[QuickTidal]

Finally getting around to finishing up GGK's CHILDREN OF EARTH & SKY (which I started earlier in the year). It's really solid, and there are a LOT of Sarantine Mosaic touchstones (even though this takes place 1000 years later) and great characters, but it's a definitely slow burn. Was not expecting a GGK-realm allegory for Albanian military general, Skanderbeg! Heartily enjoying, and will look forward to the prequel book as it's on my Xmas list.

Will PROBABLY start RYTHYM OF WAR after that....who am I kidding.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 17 November 2020 - 02:39 PM

[Aptorian]

Quote

“What are you up to?” she asked me.
“I’m stealing the civil service,” I said. She nodded approvingly.

Finally got back into "How to rule an Empire and get away with it" by KJ Parker. And I'm really enjoying it.

I originally bounced off the book 60 pages in because I hate improbable stories about imposters pretending to be somebody they couldn't realistically get away with copying. But the book moves at such a clip and swerves in ways that keeps you on your toes. And the protagonist, like in the first book, is a great combination of smart, funny and unscrupulous.

[Tiste Simeon]

Incredible Aptorian, on 18 November 2020 - 07:25 AM, said:

Quote

“What are you up to?” she asked me.
“I’m stealing the civil service,” I said. She nodded approvingly.

Finally got back into "How to rule an Empire and get away with it" by KJ Parker. And I'm really enjoying it.

I originally bounced off the book 60 pages in because I hate improbable stories about imposters pretending to be somebody they couldn't realistically get away with copying. But the book moves at such a clip and swerves in ways that keeps you on your toes. And the protagonist, like in the first book, is a great combination of smart, funny and unscrupulous.

Is this a direct sequel to 16 Ways to Defend a Walled City or just one that is set in the same world?

[Macros]

Direct sequel

[QuickTidal]

RHYTHM OF WAR...Not going to lie, I was trepidatious going in because of OATHBRINGER being a slog, but this is very entertaining so far!

[Macros]

Oh man, you went and said Maark Beetle juice three times!

[paran falcon]

Re-reading, via Audible, The Chronicles of Lymond by Dorothy Dunnett. Its a 6 book series of historical fiction that centers around a Scotsman, Francis Crawford, and his adventures that take him around a lot of the world during the mid 1500s, by the end of the series. I read these first when I was around 15 years old. I had good memories of them, so I tried to read them again about 10 years ago and just couldn't concentrate properly on them and gave up. This is not the first time I've tried to re-read something I read young and couldn't handle it when I had no problem in my teens. But I am thoroughly enjoying them once again on Audible. The narrator is absolutely brilliant!


I'm curious how much historical fact is woven into the fiction of this series. I have yet to research that myself. Dorothy Dunnett does an extremely detailed job of describing the politics of the day between Scotland, England, France, Ireland and now in book 3, Turkey is being brought in to the picture. Anyone else familiar with the series?

[Maark Abbott]

QuickTidal, on 18 November 2020 - 04:34 PM, said:

RHYTHM OF WAR...Not going to lie, I was trepidatious going in because of OATHBRINGER being a slog, but this is very entertaining so far!

Macros, on 18 November 2020 - 09:10 PM, said:

Oh man, you went and said Maark Beetle juice three times!

My stormbad sense is tingling. Someone needs saving from jizzum of bore and I forgot my damned cape.

Hold on I need to go back for it

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 19 November 2020 - 04:28 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 18 November 2020 - 04:34 PM, said:

RHYTHM OF WAR...Not going to lie, I was trepidatious going in because of OATHBRINGER being a slog, but this is very entertaining so far!

Macros, on 18 November 2020 - 09:10 PM, said:

Oh man, you went and said Maark Beetle juice three times!

My stormbad sense is tingling. Someone needs saving from jizzum of bore and I forgot my damned cape.

Hold on I need to go back for it

It's a really good book Maark, you should read it.

[Stalker]

I just read the first three books of Christopher Ruocchio’s Sun Eater series (Empire of Silence, Howling Dark, Demon in White) over the last week and wanted to mention it here. Thought it was a completed trilogy, which is why I read it, but turns out that the series will be five books with one in 2021 and the last planned for 2022.

