[amphibian]

Quote

You're...trolling us, right?

Soldier of the Mist (1986)
Soldier of Arete (1989)
Soldier of Sidon (2006)

The first two were collected as "Latro in the Mist" in 2003.

Brain conniption. I'm sorry. I thought Soldier of the Mist was one, while Soldier of Arete collected two within itself, and Soldier of Sidon continued in Egypt.

[worry]

Actually the 4th Latro is...

Spoiler

love.

[Maark Abbott]

worry, on 22 January 2016 - 04:13 AM, said:

Actually the 4th Latro is...

Spoiler

Kruppe.

Correctus.

[firvulag]

Near the end of the first Bobby Dollar book, Dirty Streets of Heaven. Really like the setting so far, but feel it's dragging out a bit longer than it needed to. Depending on how the book ends, will look into getting book 2.

[Baco Xtath]

firvulag, on 22 January 2016 - 12:42 PM, said:

Near the end of the first Bobby Dollar book, Dirty Streets of Heaven. Really like the setting so far, but feel it's dragging out a bit longer than it needed to. Depending on how the book ends, will look into getting book 2.

If you're not sold on Book 1 you probably won't like #2, it really drags - I didn't like it and I freak'n loved #1. However, book 3 was awesome.

[acesn8s]

firvulag, on 22 January 2016 - 12:42 PM, said:

Near the end of the first Bobby Dollar book, Dirty Streets of Heaven. Really like the setting so far, but feel it's dragging out a bit longer than it needed to. Depending on how the book ends, will look into getting book 2.

Can't be a Tad William's book without an extra 20%.

[Abyss]

acesn8s, on 22 January 2016 - 01:30 PM, said:

firvulag, on 22 January 2016 - 12:42 PM, said:

Near the end of the first Bobby Dollar book, Dirty Streets of Heaven. Really like the setting so far, but feel it's dragging out a bit longer than it needed to. Depending on how the book ends, will look into getting book 2.

Can't be a Tad William's book without an extra book.

ftfy.

[Mentalist]

firvulag, on 22 January 2016 - 12:42 PM, said:

Near the end of the first Bobby Dollar book, Dirty Streets of Heaven. Really like the setting so far, but feel it's dragging out a bit longer than it needed to. Depending on how the book ends, will look into getting book 2.

I'm reading 2 right now, just over halfway through. It's not as good as 1 so far. The change of setting didn't really work to keep me interested. I like the ideas, and Williams is doing a decent job on the pacing, but I'm not grabbed. It's my commute book, and I don't feel the urge to keep reading when I get home the way I did with my last commute book (A crown for cold Silver)

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 22 January 2016 - 02:13 PM, said:

acesn8s, on 22 January 2016 - 01:30 PM, said:

firvulag, on 22 January 2016 - 12:42 PM, said:

Near the end of the first Bobby Dollar book, Dirty Streets of Heaven. Really like the setting so far, but feel it's dragging out a bit longer than it needed to. Depending on how the book ends, will look into getting book 2.

Can't be a Tad William's book without an extra book.

ftfy.

And I'd argue that book is sometimes the 2nd. Like the MS&T series. Loved Books 1, 3, and 4...but Book 2 dragged for me in a lot of ways (not for the whole thing mind you, but parts).

I think Tad is a guy who usually has a trilogy of great books in his head for any given series, and about a half a book of more ideas (decent-to-cool ones), and another half of poor ideas or fluff. So he could either have a great trilogy without the extra cool stuff, or a quadrology which includes a full book that is mostly not needed. He always goes for the latter.

The new MS&T series he's writing has ALREADY expanded from a trilogy initially to 5 books:

THE HEART OF WHAT WE LOST (bridging novella that takes place directly after TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER; originally a short story expanded to short novella)
THE WITCHWOOD CROWN (first full novel in the new series, takes place 30 years later)
THE SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME (interquel takes place between the 1st main series book and the 2nd; also a novella I think?)
EMPIRE OF GRASS (2nd main novel)
THE NAVIGATOR'S CHILDREN (3rd main novel)

Though to me the above list perhaps shows some authorial growth to go against that rule...in that the sometimes superfluous extra book has been split into two novellas that fill in gaps. Maybe that means all 5 will be stellar!


And I'm sure Abyss will say that it's the 4th book of the Otherland series that is not required (and since I've not yet read it I can't comment...but I'll take his word)

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 22 January 2016 - 03:13 PM

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 22 January 2016 - 03:01 PM, said:

...And I'm sure Abyss will say that it's the 4th book of the Otherland series that is not required (and since I've not yet read it I can't comment...but I'll take his word)

More like the third.


It's my experience with MSmT and OTHERLAND that makes me hesitate when it comes to Williams.

I like to make the 'it's a great trilogy' joke about OTHERLAND (which i did enjoy, to be clear), but my view is that there are entire plotlines, running through all four books but mostly the later three, that are wholly unnecessary, add little/nothing to the story or ultimate resolution, and barely make sense in their conclusion.

