[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

JPK, on 05 January 2019 - 03:54 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 05 January 2019 - 03:23 PM, said:

I'll start Hobb's "Ship of Magic" at home

I'm excited to see your thoughts on this one. That trilogy was my favorite read of last year.

Me too - it's my favourite trilogy of Hobb's.

Currently reading the new Bernard Cornwell, War of the Wolf.

[QuickTidal]

Remember upthread when I recommended Keith Ward's Red Proxy series?

SKKKKRRRRRRCCCCCHHHHH (apply the brakes).

The first book (a novella) was interesting, decently written, and had enough oomph to impress me.

Well book 2 (which is a full novel) 99 DAYS....not so much. Ward's amateurish writing is MUCH more prevalently on display in a full novel with a single POV (book 1 was many POVS)...there are some impassible physics weirdness in this one (nothing floats, not even humans)...but overall it was largely a snoozefest that only really has anything interesting occur near the end. It's a quest book of sorts, but features all kinds of tropish stuff that is in every fantasy book, and none of the verve to make it work.

I just...ugh. Don't take my earlier advice. This was not good.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 08 January 2019 - 01:54 PM

[Mentalist]

JPK, on 05 January 2019 - 03:54 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 05 January 2019 - 03:23 PM, said:

I'll start Hobb's "Ship of Magic" at home

I'm excited to see your thoughts on this one. That trilogy was my favorite read of last year.

Cyphon, on 05 January 2019 - 10:55 PM, said:

JPK, on 05 January 2019 - 03:54 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 05 January 2019 - 03:23 PM, said:

I'll start Hobb's "Ship of Magic" at home

I'm excited to see your thoughts on this one. That trilogy was my favorite read of last year.

Seconded as an excellent trilogy that I read last year and that I went on a bit of a journey with. Struggled with some of the first book but the trilogy pay off and character development is really good.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 08 January 2019 - 06:52 AM, said:

JPK, on 05 January 2019 - 03:54 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 05 January 2019 - 03:23 PM, said:

I'll start Hobb's "Ship of Magic" at home

I'm excited to see your thoughts on this one. That trilogy was my favorite read of last year.

Me too - it's my favourite trilogy of Hobb's.

Currently reading the new Bernard Cornwell, War of the Wolf.

So far, liking the setting, but the Bingtown part of the plot seems to hinge on people not speaking up when they should, leading to "tragic misunderstandings" among the impoverished aristos. I'll be honest, this type of plots no longer really impresses me no matter how good the writing is.

The guy trying to become the Pirate King is interesting to read about, though.

[Hammerhead88]

QuickTidal, on 08 January 2019 - 01:53 PM, said:

Remember upthread when I recommended Keith Ward's Red Proxy series?

SKKKKRRRRRRCCCCCHHHHH (apply the brakes).

The first book (a novella) was interesting, decently written, and had enough oomph to impress me.

Well book 2 (which is a full novel) 99 DAYS....not so much. Ward's amateurish writing is MUCH more prevalently on display in a full novel with a single POV (book 1 was many POVS)...there are some impassible physics weirdness in this one (nothing floats, not even humans)...but overall it was largely a snoozefest that only really has anything interesting occur near the end. It's a quest book of sorts, but features all kinds of tropish stuff that is in every fantasy book, and none of the verve to make it work.

I just...ugh. Don't take my earlier advice. This was not good.

Ha! I bought the first one yesterday on Kindle. Still worth reading as a standalone?

[QuickTidal]

Hammerhead88, on 08 January 2019 - 04:38 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 08 January 2019 - 01:53 PM, said:

Remember upthread when I recommended Keith Ward's Red Proxy series?

SKKKKRRRRRRCCCCCHHHHH (apply the brakes).

The first book (a novella) was interesting, decently written, and had enough oomph to impress me.

Well book 2 (which is a full novel) 99 DAYS....not so much. Ward's amateurish writing is MUCH more prevalently on display in a full novel with a single POV (book 1 was many POVS)...there are some impassible physics weirdness in this one (nothing floats, not even humans)...but overall it was largely a snoozefest that only really has anything interesting occur near the end. It's a quest book of sorts, but features all kinds of tropish stuff that is in every fantasy book, and none of the verve to make it work.

I just...ugh. Don't take my earlier advice. This was not good.

Ha! I bought the first one yesterday on Kindle. Still worth reading as a standalone?

Yeah, that first one was fine. Just act like it's the only one. LOL

[polishgenius]

This doesn't really belong in this thread, but for want of a better place: I just learned that Adrian Tchaikovsky has recently quit his day job as a lawyer to concentrate on writing full time.

WHAT THE FUCK.

Half the reason I haven't caught up with him is that he writes so dizzyingly fast that I barely know where to go, he already seemed to have a new book out every time I turned around. I'm now expecting most bookshops to have to create entire Tchaikovsky sections.

[End of Disc One]

Virgin of High House Bachelor, on 09 January 2019 - 12:20 AM, said:

Huh...that was part time??

Will he soon rival Sanderson I wonder...

I’ve been saying for a couple of years that he’s already surpassed Sanderson in speed. I could be wrong but that’s how it feels since I can’t catch up.

