[QuickTidal]

Ha ha

On topic, starting the 3rd Horus Heresy book, GALAXY IN FLAMES by Ben Counter.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 19 August 2016 - 08:51 PM

[Chance]

Still reading Servant of the Underworld and it is a strange book but unless the end is botched it is a good one, I will be getting the next few for sure. It your looking for a supernatural/urban fantasy noir book taking place in aztec mexico this is the book for you.

Andorion, on 19 August 2016 - 12:45 PM, said:

Has anyone here read Catherynne M Valente's Deathless?

Beautifully written much of the time and some entire pieces are masterpiece quality, but others are pretty damn poor. There is a very jaring disonance between grim humor and parody against actual extremely grim and serious content. Found it a middling book in all but parts of it are very strong.

[Macros]

I just finished City of Stairs.

mmmm.

I can't say I was blown away by it, it panned out kind of the direction I figured it was going, one of two surprises for me but I saw the big things coming.

I stand by that I think it's a diatribe on organised religion (of all forms, something that I agree with incidentally) Kolkanism is entirely too heavily drawn against islamism, well the bad parts of it anyway, and for me this robbed the book of a lot of it impact and lessened what it was trying to say. Without spoilering anything the conversation at the bonfire near the end regarding the divinities, was not a revelation, that was phoned in from the second we got any of the doctors research on page, and just again pushed Kolkanism into the light of the bad parts of the middle east being controlled by what people thought and said rather than what they were divinely led to (my knowledge on these parts of religion is admittedly vague enough but in my head I equated this to the 6 imams interpretations, hadits?)
anyway, yes as a mystery politcal "thriller" it worked well enough I just thought it was buried in overt symbolism too easily tied to the real world for me to enjoy, I kept seeing at everything as a criticism of the kolkanist "crazy old ways" and that religion and the gods needed to die a quiet death.

Judging by the love the book receives from others i imagine I am alone in my dissatisfaction, but eh, there it is.


I'll grant it one thing, it wasn't as blatant as the monarchies of god for shoving in our faces how the two religions so at war (in this case regions, the continent and colonial india saypur both happened to start in the same region...but it wasn't overly subtle about it either.

i was mildly amused by the russianesque naming structure for many of the continentals, but the use of stan for most of their cities.

This post has been edited by Macros: 21 August 2016 - 09:43 PM

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Macros, on 21 August 2016 - 09:41 PM, said:

...what people thought and said rather than what they were divinely led to (my knowledge on these parts of religion is admittedly vague enough but in my head I equated this to the 6 imams interpretations, hadits?)...

I haven't read the book yet, but what you're describing — religious authorities, like rabbis, priests, and imams, interpreting divine word and deciphering it for everyday life — is a part of Judaism. Rabbis study the Bible and then interpret how its literal word should apply to normal Hebrews (the collected Rabbinic commentaries are called the Talmud).

I wonder if there's some sort of Christian equivalent? I don't know enough about modern Christianity to say.

This is also how the US is run. Our courts and legal scholars (AKA priests/rabbis/imams) interpret the written laws (AKA the divine word) which then affects how citizens know how not to break the law (AKA live their everyday lives).

So, this by itself doesn't point to the culture in the book being based on Islam.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 22 August 2016 - 01:33 PM

[amphibian]

Stan is Persian. It means "place of".

City of Stairs has multiple flavors of religion presented in multiple ways throughout the book. Some of them are similar to the Abrahamic religions - Kolkanism being most similar to Hasidic Jews and the most strict/self denying forms of Islamic sects - and some are not.

It's really not the case that Bennett uses this to go after Islam in particular. What he looks at is more of what happens when a religion we all think is mundane is based in real magic of the past - and what happens when that magic starts to come back.

So it's less of a critique of religion itself than a look of how colonialism, religion, social movements, and more start sliding around when real magic comes back into the picture. That's why I like it and the sequel City of Blades.

