[teholbeddict]

About three quarters of the way though GGK's under heaven and loving every single page of it. He's my favourite fantasy author so I may be a bit biased here, but I think this is possibly his best work. This makes so many other writers in the genre look amateur. Atm this book is blowing anything SE's written out of the water (please don't shoot me ). I'm glad this books is as good as it is, because I was really disappointed with Ysabel, this is more than making up for it though.

[Astra]

teholbeddict, on 31 May 2010 - 02:23 PM, said:

About three quarters of the way though GGK's under heaven and loving every single page of it. He's my favourite fantasy author so I may be a bit biased here, but I think this is possibly his best work. This makes so many other writers in the genre look amateur. Atm this book is blowing anything SE's written out of the water (please don't shoot me ). I'm glad this books is as good as it is, because I was really disappointed with Ysabel, this is more than making up for it though.

I am planning to read Under Heaven after I finish Gargoyle.
I used to like him, but I lost interest in him after reading The Lions of al-Rassan, so much I disliked it.
We will see.

[teholbeddict]

Astra, on 31 May 2010 - 03:18 PM, said:

teholbeddict, on 31 May 2010 - 02:23 PM, said:

About three quarters of the way though GGK's under heaven and loving every single page of it. He's my favourite fantasy author so I may be a bit biased here, but I think this is possibly his best work. This makes so many other writers in the genre look amateur. Atm this book is blowing anything SE's written out of the water (please don't shoot me ). I'm glad this books is as good as it is, because I was really disappointed with Ysabel, this is more than making up for it though.

I am planning to read Under Heaven after I finish Gargoyle.
I used to like him, but I lost interest in him after reading The Lions of al-Rassan, so much I disliked it.
We will see.

Is this Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson? If so you'll have to let me know how it is. He's from Winnipeg, so the book was really overhyped here, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing about it of him. It actually put me off reading it. I'd be interested to know whether it's any good or not.

As to The Lions of al-Rassan, I did like that book, but it was very slow to get going. I can see why alot of people wouldn't care for it. It frustrated the hell out of me for about the first two hundred pages. Alot of GGK books can be slow moving, thankfully Under Heaven isn't one of them. Thankfully it's also nothing like Ysabel, because had I not liked GGK as much as I do, I'm not sure I would have read another of his books after that one.

[MTS]

Not really sure why you don't like Ysabel so much, TB. I mean sure, it's no Sarantine Mosaic or A Song for Arbonne, but it's not terrible by any means. Haven't yet read Under Heaven though, but you've convinced me. Do need to get around to The Last Light of the Sun as well. Have you read that one?

[teholbeddict]

MTS, on 31 May 2010 - 04:03 PM, said:

Not really sure why you don't like Ysabel so much, TB. I mean sure, it's no Sarantine Mosaic or A Song for Arbonne, but it's not terrible by any means. Haven't yet read Under Heaven though, but you've convinced me. Do need to get around to The Last Light of the Sun as well. Have you read that one?

Yep, I've read it and I really liked it, definitely classic GGK, if you liked Tigana, you'll probably like The lAst Lifht of the Sun. I've read all of his works, including his poetry.

Ysabel just didn't flow well for me at all, it was really disjointed. I also found it to be sorely lacking in development, which is something very unusual for GGK. There were parts of it that were really beautiful and sweeping in his usual style, and the references to the Finonavar Tapestry were cool, but I just don't think he had enough of a page count to work with. I'm probably overly critical because I'm such a fan of his stuff, I guess to me it's a fail based on his other works. It's not horrible but I'd say it's his weakest book imo.

[Astra]

teholbeddict, on 31 May 2010 - 04:59 PM, said:

Yep, I've read it and I really liked it, definitely classic GGK, if you liked Tigana, you'll probably like The lAst Lifht of the Sun.

My two favourites both of G.G.K. and stand alone category.

Quote

Is this Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson? If so you'll have to let me know how it is. He's from Winnipeg

Yup. Him.
I didn't know he was Canadian until yesterday night. My other half snuggled up to me in a bed when I was reading and she read a few pages....her reaction was of utter disbelieve. How can you read that horror?!?!? She was so horrified that the first thing today in the morning, she switched on my netbook and went googling for the book and read reviews. I think that to a certain degree she calmed down. She just told me that the writer is Canadian and that he had done an in-depth medical research in order to write the book.
Why was she horrified? Well, I can understand her. She is a very sensitive type of a person with well developed imagination(ex-artist) and the first dozen pages contain some very graphic scenes of....not to spoil it, of an intense pain. She asked me whether I have read all the reviews and I said No, I didn't want to come across any spoilers, I just read this line on goodreads:

Quote

An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time

it caught my attention

This post has been edited by Astra: 01 June 2010 - 04:58 PM

[LadyMTL]

teholbeddict, on 31 May 2010 - 04:59 PM, said:

MTS, on 31 May 2010 - 04:03 PM, said:

Not really sure why you don't like Ysabel so much, TB. I mean sure, it's no Sarantine Mosaic or A Song for Arbonne, but it's not terrible by any means. Haven't yet read Under Heaven though, but you've convinced me. Do need to get around to The Last Light of the Sun as well. Have you read that one?

Yep, I've read it and I really liked it, definitely classic GGK, if you liked Tigana, you'll probably like The lAst Lifht of the Sun. I've read all of his works, including his poetry.

