[Tiste Simeon]

worry, on 28 October 2025 - 04:50 PM, said:

I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl book 5, which is called The Butcher's Masquerade. Best of the bunch so far imo. Books 3 & 4 had more creative game settings, but it's good to have familiar ones like this too. Paid off several ongoing story threads and had a brutal climax plus a cool epilogue. If I had any complaints it's that Mordecai got somewhat sidelined in this one.

Now I'm re-reading The God Is Not Willing, if you can believe it.

I'm not willing to believe it.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 28 October 2025 - 04:55 PM, said:

worry, on 28 October 2025 - 04:50 PM, said:

I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl book 5, which is called The Butcher's Masquerade. Best of the bunch so far imo. Books 3 & 4 had more creative game settings, but it's good to have familiar ones like this too. Paid off several ongoing story threads and had a brutal climax plus a cool epilogue. If I had any complaints it's that Mordecai got somewhat sidelined in this one.

Now I'm re-reading The God Is Not Willing, if you can believe it.

I'm not willing to believe it.

No belief forsaken!

[JPK]

So I started the audio for NO LIFE FORSAKEN today and got through the prologue and chapter 1. Unfortunately, through no fault of the excellent narrator, I'm putting a hold on this until I can get out to pick up a physical copy this weekend. I just can't bring myself to go the audiobook route with this series before a physical read.

[pat5150]

I had to quit The End of the World as We Know It, the anthology featuring stories based on The Stand by Stephen King, and I'm now reading No Life Forsaken.

It's great to be back in Seven Cities! My only complaint is that, once again, basically every single character is uber powerful.

[Abyss]

 pat5150, on 01 November 2025 - 03:50 PM, said:

It's great to be back in Seven Cities! My only complaint is that, once again, basically every single character is uber powerful.

Bornu would like a word.

[Mentalist]

Finally buckled down and finished "Fractal Prince" re-read.

Onto "Causal Angel"

[polishgenius]

The epic, high-stakes fantasy I've been reading for has a new book out, and the start has drawn me right in. And once I'm done with Dead Hand Rule, latest in Max Gladstone's Craft series and (I think) the finale of the Craft Wars, I've also got No Life Forsaken in the stack.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 02 November 2025 - 04:34 AM, said:

pat5150, on 01 November 2025 - 03:50 PM, said:

It's great to be back in Seven Cities! My only complaint is that, once again, basically every single character is uber powerful.

Bornu would like a word.

Just finished, comments to follow in the ded-thread, but... are you reading the same book i just did?

[Tiste Simeon]

I finished the audiobook of The Devils by Abercrombie and you guys were spot on, this book was fantastic!

Steven Pacey has to be one of the best narrator's and he really made these weird and wonderful characters come to life.

I don't recall if I felt the same way with the First Law trilogy, but the characters in this story were surprisingly deep despite their "monsterness" for example Vigar (I don't know if I'm spelling these correctly) is

Spoiler

a really well rounded character - when we meet her she is the violent wolf that rips apart a group of soldiers in seconds and yet as we grow to know her she is a fairly sweet if simple person, who doesn't want to be the monster that everyone says she is.

And all the other characters have similar things going on - as you follow the story through you realise just how fleshed out they are!

Anyway, I laughed lot, I squirmed a fair bit at the gory parts and I was drawn into this fabulous alt-Europe.

I hope he returns there.

Edited to add I am back on my Malazan audiobook read-through and I am on Toll the Hounds, which up to this point has been my favourite of all.

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 05 November 2025 - 09:03 AM

[QuickTidal]

The jays losing really put me in a funk, so I've paused TGINW and I'm reading some Redwall....MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques....which is wonderful, whimsical, and exactly the type of mild balm I needed right now. I'll go back to Stillwater and TGINW after that.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 05 November 2025 - 09:02 AM, said:

I finished the audiobook of The Devils by Abercrombie and you guys were spot on, this book was fantastic!...

So glad you enjoyed, agree w all your points. JA's character work w DEVILS is leaps and bounds advanced from TFL. He took everything he learned writing those books, up'd the humour, lowered the grimdark, and just proceeded to have a blast.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Just finished rereading Stross' Accelerando, and I gotta say, it feels very prescient.

On to a re-read of Erikson's The God Is Not Willing before starting No Life Forsaken.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2025 - 01:11 PM, said:

The jays losing really put me in a funk, so I've paused TGINW and I'm reading some Redwall....MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques....which is wonderful, whimsical, and exactly the type of mild balm I needed right now. I'll go back to Stillwater and TGINW after that.

