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Messages - The P

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61
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2021
« on: January 12, 2021, 02:43:56 am »
Oh yeah, I forgot that series is completing this year, too.  Guess that's on my list, too.  I've heard enough to temper my expectations, but I'm glad you say it's as good as any Abercrombie.

62
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2021
« on: January 08, 2021, 06:29:40 pm »
The Burning God by R. F. Kuang (1)

I was very disappointed with this book.  The first book was decent, the second improved and showed some real promise, but this final was... not good.  I actually liked the ending.  The last chapter, while it didn't make up for the 600 pages that came before it, actually was well done.
The dedication at the front of the book made me wary at the outset; "To my dear readers, who stayed with this series until the end, and came prepared with a bucket for their tears."  I had really no emotional investment in any of the characters or their relationships after two books, so the author presuming she'll make me cry (which isn't an impossible task) did not sit well.
The story itself, even from the first book, is pretty shaky.  People working hand in hand with others who've been trying to kill them without taking a moment to reflect on the matter.  Characters do really stupid things, which is fine if they are a stupid person, but even supposed geniuses or savant constantly make poor decisions.  I only know they are geniuses because the author says they are.
Frequently it seemed like the author didn't know what was going on in her own story.  Some examples (there are many more): A group of refugees flee through abandoned mines; they emerge and we shortly get a description of supply wagons they brought with them, which I find hard to imagine they could bring through.  There are dirigibles from another country;  one crashes (it is noted the balloon is deflated), and a "genius" character looks at it a while, then makes it work; I'm not sure where he found the gas to fill it, there is no mention of it being a heated air situation either.
The whole book seemed slapped together without any real thought.  Things happened because the author wanted/needed them to without any real logic or flow.  It also seemed like before every page break or chapter ending, the author wanted to throw in a really cool, dramatic, poppy (yes), line; but they invariably fell flat for me, and I think I might have physically rolled my eyes a couple times.
Don't read it, unless you though the first two were absolutely amazing.  I thought they were ok.  This book needed a better editor or more authorial diligence.  But the ending (last chapter) was pretty good at least.

63
Literature / Yearly Reading Targets 2021
« on: January 08, 2021, 05:44:03 pm »
I guess I'll make this since I finished a book.

I'll keep my goal for the year at 30, since it is usually achievable, and I like to be successful.

Some series getting completed which I expect to read in the coming year, in no particular order:
Stone Dance of the Chameleon, 2nd edition (7 books, one I read last year)
Song of the Shattered Sands (6 books and a prequel novella)
Books of Babel (4 books)
The Expanse last book (I really thought it was coming out in 2020)
Last King of Osten Ard (4 including the bridge book)
*Edit* Abercrombie's Age of Madness (3 books)
*Edit* The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison (stand alone sequel of sorts)

Some others either stand alone or older series
John Marco's Tyrants and Kings, two left
Something by Laird Barron, probably a short story collection
Paul Kearney's Monarchies of God
Gemmel's Legend
Stover's Acts of Caine; I read the first a long time ago, but just never got to the rest

64
Yeah, I don't buy into the Consult preparing Esmenet's womb, but I like the idea of gray goo as part of the Tekne, toeing the line between biohorror and advanced technology.

65
I was thinking about the black semen.  It could just be a gross alien biology thing.  But it could also be something akin to the "gray goo" of science fiction.  Some tiny nano machines at the root of the tekne.

66
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: December 31, 2020, 06:02:53 pm »
The Jackal of Nar by John Marco (29)

This was decent.  It's kind of strange it is touted as military fantasy.  The plot deviates enough from standard fantasy to be interesting.  I think the world building was lacking, almost feeling like the world was just built around the story instead of the story fitting in to the world.  It might not be a bad way to go about writing a fantasy novel, but I think it is better the other way around.  There is good potential for the story going forward, I will continue the series.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (30)

Hey, look!  I hit my goal of 30 books right on the nose.  Schwab is a pretty good writer.  I still think my favorite of hers is Vicious.  This one was enjoyable, but really falls well toward Romance rather than SFF.  But it does so without getting too sappy or boring or steamy.  It is a nice representation of the "deal with a devil" trope; there are some fresh twists thrown in, but nothing mind-blowing.  I sometimes jokingly call myself a literary misogynist, but Schwab is one of the female authors I enjoy every time.  It's worth reading any of her books.  I'd place Addie LaRue below Vicious, but above the Shades of Magic trilogy.

