[QuickTidal]

Finally finished the audiobook for Kristen Britain's HIGH KING'S TOMB (a book I gave up on a few years ago early on when I tried the physical copy I own).

Holy shit...that may be the WORST narrated audiobook I've ever had the displeasure to listen to. Narrator Ellen Archer, who is American, reads the main glut of the narrative in her native accent....but EVERY VOICE is either Irish, or Scottish, or Welsh, or plain English....and they all sound like someone struggling to not only do a convincing accent for those places, but to act the roles too....why no one at DAW thought to hire a British narrator to do a book where all the voices were going to be accents of those countries....and she does THE WHOLE SERIES. Like at no point was anyone like "Maybe an American narrator doing accents is not the most ideal here."....

The story is also the weakest of the 3 Green Rider books I've read. It's not BAD, but it's pretty much a trope-laden travelogue where not much happens until the 3/4 mark. The last quarter was good and entertaining, but I maintain the villains in this one feel so disconnected from the main characters that it's hard to feel any pressure on them. I have found out that Britain is what is called a "Pantser"...in that she writes by the seat of her pants as she goes and let's the story unfold as she writes without a plan...and you can DEFINITELY tell in this volume.

I've heard BLACKVEIL is better (I have the next 3 books already so I'm in for the series at this point). I'll chime in when I get there.

But yeah, the book is not terrible just kind of predictable and slice-of-life....but the narration really soured me on the volume. I doubt I'd be this non-plussed about it if I'd read it as opposed to listening to a bad audiobook version.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 03 November 2021 - 12:25 PM

[Maark Abbott]

Green Rider is pretty much what I'd describe as no thoughts, comfortable fantasy. It doesn't pretend to be more than that.

Blackveil was the darkest entry by far though, and I did enjoy it a fair bit.

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 03 November 2021 - 12:55 PM, said:

Green Rider is pretty much what I'd describe as no thoughts, comfortable fantasy. It doesn't pretend to be more than that.

Blackveil was the darkest entry by far though, and I did enjoy it a fair bit.

That's good to hear. I heard that MIRROR SIGHT pissed fans off, so I'm actually looking forward to that one as I'm curious what Britain did that bothered people so much (and I heard she actually planned that one out too).

I enjoyed GREEN RIDER even if it felt a bit YA, and I REALLY liked FIRST RIDER'S CALL....so two out of three ain't bad so far.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Finished listening to the published novels of The Expanse---the main series (one more, planned to be the last, due at the end of November)---and also one of the novellas.

The main series doesn't go into nearly as much sociological detail or world-building as I'd hoped and expected. It's not much of an improvement over the tv series in that regard. OTOH the prose is better than I was expecting. (The audiobook narrator is pretty bad but not one of the absolute worst: frequently sounds like he doesn't know what he's saying (inflection doesn't match syntax), odd pauses, repetitive 'hard-boiled detective' or 'this is my idiosyncratic way of explaining things' flow awkwardly superimposed in inappropriate contexts, barely doing character voices at all (and doing them badly when he does)... there is a lulling quality to his flow though once you get used to it. Not terrible if you want to fall asleep.)

Interesting how the dialogue differs from the TV series---in the context of the books it doesn't seem unrealistic, but when I try to imagine these lines being spoken in the TV series, they seem incongruous... perhaps a difference in characterization, or perhaps a gap between the flow of prose and more fully realized audiovisual imagination.

The novellas might go into more sociological / world-building detail. The one I listened to (The Vital Abyss) sort of did (in a very constrained context) and was moderately interesting. Whole series suffers a bit from the 'psychopathic scientists who want to experiment on humans are terrible! Technology is scary! Brutish idiots with guns need to save Humanity from them scientists and alien technologies!' but of course I know who the true heroes of transhuman history will be.

I think the events of the main series made me much less enthusiastic about going back in time for the novellas---started listening to one, thought I could finish up the novellas just in time for the release of the last book, but after spending several months on this series I decided to start something else.

Was eager to hear the final installment of The Age of Madness, so I switched to that. First two books were great, but a few hours into the third book... it's off to a mediocre start. (Reader is much better though.) But about a third of the way through the satire's started picking up a bit.

