[Stalker]

I'd heard of it when looking at audiobook options, but not yet. After the strength of The Fold, it's next on my list to read though.


I've been really into audiobooks though to help with my daily 2 hour drive, so keeping an eye on those too. Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger novels are great for that, if anyone is looking for a well done audiobook series.

[Serenity]

Finished Sharpe's Tiger and enjoyed it muchly. Kind of weird reading a Cornwell book written in third person - the only others of his I've read in that style were the Grail Quest books, everything else has been first person.

Now just over 100 pages into Campbell's Dauntless. I hope it improves.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 24 November 2015 - 02:21 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 November 2015 - 02:06 PM, said:

Briar King, on 23 November 2015 - 05:00 AM, said:

Holy shit I'm LOST with this start on Outlander 2....

Yeah, it's completely out of the blue and you're sitting there wondering "What? But last time we left them....what is going on?!"

Don't worry, it will make more sense later...the opening and ending kind of bookend the 2nd novel...the middle chunk is still them in France (which was where they were headed at the end of Book 1).

Good to hear. The show cut out and condensed the books last 80-90 pgs as it ended in France instead of on the boat to France. Claire had some very interesting convos at the Abby there so idk why they did it like that.

Did you ever get to 3?

I've got it, but I've not yet read it. Probably in the new year.

[Abyss]

Serenity, on 24 November 2015 - 08:20 AM, said:

...

Now just over 100 pages into Campbell's Dauntless. I hope it improves.

Depends on what you're looking for. Things kick off about halfway but its milSF. It doesn't rise beyond the higher standards of the genre.... great spaceship armada battles, clever tactics, terrific conflict on a macro level, but otherwise one decently developed pov and a handful of archetypical supporting cast.

I really enjoyed the series for what it is and powered through - but if you're hoping for SF al la Banks or Asher you'll be disappointed.


The books do steadily improve too. 3 is stunning and 4 just fucking launches.

[polishgenius]

So I read the second two of Claire North's ebook novella trilogy, The Gameshouse. Well worth the read - unfortunately imo the last story is the weakest but it's still good. The first two are excellent. The first reads rather like a more dedicated and better-thought out extrapolation of the election-games scenario in Republic of Thieves. Recommended.

[Baco Xtath]

Baco Xtath, on 23 November 2015 - 11:32 PM, said:

Abyss, on 23 November 2015 - 07:48 PM, said:

Pretty subjective. I would have given GODS WAR 3 stars at best.

Granted. I am listening to this immediately following one of the worst books I've ever listened to. Still, though, I think it's pretty good. I like the setting as a whole though the characters themselves are kind of hard to like. Did you read any more in the series? If so, do they get better or worse?

3/4 through God's War and can say that I jumped the gun on calling it great. It's now in decent territory and falling.

[polishgenius]

God's War wasn't bad, but I haven't run to get the sequel. I will eventually, but it felt less than the sum of its parts.

I haven't yet been able to finish her epic fantasy effort, The Mirror Empire, although it's still in the 'will retry at some stage' territory, in which books sometimes turn from 'struggling' to 'I really loved this'. There's a lot there that I liked, particularly in the worldbuilding, but it felt like maybe it was trying a bit too hard to be different.

[Abyss]

Baco Xtath, on 24 November 2015 - 09:33 PM, said:

Baco Xtath, on 23 November 2015 - 11:32 PM, said:

Abyss, on 23 November 2015 - 07:48 PM, said:

Pretty subjective. I would have given GODS WAR 3 stars at best.

Granted. I am listening to this immediately following one of the worst books I've ever listened to. Still, though, I think it's pretty good. I like the setting as a whole though the characters themselves are kind of hard to like. Did you read any more in the series? If so, do they get better or worse?

3/4 through God's War and can say that I jumped the gun on calling it great. It's now in decent territory and falling.

polishgenius, on 24 November 2015 - 09:40 PM, said:

God's War wasn't bad, but I haven't run to get the sequel. I will eventually, but it felt less than the sum of its parts.

I haven't yet been able to finish her epic fantasy effort, The Mirror Empire, although it's still in the 'will retry at some stage' territory, in which books sometimes turn from 'struggling' to 'I really loved this'. There's a lot there that I liked, particularly in the worldbuilding, but it felt like maybe it was trying a bit too hard to be different.

Solid enough setup to draw in a genre fan and make them want more.... i really wanted to like the book, the author had my attention, all good....but then things drag and the payoff doesn't live up to it.

Left me feeling like i was reading just to finish the book as opposed to because i actually wanted to see what would happen next.

[Macros]

Kind of struggling with Those Above.

Started off quite well, had us dropped into the start of a war, a interesting new world, took me to the capital (basically Rome) and set up a bit of politicking and whatnot then jumped to yet another new scene, I know its the first book of a series, but I think he's thrown too much at me too soon, and I'm off the back of a solid weeks reading. I want the action tk shift back to Bas and his army asap, the setting of chala's palace doesn't catch me at all

[Baco Xtath]

Abyss, on 24 November 2015 - 10:11 PM, said:

polishgenius, on 24 November 2015 - 09:40 PM, said:

God's War wasn't bad, but I haven't run to get the sequel. I will eventually, but it felt less than the sum of its parts.

Solid enough setup to draw in a genre fan and make them want more.... i really wanted to like the book, the author had my attention, all good....but then things drag

This is where I am. It's a 12.5 hr audiobook. I'm at 9.5 and the past hour or two have bored the shit out of me. A lot of good world building......it's like an Arrakis setting and the characters are like Fremen with magicians, assassins, shifters, and a holy war and all. I freak'n love the idea but it's just not paying off right now. Hopefully it gets better and hopefully so does the series.

