[Dolmen 2.0]

Just read book two of the Dark Forrest trilogy by Cixin Liu.

I liked the books I've read so far.

Spoiler

It receives a lot of criticism for being sexist which felt a bit left field for me as I thought the story was pretty dedicated in depicting a compelling female 'villain'.

I enjoyed the Three Body Problems' portrayal of alien culture through gaming. That was a fun twist on cultural interaction. I also thought the means of waging interstellar war by targeting advancement to be a refreshing take on the Space opera genre. I thought the concept of wallbreakers as a means of fending off prediction was brilliant. Overall it felt like Cixin Liu did a good job in making a galactic conflict extremely personal.

An instant favorite for me but I would want to warn off anyone that battles with existential dread. The book leans towards a type of Cosmic horror and can be a downer. I hear book 3 is even worse? but I look forward to picking it up later today.

[T77]

Dolmen 2.0, on 20 March 2023 - 08:51 AM, said:

Just read book two of the Dark Forrest trilogy by Cixin Liu.

I liked the books I've read so far.

Spoiler

It receives a lot of criticism for being sexist which felt a bit left field for me as I thought the story was pretty dedicated in depicting a compelling female 'villain'.

I enjoyed the Three Body Problems' portrayal of alien culture through gaming. That was a fun twist on cultural interaction. I also thought the means of waging interstellar war by targeting advancement to be a refreshing take on the Space opera genre. I thought the concept of wallbreakers as a means of fending off prediction was brilliant. Overall it felt like Cixin Liu did a good job in making a galactic conflict extremely personal.

An instant favorite for me but I would want to warn off anyone that battles with existential dread. The book leans towards a type of Cosmic horror and can be a downer. I hear book 3 is even worse? but I look forward to picking it up later today.

I really liked the trilogy.

[polishgenius]

Finished The Return of Fitzroy Angursell. Got to be said that as a standalone, it's not as good a book as Hands of the Emperor, just because it's basically just a series of events without much build, an old-fashioned quest novel without much complexity. But then it's not designed as a standalone, and as a grin-generating sequel to that book, it hits the spot perfectly. It's just fun. I'll have to pick up both the sequel to this and the other direct sequel to Hands of the Emperor soon.

[Macros]

Read A Brave New World by Huxley yesterday, unsure how I feel about it. I get what (I think I get) what the premise and message is all about, but man the ending is just so abrupt and bleak. Which I guess is part of it, but still.

[pat5150]

Just finished C. S. Friedman's forthcoming Coldfire prequel Nightborn: Coldfire Rising. It's the story of the Founding of Erna up to the First Sacrifice, as the colonists must have a way to gain a measure of control over the fae before it kills them all. The book also includes a revised edition of the novella Dominion, which recounts the tale of Gerald Tarrant he has attempts to master the Forest and becomes the Hunter.

Fans of the Coldfire trilogy will relish the chance to read more stories set in that universe. Friedman is planning a set of novellas exploring the rich history of Erna. This is the first such project and it bodes well for the future.
You can read my full review here​​​​​​​.

[Abyss]

pat5150, on 21 March 2023 - 08:10 PM, said:

Just finished C. S. Friedman's forthcoming Coldfire prequel Nightborn: Coldfire Rising. It's the story of the Founding of Erna up to the First Sacrifice, as the colonists must have a way to gain a measure of control over the fae before it kills them all. The book also includes a revised edition of the novella Dominion, which recounts the tale of Gerald Tarrant he has attempts to master the Forest and becomes the Hunter.

Fans of the Coldfire trilogy will relish the chance to read more stories set in that universe. Friedman is planning a set of novellas exploring the rich history of Erna. This is the first such project and it bodes well for the future.
You can read my full review here​​​​​​​.

I am disproportionately happy to read this. COLDFIRE was a series way-too-young-to-understand-it me stumbled upon as it was being released, read and loved, then reread five or so years later and loved more (and also kind of freaked out a bit) and then reread AGAIN as a full blown adult and still loved (even tho book 2 also contributed to my dislike of travelogue slogs in fantasy books). IN CONQUEST BORN was a mindblower and MADNESS SEASON is brilliant. THIS ALIEN SHORE threw me off her books for a while i've been wanting to get back to her work (her MAGISTER trilo sits in the TRPfH) , so this will be an excellent reason.

[pat5150]

Abyss, on 22 March 2023 - 02:00 PM, said:

I am disproportionately happy to read this. COLDFIRE was a series way-too-young-to-understand-it me stumbled upon as it was being released, read and loved, then reread five or so years later and loved more (and also kind of freaked out a bit) and then reread AGAIN as a full blown adult and still loved (even tho book 2 also contributed to my dislike of travelogue slogs in fantasy books). IN CONQUEST BORN was a mindblower and MADNESS SEASON is brilliant. THIS ALIEN SHORE threw me off her books for a while i've been wanting to get back to her work (her MAGISTER trilo sits in the TRPfH) , so this will be an excellent reason.

The Magister series is nearly as good as the Coldfire books!

[pat5150]

QuickTidal, on 10 March 2023 - 05:04 PM, said:

Great series and GREAT volume. Prepare yourself for THE SHINING COURT...it's next level (And I'm only 1/4 of the way through!)

Glad you're enjoying it Pat. Also, if you're ever in Toronto, go visit Bakkaphoenix Books where Michelle still part-times, she's really nice and signed all my copies of her books.

Almost done with THE SHINING COURT and hot damn it just might be the best one yet!

