[Andorion]

polishgenius, on 26 February 2017 - 11:05 PM, said:

Started Fierce Gods, the last Heart of the World book by Buchanan. Not sure this was meant to be the last one, to be honest- there's an idea thrown in right from the start that does absolutely not feel like Buchanan meant to introduce it yet and several plot threads from earlier books- book 2 in particular- seem to have fallen by the wayside, but hopefully Buchanan, a talented author who deserves more attention, can make it hang together.

Quote

So cool when a book delivers on the hype.

Now read Ninefox Gambit, the other of last year's noteworthy debuts for my money despite not getting nearly as much hype (though it is a series opener and iirc you sometimes hold off on those). Another bizarre book that deserves a bit more love than it's getting.

Ninefox Gambit is a very unusual book, I really loved it, but its quite hard to get into, because it deals with a few quite alien concepts, and does not really explain them.

[polishgenius]

Andorion, on 27 February 2017 - 01:16 AM, said:

Ninefox Gambit is a very unusual book, I really loved it, but its quite hard to get into, because it deals with a few quite alien concepts, and does not really explain them.

That's one of the reasons I liked it. I mean, we're Malazan fans, we've been there before.

[Andorion]

polishgenius, on 27 February 2017 - 05:48 AM, said:

Andorion, on 27 February 2017 - 01:16 AM, said:

Ninefox Gambit is a very unusual book, I really loved it, but its quite hard to get into, because it deals with a few quite alien concepts, and does not really explain them.

That's one of the reasons I liked it. I mean, we're Malazan fans, we've been there before.

Yeah it reminded me of Malazan a lot.

[Mentalist]

Lots of travel time on the trains today, and also early reading time while waiting at the hospital...

Long story short, I finished "Causal Angel". The ending was good, but open-ended, with lingering questions. Of course, anything to do with quantum physics/mechanics/computations is so far outside my areas of expertise (me and physics parted way after Grade 12), that beyond the cognitive Prisoner's Dilemma bits, it might as well have been total magic. That is to say, I can offer no opinion on the plausibility of the science in the sci-fi bits. But it was entertaining, will look out for anything else he writes.

now, I suspect the "Inheritance trilo" omnibus will not be a quick read at home (I tried the first chapter yesterday, and it didn't really click. I was pretty rushed tho, so I'll give it another crack once my week settles down a bit). So to counterweight that and maintain my reading pace (for the Goodreads "read 60 new books this year challenge) , i'll do some short books in the commute. First up, a small Moorcock novella "Behold the Man".

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 28 February 2017 - 03:51 AM

[Tiste Simeon]

So... am I meant to like Kip (Lightbringer)? He just annoys me. Also

Spoiler

Gavin is actually Dazen? That makes no sense considering how the rest of the war panned out (from what I have been told thus far anyway...)

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 28 February 2017 - 12:37 PM

[amphibian]

Tiste Simeon, on 28 February 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

So... am I meant to like Kip (Lightbringer)? He just annoys me. Also

Spoiler

Gavin is actually Dazen? That makes no sense considering how the rest of the war panned out (from what I have been told thus far anyway...)

Keep going...

[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 28 February 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

So... am I meant to like Kip (Lightbringer)? He just annoys me.

This never went away for me through two entire books he was just an irritating character...which is probably why I never read book 3.

As for me, onto ARCANUM UNBOUNDED by Sanderson. Even though I've read THE EMPEROR'S SOUL before (I have a hard copy of it from back when it came out in print), I've decided to read it again, and I think I'm getting more out of it this time. I'm excited to get to some of the other short fiction of the Cosmere!

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 28 February 2017 - 01:43 PM

[Andorion]

Ok, so I am conducting an experiment. I am trying to listen to my first ever audiobook - MR Carey's The Girl With all the Gifts. So far I am quite enjoying the experience

[Macros]

about 200/220 pages into immortal throne.
Interesting way to start the book its basically the last third of the city from totally different perspectives, really good for getting me back into the world and setting up a continuation of the story in a flowing manner, as due to the ending of the city the main protagonists cast is changing, but this gives us a set of characters that over laps both arcs if you get what i mean.
Liking it so far

[Tiste Simeon]

amphibian, on 28 February 2017 - 01:27 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 28 February 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

So... am I meant to like Kip (Lightbringer)? He just annoys me. Also

Spoiler

Gavin is actually Dazen? That makes no sense considering how the rest of the war panned out (from what I have been told thus far anyway...)

Keep going...

I'm not giving up or anything, it just threw me a bit when I read it!

[JPK]

Andorion, on 28 February 2017 - 01:56 PM, said:

Ok, so I am conducting an experiment. I am trying to listen to my first ever audiobook - MR Carey's The Girl With all the Gifts. So far I am quite enjoying the experience

I think you'll like them. I generally have one playing when I'm transiting (I find them less distracting than music oddly enough) or when I'm cooking or doing chores at home. I'm going through this same book right now, and it's really rather enjoyable. It's taking staple zombie tropes and twisting them into something new.

Wait until after hour 3 for the spoiler.

Spoiler

Mushroom based zombies aren't really new for example, but it leaving the mental faculties of certain victims intact and/or even enhanced is. Also, cordyceps is one of the most terrifying things that exists imho so I'm happy to see that that's the origin of the outbreak.