This post has been edited by End of Disc One: 09 January 2019 - 12:35 AM

[amphibian]

Depending on what kind of law it is, there can be a generous amount of downtime in between actual "doing your job moments". He does "commercial disputes", which I'd consider one of the fields that actually would give him the time to plot etc during boring depositions or wait while others do document review for him.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Virgin of High House Bachelor, on 09 January 2019 - 01:54 AM, said:

Before I leave BAM which NK is better? Dreamblood or Inheritance? Asking again here for quicker traffic flow.

Inheritance is good. If you dislike romance in your books, you won't like it. If you liked Kushiel, you might like it.

Have not yet read Dreamblood.


———

A.A. Attanasio is a master at weaving scene and setting. Why are they not more well known?

Quote

Dust devils tilt over the red land. Sand blooms swell on a distant horizon like giant sorrel mushrooms. Ball lightning bounces over cobbles and the solemnities of boulders under a perfectly clear, pink sky. Strewn over the gritty terrain at unexpected intervals are the remains of earlier caravans smitten by dust storms — flex-treads twisted in the sand like molted snakeskin, crazed pieces of blackglass embedded in roan dune drifts, and bleached bones scattered like so much debris across the gravel under the blast of heaven.

Idk about you, but this gets my imagination going.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 09 January 2019 - 02:12 AM

[Maark Abbott]

Never read Tchaikovsky but you'd have to hope that he doesn't dive in quality like Sanderson did when he started writing all speedy like.

Also reminds me I need to look into CILEX...

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 09 January 2019 - 08:24 AM, said:

Never read Tchaikovsky but you'd have to hope that he doesn't dive in quality like Sanderson did when he started writing all speedy like.

I mean, you ARE the only one here who has this opinion, so people's milage may vary.

[Macros]

true, Sandersons writing wasn't great to start with, it didn't so much slide with speed as plummet with attempts at scale

[Macros]

I just ordered yesterday off Amazon, talk about a coincidence!

[Abyss]

The Amazon Prime Time Travel feature is underrated.

[Tiste Simeon]

About halfway through FIFTH SEASON now and it's really good. My thinking is that actually all 3 women are the same person at different points in her life.

Also, I've realised I like a good magic academy trope. Some of my favourite scenes in Lightbringer are when they're being trained in the capital and likewise here I love all the bits in the fulcrum, whether it's Syenite or Demaya.

Still mildly horrified by the whole forcing compliance through pain concept and even more so by the whole "you need to sleep with that dude to make better orogens..." concept.

[Maark Abbott]

QuickTidal, on 09 January 2019 - 01:27 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 09 January 2019 - 08:24 AM, said:

Never read Tchaikovsky but you'd have to hope that he doesn't dive in quality like Sanderson did when he started writing all speedy like.

I mean, you ARE the only one here who has this opinion, so people's milage may vary.

Macros, on 09 January 2019 - 02:14 PM, said:

true, Sandersons writing wasn't great to start with, it didn't so much slide with speed as plummet with attempts at scale

The evidence suggests the contrary, Quick. Kukukuku. At least Mistborn was short enough for me to overlook the flaws.

Addendum: Galaxy brain ideas: Ask Tchaikovsky to ghostwrite for me whilst I do CILEX. It's a flawless plan and I see no way it could possibly fail*.

*Except you know.

[Tattersail_]

Tattersail_, on 03 January 2019 - 02:37 PM, said:

Age of Assassins book 1 of The Wounded Trilogy was fantastic. I was sceptical at first as I hadn't heard anything about it but I really enjoyed it. The world was dark and moody and the plot was quite intriguing. As this was mostly based on mystery, a sort of Sherlock Holmes who is it sort of plot with lots of action and feels tied in I am hoping book 2 will be as good.

Finished the trilogy earlier this week. Wow, what a read. Fantastic!

[Morgoth]

I'm really enjoying The Monster Baru Cormorant, the sequel to The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Baru is such a fascinating protagonist, and I find myself caught by the story in a way I rarely experience anymore.

[Andorion]

Virgin of High House Bachelor, on 10 January 2019 - 02:25 AM, said:

Well Ando so far at almost 90 pgs into Safehold 10 it doesn't appear that Weber got a new editor. Ugh it's been mostly sitting around talking same old bullshit. There is also a major mistake on the very 1st page I don't see how wasn't caught...

Still though it's been kinda cool seeing the band back together and going forward on the 2nd phase.

Oh dear, I was hoping he would have tried something a bit different.

Is there a time skip?

[Nicodimas]

OH!!!

I didn't realize William Forstchen wrote another book. 48 hours!


YEAAAAAAASSS. Soooo much Doomporn it makes me all happy inside.

Description:

In 48 hours, the Earth will be hit by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun, a "Carrington Event" that has the power to shut down and possibly destroy the world's electrical infrastructure. To try and prevent permanent damage, everything goes dark prior to the hit: global communications are shut down; hospital emergency generators are disconnected; the entire internet, media broadcasting, and cell phone systems are turned off.

Will the world's population successfully defend itself in the wake of the CME, or will mass panic lead to the breakdown of society as we know it?