[Abyss]

 T77, on 24 June 2014 - 07:42 PM, said:

Finished Skin Game, I liked it but as with most Dresden novels I would like it a lot more if there weren't so many fights and chases.

Fascist.

[firvulag]

 Briar King, on 25 June 2014 - 05:06 AM, said:

I ll have to check on it. Does it stack up or pass Hamiltons Commonwealth books? I'm enjoying Pandoras Star but I'm only 70 pgs in ATM.

I love both series immensely but they are quite different. As previously stated the Revelations Space series is a bit more of a slow burn but the pay off is amazing. The Commonwealth series is a lot more action orientated and not quite so much focused on the hard sci fi (but there is some). Both feature pretty nasty big bads. You really can't go wrong with either

For myself, I've just started Emperor of Thorns and have to say I'm fairly disappointed with this series overall. Maybe it's the insane amount of good press it's had has effectively hyped it to levels it can't actually realise. It's not that it's bad, it's ok. I was just really expecting to be blown away by the series

This post has been edited by firvulag: 25 June 2014 - 06:38 AM

[End of Disc One]

 firvulag, on 25 June 2014 - 06:35 AM, said:

For myself, I've just started Emperor of Thorns and have to say I'm fairly disappointed with this series overall. Maybe it's the insane amount of good press it's had has effectively hyped it to levels it can't actually realise. It's not that it's bad, it's ok. I was just really expecting to be blown away by the series

Expectations are key. I'm sort of with you on the Broken Empire trilogy. I've read the first two books and I do like them quite a bit, but there's just something missing that keeps them from being great. It could be lofty expectations.

And as I'm finally planning to start Heroes Die within the week or so, I'll have to try to keep my expectations in check.

This post has been edited by Sussex Months: 25 June 2014 - 01:42 PM

[QuickTidal]

 Briar King, on 25 June 2014 - 05:06 AM, said:

I ll have to check on it. Does it stack up or pass Hamiltons Commonwealth books? I'm enjoying Pandoras Star but I'm only 70 pgs in ATM.

My best friend comments on Hamilton's writing rather succinctly summing up my feelings as well about his work..."Just because you can put as many words as possible on the page, doesn't mean you should. There is something to be said for brevity."

Thus, I disliked Hamilton A LOT.

But what's funny is that though Alastair Reynolds books are just as big and dense...not a word is wasted.

The Revelation Space series is excellent. If you are going to try it out BK, my recommendation is to pick up the GALACTIC NORTH short story compilation and read that first as it's an excellent primer to the RS universe and all the weird and wonderfulness in it. It will make the main books much more of an easy read.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

 pat5150, on 24 June 2014 - 08:23 PM, said:

Just finished Robin Hobb's Fool's Assassin and loved it! Though it is slow-moving, it was great to be reunited with Fitz, Chade, Kettricken, the Fool, etc.

Check out the Hotlist for the full review. . .

Cheers,

Patrick

Just read your review — I'm so excited for this!

[polishgenius]

 QuickTidal, on 25 June 2014 - 03:02 PM, said:

But what's funny is that though Alastair Reynolds books are just as big and dense...

They're not small, but his books are very definitely not the same length as Hamilton's 1,000+ page monsters.

That said, I enjoyed Reality Disfunction, in places a lot- however I never read more purely because there was a gap between reading the first and second, and by the time I'd got there, I didn't remember enough to properly get what was happening, but at that stage, too much to enjoy a full reread. I'll get back to it at some stage I guess, but right now those books are in a different country to me.



Anyway, I recently read Barricade by Jon Wallace, a very elegant post-apocalyptic thing - reads rather like Children of Men crossed with the Terminator, but from the point of view of the Terminators. It's a bit slight but it's a good piece of work, and I suspect the author is one to watch.

This post has been edited by polishgenius: 25 June 2014 - 07:20 PM

[Macros]

kind of looking for something.
I recall seeing a recommendation (do not recall if here or elsewhere. Newish author, All I remember of the name was tihnkgin it sounded hispanic or something, relatively sure there was a W involved in the surname.

yes, thats how vague it is

[Abyss]

 Macros, on 25 June 2014 - 08:37 PM, said:

kind of looking for something.
I recall seeing a recommendation (do not recall if here or elsewhere. Newish author, All I remember of the name was tihnkgin it sounded hispanic or something, relatively sure there was a W involved in the surname.

yes, thats how vague it is

Connie Willis, BLACKOUT, THE DOOMSDAY BOOK, others?

[amphibian]

Paolo Baciagalupi?

[amphibian]

 Briar King, on 26 June 2014 - 01:01 AM, said:

So it's a prequel of short stories QT?

Prequels, in and around, long after the main stories. The idea is more to get you used to how Reynolds writes.

And to prime you for the awesome that is Neville Clavain.

[amphibian]

What is PS?

[Ukjent]

Done with The thousand Names, I you liked the setting with guns from Promise of Blood you will enjoy this.

[Macros]

Reading revation space by Reynolds.
far from my comfort zone but interesting

[Gabriel Chase]

[Tiste Simeon]

 Briar King, on 26 June 2014 - 08:37 PM, said:

QT I see what you mean now about Hamilton's words pgs 91-112 are nothing but talking about gliding over and over and over...

I get why people don't like him (for my part I didn't like the Commonwealth Saga nearly as much as the Nights Dawn Trilogy) but he does create a vast and very well realised universe that I found fascinating. Sure there is his slightly creepy thing about writing lots of teenage girls getting it on with older men (not so much in Commonwealth iirc but it was a main part of Misspent Youth) and he does like to over describe parts but I think he is a good storyteller.

[QuickTidal]

 Tisteon Simeonus, on 26 June 2014 - 10:03 PM, said:

 Briar King, on 26 June 2014 - 08:37 PM, said:

QT I see what you mean now about Hamilton's words pgs 91-112 are nothing but talking about gliding over and over and over...

I get why people don't like him (for my part I didn't like the Commonwealth Saga nearly as much as the Nights Dawn Trilogy) but he does create a vast and very well realised universe that I found fascinating. Sure there is his slightly creepy thing about writing lots of teenage girls getting it on with older men (not so much in Commonwealth iirc but it was a main part of Misspent Youth) and he does like to over describe parts but I think he is a good storyteller.

Agreed. I didn't hate him, and he's a decent storyteller, I just didn't care for how excessively verbose he is.

[Tiste Simeon]

"Excessively verbose" don't you mean "him talk big"??

[JPK]

 Macros, on 26 June 2014 - 09:19 PM, said:

Reading revation space by Reynolds.
far from my comfort zone but interesting

I've been in the same boat with these. I rarely read scifi and when I do, it's almost never this dense. The payoff (for the first two books at least) is worth it though.

[polishgenius]

I wouldn't read Galactic North the collection first anyway, but if you do, certainly don't read the actual story 'Galactic North', as that's basically the series finale.

[QuickTidal]

 polishgenius, on 27 June 2014 - 05:23 AM, said:

I wouldn't read Galactic North the collection first anyway, but if you do, certainly don't read the actual story 'Galactic North', as that's basically the series finale.

You can read everything but the last two stories in GALACTIC NORTH and you'll be good.