It’s a sci-fi space opera spanning the galaxy, but does have fantasy elements, especially in combat. The first book is where this is most noticeable. For fans of Pierce Brown, I was getting some major Red Rising books 4/5 vibes from the Demon in White.

The story is framed as the protagonist’s memoirs written after his fall from grace and exile. The blurb and first paragraph of the book gives that reason before jumping back to his childhood, where the story starts. The first two books have some slow sections, which I think can be forgiven due to the narrative structure of this being an old man’s memoirs. As the alien threat is introduced, things really pick up. I think it’s worth checking out - I’ll be here waiting for book 4 in the meantime.

[Aptorian]

I saw the Sun Eater series getting a lot of praise earlier this week on Reddit. They were calling it a modern classic.

[Stalker]

Oh cool. I think is series is worthy of attention, but wouldn’t go as far to call it a modern classic. Mostly due to the pacing of the first book, which I suspect could lose some readers. Additionally, that first book is reminiscent of other popular novels and you can see what inspired the author. Makes sense for a first book.

That said, the series comes into its own in books 2 and 3. Very excited to see what comes next.

[Aptorian]

Finished How to rule an empire and get away with it yesterday. Like the first book, I like the story though you can definitely see a formula emerging. And like the first book it feels like the ending is a bit too quickly or abruptly wrapped up. Still I'll definitely read a third one.

Better yet, I discovered there's a sequel to Parker's novella from last year, Prosper's Demon, coming out next summer called Inside Man. Instead of featuring the exorcist we're getting a story from one of the demons perspective.

[polishgenius]

On Sun Eater: I read the first book a while back, and it's fine and fun and I'll eventually read more, but it's not a modern classic or the first thing I'd point to when directing people to modern space opera (hell, given Kate Elliot's Uncoquerable Sun, it might not even be the first one I'd point to with 'Sun' in the title). Main problem is that I found the prose, and the general demeanour, to be a little bit dry and workmanlike for what I thought the setting and premise really needed, which is flair and showmanship.

But it's not bad.

This post has been edited by polishgenius: 21 November 2020 - 05:50 PM

[Imperial Historian]

So you'd recommend unconquerable sun? It's been on my radar

I've just finished the fires of vengeance sequel to rage of dragons both of which I very much enjoyed.

[polishgenius]

Imperial Historian, on 21 November 2020 - 05:53 PM, said:

So you'd recommend unconquerable sun? It's been on my radar

Yeah. It's not like mindblowing but it's a tight plot that rattles along with fun action and likeable, interesting characters, which sometimes is exactly what one needs.

I also just read Fires of Vengeance. Didn't like it quite as much as Rage of Dragons but it's still good.

[Stalker]

polishgenius, on 21 November 2020 - 05:48 PM, said:

On Sun Eater: I read the first book a while back, and it's fine and fun and I'll eventually read more, but it's not a modern classic or the first thing I'd point to when directing people to modern space opera (hell, given Kate Elliot's Uncoquerable Sun, it might not even be the first one I'd point to with 'Sun' in the title). Main problem is that I found the prose, and the general demeanour, to be a little bit dry and workmanlike for what I thought the setting and premise really needed, which is flair and showmanship.

But it's not bad.

I agree. The first book, while fun, was not excellent and had little space opera to it. More science fantasy. It’s really in books 2 and 3 (especially 3) that this comes into its own.

I’ll have to check out Kate Elliott now too. Thanks.

[polishgenius]

Stalker, on 21 November 2020 - 07:17 PM, said:

and had little space opera to it. More science fantasy.

Tbh I don't see the distinction here. Or rather, not all space opera is science fantasy and not all science fantasy is space opera but many many space operas are also space fantasy and I did think this was both.

But in any case I will read on at some stage.

[amphibian]

Some parts of Unconquerable Sun are palace intrigue stuff and then the rest is kinda a giant action sequence that moves from small unit stuff to a desperate space battle.

I would say it fits nicely in the space opera category.

[Imperial Historian]

polishgenius, on 21 November 2020 - 06:02 PM, said:

Imperial Historian, on 21 November 2020 - 05:53 PM, said:

So you'd recommend unconquerable sun? It's been on my radar

Yeah. It's not like mindblowing but it's a tight plot that rattles along with fun action and likeable, interesting characters, which sometimes is exactly what one needs.

Good enough for me!