[Abyss]

Just Finished Michelle West's THE BROKEN CROWN, comments in the dedthread but liked it well enough to continue the series (and also Pat and QT threatened to kidnap my serrated grapefruit spoon collection if i didn't).

Needing something a little less heavy between courses I started the latest Brandon Sanderson Secret Book Project (#2) THE FRUGAL WIZARD';S HANDBOOK FOR SURVIVING MEDIEVAL ENGLAND. I gave it 90minutes of eartime and moved on. As a starting point, it's so very close in story to Terry Brooks' MAGIC KINGDOM OF LANDOVER - a book which i read but did not love. Dude from 'real' world w troubling mysterious history buys magic dimension, goes there, becomes wizard, has to learn how to live in his new home stop trying to use his old skills accept that he isn't the king has invisible magical helpers etc etc. It's a basic plot, and unfortunately in those 90min nothing the author did with it drew me in. There's a fun trick w the earbook narration related to a 'guidebook' but even those jokes aren't wildly anything original for me. I like Sanderson, I adore his Cosmere work, but this slots in next to the Reckoners superhero stuff as too YA, too simple to hold my interest just now. Could go back to it later but no bets.

Still wanting something light and brainless i grabbed HYBRID, a side story novel from Anthony Melchiorr's THE TIDE series. 2 hrs in, the commandos are shooting the ragestabby zombies, all is well w the universe once again.

[Tiste Simeon]

I finished my non-fiction book "THE LAST BATTLE" about a bonkers battle in an Austrian castle two days before WWII in Europe finished. Crazy story, very well told by Stephen Harding.

Still not really feeling going back to The True Bastards so I started reading Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik as I picked it up cheap a few months ago.

[QuickTidal]

Reading Jin Yong's A HERO BORN (Legend of the Condor Heroes book 1) and it's blowing my mind with how readable it is. Ostensibly one of the most well known and beloved Chinese Wuxia fantasy stories (three times the length of LOTR apparently; 12 books long, 3 separate 4-book series).

I was not sure what to expect but it's like the Shaw Brothers and Tsui Hark crawled inside my head and co-directed an insanely readable and compelling fantasy novel filled with Kung Fu and magic, set against Song/Jin Dynasty/Mongol conflict China.

The biggest stumbling block for sone might be the described kung fu moves that sometimes aren't spelled out (Think Robert Jordan's "sword" forms; which I could be wrong but I THINK he took those as an idea FROM Wuxia stories?), but they have not blocked my enjoyment at all. I've seen some actual Chinese people rip on the translation for some of the names getting literal translations that seem a bit silly (Like the name Guo Xiaotian in the Chinese text gets a literal translation in English to Skyfury Guo)....but honestly, as fantasy nerds, this should not trip any of us up and it doesn't faze me.

Anyways, as far as I know this is the first time this series has been translated into English (which is crazy to me, since it was written in the late 50's and is beloved like worldwide), and Anna Holmwood does a decent job of translation. But I think Gigi Cheng takes over in the later three books of this initial series (and will be doing the following 4 books as well that start coming out in the Fall), so the flavour of translation may change with someone who is Chinese (VS Holmwood who is Swedish).

Anyways, I'm REALLY enjoying this and may roll right into the sequel when I'm done. I often find myself not wanting to stop reading on the transit on my way to and from work.

[pat5150]

Finished Jacqueline Carey's Cassiel's Servant and enjoyed it. I was afraid that this retelling of Kushiel's Dart from Joscelin's perspective, that of a righteous and unyeilding Cassiline, couldn't be as good as the original. Phèdre has such a singular voice, after all, one that made the first trilogy what it was.

Even though it can't quite compare with the original, this novel made for a totally satisfying reading experience. Kushiel fans will definitely enjoy it.

You can read my review here.

[the broken]

Fool's Errand. I have read this before, but it was a good fifteen years ago.

Hobb is really something special. I'm carrying around the book with me. Even Malazan doesn't make me do that.

[Macros]

Apparently De Castiels Great cloak series and spells longer series are set in the same world.

Would not have tied them together at all.

Really want to pick up his newest The Malevolent Seven. But it's £15 and I have too many books to read as it is

[Abyss]

 Abyss, on 16 May 2023 - 01:49 PM, said:

...Still wanting something light and brainless i grabbed HYBRID, a side story novel from Anthony Melchiorr's THE TIDE series. 2 hrs in, the commandos are shooting the ragestabby zombies, all is well w the universe once again.

Just Finished. It's more of the same from the series with an extra dose of hoo-rah for Navel SEALS, likely bcs the author seems to have a family member in the unit.
I do give Melchiorri credit for the last third of the book retelling events from another book from a different perspective and keeping it different enough to hold my attention right through.

On w Michelle West's THE UNCROWNED KING, details in the dedthread.

[worry]

Finished Senlin books 3 & 4 -- This series started out good/intriguing, and got better with each book. It expanded just beautifully in terms of theme, character, plot, stakes, emotion, world-building, you name it. On top of all that, Josiah Bancroft is a very good prose writer. I found myself highlighting various quotes and passages way more than usual -- in library ebooks that I had to return anyway, but still. In terms of specifics, it was a good move to get outside of Senlin's head so much for the last two books. I like the guy, but he's kind of a wiener, and would probably readily admit it. Also I love Bancroft's epigraphs, particularly the ones from the gossip columnist in book 3. All the people in these books, top to bottom, have so much character. And to the end, this series never gave up on its romantic notions -- even when things got rough and real, it was never cynical, and I appreciate that.

