[Aptorian]

Yeah, I really wanted to get into Week's Lightbringer series. But I'm 3/4s of the way into Black Prism and I just can't be arsed to continue. I really like the world building and the Prism concept but I HATE the kid the series is supposed to be centered around (I assume). He's just a fat, annoying piece of shit that should be drowned in a river.

On the other hand I really want more Night Angel books. That ending where it was hinting at some much larger universe with Angels and Gods and stuff I can't remember any longer, sounded hella awesome. Doesn't hurt the magical power armor suit was completely badass.

This post has been edited by Apt: 12 December 2016 - 06:11 PM

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 12 December 2016 - 06:27 PM, said:

Kip gets way better as each bk goes. So does the magic and politics.

QT go get it, Apt finish 1 start 2 repeat.

I have the first 3 books in hardcover. I made it through book 1, and halfway through book 2...but I stopped annoyed that I was not remotely getting into it. I will probably grab BLOOD MIRROR as the collection would look weird on my shelf with only 3 of the books...but I dunno when I'll get it.

[acesn8s]

Off to be the Wizard by Scott Meyer.

[End of Disc One]

If you didn't like Lightbringer 2 then that series is probably not for you.

[Abyss]

LIGHTBRINGER is a series I may wait to start until it's finished. I like Weeks a lot, but I have the sense I'll enjoy it more that way.

[fievelgoespostal]

For those of you that like the Lightbringer series... would you recommend the Night Angel series ? I absolutely love Lightbringer and am considering picking it up

[ansible]

Briar King, on 10 December 2016 - 04:09 AM, said:

EmperorMagus, on 10 December 2016 - 02:01 AM, said:

death rattle, on 10 December 2016 - 02:00 AM, said:

Have you tried Narnia?

Narnia is the BEST.

(just kidding I never got to the end of the first book in middle school)

I didn't like the 1st 2 movie bks (I stopped after that) at all but if I remember right there is a prequel bk/novella with the villain before she was villain that was fairly cool. Been yrs since I read

The Chronicles of Narnia are fantastic books. I reread the entire series just a few years ago. I found new greatness in all of them; Lewis is a master. They are children's books only in the same way that The Hobbit is a children's book. Well worth the read.

I also have to say that the Lightbringer series is quite good, and book 3 is really the turning point in the series. Anyone who wishes the series had more mythology/lore/magic/secrets will be amply rewarded by The Broken Eye. I have found all 4 books to be fantastic reads, and I have read the Night Angel trilogy as well (Lightbringer is superior imo).

I'm currently finishing a reread of The Book of the New Sun. Also reading -

The Norse Myths
If on a winter's night a traveler (my first experience with Calvino)

I recently finished...Sanderson's Shadows of Self and The Bands of Mourning, Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller, Lexicon by Max Berry, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, Grossman's Magician's trilogy...other stuff.

I was surprised at the reviews of Dark Matter - the book was pretty good, but everything kept saying "HE'S DOING SOMETHING NEW"/"UNIQUE"/"HE INVENTED SOMETHING NEW". I actually felt no surprises at all in the book, because -

Spoiler

it is basically just another version of Shane Carruth's 2004 film Primer, which not only deals with and resolves every "new" idea in Dark Matter, but Primer is actually a much more personal story about trust and friendship. Dark Matter is about him getting his family back, but it's only about him. Watching Abe give up his life to safeguard Aaron's family is much more powerful than how the same idea was played out in Dark Matter. Because the book is only about the narrator, there is little empathy invoked, while Primer is about (at the least) 2 individuals and how their relationship changes and eventually is destroyed by what they discover.

Was very surprised to see no reviews that compared the two.

[ansible]

fievelgoespostal, on 12 December 2016 - 10:34 PM, said:

For those of you that like the Lightbringer series... would you recommend the Night Angel series ? I absolutely love Lightbringer and am considering picking it up

I would recommend it if you like Lightbringer. Night Angel was fun to read.

[Mentalist]

Finished "King of Morning", and... Meh.

Same criticism I've had with Corvus, basically: technically, the book is good (poor editing notwithstanding), and the pseudo-Guagameles battle is pretty damn epic.

But... i'm just not the target audience for this. Call it a cultural bias, but it takes A LOT to make me cheer for the aggressor in any conflict (I really wanted the 7C rebellion to succeed, even a little after the Chain of Dogs. And I was totally on board with RotCG rebels winning most of the book). And Alexander the Great is a great role model for 12 year Olds (which is when school starts to teach ancient history), but i'm close to 30s now, and the idea of "conquering for the sake of GLORY" can't carry the book any more for me.

So yeah. Another one with high marks for execution, but poor score for the subject matter. There's implications of nuance that make the whole thing worth reading, but Kearney pulled the real heavy pumnches in the end, which diminishes from the story (imho) in light of how the real history turne out.

Next in commute, I got a choice of 3 second volumes that'd require refesh re-read of the first:

Ian Tregillis- "The coldest war" (needs a "Bitter Seeds" re-read)

Sanderson- "Mistborn Episodes 2" (requires "Alloy of Law" re-read)

Hannu Raj-I don't remeber-how-to-spell-it's "Fractal Prince" (requires a "Quantum Thief" re-read.

