[Zetubal]

Tiste Simeon, on 25 April 2019 - 02:48 PM, said:

Gave up on the book I was reading called "Tavern" as it was just a bit too bland and generic.

Started a reread of The Library at Mount Char instead. It's been a while and the talk of it has had inspired me to read it again. I'm guessing it holds up well a second time.

Mmmmmhhh Have fun

[Andorion]

Started reading a 2019 debut - Ruin of Kings. I think this is going to be a good one

[Maark Abbott]

Might try and get back to Crown of Stars again. Motivating myself to read is hard just now.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 25 April 2019 - 02:39 PM, said:

TIAMAT'S WRATH...

...this book is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good.



Me, the last few chapters:

((( SPOILERS for
first 2/3 of the book,
albeit vague...))))

Spoiler

Holy crap, Amos. Dammit.

HOLY FUCK, AMOS WHAT????!

GO BOBBY!

Oh... Bobby. Crap. Also, wow! ...but, crap.

GO NAOMI!!!

Almost done...

Spoiler

...did NOT see this coming...

HOLY FUCK, DUARTE!!!!


...and expected but loved...

HOLY FUCK, TERESA!!!!!!!!

This book is a masterclass in 'set-up/payoff'.

[End of Disc One]

It's good to see that Tiamat's Wrath has been getting positive reviews everywhere. But then again so did Nemesis Games, and that was not one of my favorites.

[Puck]

I'm currently sloshing my way through Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. I am not yet sure what I thing about it. I like the choice of setting and the writing style okay, I'm an intrigued by teh premise, but holy hell do I hate teenaged protagonists still. Especially the clueless but arrogant ones. So far this books reads less like fantasy and more like contemporary Literature (big L). I know, I know, who am I to judge what is true fantasy? No one, it's just my personal perception. Anyway, I am determined to keep going, at the very least to find out if this whole teenaged "but your fucked my non-boyfriend!!1" stuff will make space for a story after the first part.

[Andorion]

Puck, on 26 April 2019 - 04:34 PM, said:

I'm currently sloshing my way through Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. I am not yet sure what I thing about it. I like the choice of setting and the writing style okay, I'm an intrigued by teh premise, but holy hell do I hate teenaged protagonists still. Especially the clueless but arrogant ones. So far this books reads less like fantasy and more like contemporary Literature (big L). I know, I know, who am I to judge what is true fantasy? No one, it's just my personal perception. Anyway, I am determined to keep going, at the very least to find out if this whole teenaged "but your fucked my non-boyfriend!!1" stuff will make space for a story after the first part.

I bounced off of this very hard. The narrative mannerisms put my back up. I may or may not give it a second chance.

[worry]

I may have mentioned this in my post about it, but the 'plot' really begins at about the 1/3 mark (in part 3 of 6), where it becomes a really good twisty turny quest fantasy. And while Tracker doesn't stop being himself, his whiny teenage jerkass mode does transition to enjoyable & funny crank imo (and, if this isn't too much of a spoiler, he actually makes friends). So: yah it finds its forward momentum, it just takes getting through a lengthy prologue period; and yah, Tracker matures as he gains experience, and that too just takes a while. I will also say there's lots and lots of satisfying payoff.

[Puck]

Worry, your previous post about the book is basically the reason I'm holding out and exercising patience, because without I'd have chugged teenage Tracker at the wall long ago.

[Chance]

Finished up Kellanved's Reach and enjoyed it quite a bit. I could still devour a dozen or two such books as lighter fair between harder reads.

Started up Anarch the last Gaunt's Ghost novel, jumped past a lot of other things on the strength of the last one.

[worry]

For the record -- and this may come as a surprise to everyone -- I have an extremely high tolerance, one might even say affinity, for characters with grating personalities, so it's still YMMV.

