[Fist Gamet]

Enders Game...yeah right

Seriously. Along with Across The Nightingale Floor, I am also enjoying The Heroes. A different proposition from the First Law Trilogy but I love the style and the characters and dialogue are just sublime, and the humour (that's 'humor' for our cousins across the pond) is brilliant.

[Mentalist]

Morgoth, on 19 March 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

UseOfWeapons, on 19 March 2012 - 11:11 AM, said:

Over the weekend I reread Guy Gavriel Kay's _Tigana_ for the first time since I was blown away by it as a teenager, probably 15-20 years ago. I was apprehensive that it might not live up to my memories, but I needn't have worried. I actually think I appreciated it more fully this time around, and I was in floods of tears in all the right places. I actually don't think I've cried so much at a book since MOI.

Must now check out _A Song For Arbonne_ again, as that one didn't affect me nearly so much first time around. Maybe it will have improved with age.

I wouldn't be surprised. Both affected me quite profoundly.

I was not impressed by Tigana at all. Sarantine Duology, on the other hand....

[Morgoth]

Mentalist, on 20 March 2012 - 04:49 AM, said:

Morgoth, on 19 March 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

UseOfWeapons, on 19 March 2012 - 11:11 AM, said:

Over the weekend I reread Guy Gavriel Kay's _Tigana_ for the first time since I was blown away by it as a teenager, probably 15-20 years ago. I was apprehensive that it might not live up to my memories, but I needn't have worried. I actually think I appreciated it more fully this time around, and I was in floods of tears in all the right places. I actually don't think I've cried so much at a book since MOI.

Must now check out _A Song For Arbonne_ again, as that one didn't affect me nearly so much first time around. Maybe it will have improved with age.

I wouldn't be surprised. Both affected me quite profoundly.

I was not impressed by Tigana at all. Sarantine Duology, on the other hand....

Yeah, especially as Emperor Justinian is the closest thing you get to the father of modern Law

[Use Of Weapons]

Mentalist, on 20 March 2012 - 04:49 AM, said:

I was not impressed by Tigana at all.

Any specific reason? Or just not your cup of tea?

[Serenity]

I've got about 80 pages left to go of David Gemmell's Knights of Dark Renown. Should finish it tonight, then it's a toss-up between Cornwell's Vagabond and Alastair Reynolds' House of Suns. That's the plan, anyway - knowing me, I'll probably dither and then end up reading something else off the TBR pile

[Abyss]

Mentalist, on 20 March 2012 - 04:49 AM, said:

I was not impressed by Tigana at all.

Seconded. Cool base concept, but poor execution and weird random tangents that added nothing to the story.
My least fave GGK book.

[Tapper]

UseOfWeapons, on 20 March 2012 - 10:55 AM, said:

Mentalist, on 20 March 2012 - 04:49 AM, said:

I was not impressed by Tigana at all.

Any specific reason? Or just not your cup of tea?

I never finished it. I didn't really like the writing style GGK chose (just like Glen Cook's style in his Dread Empire failed to please me).
I thought the concept of a silenced countryname intriguing but didn't see it moving much throughout the first half of the book, and considered most of the characters slightly bland. I quit reading it shortly after with no wish to revisit it.

Song for Arbonne with its poet & minstrel society, in several aspects of its early start not that different from much of Tigana's early pages, did manage to snare me only after a dozen of pages, so I think it is more style than substance that drove me away from Tigana.

[Use Of Weapons]

Well, fair enough. I'm not going to attempt to convince anyone that an opinion they hold should be revised or anything. But I'll continue to be a voice of support for Tigana whenever it comes up.

[McLovin]

Finished up WISHSONG OF SHANNARA.

Of the first three Shannara books, I liked this one the best by far. This one makes me want to venture into the HERITAGE quad.

But the TRP already has a Feist's RIFTWAR re-read, plus WHITE NIGHT and SMALL FAVOR (haven't touched the dresdencrack in months), plus more CONAN.

I'm starting to feel a bit jammed up.

[QuickTidal]

McLovin, on 20 March 2012 - 05:23 PM, said:

Of the first three Shannara books, I liked this one the best by far. This one makes me want to venture into the HERITAGE quad.

RE: The Heritage quad: Though SCIONS is my fave of those four books, the build of separate stories through DRUID and ELF QUEEN and their eventual culmination in TALISMANS is a great ride and significantly different from the first trilogy since it is all one cohesive story with the same characters.

If you've not read it yet, the prelude book FIRST KING OF SHANNARA has always been my fave of the entire series...and if after HERITAGE you aren't burnt out on Brooks then the VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA books are the next place to go (ISLE WITCH, ANTRAX, & MORGAWR)...I can't vouch after those ones, but the more recent GENESIS OF SHANNARA series was good, while the duology that followed it (LEGENDS OF SHANNARA) suffered quite heavily from the diminishing returns rule...sadly.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 20 March 2012 - 05:47 PM

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 20 March 2012 - 05:46 PM, said:

McLovin, on 20 March 2012 - 05:23 PM, said:

Of the first three Shannara books, I liked this one the best by far. This one makes me want to venture into the HERITAGE quad.

RE: The Heritage quad: Though SCIONS is my fave of those four books, the build of separate stories through DRUID and ELF QUEEN and their eventual culmination in TALISMANS is a great ride and significantly different from the first trilogy since it is all one cohesive story with the same characters.

