[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I just ripped through the first two books of Redick's The Fire Sacraments and wow! These are really good - the sequence of events in the last few pages of Sidewinders was a wild ride. Also, poor Belac Bajamthal...

Is Redick's Chathrand series as good?

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 17 October 2024 - 05:42 AM

[Macros]

Tiste Simeon, on 16 October 2024 - 01:19 PM, said:

I have this day finished Silverthorn, the second in the Riftwar Trilogy. It was good but not as enthralling as the first one. I like that Pug is levelling up (still the dumbest name in fiction tbh) and it finished in a place that makes me think I'll definitely finish the trilogy but I may pick something else up as a palate cleanser first.

I think you'll enjoy A Darkness at Sethanon a bit more, there's a macguffin or two in place for plot reasons but over all it takes the quest trope and amps it up with some excellent action and bigger set pieces.
Overall it will feel dated compared to modern fantasy because quite simply it is, but for me it was such a big series, probably what fully sucked me into fantasy after the hobbit and LotR.

But.... finishing the riftwar trilogy leaves you primed to read the Empire trilogy, which is just ace, and once you have book 2 of that trilogy read you can pick up the novella Honoured Enemy, and I feel confident saying you'll devour it, pure Gemmell action.

[Tiste Simeon]

Is the Empire trilogy the one he wrote with Nanny Wurts?

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 17 October 2024 - 05:41 AM, said:

I just ripped through the first two books of Redick's The Fire Sacraments and wow! These are really good - the sequence of events in the last few pages of Sidewinders was a wild ride. Also, poor Belac Bajamthal...

Is Redick's Chathrand series as good?

It's more whimsical. Book one---his first novel, pretty good, not as good as Fire Sacraments. Just finished book two---better than book one, close to Fire Sacraments in quality level IMO (maybe even better---in terms of writing and plot particularly, pretty good characterization, character development, and world-building too), also had some lol humor. About two hours into book three---not liking it as much so far, seems to revolve around a trope I'm not that into

Spoiler

time travel to prevent dystopian future? boo! don't tread on my Skynet-basilisk!

, but it has potential.

Some quotes from book two that I stopped to write down (listening at x2 speed so I can finish the series before it leaves Audible Plus) (these aren't really significant plot spoilers but I'll use spoiler tags anyway, just in case you want to first encounter them in their intended context):

Quote

Spoiler

"It is the horror of my life, not being understood"

"sawed like a man on fire, his spine twisted and his head sharply cocked, as if he were not playing the fiddle but impaled on it, an impression magnified by his grimace of concentration Every sailor who could legitimately leave his station, and some who could not, pressed towards him, and a rhythmic clapping began"

"She's not so bad
- She eats people
- Well, yes"

"a negligible froth of wisdom, a detritus"

"entombed in the hell-holes that spawned them"

"if he had forgotten the empire and lived in their light"

"for nothing about the men's torn bodies was open to doubt"

"tore him open like a pomegranate"

"not the imperial butcher-boy"

"Why do the horses obey them? They enslave horses too?"

"it flooded into his brain, violent as the waves beating into the sea cave,and a hundred times more frightening"

"the brotherhood of the fearless and the skeptical, the efficacy of love"

"let them see nothing but the mortal danger of displeasing you"

"one long frenzied struggle against obliteration"

"and we'll see the moon hatch tadpoles before that day comes"

"dazzled by the sudden light she held"

"his broadsword flashing up and down like a metal wing"

"only their ignorance protects us now"

"I come as a shadow o'er the sea[...]
Earth and ocean are as glass
Through them my burning gaze shall pass"

Here's a nice line from book three (again not really a significant plot spoiler):

Quote

Spoiler

"we are plunged in drifts of gunpowder, and you berate me for not lighting a match"

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 17 October 2024 - 02:09 PM

[Macros]

Tiste Simeon, on 17 October 2024 - 10:43 AM, said:

Is the Empire trilogy the one he wrote with Nanny Wurts?

Yah

[Abyss]

Macros, on 17 October 2024 - 05:13 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 17 October 2024 - 10:43 AM, said:

Is the Empire trilogy the one he wrote with Nanny Wurts?

Yah

...and it's excellent.

[polishgenius]

Azath Vitr (D, on 17 October 2024 - 02:07 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 17 October 2024 - 05:41 AM, said:

I just ripped through the first two books of Redick's The Fire Sacraments and wow! These are really good - the sequence of events in the last few pages of Sidewinders was a wild ride. Also, poor Belac Bajamthal...

Is Redick's Chathrand series as good?

It's more whimsical.

Yeah exactly, was gonna say. It's kinda hard to compare, they're very different. Master Assassins is basically a straight shot of adrenaline and from what I gather Sidewinders even moreso. Chathrand is much more meandering, much more whimsical yes, but also when it does get serious it's more about plots and politics and such, sneaking about and making plans and whatnot. Narnia meets Game of Thrones isn't a very accurate description, but it gets the point across.