For the life of me, I don't know why the Sun Sword isn't better known and not considered one of the best epic fantasy series the genre has ever seen. Granted, I'm just three books into it, but it sure looks as though Michelle West totally sticks the landing. How can this remain what could well be SFF's best-kept secret, I'll never know!

[QuickTidal]

Re-read BLOOD PACT and SALVATION'S REACH by Abnett as I was in a WH40k Mood, and while BLOOD PACT remains awesome, SALVATION'S REACH is still only kind of middling as it's really only the opening salvo to an arc that continues in both ANARCH aND WARMASTER and suffers for it. Still though, even middling Abnett is solidly fun.

Started book 3 in the SAGA OF RECLUCE by L.E. Modesitt THE MAGIC ENGINEER, I always get a bit jarred by the tense changes Modesitt employs in some of the Recluce books, but once I adjust I'm fine and this one is already interesting. I like these books for being less a series, and more a sort of fantasy world set of history volumes.

[Maark Abbott]

Legends and Lattes followup incoming.

Not sure where to put that but yeah.

[Chance]

Halfway through Against All Gods by Miles Cameron, this is one very excellent book. One of few books that really give a bronze age feeling in the same way his Red Knight books are medieval unlike so much fantasy.

[pat5150]

If I haven't convinced you to try Michelle West's The Sun Sword, you can read my review of the second volume, THE UNCROWNED KING, here.

[Abyss]

pat5150, on 29 March 2023 - 06:43 PM, said:

If I haven't convinced you to try Michelle West's The Sun Sword, you can read my review of the second volume, THE UNCROWNED KING, here.

QT convinced me a while ago and the complete series is now in my earbook TRP waiting for my next craving for a massive fantasy epic. You moved it up a few notches every time you rave.

[pat5150]

Abyss, on 30 March 2023 - 02:01 AM, said:

QT convinced me a while ago and the complete series is now in my earbook TRP waiting for my next craving for a massive fantasy epic. You moved it up a few notches every time you rave.

You could just read it and save me the trouble!

[Tsundoku]

Abyss doesn't use his eyes these days, he has other people to do things for him and then tell him about it.

He's into aural sex for that very reason.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 30 March 2023 - 02:01 AM, said:

pat5150, on 29 March 2023 - 06:43 PM, said:

If I haven't convinced you to try Michelle West's The Sun Sword, you can read my review of the second volume, THE UNCROWNED KING, here.

QT convinced me a while ago and the complete series is now in my earbook TRP waiting for my next craving for a massive fantasy epic. You moved it up a few notches every time you rave.

QT and Pat have convinced me! Book 1 is up next on my earbook list. Not heard of the narrator but I'm ready to settle in for 31 hours of epicness!

[Tiste Simeon]

Tiste Simeon, on 19 March 2023 - 08:16 PM, said:

Finished audiobook of "False Value" and am still loving the series and have started immediately on "Amongst Our Weapons"

Spoilers below:

Spoiler

I really like the fact that he has moved away from the Lesley/Chorley story. While this does link to a point (the Mary engine etc.) it feels like it's a good start of a new arc. I thought Skinner was going to be the new big bad but now I'm not sure.

On a personal level I appreciated the little bit about money laundering. I work in that world (working against it for the record ) and it seems once again Aaronovitch has done some good research. The police terminology and procedure is mostly spot on and the basic explanation of money laundering was, while a necessarily stripped down version, fairly accurate too.

So, I have now finished all the audiobooks of the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. Firstly, Kobna Holdbrook Smith has to be one of the best narrators out there (I put him on a par with Andy Serkis for goodness sake!)

Amongst Our Weapons was a great book,

Spoiler

I loved the whole thing about the "angel" and that but I have noticed that Aaronovitch seems to like ending a story with "Peter somehow steps into an alt dimension/timeline and does stuff that affects the 'real world' and when he comes back into it he nearly died but he's changed enough to make the difference that's needed." I don't mind because it's a good tool to use but I wonder how many times he's going to do that?

Oh and as a father of twins I enjoyed that part of the story a lot.

So I have tried to look but not seen anything about the next novel. I know another novella is coming out soon and as such the world is very much alive but I'd like to know how many he's planning on doing and if he has an endgame in mind.

[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 30 March 2023 - 11:20 AM, said:

Abyss, on 30 March 2023 - 02:01 AM, said:

pat5150, on 29 March 2023 - 06:43 PM, said:

If I haven't convinced you to try Michelle West's The Sun Sword, you can read my review of the second volume, THE UNCROWNED KING, here.

QT convinced me a while ago and the complete series is now in my earbook TRP waiting for my next craving for a massive fantasy epic. You moved it up a few notches every time you rave.

QT and Pat have convinced me! Book 1 is up next on my earbook list. Not heard of the narrator but I'm ready to settle in for 31 hours of epicness!

AH! Enjoy! The denouement in book 1 is JUST SO GOOD.

Free In-World Info:

The Northern Kingdom (the Essaylien Empire; who you won't see as much of in Book 1 as book 2) is like a prototypical European region with kings and queens and noble houses, while the Southern Annagarians (The Dominion) are like if you mixed Feudal Japanese culture with dashes of Middle Eastern culture....and amusingly almost old Italian-sounding names. There is a Tyr (like a Shogun really), and many "Vassal" lord clans under him who answer to him who also run their own realms. You'll get a hang of it as you go along. Don't feel overwhelmed by the dramatis personae either, the ones who are REALLY important, you'll know about.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 30 March 2023 - 01:12 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

I'm hyped! I'm doing my usual podcast palate cleanser and will be starting it soon!

[QuickTidal]

Enjoy man. Speaking of, after my latest RECLUCE book is done, I should dive into the 4th book in this series myself!