[Abyss]

JPK, on 15 December 2017 - 06:09 PM, said:

Abyss, on 15 December 2017 - 04:50 PM, said:

JPK, on 15 December 2017 - 04:36 PM, said:

Abyss, how are you liking the narrator for the Expanse earbooks? I've been thinking about catching up that way, but the audible sample made me hesitate because he seemed particularily dry and monotone. Does that hold true, or did they put up a bad spot for the sample?

I think he's quite good actually. He keeps it a little dry for some povs, changes it up for others. I think he does Belters voices/accents really well, and doesn't make female characters sound like a man pretending to be a woman in a frat party skit.

Sweet. I'll grab 6 and 7 then. Thank you.

Look at it this way - w/audible, you can always return them if the narrator throws you off.

[JPK]

Abyss, on 15 December 2017 - 06:42 PM, said:

JPK, on 15 December 2017 - 06:09 PM, said:

Abyss, on 15 December 2017 - 04:50 PM, said:

JPK, on 15 December 2017 - 04:36 PM, said:

Abyss, how are you liking the narrator for the Expanse earbooks? I've been thinking about catching up that way, but the audible sample made me hesitate because he seemed particularily dry and monotone. Does that hold true, or did they put up a bad spot for the sample?

I think he's quite good actually. He keeps it a little dry for some povs, changes it up for others. I think he does Belters voices/accents really well, and doesn't make female characters sound like a man pretending to be a woman in a frat party skit.

Sweet. I'll grab 6 and 7 then. Thank you.

Look at it this way - w/audible, you can always return them if the narrator throws you off.

Oh, I do. Audible's return policy is excellent. I just figured I'd ask because you generally have good taste. I have yet to be led wrong by following one of your recommendations.

[Mentalist]

Mentalist, on 15 December 2017 - 02:05 PM, said:

In commute, in "Nightmare Stacks" I got to the chapter with all the death last night.

Spoiler

I've got a bad feeling for Pete...

Might just keep reading when I get home tonight and finish the book.

As if there were any doubts, OF COURSE I finished this book. Nice ending, I wouldn't call it spectacular, but a solid entry to the series, I'll have to pick up "Delirium Brief" next year.

Next on commute, I think I'll go back to Asher with "War Factory"

Edit: and making my ebook debut, I'll be fitting in Elizabeth Bear's "New Amsterdam" somewhere in my free eye-time. It's kind of like Kate Daniels-type world (with magic and tech coexisting), only more Victorian.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 18 December 2017 - 04:28 PM

[Macros]

Just finished The Never King, by James Abbott.

It was...ok
Started really strongly, and never really dragged, but the resolution was to swift for me. I felt this book had another hundred pages in it, like the last third was rushed for a publication date. Issues are resolved, but too neatly and quickly, it really feels like the plot points were all sorted (and the plot does flow well enough, and the resolution is satisfactory in its bones, just not enough flesh) and the story mapped out, but Abbott simply ran out of time or patience to get there. Quite frustrating in that sense as there was great potential. Main character a tiny bit Mary sue in his fighting ability, but not annoyingly so.
I'll read book two when it comes out, as the characters are well enough fleshed out for me to want to see more of them.

[Maark Abbott]

Macros, on 17 December 2017 - 07:24 PM, said:

Just finished The Never King, by James Abbott.

It was...ok
Started really strongly, and never really dragged, but the resolution was to swift for me. I felt this book had another hundred pages in it, like the last third was rushed for a publication date. Issues are resolved, but too neatly and quickly, it really feels like the plot points were all sorted (and the plot does flow well enough, and the resolution is satisfactory in its bones, just not enough flesh) and the story mapped out, but Abbott simply ran out of time or patience to get there. Quite frustrating in that sense as there was great potential. Main character a tiny bit Mary sue in his fighting ability, but not annoyingly so.
I'll read book two when it comes out, as the characters are well enough fleshed out for me to want to see more of them.

Chalk it up to the Dearth of Alacrity displayed by the industry. Probably got tramlined into cutting content by an editor or publisher. The industry, in its Dearth and wanton Analacrity, wants small, short novels (especially from debuts). It's not what I want from books at all.

[Macros]

Well then the editor should be beaten with a stick if that was the case. There was see mid section portions that could have had a chapter chopped to extent the finale into something more epic and meaningful.

Started children of dune last night, about three chapters in

[QuickTidal]

Reading the comic version of Timothy Zahn's THRAWN TRILOGY by Mike Baron, Olivier Vatine, and Fred Blanchard, and loving it...to wash the bad things about The LAST JEDI out of my eyeballs.

[Macros]

go milk a walrus, that'll solve your problems!

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 15 December 2017 - 04:30 PM, said:

Andorion, on 14 December 2017 - 03:57 PM, said:

Abyss, on 14 December 2017 - 03:13 PM, said:

A chapter and a bit into PERSEPOLIS RISING earbook... wow. Shit is fucked beyond one particular gate.

A few chapters in and everything has gone straight to hell.

A few more chapters in...

Spoiler

I don't know how i feel about the time jump.

