[McLovin]

Wow, tough room today.

[QuickTidal]

I've got FAIRY TALES FROM THE BROTHER'S GRIMM: A NEW ENGLISH VERSION by Phillip Pullman (in which he retells 50 of his favourites) on the go as I received it for my BDay.

So far it's very, VERY good.

[Assail]

 McLovin, on 05 February 2013 - 05:44 PM, said:

Wow, tough room today.

I don't know if you've heard, but I am quite the tough guy.

[Abyss]

 Assail, on 05 February 2013 - 06:29 PM, said:

 McLovin, on 05 February 2013 - 05:44 PM, said:

Wow, tough room today.

I don't know if you've heard, but I am quite the tough guy.

you would have to be to enjoy Goodkind.

[Abyss]

 QuickTidal, on 05 February 2013 - 05:14 PM, said:

Abyss, that was weak man...your forum-fu powers are flagging for a Tuesday.

Don't you have a Kevin Costner marathon to go watch or something?

[Assail]

 Abyss, on 05 February 2013 - 07:04 PM, said:

 Assail, on 05 February 2013 - 06:29 PM, said:

 McLovin, on 05 February 2013 - 05:44 PM, said:

Wow, tough room today.

I don't know if you've heard, but I am quite the tough guy.

you would have to be to enjoy Goodkind.

THAT'S RIGHT! Only real men read and enjoy Goodkind.
I'm SO alone.

[Baco Xtath]

 Abyss, on 05 February 2013 - 07:04 PM, said:

 Assail, on 05 February 2013 - 06:29 PM, said:

 McLovin, on 05 February 2013 - 05:44 PM, said:

Wow, tough room today.

I don't know if you've heard, but I am quite the tough guy.

you would have to be to enjoy Goodkind.

 Abyss, on 05 February 2013 - 07:05 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 05 February 2013 - 05:14 PM, said:

Abyss, that was weak man...your forum-fu powers are flagging for a Tuesday.

Don't you have a Kevin Costner marathon to go watch or something?

RAGE CAT RAGES!

[Abyss]

.

[Assail]

 Abyss, on 05 February 2013 - 09:03 PM, said:

.

Haha yes, I see your small edit there Abyss.

Not worried about it. Seems someone feels threatened!
i just wanted to be hugged by somebody, anybody. the goats ... they're so cold.

[worry]

So, Mentalist, amph, et al, I finally finished Godsdoom. I don't really know what to say about it, it's one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Upon finishing it I feel like I understand about 10% more than when I started...this book must hold the record for number of imaginary/fantasy proper nouns thrown your way with little or no context and no hurry to give you any...the siege of Pale is a cakewalk in comparison. Partly that's because this is written like a long-form saga, like it was translated from an ancient (and initially overly-stilted) quasi-Norse text rather than from Russian. I wonder if Perumov did his own translation, because it's incredibly impressive, even if I must admit that it's not really my thing. Likewise I must admit that with this style, I didn't really grow to care about most of the characters (though Hedin is a big exception, I liked him a lot). But on the other hand, I did still always want to know what happened next. And like with any change of pace, you adapt, so after the first few chapters I was used to the style and very much trusted Perumov knew what he was doing.

Suffice to say, I was not passionate about the book in the same way Mentalist seemed to be, but I did like it...and any qualm I had with it has more to do with my personal taste, because Perumov is very good at doing what he does. If you're thinking of picking it up, and you're already pretty well versed in various classical translations and such (which I am not) and enjoy them, it might be right up your alley. For anyone else, I'd recommend reading the first two chapters (there are two main alternating POVs) and deciding from there. You won't really get any remote picture of the ultimately quite epic plot though, it's a slow build kind of thing.

[worry]

Oh and now I'm starting Soldiers Live.

[Ukjent]

Soldiers Live is just a wonderful wrap out of an fantastic series. And for myself I have just started on The Last Argument of Kings.

[Mentalist]

 worrywort, on 05 February 2013 - 10:03 PM, said:

So, Mentalist, amph, et al, I finally finished Godsdoom. I don't really know what to say about it, it's one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Upon finishing it I feel like I understand about 10% more than when I started...this book must hold the record for number of imaginary/fantasy proper nouns thrown your way with little or no context and no hurry to give you any...the siege of Pale is a cakewalk in comparison. Partly that's because this is written like a long-form saga, like it was translated from an ancient (and initially overly-stilted) quasi-Norse text rather than from Russian. I wonder if Perumov did his own translation, because it's incredibly impressive, even if I must admit that it's not really my thing. Likewise I must admit that with this style, I didn't really grow to care about most of the characters (though Hedin is a big exception, I liked him a lot). But on the other hand, I did still always want to know what happened next. And like with any change of pace, you adapt, so after the first few chapters I was used to the style and very much trusted Perumov knew what he was doing.

