[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I finished The Aeronaut's Windlass yesterday. It was everything I've come to expect from a good Butcher book - well paced with no lulls, built upon a deeper mythology that is slowly revealed, and with characters that - while archetypes - are not stereotypes. Plus, the most authentic "intelligent cat" POV I've ever seen written.

I've just started on something a bit different than the usual fantasy fare, though I guess it is somewhat fantasy, insofar as it is said to make the mundane fantastic - The Immense Journey by Loren Eiseley. The prose is supposed to be poignant in an awe-full (not awful) way, beautiful, and evocative.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 25 July 2016 - 03:18 PM

[Aptorian]

Abyss, on 24 July 2016 - 05:20 AM, said:

Apt, on 23 July 2016 - 01:18 PM, said:

...

Heresy. Kraken is interesting but a chaotic mess.

You shut your squid-hating face or we will have words.
Harsh words.

The kind calamari speak, just before they are breaded and deep fried.

I can't even remember what the book was actually about. Something about humans with fists for heads, a jar that was an angel and Star Trek ghosts. Did they ever even find that squid?

[Abyss]

Apt, on 25 July 2016 - 03:25 PM, said:

Abyss, on 24 July 2016 - 05:20 AM, said:

Apt, on 23 July 2016 - 01:18 PM, said:

...

Heresy. Kraken is interesting but a chaotic mess.

You shut your squid-hating face or we will have words.
Harsh words.

The kind calamari speak, just before they are breaded and deep fried.

I can't even remember what the book was actually about. Something about humans with fists for heads, a jar that was an angel and Star Trek ghosts. Did they ever even find that squid?

It's ok Apt, i understand... you just can't accept that tentacles are for other things.

[QuickTidal]

Finished Outlander book 3 (VOYAGER), and it was a damned fine read. It gets a tad sluggish at around the midway point (you'll know why when you get there BK), but picks up again pretty quickly and races to the end. And consider me completely surprised where the ending went! Anyways, I have book 4 DRUMS OF AUTUMN purchased, but will probably wait to read it as it's another 1000pg monster.

Starting the final WH40k Eisenhorn book HERETICUS by Abnett now.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 25 July 2016 - 04:44 PM

[Slow Ben]

Finished White Night, on to Small Favor!


Roll on Dresden re-read!

[worry]

Finished WOT8: The Path of Daggers. Gotta say, I liked it more than most of the other books in the series so far. Book 4 is still in the top spot, but this one is just below it. The big negative is what's been going on the past few books: named character bloat. RJ simply isn't good at fleshing out minor characters, and there's tons in each story line. Aside from that I'm enjoying the precarious positions all the main characters are in, I find the distance and disconnect they're feeling from one another interesting, and I feel like there are finally actual mysteries to puzzle out. RJ's ability to use a lot of words to say not that much doesn't bother me anymore, it's just something I accept. Like I've said before, he's a wordy dude for sure, but it's still not feeling like padding.

Still hoping book 10 will be as bad as its rep. If I actually like CoT I'm gonna be sorely disappointed!

As a WOT breather I'm gonna do Mark Lawrence's second trilogy.

[polishgenius]

I read Ready Player One last week. Can't say I understand the hype. It was kind of fun, but in many places also eye-rolling in both its complete dependence on not-very-clever '80s nostalgia and its preachyness.

[Baco Xtath]

polishgenius, on 25 July 2016 - 09:10 PM, said:

I read Ready Player One last week. Can't say I understand the hype. It was kind of fun, but in many places also eye-rolling in both its complete dependence on not-very-clever '80s nostalgia and its preachyness.

I listened to it about 4 years ago and didn't know anything about it, only that it was supposed to be good. The narrator, Whil Wheaton, was excellent and though it was definitely juvenile and eye rolling at times, I loved it. However, I didn't take it even remotely seriously. Armada, though, is terrible and if you didn't care much for RPO, then you'll probably hate it even more than I did.

Just finished listening to Hard Luck Hank #2 again. Was in the mood for something light after Wheel of Osheim (which was excellent). Also just finished a re-listen of Iron Council and put down book #4 of Burton and Swinborne (it's played out and I'm tired of it).

Reading Merrimack #5. Love this series.

Edit: Also just start Asimov's The Gods Themselves audiobook. 2 hrs in and liking it.

This post has been edited by Baco Xtath: 25 July 2016 - 10:28 PM

[QuickTidal]

QuickTidal, on 05 September 2014 - 05:19 PM, said:

About 10% into THE DRAGON'S PATH, and after a bit of a clunky introduction to some characters (Cithrin and the Apostate's intro's being by FAR the best) the story has begun to click along, and I'm rather enjoying it.

The lore and worldbuilding seem to be top notch so far.

Though the Thirteen races confuse me. Are they all human looking with other traits, or like are the Trag(whatever) being called "dogs" because they are anthropomorphized dogs? Like the Canim in Alera? The Yemmu are like the Jaghut no? There is not enough explanation of the races "looks" for me to tell...and the primer on Abraham's site doesn't help much.

Anyways, lots of fun so far.

^^So, it turns out that I read at least the beginning of THE DRAGON's PATH in 2014 (on my kindle it would appear)...and stopped reading it for some reason....forgot about it enough to have re-bought book 1 in dead tree version (I haven't picked up my Kindle in about a year)...and then finally made it through. I can't believe I own this book twice!

Also, turns out I had the EXACT same set of initial issues with the book as I had the recent time when I read it all the way through.

LOL.

[Abyss]

polishgenius, on 25 July 2016 - 09:10 PM, said:

I read Ready Player One last week. Can't say I understand the hype. It was kind of fun, but in many places also eye-rolling in both its complete dependence on not-very-clever '80s nostalgia and its preachyness.