We've been working our way through Redwall recently in between other things - as you say, it's just a lovely balm between heavier things. Been going in chronological order (so starting with Lord Brocktree) and I think my next one is Mariel of Redwall, Mr NAB's next is Outcast of Redwall

[Tiste Simeon]

 TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 07 November 2025 - 08:27 AM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 05 November 2025 - 01:11 PM, said:

The jays losing really put me in a funk, so I've paused TGINW and I'm reading some Redwall....MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques....which is wonderful, whimsical, and exactly the type of mild balm I needed right now. I'll go back to Stillwater and TGINW after that.

We've been working our way through Redwall recently in between other things - as you say, it's just a lovely balm between heavier things. Been going in chronological order (so starting with Lord Brocktree) and I think my next one is Mariel of Redwall, Mr NAB's next is Outcast of Redwall

My parents still have nearly every Redwall book and I can't wait for my kids to get to them, as they're incredible.

Mariel of Redwall and The Bellmaker were always my favourites (Finnbarr Galedeep!)

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 07 November 2025 - 08:27 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2025 - 01:11 PM, said:

The jays losing really put me in a funk, so I've paused TGINW and I'm reading some Redwall....MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques....which is wonderful, whimsical, and exactly the type of mild balm I needed right now. I'll go back to Stillwater and TGINW after that.

We've been working our way through Redwall recently in between other things - as you say, it's just a lovely balm between heavier things. Been going in chronological order (so starting with Lord Brocktree) and I think my next one is Mariel of Redwall, Mr NAB's next is Outcast of Redwall

Im going in publication order, but yeah I love them so far. Just a really fun, easy bunch of stories to get into.

[polishgenius]

polishgenius, on 04 November 2025 - 06:17 PM, said:

The epic, high-stakes fantasy I've been reading for has a new book out, and the start has drawn me right in. And once I'm done with Dead Hand Rule, latest in Max Gladstone's Craft series and (I think) the finale of the Craft Wars, I've also got No Life Forsaken in the stack.

Fished Dead Hand Rule and, uh, yeah, that was a lot. That's a convergence alright.

I confess I did think when I found out after starting that the trilogy had become four books late on that what would have happened is there was simply too much story for one book so he split it, which is what's happened: this is quite Dust of Dreams/Infinity War/Peace Talks and very much half a story.



You all should read this series though.


Anyway, on to No Life Forsaken.

[Tsundoku]

Really enjoying the Wesley Chu War Arts series atm. Nearly finished the second one - The Art of Destiny.

Dude can write interesting characters for sure.

[Abyss]

Tsundoku, on 09 November 2025 - 10:26 PM, said:

Really enjoying the Wesley Chu War Arts series atm. Nearly finished the second one - The Art of Destiny.

Dude can write interesting characters for sure.

who's your favorite?

[Tsundoku]

Abyss, on 09 November 2025 - 11:50 PM, said:

Tsundoku, on 09 November 2025 - 10:26 PM, said:

Really enjoying the Wesley Chu War Arts series atm. Nearly finished the second one - The Art of Destiny.

Dude can write interesting characters for sure.

who's your favorite?

Probably Qisami at this point.

Although Sunri sounds like the naughtiest bad girl ...

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: Yesterday, 10:49 AM

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 07 November 2025 - 08:27 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2025 - 01:11 PM, said:

The jays losing really put me in a funk, so I've paused TGINW and I'm reading some Redwall....MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques....which is wonderful, whimsical, and exactly the type of mild balm I needed right now. I'll go back to Stillwater and TGINW after that.

We've been working our way through Redwall recently in between other things - as you say, it's just a lovely balm between heavier things. Been going in chronological order (so starting with Lord Brocktree) and I think my next one is Mariel of Redwall, Mr NAB's next is Outcast of Redwall

Tiste Simeon, on 07 November 2025 - 09:45 AM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 07 November 2025 - 08:27 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 November 2025 - 01:11 PM, said:

The jays losing really put me in a funk, so I've paused TGINW and I'm reading some Redwall....MOSSFLOWER by Brian Jacques....which is wonderful, whimsical, and exactly the type of mild balm I needed right now. I'll go back to Stillwater and TGINW after that.

We've been working our way through Redwall recently in between other things - as you say, it's just a lovely balm between heavier things. Been going in chronological order (so starting with Lord Brocktree) and I think my next one is Mariel of Redwall, Mr NAB's next is Outcast of Redwall

My parents still have nearly every Redwall book and I can't wait for my kids to get to them, as they're incredible.

Mariel of Redwall and The Bellmaker were always my favourites (Finnbarr Galedeep!)

I realize this is not the right thread but allow me a mild derail...Redwall enthusiasts that are also gamers...or if you like Woodland creatures at all...this game comes out in two days.