[Tapper]

Morgoth, on 01 March 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

Gander, on 01 March 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:

Just finished Ernest Cline's Ready Player One the other night. Awesome, awesome stuff. If you're anywhere near 30-45 years old, or simply have an affinity for the 80s and/or video games in general, this should put a smile on your face.

I think I'll start Desert Spear by Peter Brett next. First one was pretty good.


ETA: 4, not 3.

Unless you enjoy rape as the basis for character development I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I thought the book was painful, and I quite enjoyed the first book although I did get annoyed at yet another reincarnation of Evil Muslims!!!!11

This. I did think the second book was better written, though, but as you say, several story elements are definately dodgy and/or stereotypical and/or a reminder of Badkind's way of handling female character development.

[Tapper]

Finished Michael J. Sullivan's first 2 Riyria Revelations omnibuses.
Where I thought the first was primary YA (and fairly decent at that), the second was slightly more developed and serious, and I am now 100 pages into the third but feel it won't bring improve,emt. All in all, when about halfway in the first book (not omnibus) I feel the series could have been approaching, say, Abercrombie's first book in quality and in scope.
Sadly, the gap widens more and more - partly because it was meant as young adult and old-school fantasy (essentially, what Abercrombie plays around), but also because the books fall flat when it comes to depth and twists and turns.

The main characters are fairly decent (yet flat), side characters are very one dimensional. As a result, due to needing a motivation for being bad, the villains are perhaps the most fun characters in the book. A major pain is the amount of times the good guys get captured. It is reminiscent of watching a week's worth of McGyver and A-Team episodes, and the attached consequences are about as far-reaching for them.

Finally, while this is not Sullivan's fault, I'm particularly less than enamoured by Orbit's decision to create 3 omnibuses out of six books. It very much adds emphasis to the fact that Sullivan is resetting the position of the major players on the map by passing indiscriminate amounts of time to accomodate travel time but somehow freezes the remainder of the world.

[QuickTidal]

Tapper, on 01 March 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Finished Michael J. Sullivan's first 2 Riyria Revelations omnibuses.
Where I thought the first was primary YA (and fairly decent at that), the second was slightly more developed and serious, and I am now 100 pages into the third but feel it won't bring improve,emt. All in all, when about halfway in the first book (not omnibus) I feel the series could have been approaching, say, Abercrombie's first book in quality and in scope.
Sadly, the gap widens more and more - partly because it was meant as young adult and old-school fantasy (essentially, what Abercrombie plays around), but also because the books fall flat when it comes to depth and twists and turns.

The main characters are fairly decent (yet flat), side characters are very one dimensional. As a result, due to needing a motivation for being bad, the villains are perhaps the most fun characters in the book. A major pain is the amount of times the good guys get captured. It is reminiscent of watching a week's worth of McGyver and A-Team episodes, and the attached consequences are about as far-reaching for them.

Finally, while this is not Sullivan's fault, I'm particularly less than enamoured by Orbit's decision to create 3 omnibuses out of six books. It very much adds emphasis to the fact that Sullivan is resetting the position of the major players on the map by passing indiscriminate amounts of time to accomodate travel time but somehow freezes the remainder of the world.

I wish to say nothing aside from KEEP READING. ;D *wink wink*

[Tapper]

QuickTidal, on 01 March 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

Tapper, on 01 March 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Finished Michael J. Sullivan's first 2 Riyria Revelations omnibuses.
Where I thought the first was primary YA (and fairly decent at that), the second was slightly more developed and serious, and I am now 100 pages into the third but feel it won't bring improve,emt. All in all, when about halfway in the first book (not omnibus) I feel the series could have been approaching, say, Abercrombie's first book in quality and in scope.
Sadly, the gap widens more and more - partly because it was meant as young adult and old-school fantasy (essentially, what Abercrombie plays around), but also because the books fall flat when it comes to depth and twists and turns.

The main characters are fairly decent (yet flat), side characters are very one dimensional. As a result, due to needing a motivation for being bad, the villains are perhaps the most fun characters in the book. A major pain is the amount of times the good guys get captured. It is reminiscent of watching a week's worth of McGyver and A-Team episodes, and the attached consequences are about as far-reaching for them.

Finally, while this is not Sullivan's fault, I'm particularly less than enamoured by Orbit's decision to create 3 omnibuses out of six books. It very much adds emphasis to the fact that Sullivan is resetting the position of the major players on the map by passing indiscriminate amounts of time to accomodate travel time but somehow freezes the remainder of the world.

