[Tiste Simeon]

Andorion, on 14 June 2020 - 02:50 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 14 June 2020 - 09:21 AM, said:

Andorion, on 13 June 2020 - 05:30 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 June 2020 - 09:44 PM, said:

Finished the audiobook of WORLD WAR Z and man it could be the best earbook I've ever experienced! So good, superb cast of characters.

Now listening to 16 WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY.

Did you know Max Brooks has a new book coming out? Called Devolution

I am reading a very old series - Valdemar. I have read the first trilogy Heralds, and I loved it. Now moving onto Heraldmage

I did not!

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is pretty gosh darn funny. Really like the protagonist and the narrator giving him a folksy Yorkshire voice is excellent.

Yeah I loved it. this and Folding Knife - I liked them both. I love Parker as a writer. He focuses on the things that interest me and the snark in the narration is excellent

I never realised KJ Parker was Tom Holt who I used to have a bunch of his quite short but quite humourous stories. I'll definitely check out more of his stuff.

[Andorion]

Tiste Simeon, on 14 June 2020 - 03:04 PM, said:

Andorion, on 14 June 2020 - 02:50 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 14 June 2020 - 09:21 AM, said:

Andorion, on 13 June 2020 - 05:30 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 June 2020 - 09:44 PM, said:

Finished the audiobook of WORLD WAR Z and man it could be the best earbook I've ever experienced! So good, superb cast of characters.

Now listening to 16 WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY.

Did you know Max Brooks has a new book coming out? Called Devolution

I am reading a very old series - Valdemar. I have read the first trilogy Heralds, and I loved it. Now moving onto Heraldmage

I did not!

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is pretty gosh darn funny. Really like the protagonist and the narrator giving him a folksy Yorkshire voice is excellent.

Yeah I loved it. this and Folding Knife - I liked them both. I love Parker as a writer. He focuses on the things that interest me and the snark in the narration is excellent

I never realised KJ Parker was Tom Holt who I used to have a bunch of his quite short but quite humourous stories. I'll definitely check out more of his stuff.

It took me a while to catch on as well!
I am planning to read his Engineer and Fencer series this year, I will see how they turn out

[End of Disc One]

Andorion, on 14 June 2020 - 02:50 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 14 June 2020 - 09:21 AM, said:

Andorion, on 13 June 2020 - 05:30 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 June 2020 - 09:44 PM, said:

Finished the audiobook of WORLD WAR Z and man it could be the best earbook I've ever experienced! So good, superb cast of characters.

Now listening to 16 WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY.

Did you know Max Brooks has a new book coming out? Called Devolution

I am reading a very old series - Valdemar. I have read the first trilogy Heralds, and I loved it. Now moving onto Heraldmage

I did not!

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is pretty gosh darn funny. Really like the protagonist and the narrator giving him a folksy Yorkshire voice is excellent.

Yeah I loved it. this and Folding Knife - I liked them both. I love Parker as a writer. He focuses on the things that interest me and the snark in the narration is excellent

I'm reading Parker in publication order and I completely agree. I'm only on the second book of the Fencer trilogy, which is not one of his more popular works but I love it. I'm an accountant who probably should have gone into engineering, so the "mundane" stuff in these books is really interesting to me.

[Aptorian]

I can also recommend the short story he released recently, Prosper's Demon.

[Andorion]

End of Disc One, on 15 June 2020 - 01:35 PM, said:

Andorion, on 14 June 2020 - 02:50 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 14 June 2020 - 09:21 AM, said:

Andorion, on 13 June 2020 - 05:30 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 June 2020 - 09:44 PM, said:

Finished the audiobook of WORLD WAR Z and man it could be the best earbook I've ever experienced! So good, superb cast of characters.

Now listening to 16 WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY.

Did you know Max Brooks has a new book coming out? Called Devolution

I am reading a very old series - Valdemar. I have read the first trilogy Heralds, and I loved it. Now moving onto Heraldmage

I did not!

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is pretty gosh darn funny. Really like the protagonist and the narrator giving him a folksy Yorkshire voice is excellent.

Yeah I loved it. this and Folding Knife - I liked them both. I love Parker as a writer. He focuses on the things that interest me and the snark in the narration is excellent

I'm reading Parker in publication order and I completely agree. I'm only on the second book of the Fencer trilogy, which is not one of his more popular works but I love it. I'm an accountant who probably should have gone into engineering, so the "mundane" stuff in these books is really interesting to me.

Yeah the mundane administrative stuff really interest me. The nuts and bolts of how things work

Aptorian, on 15 June 2020 - 02:28 PM, said:

I can also recommend the short story he released recently, Prosper's Demon.