[Maark Abbott]

QuickTidal, on 03 November 2021 - 01:15 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 03 November 2021 - 12:55 PM, said:

Green Rider is pretty much what I'd describe as no thoughts, comfortable fantasy. It doesn't pretend to be more than that.

Blackveil was the darkest entry by far though, and I did enjoy it a fair bit.

That's good to hear. I heard that MIRROR SIGHT pissed fans off, so I'm actually looking forward to that one as I'm curious what Britain did that bothered people so much (and I heard she actually planned that one out too).

I enjoyed GREEN RIDER even if it felt a bit YA, and I REALLY liked FIRST RIDER'S CALL....so two out of three ain't bad so far.

I didn't really think it was too bad myself but basically:

Spoiler

Time travel bullshit that eventually came to mean basically nothing

[T77]

Just read the latest in Tad William's Osten Ard books, Brothers of the Wind. I was a bit disappointed that this was a prequel and a short novel for William's. I was looking forward to a long novel in the main series. But it was excellent. Recommended!

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Tiste Simeon, on 25 October 2021 - 09:15 PM, said:

Cyphon, on 25 October 2021 - 07:10 PM, said:

To lighen that up I read DEADLY EDUCATION by Naomi Novik which exactly the kind of school fantasy you can chomp through quickly. I did get lots of Gideon the Ninth echoes as I read it though. Recommended for a darker take on the boarding school take.

Now read the sequel! So good, my favourite find it the past couple of years!

Awesome. I picked up "The Last Graduate" but have been saving it for a long travel day I have coming up. Glad to hear it stands up to the first book.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

The Wisdom of Crowds is really picking up---in terms of narrative interest and anticipation, at least---about halfway through... looks like the standalone novels might be more relevant than I would have expected

Spoiler

if not for a fan theory I'd considered far-fetched (because of the lack of emphasis on the main players involved), but which now seem to be correct

.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 10 November 2021 - 03:13 AM

[Tiste Simeon]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

Please tell me there's a recap I have forgotten so much of what happened in those books and I definitely don't have time to read them again!

[QuickTidal]

Got a whole slew of Penric & Desdemona novella's by Lois McMaster Bujold on kindle for dirt cheap (I think I got 5 of them for like $10?), and realized that I have both The CURSE OF CHALION and THE PALADIN OF SOULS on my kindle from earlier sales and never read them yet.

So I started THE CURSE OF CHALION...and holy shit. This is the sort of fantasy that hits the spot for me while I'm dealing with the life crap I have going on with my mom. It's really, really good so far.

My only experience before this with Bujold was the first two Vorkosigan prequel books (which I liked but didn't love)....how come no one told me how good her fantasy was?!

[Abyss]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

i am so very very psyched for this.
the distance from my dislike of the first novel to anticipation for the fourth is amazeballs.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Tiste Simeon, on 10 November 2021 - 05:27 AM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

Please tell me there's a recap I have forgotten so much of what happened in those books and I definitely don't have time to read them again!

There is! It's a previous-book recap, not a full-series recap though. I bet you can find a full-series recap online.

[Chance]

QuickTidal, on 10 November 2021 - 02:11 PM, said:

My only experience before this with Bujold was the first two Vorkosigan prequel books (which I liked but didn't love)....how come no one told me how good her fantasy was?!

The Curse was kind of a big thing back when it came out, really good stuff.

Currently still reading The Pariah by Anthony Ryan and it is going slowly. It might also be the first Anthony Ryan I'm not particularly fond off. It really is pretty boring so far and I'm halfway in, there are some decent hints but so far it is all slowly building up a rather unsympathic main character

[Tiste Simeon]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 08:05 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 10 November 2021 - 05:27 AM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

Please tell me there's a recap I have forgotten so much of what happened in those books and I definitely don't have time to read them again!

There is! It's a previous-book recap, not a full-series recap though. I bet you can find a full-series recap online.

That'll probably do enough for me tbh

[amphibian]

Chance, on 10 November 2021 - 09:12 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 10 November 2021 - 02:11 PM, said:

My only experience before this with Bujold was the first two Vorkosigan prequel books (which I liked but didn't love)....how come no one told me how good her fantasy was?!

The Curse was kind of a big thing back when it came out, really good stuff.