[Macros]

Like I said, Im sure Im on my own in my feelings about the novel.
I just felt it was entirely aimed at religion grievances here. There were just too many easy parallels to be drawn to the real world and it was too blatant (to my eyes). Each to their own, I cant see me being bothered enough to get the sequel

[JPK]

Briar King, on 23 August 2016 - 02:23 AM, said:

Safehold 4 pg 154, Outlander 3(so good) pg 346, OG trilogy Dragonlance 1 pg 122(re reading and it's every bit as popcorn/generic fantasy/old skool fun as I remember) best part is I still have 2 more trilogy's and 3 standalone bks that survivied the great bk purge that I've never read and still look brand new 11 yrs after buying them.

Which are the other ones you managed to keep?

[JPK]

Some of them. I've read the Twins Trilogy and agree with the masses that it's likely the best of the Dragonlance books. I'd recommend reading the duology (The Soulforge and Brothers at Arms) that came before them first. It really helps build in their backstory and establish why Raistlin and Caramon are they way they are during the Twins Trilogy.


I also remember reading the Soul War books, but not too much about them. I remember the trilogy that came after that a little better, the ones written by Jean Rabe.

Spoiler

Magic starts to leave the world of Krynn and several elder dragons step in to take over. They divide the world up and each take a region.

If my trp wasn't already large enough to last me the next five years easily, I'd really consider doing a re-read of them myself.

[Maark Abbott]

amphibian, on 16 August 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 16 August 2016 - 08:53 AM, said:

I finished The Bakkakening II:II and I have to say no one handles futility even nearly as well as he does.

You are going to have such a great time with Bakkakening II: III (The Great Ordeal).

Once I finish Child of Flame, I'm hoping to be able to get right on with The Great Facial. And thus it is granted the porno name.

[Mentalist]

JPK, on 23 August 2016 - 06:37 AM, said:

Some of them. I've read the Twins Trilogy and agree with the masses that it's likely the best of the Dragonlance books. I'd recommend reading the duology (The Soulforge and Brothers at Arms) that came before them first. It really helps build in their backstory and establish why Raistlin and Caramon are they way they are during the Twins Trilogy.


I also remember reading the Soul War books, but not too much about them. I remember the trilogy that came after that a little better, the ones written by Jean Rabe.

Spoiler

Magic starts to leave the world of Krynn and several elder dragons step in to take over. They divide the world up and each take a region.

If my trp wasn't already large enough to last me the next five years easily, I'd really consider doing a re-read of them myself.

Original Chronicles trilo, then the Brothers Majere duology, then the Legends trilo (AKA, the Twins), then the Second Generation set of "origin stories", then Dragons of Summer Flame (chronicles BK4 or "The Chaos War" book), then the 2 Jean Rabe trilos, THEN War of Souls.

My personal favourites are a few of the Heroes books (Legend of Huma + Kaz the Minotaur), and a few of the prequels to the chronicles trilo (Kendermore + the one where Sturm and Raistlin' sister go to the moon). Most of the Minotaur-related stuff I read by Richard A. Knaak is fairly solid, but never read the Minotaur War trilo, so can't comment.

There's also now "The Lost Chronicles", trying to fill in the gaps of the original trilo. I read the first, never got around to the second.

Mentalist, former Dragonlance enthusiast.

[JPK]

Mentalist, on 23 August 2016 - 02:28 PM, said:

JPK, on 23 August 2016 - 06:37 AM, said:

Some of them. I've read the Twins Trilogy and agree with the masses that it's likely the best of the Dragonlance books. I'd recommend reading the duology (The Soulforge and Brothers at Arms) that came before them first. It really helps build in their backstory and establish why Raistlin and Caramon are they way they are during the Twins Trilogy.


I also remember reading the Soul War books, but not too much about them. I remember the trilogy that came after that a little better, the ones written by Jean Rabe.

Spoiler

Magic starts to leave the world of Krynn and several elder dragons step in to take over. They divide the world up and each take a region.

If my trp wasn't already large enough to last me the next five years easily, I'd really consider doing a re-read of them myself.

Original Chronicles trilo, then the Brothers Majere duology, then the Legends trilo (AKA, the Twins), then the Second Generation set of "origin stories", then Dragons of Summer Flame (chronicles BK4 or "The Chaos War" book), then the 2 Jean Rabe trilos, THEN War of Souls.