I can see why from an overplot standpoint it made sense to jump fwd 30 years, but some part of me feels like i missed the interesting phase of these characters' lives and now i'm catching them at the tired end.

I don't doubt the plot is going to pick up... whatever is going on at Laconia has got to turn bad for everyone.... it's just that while it's great to see these characters again, i feel like i'm just getting the end of a really good story.

Also, fucking Holden, the guy can NOT catch a break.

Oh boy...
SPOILERS ABOUT 10 CHAPTERS IN...

Spoiler

The bad guys have a super weapon and an invasion plan.
And Holden and Naomi just announced their retirement. Holden all but flat out stated "I'm getting too old for this shit."

Ohhhh craaaAAAAaaaappp....

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I'm starting my Raptor Award (it's a qualification in the keeping and training of birds of prey) and I'm reading one of my course books just for fun at the moment (a few more are arriving for Christmas so I'll start working properly when they land).

The author keeps pithily threatening to use stupid people as vulture food, in amongst comments about "why they call it common sense when it's in fact all but extinct". It's a delight.

[Maark Abbott]

Almost done with Firebrand now. It's taken a while as my reading time took a hit lately.

After this, Deadhouse Landing.

[Andorion]

Finished The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley - a really rather good book.

[Maark Abbott]

Macros, on 18 December 2017 - 02:09 PM, said:

Well then the editor should be beaten with a stick if that was the case. There was see mid section portions that could have had a chapter chopped to extent the finale into something more epic and meaningful.

Started children of dune last night, about three chapters in

You see now how the industry is gripped by Dearth. Alas. 'Tis sad.

Started Deadhouse Landing today.

[Esa1996]

Nearing the end of Wars of Light and Shadow 5: The Grand Conspiracy. Despite everything I've said about the series before I must say that I do like it. The writing may not be my cup of tea, and, possibly for that exact reason, I read these books far slower than most others, but overall the series is really damn epic. Apart from WOT I don't think I've ever read a series in which the author plays the long game with such intensity as here (Apart from WOT this is the first time I've ever got the feeling of not being able to wait for a scene that I know is coming and having to wait multiple books for it (To be honest, five books in and I'm still waiting for most of them )).

This post has been edited by Esa1996: 21 December 2017 - 09:40 AM

[Puck]

I'm hoping to finish the Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy this year, just so I can be done with it, so I'm now partway through The Third God. I still like certain aspects of the trilogy, but certain other ones are such a slog. So much riding back and forth. So much 'woe is me'. Have I mentioned that I hate single-point-of-view books already? Most of the time, anyway. I'm still enjoying it to an extent, but much less than I did the first book, and I hope to finish the trilogy by the end of this year.

[Salt-Man Z]

Puck, on 21 December 2017 - 05:45 PM, said:

I'm hoping to finish the Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy this year, just so I can be done with it, so I'm now partway through The Third God. I still like certain aspects of the trilogy, but certain other ones are such a slog. So much riding back and forth. So much 'woe is me'. Have I mentioned that I hate single-point-of-view books already? Most of the time, anyway. I'm still enjoying it to an extent, but much less than I did the first book, and I hope to finish the trilogy by the end of this year.

Yeah, the first half of THE THIRD GOD suffers from the same draggy-ness that THE STANDING DEAD does. It does pick up considerably in the second half or so, though, and the ending is pretty epic.

[acesn8s]

I finished Bakkers's Aspect-Emperor series. Wow...not how I envisioned it wrapping up.

I'll start Sebastien De Castell's Tyrant's Throne over vacation! I need some swashbuckling after the mindfuck of The Unholy Consult.

[Puck]

Salt-Man Z, on 21 December 2017 - 06:22 PM, said:

Puck, on 21 December 2017 - 05:45 PM, said:

I'm hoping to finish the Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy this year, just so I can be done with it, so I'm now partway through The Third God. I still like certain aspects of the trilogy, but certain other ones are such a slog. So much riding back and forth. So much 'woe is me'. Have I mentioned that I hate single-point-of-view books already? Most of the time, anyway. I'm still enjoying it to an extent, but much less than I did the first book, and I hope to finish the trilogy by the end of this year.

Yeah, the first half of THE THIRD GOD suffers from the same draggy-ness that THE STANDING DEAD does. It does pick up considerably in the second half or so, though, and the ending is pretty epic.

Tbh, I'm partly reading on because you've said that before. I do want to see how it all ends, but book two was reaaally sloggy. I mean, it's already better than most of The Standing Dead at the point where I am now, but I hope it does pick up some more.

[worry]

You mean you can't wait to read MBotF woven into the main 6.

[Chance]

Going through the Greatcoats series and while I think they are pretty good books, I'm not sure I actually like these books. The author like a number of other fantasy authors go a bit deep into the lets torture our protagonists for 3/4 of the book (every success just revealing a new greater torment), then most everything solves itself in the last 1/4 after a few sacrifices. Its a story structure I really detest and so far each greatcoats books more or less follows it.

This post has been edited by Chance: 22 December 2017 - 12:11 AM