[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 23 October 2017 - 06:33 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 October 2017 - 05:14 PM, said:

amphibian, on 23 October 2017 - 04:54 PM, said:

I'm of the opinion that the many POVs, which is something Malazan does well also, is a positive in Cameron's series too.

However, different strokes for different folks...

If you are trying to compare how Erikson does multiple POVs to how Cameron does it..you'll come up WELL short. Erikson was amazing at it (and din't need to separate them by whole chapters every time)...Cameron so far...not so much.

Cameron is trying to pull a GRRM with his...and I feel fails by dint of having too many.

RAFO. RAFO. RAFO.

Alright, but I'm a'holden' you accountable Amph.

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 23 October 2017 - 05:14 PM, said:

If you are trying to compare how Erikson does multiple POVs to how Cameron does it..you'll come up WELL short. Erikson was amazing at it (and din't need to separate them by whole chapters every time)...Cameron so far...not so much.

Cameron is trying to pull a GRRM with his...and I feel fails by dint of having too many.

Does Cameron set them up by chapter in the first? Certainly, when he switches location he gives a location-character header that looks a bit like GRRM's chapters, but certainly in the later books that's only an anchoring point so you know where you are and once established he skips between characters in an Erikson-like way, and location isn't bound by chapter. I don't remember if he was more strictly bound in the first.

In any case while he certainly doesn't set it up as elegantly as SE, I agree with Amph that that's the overall effect he's going for more than GRRM, and mostly works out for the best.


But, as I say, it did take me two goes to get through the first book, so I certainly see where you're coming from. Love the series now so hopefully you find the same. I just finished the last one. It was awesome.

[Macros]

Last one just arrived in the post today.

all I need now is time to read it.

oh so tired

[QuickTidal]

...aaaaand gave up for now. I just couldn't stomach any more pushing through a book I was not connecting with. I'll come back to it one day, but for now I think I'm not in the right place to read it.

Got back into David Dalglish's SKYBORNE, which is ramping up the goodness after a slowish start!

[Andorion]

November is going to be so good in terms of new books -

Alastair Reynolds - Aurora Rising - Prequel to the Prefect!
Adrian Tchaikovsky - Dogs of War
ICE - Deadhouse Landing
Brandon Sanderson - Oathbringer
Stephen Donaldson - The Seventh Decimate

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 25 October 2017 - 12:46 PM, said:

ICE - Deadhouse Landing
Brandon Sanderson - Oathbringer

These two are my big remaining "I'm SO waiting for this!" books of the fall (after BOOK OF DUST Vol. 1 dropped)...super excited!

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 25 October 2017 - 12:49 PM, said:

Andorion, on 25 October 2017 - 12:46 PM, said:

ICE - Deadhouse Landing
Brandon Sanderson - Oathbringer

These two are my big remaining "I'm SO waiting for this!" books of the fall (after BOOK OF DUST Vol. 1 dropped)...super excited!

I am going to read the original trilogy first before I get this.

[End of Disc One]

Yeah Deadhouse Landing is going to have to go on the back burner for me. I don't know what TOR was thinking releasing it the same day as Oathbringer. On a somewhat related note, Sanderson just added "Mystery Project" to his project list.

And I just can't catch up on Tchaikovsky. He's releasing his books faster than I read them.

This post has been edited by End of Disc One: 25 October 2017 - 01:16 PM

[Andorion]

End of Disc One, on 25 October 2017 - 01:15 PM, said:

Yeah Deadhouse Landing is going to have to go on the back burner for me. I don't know what TOR was thinking releasing it the same day as Oathbringer. On a somewhat related note, Sanderson just added "Mystery Project" to his project list.

And I just can't catch up on Tchaikovsky. He's releasing his books faster than I read them.

It's the opposite for me. I will tackle and finish ICE first. Shorter book, should be a one day read. Oathbringer comes after that.

