[JPK]

After being distracted by other things for the last week I finally listened to a large chunk of ENEMY OF GOD today. Holy shit that that's a take on a classic tale.

Spoiler

Tristan and Isolde... Makes you hate Arthur just a little. I'm on audio, what version of Isolde's name do they use? It's a bit hard to tell because there are several that are pretty audibly similar that it could be.

[JPK]

What in the absolute fuck Lancelot!?

Spoiler

His wedding to Morwenna...

Just finished the book. Wow. 5*. I think I need a cigarette.

This post has been edited by JPK: 24 October 2024 - 11:26 PM

[Abyss]

 Tiste Simeon, on 17 October 2024 - 10:50 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 17 October 2024 - 07:01 PM, said:

 Macros, on 17 October 2024 - 05:13 PM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 17 October 2024 - 10:43 AM, said:

Is the Empire trilogy the one he wrote with Nanny Wurts?

Yah

...and it's excellent.

Dang it you guys I've got too many books to read as it is!

no you do not.

[Abyss]

Just Finished Martha Wells' BOOK OF THE RAKSURA bk 1, THE CLOUD ROADS. I enjoyed it. I can see how she ended up writing Murderbot so well, because while her Raksura are humanoid, they are definitely NOT human, and Well's is very effective at making them just different enough without being outright alien. It's a fun book about a solitary Raksura (shapeshifters who can appear more or less human but have a winged lizardperson form too) finding his people and tryng to fit in while helping them against a competing but mustachetwirlingly evil competing flying lizardsperson race. It moves fast, the characters are engaing, and she nicely dodges a lot of the self-pity and angst traps the book could have fallen into. SOlid work from the earbook narrator. I went straight in to bk 2 THE SERPENT SEA, which picks up immediately after bk. So far so good.

Also, still listening to THE SILT VERSES audiodrama, still impressed, still recommended.

[Tiste Simeon]

 JPK, on 24 October 2024 - 07:57 PM, said:

What in the absolute fuck Lancelot!?

Spoiler

His wedding to Morwenna...

Just finished the book. Wow. 5*. I think I need a cigarette.

While I cannot endorse your need of a cigarette, I can heartily endorse your hatred of Lancelot.

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 25 October 2024 - 10:54 AM

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

 JPK, on 23 October 2024 - 11:17 PM, said:

After being distracted by other things for the last week I finally listened to a large chunk of ENEMY OF GOD today. Holy shit that that's a take on a classic tale.

Spoiler

Tristan and Isolde... Makes you hate Arthur just a little. I'm on audio, what version of Isolde's name do they use? It's a bit hard to tell because there are several that are pretty audibly similar that it could be.

It's one of my favourite parts of Enemy of God, it's done so well. The last line of that chapter is one of those lines in a book that I just never forget:

Spoiler

Derfel is saying something about still being able to see Iseult in his mind's eye when he's older.

"A child killed for a king. By law, in Camelot."

Hits like a gut punch!

 JPK, on 24 October 2024 - 07:57 PM, said:

What in the absolute fuck Lancelot!?

Spoiler

His wedding to Morwenna...

Just finished the book. Wow. 5*. I think I need a cigarette.

I think Cornwell's Lancelot might be the best dismantling of an established character I've ever come across.

Just you wait until you meet Guinevere in her Excalibur era....!

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 25 October 2024 - 12:58 PM

[JPK]

 TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 25 October 2024 - 12:56 PM, said:

 JPK, on 23 October 2024 - 11:17 PM, said:

After being distracted by other things for the last week I finally listened to a large chunk of ENEMY OF GOD today. Holy shit that that's a take on a classic tale.

Spoiler

Tristan and Isolde... Makes you hate Arthur just a little. I'm on audio, what version of Isolde's name do they use? It's a bit hard to tell because there are several that are pretty audibly similar that it could be.

It's one of my favourite parts of Enemy of God, it's done so well. The last line of that chapter is one of those lines in a book that I just never forget:

Spoiler

Derfel is saying something about still being able to see Iseult in his mind's eye when he's older.

"A child killed for a king. By law, in Camelot."

Hits like a gut punch!

 JPK, on 24 October 2024 - 07:57 PM, said:

What in the absolute fuck Lancelot!?

Spoiler

His wedding to Morwenna...

Just finished the book. Wow. 5*. I think I need a cigarette.

I think Cornwell's Lancelot might be the best dismantling of an established character I've ever come across.

