[JPK]

Abyss, on 22 April 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

worry, on 22 April 2026 - 03:08 PM, said:

SE should go spicy. I think we deserve to know how many joints there are in a Forkrul Assail penis.

No.



No we do not.

But maybe we actually do?

This post has been edited by JPK: 22 April 2026 - 05:06 PM

[Abyss]

JPK, on 22 April 2026 - 05:06 PM, said:

Abyss, on 22 April 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

worry, on 22 April 2026 - 03:08 PM, said:

SE should go spicy. I think we deserve to know how many joints there are in a Forkrul Assail penis.

No.



No we do not.

But maybe we actually do?

Maybe YOU do.

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 22 April 2026 - 01:26 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 20 April 2026 - 11:15 AM, said:

FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros. Yeah yeah, I know. But I wanted to expand my reading habits with some romantasy, and this one tops a lot of people's lists.

It's good. The prose is nothing at all special (like you could port these characters and how they talk into any setting and it would still be fine), but I'm enjoying it for the Dragons and the concept (which lets face facts is very close to a modern Pern without the sci-fi element)

I have not reached the purported sexytimesTM part yet.

Finished.

It's fine-ish. It's DEFINITELY amateurish, the prose is stunted most of the time. Nothing about the world or the characters is embellished or overly interesting, or compelling. The School could be any stone castle...there's barely any descriptions about anything really. Like she walks into a purportedly ornate room and the description is about 2 sentences. An almost obscene amount of effort is spent on internal monologues and dialogue, with so much less on the setting or anything around the characters. Even the opening is a test where they walk across a long thin stone bridge from the main keep to the barracks and the description is so just not there...it may as well have been a stone bridge across a beige chasm with beige all around...when I say NOTHING is described, I mean it.

Also, I dun no if it's that I'm an old fantasy nerd, but every single "twist" that shows up near the end of the book was telecast to me in moments in the first few chapters, including the biggest reveal...and it's not like subtly hidden, if you're paying even mild attention she's shouting them at you....like "what a weird little passage about a specific book to bring up in a paragraph and then forget about, right?"...oof. It makes me realize that a lot of the reason this book is so popular is that it's ported regular romance readers into fantasy and since they've not read much fantasy before, a lot of this feels new to them? I dunno.

The spicy scenes (there are mainly two) are probably the best thing about the book? Decently written and would be titilating for any gender to read, and as I don't come across many of those in my fiction travels it was nice to read someone do them decently well.

Will I read the rest of the series? No. There is simply not enough fresh in this story to keep me interested when other authors have done these tropes so much better. Even the Dragons (which initially kept my interest) are not done justice.

I will, however, keep trying out romantasy authors to see if any of them land better.

I'm not hugely interested in spicy, though I won't actively avoid it, but I'm gonna read this book at some stage to see how the author handles the heroine's Ehler-Danlos syndrome, since I'm dealing with that and it sucks.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 22 April 2026 - 05:43 PM, said:

I'm not hugely interested in spicy, though I won't actively avoid it, but I'm gonna read this book at some stage to see how the author handles the heroine's Ehler-Danlos syndrome, since I'm dealing with that and it sucks.

I don't know the syndrome myself, but I feel like she approaches it well (since she suffers from it as well) in the lead character and I have no complaints, it fits nicely into the narrative without feeling like she's using it as a crutch, it's just a fact of Violet's life and something she has to continuously deal with.

Sorry you're dealing with it man.

[JPK]

After a string of heavier novels with a dark tone, I've started listening to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer narrated by Nick Offerman. While I don't think Offerman is someone I'd generally want as a narrator as he's usually pretty monotoned, for this he's pretty well matched.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 22 April 2026 - 05:39 PM, said:

JPK, on 22 April 2026 - 05:06 PM, said:

Abyss, on 22 April 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

worry, on 22 April 2026 - 03:08 PM, said:

SE should go spicy. I think we deserve to know how many joints there are in a Forkrul Assail penis.

No.



No we do not.

But maybe we actually do?

Maybe YOU do.

I'm on the "we need more Forkrul Assail penis" side of the argument now I think about it.

[QuickTidal]

I was on the treadmill last night and didn't feel like watching anything, so I grabbed my kindle to walk and read the short story THE STORM by Michael J. Sullivan (in the kickstarted fantasy anthology UNAVAOWED; which is on kindle Unlimited), which is apparently the first story that is mean to lead up to his next big Riyria/Elan series THE CYCLE...and man it was awesome, revisiting everyone still alive who featured in THE DEATH OF DULGATH about a year after that tale (so still prior to the main Riyria Revelations)...and about halfway though the story blew everything even wider open that I thought the series could. There's way more and older stories in this world than even the gods themselves.

