[Abyss]

Maybe Apt, on 14 January 2014 - 11:54 PM, said:

...I was going to start reading Moon over Soho but just discovered that I also have Gun Machine by Warren Ellis on the Kindle. I am reading that first.

AS YOU SHOULD.

[Serenity]

QuickTidal, on 14 January 2014 - 03:13 PM, said:

Serenity, on 14 January 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

The Once and Future King by T. H. White - really enjoyed this, apart from The Book of Merlyn, which I pretty much hated

Being a fan of Arthurian tales, I've surprisingly never read this. Glad to hear it's good. I need to find myself a decent copy.

I thought the third and fourth books, The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle in the Wind, were both fantastic. Well worth a look.

QuickTidal, on 14 January 2014 - 03:13 PM, said:

I'm finishing up the second half of SHARPE'S PREY by Cornwell, and not sure what I'll read after that in the gap between now and my Bday in which I've asked for a few books.

As you know, I'm working my way through the Saxon series at the moment, and loved the Arthurian trilogy, but I've not read any of the Sharpe books. The week before Christmas Amazon did a 'daily deal' and had all the 21 Sharpe novels on Kindle for 99p each. Needless to say, I bought them all. My credit card had a meltdown, though - they put a stop on it cos so many transactions went through within a few minutes - I had to ring them up to get them to release it

Abyss, on 14 January 2014 - 03:18 PM, said:

Serenity, on 14 January 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

...Dawnthief by James Barclay - thought this was very poor, especially in terms of characterisation. Doubt very much that I'll read any further in this series

Sadly, all i can tell you is that the books slowly get better and the second trilo is actually quite good, but yeah, the first one is a slog at times.

Thanks for letting me know. I thought I was going to enjoy it at first, but I'd nearly lost the will to live by the last third of it. The characters were so ... characterless, and the dialogue was dreadful. Fortunately - or unfortunately, depending how you look at it - this was another Kindle deal at Christmas - all seven of the Raven books for £18. I don't think I'll be reading the others, but at least they're not taking up my limited shelf space!

Abyss, on 14 January 2014 - 03:18 PM, said:

Quote

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher - fecking loved it, probably my favourite Dresden so far. Polka will never die!

It remains my fave for all the obvious reasons, Polka included. Great great book.

I thought the last third of it was just brilliant. So exciting. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Aptorian]

Briar King, on 15 January 2014 - 01:21 AM, said:

Don't wait to long to read the last 2 so they are fresh in your mind.

Where do they pick up? Are they connected to the ongoing war between Ghurkul and the Union or are they offshoots like Best Served Cold?

[End of Disc One]

The Heroes is about the war between the Union and the North. I don't see any need to read them right away, personally, despite how awesome The Heroes is.

I probably should have taken a longer break from Abercrombie before reading Red Country.

[Aptorian]

Just finished Gun Machine. Great read. It's funny, the book read exactly the way I imagined a Warren Ellis book would. Funny, clever and weirdly detailed in odd places. I have to admit though that I was expecting a more weird explanation for what the hell was going on but the ending worked for me.

Guess I better add Crooked Little Vein to my "to read pile".

[QuickTidal]

Serenity, on 15 January 2014 - 08:53 AM, said:

As you know, I'm working my way through the Saxon series at the moment, and loved the Arthurian trilogy, but I've not read any of the Sharpe books. The week before Christmas Amazon did a 'daily deal' and had all the 21 Sharpe novels on Kindle for 99p each. Needless to say, I bought them all. My credit card had a meltdown, though - they put a stop on it cos so many transactions went through within a few minutes - I had to ring them up to get them to release it

Oh you're in for a treat. The SHARPE books are great little palate cleanser books. Short, to the point, with a likeable hero at the helm! Enjoy!

[JPK]

Maybe Apt, on 15 January 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

Just finished Gun Machine. Great read. It's funny, the book read exactly the way I imagined a Warren Ellis book would. Funny, clever and weirdly detailed in odd places. I have to admit though that I was expecting a more weird explanation for what the hell was going on but the ending worked for me.

Guess I better add Crooked Little Vein to my "to read pile".

Good choice. I liked Gun Machine, but I LOVED Crooked Little Vein. It's also a quick read. Besides, I feel I should shave the phrase that Abyss used to make me drop my other reading plans and read it immediately: "plot-related Godzilla bukakke".

[Tapper]

Serenity, on 14 January 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

Since last visit:



The Once and Future King by T. H. White - really enjoyed this, apart from The Book of Merlyn, which I pretty much hated

Awesome book. The problem with the Book of Merlyn is that it is completely disjointed in writing style from the remainder.
I particularly loved the mad Lancelot bits.

[Ukjent]

Started the second volume of Book of the New Sun.

