[Tiste Simeon]

Finished the last Wayfarers book. Once again, a sweet and wholesome story, though I always feel these books push it a bit with every character almost desperate to show how nice they are...

I think I read these books at the right time though I needed something less perilous and violent for a while. Favourite in order are 1-2-4-3.

Have started reading A Crown for Cold Silver.

[polishgenius]

Abyss, on 02 August 2022 - 03:51 AM, said:

And now have started RUIN OF KINGS. It's pretty good so far. I really enjoy the story within a story style and the earbook makes excellent use of the format.

I really have to get back to this series. I started the second and it's not that I wasn't enjoying it but I didn't finish.



Currently reading The Liar's Knot, Book 2 in the Rook and Rose series by MA Carrick- greatly enjoyed the first one, which was a Locke-Lamora-ish sort of caper with some dream-magic weirdness thrown in. Second one expanding more directly into the political plays of the city in question but otherwise delivering more of the same vibe, which is exactly what I was after. Really good series this.

[pat5150]

Just finished Wesley Chu's soon-to-be-released The Art of Prophecy.

Underwhelming, to say the least. No depth or substance, juvenile humor, and over-the-top badass characters.

Full review here​​​​​​​.

[Aptorian]

About 180 p. into Revelation Space.

Pretty good so far. Not mind-blowing or anything but perfectly fine sci-fi.

This line during a wedding I just read tickles me:

Quote

Deep within the box, polished to a bluish antiseptic lustre, lay a device like a cross between an old-style pistol and a veterinarian’s hypodermic.
‘Behold the wedding gun,’ the Ordinator said, holding the box aloft.

This is my kind of ceremony.

[Aptorian]

I'm starting to change my opinion of revelation space. I think the plot is sort of bad and the characterization severely lacking.

There's some timey wimey nonsense going on due to time dilation, which sort of explains certain strange story jumps but overall the book is failing to make me care. I don't see the importance or genius of the central character Sylveste. I don't get the point of the Ultra/pirate ship and the Captain in stasis. Why is the Captain important? Why do the Ultra crew care? The group is antagonistic to one another so why do they stick together?

There's some crucial storytelling glue missing in the way this book is written.

[Chance]

Started a Craig Schaefer urban fantasy and realized it was way into his interconnected series, started the series from the beginning and enjoying it. The Daniel Faust books are light weight but fun urban fantasy more in the vein of Stephen Blackmore and Richard Kadrey aka the main character is very much morally challenged. Just starting the first Harmony Black book which is the second series that is interconnected which I expect is more of a straight thriller urban fantasy. Very interesting to see how all the interconnected stories will end up.

Aptorian, on 04 August 2022 - 03:34 PM, said:

I'm starting to change my opinion of revelation space. I think the plot is sort of bad and the characterization severely lacking.

It's one of those few books which I got through and then wished I didn't. Mostly because its two follow up books are much much worse.

Alastair Reynolds is much better in Remember Blue Earth, even if it is less ambitious on the SF side.

This post has been edited by Chance: 04 August 2022 - 09:37 PM

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Aptorian, on 03 August 2022 - 06:29 AM, said:

About 180 p. into Revelation Space.

Pretty good so far. Not mind-blowing or anything but perfectly fine sci-fi.

This line during a wedding I just read tickles me:

Quote

Deep within the box, polished to a bluish antiseptic lustre, lay a device like a cross between an old-style pistol and a veterinarian’s hypodermic.
‘Behold the wedding gun,’ the Ordinator said, holding the box aloft.

This is my kind of ceremony.

He's really checking-ov the boxes.

Pushing Ice and all of his short stories are my favorite Reynolds' stuff.

Finished all of Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books, moving on to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 05 August 2022 - 03:11 AM

[Aptorian]

Chance, on 04 August 2022 - 09:35 PM, said:

Started a Craig Schaefer urban fantasy and realized it was way into his interconnected series, started the series from the beginning and enjoying it. The Daniel Faust books are light weight but fun urban fantasy more in the vein of Stephen Blackmore and Richard Kadrey aka the main character is very much morally challenged. Just starting the first Harmony Black book which is the second series that is interconnected which I expect is more of a straight thriller urban fantasy. Very interesting to see how all the interconnected stories will end up.

Aptorian, on 04 August 2022 - 03:34 PM, said:

I'm starting to change my opinion of revelation space. I think the plot is sort of bad and the characterization severely lacking.

It's one of those few books which I got through and then wished I didn't. Mostly because its two follow up books are much much worse.

Alastair Reynolds is much better in Remember Blue Earth, even if it is less ambitious on the SF side.