Just you wait until you meet Guinevere in her Excalibur era....!

What impresses me the most about the Lancelot deconstruction is that while it is a significant shift away from the classical take on the character, it just makes so much sense and doesn't feel like a stretch at all. Let's face it, original recipe Lancelot is an asshole that betrays every vow and moral he holds.

I know I should stick to the audio trp order that I've planned but I'm really tempted to skip right to EXCALIBUR. I think holding it hostage in it's spot might make me burn through the other 3 books I've got planned out faster though. Honestly, it's a good dilemma to have.

[polishgenius]

I've not read Enemy of God- I'm not a fan of Cornwell - but Miles Cameron's Red Knight (well technically Traitor Son but no-one calls it that) series- loosely inspired by Arthurian fiction, and to some extent a take on it- has a version of Lancelot that is one of the most gloriously hateable characters I can remember reading.

[Macros]

Who was Lancelot in red Knight?

[Tsundoku]

Would it be Jean de Vraily? Just checked online since I read the first one ages ago and couldn't recall the name.

[Macros]

I thought lancelot was Arthur's buddy to start with?

Haven't actually read an og Arthur's tale to be honest

[polishgenius]

 Macros, on 26 October 2024 - 07:34 AM, said:

I thought lancelot was Arthur's buddy to start with?

De Vrailly is Arthur's buddy- the Arthur figure in The Red Knight is the king. Gabriel himself is Mordred.

[pat5150]

Just finished Peter F. Hamilton's latest, Exodus: The Archimedes Engine. I was a bit concerned because it's set in the same universe as a new action-adventure RPG, but it turned out to be my favorite SFF read of 2024!

Now on to Joe Abercrombie's The Devils. . .

[Abyss]

 pat5150, on 26 October 2024 - 07:41 PM, said:

... The Devils. . .

i hate you Pat.

[pat5150]

 Abyss, on 27 October 2024 - 01:39 AM, said:

 pat5150, on 26 October 2024 - 07:41 PM, said:

... The Devils. . .

i hate you Pat.

About 50 pages into it and it looks like it's going to be a banger!

[Abyss]

 pat5150, on 27 October 2024 - 02:21 AM, said:

 Abyss, on 27 October 2024 - 01:39 AM, said:

 pat5150, on 26 October 2024 - 07:41 PM, said:

... The Devils. . .

i hate you Pat.

About 50 pages into it and it looks like it's going to be a banger!

i know where you live, Pat.

[Briar King]

Yeah and I’ll fly to bum fuck Canada to ride shotgun with him…

I’m on pg 140ish of Hidden City. I’m getting Lies of Locke Lamora the early yrs from this.

[pat5150]

 Abyss, on 27 October 2024 - 04:05 AM, said:

i know where you live, Pat.

About 120 pages into The Devils and it's a riot so far!

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Finished The Night of the Swarm (a day ahead of schedule---even had time to listen to the final hour at x1 speed, instead of x2.2). It was... okay pretty decent, for a series finale. (Parts near the end put it over the edges of "okay".)

Some moderately epic fantastic gargantuan imagery.

OTOH some of the character developments were a little too coarse-grained and trope-y.

A few nice twists, some of them moving (beyond... twisting; emotion).

Overall I would say that the series is worth reading.

Ending very blatantly set up several possible sequels, but I'm glad he moved on to The Fire Sacraments---IDK if he ever plans to spiral back through the Chathrand Voyage worlds (wouldn't expect any CV cameos in The Fire Sacraments finale... though that could be hilarious).

Was thinking of doing Child of God by Cormac McCarthy before it leaves Audible Plus tomorrow---never have gotten round to reading any of his work---but I don't particularly feel like inhabiting the mind of a disgruntled Appalachian serial killer for several hours, not even at x2.2 speed; and the audio sample sounds like the performer's barking/ranting in an annoying voice---which might be more palatable at x2.2 speed, but...

Well if I go by what's leaving Audible Plus soon and can be finished in time as a complete series then maybe Tchaikovsky's The Expert Systems Brother---two 4 hour-ish audiobooks, second book leaving Audible Plus on the 4th---an hour a day seems easy enough....

[Abyss]

 pat5150, on 27 October 2024 - 10:46 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 27 October 2024 - 04:05 AM, said:

i know where you live, Pat.

About 120 pages into The Devils and it's a riot so far!

i speak both official languages and know how to bribe bystanders, Pat.