[QuickTidal]

 Abyss, on 19 December 2024 - 06:26 PM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 19 December 2024 - 04:33 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 19 December 2024 - 04:28 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 19 December 2024 - 04:23 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 19 December 2024 - 03:49 PM, said:

...

Fun fact: indie self-dubbed author Rob J. Hayes did with his Mortal Techniques series what M.L. Wang could only dream of in SWORD OF KAIGEN....It just achieves on a much higher level while also leanig HARD into the things that it's homaging and the worlds it's playing around in.

https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B09KRWM7D9

I'm a fan of Hayes. Nice guy too.

I read NEVER DIE on a whim, and loved it and bought into everything else he wrote.

Gosh darn it will you lot stop recommending awesome sounding series! 😡

No. If we have to suffer you have to suffer.


Same thing happened to me w NEVER DIE.

Almost backed his recent triple-trilogy GODEATER kickstarter thing, missed the deadline by accident, will likely jump in if it's reoffered or pick up the whole thing when it's done.

I backed it. I haven't read any of it yet as I'm waiting for all of it, but I was happy to support him in his endeavour.

[polishgenius]

Having eagerly awaited the third book in Davinia Williams' Burnished City series, Rebel Blade, I had to cancel my pre-order on Kobo and buy it at google, because the book came out on the 3rd and as of now is still unavailable on Kobo.

In any case:


This series is really fun, one of the most purely entertaining fantasy series of the moment. Anyone who likes magic, mayhem, and rooftop derring-do should read it. The third book starts right up to form.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Well my Audible Plus subscription expires at midnight so I thought I'd try to stream another brief piece or two---gave Carmilla (classic vampire erotica, a few decades before Stoker's Dracula, oddly enough also by an Irish author (coincidence?)) starring David Tennant and Rose Leslie a listen, beware---I tried to look up the exact wording of a quote from it and WTF they added a ton of new text---turns out they dramatically altered it... in part to make it an audio drama, but also, unfortunately, it seems to simplify its ambiguities for more popular appeal. Guess if they're employing expensive prestige(-yish) TV actors they need to make money by dumbing down the erotic depravity (and apparently adding "action" too).

This morning I finished Ryiria Theft of Swords (books one and two of six) dramatized adaptation (by that same troupe of clowns with the terrible fake British accents, mitigated somewhat by listening as fast as I could manage while still understanding most of the words)---based on previous descriptions as "classic fantasy" I wasn't going to bother but the blurb seemed to contradict that a bit:

Quote

There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

So I gave it a chance. Turns out it is mostly a throwback to old-fashioned fantasy---and pretty much completely lacking in erotic elements---and in the first two books there really isn't all that much in the way of genuine moral ambiguity (aside from "are they lying about being bad guys or not" and "should the 'bad cop' be allowed to murder the bad guys"). However I did enjoy it more than I was expecting to. There are some nice visual descriptions of things like leaves and glistening liquids and light, ok dialogue, nice plot pacing... characters seem a bit stock and corny, exacerbated by the hammy voice acting, but still enjoyable, with the characters still having some depth, and a few decent and moving twists on very well-worn tropes (but who wore it better?... the dust, the skeletons, the digital neural networks, or the quantum foam of futurity?).

Guess I'll try to either get in Audible's (Neo-)Carmilla or one or two Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories on Audible Plus---it's been close to forever since I read the latter and it might be interesting to compare them with Ryiria (which I think reminded me of them, but it's been so long that IDRK...).

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 31 December 2024 - 09:14 PM

[HoosierDaddy]

Dungeon Crawler Carl Update:

I'm now into book 7 of this series. It has steadily built the world over the past few books, and that started to take place pretty early. While it remains an outlandish prompt for a series of books, you do learn more of how the world/universe came to be and a lot more about why and what makes it function the way it does. It does this without compromising the initial idea and overall tone.

I am really enjoying it. It isn't going to win a Hugo or a top 100 books of the decade award, but it is definitely fun reading.

[QuickTidal]

Azath Vitr (D, on 31 December 2024 - 09:02 PM, said:

This morning I finished Ryiria Theft of Swords (books one and two of six)

characters seem a bit stock and corny, exacerbated by the hammy voice acting, but still enjoyable, with the characters still having some depth, and a few decent and moving twists on very well-worn tropes (but who wore it better?... the dust, the skeletons, the digital neural networks, or the quantum foam of futurity?).

