[Macros]

Don't give me that tool, I have enough Roman historical fiction on my shelves already

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 13 April 2021 - 03:42 PM, said:

Don't give me that tool, I have enough Roman historical fiction on my shelves already

Ha! I got the same response from my buddy who I sent it to yesterday.

He was like "Thanks for tanking my productivity today!"

[Chance]

Currently doing a simple re-read of The Spiral Wars, it is just as good the second time.

QuickTidal, on 13 April 2021 - 03:33 PM, said:

Oh and lastly, I've found this site: Literature Map on which you plunk in an authors name and the algorithm throws up a compass of all the closest authors who write similar stuff....and it's QUITE accurate. And works better than stuff like "Similar Reads" lists on GoodReads which are never very accurate.

That one seems more than a little good. Certainly going to explore a couple of new authors from it that get very close to old favorites.

[Macros]

 Screenshot_20210413_210321_com.android.chrome.jpg (391.47K)
Number of downloads: 0


Hmmmmm

[Maark Abbott]

QuickTidal, on 13 April 2021 - 03:33 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 13 April 2021 - 07:40 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 April 2021 - 12:40 AM, said:

MAGE'S BLOOD by David Hair...super slow burn at first...but then chapter 8 hits at about the 20%mark and HOLY SHIT what an action sequence, and now I'm all in.

I dropped the series after the second book. There's using the grimdark for shock purposes and then there's using it to say "I'm not a YA author now!" and for me the second book fell into the latter. Shame because I did enjoy the first one.

Sorry, but wot?

That's a really bizarre take man. Especially considering one of your fave series (also about Fantasy Crusades) is written by a guy who always wants out outgrimdark himself with Uber-grimdark with scads of navel gaze...just because he can and not because it's relevant.

Also, how does "has written YA books, and also writes Adult books" translate for you into "I'm not a YA author now so here's some grim dark to prove it!"...I'm afraid you'll have to walk me through that one mate.

------

On the side I'm also re-reading SAILING TO SARANTIUM (still great!) as a comfort read, and the 4th Flavia De Luce Mystery (I AM HALF SICK OF SHADOWS) by Alan Bradley because I've ordered the next 3 books in that series as well.

Oh and lastly, I've found this site: Literature Map on which you plunk in an authors name and the algorithm throws up a compass of all the closest authors who write similar stuff....and it's QUITE accurate. And works better than stuff like "Similar Reads" lists on GoodReads which are never very accurate.

The issue I had with Hair is that the points where his stuff went nasty felt forced, shoehorned, they didn't feel natural against the context of what came before. It was very much like a video game going absolutely OTT on the blood splatter to obtain a higher rating (which ties back to the point about his adult fiction versus a preceding reputation as a YA writer). And it was jarring enough to put me off of the last two books in the series, which is saying something because I dearly love to wade through rivers of claret. With Bakker, the nasty is there constantly so there's no sudden lurch into grimderp, we're constantly there.

[Maark Abbott]

Almost finished Lord Foul's Bane. Not sure what to move onto next. Thinking either the second Coldfire book, Empires of Dust 2 or possibly that sci fi one about the giant space conkers. Can't remember the name. Big spikey bois.

Also started on Reincarnated as a Sword 2. I can hear D'rek judging me from all the way over here, but I'm a sucker for trashy isekai light novels.

[amphibian]

Any temptation to continue with Donaldson?

[Tsundoku]

I remember reading the Mordant's Need duology years ago and thinking it was a pretty interesting 400 or so page novel padded the fuck out to 2 x 650 pages of overthinking, emo, navel-gazing snoozefests.

Kind of like how Maark and BK view Stormlight Archive really. Although I'm probably being kinder to Donaldson than they are to Sanderson.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 15 April 2021 - 07:49 AM

[Maark Abbott]

amphibian, on 14 April 2021 - 01:27 PM, said:

Any temptation to continue with Donaldson?

I'd say so. I've really enjoyed this. I also really like Covenant as a character, even as I rather dislike him as a character. Sort of like Felisin, I suppose. And it's very hard not to see why Erikson lists Donaldson as an influence. His wielding of words is mastery as well, the likes of which I rarely see these days. But it's taken me 14 months to nearly finish it (had another funk with reading full novels that I'm just getting past) so fancy something else from the TRP. Which is like 20 books deep now.

@Quick noticed talk of Roman historical stuff, one of my buds from the old mother group days has a book out with a lot of Roman going on so if you're not aware I'm gonna throw a link to it below.

https://www.amazon.c...k/dp/B083S1FCQS

[Maark Abbott]

Tsundoku, on 15 April 2021 - 07:48 AM, said:

I remember reading the Mordant's Need duology years ago and thinking it was a pretty interesting 400 or so page novel padded the fuck out to 2 x 650 pages of overthinking, emo, navel-gazing snoozefests.

Kind of like how Maark and BK view Stormlight Archive really. Although I'm probably being kinder to Donaldson than they are to Sanderson.

Stormbad deserves no kindness. None! Only scorn. Hiss.

[Tsundoku]

Maark Abbott, on 15 April 2021 - 07:56 AM, said:

Tsundoku, on 15 April 2021 - 07:48 AM, said:

I remember reading the Mordant's Need duology years ago and thinking it was a pretty interesting 400 or so page novel padded the fuck out to 2 x 650 pages of overthinking, emo, navel-gazing snoozefests.