67
General Misc. / Re: Board Games and Miniatures
« on: December 31, 2020, 05:27:58 pm »
My intent is to buy it tonight, H!  Provided I don't forget.

68
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: December 04, 2020, 01:27:34 pm »
How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It by K. J. Parker

Who knew last year's Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City was the first in a trilogy?  It certainly didn't seem like it needed to be followed, not that everything was nicely wrapped up.  This book takes place years later with a nearly entirely new cast of characters.  It is fun getting a completely different perspective on the events of the first book.  Parker is, as always, funny and entertaining to read.  How to Rule, like Sixteen Ways, is on the shorter side and doesn't have the lengthy sections describing mundane processes that sneaks in to many of Parker's works.  I love it of course, and heartily recommend.  These books might be the most approachable Parker, aside from his short fiction.

69
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: November 20, 2020, 02:56:11 pm »
Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man: Collected Stories edited by Nick Braccia and Michael Monello

My friend has a horror themed podcast and got to interview the editors of this.  He was very excited about it, so I listened to the Video Palace podcast (it's like a 10 episode radio play), then read the book.  I don't normally dig on anthologies, but this was pretty good.  My only real complaint about it is the inconsistency as it concerns the framing.  The through line of the anthology is these are stories and accounts gathered by some professor concerning the titular figure.  But some of the stories are written in third-person omniscient, which kind of took me out of any immersion.  There are some good stories in here and some mediocre ones, but nothing either amazing or awful.

The related podcast is pretty well done, and worth listening to if you are bored.  The book doesn't require you to have listened to the podcast.  There are a couple references and just one story directly related to it.  I think they put a couple of the stories up for free as audio files there as well; I haven't checked.

70
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: November 17, 2020, 02:38:20 pm »
The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

I think I liked this more than the first one.  It opens up the world more from the very localized setting in book one.  There are some interesting ideas and world-building going on that I think the first book needed in order to be more engaging.
This book really solidified what was a nagging complaint I had with book one, and it continues here; there is little emphasis put on relationships between characters, but those relationships end up being huge motivators for their subsequent choices.  Maybe I am not picking up on the author's subtleties, but it reads like these interpersonal motivators are very ad hoc to move the plot along.  In a similar way, the settings and ambience of scenes seem underdeveloped.  I guess the other side could end up with a bloated story (not that this book is short), but there needs to be more.
Despite it all, I will read the next and the one after it whenever it comes out.  It is one of the better new fantasies I've read.

71
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: November 10, 2020, 02:15:34 am »
I enjoyed Hyperion a lot.  I agree the strength is in the setting.  I like slow building of tension as we learn more about what brought them all on the pilgrimage together and the growing threat of the shrike.
The fall of hyperion is very good, probably my favorite of the cantos.

72
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: November 03, 2020, 09:02:50 pm »
I'll be reading this closer to the release of book 3.  I assume the series will improve by each book.  I appreciate Abercrombie's method of plotting the whole trilogy from the start.  It gives me hope even after a subpar start.

73
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: October 26, 2020, 08:36:56 pm »
Well, it's been a few months since I updated.  Let's see....

City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams.  I first read this ages ago.  At least before the first Matrix movie came out, since I recall noting its similarities to Otherland at the time.  It made an impression on my young mind, and I was curious how I'd find it 20+ years later (and the library had a digital loan readily available).  It is....ok.  It takes too long to get where it is going, which is typical for Williams, but the journey is not as enjoyable as his fantasy books.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson.  It started strong, got a little bogged down, but then ended nicely with some intimations of cognitive philosophy to come (hopefully).  The world building ended up feeling a little flat, but it has some potential yet.  I will be reading the next book.

