Reading at t'moment?

#29061 Macros

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Posted 27 July 2023 - 12:41 PM

Ive misplaced the first book of her first series, only about 50 pages in and not overly concerned about finding it right now alas

2012
"Imperial Gothos, Imperial"

#29062 Abyss

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Posted 27 July 2023 - 02:58 PM

I expect that i will finish Brown's LIGHT BRINGER, then Sanderson's YUMI, before i jump back into Essalyan. Am somewhat divided whether to move to Sun Sword bk 3 or House War bk 1.

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#29063 Whisperzzzzzzz

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Posted 27 July 2023 - 04:03 PM

QuickTidal, on 27 July 2023 - 11:57 AM, said:

I own it and so I'm going to read it...and to be fair there has been more than one book over the years that you didn't like that I enjoyed a lot.

I love every Black Company book...but, Port of Shadows is terrible and should not exist. You should just skip it, though maybe there's value in reading it and joining the hate fan club?

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 27 July 2023 - 04:03 PM

#29064 QuickTidal

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Posted 28 July 2023 - 01:38 PM

Sorted out that ELRIC is not for me. It's WAY more S&M/tortury/clive barker-y than I thought it would be...and yeah, I can't square that. I understand Elric is intentionally not as decadent as the rest of the Melniboneans, but holy hell...that's a no from me dawg.

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#29065 Cyphon

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Posted 28 July 2023 - 04:24 PM

Yeah I couldn't make it through the only Clive barker book I've read. It was good but, unrelentingly grim.

Nearly finished the earthsea trilogy which is a nice gentle read and you can see the influence it had everywhere.

Para todos todo, para nosotros nada.

MottI'd always pegged you as more of an Ublala

#29066 Abyss

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Posted 28 July 2023 - 05:02 PM

QuickTidal, on 28 July 2023 - 01:38 PM, said:

Sorted out that ELRIC is not for me. It's WAY more S&M/tortury/clive barker-y than I thought it would be...

Cyphon, on 28 July 2023 - 04:24 PM, said:

Yeah I couldn't make it through the only Clive barker book I've read. It was good but, unrelentingly grim.
...

Clive has a certain tone for most of his work, but i would recommend IMAJICA to anyone. Less grim, less body horror/torture, more insane.

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#29067 Chance

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Posted 28 July 2023 - 05:10 PM

QuickTidal, on 28 July 2023 - 01:38 PM, said:

How far did you get? Elric kinda starts very heavy on Melniboneans are bad a theme that basically takes a lot less space later. It becoming more strange/insane sword and sorcery once Elric gets of the island but that might be book two it was a while since I read them

Quote

Clive has a certain tone for most of his work, but i would recommend IMAJICA to anyone. Less grim, less body horror/torture, more insane.

Imajica and Weaveworld remain vivid for me, would recommend to anyone in for some crazy reading.

This post has been edited by Chance: 28 July 2023 - 05:13 PM

#29068 Azath Vitr (D'ivers

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Posted 28 July 2023 - 06:32 PM

QuickTidal, on 28 July 2023 - 01:38 PM, said:

I loved them when I was nine (the books, that is---not the Melniboneans...)....

The prose paled relative to Shakespeare though
Perhaps that's not a fair comparison...

#29069 Cyphon

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Posted 29 July 2023 - 04:57 AM

It was IMAJICA I was reading. It was good but I was struggling to read so I DNF'd and moved on. Might come back to it once day.

Para todos todo, para nosotros nada.

MottI'd always pegged you as more of an Ublala

#29070 Mentalist

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Posted 29 July 2023 - 06:27 PM

Still 300 pages to go in Durfee's last book, and the Apocalypse already started.

I'm curious how it's gonna get resolved now.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 29 July 2023 - 08:22 PM

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Jump Around, on 23 October 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

And I want to state that Ment has out-weaseled me by far in this game.

#29071 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 30 July 2023 - 08:05 AM

Cyphon, on 29 July 2023 - 04:57 AM, said:

It was IMAJICA I was reading. It was good but I was struggling to read so I DNF'd and moved on. Might come back to it once day.

