[Salt-Man Z]

Someday I'll have to read the Dark Tower series, if for nothing else than the shoutout to Shardik (my favorite book ever.)

[Abyss]

It's worth the read. Opinions vary but the sheer scope of what King wrote is impressive and as a whole, the good outweighs the bad imnsho.

If you've read King at all, there are a tonne of Easter Egg refs to almost every other book he's written that are a fun element.

[Use Of Weapons]

Started reading John Meaney's _Absorption_ today. Man, I'd forgotten how much I loved his writing, straight away I'm absorbed in the story (see what I did there?) Will have to get the rest of the series very quickly.

[Use Of Weapons]

Briar King, on 06 September 2011 - 07:00 PM, said:

UseOfWeapons, on 03 September 2011 - 02:03 PM, said:

<snip: Modesitt's Recluce saga>

Would you recommend starting this series to someone? I have the first book but havent been able to stick to it really, so I havent bought any of the others yet.

You know, I really don't know. On the one hand, it starts badly, and the main character of the first novel is really unsympathetic (he gets better in a later book, IIRC). On the other hand, the setting is truly original, and the second (or third?) book, the one about the engineer, is excellent. The series is varied enough that there is likely to be something in there that you'll like. But the pattern of each individual entry tends to follow a fairly predictable route to the ending, and Modesitt's villains are really old-school moustache-twirling nob-ends. If you can't get past the first book, I'd say try the engineer book, and if that doesn't do it for you, give it up. There's plenty out there that's better.

[Abyss]

UseOfWeapons, on 07 September 2011 - 09:24 PM, said:

Briar King, on 06 September 2011 - 07:00 PM, said:

UseOfWeapons, on 03 September 2011 - 02:03 PM, said:

<snip: Modesitt's Recluce saga>

Would you recommend starting this series to someone? I have the first book but havent been able to stick to it really, so I havent bought any of the others yet.

You know, I really don't know. On the one hand, it starts badly, and the main character of the first novel is really unsympathetic (he gets better in a later book, IIRC). On the other hand, the setting is truly original, and the second (or third?) book, the one about the engineer, is excellent. The series is varied enough that there is likely to be something in there that you'll like. But the pattern of each individual entry tends to follow a fairly predictable route to the ending, and Modesitt's villains are really old-school moustache-twirling nob-ends. If you can't get past the first book, I'd say try the engineer book, and if that doesn't do it for you, give it up. There's plenty out there that's better.

I read a few, which were fine, nothing brilliant. The magic system is interesting. The characters vary between flat and archetypically ok. The plots tend to amount to variations of 'farmboy leaves home, grows up, becomes mighty wizard, defeats nemesis, gets love interest'. After three i stopped.

[Use Of Weapons]

Finished _Absorption_ by John Meaney last night. Wow, just wow. If you like your science fiction hard, with a dash of singularity, spy thriller, and with several storylines distributed throughout various time periods, then this is the book for you. First of a series (don't know how many will be in it eventually), the second is due out Jan next year according to Amazon. In the meantime, you could check out his debut SF novel, _To Hold Infinity_, which could well be the most perfect debut novel ever written in the genre. (Well, Hannu Rajaniemi runs it close.)

[stone monkey]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. This had been a book I'd avoided for the longest time, but I decided to give it a go in the run up to the new film version's release; for some reason had I thought it was Not For Me. It's been a rather pleasant surprise - I'm actually old enough to have watched the classic Alec Guinness tv series when it was originally shown on UK (I didn't, which has turned out to be a pity), It's atmospheric and rather gripping stuff. Le Carre writes well but isn't any kind of pyrotechnic stylist - the prose does its job and isn't boring. The aura of skullduggery and paranoia that pervades the book is amazing, you practically find yourself checking for tailing agents and eavesdroppers as you read.

I think I may be reading more of him in future.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 08 September 2011 - 08:39 PM

[MWKarsa]

After being amazed with Game of Thrones I plowed straight into A Clash of Kings and just a short way into it I am simply loving this series so far. I had heard so many good things about it but hadn't gotten around to starting it and it's blown me away so far. Great GREAT stuff.

[acesn8s]

Best Served Cold by Abercrombie.

[McLovin]

I have returned to the dresdencrack: Death Masks.

Plus, AFFC.

[Abyss]

stone monkey, on 08 September 2011 - 08:37 PM, said:

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. ... the prose does its job and isn't boring. The aura of skullduggery and paranoia that pervades the book is amazing, you practically find yourself checking for tailing agents and eavesdroppers as you read.

I think I may be reading more of him in future.