Ysabel just didn't flow well for me at all, it was really disjointed. I also found it to be sorely lacking in development, which is something very unusual for GGK. There were parts of it that were really beautiful and sweeping in his usual style, and the references to the Finonavar Tapestry were cool, but I just don't think he had enough of a page count to work with. I'm probably overly critical because I'm such a fan of his stuff, I guess to me it's a fail based on his other works. It's not horrible but I'd say it's his weakest book imo.

I agree, I found Ysabel to just be...weird. It almost felt like a mash-up between his normally awesome style (the Fionavar Tapestry is still my favorite) and that of your average hack writer. I really enjoyed Tigana so now I'm really looking forward to reading Under Heaven, Amazon should be delivering it soon-soon.

This post has been edited by Maia Irraz: 31 May 2010 - 09:42 PM

[acesn8s]

I'm also about 3/4 through with Under Heaven. I have to agree that this is a wonderful novel.

Ysabel was ok. I consider it his weakest novel, but I appreciate his attempt to try something different.

[Use Of Weapons]

Plunged into the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris over the weekend. There's a lot fo sex in these books, isn't there? Kinda like a stopping point between Anita Blake and Twilight (from what I know of Twilight). Not sure I'll carry on, unless the cutesy Southerness is tempered.

[Dark Wolf]

I've finished N.K. Jemisin's "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms". It is an interesting novel and quite surprising since the synopsis doesn't reveal all that is inside the covers. But better that it didn't because otherwise I am not sure if I would have picked this novel up. I've posted a full review on my blog.
I also finished Andreu Martin's "Barcelona Connection", a crime/noir novel. Not the best I read in this genre, but captures some interesting aspects. And since it was first written as a movie script and only then as a novel it feels like a movie script in most of its part.
I am now reading K.J. Parker's "Purple and Black" and I'll start tonight Helen Oyeyemi's "White is for Witching".

[goldmill]

Currently rereading Game of Thrones. Planning to work my way back through the first 4 books in the series since it had been awhile since I read them.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Two on the go at the moment:

- The Gathering Storm

- Stasiland (Anna Funder) - really good book about life behind the Wall and the effect the Stasi had on people's lives. The DDR is something of a favoured topic of mine, and I've been to a lot of the places mentioned in the book, so I'm loving it.

[Deornoth]

It’s been one of those weeks where everything that I’ve picked up off the reading pile went down a treat! Graham McNeill’s ’The Chapter’s Due’ was a fine slice of military sci-fi from the Warhammer 40K universe, China Mieville’s ’Kraken’ was the kind of urban fantasy that ‘Neverwhere’ wanted to be (although Mieville perhaps indulged himself a little too much setting up the background) and David Moody’s ’Dog Blood’ was just plain nasty but in the best possible way!
I’m now well into Darren Shan’s ‘Procession of the Dead’...

[Morgoth]

Kraken was many things and an 'excellent book' was certainly among them; but better than Neverwhere? I think not.

[Abyss]

stone monkey, on 20 May 2010 - 08:47 PM, said:

...Anyway... The Atrocity Archives; ...

I give you props. You were right. You were totally right.

acesn8s, on 21 May 2010 - 07:13 PM, said:

stone monkey, on 20 May 2010 - 08:47 PM, said:

acesn8s, on 20 May 2010 - 05:45 PM, said:

Stopped reading the Silmarillion by Tolkien to start Under Heaven by Kay.

There's a certain amount of irony contained in that statement...

Just a little bit.

Kay's original material is much better than Tolkien's stuff.

heh. yes and yes.

Morgoth, on 22 May 2010 - 06:15 AM, said:

Halfway through Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. It's a pleasure reading author's who do not sacrifice prose for world building.
...

I'd like to know what you think about it. it's sitting in the TRP and i can't quite muster the need to read. Still too annoyed after IDORU i suppose.

MTS, on 22 May 2010 - 05:00 PM, said:

Just finished Neuromancer and about to have a crack at Weeks' Night Angel series.

You. Were having an excellent reading week.

Maia Irraz, on 23 May 2010 - 01:25 AM, said:

Fist Gamet, on 22 May 2010 - 07:50 PM, said:

Also Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield and I am surprised and pleased by how good it is. ...

I read that years ago (before I knew jacksh*t about Thermopylae) and really enjoyed it too. ...

Great book. well told, technical on the spartans without getting lost. Shows just how much of 300 is farcicle. (albeit in an awesome way)

pat5150, on 24 May 2010 - 12:24 AM, said:

Just finished Naomi Novik's Tongues of Serpents.
And based on how much I've enjoyed the series so far, this one was a major disappointment. Looks like a proliferation of unnecessary sequels to me. ..

Part of the reason i like Pat. he rarely drinks the Koolade.


Am about 1/3 thru Abercrombie's BEST SERVED COLD. He raised his game with this one. very liking.

[hmqb]

I am reading DOD then going on to RotCG

[Animace]

Abyss, on 03 June 2010 - 08:57 PM, said:

Am about 1/3 thru Abercrombie's BEST SERVED COLD. He raised his game with this one. very liking.

Am reading this atm also. The writing is better than the trilogy, but some of the characters seem very similar to past characters. The whole "life is worthless" thing is starting to get a bit old.

[Aristai]

Finishing up The Lost World and then maybe The Thirty-Nine Steps

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Started No country for old men by Cormac McCarthy. That man knows how to write.

[Ulrik]

Generation Kill, Best Served Cold, preparing some Dresden Files (probably good, I assume from unique thread on Malazforum).