One series I'd recommend for a similar shot of direct rising tension and that is Courtney Schafer's Shattered Sigil trilogy. First book is a run across a mountain range rather than a desert, but it's a similarly simple, brilliantly executed thriller plot. The catch is that because the first two books got caught up in NightShade books collapse way back when, if you live outside North America you have to email her directly at her email to get them in ebook. I hope that means they are available in NA, rather than just not being available at all, but I'm not sure. Third one is available easily everywhere.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 17 October 2024 - 07:01 PM, said:

Macros, on 17 October 2024 - 05:13 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 17 October 2024 - 10:43 AM, said:

Is the Empire trilogy the one he wrote with Nanny Wurts?

Yah

...and it's excellent.

Dang it you guys I've got too many books to read as it is!

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

polishgenius, on 17 October 2024 - 09:38 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 17 October 2024 - 02:07 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 17 October 2024 - 05:41 AM, said:

I just ripped through the first two books of Redick's The Fire Sacraments and wow! These are really good - the sequence of events in the last few pages of Sidewinders was a wild ride. Also, poor Belac Bajamthal...

Is Redick's Chathrand series as good?

It's more whimsical.

Yeah exactly, was gonna say. It's kinda hard to compare, they're very different. Master Assassins is basically a straight shot of adrenaline and from what I gather Sidewinders even moreso. Chathrand is much more meandering, much more whimsical yes, but also when it does get serious it's more about plots and politics and such, sneaking about and making plans and whatnot. Narnia meets Game of Thrones isn't a very accurate description, but it gets the point across.


One series I'd recommend for a similar shot of direct rising tension and that is Courtney Schafer's Shattered Sigil trilogy. First book is a run across a mountain range rather than a desert, but it's a similarly simple, brilliantly executed thriller plot. The catch is that because the first two books got caught up in NightShade books collapse way back when, if you live outside North America you have to email her directly at her email to get them in ebook. I hope that means they are available in NA, rather than just not being available at all, but I'm not sure. Third one is available easily everywhere.

I've never heard of her before! I'll take a look and see if I can nab these. Thanks!

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

polishgenius, on 17 October 2024 - 09:38 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 17 October 2024 - 02:07 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 17 October 2024 - 05:41 AM, said:

I just ripped through the first two books of Redick's The Fire Sacraments and wow! These are really good - the sequence of events in the last few pages of Sidewinders was a wild ride. Also, poor Belac Bajamthal...

Is Redick's Chathrand series as good?

It's more whimsical.

Yeah exactly, was gonna say. It's kinda hard to compare, they're very different. Master Assassins is basically a straight shot of adrenaline and from what I gather Sidewinders even moreso. Chathrand is much more meandering, much more whimsical yes, but also when it does get serious it's more about plots and politics and such, sneaking about and making plans and whatnot. Narnia meets Game of Thrones isn't a very accurate description, but it gets the point across.

One series I'd recommend for a similar shot of direct rising tension and that is Courtney Schafer's Shattered Sigil trilogy. First book is a run across a mountain range rather than a desert, but it's a similarly simple, brilliantly executed thriller plot.

Sidewinders does have a lot of plots within plots (within...), and a fair amount of sneaking around and politics (religion, post/imperialism, economics...). Creative schemes within (unexpected) schemes... similar to Chathrand in that regard.

And there's an extended action sequence in book 2 of Chathrand that---in terms of intensity (and sudden twists)---is IMO comparable to the sequence from Sidewinders that Abyss mentioned, though also very different (Chathrand being more influenced by Western fairy tale, though with interesting adult variations (on top of the obvious nautical-ness of much of it...)).

That said---about halfway through book 3 of Chathrand, it's really been milking a few more tropes I generally dislike. For example the

Spoiler

"she's pretending to love someone else because she's obviously going to have to leave or sacrifice herself and doesn't want him to feel bad, and he and his friends are too stupid to realize even though it's obvious from what they've already been told" trope. Or is that tropes?... Either way, it's tiresome.

Among several meandering subplots, including a couple which I do like a lot... that are focused on side characters. The writing is still pretty good overall, maybe a little better (in terms of prose) than book one. The worldbuilding in this book has also been underwhelming so far... though it remains promising.

[amphibian]

I will say that Redick is a better author now than he was when he wrote Chathrand. The earlier series is decent. I think Fire Sacraments series is shaping up to be some of the best ever adventure fantasy. The only real criticism I have is that much of the reading public might not get that the title of the first book (Master Assassins) is extremely tongue in cheek and may get a certain set of expectations.

A bit like Royal Assassin in Hobb's Fitz series, now that I think about it.

[Briar King]

On pg 79 of Hidden City. This really needs to get going already. It’s probably because I just got done with GGK but so far extreme yawn nursing a sick 10 yr old gal. Maybe some sign that it’s fixing to move past it as I just got a confusing info dump about Borns this and that’s..

