[Aptorian]

Kept reading, boy does that book pay off.

Harrow the Ninth starts out confusing and frustrating but that last third? Fuck yes. That's the good stuff that made me love the first book.

Giant spoilers

Spoiler

I figured out early that the narrator was likely Gideon and Harrow had fucked herself up for some reason. Bit disappointed that it appears that Harrow only (?) did it to avoid dealing with the inevitable death of Gideon - Expected something more convoluted. Or maybe there's more because there's more letters and we're not told how Harrow knows the people from Eden.

I think a big weakness in the narration is that Gideon's perspective and dialogue in the last third is so much better than the rest of the cast. She outshines the rest of Muir's character roster and I think book 2 suffers from a lack of Gideon.

I wonder what happens in book 3? I suspect Harrow isn't dead but trying to find a third option to the lyctor absorbing the Cavalier problem.

Gotta say I loved the whole Agatha Christie mystery meeting at the end. I think the way Muir wrote these immortal millennia old people was fun, where you've known one another so long that you're beyond relationships and taboos.

Also loved the reappearance of God. He went from a mild mannered dictator to a terrifyingly casual murderer.

I still don't understand the universe. Is there just the nine houses/planets surrounding a sun or is there a much bigger human civilisation in which the necromancer empire is just a faction? I seem to get the feeling there's a large fleet of space ships but I don't think they're only fighting you know what.

Also started Daniel H. Wilson's Robopocalypse. I didn't know this was written like World War Z. It's interesting so far, though I can already tell that I don't think I'm going to like the author's take on a robot war.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 04 January 2021 - 05:21 PM

[amphibian]

Tiste Simeon, on 04 January 2021 - 05:07 PM, said:

Hello all what are some non-Amazon decent book websites out there that deliver to the UK? It's my birthday coming up and I want to request some books but I don't want any more money going to the goblin poster boy of unfettered late stage capitalism if I can help it...

"Hive.co.uk- Hive is an online network of 360 independent bookstores nationwide. It sells all the latest bestsellers, prize winners and ebooks, as well as DVDs, music and stationery. A per cent of the profits go back into your nearest independent bookshop every time you make a purchase, or you can select your “favourite” bookshop to benefit instead.

Wordery.com- Founded in 2012, Wordery is one of the fastest growing independent online booksellers. The company, which was created by British book wholesaler Betrams and former Book Depository IT Director Will Jones as an alternative to Amazon, says it currently has a range of over 9 million different titles and serves 5 million customers. It offers free worldwide delivery.

Bookbutler.co.uk- Bookbutler is a price comparison website which aims to compare over 55,000 titles being sold by online retailers (including Amazon and its subsidiary ABE Books). It's a comparator so it does not sell the books itself but it does give you a range of non-Amazon options and the chance to see whether the behemoth is actually the cheapest option after all.

Blackwells- Blackwells is primarily an academic and non-fiction bookseller but has also ventured out in recent years with bestsellers, children’s books and others. It even sells Fifty Shades of Grey and a Taylor Swift colouring book called “Colour Me Swiftly”.

TheWorks, Waterstones, Foyles and other high street brands- Major high street brands have expanded and updated their online offers in recent years to compete with Amazon. Many have similar prices to it, though shipping often makes it more pricey, and include offers you don’t get in store. There are also click and collect options."

https://www.independ...s-10458698.html

I see there's a Waterstones on the Isle of Man. I dunno how far away you are from it.

[amphibian]

Aptorian, on 04 January 2021 - 05:16 PM, said:

Kept reading, boy does that book pay off.

Harrow the Ninth starts out confusing and frustrating but that last third? Fuck yes. That's the good stuff that made me love the first book.

Giant spoilers

Spoiler

I figured out early that the narrator was likely Gideon and Harrow had fucked herself up for some reason. Bit disappointed that it appears that Harrow only (?) did it to avoid dealing with the inevitable death of Gideon - Expected something more convoluted. Or maybe there's more because there's more letters and we're not told how Harrow knows the people from Eden.

I think a big weakness in the narration is that Gideon's perspective and dialogue in the last third is so much better than the rest of the cast. She outshines the rest of Muir's character roster and I think book 2 suffers from a lack of Gideon.

I wonder what happens in book 3? I suspect Harrow isn't dead but trying to find a third option to the lyctor absorbing the Cavalier problem.

Gotta say I loved the whole Agatha Christie mystery meeting at the end. I think the way Muir wrote these immortal millennia old people was fun, where you've known one another so long that you're beyond relationships and taboos.

Also loved the reappearance of God. He went from a mild mannered dictator to a terrifyingly casual murderer.

I still don't understand the universe. Is there just the nine houses/planets surrounding a sun or is there a much bigger human civilisation in which the necromancer empire is just a faction? I seem to get the feeling there's a large fleet of space ships but I don't think they're only fighting you know what.