I also read a newer book called Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling. It's a near future climate change dystopia, set in a ripe-for-exploitation Canada. It has its moments, but I felt like most of the interesting stuff was happening off-page, and the stuff it sinks its teeth into is pretty mundane. The prose was competent, it felt real or lived in enough for what that's worth, but compared to like The Water Knife or Station Eleven (I've only seen the show), very little actually happens outside of wider implications.

Now I'm reading The Hidden City by someone named Michelle West. Never heard of her so I'm going in blind, hoping this is kinda comfort food fantasy. 10% in I'll say she's a pretty good character writer.

[QuickTidal]

 worry, on 31 May 2023 - 03:45 PM, said:

, set in a ripe-for-exploitation Canada.

Oh, our leaders are already exploiting it. Can I introduce to you... Alberta, and it's new Ron DeSantis-fan Premier Danielle Smith?

[QuickTidal]

I've been not reading as much as I've been playing STARDEW VALLEY on my way to and from work for a few weeks (my prime reading time), but now I'm back into Jin Yong's A BOND UNDONE (Condor Heroes Book 2) and it's still a wonderful series.

Oh and Martha Wells new epic fantasy book WITCH KING delivered onto my kindle, so that is in the queue for next up.

After that I hope the library "hold" I have out for DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST by Juliette Marillier, comes through.

[Abyss]

 QuickTidal, on 31 May 2023 - 03:57 PM, said:

 worry, on 31 May 2023 - 03:45 PM, said:

, set in a ripe-for-exploitation Canada.

Oh, our leaders are already exploiting it. Can I introduce to you... Alberta, and it's new Ron DeSantis-fan Premier Danielle Smith?

Collective Alberta is going to feel even stupider than usual in about two years.
"Our health care costs are skyrocketing, there are no doctors or nurses, and no one wants our oil so we're all broke... who could have possibly seen this coming other than the NDP, the Liberals, doctors, nurses, most of the oil industry, the entire population of Fort McMurray, and everyone with half a brain?"

[QuickTidal]

 Abyss, on 31 May 2023 - 04:35 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 31 May 2023 - 03:57 PM, said:

 worry, on 31 May 2023 - 03:45 PM, said:

, set in a ripe-for-exploitation Canada.

Oh, our leaders are already exploiting it. Can I introduce to you... Alberta, and it's new Ron DeSantis-fan Premier Danielle Smith?

Collective Alberta is going to feel even stupider than usual in about two years.
"Our health care costs are skyrocketing, there are no doctors or nurses, and no one wants our oil so we're all broke... who could have possibly seen this coming other than the NDP, the Liberals, doctors, nurses, most of the oil industry, the entire population of Fort McMurray, and everyone with half a brain?"

Yep. It's going to be "You got EXACTLY what you voted for" and they will all ask why stupidly...and nearly half the voting province disagrees as I think the difference in votes was like a little over 2k? So yeah...but it's also good to help the rest of us remember that Alberta's population could entirely fit into Toronto and a bit of Mississauga...4.3million is a tiny population for a province that size...so when these votes come down to the wire it's interesting.

I'd love to see what their next election looks like...or if the more moderate UCP votes her out of the leadership role in an No-Confidence vote....either way AB has not been this Orange in decades.....so it's not ALL lost.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

 the broken, on 17 May 2023 - 10:55 PM, said:

Fool's Errand. I have read this before, but it was a good fifteen years ago.

Hobb is really something special. I'm carrying around the book with me. Even Malazan doesn't make me do that.

I'm nearing the end and I've hit...that scene...and I'm bawling. It hurts even more on a reread. The empty place.

[Macros]

Read Assassin's Apprentice.
Yah I get that Soldiers Son was not a good place to try Hobb, farseer one muuuuuch better.
Will start 2 after bookclub

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

 Whisperzzzzzzz, on 03 June 2023 - 07:24 AM, said:

 the broken, on 17 May 2023 - 10:55 PM, said:

Fool's Errand. I have read this before, but it was a good fifteen years ago.

Hobb is really something special. I'm carrying around the book with me. Even Malazan doesn't make me do that.

I'm nearing the end and I've hit...that scene...and I'm bawling. It hurts even more on a reread. The empty place.

Agreed. I couldn't believe how hard it hit me on a re-read.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

 TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 05 June 2023 - 02:51 PM, said:

 Whisperzzzzzzz, on 03 June 2023 - 07:24 AM, said:

 the broken, on 17 May 2023 - 10:55 PM, said:

Fool's Errand. I have read this before, but it was a good fifteen years ago.

Hobb is really something special. I'm carrying around the book with me. Even Malazan doesn't make me do that.

I'm nearing the end and I've hit...that scene...and I'm bawling. It hurts even more on a reread. The empty place.

Agreed. I couldn't believe how hard it hit me on a re-read.

And then every mention of it going forward into the next book has me tearing up. Each and every damn time!

[JPK]

I've been on a particularly heavy run of books of late with LotR, Michelle West, and Wolfe's Exodus the Long Sun. I think it's time to change gear and enjoy some sweet sweet popcorn with Abnett's Blood Oath. Bring on the explosions!

[Abyss]

Just Finished THE BROKEN CROWN and THE UNCROWNED KING, bks 1 and 2 in Michele West's SUN SWORD series.

Comments in the ded thread, but overall i enjoyed and will continue the series.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Just finished Fool's Fate. I am content!

[Salt-Man Z]

Finally reading THE GOD IS NOT WILLING, my first foray back to Malaz since 2017's (!) Deadhouse Landing. I didn't realize how much I missed Malazan marine banter.