[pat5150]

Andy Weir's Artemis is 2.99$ on Kindle.

Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash is 1.99$ on Kindle​​​​​​​.

[QuickTidal]

QuickTidal, on 05 October 2023 - 03:11 PM, said:

Abyss, on 25 September 2023 - 05:46 PM, said:

...
Started THE ART OF PROPHECY by Wesley Chu. One hour in, i'm completely hooked.

I have seen this title bandied about and thought it sounds right up my alley but never took the leap.

You convinced me to take the Leap sir. I salute you.

Fuck me. 6 chapters in and I’m well and truly hooked as well. This is GOOOOOOOOD stuff. I’ll chime in more when I’m done, but for now this is a solid recco from you that I’m super happy I picked up!

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 16 October 2023 - 01:17 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 October 2023 - 03:11 PM, said:

Abyss, on 25 September 2023 - 05:46 PM, said:

...
Started THE ART OF PROPHECY by Wesley Chu. One hour in, i'm completely hooked.

I have seen this title bandied about and thought it sounds right up my alley but never took the leap.

You convinced me to take the Leap sir. I salute you.

Fuck me. 6 chapters in and I'm well and truly hooked as well. This is GOOOOOOOOD stuff. I'll chime in more when I'm done, but for now this is a solid recco from you that I'm super happy I picked up!

It starts SO well, sets effective hooks in each pov storyline then moves fwd nicely.

[Tiste Simeon]

Dang it guys I'm doing well with my TRP, I don't need this right now!

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 16 October 2023 - 07:13 AM

[worry]

Put it on your TRL for now.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 16 October 2023 - 02:18 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 16 October 2023 - 01:17 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 05 October 2023 - 03:11 PM, said:

Abyss, on 25 September 2023 - 05:46 PM, said:

...
Started THE ART OF PROPHECY by Wesley Chu. One hour in, i'm completely hooked.

I have seen this title bandied about and thought it sounds right up my alley but never took the leap.

You convinced me to take the Leap sir. I salute you.

Fuck me. 6 chapters in and I'm well and truly hooked as well. This is GOOOOOOOOD stuff. I'll chime in more when I'm done, but for now this is a solid recco from you that I'm super happy I picked up!

It starts SO well, sets effective hooks in each pov storyline then moves fwd nicely.

...and while the sequel ART OF DESTINY is taking a more relaxed approach at the outset, likely bcs now we know the characters, there's a nice sense of building to the shit absolutely hitting the ornate enameled fans.

Tiste Simeon, on 16 October 2023 - 07:13 AM, said:

Dang it guys I'm doing well with my TRP, I don't need this right now!

Yes you do.

worry, on 16 October 2023 - 07:15 AM, said:

Put it on your TRL for now.

Or that.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, a lightly spoiler-y question.

Spoiler

The Grass Sea...At times Sari talked about it being a jungle, and then when the short attack happens over her horse the young guy falls into the ground and it wells up with water that he sinks and splashes below and she saves him...and later she talks about it in her head like "The endless abyss below the grass"....I'm WILDY confused about what it is...like are these GIANT blades of grass standing in for like trees? Is the ground flatted grass on top of water or swamp? How is it endless below that?

Also, can we talk about a whole chapter of Jian attempting and constantly failing to knock the tea cup out of Tasihi's hands to show her up? I kept laughing at Taishi's internal monologue about how he's earnest but dumb...LOL

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 16 October 2023 - 01:44 PM, said:

Abyss, a lightly spoiler-y question.

Spoiler

The Grass Sea...At times Sari talked about it being a jungle, and then when the short attack happens over her horse the young guy falls into the ground and it wells up with water that he sinks and splashes below and she saves him...and later she talks about it in her head like "The endless abyss below the grass"....I'm WILDY confused about what it is...like are these GIANT blades of grass standing in for like trees? Is the ground flatted grass on top of water or swamp? How is it endless below that?

Also, can we talk about a whole chapter of Jian attempting and constantly failing to knock the tea cup out of Tasihi's hands to show her up? I kept laughing at Taishi's internal monologue about how he's earnest but dumb...LOL

re the sea

Spoiler

i picture it as endless giant grass stalks over mostly wetlands, so the giant grass is literal but the abyss below is figurative and connects to some of Sari's people's system of beliefs, by example you saw or will see her react to people building fires directly on the ground.

As for that scene

Spoiler

the evolution of Jian and Tashi's relationship is so good and in particular that type of moment where she demonstrates how little his life of training taught him and also, importantly, just how damn good she actually is, even old and crippled.

Glad you're enjoying it.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 16 October 2023 - 05:03 PM, said:

Spoiler

i picture it as endless giant grass stalks over mostly wetlands, so the giant grass is literal but the abyss below is figurative and connects to some of Sari's people's system of beliefs, by example you saw or will see her react to people building fires directly on the ground.