But, I'm taking a break and am back into Queen of Fire hour 8.

[Abyss]

Baco Xtath, on 25 November 2015 - 12:53 AM, said:

Abyss, on 24 November 2015 - 10:11 PM, said:

polishgenius, on 24 November 2015 - 09:40 PM, said:

God's War wasn't bad, but I haven't run to get the sequel. I will eventually, but it felt less than the sum of its parts.

Solid enough setup to draw in a genre fan and make them want more.... i really wanted to like the book, the author had my attention, all good....but then things drag

This is where I am. It's a 12.5 hr audiobook. I'm at 9.5 and the past hour or two have bored the shit out of me. A lot of good world building......it's like an Arrakis setting and the characters are like Fremen with magicians, assassins, shifters, and a holy war and all. I freak'n love the idea but it's just not paying off right now. Hopefully it gets better and hopefully so does the series.

But, I'm taking a break and am back into Queen of Fire hour 8.

Exactly. Cool world, dull story.

[Serenity]

Abyss, on 24 November 2015 - 03:26 PM, said:

Serenity, on 24 November 2015 - 08:20 AM, said:

...

Now just over 100 pages into Campbell's Dauntless. I hope it improves.

Depends on what you're looking for. Things kick off about halfway but its milSF. It doesn't rise beyond the higher standards of the genre.... great spaceship armada battles, clever tactics, terrific conflict on a macro level, but otherwise one decently developed pov and a handful of archetypical supporting cast.

I really enjoyed the series for what it is and powered through - but if you're hoping for SF al la Banks or Asher you'll be disappointed.


The books do steadily improve too. 3 is stunning and 4 just fucking launches.

Oh I wasn't hoping for Banks or Asher at all, and I've liked other milSF as you know (Merrimack, for one). What I'm not liking in this one is the lack of character, and the complete absence of any form of description, either of people, ships, environments etc, so I'm finding it a very dry read. Nearly finished it, though, and I have the others (as they were all going for 99p each) so we'll see.

[QuickTidal]

Serenity, on 25 November 2015 - 08:51 AM, said:

Oh I wasn't hoping for Banks or Asher at all, and I've liked other milSF as you know (Merrimack, for one). What I'm not liking in this one is the lack of character, and the complete absence of any form of description, either of people, ships, environments etc, so I'm finding it a very dry read. Nearly finished it, though, and I have the others (as they were all going for 99p each) so we'll see.

There are the exact reasons I gave up on it.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 25 November 2015 - 12:25 PM, said:

Serenity, on 25 November 2015 - 08:51 AM, said:

Oh I wasn't hoping for Banks or Asher at all, and I've liked other milSF as you know (Merrimack, for one). What I'm not liking in this one is the lack of character, and the complete absence of any form of description, either of people, ships, environments etc, so I'm finding it a very dry read. Nearly finished it, though, and I have the others (as they were all going for 99p each) so we'll see.

There are the exact reasons I gave up on it.

Character is not Campbell's strong point with this series.
He more or less has one, and he does develop the protag as the series advances, but most of the others are backdrop.
The ships do get more detail as the series moves, and its not devoid of character, but it's not Merrimack (tho that's an exception to the usual rule in milSF).
If you enjoyed 1 at all, 2 is worth a shot... if 2 doesn't pull you in the series probably isn't going to, tho i thought three was where things seriously escalated.

[Morgoth]

If you want that sort of military sci fi, I'd suggest the Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook, or maybe the Starfisher trilogy, also by Cook.

[worry]

That's too many Cooks.

[Serenity]

Abyss, on 25 November 2015 - 03:17 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 25 November 2015 - 12:25 PM, said:

Serenity, on 25 November 2015 - 08:51 AM, said:

Oh I wasn't hoping for Banks or Asher at all, and I've liked other milSF as you know (Merrimack, for one). What I'm not liking in this one is the lack of character, and the complete absence of any form of description, either of people, ships, environments etc, so I'm finding it a very dry read. Nearly finished it, though, and I have the others (as they were all going for 99p each) so we'll see.

There are the exact reasons I gave up on it.

Character is not Campbell's strong point with this series.
He more or less has one, and he does develop the protag as the series advances, but most of the others are backdrop.
The ships do get more detail as the series moves, and its not devoid of character, but it's not Merrimack (tho that's an exception to the usual rule in milSF).
If you enjoyed 1 at all, 2 is worth a shot... if 2 doesn't pull you in the series probably isn't going to, tho i thought three was where things seriously escalated.

I finished it last night.

Spoiler

I was intrigued by the hints of the Syndic being scared of something beyond their territory, so I probably will read the second book at some point.

Going to make a start on Jack Ketchum's Off Season (the author's uncut, uncensored version, apparently). Not read any of his stuff before - only picked this one up second-hand because the sequel was 99p on Kindle

This post has been edited by Serenity: 26 November 2015 - 12:20 PM

[polishgenius]

I'm reading the second of the Ile-Rien books by Martha Wells, Death of the Necromancer. Liking it a lot, so far at least I think it's my favourite of hers I've read yet. Like Amph said when he read it before, the setting gives it a strong Three Musketeers feel (which, in a fantasy setting, also makes it resemble Sebastian de Castell's Greatcoats, though Wells is a stronger writer), but the main character is a lot more inspired by Maurice LeBlanc's Arsene Lupin stories. I like Wells a lot already but this is shaping up to be really terrific.

[Andorion]

So I finished A Dance With Dragons and with that my A Song of Ice and Fire read. I feel a bit fed up on fantasy at the moment so I am probably going to be reading some science Fiction. Maybe Robert Heinlein

[amphibian]

Noooooooo, don't do that.