This was not the same problem i had with MSnT, which i just found overlong, meandering and lacking actual events that moved the story forward. Also, SO MUCH WALKING. Just looking at the plan for that trilogy... quadology, quinwhatever the fuck that is QT posted makes me sleepy.

Also, Williams tends to a 'slow build to one big finish' style of writing that i tend to not love.

And all that in utter contrast to his WAR OF THE FLOWERS one-and-done, which was tight, coherent and had great pacing with no waste of space and a nice series of HOLY FAERIEFUCK moments throughout the
book.

BOBBY DOLLAR 1 sits in the TRP, i'll get to it eventually.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 22 January 2016 - 03:26 PM, said:

This was not the same problem i had with MSnT, which i just found overlong, meandering and lacking actual events that moved the story forward. Also, SO MUCH WALKING. Just looking at the plan for that trilogy... quadology, quinwhatever the fuck that is QT posted makes me sleepy.

See, meanwhile I enjoy the immersiveness of Williams world so much that the prospect of 5 books of Osten Ard material excites me!

[Mentalist]

I enjoyed Otherland. To be sure the "outside" stuff seemed super-disjointed for most of the series, but I actually felt last volume tied stuff up rather nicely. As for the multiple plotlines "on the inside", I had a hard time judging the relevance of the multiple world's, b/c I'm not super familiar with English lit classics- in this sense Otherland feels a bit like a Dan Simmons' work in that unless you're a lit major you miss half the references. I just took it for a cyberpunk-y dreamworld trip that it was (without looking for too much logic), and it was a nice ride all the way through.

[firvulag]

The only other Tad Williams I've read was the Shadowmarch novels. My feelings on it seem to mirror everyone else's regarding Tad Williams in general: very good overall, but too long for it's own good. I'm definately going to be reading Memory Sorrow and Thorn eventually, not sure if I'll ever bother with the Otherland series.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

worry, on 21 January 2016 - 04:58 AM, said:

Lonesome Dove should appeal to Malazan fans in particular. Lots of great characters, multiple POVs, a plenitude of brutal truths, a Chain of Dogs-like trek, and a deliberate manipulation of tropes.

Saw a woman reading Lonesome Dove (might have been Comanche Moon, based on the cover?) on the train today, and it looked like they had just started. Someone from here?

[Mentalist]

firvulag, on 22 January 2016 - 05:29 PM, said:

The only other Tad Williams I've read was the Shadowmarch novels. My feelings on it seem to mirror everyone else's regarding Tad Williams in general: very good overall, but too long for it's own good. I'm definately going to be reading Memory Sorrow and Thorn eventually, not sure if I'll ever bother with the Otherland series.

I remember seeing the first Shadowmarc book in store, right after I read David Anthony Durham's "Acacia"...
I read the blurb, and my only thought was: "ANOTHER 4 kids with different fates ASOIAF wannabe???"
I've never been able to shake off that initial impression.

[worry]

Maybe you guys should stick to Tailchaser's Song. It's about cats fighting in the forest.

[amphibian]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 22 January 2016 - 08:29 PM, said:

worry, on 21 January 2016 - 04:58 AM, said:

Lonesome Dove should appeal to Malazan fans in particular. Lots of great characters, multiple POVs, a plenitude of brutal truths, a Chain of Dogs-like trek, and a deliberate manipulation of tropes.

Saw a woman reading Lonesome Dove (might have been Comanche Moon, based on the cover?) on the train today, and it looked like they had just started. Someone from here?

I hope that woman has someone to hug after she finishes that book. It's a tremendously moving, yet sad book. McMurtry doesn't allow a whole lotta happiness in his characters' lives.

[polishgenius]

amphibian, on 22 January 2016 - 10:02 PM, said:

It's a tremendously moving, yet sad book. McMurtry doesn't allow a whole lotta happiness in his characters' lives.

He overdoes it imo. The first few times something shocking happened it affected me but by the end I was rolling my eyes a bit.
It was still a very good book, this -><- close to being great, but that held it back imo.




Currently reading City of Blades, the second of Robert Jackson Bennett's The Divine Cities series. I'm finding his plotting for some reason a little clumsy in this one - there's a lot of blundering over clues in just the right order, and at just the right time to move the plot on - but it's nonetheless highly enjoyable.

[Tiste Simeon]

About 40% through Ash: A Secret History. Sheesh. It's dragging. I mean I like the characters and the plot is interesting but... I'm struggling to enjoy it!

[JPK]

I'm a little under 200 pages into Th1rte3n (I follow along with an actually copy of the book whenever I can when I'm mainly going the audiobook route). I'm really disappointed that they decided to change the name of this book in the states. Black Man just feels right considering how strong race is as a theme here. Between that and the way the book handles religion, I feel like I'm reading a legit possible future for the U.S, and that future is terrifying. I'm absolutely loving this book so far.

I'm also at the 160 page mark of Shadow of the Torturer. I'm slowing down and allowing myself to really enjoy Wolfe's writing this time, and I'm beginning to understand why so many of you guys have reread this so many times. It's simply beautiful.