Crash Space by Bakker.  This is short enough I won't count it towards my reading goal.  Madness shamed me into reading Bakker's non-SA work, so I did.  I enjoyed this one a lot, kind of a condensed less soul-destroying Neuropath.  The interaction with Glen showing that unrestrained freedom paradoxically results in bondage is much more in line with some Christian philosophy than I expected to find from Bakker.

Light, Time, and Gravity by Bakker.  Man, I did not expect to like this as much as I did.  It was a little heavy on the philosophical discourse for me, and I learned more about tobacco farming than I ever needed.  The description of that part of Canada as "just more Ohio" was a little sad, but helped me to think of Canada more accurately (I generally consider it to be a combination of frozen wasteland and thick forests).  A lot of it seemed very autobiographical, which is maybe a little concerning.

Disciple of the Dog by Bakker.  I don't read a lot of detective/mystery fiction, but this is at least as good as any I've read.  Certainly this is the most accessible thing Bakker has written, and it ought to be more widely known that it is.  I guess that's the problem with crossing genres.  Or maybe the detective/mystery genre is so oversaturated nothing stands out.

Rejoice: A Knife to the Heart by Steven Erikson.  An interesting take on first contact.  I once tried reading his other sci-fi (Willful Child), but just couldn't be bothered.  I like how positive and hopeful Erikson can be without losing dramatic tension or devolving into thoughtless warm-fuzzies.  I heartily recommend it.

The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang.  This got a lot of buzz when it came out, and look! Time Magazine says they are two of the best 100 fantasy books ever written!  They're fine.  Better than most new fantasy, and it doesn't settle into the expected ruts most fantasies do.  It might drive along them a little or cross over them, but moves along before things get stale.  My biggest problem with events happening and decisions being made for no reason other than convenience of plot.  There are some cool moments and ideas; enough to keep me interested.  I'll read the final book, but it's not the amazing debut I was led expect.

I'll be better about staying on top of things.  That historical novelization is still unread until my friend picks up TDTCB.  I will wear him down.

74
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: July 28, 2020, 02:27:25 am »
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson

After spending over a month slogging through Illearth War, I wanted to read something undeniably enjoyable.  I hadn't read this one since it came out 12(?!) years ago.  Strangely, it has a cover blurb by Donaldson.  Erikson has named Donaldson as one of his major influences in the genre.  I guess I can see that in the subversion of epic fantasy....  But man, I just don't get the Donaldson love.  Maybe reading him for the first time in 2020 is just too far removed from its initial publication.
Erikson has a unique ability to wrench emotions (particularly grief and compassion in this book) out of the reader.  Even minor characters (like the unnamed guard following up murders in the slums) get a moment.  Maybe by then my emotions were already under duress.  I was blitzing through the last third.
I will say, it is certainly helpful having the internet around after so many years to quickly recall the originating threads of some of the minor characters.

Up next, some historical novelization.  Hopefully it's tolerable.  Outside my wheelhouse, but it is my trade for a friend of mine diving in to Bakker.

75
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2020
« on: July 11, 2020, 01:24:02 am »
The Illearth War by Stephen Donaldson
I am still unsure why these are so acclaimed...  Took me the whole month of June and then some to slog through this.  Donaldson is a fine writer as far as the prose and everything goes.  The idea of the story is intriguing, man with a chronic illness is transported to a fantasy land where he is healed, but can't bring himself to believe the experience is more than a hallucination.  The problem is the world is pretty dull, I don't care at all for any of the characters.  The slightly interesting ones (the giant in the first book, and the fat Lord who goes with the expedition to the giants in this one) have small parts.  I thought Hile Troy would be a nice addition; he plays a nice foil to Covenant in the early parts of the book.  But once they separate, he gets to be just as dull as Covenant is without the other.  I did like this book more than book one, but not by much.  I'll slog my way through the final in the trilogy, but I certainly don't expect much from it.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This one was good.  A bit surreal reading about the lead-up and aftermath of a global pandemic that wipes out most of the population.  It was very character focused, and jumped back and forth between their lives before, during, post-pandemic.  There's a good amount of pathos, but contrasted with some nice heartwarming moments.  It's worth reading if you have even a passing interest in the premise.

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