Oh dear. Worse?

[Maark Abbott]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 05 August 2022 - 03:09 AM, said:

Aptorian, on 03 August 2022 - 06:29 AM, said:

About 180 p. into Revelation Space.

Pretty good so far. Not mind-blowing or anything but perfectly fine sci-fi.

This line during a wedding I just read tickles me:

Quote

Deep within the box, polished to a bluish antiseptic lustre, lay a device like a cross between an old-style pistol and a veterinarian's hypodermic.
'Behold the wedding gun,' the Ordinator said, holding the box aloft.

This is my kind of ceremony.

He's really checking-ov the boxes.

Pushing Ice and all of his short stories are my favorite Reynolds' stuff.

Finished all of Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books, moving on to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic.

...Ordinator, you say?

Wealth beyond measure, Outlander.

[amphibian]

Aptorian, on 04 August 2022 - 03:34 PM, said:

I'm starting to change my opinion of revelation space. I think the plot is sort of bad and the characterization severely lacking.

There's some timey wimey nonsense going on due to time dilation, which sort of explains certain strange story jumps but overall the book is failing to make me care. I don't see the importance or genius of the central character Sylveste. I don't get the point of the Ultra/pirate ship and the Captain in stasis. Why is the Captain important? Why do the Ultra crew care? The group is antagonistic to one another so why do they stick together?

There's some crucial storytelling glue missing in the way this book is written.

There's a certain coldness to the Revelation Space first book. The crew we spend the most time with is very much a "we barely tolerate each other because the teamwork allows us to engage in individual pursuit of our brands of madness because we live forever alone lives with no planetside family or friends" endeavor.

I think you'll find answers later in the book and series, but if it's not hitting you right, go to Chasm City and see what you think.

[Aptorian]

Finished Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

Not a bad book per say but frustrating in it's many failures to build a rapport with me as a reader. I was told but never shown what made Sylveste special. Not did I ever get a feeling for the relationships or lack thereof between the characters. The story hints at mysteries and hidden meanings but it fails to ever make me really care.

I stuck through to the ending but it was about as predictable as you'd expect.

From googling Reynolds, I believe this was his first full length novel, which explains some of the books problems but I'm still surprised an editor or advanced readers didn't point out some of the bigger flaws in this telling.

What ever the case I don't feel a need to read the rest of the trilogy. Maybe I'll try out some of his later books eventually but it's certainly not a priority. I've heard about Chasm City but it can wait.

Think I'll try out The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy next. Never read any of Douglas Adams books. I know, I know...

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 07 August 2022 - 07:13 PM

[Macros]

Read Honour of Rome yesterday.

Birthday purchase from wifey

I'd pair it up with a post Waterloo Sharpe book, so still fun but the hinges are starting to creak a bit on the stories. That said its we'll set up for the next one which will see the Romans burning the island of Mona

[Abyss]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 05 August 2022 - 03:09 AM, said:

...., moving on to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic.

I think you are in for a treat w that series.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 08 August 2022 - 05:22 AM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 05 August 2022 - 03:09 AM, said:

...., moving on to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic.

I think you are in for a treat w that series.

The only book of hers I've read is Addie La Rue and I loved it, I take it her others are worth the time?

[Macros]

Read Tchaikovskys first book in the Architect trilogy, Shards of Earth.

Man has he progressed as an author since the apt series. Absolute page turner.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 08 August 2022 - 05:59 AM, said:

Abyss, on 08 August 2022 - 05:22 AM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 05 August 2022 - 03:09 AM, said:

...., moving on to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic.

I think you are in for a treat w that series.

The only book of hers I've read is Addie La Rue and I loved it, I take it her others are worth the time?

I've only read (ear'd) the DARKER SHADE trilogy and found it excellent.
She has some other works, a superhero duology I'm told is fun and a witch standalone that I know not much about.
ADDIE was a very different book for her but the tone, the engaging characters, the magic that's at once very human and very unknown, it's all there and it's great.

[Aptorian]

About 60 p. into the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Eh, it's funny in places but it's hit and miss with a lot of it's gimmicks. The story is very reliant on random ideas and quirkiness. Thankfully it's a short book.

[Macros]

I never got the hype about it, poor man's prachett sci-fi imo

[Aptorian]

Okay, so it's not just me. I was afraid I just read it too late and wasn't connecting with some kind of 70s vibe.

I think the casting of Martin Freeman in the movie was spot on though. I can practically hear him saying Arthur Dents lines.

[Tiste Simeon]

Oh I really liked that series though if I read it now I'm not sure I'd find it as entertaining...