*fingers crossed.

[champ]

They are slow burn books to be honest, BK. More character driven than action.

Not quite Oathbringer levels though you'll be glad to know!

[Briar King]

Speaking of Slogbringer and Rhythm of Ass I ll have to get ready for a new potential name for Wind and Truth soon. Will be nice if I can just call it that but after those last two I’m in doubt about it.

[Briar King]

Taint and Ass perhaps?

I bought a bookshelf for my daughter as she is slowly getting into reading for pleasure (Sarah Maas) and I took a row to place the SLA books on it. Anyway I passed by them just now when I took Blue out to walk and I realized that in all honesty I ll probably never reread 1-4.. just no way I can sit through the 4K pages of the head cases Kaladin and Shallan a 2nd time. Not to mention that they are so big they are extremely fragile. I doubt they would survive multiple reads. Hell my Rhythm of Ass was coming apart 200 pgs from the ending brand new. Wind and Truth had better be better made for expensive as those books are. $50+ SLA books are coming in the future guaranteed.

This post has been edited by Briar King: 22 October 2024 - 04:24 AM

[champ]

Briar King, on 22 October 2024 - 04:11 AM, said:

Taint and Ass perhaps?

I bought a bookshelf for my daughter as she is slowly getting into reading for pleasure (Sarah Maas) and I took a row to place the SLA books on it. Anyway I passed by them just now when I took Blue out to walk and I realized that in all honesty I ll probably never reread 1-4.. just no way I can sit through the 4K pages of the head cases Kaladin and Shallan a 2nd time. Not to mention that they are so big they are extremely fragile. I doubt they would survive multiple reads. Hell my Rhythm of Ass was coming apart 200 pgs from the ending brand new. Wind and Truth had better be better made for expensive as those books are. $50+ SLA books are coming in the future guaranteed.

I haven't even read Rhythm of War, I just couldn't face reading all the padding and going over the same shit again and again.

[Macros]

I think I noped after book 1

[Briar King]

Bk 2 is the best if you happen to have the original version and not the rewritten version.

Bk 1 was $27.99 2 was 28.99 3&4 at 35.99. Amazon has 5 at 39.99 and 1344pgs. Bitch is going to fall apart.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Second half of book three of Chathrand was much better. The tropes I found annoying

Spoiler

turned out to be (mostly) red herrings (purplish herrings?... pale pink herrings, only half raw zombie, in the froth...).

Nice pace of plot twists, some nice lore (worldbuilding beyond lore still a little threadbare (relative to length), but decently expanded in this book). Also much more AD&D, mostly for the better. The second half was pretty good.

Book would've been stronger if much of the first half had been cut. Bit torn about that though because I'm sympathetic towards maximalism---especially for fictional worlds that you want to spend more time dwelling in, more interactions between interesting characters (come to think of it, less so for this series---the characters are ok and a few are somewhat distinctive but they're not that great or interesting really)... but I also like the idea of condensing a book to its best parts (and discarding excess verbiage, unless it's beautiful or intense or sublime---especially if it's simply conventional or comforting). An obvious solution would be to have optional additional material or several different editions---but the convention is generally to have a single, definitive version, without even any appendices... granted, there are sometimes (really, rarely) abridged versions, although it seems as if they're generally regarded badly, as if they were inferior instead of being an improvement in terms of overall literary quality (iirc the focus in abridgements tends to be on plot, not quality---or superfluous verbiage...). Ebooks (or AR books projected onto blank pages of physical books---with whichever musty old book smells you desire) offer some obvious ergonomic solutions---want more of this passage? click for that, otherwise, page revolution... for audiobooks that seems a bit more awkward, but perhaps there could be a switch between "editor's cut" and "maximalist" versions that the listener could trigger if there's a passage they find particularly tiresome (and if it gets better later, possibly rewind a bit and switch back to maximalism).

Now a couple hours in to The Night of the Swarm, the final book. Again with the boring recap mixed in with new stuff so I can't just easily skip over it. It's cheesy, maudlin, and derivative, but okay, decently well-done for what it is. The premise has promise though.

Some quotes from The Night of the Swarm (no major spoilers, but I'll put a few of these behind spoiler tags anyway):

Quote

"it had become a cause to live for, rather than a slower, grander way to die

I will pack your mouth with scorpions and glass

this vast and vicious world

Spoiler

the head writhed and roared

no one looked healthy, in point of fact. No one but the ghosts"

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 22 October 2024 - 04:10 PM

[Abyss]

 Briar King, on 21 October 2024 - 08:07 PM, said:

Speaking of Slogbringer and Rhythm of Ass I ll have to get ready for a new potential name for Wind and Truth soon. Will be nice if I can just call it that but after those last two I'm in doubt about it.

 Briar King, on 22 October 2024 - 04:11 AM, said:

Taint and Ass perhaps?
...

Whine and Cheese