I think you somehow skipped like all of the bits you wanted because they're in the books.

I will go into spoiler tags.

Spoiler

It's a huge galaxy and humanity all died at some point only to be resurrected by God/Emperor/John. That resurrection made the monsters start coming after the humans or maybe created or amped up the monsters, so the entire civilization got moved to the 9 planets (and a few others we maybe have hints of). The war vs the monsters is being fought far, far away from the 9 planets. Remember the scenes of Harrow and Ianthe blowing up the planet souls to feed the monsters? That's far, far away from the 9 houses.

There's Lictors and then there's conventional fleets, plus the Eden people. Lots of ships out there. Someone has to build the gigantic space stations and so on.

Also what's your problem with Harrow doing the convoluted stuff to save Gideon, who she loves dearly and actually wants to keep around as a soul in a body?

[Tiste Simeon]

Thank you Amph. And nothing is far away from anything on the Isle of Man but I can probably get there in 10-20 minutes. I like the sound of Hive.

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik over Christmas. I got a bit bogged down with it as I found the pacing slow. Currently reading her Uprooted now, which I find has better pacing and is more interesting. If anyone has read her Temeraire books I would appreciate hearing thoughts on them or A Deadly Education (this was in someone's post up thread, but I don't remember whose).

Also read The Delirium Brief on the Christmas break. Hadn't read the previous books, so probably spoilered myself, but ordered the first four in the Laundry Files after finishing. Those should be here this week and will be next on my reading list.

[Chance]

Reading Two Serpents Rise and I like it but just like its predecessor they also bug me sometimes just small things but it doesn't really feel like a world that could have grown up naturally. It feels more like a world that at some point got invaded by corporate wizards from somewhere else who took the place over. Well it's still intriguing and brilliantly imagined.

Gwynn ap Nudd, on 05 January 2021 - 03:16 AM, said:

Finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik over Christmas. I got a bit bogged down with it as I found the pacing slow. Currently reading her Uprooted now, which I find has better pacing and is more interesting. If anyone has read her Temeraire books I would appreciate hearing thoughts on them or A Deadly Education (this was in someone's post up thread, but I don't remember whose).

Not read Spinning Silver but did read some Temeraire books didn't finish the series, it was a while ago but I'd guess I read three or four of them. Decent but nothing special.

A Deadly Education was very fun however and am certainly reading the next one. Not a perfect book in any way but a very entertaining and engaging one.

This post has been edited by Chance: 05 January 2021 - 04:40 AM

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Thanks for the input. I'll pick up A Deadly Education for a read. 50 odd pages from finishing Uprooted and it has been an enjoyable read. Not ground breaking, but worth recommending. I suppose my recommendation would be to skip Spinning Silver though.

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Briar King, on 05 January 2021 - 03:53 AM, said:

I have read 3 Temeraie and started 4th but put down. That was a long time ago. It’s interesting but I thought it lacked something. I’d call them basic personally. I enjoyed bk2 best. Granted I was reading these at the time my mom was fighting cancer and died when I was on bk 3 so there’s likely lots of me being meh about the books due to that but I have never had the urge to retry to see. I know a lot of people really enjoyed it.

Dang forum pages ending, missed your comment on the books at first. I think between your comments and Chance's it's something I would pick up if I could find the early books at the library or maybe used.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Briar King, on 05 January 2021 - 03:53 AM, said:

I have read 3 Temeraie and started 4th but put down. That was a long time ago. It's interesting but I thought it lacked something. I'd call them basic personally. I enjoyed bk2 best. Granted I was reading these at the time my mom was fighting cancer and died when I was on bk 3 so there's likely lots of me being meh about the books due to that but I have never had the urge to retry to see. I know a lot of people really enjoyed it.

Can't remember if it was book four or five I gave up on. Nice series but I didn't feel it had the legs to keep going, would agree the second one was probably the best.

[Imperial Historian]

Uprooted is my favourite novak book. I enjoyed spinning silver, and liked the first few temeraires but also stopped reading them. Deadly education was fun but more YA than her other books.

[Aptorian]

amphibian, on 04 January 2021 - 06:27 PM, said:

Aptorian, on 04 January 2021 - 05:16 PM, said:

Kept reading, boy does that book pay off.

Harrow the Ninth starts out confusing and frustrating but that last third? Fuck yes. That's the good stuff that made me love the first book.

Giant spoilers

Spoiler

I figured out early that the narrator was likely Gideon and Harrow had fucked herself up for some reason. Bit disappointed that it appears that Harrow only (?) did it to avoid dealing with the inevitable death of Gideon - Expected something more convoluted. Or maybe there's more because there's more letters and we're not told how Harrow knows the people from Eden.

