[Eye Flys]

Deadhouse Gates, BITCHES!

[McLovin]

The Seven Altars of Dusarra (Book 2 of the Lords of Dus) by Lawrence Watt-Evans. My favorite of the tetralogy.

[spiral]

Warrior.

[Abyss]

 spiral, on 07 May 2010 - 07:22 AM, said:

Warrior.

As in the sequel to 'Wanderer' by Don McQuinn?

[McLovin]

 Abyss, on 07 May 2010 - 05:41 PM, said:

 spiral, on 07 May 2010 - 07:22 AM, said:

Warrior.

As in the sequel to 'Wanderer' by Don McQuinn?

No - the song by Patty Smyth.

Shooting at the walls of heartache, bang bang...

[stone monkey]

Just finished Kraken by China Mieville; that's some extraordinary shit, right there. Wert's review is spot on about its similarities to Gaiman's Neverwhere but there's at least 1000% more imagination deployed in the Mieville. Heartily recommended.

Mieville's gift for the evocative naming of things is still with him; Londonmancers, gunfarmers, Chaos Nazis... the list goes on. And there are some amazing concepts thrown around.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 07 May 2010 - 10:56 PM

[Mentalist]

 teholbeddict, on 04 May 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

 Obdigore, on 04 May 2010 - 05:38 PM, said:

I was thinking the same thing and went a little further, it picks up and gets back to how the first book flowed part of the way through Dragonfly Falling.

Oh really? Good to know, I guess I gave up on it too early then. It was just so bad though. I'll put it back on the to read pile and give it another go then.

and "Blod of the Mantis" is even better, because there's less Che, and they introduce some new kick-ass characters and storylines.

also, I just finished "Lamentation" by Ken Scholes. Yet another series I really enjoy now and will deff. follow up on.

right now i've still got "the ten Thousand" and C.S. Friedman's first Coldfire book before I need to go spend more book money.
what would you guys suggest I read first?

[HoosierDaddy]

I am half-way through The Desert Spear and about 30 pages away from finishing At the Demon Gates by Feist. Feist is Feist. I'm pleasantly pleased by The Desert Spear, but I also haven't read The Warded Man, which might be a precursor.

[stone monkey]

I'm assuming by The Ten Thousand you mean Xenophon's Anabasis (also called The March to the Sea); in which case, I found it less interesting than say Herodotus Histories but still worth reading. One gets the feeling that Xenophon was building up his part a fair bit, so it's worth reading it with that in mind. There are, apparently, other contemporary accounts of the same events (which I've not read) that agree with me.

I haven't read the Friedman so I can't comment on it other than to say that a few people here seem to like it a lot.

[spiral]

 Abyss, on 07 May 2010 - 05:41 PM, said:

 spiral, on 07 May 2010 - 07:22 AM, said:

Warrior.

As in the sequel to 'Wanderer' by Don McQuinn?

No its the second book of Jennifer Fallons Wolfblade trilogy. I like it so far, its not too long and its a nice easy read.
I am starting back at MBotF when I finish this but I was looking at Diana Gabaldon Outlander too.

[MTS]

 stone monkey, on 08 May 2010 - 12:37 PM, said:

I'm assuming by The Ten Thousand you mean Xenophon's Anabasis (also called The March to the Sea); in which case, I found it less interesting than say Herodotus Histories but still worth reading. One gets the feeling that Xenophon was building up his part a fair bit, so it's worth reading it with that in mind. There are, apparently, other contemporary accounts of the same events (which I've not read) that agree with me.

I haven't read the Friedman so I can't comment on it other than to say that a few people here seem to like it a lot.

I imagine he's referring to the book called The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney, which is basically an adapted Anabasis in a fictional world. Good book, fairly entertaining.

[stone monkey]

Ah... My mistake...

[MTS]

Eh, easy mistake. I agree with you about Xenophon's narrative though - a touch too self-important in some places I found. I thought the story itself was more exciting than a lot of what you find in Herodotus, but it wasn't nearly as fun to read. Herodotus definitely knew how to tell a story.