Ah okay, so I kind of have the idea, but I'll get more context as I go along. Cool.

Abyss, on 16 October 2023 - 05:03 PM, said:

As for that scene

Spoiler

the evolution of Jian and Tashi's relationship is so good and in particular that type of moment where she demonstrates how little his life of training taught him and also, importantly, just how damn good she actually is, even old and crippled.

Spoiler

When she reacted with kindness when he broke down (as he internally beat himself up with the repeated teachings of his old crappy masters for breaking down and crying), I KNEW I was reading something special.

I have an Indigo gift card that I got recently, I think I may just go ahead and use it on the sequel in hardcover too.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 16 October 2023 - 05:10 PM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2023 - 05:03 PM, said:

Spoiler

i picture it as endless giant grass stalks over mostly wetlands, so the giant grass is literal but the abyss below is figurative and connects to some of Sari's people's system of beliefs, by example you saw or will see her react to people building fires directly on the ground.

Ah okay, so I kind of have the idea, but I'll get more context as I go along. Cool.

Abyss, on 16 October 2023 - 05:03 PM, said:

As for that scene

Spoiler

the evolution of Jian and Tashi's relationship is so good and in particular that type of moment where she demonstrates how little his life of training taught him and also, importantly, just how damn good she actually is, even old and crippled.

Spoiler

When she reacted with kindness when he broke down (as he internally beat himself up with the repeated teachings of his old crappy masters for breaking down and crying), I KNEW I was reading something special.

Tashi is an exceptional character and that becomes clear

Spoiler

right at the start where she's so annoyed at the demonstration that she almost casually orders the sacrificial arena fodder into an effective unit and has them kick the Chosen One and his elite guard's ass just to make a point about how annoyed she is.

Quote

I have an Indigo gift card that I got recently, I think I may just go ahead and use it on the sequel in hardcover too.

I'm about 6hrs in of 24, cannot see any reason not to say go for it.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 16 October 2023 - 06:06 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 16 October 2023 - 05:10 PM, said:

I have an Indigo gift card that I got recently, I think I may just go ahead and use it on the sequel in hardcover too.

I'm about 6hrs in of 24, cannot see any reason not to say go for it.

SORTED!

[polishgenius]

polishgenius, on 14 October 2023 - 06:52 PM, said:

Now I'm reading The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera. After a brief introductury section that is basically a prologue, it opens with the main character in a support group for rejected and lapsed Chosen Ones. Interesting start.

Currently enjoying the rising sense of doom over a crowdfunding campaign. This book is fun.

[QuickTidal]

I'm absolutely blasting through THE ART OF PROPHECY by Wesley Chu and reached the halfway point...and quite frankly if things stay as they are in this book it will probably be the #1 Read of the Year for me....It's funny when a book can really come along and just hit all the right sweet spots for you. I've read lots of fun and good books this year, but this one is standing well above the rest. Chu is wildly adept at penning an enthralling narrative with characters you love to root for or root against (but mostly for)...but also one where he sets the scene and then lets the character make whatever decisions they want (bad or good) and then lets the story coalesce around that decision. It's pretty amazing.

Picking up THE ART OF DESTINY today on my way home so I can roll right into it after finishing this.

Abyss:

Spoiler

One of my favourite, favourite types of character in ALL of fiction is a "Fuck it, let's do this!" character. The chips are up, the chips are down, it doesn't matter but you can ALWAYS expect Ling Taishi to do the right thing, and often in the face of shit that makes her go...."You know what, fuck it, let's do this!" Every single time the narrative throws something at Taishi, she knows she might be facing death or injury and she's still like "Fuck it, I'm doing this shit".....A-MAZING.

More people need to be on this series...Wesley Chu has a new fan in me and I hope he writes much more in this world!

EDIT: Also I've become OBSESSED with Tran Nguyen's art....she also did the Elizabeth Lim novel covers (which I got on the cheap from book outlet), and most recently, YUMI & THE NIGHTMARE PAINTER for Sando...like I'm VERY tempted to buy a print off her to frame and hang in my place.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 18 October 2023 - 01:16 PM

[worry]

I know I'm way late to this, but I started Leviathan's Wake. Hopefully I can finish the entire Expanse series by Christmas. By which I mean Christmas 2024.
These actually don't seem to be as long as I expected -- which was in the 900-1000 page range, by reputation as door-stoppers -- they're more like 500-600. Easy peasy! That said, there's also several more of them than I thought, so maybe it evens out.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 19 October 2023 - 06:39 AM, said:

I know I'm way late to this, but I started Leviathan's Wake. Hopefully I can finish the entire Expanse series by Christmas. By which I mean Christmas 2024.
These actually don't seem to be as long as I expected -- which was in the 900-1000 page range, by reputation as door-stoppers -- they're more like 500-600. Easy peasy! That said, there's also several more of them than I thought, so maybe it evens out.