The best thing about this series is that the original books are just skimming the surface of the world that gets built, so ever book goes deeper and deeper. Worth sticking with it....but then I'm a super fan who has read everything Sullivan has written.

[Tiste Simeon]

Started book 1 of Cradle and so far it feels like I'm reading an anime. But it's interesting enough to keep me going.

[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 03 January 2025 - 10:12 AM, said:

Started book 1 of Cradle and so far it feels like I'm reading an anime. But it's interesting enough to keep me going.

There's a moment in book 1 where I knew I was reading something special that was going to go beyond the initial premise and events in book 1. Hopefully you have the same moment stand out to you. Enjoy! I'm up to book 7, but I own them all.

[Tiste Simeon]

 QuickTidal, on 03 January 2025 - 01:08 PM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 03 January 2025 - 10:12 AM, said:

Started book 1 of Cradle and so far it feels like I'm reading an anime. But it's interesting enough to keep me going.

There's a moment in book 1 where I knew I was reading something special that was going to go beyond the initial premise and events in book 1. Hopefully you have the same moment stand out to you. Enjoy! I'm up to book 7, but I own them all.

I'm about 25% through so he is focused on creating a new path for himself - he has just used the Empty Palm on that hard dude and the elder did a cool thing to put the hard dude in his place. That was ace and I'm definitely keen on this book already. I think I have books 1-11 because he gave hem all away for free last year just prior to book 12 coming out.

[QuickTidal]

My first read of 2025 (WIND & TRUTH on hold as I was not feeling it yet) is a war between a re-read of ZOEY PUNCHES THE FUTURE IN THE DICK by Jason Pargin (because I wanted a refresh before I read the third book)...so essentially cyberpunk-ish setting....and a re-read of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORELL by Susanna Clarke....because reasons.

Why would my first read of the year be re-reads? I don't make the decisions, my reader brain does, ask him.

[HoosierDaddy]

Tiste Simeon, on 03 January 2025 - 01:50 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 03 January 2025 - 01:08 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 03 January 2025 - 10:12 AM, said:

Started book 1 of Cradle and so far it feels like I'm reading an anime. But it's interesting enough to keep me going.

There's a moment in book 1 where I knew I was reading something special that was going to go beyond the initial premise and events in book 1. Hopefully you have the same moment stand out to you. Enjoy! I'm up to book 7, but I own them all.

I'm about 25% through so he is focused on creating a new path for himself - he has just used the Empty Palm on that hard dude and the elder did a cool thing to put the hard dude in his place. That was ace and I'm definitely keen on this book already. I think I have books 1-11 because he gave hem all away for free last year just prior to book 12 coming out.

Book 1 starts at a 3 on a 1 to 10 scale. In fact, I read about 30 pages and hated it and stopped reading and skipped forward some, then went back. Ends at about a 7 because once it takes off, it takes off! Gets better from there.

[polishgenius]

QT have you ever read Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees? Given our differing tastes I obviously can't guarantee you'd like it but it's an obvious big influence on Susannah Clarke so given your obvious fandom of her, if you haven't it's probably worth a go.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 03 January 2025 - 04:42 PM, said:

QT have you ever read Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees? Given our differing tastes I obviously can't guarantee you'd like it but it's an obvious big influence on Susannah Clarke so given your obvious fandom of her, if you haven't it's probably worth a go.

Have not read it, but I've heard of it.

Oh, it's only $1 on amazon ebook. Nabbed. Thanks PG, I'll let you know how I like it.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

QuickTidal, on 03 January 2025 - 04:59 PM, said:

polishgenius, on 03 January 2025 - 04:42 PM, said:

QT have you ever read Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees? Given our differing tastes I obviously can't guarantee you'd like it but it's an obvious big influence on Susannah Clarke so given your obvious fandom of her, if you haven't it's probably worth a go.

Have not read it, but I've heard of it.

Oh, it's only $1 on amazon ebook. Nabbed. Thanks PG, I'll let you know how I like it.

It's also available for free in various formats, since it's public domain.