I wish to say nothing aside from KEEP READING. ;D *wink wink*

Oh, I kept spoilers and expectations away from here, but if you like, I can PM you my expectations. I do think at the least 90% of them will come true...

[QuickTidal]

Tapper, on 01 March 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 01 March 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

Tapper, on 01 March 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Finished Michael J. Sullivan's first 2 Riyria Revelations omnibuses.
Where I thought the first was primary YA (and fairly decent at that), the second was slightly more developed and serious, and I am now 100 pages into the third but feel it won't bring improve,emt. All in all, when about halfway in the first book (not omnibus) I feel the series could have been approaching, say, Abercrombie's first book in quality and in scope.
Sadly, the gap widens more and more - partly because it was meant as young adult and old-school fantasy (essentially, what Abercrombie plays around), but also because the books fall flat when it comes to depth and twists and turns.

The main characters are fairly decent (yet flat), side characters are very one dimensional. As a result, due to needing a motivation for being bad, the villains are perhaps the most fun characters in the book. A major pain is the amount of times the good guys get captured. It is reminiscent of watching a week's worth of McGyver and A-Team episodes, and the attached consequences are about as far-reaching for them.

Finally, while this is not Sullivan's fault, I'm particularly less than enamoured by Orbit's decision to create 3 omnibuses out of six books. It very much adds emphasis to the fact that Sullivan is resetting the position of the major players on the map by passing indiscriminate amounts of time to accomodate travel time but somehow freezes the remainder of the world.

I wish to say nothing aside from KEEP READING. ;D *wink wink*

Oh, I kept spoilers and expectations away from here, but if you like, I can PM you my expectations. I do think at the least 90% of them will come true...

I know you THINK that...which is the point. Keep Reading.

[Baco Xtath]

Finished White Night, and though it was awesome, I think I still liked Dead Beat more:

Spoiler

I mean, how can you beat a zombie T-Rex controlled by polka, played by Butters, and ridden, devastatingly, through a horde of zombies.

Now I'm back to An Autumn War and am awaiting my turn for The Price of Spring from the library. My bedside book is Echo City which I find interesting but some of the writing is immature; authors shouldn't use the word muff or crap outside of dialogue, in my opinion, at least in describing what first popped into your head. But, it's still interesting enough for me to continue.

And then I'm probably on to The Minority Council or possibly some Asher as I've yet to read any of his work.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

Salt-Man Z, on 29 February 2012 - 06:09 PM, said:

Kruppe, I like you, but dude you're trying too hard.

I'm getting back into Wolfe's Urth of the New Sun, and am really enjoying it this time around.

Also, on my Kindle I'm reading a novel-length piece of late-90s Transformers fanfic by Belinda Kelly called Andraxus; despite a fair amount of typos, it was a revelation when I read it back then, and it's just as amazing now.

I warned everyone to just ignore me until March. You didn't listen. I'll start being nice now. I promise. The imp has been tricked into an Azath house and my addled brain is now free of phenylephrine bitartrate. Let the solemnity resume.

If my foolishness hasn't ruined my reputation for taste in books, I need to keep recommending Shadow Prowler, which gets better and better as I read. Primarily a story about a human thief, it includes many typical fantasy races - elves, dwarves, orcs, demons, etc. - used to great effect, without seeming cliche. It's supposedly reminiscent of Moorcock, whom I've never read (a lot of his stuff appears to be out of print). But I've found a cheap copy of "Elric: Stealer of Souls", which I'll probably go ahead and pick up.

P.S. That's awesome that 90s Transformers fanfic exists. I was not in the loop about that.

 transformer.gif (5.93K)
Number of downloads: 0

[McLovin]

I'm about a quarter thru WISHSONG OF SHANNARA, and I gotta say - I was meh on SWORD, ELFSTONES was decent, but I am really liking WISHSONG so far.

[Chance]

Just finished up Firebird by Jack McDevitt and found it very nice a low action SF is a nice break of pace now and then.

Tried the begining of the Cold Commands and realized it was brilliant and that I should re-read The Steel Remains first as I barely remembered what happened.

/Chance

[QuickTidal]

Reading Will Hill's second DEPARTMENT 19 book THE RISING. 75 pages in and I already almost missed my bus stop I was so engrossed. It's a great and visceral YA series.

One that gave back our classic monsters.

[Ulrik]

Finished OST...and I really need something great. Not just good... Great. Or I will never wash OST from my poor brain.