Or I might just read "Liar's Key", because that one I don't feel like I need a re-read because I mostly remember the whole demon-angel thing, and the real set up is in bk2.

I'll think on it tonight

[ansible]

Mentalist, on 13 December 2016 - 12:03 AM, said:

Sanderson- "Mistborn Episodes 2" (requires "Alloy of Law" re-read)

For what it's worth, I just read 2 & 3 of the Wax/Wayne books after reading Alloy of Law long ago, and it was not that hard to get back into. I had a few questions about Alloy of Law as I read, but I would say Shadows of Self does not require a reread of Alloy of Law. Just my recent experience.

[amphibian]

fievelgoespostal, on 12 December 2016 - 10:34 PM, said:

For those of you that like the Lightbringer series... would you recommend the Night Angel series ? I absolutely love Lightbringer and am considering picking it up

Night Angel is not nearly as developed world-wide in the first two books. It's kind of myopic and not as well written. But it goes fun places as long as you don't think about things too hard (really... Don't think about anything too hard).

So adjust your expectations below that of Lightbringer and have fun.

[End of Disc One]

I still need to finish Lightbringer 4. The series has some exceptionally interesting worldbuilding as it goes on, but it also gets more bloated. Night Angel is fast and fun, a real page turner. It's crazy how slow the war moves in LB compared how things moved in NA.

[EmperorMagus]

Started reading "City of Stairs" as recommended to me on this thread. My initial thoughts 10% in:

Spoiler

1. I really like the theme of the colonizers becoming colonized and suffering under the yoke. It makes me internally conflicted because I want the occupiers ejected, but then I don't think the great people of Bulikov will be much better overlords. It's really relevant to the current political climate.

2. Shara seems like such a boring character so far. Come on, an underestimated women, small in stature, who can do magic and is descended from the great general? the only thing that could make her worse would be if she was a man. The incompetent bureaucrat being an ass is also here in the shape of our Chief Diplomat. Overall, I don't like most of the characters so far.

Two of them are fine though. Efrem, while sounding like an asshole of the greatest order, is an intriguing (dead) character. Vinya reminds me of Ilia Volyova, who I absolutely love.

3. The divines and the miracles have grabbed my attention. I'm very curious about what's going to happen plot-wise, which great I guess.

4. Bennet seems to be a disciple of Tolkien, considering the sheer length of his description info-dumps. I hope this gets better.

Overall, I'm definitely hooked despite the complaints.

[Abyss]

@Ment - Fractal doesn't really require a Quantum reread. There are a few refs to the earlier book, but they aren't critical, and Fractal is very much a new setting.

[Andorion]

Briar King, on 13 December 2016 - 01:26 AM, said:

Ando which was your fav Safehold? Did you enjoy 5 as much as I have been so far? Got about 190 pgs left. Prob 2weeks to finish maybe more if I dive back into FF15.

I would say its an even split between 5 and 6. Both of them are great

[Andorion]

Briar King, on 13 December 2016 - 05:04 AM, said:

Good to hear. I'm almost in a blind rage reading this one it took such a massive turn on the gritty scale.

I've also got a thought. In bk 5 here Merlin was asking Owl

Spoiler

how hard would it be to make more picas to have numbers on the Archangel return I felt had to come. Well as Norman is on his deathbed he put something on his head to stop the pain receptors. I can't help but wonder if it also was copying his mind... very interesting. Can't wait to see if I'm right,

To me book 5 and 6 are the crux. Everything after that is entertaining but not so gripping.

RAFO on the tech part obviously

[QuickTidal]

Finished Horus Heresy Book 4 THE FLIGHT OF THE EISENSTEIN by James Swallow. This is arguably better than GALAXY IN FLAMES, but only in the second half. The first half is before the Heresy occurs in GALAXY, and as a result I was just waiting for it to get to the point I left off at the end of the last book. I don't know if it's Swallow's fault or not, but I don't want to re-read events I've already read from a different angle. Anyways, the second half of the book is all new all after and it's fantastic!

Up next prose novel ROCKET & GROOT STEAL THE GALAXY by Dan Abnett.

[Vengeance]

Just finished Star Wars Dark Disciple by Christie Golden. It was pretty good. Wrapped up a story line from Clone Wars. Very enjoyable. I believe that it is considered Cannon as well. So there is that.

[Salt-Man Z]

Vengeance, on 13 December 2016 - 02:59 PM, said:

Just finished Star Wars Dark Disciple by Christie Golden. It was pretty good. Wrapped up a story line from Clone Wars. Very enjoyable. I believe that it is considered Cannon as well. So there is that.

It is canon, as it was published after the 25 April 2014 cutoff date. (Also, it has the new canon timeline printed in it.)

[acesn8s]

Finished Off to be the Wizard. It was OK, not in a rush to get book 2. Back to 18 Wheels of Horror.