Kind of like how Maark and BK view Stormlight Archive really. Although I'm probably being kinder to Donaldson than they are to Sanderson.

Stormbad deserves no kindness. None! Only scorn. Hiss.

Attached File(s)

•  bart.jpg (45.53K)
  Number of downloads: 0

[Maark Abbott]

OK I reached the end of Lord Foul's Bane and... well, that certainly dented my opinion a little bit. Jeez. I'll probably still check out the next one, mind.

Now for Licc Anus 1. I'm sure BK was praising it at some point.

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 15 April 2021 - 07:50 AM, said:

@Quick noticed talk of Roman historical stuff, one of my buds from the old mother group days has a book out with a lot of Roman going on so if you're not aware I'm gonna throw a link to it below.

https://www.amazon.c...k/dp/B083S1FCQS

sounds cool. I'll check it out.

[Maark Abbott]

Initial thoughts on Greg Licanius #1: It starts off with a jump from what is ostensibly a fantasy diving board and that's kind of a niche joke, James.

I'm getting a very heavy Dragon Age vibe from this - the School at 25 pages in reminds me of the Mages' Circle. It's no bad thing at all, that same thing inspired my own work pretty heavily. I like that there's a history alluded to that isn't really infodumped yet - lots of questions. It has potential and hasn't pissed me off yet so that's a promising start.

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 14 April 2021 - 07:57 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 April 2021 - 03:33 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 13 April 2021 - 07:40 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 April 2021 - 12:40 AM, said:

MAGE'S BLOOD by David Hair...super slow burn at first...but then chapter 8 hits at about the 20%mark and HOLY SHIT what an action sequence, and now I'm all in.

I dropped the series after the second book. There's using the grimdark for shock purposes and then there's using it to say "I'm not a YA author now!" and for me the second book fell into the latter. Shame because I did enjoy the first one.

Sorry, but wot?

That's a really bizarre take man. Especially considering one of your fave series (also about Fantasy Crusades) is written by a guy who always wants out outgrimdark himself with Uber-grimdark with scads of navel gaze...just because he can and not because it's relevant.

Also, how does "has written YA books, and also writes Adult books" translate for you into "I'm not a YA author now so here's some grim dark to prove it!"...I'm afraid you'll have to walk me through that one mate.

------

On the side I'm also re-reading SAILING TO SARANTIUM (still great!) as a comfort read, and the 4th Flavia De Luce Mystery (I AM HALF SICK OF SHADOWS) by Alan Bradley because I've ordered the next 3 books in that series as well.

Oh and lastly, I've found this site: Literature Map on which you plunk in an authors name and the algorithm throws up a compass of all the closest authors who write similar stuff....and it's QUITE accurate. And works better than stuff like "Similar Reads" lists on GoodReads which are never very accurate.

The issue I had with Hair is that the points where his stuff went nasty felt forced, shoehorned, they didn't feel natural against the context of what came before. It was very much like a video game going absolutely OTT on the blood splatter to obtain a higher rating (which ties back to the point about his adult fiction versus a preceding reputation as a YA writer). And it was jarring enough to put me off of the last two books in the series, which is saying something because I dearly love to wade through rivers of claret. With Bakker, the nasty is there constantly so there's no sudden lurch into grimderp, we're constantly there.

Huh, I finished book 1 and I can now kind of see what you're taking about. Apologies for not waiting to see how it played out.

I still liked it, but now I'm tempered by what I can see going on. I have all 4 books so I do plan on finishing the Quartet (unless it gets really bad).

Maark Abbott, on 16 April 2021 - 07:53 AM, said:

Initial thoughts on Greg Licanius #1: It starts off with a jump from what is ostensibly a fantasy diving board and that's kind of a niche joke, James.

I'm getting a very heavy Dragon Age vibe from this - the School at 25 pages in reminds me of the Mages' Circle. It's no bad thing at all, that same thing inspired my own work pretty heavily. I like that there's a history alluded to that isn't really infodumped yet - lots of questions. It has potential and hasn't pissed me off yet so that's a promising start.

It's a good series, that starts out as one thing and becomes something else entirely. If you're not past the school bit yet you haven't had the first "shit hits the wall" moment yet, but it will come and it won't be the last.

[Salt-Man Z]

Maark Abbott, on 15 April 2021 - 11:05 AM, said:

OK I reached the end of Lord Foul's Bane and... well, that certainly dented my opinion a little bit. Jeez. I'll probably still check out the next one, mind.

I've always considered LFB one of the weakest of the Covenant books. Fortunately, Donaldson doesn't much like to do the same thing twice, so each book (and each trilogy) does something new and surprising. Gah, now I really want to read the whole series again; I just love SRD's utility with language.

Oh, and you should check out his Gap Cycle: grimdark sci-fi based on Wagnerian opera. It's pretty fantastic.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I've binged the Alex Verus books and am all caught up.

Verus > Dresden

[Cyphon]

That's a big statement Whisp. Not sure where people rank the big urban fantasy series these days.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Cyphon, on 17 April 2021 - 08:47 AM, said:

That's a big statement Whisp. Not sure where people rank the big urban fantasy series these days.

I'm purposefully inviting conflict 😈

In all seriousness, I haven't read Dresden in many years. But, if forced to compare, I'd say they're about equal. Butcher may have a slight edge on Jacka when it comes to pure writing chops. I think Jacka's world is more immersive.

[QuickTidal]

Allow me to add a little.....spice

Carey > Butcher and Jacka