Suffice to say, I was not passionate about the book in the same way Mentalist seemed to be, but I did like it...and any qualm I had with it has more to do with my personal taste, because Perumov is very good at doing what he does. If you're thinking of picking it up, and you're already pretty well versed in various classical translations and such (which I am not) and enjoy them, it might be right up your alley. For anyone else, I'd recommend reading the first two chapters (there are two main alternating POVs) and deciding from there. You won't really get any remote picture of the ultimately quite epic plot though, it's a slow build kind of thing.

hehe.
Godsdoom is in it's own league when it comes to dropping you right in the middle of things happening. Though it is possible to piece together the pre-history, esp from the Hedin chapters.

I'd have to read it in English to tell you how well the book was actually translated.
The other books in the Hjorward sequence (the next 2 books) are written somewhat more like traditional fantasy. "Warrior of Great Darkness" is a prequel of sorts that takes place during

Spoiler

Rakot's Rebellion

, while "Land without Joy" follows the events in Godsdoom

the "Chronicles of the Rift" sequence picks up on a whole other world with "Wooden Sword, Diamond Sword", and the connections with Hedin & Co aren't really obvious untill about 4 books into the series (though certain characters get name-dropped here and there).

The only reason Godsdoom is so important to the overall plot is because its outcome--

Spoiler

Hedin & Rakot becoming "the New Gods of the Consistent"

, which is something that's referenced back in form or another quite frequently.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 06 February 2013 - 03:33 AM

[worry]

Here's a sample in English: http://www.barnesand...d/2940000112724

[amphibian]

Read 100 pages of Godsdoom in a preview. It's like that Antonio Banderas movie The 13th Warrior,except smarter and with real magic.

Promptly bought it.

[QuickTidal]

I got 40% into THE MAD SCIENTIST'S DAUGHTER by Cassandra Rose Clarke (a book everyone swore was amazing), and put it down...it's really not good at all.

John Scalzi's experimental Episodically released new OLD MAN'S WAR universe novel THE HUMAN DIVISION continues to deliver the goods. Great stuff!

[Baco Xtath]

Been listening to John Dies at the End all day and looked like a fool when I laughed my ass off in the middle of Home Depot.
To paraphrase:
"This isn't a contest to see whose dick is bigger." she says.
"Well good," John says quietly
"Cause it wouldn't be a contest." he continues.
"Oh please," says Big Jim, "of all the things God's gifted me with, it's a dick that's so big that if my dick had a dick, my dick's dick would be bigger than your dick."
"You all aren't even real," say John, " y'all are just a figment of my dick's imagination."

Anyway, that's a shortened version of the part that had me laughing so hard. The narrator is fantastic. Anyone that likes audiobooks and has thought about reading/listening to John Dies at the End, I strongly recommend that you do. It's insane and absolutely hysterical.

[yuna_anomander25]

just finished with Altered Carbon, so many LOL moments, great scenes and action plus Takeshi Kovacs' badass attitude, but would have liked more of what really happened in the prologue in detail,
also, i'm reading a few chapters of The Gap into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge, not hurrying up with this read,

in reverse of BK's reading order, i will now start again with Abercrombie's Best Served Cold, but will start maybe later,

[Assail]

You know I hear a lot about Abercrombies book. I bought all four of his series right before I went on deployment and to be honest with you, I couldn't get into them at all. I haven't even finished the first book. I'm assuming it's something worth pushing through. I experienced problems getting into MBotF as well, but it eventually paid off as the series got better and better. Anyone else have this issue with Abercrombies books?

[worry]

No spoilers, I promise:

I wasn't enamored with the entire first book (aside from some excellent characterization), but I had heard enough to know there was some deliberate pacing there and the good stuff was coming. And it did, big time. I'd say book 1 is almost entirely about character building, book 2 is about setting up the story, and then book 3 is where character and story butt heads, and Abercrombie gets really nasty. I was impressed.