And ya boy

Spoiler

Trilos

made an appearance! craziness.

And since this fall is the release the first book in the other new Ryria series (After the Fall) which follow the events of ESRAHADDON, book 1 of that OUT OF THE ASHES comes out in August I think? I figured it's time to finally read DRUMINDOR which has been sitting on my shelf patiently waiting as I don't like reading a Sullivan book without a new Sullivan book on the horizon as the wait is killer...but since the next book is out ion a few months, it's time!

Also, there is another anthology (kickstarted; UNBROKEN: link in case anyone wants to back it..tonnes of authors in it) that has another Sullivan story that precursors THE CYCLE called THE ETERNAL WINTER in that, so I'll probably back that too.

Lastly, a 6th Riyria Chronicles book BLYTHIN CASTLE is done and will be kickstarted soon too.

I'm hyped to get into THE CYCLE when it eventually drops (he's apparently written 3 of the 5 books so far), but it's so nice to have these little tasters, and I'll need time to re-read the First Empire series before it drops to refresh myself on everything.

People say that Sanderson is a machine, but I feel like even now and again Sullivan stands in league with his output.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 23 April 2026 - 12:23 PM

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 23 April 2026 - 07:13 AM, said:

Abyss, on 22 April 2026 - 05:39 PM, said:

JPK, on 22 April 2026 - 05:06 PM, said:

Abyss, on 22 April 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

worry, on 22 April 2026 - 03:08 PM, said:

SE should go spicy. I think we deserve to know how many joints there are in a Forkrul Assail penis.

No.



No we do not.

But maybe we actually do?

Maybe YOU do.

I'm on the "we need more Forkrul Assail penis" side of the argument now I think about it.

not sure what's more disturbing, that you ended up on Team FA Penis, or that you actually thought about it.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 11:53 AM, said:

...
Also, there is another anthology (kickstarted; UNBROKEN: link in case anyone wants to back it..tonnes of authors in it) that has another Sullivan story that precursors THE CYCLE called THE ETERNAL WINTER in that, so I'll probably back that too....

Kickstarter'd that for the earbook... i had to really, REALLY, fight the urge to go for the printed edition signed by all the authors bcs holy dragoncrap he got an A-List for this!

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 11:53 AM, said:

People say that Sanderson is a machine, but I feel like even now and again Sullivan stands in league with his output.

Put them together and you have Adrian Tchaikovsky.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 23 April 2026 - 01:40 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 11:53 AM, said:

...
Also, there is another anthology (kickstarted; UNBROKEN: link in case anyone wants to back it..tonnes of authors in it) that has another Sullivan story that precursors THE CYCLE called THE ETERNAL WINTER in that, so I'll probably back that too....

Kickstarter'd that for the earbook... i had to really, REALLY, fight the urge to go for the printed edition signed by all the authors bcs holy dragoncrap he got an A-List for this!

Oh, me too. Funds are too tight but I wanted that Hardcover...but exchange rates being what they are, $70+shipping is too steep.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 02:43 PM, said:

Abyss, on 23 April 2026 - 01:40 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 11:53 AM, said:

...
Also, there is another anthology (kickstarted; UNBROKEN: link in case anyone wants to back it..tonnes of authors in it) that has another Sullivan story that precursors THE CYCLE called THE ETERNAL WINTER in that, so I'll probably back that too....

Kickstarter'd that for the earbook... i had to really, REALLY, fight the urge to go for the printed edition signed by all the authors bcs holy dragoncrap he got an A-List for this!

Oh, me too. Funds are too tight but I wanted that Hardcover...but exchange rates being what they are, $70+shipping is too steep.

nearly $300 for the signed version - y'know, i could probably live on dollar store noodles for a month or three...

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 23 April 2026 - 03:06 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 02:43 PM, said:

Abyss, on 23 April 2026 - 01:40 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2026 - 11:53 AM, said:

...
Also, there is another anthology (kickstarted; UNBROKEN: link in case anyone wants to back it..tonnes of authors in it) that has another Sullivan story that precursors THE CYCLE called THE ETERNAL WINTER in that, so I'll probably back that too....

Kickstarter'd that for the earbook... i had to really, REALLY, fight the urge to go for the printed edition signed by all the authors bcs holy dragoncrap he got an A-List for this!

Oh, me too. Funds are too tight but I wanted that Hardcover...but exchange rates being what they are, $70+shipping is too steep.

nearly $300 for the signed version - y'know, i could probably live on dollar store noodles for a month or three...