The good news is that they are broken up into distinct arcs:

The Conspiracy:

LEVIATHAN WAKES
CALIBAN'S WAR

The Discovery:

ABBADONS GATE
CIBOLA BURN

The Conflict:

NEMESIS GAMES
BABYLON'S ASHES

and

The War:


PERSEPOLIS RISING
TIAMAT'S WRATH
LEVIATHAN FALLS

So you at least know where you can take breaks for other books. I'm only in between The Discovery and the Conflict myself, but I own all the books and the short stories volume too, so I'll finish eventually. Probably the best Sci-Fi series I've ever read so far....but it's not like I read a LOT of sci-fi so YMMV.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 19 October 2023 - 01:14 PM, said:

worry, on 19 October 2023 - 06:39 AM, said:

I know I'm way late to this, but I started Leviathan's Wake. Hopefully I can finish the entire Expanse series by Christmas. By which I mean Christmas 2024.
These actually don't seem to be as long as I expected -- which was in the 900-1000 page range, by reputation as door-stoppers -- they're more like 500-600. Easy peasy! That said, there's also several more of them than I thought, so maybe it evens out.

The good news is that they are broken up into distinct arcs:

The Conspiracy:

LEVIATHAN WAKES
CALIBAN'S WAR

The Discovery:

ABBADONS GATE
CIBOLA BURN

The Conflict:

NEMESIS GAMES
BABYLON'S ASHES

and

The War:


PERSEPOLIS RISING
TIAMAT'S WRATH
LEVIATHAN FALLS

So you at least know where you can take breaks for other books. I'm only in between The Discovery and the Conflict myself, but I own all the books and the short stories volume too, so I'll finish eventually. Probably the best Sci-Fi series I've ever read so far....but it's not like I read a LOT of sci-fi so YMMV.

There's a LOT of short stories and novellas that are part of the bigger story. They're collected in MEMORY'S LEGION and the book does include where the shorts fit in the wider story so you can read them in sequence or place them after the fact.

I'm no purist, but is is a great series and the shorts fit into the overall story very nicely. Worthwhile and even recommended that you pick up LEGION and make it part of your read.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 19 October 2023 - 01:49 PM, said:

There's a LOT of short stories and novellas that are part of the bigger story. They're collected in MEMORY'S LEGION and the book does include where the shorts fit in the wider story so you can read them in sequence or place them after the fact.

I'm no purist, but is is a great series and the shorts fit into the overall story very nicely. Worthwhile and even recommended that you pick up LEGION and make it part of your read.

Huh, I own MEMORY'S LEGION and have never cracked it so I didn't know it had been organized to show you were the stories fit in the overall larger story...the only short I've read in this series was THE BUTCHER OF ANDERSON STATION (which I loved)....so maybe I should dive in and read the stories that take place up to CIBOLA BURN then. Noice.

[QuickTidal]

Decided to go topical with my non-fiction palate cleanser read and learn more on a very current topic.

Reading THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR ON PALESTINE (A history of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017). by Rashid Khalidi.

I'm only through the introduction and the first chapter but so far it's fascinating, well written and well-researched.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 19 October 2023 - 02:11 PM, said:

Abyss, on 19 October 2023 - 01:49 PM, said:

There's a LOT of short stories and novellas that are part of the bigger story. They're collected in MEMORY'S LEGION and the book does include where the shorts fit in the wider story so you can read them in sequence or place them after the fact.

I'm no purist, but is is a great series and the shorts fit into the overall story very nicely. Worthwhile and even recommended that you pick up LEGION and make it part of your read.

Huh, I own MEMORY'S LEGION and have never cracked it so I didn't know it had been organized to show you were the stories fit in the overall larger story...the only short I've read in this series was THE BUTCHER OF ANDERSON STATION (which I loved)....so maybe I should dive in and read the stories that take place up to CIBOLA BURN then. Noice.

i reco. THE CHURN and STRANGE DOGS in particular are 'important', quotes because they aren't really but if you do read them in the right sequence it nicely adds to the story.

[pat5150]

QuickTidal, on 24 October 2023 - 12:22 PM, said:

Decided to go topical with my non-fiction palate cleanser read and learn more on a very current topic.

Reading THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR ON PALESTINE (A history of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017). by Rashid Khalidi.

I'm only through the introduction and the first chapter but so far it's fascinating, well written and well-researched.

Funny you should say that, because I also took a break from reading SFF to read David Fromkin's Pulitzer Prize Nominee A Peace to End All Peace on the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of modern Middle East. Definitely a fascinating read and right now it's only 1.99$ on Kindle.