Currently still reading The Pariah by Anthony Ryan and it is going slowly. It might also be the first Anthony Ryan I'm not particularly fond off. It really is pretty boring so far and I'm halfway in, there are some decent hints but so far it is all slowly building up a rather unsympathic main character

I look at The Pariah as having 3 parts - the thieving, the punishment, the second chance. I think it developed into something pretty good by the end and feels like he really went somewhere interesting.

Bujold hopefully gets the contract to write more Vorkosigan. I'm really wanting to see an end to it.

[Chance]

amphibian, on 11 November 2021 - 02:36 AM, said:

Chance, on 10 November 2021 - 09:12 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 10 November 2021 - 02:11 PM, said:

My only experience before this with Bujold was the first two Vorkosigan prequel books (which I liked but didn't love)....how come no one told me how good her fantasy was?!

The Curse was kind of a big thing back when it came out, really good stuff.

Currently still reading The Pariah by Anthony Ryan and it is going slowly. It might also be the first Anthony Ryan I'm not particularly fond off. It really is pretty boring so far and I'm halfway in, there are some decent hints but so far it is all slowly building up a rather unsympathic main character

I look at The Pariah as having 3 parts - the thieving, the punishment, the second chance. I think it developed into something pretty good by the end and feels like he really went somewhere interesting.

That sounds promising I'll stick with it since I like pretty much everything Ryan has written before and sometimes the payoff has been slow but its usually there

[QuickTidal]

Chance, on 11 November 2021 - 12:57 PM, said:

amphibian, on 11 November 2021 - 02:36 AM, said:

Chance, on 10 November 2021 - 09:12 PM, said:

Currently still reading The Pariah by Anthony Ryan and it is going slowly. It might also be the first Anthony Ryan I'm not particularly fond off. It really is pretty boring so far and I'm halfway in, there are some decent hints but so far it is all slowly building up a rather unsympathic main character

I look at The Pariah as having 3 parts - the thieving, the punishment, the second chance. I think it developed into something pretty good by the end and feels like he really went somewhere interesting.

That sounds promising I'll stick with it since I like pretty much everything Ryan has written before and sometimes the payoff has been slow but its usually there

I have a copy of it but I've not started it yet. I'll ring in when I have read it. The second volume THE MARTYR is already up for pre-order for a June release.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 11 November 2021 - 01:41 PM

[JPK]

Tiste Simeon, on 10 November 2021 - 11:37 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 08:05 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 10 November 2021 - 05:27 AM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

Please tell me there's a recap I have forgotten so much of what happened in those books and I definitely don't have time to read them again!

There is! It's a previous-book recap, not a full-series recap though. I bet you can find a full-series recap online.

That'll probably do enough for me tbh

Fwiw the series flies by on a reread. I started SENLIN ASCENDS last Thursday and I'm set to polish off THE HOD KING today. They also hold up to a reread (relisten) very well.

I can't wait to start THE FALL OF BABEL later today.

[Tiste Simeon]

JPK, on 11 November 2021 - 05:38 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 10 November 2021 - 11:37 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 08:05 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 10 November 2021 - 05:27 AM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 10 November 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Taking a break from Michelle West's lengthy and good Essaleyian Series (I think I'm on the 12th book [Skirmish]) for...

Bancroft's The Fall of Babel!

EDIT: Dang, Bancroft is on his game! The epigraph for chapter one:

Quote

We painted cavern walls to own the shadows with our palms.
We carved the ground with county lines to legislate our qualms.
We drew on heaven human shapes to stake the cosmic plot.
Man would write upon his soul if pen could reach the spot.

I initially thought this was a portion of a real poet's work, but nope, it's Bancroft's. He's the real poet!

Please tell me there's a recap I have forgotten so much of what happened in those books and I definitely don't have time to read them again!

There is! It's a previous-book recap, not a full-series recap though. I bet you can find a full-series recap online.

That'll probably do enough for me tbh

Fwiw the series flies by on a reread. I started SENLIN ASCENDS last Thursday and I'm set to polish off THE HOD KING today. They also hold up to a reread (relisten) very well.

I can't wait to start THE FALL OF BABEL later today.

I don't actually have any of them my library in my old town had them all at the time. Not sure they're here on the Island in the library system... May look for cheap ebook deals!