I finished this but pretty much hated it by the end. The concept was great the execution not so much (in my mind anyway)

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#29072 Abyss

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Posted 01 August 2023 - 02:14 AM

Tiste Simeon, on 30 July 2023 - 08:05 AM, said:

Cyphon, on 29 July 2023 - 04:57 AM, said:

It was IMAJICA I was reading. It was good but I was struggling to read so I DNF'd and moved on. Might come back to it once day.

I finished this but pretty much hated it by the end. The concept was great the execution not so much (in my mind anyway)

Interesting. I've read it twice, it utterly captured me.
It is a VERY different book, bucks the tropes and expectations repeatedly, which is a very Barker thing to do, but stays away from the body horror and graphic violence that is also usually very Barker.

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#29073 Mentalist

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Posted 01 August 2023 - 06:28 AM

wrapped up the last bk in the "Five Warrior Angels" trilogy.

For the next 2 weeks of beach reading it's gonna be "Rhythm of War"

The problem with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard
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Jump Around, on 23 October 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

And I want to state that Ment has out-weaseled me by far in this game.

#29074 Abyss

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Posted 01 August 2023 - 12:57 PM

Mentalist, on 01 August 2023 - 06:28 AM, said:

wrapped up the last bk in the "Five Warrior Angels" trilogy.

So all in, how was that?

Quote

For the next 2 weeks of beach reading it's gonna be "Rhythm of War"

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#29075 Mentalist

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Posted 01 August 2023 - 02:44 PM

Abyss, on 01 August 2023 - 12:57 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 01 August 2023 - 06:28 AM, said:

wrapped up the last bk in the "Five Warrior Angels" trilogy.

So all in, how was that?

Quote

For the next 2 weeks of beach reading it's gonna be "Rhythm of War"

1) mixed. Durfee's big thing is subverting the "chosen one" trope. Except sometimes he doesn't. And most characters have plot-mandated blindness towards some glaringly obvious things.
Portions of the books are travelogues, which... Can be okay, but can also drag in some parts.

The ending has some serious bad-ass moments, even though too many people have plot armor for my tastes. Feels like he's gotten a bit too enamoured with the "subverting prophecies" theme.

Overall, it's an okay grimdark popcorn read.

The problem with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard
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Jump Around, on 23 October 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

And I want to state that Ment has out-weaseled me by far in this game.

#29076 Tiste Simeon

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Posted 04 August 2023 - 12:15 PM

So, big news. Decided to read WoT. I'm 10% into Eye of the World.

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#29077 Macros

D'ivers Fuckwits

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Posted 04 August 2023 - 01:35 PM

so 99% of the way to the crossroads of shite to go

2012
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#29078 worry

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Posted 04 August 2023 - 04:48 PM

They came with white hands and left with red hands.

#29079 Salt-Man Z

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Posted 07 August 2023 - 05:27 PM

worry, on 27 July 2023 - 12:22 PM, said:

I think the series gets better as it goes, and the last two books are the best.

As slow as it went at times, I loved the "Glittering Stone" saga. The last two books gave me a very Erikson vibe, if that makes any sense, especially given how anti-Erikson (writing-wise) the first trilogy feels.

"Here is light. You will say that it is not a living entity, but you miss the point that it is more, not less. Without occupying space, it fills the universe. It nourishes everything, yet itself feeds upon destruction. We claim to control it, but does it not perhaps cultivate us as a source of food? May it not be that all wood grows so that it can be set ablaze, and that men and women are born to kindle fires?"
―Gene Wolfe, The Citadel of the Autarch

#29080 amphibian

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Posted 07 August 2023 - 06:47 PM

I really liked the South Asian fantasy blend and very much understood why Cook fractured the narrative. The jump in settings to go north initially was a bigger shock to me.

But he functionally stopped writing for decades and then released a loop back to early series rather than forging on ahead. Big missed opportunity and we're unlikely to see more Black Company (even if I bought Port of Shadows and all the others).

I survived the Permian and all I got was this t-shirt.