Been meaning to pick that up

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 14 June 2020 - 12:44 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 14 June 2020 - 12:42 AM, said:

Andorion, on 13 June 2020 - 05:30 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 12 June 2020 - 09:44 PM, said:

Finished the audiobook of WORLD WAR Z and man it could be the best earbook I've ever experienced! So good, superb cast of characters.

Now listening to 16 WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY.

Did you know Max Brooks has a new book coming out? Called Devolution

I am reading a very old series - Valdemar. I have read the first trilogy Heralds, and I loved it. Now moving onto Heraldmage

I've only read ARROWS OF THE QUEEN, but I enjoyed it..should I keep going then?

I just finished that trilogy and I really think you should. Book 2 is slow, but that's because its all character work. Book 3 though is extremely eventful and quite dark.

Update: Right after this post I checked Amazon and the first trilogy omnibus was only like $10, so I decided to nab it (and a day later it jumped to $16; so I did this at the right moment)

I also decided not to jump directly into ARROWS FLIGHT, but re-read ARROWS OF THE QUEEN first (IIRC they are not too long) so that I could re-situate myself and I'm already enjoying this so much more on a re-read....perhaps it's knowing how Valdemar works now, or about the Companions and whatnot....but man, this is just a much more enjoyable go this time. And I don't think I was able to sink into the world the first time, but this time I am. If this continues I may be in for the long haul with these books.

Thanks Again Ando. Really appreciate the push back into this series.

[End of Disc One]

I recently finished Age of Death, book 5 of Sullivan's First Empire series. Like with the Ryria Revelations, this series just gets better with each book. Also it seems like the second half of this series is lighter and less emotionally draining than the first half, for better or for worse.

QT I forget, have you read the last book? My hard copy just showed up in the mail a few minutes ago.

[QuickTidal]

End of Disc One, on 15 June 2020 - 07:36 PM, said:

I recently finished Age of Death, book 5 of Sullivan's First Empire series. Like with the Ryria Revelations, this series just gets better with each book. Also it seems like the second half of this series is lighter and less emotionally draining than the first half, for better or for worse.

QT I forget, have you read the last book? My hard copy just showed up in the mail a few minutes ago.

Yep, I kickstarted the last 3 books, so I read the final book when backers got it in March. It's a really stunning finale, and only enhances Riyria by helping you understand stuff like the eventual state of the elves ect.

Yeah, the second half of the series was not supposed to exist (I think it was going to be 4 books, not 6; You got the battle of Alon Rhist, and all the stuff in AGE OF WAR and then a wrap-up book I think?), but when Sullivan started writing the bridging trilogy that takes place after First Empire (called THE RISE & FALL, books are: NOLYN, FAIRLANE, and ESRAHADDON) he realized that he was depending on a lot of flashbacks and what have you to explain certain intricacies of the world at the Golden Era of Percepliquis and it bogged down the narrative of those books to have to do that...so Robyn suggested (I think it was she who suggested it to him, I could be wrong) that he make First Empire six books and use the extra books to flesh out the stuff that was getting in the way of the story for the RISE & FALL books.

So actually First Empire divides really cleanly into two halves, the stuff leading up to the Battle of Alon Rhist, and the 3 books that are the fallout of that. Book six is really an excellent volume that not only expands on the characters we know and love, but the situation of the gods gets fleshed out MUCH more clearly too.

But make no mistake...Book six is emotional AS HELL. I wept at least a half dozen times, if not more. Prepare yourself.

Oh and you get more confirmation of who that ghost is in the castle in THE DEATH OF DULGATH in Book six too. People had their suspicions before, but Book six makes it easier to suss out an answer.

[Andorion]

I am about halfway into Magic's Pawn, which is book 1 of the Last Heraldmage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey.
I am also starting A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 16 June 2020 - 03:56 PM, said:

I am about halfway into Magic's Pawn, which is book 1 of the Last Heraldmage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey.

Since I'm enjoying Valdemar now I've had to google "reading orders" for the series....and it sounds like the next trilogy they recommend reading is the prequel one that is about Albrect and Skif, before moving on to the Last Heraldmage...and then going onto the one about Elspeth grown up (Mage Winds I think?). There are a lot of these!

Anyways, there's a lot of thoughts on how to read these, but it seems the overwhelming opinion is not to do it Chronologically in-universe...as that ruins some stuff people said.

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 16 June 2020 - 04:34 PM, said:

Andorion, on 16 June 2020 - 03:56 PM, said:

I am about halfway into Magic's Pawn, which is book 1 of the Last Heraldmage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey.

Since I'm enjoying Valdemar now I've had to google "reading orders" for the series....and it sounds like the next trilogy they recommend reading is the prequel one that is about Albrect and Skif, before moving on to the Last Heraldmage...and then going onto the one about Elspeth grown up (Mage Winds I think?). There are a lot of these!

