[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 13 January 2021 - 08:20 PM, said:

Dropped Valour (book 2) a few chapters in it would seem.

I was of the opinion the Gwynne was trying too hard to be GRRM.

I called Malice a solid debut, which is surprising given how unfondly I remember the book, only one plot line actually caught me though

At this point I'm definitely willing to read the second one, but I'll keep your comments in my head as I go.

I feel like this is what Joe Abercrombie would be if he dialled back the bleakness of his stories (not a slight against Abercrombie mind you)? Like even though dark shit is and can happen, there's hope? I dunno. We will see.

I think I'm enjoying the fact that it's an untraditional traditional fantasy world...you know? Giants instead of Elves, ect.

[End of Disc One]

I bought Malice a few months ago but I haven't started it yet. I didn't know there were giants in it. I'm looking forward to reading it maybe sometime this year.

[Aptorian]

Did someone say Giants? I love giants!

Are these proper giants? 30 feet+ or just the lame kind from Malazan and Song of Ice and Fire?

[Cyphon]

I never thought I'd get a BFG vibe from Apt.

[Maark Abbott]

Aptorian, on 13 January 2021 - 09:41 PM, said:

Did someone say Giants? I love giants!

Are these proper giants? 30 feet+ or just the lame kind from Malazan and Song of Ice and Fire?

Kelpliver Waterfallstalker style perhaps?

[Aptorian]

Gesundheit!

[Maark Abbott]

Aptorian, on 14 January 2021 - 10:24 AM, said:

Gesundheit!

I bloody well hope I'm not a leper!

[Aptorian]

I'm about halfway through John Dies at the End. Not sure about this book. It has a very strong opening and setup but I don't think the follow through lives up to the promise of the precognitive plot opener.


There's something funny about the talk's with the journalist though, because as he points out this all just reads as mental illness and confessions to a host of serious crimes.

[amphibian]

I understand that perspective. I ended up really really enjoying it and the next book, This Book Is Full Of Spiders. Somehow the one upping of weirdness gets tolerable when Amy is involved heavily.

I haven't read the third book yet.

[Aptorian]

There's definitely something entertaining about the mix between college age humor and existential dread. I just feel like it gets a bit too Scary Movie in places where it should have gone all in on the psychological horror.

Also it has that annoying trope where good guy keeps knowledge from other characters to not seem insane or protect them and in doing so just making things harder.

Interesting you mention Amy, I just started a chapter that focuses on her I suspect.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 14 January 2021 - 09:13 PM

[Salt-Man Z]

amphibian, on 14 January 2021 - 08:54 PM, said:

I understand that perspective. I ended up really really enjoying it and the next book, This Book Is Full Of Spiders. Somehow the one upping of weirdness gets tolerable when Amy is involved heavily.

I haven't read the third book yet.

Spiders is a much more coherent story than JDatE, but it loses a lot of the madcap zaniness that made the first book so charming.

[Aptorian]

Quote

I ground through static and static and static, then recoiled at the shrill, choking sound of a man apparently squealing through a crushed larynx. After a moment I realized it was simply Fred Durst and the group Limp Bizkit—Shitload’s favorite band.
They’re the ones who invented the musical technique of feeding a list of generic rap phrases to a goat, then reading its turds into a microphone over heavy metal guitar.
This was the song “Rollin’,” judging by the fact that the chorus was Fred saying that word several dozen times. Perfect. Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ …

[Aptorian]

Finished John Dies at the End. It finishes really strong and it probably has the world's longest epilogue. The anniversary commentary at the end of this version is also gold.

I think the book would have been better if it didn't focus on the Korrok stuff and instead just had an episodic structure, with random weird supernatural encounters like the opening. But it really is a fun read, namely Dave and John's friendship. John is probably one of my favourite litterary characters now.

I've gotta say, as a side note, this book has the highest quality dick jokes I've ever read. It should get some kind of award.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 15 January 2021 - 08:48 PM

[amphibian]

Oh wait until you read the next one if those are the things you like.

[Aptorian]

Finished Jennifer Bell's first Uncommoners book, The Crooked Sixpence.