I fell out of love with Le Carre after repeated attempts at THE RUSSIA HOUSE. He's clever as fuck and really knows his spyworlds, but i found him to be TOO slow, so very very slow.

MWKarsa, on 09 September 2011 - 01:46 AM, said:

After being amazed with Game of Thrones I plowed straight into A Clash of Kings and just a short way into it I am simply loving this series so far. I had heard so many good things about it but hadn't gotten around to starting it and it's blown me away so far. Great GREAT stuff.

I envy you for what you are about to read for the first time.

McLovin, on 09 September 2011 - 12:27 PM, said:

I have returned to the dresdencrack: Death Masks.
...

see above. This is where Butcher goes berserk.

acesn8s, on 09 September 2011 - 12:01 PM, said:

Best Served Cold by Abercrombie.

His best book.



I'm in the last 50 or so pages of ALERA bk5, then back to Swanwick's DRAGONS OF BABEL, tho various other things on the TRP are calling to me, notably UNDER HEAVEN and MIDNIGHT RIOT.

[wade]

Busy with ASOIAF, book one. Really liking it a lot so far, but I can very rarely find time to read lately :/

[Aptorian]

The first Gaunts Ghosts Omnibus by Dan Abnett, The Founding.

This post has been edited by Aptorian Sharktopus: 09 September 2011 - 05:04 PM

[polishgenius]

Currently reading Codex Alera book 5 and getting impatient with it which is a shame, and Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, as I'm in the mood for a big political/character long-term epic in the vein of Pillars of the Earth or The Godfather and it seems to me that this might fit the bill.

This post has been edited by polishgenius: 09 September 2011 - 11:06 PM

[Defiance]

Just started Chronicles of the Black Company. About halfway through the first one and I love it.

[Rhand]

Finished Sean Russell's The One Kingdom and will continue with The Isle of Battle.

[polishgenius]

Briar King, on 10 September 2011 - 01:16 AM, said:

Impatient with it how? Book 5 is one of the best most people think.

It's badly paced, imo. It's been a problem for the whole series- good pacing needs rhythm, not just stuff happening fast, and sometimes a breather is as important as getting on with it. Butcher understands this, because he uses it brilliantly in the Dresdencrack to the point where he spins it to his advantage by, when he really wants to crank shit up, fucking with those points of respite that are a steady presence in the series, but Alera has been all hectic all the time. And this one doesn't even have that break between books- I mean obviously there's the break by not reading it but it just launches straight into BIG IMPORTANT EVENTS as soon as it begins. Which makes it kind of hard for me to care about any specific one.

Plus, the main character annoys me.

MODGOD NOTICE OF SPUN THIS EXCHANGE INTO ITS OWN THREAD OVER IN THE BUTCHER SUBFORUM.

This post has been edited by Abyss: 12 September 2011 - 03:13 PM

[JPK]

Rhand, on 10 September 2011 - 06:56 AM, said:

Finished Sean Russell's The One Kingdom and will continue with The Isle of Battle.

How did you like that? I've got a copy sitting in my trp that has been there for awhile. Also, I'm on Turn Coat and having a bit of trouble getting into this one. Not quite sure why... Just am.

[Rhand]

Hurr Durr, on 11 September 2011 - 05:28 AM, said:

Rhand, on 10 September 2011 - 06:56 AM, said:

Finished Sean Russell's The One Kingdom and will continue with The Isle of Battle.

How did you like that? I've got a copy sitting in my trp that has been there for awhile. Also, I'm on Turn Coat and having a bit of trouble getting into this one. Not quite sure why... Just am.

I just came from Martin's work and it was a bit difficult at the start to get used to it. Martin's work is so big and vast, whereas Russell's story centers around a few characters in a "small" area. It starts out a bit cliche as well, with a few farmboys helping out a stranger who's set upon by minions of the evil sorcerer and as a result they get sucked into the whole battle between good and evil.

But it's a good read.

[Baco Xtath]

About 50 pages into Lord of Light and 150 into Nightside of the Long Sun (my nightstand book). Nightside is going slow but it's suppossed to be good so I'm going to stick with it. Also, since I've been stuck painting for the past week, I've been listening to Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I'm to book 4. For those who've read it, I suggest listening to it as well just to hear the narrarator doing the voice of Deta Walker, it's funny as hell.

Before Lord of Light, I read Heroes Die and then Altered Carbon, and damn if polishgenius didn't call it. Caine and Kovacs are birds of a feather. I loved both books but since neither required instant sequel reading, I figured I'd dole out the pleasure while hitting some other must reads first.