[Abyss]

Serenity, on 15 January 2014 - 08:53 AM, said:

Abyss, on 14 January 2014 - 03:18 PM, said:

Serenity, on 14 January 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

...Dawnthief by James Barclay - thought this was very poor, especially in terms of characterisation. Doubt very much that I'll read any further in this series

Sadly, all i can tell you is that the books slowly get better and the second trilo is actually quite good, but yeah, the first one is a slog at times.

Thanks for letting me know. I thought I was going to enjoy it at first, but I'd nearly lost the will to live by the last third of it. The characters were so ... characterless, and the dialogue was dreadful. Fortunately - or unfortunately, depending how you look at it - this was another Kindle deal at Christmas - all seven of the Raven books for £18. I don't think I'll be reading the others, but at least they're not taking up my limited shelf space!

If i follow, you actually bought all seven, so... i can't pretend 1 is anything but disappointing. It has a certain classic fantasy appeal for the right reader at the right time, but yeah, it's meh at best.


here's what i posted elsethread about the first trilo...

Quote

The first book suffers from its fairly standard fantasy tropes - civilized medieval society invaded by the unsuphisticated yet savage yet speaking in perfect diction hordes from the other side of the mountain range at the direction of their evil witch lords. But the way the whole 'get the heroes to where they can activate the widget and stop the badguys' thing plays out quite well. I like the way the Raven are completely out of their depth and know it, but maintain an attitude of 'it's just another job, only harder'.

The second has dragons. Massive intelligent dragons at war with other dragons, and a magic spell thingy that will destroy the world if it does its thing. The magic in the this book suffers a bit - sometimes Barclay isn't as clear as he is clever, but again it works, mostly because the characters are great fun to read. And the dragon-to-dragon combat is awesome... i really have to give
Barclay credit on this - he writes massive frikkin' dragons beating the hell out of each other in the sky really well.

Third one has some excellent action scenes, - there's a rescue at sea in a storm sequence that is just brilliant to read - more character building, and if it suffers from anything its that it feels like the author wrote a solid ending but then editted the fnck out of the epilogue stuff to leave those elements for the next trilogy. Still, a hell of a finale with a couple of neat twists.

I liked.

Anyrate, i've read the three, i'm satisfied with them and will check out the next three at some point. I don't mean to damn with faint praise. It's not SE, it's not even close, but its fun satisfying fantasy from a decent writer that i'll check out again. I get that this isn't everyone's cup of kaelyk, but if you're a fantasy fan and haven't seen these yet and were put off by the various negative comments, i can at least say i think it's worth a look. Not tall dollars hardcover, but mmpb/library/2nd hand.

and re bk 6...

Quote

Y'know, it's beyond a damn shame that the admittedly mediocre DAWNTHIEF turns so many people off the RAVEN series, becauseholymotherofalldragonfucknuts that finale was just INSANE. Seriously. I don't put Barclay in SE's league by a long shot, but that finale was right up there with some of the high points of the MBF. Look... i'm not going to tell anyone to fight their way through six books just to read one awesome scene... or even the first trilogy, which i fully acknowledge is so-so, although i think that the second is flat out great from the start... ffs, Elf ninjas... but as a fantasy lit fan i thought that last bit was pure fantasy fan crackcocaine in action text form and a great great read.

and then there was bk 7

Quote

This is how you write end of the world epic fantasy. THIS.

All i can say is that if there was anything you enjoyed even a little in the first book, perhaps give the second a try and see whether that plus armies of dragons in air-to-air combat is enough to hold your interest.

Or don't... i just think a lot of people who might enjoy the series never make it past DAWNTHIEF.

Quote

Abyss, on 14 January 2014 - 03:18 PM, said:

Quote

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher - fecking loved it, probably my favourite Dresden so far. Polka will never die!

It remains my fave for all the obvious reasons, Polka included. Great great book.

I thought the last third of it was just brilliant. So exciting. Looking forward to reading the next one.

THE DREZDENCRACK.... IT GROWZEZ!!!!!

The Incredible Kitsu, on 16 January 2014 - 07:51 AM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 15 January 2014 - 02:55 PM, said:

Just finished Gun Machine. Great read. It's funny, the book read exactly the way I imagined a Warren Ellis book would. Funny, clever and weirdly detailed in odd places. I have to admit though that I was expecting a more weird explanation for what the hell was going on but the ending worked for me.

Guess I better add Crooked Little Vein to my "to read pile".

Good choice. I liked Gun Machine, but I LOVED Crooked Little Vein. It's also a quick read. Besides, I feel I should shave the phrase that Abyss used to make me drop my other reading plans and read it immediately: "plot-related Godzilla bukakke".