My personal favourites are a few of the Heroes books (Legend of Huma + Kaz the Minotaur), and a few of the prequels to the chronicles trilo (Kendermore + the one where Sturm and Raistlin' sister go to the moon). Most of the Minotaur-related stuff I read by Richard A. Knaak is fairly solid, but never read the Minotaur War trilo, so can't comment.

There's also now "The Lost Chronicles", trying to fill in the gaps of the original trilo. I read the first, never got around to the second.

Mentalist, former Dragonlance enthusiast.

I'm just happy I remembered as much as I did after all of this time. I haven't touched a Dragonlance book in ten years.

[acesn8s]

Finished the Tattered Banner and moved on to book 2, The Huntsman's Amulet. I find Duncan Hamilton's style easy to read. Nothing difficult or complex to his world building so the unfolds real easy. Plus it is more of a swashbuckling setting, which is a favorite of mine.

[Andorion]

Finishes No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished. Solid 3rd book. Now reading Four Roads Cross

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Just finished Lord of the Rings, now on with Silmarillion. I read them about once a year anyway, but this is essentially the bookworm equivalent of post-breakup comfort eating. All the feels, all the time!

And you guys are slightly making me miss Dragonlance. They didn't really survive book purge, they became a bit too popcorn. But when they were fun, they were good fun. I remember enjoying at least the beginning of War of Souls trilogy, but I seem to remember it having a very shaky ending.Only read the original trilogy and those.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 24 August 2016 - 12:45 PM

[Macros]

acesn8s, on 24 August 2016 - 11:47 AM, said:

Finished the Tattered Banner and moved on to book 2, The Huntsman's Amulet. I find Duncan Hamilton's style easy to read. Nothing difficult or complex to his world building so the unfolds real easy. Plus it is more of a swashbuckling setting, which is a favorite of mine.

Is it as swashbuckling as the greatcloaks series? Or a step down in swash and buckles?

[Mentalist]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 24 August 2016 - 12:41 PM, said:

Just finished Lord of the Rings, now on with Silmarillion. I read them about once a year anyway, but this is essentially the bookworm equivalent of post-breakup comfort eating. All the feels, all the time!

And you guys are slightly making me miss Dragonlance. They didn't really survive book purge, they became a bit too popcorn. But when they were fun, they were good fun. I remember enjoying at least the beginning of War of Souls trilogy, but I seem to remember it having a very shaky ending.Only read the original trilogy and those.

War of Souls' plot ends up being quite Deus Ex Machina-y. While it (and the prequel trilogies by Jean Rabe) deal with some neat themes, and the whole "world where gods are gone (again!), but now there's giant evil dragons" setting was refreshing, the ending significantly diminishes the impact.

For myself, i'm mking good pace through Asher's "Dark Intelligence". But I feel I need a polity refresher, which would mean re-reading the Spatterjay books + The Technician (and maybe reading Prador Moon).

At home, not getting anywhere with "In Dark Service". Can't tell if it's the book's pacing, or the fact that I'm chronically exhausted at home and thus can't give it a good attention span.

[HiddenOne]

There was plenty of good reading the Forgotten Realms & Dragonlance series. I still have a bunch of those at my parent's house.

[T77]

Finished The Dread Wyrm by Miles Cameron and thought it was very good. I would rank this series as solid B list fantasy. not quite in the A list like Malazan, but very solid. Looking forward to the last two books.

[Andorion]

T77, on 24 August 2016 - 01:35 PM, said:

Finished The Dread Wyrm by Miles Cameron and thought it was very good. I would rank this series as solid B list fantasy. not quite in the A list like Malazan, but very solid. Looking forward to the last two books.

I have heard that the military element is a major strong point of this series. What do you think?

[acesn8s]

Macros, on 24 August 2016 - 01:00 PM, said:

acesn8s, on 24 August 2016 - 11:47 AM, said:

Finished the Tattered Banner and moved on to book 2, The Huntsman's Amulet. I find Duncan Hamilton's style easy to read. Nothing difficult or complex to his world building so the unfolds real easy. Plus it is more of a swashbuckling setting, which is a favorite of mine.

Is it as swashbuckling as the greatcloaks series? Or a step down in swash and buckles?

Less fights than the Greatcloaks series and the intrigue is a little smaller in scale.