I can't catch Tchaikovsky either. Still have Guns of the Dawn, the new fantasy series to go, now there is this and he has a novella coming out in December. He is astonishingly prolific.

He should write more Scifi though. Children of Time was awesome.

[acesn8s]

80% through White Luck Warrior. Hope to finish it by the end of the week. There are a lot of Sranc in this book. Anyone else pick up on that?

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 25 October 2017 - 12:49 PM, said:

Andorion, on 25 October 2017 - 12:46 PM, said:

ICE - Deadhouse Landing
Brandon Sanderson - Oathbringer

These two are my big remaining "I'm SO waiting for this!" books of the fall (after BOOK OF DUST Vol. 1 dropped)...super excited!

Am stupid excited for these. That is so SO much back to back E-fucking-PIC fantasy gloriousness.
And at the moment it appears the earbooks for each are being released at the same time, so i actually get into them way sooner!

Andorion, on 25 October 2017 - 01:24 PM, said:

End of Disc One, on 25 October 2017 - 01:15 PM, said:

Yeah Deadhouse Landing is going to have to go on the back burner for me. I don't know what TOR was thinking releasing it the same day as Oathbringer. ...

It's the opposite for me. I will tackle and finish ICE first. Shorter book, should be a one day read. Oathbringer comes after that.
...

ICE first, then Sanderson, because of the length but also to get in on the threads here early. Sanderson threads will run for months but a new ICE book can crest fast.

acesn8s, on 25 October 2017 - 01:45 PM, said:

80% through White Luck Warrior. Hope to finish it by the end of the week. There are a lot of Sperm in this book. Anyone else pick up on that?

ftfy

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 20 October 2017 - 07:23 PM, said:

Abyss, on 18 October 2017 - 07:34 PM, said:

...In earbook something called HOPE AND RED (Empire of Storms #1) by Jon Skovron. I grabbed this free from an audible promo based on some good reviews, the fun of something completely unknown, and the very basic blurb that sounded like some classic fantasy fun, hints of Gemmell and Lawrence and Lynch (when i still liked his writing). Just a bit into it, and while one plotline is so trope-heavy as to verge on predictable, the other is damn funny. Also, pirates. Incompetent, fantasy world pirates. The author is also the narrator, which is usually a warning sign if it isn't Neil Gaiman, but he does well enough.

About 30% in, this book is a bit all over the place.
I like the theft capers, i like the ocean-going elements, the action is ok, theres a kernel of a story here that might be something fun... but the author's earbook narration is becoming tedious at times, and some of the plot developments are just weak. And while i appreciate that the author places emphasis on the characters over setting, he's done so little world-building that the setting is at risk of being dull. The characters repeatedly telling the reader how wonderful a place is doesn't make it so if that's all we get to work with, especially when it's pretty much textbook fantasy lit city slum 101.

Gods, this book is all over the place.
Again and again, i almost decide enough, i'm out, this is too predictable/unoriginal/tropey/amateur, and then something epic or well-written funny happens that pays off whatever was annoying me, and i'm back in.


It's not his first book, tho if i follow the bibliography right it's his first 'adult' fantasy novel, so i suppose some of what i dislike can be excused. On some level this IS good almost-classic style fantasy... engaging rogue, ultra-warrior-woman, both have tragic back stories, evil empire, dastardly mages called biomancers who are actually a fun concept except that he writes them one twirled mustache away from silly archetype... i dunno... i'm not out yet, so there's that.


In ebook, ACE OF SKULLS is great and if i had more time awake to eread i'd have devoured it by now. Not sorry to drag it out tho since it's the end of the series and Wooding's been fairly clear that he won't revisit it.


In pritty piccy, Laura just jumped down Fin Fang Foom's throat to rescue OId Man Logan and it was AWESOME. Now i have to decide whether to backtrack and catch up on a bunch of other things before attempting 'Civil War 2' (*vimm*).