Edit: typo

This post has been edited by JPK: 28 February 2017 - 04:39 PM

[Abyss]

JPK, on 28 February 2017 - 04:25 PM, said:

Andorion, on 28 February 2017 - 01:56 PM, said:

Ok, so I am conducting an experiment. I am trying to listen to my first ever audiobook - MR Carey's The Girl With all the Gifts. So far I am quite enjoying the experience

I think you'll like them. I generally have one playing when I'm transiting (I find them less distracting than music oddly enough) or when I'm coming or doing chores at home. ...

Same. Makes mindless travel / housecrap more fun.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 28 February 2017 - 04:32 PM, said:

JPK, on 28 February 2017 - 04:25 PM, said:

Andorion, on 28 February 2017 - 01:56 PM, said:

Ok, so I am conducting an experiment. I am trying to listen to my first ever audiobook - MR Carey's The Girl With all the Gifts. So far I am quite enjoying the experience

I think you'll like them. I generally have one playing when I'm transiting (I find them less distracting than music oddly enough) or when I'm coming or doing chores at home. ...

Same. Makes mindless travel / housecrap more fun.

Since my new job has significantly lengthened my commute, this could work out

[polishgenius]

I finished Fierce Gods. Yes, this definitely isn't meant to be the last book in the series. It does end the ongoing plots from the series so far, it'd be the end of a sub-sequence in a longer series for sure, but it also ends with a big fat sequel hook. If this is the last book he's contracted for he's definitely hoping he gets picked up for more.

Maybe when they say last 'Farlander' book it's just because the next one is planned to have a different heading, Bakker style. That's definitely plausible.

Anyway, good book and good series anyhoo.




I've now started Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, a debut heroic fantasy that reads rather like a cross between Unforgiven and The Blues Brothers, in a fantasy setting. Lot of fun and also rather affecting so far. A little concerned that it's going to be a series of episodic moments with no real plot build but we'll see how it goes. I'm definitely in till the end, anyway.

This post has been edited by polishgenius: 28 February 2017 - 06:43 PM

[Abyss]

Just finished Aaronovich's THE HANGING TREE, comments in the ded thread soon but it was great, probably one if the best in the series to date.
Started Gaiman's NORSE MYTHS in earbook, probably FIERCE GODS in ebook shortly based on PG's upthread comment.

[Slow Ben]

About halfway through Dancers Lament. Its almost staggering jumping right from FoL to this and to be in the same world, but such an insanely different writing style.



I was also going through some books i have boxed up (my bookspace was dramatically decreased when toys starting taking up space, dont give me any shit), and realized I still have two Garrett P.I. books i never finished! Score. I boxed them up last time we moved and forgot.

So after DL, its off to TunFaire I go.

[Chance]

polishgenius, on 28 February 2017 - 06:39 PM, said:

I've now started Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, a debut heroic fantasy that reads rather like a cross between Unforgiven and The Blues Brothers, in a fantasy setting. Lot of fun and also rather affecting so far. A little concerned that it's going to be a series of episodic moments with no real plot build but we'll see how it goes. I'm definitely in till the end, anyway.

It might not be the best book I've read recently but it is damn entertaining kind of a parody on the fantasy genre, old heroes and especially the D&D rollplaying idea of dungeon delving. It is a very meta kind of book and I've got serious ideas about running a short series of RPG sessions based on a similar premise.

Reading A Conjuring of Light currently it isn't catching my attention like the two previous installments of the series but still have moment of provoking feelings and thought, just not as often and I really dislike the parts that take place in the past even if they do explain some people a bit.

This post has been edited by Chance: 01 March 2017 - 11:02 AM

[Tiste Simeon]

By heck, Mount Char is still a tenner on Kindle... Sheesh, money is a bit tight right now, going to put that on pause methinks.

[QuickTidal]

ARCANUM UNBOUNDED by Sanderson…Finished THE EMPEROR’S SOUL for the second time and enjoyed it even more this time…as (for whatever reason) the first time I read it I didn’t associate it with Sel (and therefore the Shards Dominion and Devotion), but rather with Scadrial instead (sidenote: the novella version of the book that came out years ago never even mentioned what planet it was…which may have helped my confusion…unlike this compendium which sorts the stories into their planets). So I think I was trying to figure out how it related to MISTBORN (powers-wise) rather than ELANTRIS…which may have tainted my read of it.

Spoiler

This time when I read it , it was like a light going on as the shardic powers on display are VERY similar (and yet still different) to the Aeons of ELANTRIS, and even the basic concept of magic in that book. I love how Forging is close to Aon’s, but not the same either. It speaks to two completely different continental empires that are ignorant of one another…using the shards in different but still similar ways. Simply amazing. Also, Shai and Gaotona are very fully realized characters for a short piece of fiction.

Next story up: THE HOPE OF ELANTRIS

[T77]

Tiste Simeon, on 01 March 2017 - 11:46 AM, said:

By heck, Mount Char is still a tenner on Kindle... Sheesh, money is a bit tight right now, going to put that on pause methinks.

Did you check your library? Mine has the e-book and audiobook. I'm listening to it now.