2019 - 05:29 PM, said:

My Unkie swears by The Magic of Recluse by L.E. Modesitt Jr. but as for myself I'm leaning more towards my Auntie and her smirk face when I agreed to try it out. I am not very far in and perhaps it does get better but dagnapit it's just dull so far.

I read 4 or 5 of these and found them fairly by-the-numbers consistent. They do get a bit better as the author improves but there is no MEMORIES OF ICE holydragonfuck level escalation.
I bailed on the series because i found the plots seemed to recycle.

The plots are all generally coming of age stories of very gifted (magically) people and dealing with older people who don't like it.

It's fine popcorn fantasy, but it certainly isn't anything that's going to shatter the way you ee the world.

Magic of Recluse, the first in the series, is probably the worst written. I'd actually tell you to start with 'The Magic Engineer' instead of 'The Magic of Recluse'.