So glad you liked it Apt. I thought Ellis nailed that book.
VEIN is a very different experience. Kitsu correctly refs the intrinsic value of Godzilla Bukkake to not only the plot, but society as a whole.


As for my reading, am about 30pgs into Clines' EX-PURGATORY... very different from the prior three books but he's selling it so well... it's like one of those comic stories where the superheroes are depowered and mindwiped ... only with zombies.

[polishgenius]

Earlier on I finished Sandman Slim, the first book in the series of the same title by Richard Kadrey.

It's a good addition to the urban fantasy roster- it's got a cool hook just different enough to set it apart (though it does run kind of close to Constantine and the Lucifer comic in places, as well as Supernatural), it sets up a good supporting cast and background - always important in these series - and it makes good use of LA. And some of the mythos is sets up is double fucking cool.

It does go slightly overboard with LOOK AT HOW EDGY AND COOL I AM on occasions though and also, for me, piles too much into one short novel - it could probably have done with saving much of it for the sequels to really build a myth-arc, Butcher style, and taking all the plotlines to a satisfactory stopping point means it ends more times than The Return of the King film.

And the core plot is rather similar to Kate Griffin's A Madness of Angels, which did it rather better (though the signs are that the long-term plan is rather better developed than Griffin's).

I'll definitely be reading more of it though, for all those reservations. It's a great deal of fun.



Earlier in the week I also finished The Vorrh, by Ben Caitlin. It's definitely worth a look for all those who like the whole New Weird thing, though it isn't quite as good as the hype and reviews around it suggest (it's also the first part of a trilogy of which the rest has shown no sign of existence, but tbh it stands well enough alone so that's not a biggie).

[Aptorian]

Finished Moon over Soho earlier.

It's been over a year since I read the first book so my initial impression of the series is a bit blurry but I think this book was a great leap forward in terms of evolving the story and universe. Initially I thought the book was a bit boring and was just repeating the weird crimes angle of the first book but then a common theme started to become apparent and the series now has what could be Peter Grants version of "Moriarty". Can't wait to see what happens next.

Just started Crooked Little Vein.

What the fuck is this book?! I've only read the first 5 or so chapters but god damn. It's like reading the book version of Transmetropolitan if Spider Jerusalem was a depressed private detective. I think I am going to love this book.

[JPK]

I finished Emperor yesterday morning. I think that ending was the only one that could possibly have made sense for Jorg. I will definitely be picking up Prince of Fools on release.

In the meantime, I needed a palette cleanser after the grimdark, so I started The Black Lung Captain by Chris Wooding. I said the first book reminded me of Firefly, and the second one backs it up. This is nothing but a good thing.

This post has been edited by The Incredible Kitsu: 16 January 2014 - 07:37 PM

[Abyss]

Maybe Apt, on 16 January 2014 - 06:36 PM, said:

...
Just started Crooked Little Vein.

What the fuck is this book?! I've only read the first 5 or so chapters but god damn. It's like reading the book version of Transmetropolitan if Spider Jerusalem was a depressed private detective. I think I am going to love this book.

we warned you...

[stone monkey]

Megaherpetophilia, anyone?

[Aptorian]

20% in ... I don't even... fucking Godzilla feticists.

[QuickTidal]

Whelp, I bought THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T.H White finally. Gonna start it later on.

[Serenity]

Abyss, on 16 January 2014 - 05:12 PM, said:

All i can say is that if there was anything you enjoyed even a little in the first book, perhaps give the second a try and see whether that plus armies of dragons in air-to-air combat is enough to hold your interest.

Or don't... i just think a lot of people who might enjoy the series never make it past DAWNTHIEF.

Thanks for taking the time to find those comments. It's true, I shouldn't give up so easily, especially when I'm disappointed when people give up on Malazan after one book. I guess I should try the second book at some point, then, to see what the dragons are like. I suppose I should do it reasonably soon, too - I don't want to have to re-read Dawnthief to remind myself what was going on

QuickTidal, on 17 January 2014 - 02:15 AM, said:

Whelp, I bought THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T.H White finally. Gonna start it later on.

Hope you enjoy it!

This post has been edited by Serenity: 17 January 2014 - 12:28 PM

[QuickTidal]

Re: THE ONCE & FUTURE KING...After buying it have decided that due to its length, I'll hold off on it till after my Bday books come through.


That said, I'm currently reading the WORDS OF RADIANCE sample chapters...and they are delicious!

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 17 January 2014 - 07:16 PM

[D'iversify]

Graablick, on 16 January 2014 - 10:38 AM, said:

Started the second volume of Book of the New Sun.

Same here - was going to wait until I had finished my latest two PhD chapters but gave up waiting (a good thing too!).