I think a big weakness in the narration is that Gideon's perspective and dialogue in the last third is so much better than the rest of the cast. She outshines the rest of Muir's character roster and I think book 2 suffers from a lack of Gideon.

I wonder what happens in book 3? I suspect Harrow isn't dead but trying to find a third option to the lyctor absorbing the Cavalier problem.

Gotta say I loved the whole Agatha Christie mystery meeting at the end. I think the way Muir wrote these immortal millennia old people was fun, where you've known one another so long that you're beyond relationships and taboos.

Also loved the reappearance of God. He went from a mild mannered dictator to a terrifyingly casual murderer.

I still don't understand the universe. Is there just the nine houses/planets surrounding a sun or is there a much bigger human civilisation in which the necromancer empire is just a faction? I seem to get the feeling there's a large fleet of space ships but I don't think they're only fighting you know what.

I think you somehow skipped like all of the bits you wanted because they're in the books.

I will go into spoiler tags.

Spoiler

It's a huge galaxy and humanity all died at some point only to be resurrected by God/Emperor/John. That resurrection made the monsters start coming after the humans or maybe created or amped up the monsters, so the entire civilization got moved to the 9 planets (and a few others we maybe have hints of). The war vs the monsters is being fought far, far away from the 9 planets. Remember the scenes of Harrow and Ianthe blowing up the planet souls to feed the monsters? That's far, far away from the 9 houses.

There's Lictors and then there's conventional fleets, plus the Eden people. Lots of ships out there. Someone has to build the gigantic space stations and so on.

Also what's your problem with Harrow doing the convoluted stuff to save Gideon, who she loves dearly and actually wants to keep around as a soul in a body?

Spoiler

See I sort of get all the stuff you explain there but I think it's drip fed in such an obfuscated way I'm not sure any of that is true. Or if it is, it makes no sense. Why would humanity be relegated to one star system if there's life all across the galaxy? Unless of course it's about not being able to protect anything but one star system from the beasts. Eh, I find it peculiar.

[Macros]

Finished up The Trouble With Peace last night. Abercrombie Abercrombying, it's fine, Heroes is still my favourite.

Work lunchtime read is book....16/17? Of Scarrows eagle series.

[QuickTidal]

Read and finished the first of my Christmas gift reads last night, Terry Brooks THE FALL OF SHANNARA: THE BLACK ELFSTONE. It's solidly great actually. After a lacklustre previous series of Shannara books, this last Quadrilogy is shaping up to be excellent. Now, the first book is a LOT of table setting, but there's lots to enjoy while they set that table.

I'm listening to the first 3 episodes of BF's DOCTOR WHO: TIME LORD VICTORIOUS audios with Paul McGann today (they are a blast so far!)

And then I'm starting STAR WARS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC: THE LIGHT OF THE JEDI by Charles Soule (this is the first book into Disney's massive new foray into their own SW era, so I'm excited to get into it!)

[Aptorian]

Ah, you just reminded me I've been meaning to pick up the Shannara omnibus in our English section at the library.

[QuickTidal]

Aptorian, on 05 January 2021 - 03:20 PM, said:

Ah, you just reminded me I've been meaning to pick up the Shannara omnibus in our English section at the library.

Which one?

[Aptorian]

I'm assuming it's the original trilogy. It's big and red and look almost as old as I am.

I suspect that it's the one called Sword of Shannara.

[QuickTidal]

Aptorian, on 05 January 2021 - 04:01 PM, said:

I'm assuming it's the original trilogy. It's big and red and look almost as old as I am.

I suspect that it's the one called Sword of Shannara.

Okay, well just a warning that SWORD (the first book in the omnibus) is a full tilt LOTR clone...and the story isn't very good, but the other two books in the omnibus ELFSTONES and WISHSONG are both REALLY great. So if SWORD doesn't cut it for you, skip to ELFSTONES or WISHSONG...they are different generations from the first book anyways, so you're not missing much if you do that.

[amphibian]

Quick Tidal is not underselling the LotR clone aspect of Sword, although I think Brooks improved on some elements and did worse on others.

The general idea is that Brooks keeps going back to the land for slightly different generations of characters to do "save the world" things.

[Chance]

QuickTidal, on 05 January 2021 - 02:52 PM, said:

And then I'm starting STAR WARS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC: THE LIGHT OF THE JEDI by Charles Soule (this is the first book into Disney's massive new foray into their own SW era, so I'm excited to get into it!)

Just added it fairly far up the to read pile, please rapport on the experience.

[QuickTidal]

Chance, on 05 January 2021 - 05:01 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 January 2021 - 02:52 PM, said:

And then I'm starting STAR WARS - THE HIGH REPUBLIC: THE LIGHT OF THE JEDI by Charles Soule (this is the first book into Disney's massive new foray into their own SW era, so I'm excited to get into it!)

Just added it fairly far up the to read pile, please rapport on the experience.

will do!