Nostalgia yes. Clever... occasionally, but its not really trying to be. Hell, the book is based around a VR designed by an 80s fanatic... it's not pretending to be anything else.

Preachyness? What is the book preaching beyond maybe 'friends are good' and 'unplug and get your pasty butt outside once in a while'?

Baco Xtath, on 25 July 2016 - 10:28 PM, said:

Reading Merrimack #5. Love this series.

Ok... but maybe then stop and preserve your happy feelings towards the series.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 26 July 2016 - 04:15 PM, said:

polishgenius, on 25 July 2016 - 09:10 PM, said:

I read Ready Player One last week. Can't say I understand the hype. It was kind of fun, but in many places also eye-rolling in both its complete dependence on not-very-clever '80s nostalgia and its preachyness.

Nostalgia yes. Clever... occasionally, but its not really trying to be. Hell, the book is based around a VR designed by an 80s fanatic... it's not pretending to be anything else.

Preachyness? What is the book preaching beyond maybe 'friends are good' and 'unplug and get your pasty butt outside once in a while'?

Also, preaching the excellence that was 80's video game tables so you could eat pizza and the whole tabletop was your screen to get that high score on Pac-Man or Galaga.

[polishgenius]

Abyss, on 26 July 2016 - 04:15 PM, said:

Nostalgia yes. Clever... occasionally, but its not really trying to be. Hell, the book is based around a VR designed by an 80s fanatic... it's not pretending to be anything else.

Preachyness? What is the book preaching beyond maybe 'friends are good' and 'unplug and get your pasty butt outside once in a while'?

Yeah but the thing was that the nostalgia was all just pretty much "hey, remember Pac-Man? Here's Pac-Man! Remember Ladyhawke? Here's them talking about Ladyhawke!". It didn't do anything with it, even on a pure reference level. Something like Scott Pilgrim hit those sorts of buttons much more effectively.


On preachyness, there's the go outside stuff which was rather forced in and the bits about not preconceiving or judging people by what they look, which rather undermined themselves because whereas the best friend was a fat black lady, the love interest had to be just as pretty as imagined, except with the birthmark. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal if the story hadn't had to contort itself to get them in.

[Baco Xtath]

Abyss, on 26 July 2016 - 04:15 PM, said:

Baco Xtath, on 25 July 2016 - 10:28 PM, said:

Reading Merrimack #5. Love this series.

Ok... but maybe then stop and preserve your happy feelings towards the series.

I only lack one book. Should I not read it? This latest, the Ninth Circle was definitely a drop in quality.

[QuickTidal]

Halfway through HERETICUS by Dan Abnett...it's awesome but...

MAJOR SPOILERS

Spoiler

Holy fuck, Cherubael is free, almost every member of Eisenhorn's team just got unceremoniously wiped out, and he just used the Warp and Chaos to seal Cherubael into the dying body of an Inquisitor he didn't like. Fuuuuuuuuck. That whole chapter was like a season finale of a great show!

[Dadding]

Just started Nine Princes in Amber - and holy shit I'm hooked after 2 chapters. Love the feeling of not knowing what's going on.

[Abyss]

Baco Xtath, on 27 July 2016 - 11:45 AM, said:

Abyss, on 26 July 2016 - 04:15 PM, said:

Baco Xtath, on 25 July 2016 - 10:28 PM, said:

Reading Merrimack #5. Love this series.

Ok... but maybe then stop and preserve your happy feelings towards the series.

I only lack one book. Should I not read it? This latest, the Ninth Circle was definitely a drop in quality.

Sadly, I found that bk 6 ONCE AND FUTURE CESAR does not improve things.
I would wait and hope that 7 and 8 (if they materialize) redeem the series.

[Macros]

Finishes book 1 of the powder mage set.
Enjoyable, really really picked up the pace at the end. Immediately bought and downloaded book 2.

[fievelgoespostal]

Macros, on 27 July 2016 - 06:46 PM, said:

Finishes book 1 of the powder mage set.
Enjoyable, really really picked up the pace at the end. Immediately bought and downloaded book 2.

Good series. Book 2 was my favorite

[Macros]

20%.
Man it should be called the betrayal trilogy.

[QuickTidal]

I think I've been spoiled by Harry Dresden, Kate Daniels, and Peter Grant when it comes to Urban Fantasy....I tried out one last night that has a LOT of 5-star reviews on good reads (and amazon) called WRITTEN IN RED by Anne Bishop...and it's pretty rank. Basic conceit: Humans and Others (shape shifters, vampires, and such) cohabitate the world with the latter basically just wanting to eat humans. There are now modern cities which are largely inhabited by humans, but each has a "courtyard" (seriously, a fucking courtyard...and guess what? It's not ACTUALLY a courtyard, more like a town within a city) which is controlled by Others, and that courtyard (that term is already irritating) is where the Others supposedly run the show from. They have a human liaison (our lead character). The only reason the Others tolerate the humans is because humans make cool stuff, and they basically trade those goods for "being left mostly alone" provided they don't venture into a courtyard. The liaison is a "sanguine" or some shit who can see the future when she cuts herself. She is also loved off by all the Others for some inexplicable reason. They watch movies. They eat (humans). She delivers mail.

Not. Even. Joking.

She tells the future and delivers mail from humans to Others.

I can't make this shit up.

What a waste of money. I should have tried this out on Kindle first instead of buying it paperback.

Anyways, there you have it. Steer clear of Anne Bishop's Others series. Terrible, boring, dreck (only made it to page 60).

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 28 July 2016 - 12:41 PM