[Puck]

I am aware of that. My assumption is simply that if you like the book there's probably some kind of character development going on at some point. To be honest, though, I also just like to stick with a book for a certain amount of % until I decide it's a pile of trash, as there are quite a few books where I thought the beginning was meh but ended up liking them eventually. I have, however, stopped reading books at the 80% mark when I couldn't bear it anymore. I'm not all about finding out how it ends, I'm all about the way there.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

worry, on 26 April 2019 - 07:02 PM, said:

I may have mentioned this in my post about it, but the 'plot' really begins at about the 1/3 mark (in part 3 of 6), where it becomes a really good twisty turny quest fantasy. And while Tracker doesn't stop being himself, his whiny teenage jerkass mode does transition to enjoyable & funny crank imo (and, if this isn't too much of a spoiler, he actually makes friends). So: yah it finds its forward momentum, it just takes getting through a lengthy prologue period; and yah, Tracker matures as he gains experience, and that too just takes a while. I will also say there's lots and lots of satisfying payoff.

I have this sitting on my shelf due to your recommendation (and it has beautiful cover art).

Is Tracker's gratingness comparable to Simon's grating idiocy in the first two books of Memory, Sorry, Thorn?

[worry]

Nah. Tracker isn't obtuse in that way, though he has his blind spots. It's more that he's -- and this might turn a lot of people off, given the posts here about a month ago -- kind of a Holden Caulfield character at first. He's a judgmental prick with a pinch of unearned ego, a dash of self pity, and a pathological independent streak. The early goings of the book are episodic and non-Tracker characters tend to be sketchily drawn (given his disposition towards them), so his flaws as a person and a narrator are stark. I'll also restate that the book is long as hell and I took a break halfway in to read something lighter, then came back refreshed...and the latter half was gripping.

[amphibian]

I finished Luna: Moon Rising, which ends his Luna trilogy. I think this series is absolutely superb and one of the most interesting in scope and characters out there. The tough part for me for the series was not getting much more time with the Mackenzie clan, the Asamoah clan, or the Sun clan, as they seemed like they each had compelling side characters to dive into like the Cortas do.

If you like the idea of "moon based royal intrigue" this series will deliver The goods in full. I called it lunar Game of Themes a while ago, but that feels like it reduces the complexity of McDonald's characters and setting. This stuff is wild and fun in a way that really stuck with me.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 27 April 2019 - 07:19 PM

[Aptorian]

Finished third boook from Book of the New Sun, Sword of the Lictor, last week. Still don't like these books. They don't have proper beginnings or endings and they go in directions I don't care for. Well written though.

I'm taking a break from the New Sun to read something else.

I'm two thirds through Neil Gaimans Norse Mythology. It's pretty underwhelming. It's labelled as Nonfiction but it's just a children's book retelling the stories of the Norse Gods.

I'm sure it's worthwhile reading for other cultures but Gaiman doesn't add anything to the stories a Dane doesn't already know by heart. It's basically just Danish folklore translated into English, translated back into Danish. It's been done much better in the Valhalla Comics.

Also reading a book called Planen (The Plan) by a Danish author called Morten Pape. It's an autobiographical story about growing up in a Danish ghetto called Urbanplanen in the 90s.

I don't much care for Socal Realism in fiction. If I wanted to wallow in other people's missery I'll read a history book. I don't like my fiction to be too depressing. But it's a well written, gut punch of a book, that reminds me far too much about my own childhood. Hell of a debute for new author.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 28 April 2019 - 08:51 AM

[Cyphon]

Reading the Children of Earth and Sky by GGK. It's like slipping into a warm comfortable bath, perfect for what I need right now.

[worry]

Every time you find the book getting too depressing just think of the name "Morten Pape" and that should give you a jolly good case of the giggles.

[Aptorian]

worry, on 28 April 2019 - 04:34 PM, said:

Every time you find the book getting too depressing just think of the name "Morten Pape" and that should give you a jolly good case of the giggles.

Let me make your day then.

Denmark's Minister of Justice is called Søren Pape Poulsen. Affectionately (Not affectionately) nicknamed Barbapapa Pape Poulsen.

Say that really fast five times!

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[QuickTidal]

So about 40 pages into DRAGONS OF A FALLEN SUN, I realized that I've forgotten way to much of THE SECOND GENERATION and especially DRAGONS OF THE SUMMER FLAME, so I've dropped back to re-read those two before going onto my re-read of the War of the Souls.

SECOND GENERATION is always interesting because it's essentially a few novella's/shorts in one volume introducing the next gen characters, so easy to bang through. I'm already through the first section. It's SUMMER FLAME I'm not liking fwd to as Im recall not liking it much when I read it originally, but it's been a LONG time since then, so maybe I'll change my mind.