[Fist Gamet]

 masan, on 06 May 2010 - 04:32 PM, said:

 teholbeddict, on 04 May 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

 Obdigore, on 04 May 2010 - 05:38 PM, said:

I was thinking the same thing and went a little further, it picks up and gets back to how the first book flowed part of the way through Dragonfly Falling.

Oh really? Good to know, I guess I gave up on it too early then. It was just so bad though. I'll put it back on the to read pile and give it another go then.

Whilst I enjoy this series for wasting half hour commutes back and forth to work on the train, I think the initial success of the first book led to him stretching out the story a bit as Dragonfly Falling and particularly Blood of the Mantis have quite a bit of "filler" in them. He can still write a good battle scene though and the whole species/ character trait thing is done very well. The 4th book is currently out (can't remember what it's called) and i'll probably get it at some point.

Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies and enjoyed it, although I have to side with those who thought it was inferior to TLOLL. It seemed a bit disjointed and rushed to me but like I said, still an enjoyable read.

I've got about 50 pages of China Mieville's The City and the City left to read and whilst it may not be to everyone's taste, I would recommend it anyway. I thought I had it worked out but as with most existential novels I think this one may do a U- turn on me ! Fantastic book.

When TCATC is finished I am a bit spoilt for choice. I have Alistair Reynold's Chasm City, Woken Furies by Richard Morgan or Bakker's The Darkness that Comes Before to start. Any suggestions ?

I've read a Kovacs book so i'm pretty sure I know what i'm going to get. I've read a lot of good things about Reynolds and as he is from my home town (originally) I thought i'd give him a shot. I've not read anything by Bakker but again have read a lot of good things ( although from what I can gather he divides opinion?)

Your comments particularly on Reynolds and Bakker would be appreciated.

Ta

They are all very good, and in Chasm City I think you have Reynold's best work to date, which was brilliant. I loved all the Kovacs stories, each a bit different, yes, but all terrific reads. Like you already heard, Bakker is take it or leave it, though I really enjoyed it once I got past the philosophy (which was a little too deep and turgid at times, for my liking).

In some ways I wish I was able to read them for the first time again!

[QuickTidal]

THE SHADOW RISING by Robert Jordan!

[Illuyankas]

 QuickTidal, on 09 May 2010 - 04:31 AM, said:

THE SHADOW RISING by Robert Jordan!

SPOILERS

Spoiler

There may or may not be an area of inferior illumination steadily increasing in elevation.

Also both Mat and Perrin are figments of Rand's imagination and Lanfear is actually Lan in drag.

This post has been edited by Illuyankas: 09 May 2010 - 06:07 AM

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Dabbling in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. Another masterpiece.

[Aptorian]

The latest book in Jim Butchers Dresden Files, Changes. Oh God this is the literary equivalent of sex!

[BridgeBurner]

 H.D., on 08 May 2010 - 05:43 AM, said:

I am half-way through The Desert Spear and about 30 pages away from finishing At the Demon Gates by Feist. Feist is Feist.

Do you mean At the Gates of Darkness (his latest book)? I am currently reading Rides a Dread Legion (about halfway now).

And yes, Feist is Feist. Magician and A Darkness at Sethanon are top class, but anything after that is still a decent read even if it is predictable at times.

After that, I'm going for my first Dust of Dreams reread.

[Morgoth]

 teholbeddict, on 04 May 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

 Obdigore, on 04 May 2010 - 05:38 PM, said:

I was thinking the same thing and went a little further, it picks up and gets back to how the first book flowed part of the way through Dragonfly Falling.

Oh really? Good to know, I guess I gave up on it too early then. It was just so bad though. I'll put it back on the to read pile and give it another go then.

This is a dirty dirty lie, Tehol. Don't listen to him. I don't have the strength to write yet another rant about why these books are shit, but somehow the author managed to make a really cool setting only to butcher it piece by piece through the books.