If you've not read it yet, the prelude book FIRST KING OF SHANNARA has always been my fave of the entire series...and if after HERITAGE you aren't burnt out on Brooks then the VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA books are the next place to go (ISLE WITCH, ANTRAX, & MORGAWR)...I can't vouch after those ones, but the more recent GENESIS OF SHANNARA series was good, while the duology that followed it (LEGENDS OF SHANNARA) suffered quite heavily from the diminishing returns rule...sadly.

That's funny, i considered FIRST KING the least impresive, with Brooks more or less phoning it it. Decent, but not in the same league as 'STONES, 'SONG and the Heritage Quad. VOYAGE is ok but i quit after that.

[worry]

Elf Queen and Druid were my favorites in the entire series. For an author who consistently feels like he's making things up as he goes along, these two felt the most grounded in a real world, and also just happened to have some of my favorite characters. That next trilogy (Jerle) added some nice new wrinkles to the formula as well, and I enjoyed it a surprising amount. The trilogy after that sucked big time, and I haven't yet read the connective tissue books between Shannara and the Word/Void series. Haven't read First King since high school and I don't remember it much really.

[wade]

Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt...
Is it just me, or is this just really not good?

[Serenity]

Finished David Gemmell's Knights of Dark Renown, thought it was great, one of my favourite of his that I've read so far. Started House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds this morning.

[Morgoth]

the more interesting wade-newb, on 20 March 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt...
Is it just me, or is this just really not good?

It was one of the better works out there when it was published, but now? I agree, it is not particularly good compared to the better stuff published these days. Still, it has a nostalgic value for many, and was certainly influential.

[Abyss]

Serenity, on 21 March 2012 - 10:06 AM, said:

Finished David Gemmell's Knights of Dark Renown, thought it was great, one of my favourite of his that I've read so far. ....

One of my faves as well, and one of the first ones i read.

Morgoth, on 21 March 2012 - 10:11 AM, said:

the more interesting wade-newb, on 20 March 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt...
Is it just me, or is this just really not good?

It was one of the better works out there when it was published, but now? I agree, it is not particularly good compared to the better stuff published these days. Still, it has a nostalgic value for many, and was certainly influential.

It did a good, relatively fast paced job with the 'characters go off on disparate quests only to end up all together at the end in time for the big finish' trope. The YA elements of the series are still in place at that stage, tho they fade (pun intended) as it progresses.


Still reading Watts' BEHEMOTH... but thinking about what to read next.... the TRP is rather daunting... i'[ve started removing books on the basis of they have been there so long i'm just never going to read them, thus, good bye Stackpole's CARTOMANCY, Irvine's SHADOW ON GLASS..., or never going to reread... Kay's TIGANA, the entire CHUNG KUO series, Cook's BLACK COMPANY...

[JPK]

Finished up Good Omens. While I'm on the reread kick I think I'm going to hop over to Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. It's been a few years since I've read it (and I REALLY wasn't into scifi at the time) so the fact that it left a really strong impression on me says something.

[wade]

Abyss, on 21 March 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

Serenity, on 21 March 2012 - 10:06 AM, said:

Finished David Gemmell's Knights of Dark Renown, thought it was great, one of my favourite of his that I've read so far. ....

One of my faves as well, and one of the first ones i read.

Morgoth, on 21 March 2012 - 10:11 AM, said:

the more interesting wade-newb, on 20 March 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt...
Is it just me, or is this just really not good?

It was one of the better works out there when it was published, but now? I agree, it is not particularly good compared to the better stuff published these days. Still, it has a nostalgic value for many, and was certainly influential.

It did a good, relatively fast paced job with the 'characters go off on disparate quests only to end up all together at the end in time for the big finish' trope. The YA elements of the series are still in place at that stage, tho they fade (pun intended) as it progresses.

I do hope it gets better. I loved the Eye of the World... Maybe my tastes have changed? *sigh* I guess I'll just RAFO then.

[Abyss]

the more interesting wade-newb, on 20 March 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt...
Is it just me, or is this just really not good?
...

I do hope it gets better. I loved the Eye of the World... Maybe my tastes have changed? *sigh* I guess I'll just RAFO then.

It picks up a lot once Perrin gets the demon sword and kills Matt.

I also read like six times the part where Nyneave strangles three trollocs with her braid.

And Rand becoming a cyborg was a high point in the series.

It's also possible that none of these things happen.

[QuickTidal]

So I started A SONG FOR ARBONNE by GGK...I'm about 100 pages into it and...I'm mostly bored. Where THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go, this one is just not doing much for me. I only really care about Blaise and the only part I enjoyed so far was his interaction with Beatritz (High Priestess of the Goddess Rian, and part of me assumes is his aunt). That was spread over about 4 pages. 4 pages enjoyed in 100 is not the best ratio. Like there is a whole chapter about Signe and the machinations of the various places and factions, and how she misses her dead husband and children...snore...I dunno, so far this book is doing next to nothing for me.

I'm going to put it back into the TBR pile for a while, as I want to give it fairer shakes down the line.

Until the new SW book drops, I'll either be reading ONE PIECE manga collections, or the second Susan Hill ghost story THE MIST IN THE MIRROR.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 22 March 2012 - 12:41 PM