Anyways, there's a lot of thoughts on how to read these, but it seems the overwhelming opinion is not to do it Chronologically in-universe...as that ruins some stuff people said.

I have a reading order I got from someone who has read the entire series. They don't advice reading the more recent books due to a decline in quality

Arrows

• Arrows of the Queen
• Arrow's Flight
• Arrow's Fall

Last Herald Mage

• Magic's Pawn
• Magic's Promise
• Magic's Price

Vows and Honor

• The Oathbound
• Oathbreakers
• Oathblood (collection of short stories, taking place before/during/after 1st two books)

• By the Sword

The Mage Wars

• The Black Gryphon
• The White Gryphon
• The Silver Gryphon

Mage Winds

• Winds of Fate
• Winds of Change
• Winds of Fury

The Mage Storms

• Storm Warning
• Storm Rising
• Storm Breaking

• Owlflight
• Owlsight
• Owlknight

Can Read Whenever

• Brightly Burning

Arrows Prequels (can read whenever, but might be more "relevant" reading them early)

• Exile's Honor
• Exile's Valor
• Take a Thief

This post has been edited by Andorion: 16 June 2020 - 05:03 PM

[QuickTidal]

Yes, I heard the Collegium Chronicles in particular retread a lot of what the earlier books do about the school, so they are not as worth it.

That said, I heard that the most recent trilogy (The Spies series) is bit of a return to form...but yeah I read that some are advisable to skip. I'll probably deal with them on a case by case basis and see if they sound samey or interesting.

Are the Last Herald Mage ones about Vanyel and the ppl that Talia is reading about in the beginning of the first series?

[Andorion]

Yeah Vanyel is the main character here

[Salt-Man Z]

Haven't read a proper novel since mid-March (TONS of comics, though) but I got back in the other night with Claire North's The Pursuit of William Abbey. It's as excellent as you would expect from her, though the premise is a bit more odd than her other books. In this one, a turn-of-the-20th-century Englishman is given an African curse, where a shadow slowly chases him, and when it catches him, it kills someone he loves. Also, as the shadow gets closer, he becomes a "truth-speaker", able to see into the hearts and thoughts of the people nearby. It's not nearly as ridiculous as it sounds, and feels somwehat like a companion to Touch in the same way that Sudden Appearance of Hope felt like the flip-side of Harry August.

Perhaps most importantly, it appears to ground all of her books in the same world (!) with a quick reference to people with the abilities from August, Hope, Touch, and what seems to me a reference to the Gameshouse books (which I haven't read) and one more allusion that I wasn't familiar with.

[Macros]

I had wondered to myself if there as a link between her books, and how cool it would be if a toucher was an oboron.

[Salt-Man Z]

Macros, on 16 June 2020 - 08:24 PM, said:

how cool it would be if a toucher was an oboron.

I think you just made my brain explode a little!

[Abyss]

Well into bk 3 of Campbell's LOST FLEET BEYOND series.
Will pause that series after this for Max Brooke's Bigfoot book that just landed.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 17 June 2020 - 01:45 AM, said:

Well into bk 3 of Campbell's LOST FLEET BEYOND series.
Will pause that series after this for Max Brooke's Bigfoot book that just landed.

Devolution! Hyped for that one.

[Tiste Simeon]

Salt-Man Z, on 16 June 2020 - 08:41 PM, said:

Macros, on 16 June 2020 - 08:24 PM, said:

how cool it would be if a toucher was an oboron.

I think you just made my brain explode a little!

I mean they do different things so I dunno. Kepler is effectively immortal if they can escape being killed in whatever body they're in at the time. This is different to Harry August and his pals.

[QuickTidal]

Finished ARROWS OF THE QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey, and I rocked through it was faster than the first time, and I really liked it this time....it's funny, I think it's actually because SO much of this book is "slice of life" and there's only the tiny tendrils of "evil" at the outer edges and it's never given even much form...there's a breathing room there you don't often get with first books...

Spoiler

even the noble/blue kids that torment Talia mid book are not named, because they were just a force of nature to Talia. The denouement of the book being the death of Ylsa and it happens halfway through the last chapter should not in any way work....but it works if you accept this book was never meant to dive into the threats at any real level. The out kingdom attempts to usurp the Valdemar throne are also kind of nebulous, and even the end result is....but again it didn't bother me.

I wonder if she wrote this to be released as trilogy all at once, as book one feels like 1 chapter, not a standalone book. And I'm not even mad. There is enough to enjoy in this just getting into the characters and the world. It's also got this dreamlike quality where the narrative jumps around POVs mid paragraph sometimes from one person to another (Robin MCKinley does this too)...which would normally irritate me, but Lackey pulls it off and I was never bothered by it.

Moving directly into ARROW'S FLIGHT today.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 17 June 2020 - 11:51 AM