[Ashes]

Starting the series by Ken Scholes, Psalms of Isaak

[stone monkey]

Just finished The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro. Pretty much any fan of intelligent and stylistically written fantasy needs to go out and read this book... right now.

The writing is a thing of beauty, every word counts. Every sentence is a pleasure to read. The plot goes to places you wouldn't expect, but ones that are absolutely the right choices to make

Spoiler

despite not being happy ones

. The characters are wonderful; Axl and Beatrice, in particular, have such a delightful relationship that you actually dread what may happen should they get their memories back. It's one of those books that dabbles with ideas the nature of story, and there some nods to other British stories

Spoiler

the riff on Beowulf is lovely

, but it's not obnoxiously smartarse about it in the way that some metafictional texts can be.

This is not an epic fantasy filled with battles, magic and monsters... Although such things are there. But it is an absolute joy to read.

I would also recommend that those with interests of an SF nature take a look at Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (which was made into a film I haven't seen); you should I think be warned that this one is not a happy book by any stretch of the imagination. He seems like one of those rare mainstream writers who can bring his skills to bear on sf and fantasy effectively; which is fairly unusual I think.

[worry]

Never Let Me Go was pretty solid, and yah very downbeat; adding that other to my list.

I finished both As You Wish by Cary Elwes, and the graphic novel biography of Andre the Giant. Both quite good, though neither is exceptional. It's nice that Elwes' book was a fond recollection and not a tell-all, and there are plenty of neat tidbits on the movie. The comic is pretty episodic rather than fully biographical, so it's kind of an impressionistic deal overall.

Now reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin. She seems cool, so hoping the books are good.

[amphibian]

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms omnibus I have is incredibly good.

You will enjoy this.

[Dolmen 2.0]

So just finished The Riyria Revelations, Theft of Swords

It was good. It was not wholly unique in its story, but it was entertaining and really really well structured. The pacing and sub-plots were great. I liked most of the characters . Hadrian and Royce were each covered in a decent blend of interesting and mysterious. I may have guessed my way through a few events but it was worth reading regardless. Each scene seemed to do its part, nothing felt unnecessary. I'm interested in the Politics and racial relations. We mainly see humans in this book but there's definitely more going on. I'm especially curious about the Elves and the Sea Goblins.

Well I'm going to the store after work to collect book two, Rise of Empire. I'm thinking of getting Blade of Tyshalle on audible this weekend. will probably listen to it at work while I read the Ryria Revelations at home.

[Maark Abbott]

Onto The Elenium at long last. You know it's an Eddings book when he takes six or so pages to introduce The Macguffin.

[acesn8s]

I'm about 80% done with Blood and Bone. I've really started to enjoy the book.

[Serenity]

Over the past week or so I've read:

C J Cherryh's Foreigner. Good stuff for the most part, shall read the next one at some point in the not too distant future.

China Mieville's The City and the City. Loved it!

Jack Womack's Random Acts of Senseless Violence. Didn't think it was my kind of thing at the start but it dragged me in. Quite unsettling, though.


Now reading Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers. The original 1956 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of my favourite films so I've no idea why it's taken me this long to get around to reading the book.

After this I may start reading Julian May's Saga of the Exiles. Been meaning to get to it for ages. I read the first book years ago but never got around to the rest.

[HiddenOne]

Finished "Iron Dawn", it was great.

[Salt-Man Z]

HiddenOne, on 20 May 2015 - 12:24 PM, said:

Finished "Iron Dawn", it was great.

Get your hands on Jericho Moon.

[HiddenOne]

Salt-Man Z, on 20 May 2015 - 03:06 PM, said:

HiddenOne, on 20 May 2015 - 12:24 PM, said:

Finished "Iron Dawn", it was great.

Get your hands on Jericho Moon.

Actually had it for a while, loved it too. I messaged a friend that has borrowed it, because I want to re-read it now.

[polishgenius]

I'm doing a quick re-read of the Long Price Quartet, my first full one. Two thirds into book 2, I'd almost forgotten how much I love these. This re-read has removed the only criticism I'd had- I remember on my first read thinking that the second book repeats a bit of ground from the first, but on the second go I really can't remember why.

[acesn8s]

Abyss, on 14 May 2015 - 06:22 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 14 May 2015 - 06:08 PM, said:

Obviously you have Dresden. What else do you have in your locker?

On the urban fantasy side these days i myself have Jacka's ALEX VERUS, Aaronovich's PETER GRANT, Carey's FELIX CASTOR, Grossman's MAGICIANS trilo ...and the first ten books of Hamilton's EXECUTIONER series but dear god go no further. Opinions vary on Hearne's IRON DRUID.... i liked some parts (Jesus, Celtic, Native American mythology), skimmed/skipped others (vampires, werewolves, Norse yawn).

Tattersail_, on 14 May 2015 - 06:08 PM, said:

I highly recommend this series.

Tattersail_, on 14 May 2015 - 06:11 PM, said:

Each chapter is a page turner. There's so many good scenes.

QuickTidal, on 14 May 2015 - 06:14 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 14 May 2015 - 06:11 PM, said:

Each chapter is a page turner. There's so many good scenes.

I love any scene with Kate and Andrea bantering.

NOT HELPING.

QT and Tattersail broke me. I just finished Blood and Bone and now I'm reading Magic Bites.

[Maark Abbott]

About nine chapters into The Elenium now (I'm reading an omnibus version). Enjoying it; it's notably darker than The Belgarreon without being grvmdvrk in any way. You'll not see a mormon doing the invisible oranges pose to this book, but in spite of the twee it's very enjoyable.

[Tiste Simeon]

Just finished the final volume of the graphic novel Y: The Last Man. Freaking incredible!

[JPK]

I just finished The Skull Throne. Meh. This series had so much promise in the first two books but I feel that Peter V Brett let the scope of the whole thing get away from him.

Next up: Shriek: An Afterword.

[Serenity]

Finished Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers. Brilliant. Very pleased by how the original 1956 movie stuck to the book, for the most part anyway.

I was going to start on Julian May's Saga of the Exiles after that but, as I'm on leave for the next week, I decided to read one or two of the paperbacks I've had sitting on the shelf for ages instead. So I'm now reading Simon R. Green's Deathstalker.

[acesn8s]

Magic Bites was fun. On to Magic Burns.

[Lycaenion]

Legends - Stories in honour of David Gemmell. I found myself a few new writers to enjoy while reading this anthology.

[Chance]

Read Gene Wolfe's The Knight and The Wizard and as always with Wolfe (and several other authors) I love the way the book is written but end up unsure if I actually liked the book.

Going for a full Culture re-read never actually read all the books back to back before. Consider Phlebas is better then I remember it so far but there are still at least one chapter which should have been cut (or re-done) and it is unpolished compared to what comes later.

This post has been edited by Chance: 23 May 2015 - 01:36 PM