[Optimus Prime]

Hey guys just picked this one up and started it, the first book is titled Devices and Desires and it is by K.J. Parker. Anybody read it before? I heard SE really liked it.

I'm about 90 pages in and so far it has got me interested.

[Cold Iron]

Tell me more about it

[Optimus Prime]

What specifically do you want to know without me revealing any of the plot?

[wolf_2099]

Is there some sort of mule or donkey in it?

[Cold Iron]

Setting, style etc.

[Optimus Prime]

Cold Iron;242976 said:

Setting, style etc.

Alright, I'll try to have something up by late tonight (Pacific time) or early tomorrow.

[Aptorian]

I saw it in a shop a year ago or something but didn't want to start before all three were published... I hate to wait for the ending.

[Morgoth]

I remember opening the first book at random and reading a page. The name of main character was used no less than eight times on a single page. That pretty much turned me off the book.. not that I'm picky or anything

[Tif the Barber Boy]

I enjoyed Devices and Desires a great deal - certainly more than K. J. Parker's 'Fencer Trilogy'. I haven't the second book in the series yet.

Parker has a dense, busy style of writing. Her prose is workmanlike, but the dialogue is pretty good, particularly because she has a dry sense of humour. Its very difficult to find any kind of a 'good guy' in the book. Everyone is seasoned with shades of grey - some more than others. I suppose that gives it a dark, gritty feel. Cynicism abounds, but thankfully not in such great quantity that it sinks ones interest in what is happening.

[Abyss]

It's been recommended to me a few times but i'm waiting for the complete thing in mmpb.

- Abyss, cheap bastard.

[Imperial Historian]

I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I've not been inspired to buy the other books in the series. That said I've enjoyed everything I've ever read by her, and I enjoyed the gritty feel to the world she created... I can see why SE liked them, but they aren't quite my cup of tea.

[Optimus Prime]

So far it is enjoyable but the prose is very workmanlike as Tif says above. I'd heard it was very different from a lot of other "fantasy" and it is. K.J. Parker claims she doesn't write fantasy...which for a split second gave me the Terry Goodkind Diarhea...but I don't think she means it in the pompous, turd gurgling way that Shitkind means.

The characters are all very "grey" as well. The book does need a map though...only because in some of the first sections there are vast paragraphs describing the geography and it can be a little frustrating not to see it.

More as I continue reading. The conflicts right now are pretty elementary..waiting to see how they flesh out.

[Valgard]

I must admit I have liked all her books and find her descriptions of the engineering and making of things which are a quite large part of the series very enjoyable but if you don't enjoy those then the books are just not for you. Her humour is very dry and absolutely hilarious in my opinion. I have read the whole series and enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish and would recommend continuing on if you have read and enjoyed the first one in the series.

I would also recommend her scavenger trilogy much better than the fencers triolgy. It follows around Poldarn a man who has lost his memory and his adventures through the world it is an extremely good read.

I would agree that she doesn't write traditional fantasy in that there is no magic in the world and every thing runs off the same physical laws of our world. It is fantasy in that the world is not our own the places and people are different even though those are the only changes.

[maynard]

I like Parker. I've previously read the Scavenger trilogy and found it good. This trilogy I enjoyed as well. There are similarities, like her very long and detailed descriptions of crafting processes and such. I find them a bit too detailed at times but not enough to put me off. I have no other criticism. Definitely worth the money in my opinion.

[caladanbrood]

I remember seeing this in the shop millions of times and never quite buying it, there were always others that appealed more. Would still be the case really. It doesn't appeal enough to make me get it off the shelf and have a flick through, which is a deadly flaw for any book.

[dreamscape]

according to wiki, KJ is a pseudonym of prolific british humour writer tom holt... havent read both, but the humour sounds similar in style

[Imperial Historian]

I'm pretty certain that KJ Parker is not Tom Holt, despite wikipedia's assertion to the contrary. I can't find any evidence that this anything other than a rumour. There writing styles really aren't that similar, and Holt already writes under the pseudonym Thomas Holt for historical fiction. If it is true Tom Holt is remarkably prolific author under just Tom Holt he releases 1 or 2 books a year, and KJ parker has been releasing one a year as well.

[polishgenius]

I like Parker, I've never gotten into Holt... hmm.

I've read Devices and Desires, it's an odd one. It's got elements which are serious and ponderous etcs, but in other parts it's so stylized it comes off as whimsical. And every once in a while, for no real apparent reason, it goes off onto a passage of comedy that has me rolling on the floor.

It's odd, but I like it. Will be picking up the second and third soon enough.

[sinag55]

I've been reading this for the past two weeks and I have to say I don't really care for much of it. I'm just reading on because I need to finish any book I started. I'm not really interested in the world or the characters and I find the machine explanations boring. I read this to have a break on my Malazan reread and now I wished I started Mieville's The Scar instead.

I have 7 chapters left, is there any kind of payoff in the end? Something that will make me finish the trilogy? I mean, it sucks to start a series and not finish it.

[Optimus Prime]

I'm about halfway through and I see what you mean. You either dig this stuff....or you don't....

i haven't decided yet