Pity I ´ve read all Abercrombies, its just type of book I need. So, it will be Corvus...probably...

[polishgenius]

Ulrik, on 02 March 2012 - 02:41 PM, said:

Finished OST...and I really need something great. Not just good... Great. Or I will never wash OST from my poor brain.

Pity I ´ve read all Abercrombies, its just type of book I need. So, it will be Corvus...probably...

Have you read Prince of Thorns? Fits those criteria...

[Binder of Demons]

If you could find it easily, I'd recommend HEROES DIE by Matthew Stover (which is the first of the "Acts of Caine" novels). The first book is a brilliant intro to a great character (Caine). The reason I'd confidently suggest this is that I haven't seen a negative review here so far, where there will often be at least one dissenting voice.

For a similarly kick-ass protagonist, you could also try ALTERED CARBON by Richard Morgan (Which is the first of the Kovacs novels). Now this is more sci-fi than fantasy, but it's a great read if you want something totally different from OST.


Normally i would have suggested reading a DRESDEN FILES novel as a means to reset the quality meter after a bad reading experience, but unfortunately the first 2 Dresden novels are by far the weakest of the series. But if you have already read a few Dresden books, then that would be my suggestion.

[Ulrik]

Thanks for tips!

So, its Prince of Thorns and Heroes Die. (I´ve real whole Morgan and Dresden, so no escape to these great worlds:))

[amphibian]

Werthead had the best summary of the main character from Prince of Thorns that I've ever seen. The comparison starts with a few different characters from other series, like Kvothe and so on, but ends with "the moral compass of Gregor Clegane." That's so on point that it's continually amusing to me.

Lawrence did a great job with the book and I look forwards to the sequel.

[Mentalist]

Read the third Darkness book by Turtledove.

my thoughts on the series so far:
I'm enjoying it. Don't mind most plot threads.
But, I have one major niggle.

I'm not buying this as a pseudo WW2 it's supposed to be. The comparisons are obvious, the themes are obvious, and yet.....

the major plot device Turtledove uses to incorporate the pseudo-Holocaust just doesn't work for me.

major spoilers follow, read at own risk

Spoiler

I mean, the whole idea of "Kaunians as pseudo-jews" seems great, and it works on paper. But you hit a problem, when facing the 2 countries representing pseudo-France. There is a huge disconnect between the treatment of Kaunians in Tricarico and pseudo-poland Forthweg, and then the Pseudo-France of Valmiera and Jelgava. it just doesn't mesh for me, leaving the whole thing tottering.

on top of that, the development of pseudo-germany Algavre into pseudo-Nazi Germany is very sloppy. THroughout Book 1, as Algavre emthodically crushes all the countries that attacked it, it's difficult to recognise it as the agressor, to say nothing about the villain.
In fact, the way the beginning of the war is portrayed, I was cheering for Algavre most of the book, since it looked fairly obvious that their cause was just, up untill they turned from victors to occupiers, whereas Turtledove suddenyl makes everyone turn into total jerks. this transition is noticeable, and jarring.

that being said, I intend to persevere with the books, eventually.
Right now i'm taking a break, and reading volume 3 of the Gap Cycle by Donaldson.

[MWKarsa]

After the brutal reading of OST- I'm doing something I rarely if ever do and reading 2 books at the same time- Life is Yours to Win by Augie Garrido and The Hero of Ages by Sanderson. I'll be traveling and flying this week so I need the multiple distractions. Early on I'm really liking both books.

This post has been edited by MWKarsa: 05 March 2012 - 02:36 AM

[Serenity]

Over the weekend I finished Ken Grimwood's Replay, which I thought was excellent, and I've nearly finished Neal Asher's Cowl, which is great fun.

[Traveller]

I'm halfway through 'Before they are Hanged', by Abercrombie.

Seriously, I don't know why I didn't check this series out sooner, I'm thoroughly enjoying everything about it so far. I love the mix of fantasy with a more 18th/19th century society instead of purely early medieval. His writing style and the setting still really remind me of War and Peace.

And there are so many funny bits... it must depend on yor sense of humour, but I find myself laughing at the most violent scenes, just because of the way they're written.

Awesome stuff so far.

[Baco Xtath]

Finished An Autumn War yesterday morning and got Prince of Thorns from the library at noon and I almost finished it last night. PoT is simple, fast, and vicious and I love it. It is damn near the antithesis of Autumn War yet they are both fantastic in their own right.