Project Gutenberg has a free Kindle edition you can download:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68061

[Tiste Simeon]

 HoosierDaddy, on 03 January 2025 - 03:07 PM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 03 January 2025 - 01:50 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 03 January 2025 - 01:08 PM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 03 January 2025 - 10:12 AM, said:

Started book 1 of Cradle and so far it feels like I'm reading an anime. But it's interesting enough to keep me going.

There's a moment in book 1 where I knew I was reading something special that was going to go beyond the initial premise and events in book 1. Hopefully you have the same moment stand out to you. Enjoy! I'm up to book 7, but I own them all.

I'm about 25% through so he is focused on creating a new path for himself - he has just used the Empty Palm on that hard dude and the elder did a cool thing to put the hard dude in his place. That was ace and I'm definitely keen on this book already. I think I have books 1-11 because he gave hem all away for free last year just prior to book 12 coming out.

Book 1 starts at a 3 on a 1 to 10 scale. In fact, I read about 30 pages and hated it and stopped reading and skipped forward some, then went back. Ends at about a 7 because once it takes off, it takes off! Gets better from there.

Yeah I'm definitely warming to it, thankfully it's a quick little book so there's not tons of exposition to wade through.

[pat5150]

Just finished Tad Williams' The Navagator's Children and oh shit what a disappointment.

It's too bad, because the endgame was quite good. However, a 300+ pages epilogue killed all the momentum and turned this into a boring slog that totally erased all the good things that took place earlier.

This new series is an unworthy sequel to what remains one of the seminal works of fantasy out there.

[Tiste Simeon]

 pat5150, on 04 January 2025 - 03:33 PM, said:

Just finished Tad Williams' The Navagator's Children and oh shit what a disappointment.

It's too bad, because the endgame was quite good. However, a 300+ pages epilogue killed all the momentum and turned this into a boring slog that totally erased all the good things that took place earlier.

This new series is an unworthy sequel to what remains one of the seminal works of fantasy out there.

I mean if anyone knows how to write a massive slogfest with a disappointing ending it's Williams so that's not too surprising IMO

[QuickTidal]

pat5150, on 04 January 2025 - 03:33 PM, said:

Just finished Tad Williams' The Navagator's Children and oh shit what a disappointment.

It's too bad, because the endgame was quite good. However, a 300+ pages epilogue killed all the momentum and turned this into a boring slog that totally erased all the good things that took place earlier.

This new series is an unworthy sequel to what remains one of the seminal works of fantasy out there.

Yeah but you bizarrely hated the first one of this series and I loved it…so mileage may vary.

Tiste Simeon, on 04 January 2025 - 04:23 PM, said:

I mean if anyone knows how to write a massive slogfest with a disappointing ending it's Williams so that's not too surprising IMO

See I figure that since you didn’t like the first series that this one would be more to your liking. It’s very different and Williams has honed his craft to be much tighter since then. Shrug.

[pat5150]

Wait till you reach that interminable epilogue and tell me that his craft is much tighter nowadays. This is the sort of filler that makes Sanderson's bloat feel concise.

[Tiste Simeon]

 QuickTidal, on 04 January 2025 - 09:24 PM, said:

 Tiste Simeon, on 04 January 2025 - 04:23 PM, said:

I mean if anyone knows how to write a massive slogfest with a disappointing ending it's Williams so that's not too surprising IMO

See I figure that since you didn’t like the first series that this one would be more to your liking. It’s very different and Williams has honed his craft to be much tighter since then. Shrug.

Sadly I was so put off by the first series I've no desire to read anything else in that world.

[polishgenius]

I had a snow delays waiting for my flight today so I finished You Dreamed of Empires, a sort of comedy farce retelling of the meeting between Moctezuma and Cortez, by Álvaro Enrigue. It's alright, although it did more to make me intrigued about the author's other work than to really grab me itself. It's interesting, but kind of unfocused I think.

Then I read Dragonfruit, by Makiia Lucier, a charming little YA adventure about searching for wish-granting dragon eggs in a pacific-based milieu. The ending is a little contrived, but I liked it.



Now I'm reading Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, which has been on my radar for a while and which so far is everything I wanted it to be- clearly inspired by Susannah Clarke but much more immediate, more on-the-ground, less sprawling and more... well, cozy.