In dead tree, i just sent a bunch more books i am never going to look at to a struggling used book store i used to frequent.

[Salt-Man Z]

Loving the heck outta Ruthanna Emrys' Winter Tide (hopefully y'all picked it up free from Tor.com last week!) Fantastic use of Lovecraft's menagerie in a believable setting while making them actually human and not just monsters.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Finished The Vorrh. I probably won't read the sequels unless polishgenius raves about them.

More Jack Vance.

[Baco Xtath]

Andorion, on 25 October 2017 - 12:46 PM, said:

November is going to be so good in terms of new books -

Alastair Reynolds - Aurora Rising - Prequel to the Prefect!

The book synopsis has this as a sequel.

Spoiler

In the Prefect, the Melding Plague hadn't begun, which is what this books about.

unless I'm misremembering everything.

[Andorion]

Baco Xtath, on 25 October 2017 - 11:17 PM, said:

Andorion, on 25 October 2017 - 12:46 PM, said:

November is going to be so good in terms of new books -

Alastair Reynolds - Aurora Rising - Prequel to the Prefect!

The book synopsis has this as a sequel.

Spoiler

In the Prefect, the Melding Plague hadn't begun, which is what this books about.

unless I'm misremembering everything.

I had a harder look and it seems to me that Aurora Rising is basically the retitled Prefect, while the sequel is Elysium Fire coming out in January

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 25 October 2017 - 03:31 PM, said:

Abyss, on 20 October 2017 - 07:23 PM, said:

Abyss, on 18 October 2017 - 07:34 PM, said:

...In earbook something called HOPE AND RED (Empire of Storms #1) by Jon Skovron. I grabbed this free from an audible promo based on some good reviews, the fun of something completely unknown, and the very basic blurb that sounded like some classic fantasy fun, hints of Gemmell and Lawrence and Lynch (when i still liked his writing). Just a bit into it, and while one plotline is so trope-heavy as to verge on predictable, the other is damn funny. Also, pirates. Incompetent, fantasy world pirates. The author is also the narrator, which is usually a warning sign if it isn't Neil Gaiman, but he does well enough.

About 30% in, this book is a bit all over the place.
I like the theft capers, i like the ocean-going elements, the action is ok, theres a kernel of a story here that might be something fun... but the author's earbook narration is becoming tedious at times, and some of the plot developments are just weak. And while i appreciate that the author places emphasis on the characters over setting, he's done so little world-building that the setting is at risk of being dull. The characters repeatedly telling the reader how wonderful a place is doesn't make it so if that's all we get to work with, especially when it's pretty much textbook fantasy lit city slum 101.

Gods, this book is all over the place.
Again and again, i almost decide enough, i'm out, this is too predictable/unoriginal/tropey/amateur, and then something epic or well-written funny happens that pays off whatever was annoying me, and i'm back in.

Just finished.

So conflicted.

On the one hand, a few things happened that were just poorly plotted or poorly written and either way made no sense... on the other hand the characters were very engaging and now I really really want to know what happens next.

Dammit.




Ah well, no earbook for book 2 yet so I don't need to decide quickly. Started ANCILLARY JUSTICE.

[Tiste Simeon]

My mum bought me the Tom Hanks book. Appears to be a collection of short stories all linked by a common theme of a typewriter. (Hence why my mum got it for me as I won a typewriter in a writing competition...) Looking forward to reading it. I don't know how he is as a writer but he is a witty and likeable type so I imagine that will come across in his writing.

[amphibian]

Briar King, on 27 October 2017 - 03:55 AM, said:

Is anyone going to use Amazon Key? Looks like the delivery drivers will place your order in your house.

No. The monitoring mechanism is literally placing an Amazon camera to stream 24/7 your house and snitch on people.

This is bad and people will let this invasion happen anyways.

[Abyss]

It's an utterly ridiculous idea from a privacy or security standpoint, but it goes to a certain lazy streak a portion of the population will be happy to indulge.