I feel like that's not too steep for all those signatures, but still...it's steep.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Untypical by Pete Wharmby

I'm listening to the audiobook (read by the author) and it's a really good listen about neurodivergence, with just the right amount of humour ("Alexander Graham Bell can get in the bin") but also plenty of information and thoughtful suggestions about how to make the neurodivergent experience of both school and the workplace less stressful.

[Macros]

Just finished Neuromancer.

I mean when this came outbit must have been so out there.
Fucking prescient in its own way.


Not sure if I want to bother with book two.

I enjoyed it, but not to the hype it's held up to for me, is book 2 more of the same or a step up or sh8ft in direction?

[amphibian]

Macros, on 04 May 2026 - 07:20 PM, said:

Just finished Neuromancer.

I mean when this came outbit must have been so out there.
Fucking prescient in its own way.


Not sure if I want to bother with book two.

I enjoyed it, but not to the hype it's held up to for me, is book 2 more of the same or a step up or sh8ft in direction?

Each of the Sprawl books goes in a different direction with a storyline that is much stronger in Count Zero and Mona Lisa Over Drive that takes us away from Neuromancer's characters.

I loved these books and think it's worth reading them, plus the Bridge and Blue Ant books.

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 04 May 2026 - 08:51 PM, said:

Macros, on 04 May 2026 - 07:20 PM, said:

Just finished Neuromancer.

I mean when this came outbit must have been so out there.
Fucking prescient in its own way.


Not sure if I want to bother with book two.

I enjoyed it, but not to the hype it's held up to for me, is book 2 more of the same or a step up or sh8ft in direction?

Each of the Sprawl books goes in a different direction with a storyline that is much stronger in Count Zero and Mona Lisa Over Drive that takes us away from Neuromancer's characters.

I loved these books and think it's worth reading them, plus the Bridge and Blue Ant books.

This.

And COUNT ZERO was my fave of the three, plus there is a Sprawl short story book called BURNING CHROME that's worth it too.

Oh, and if you're going to dive any further into classic Cyberpunk, try out George Alec Effinger's Budayeen trilogy, it's cyberpunk by way of the Middle East.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 05 May 2026 - 11:17 AM

[Slow Ben]

QuickTidal, on 09 March 2026 - 03:51 PM, said:

Finished DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL....um...I don't understand the praise.

This book is like listening in on your 9 year old brother and his friends giving a 13 hour play by play of their video games while also interjecting their 9 year old opinions on what is cool and funny.

Might be easier to keep track of all the dungeons, bugs, weapons, random players, coloured dots, boxes, potions, spells, goblins, training guilds, levels, staircases, floors, etc if they weren't noted every few paragraphs, on every page, FOREVER.

Like I'm a fan of LitRPG, THE CRADLE series is awesome...(as an example)

But this series is not for me.


Bonus annoyance: Also, finding out that for story reasons Carl stays in a pair of heart-adorned white boxer shorts for the entire series...will never not irk me as a reader. Just no. I got the initial deadpool-equse joke of him being in them when the world first ends and stuck in them for book 1....sure?...but the fact that he remains in them for multiple books is utterly insane.

What are you all smoking?

I’m pretty much the complete opposite. I had 12 Months and No Life Forsaken ready to go, but decided to give Carl a quick try first. I was hooked from the first chapter.

It perfectly scratches that nerd, comedy, DnD itch. So of course I blew through every single book.

It’s also the most quotable book I’ve read, maybe ever.

And again, opposite, I love the pop ups and notifications. They’re hilarious. And give a hundred little insights into the world and the ai running the game.

I’ll need to do a re-read to see exactly where it fits, but it’s easily top 10 for me, it’ll probably crack the top 5.

[Macros]

But its a bitch to find second hand

[Abyss]

Just Finished THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones.
There were elements i enjoyed, and elements that just did not work for me. It was, without doubt, one of the more original vampire stories i have read. The old west setting, the focus on the Indigenous (Indian) peoples, the nut and bolts of the vampire, all very well done. BUT... certain things just dragged. The vampire learning their powers and vulnerabilities, the interaction between the vampire and the main narrator, the main narrator's inner monologue... no point is made in one scene if it can't be made in three, and while all three are very well written, i couldn't help feeling like the time was wasted. There's also a framing narrative that i simply found annoying and unsatisfying in how it fit into the bigger story. It's a vampire story w literary ambitions, and felt like each thing detracted rather than enhanced the other.

k back to The Burnished City!