This is a great little children's fantasy book. The uncommon objects and uncommon people gimmick is a clever narrative foil and I think she could do a lot with this world. It's Harry Potter like in the whimsical-ness and the uncanny society under London.

The characters could use some work though and I hope there's more time for sightseeing and exploration in the later books.

Started up This book is full of Spiders by David Wong. Man I enjoy these books. Like mentioned above this one seems more straightforward but also hella creepy. Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders.

I love these bits where Dave starts to recount events as John told them and says to the reader to take this with a grain of salt. Then he launches into the most absurd story. I love John so much.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 17 January 2021 - 09:52 PM

[Aptorian]

Just finished the first section of This book is full of Spiders. This book is fucking awesome. No slow paced bullshit just a rolling snowball of apocalyptic shit getting worse and worse.

[QuickTidal]

QuickTidal, on 13 January 2021 - 08:25 PM, said:

Macros, on 13 January 2021 - 08:20 PM, said:

Dropped Valour (book 2) a few chapters in it would seem.

I was of the opinion the Gwynne was trying too hard to be GRRM.

I called Malice a solid debut, which is surprising given how unfondly I remember the book, only one plot line actually caught me though

At this point I'm definitely willing to read the second one, but I'll keep your comments in my head as I go.

I feel like this is what Joe Abercrombie would be if he dialled back the bleakness of his stories (not a slight against Abercrombie mind you)? Like even though dark shit is and can happen, there's hope? I dunno. We will see.

I think I'm enjoying the fact that it's an untraditional traditional fantasy world...you know? Giants instead of Elves, ect.

So I've finished MALICE now, and I really enjoyed it. It's DEFINITELY mostly table setting (especially with large parts of the cast going through their teenage years over the course of the book) for later books...but I didn't find the story in this one unenjoyable. I can see some GRRM comparisons for sure, but it's got much more of a fantasy bent than GRRM does, what with the Giants, the Treasures, sentient animals, and what appears to be angels and demons (my guess for why the series is called The Faithful & The Fallen)? But I think he distances himself from GRRM by not being overly gratuitous, if that makes sense?

I've got the second book arriving soon, so I'll probably start it soonish. So yeah, I can see why you took issue with it, but I don't think it bothered me, and I really enjoyed how much time and care he took to make the characters be super 3-diminensional. And the fight scenes were excellent (but I hear that's cause he's a re-enacter)with a few standing out as really good and really surprising.

------------------------

While I wait for that I've started Roshani Chokshi's THE GILDED WOLVES, which is cool so far but I'm not far in (it's like SIX OF CROWS, but in our world with Magic houses and in the 1800's) so far. Not a long book, and it turns out it's YA....but it doesn't read like YA so I was surprised to learn that. So it's a magic heist book with ancient families who can do crazy stuff and run the world sort of...I have the sequel too in the ToReadPile, so hopefully it's good. I've heard good things.

[Abyss]

Aptorian, on 18 January 2021 - 09:01 AM, said:

Just finished the first section of This book is full of Spiders. This book is fucking awesome. No slow paced bullshit just a rolling snowball of apocalyptic shit getting worse and worse.

WAY less humor than the previous book, but gets genuinely into a level a horror i didn't think the author could pull off.
And the humor it does have is pretty damn funny.

[Abyss]

amphibian, on 15 January 2021 - 08:52 PM, said:

Oh wait until you read the next one if those are the things you like.

SO MUCH THIS.

[Aptorian]

Finished This book is full of Spiders by David Wong. Like mentioned above the humor definitely took a backseat in this book but it's a better story. Really liked this book.

I feel like the enjoyment is lessened by David and John being split up early on. The magic lies in those two feeding off one another. And there's a lot of Deus Ex Mechanica solutions. But there's so many awesome moments and horrifying ones. I didn't realize what the massacre at the Asylum was about before it was over.

Already bought the third book but I'll focus on my To Read pile instead.

Just started The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende. I barely remember the movie now a days. Something about a big rock giant, an evil wolf and the saddest horse death scene in a movie.

The version I'm reading is a new print with a beautiful cover. The kids passages are printed in red text and Atreju's in blue.