Would you like to curate this thread this year? That would be awesome if you did :).
And it should be easy if there are only three of us to keep track of ;).
Quality Gemmell reads, themerchant :).
Finished The Emperors Blades and almost done with the 2nd in the trilogy of The Unhewn Throne, The Providence of Fire(7 and 8 )
In all seriousness, best fantasy trilogy I've read since PoN. Plenty of intrigue, low magic, great characters and plot.
I'm going to seriously have to go through your post history and see your 'book reviews' (or whatever we can call you're one line recommendations like this one) and see if I can rule them out or not.
What to do next ... Probably Prince of Thorns to hit up some fantasy, then Reality Dysfunction for scifi.
Should probably make my a new topic, but there aren't too many people here that I'll be bothering if I continue talking about Prince of Thorns, I think.
Quote from: WilshireShould probably make my a new topic, but there aren't too many people here that I'll be bothering if I continue talking about Prince of Thorns, I think.
Should've took the advice of your buddy MSJ! ;)
So finished most of what I set out initially, except Red Knight. So with that, an updated list of what I'll try to read this year, in no particular order. These plus the 8 I've read should put me at the 20 that I put down.
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis
Prince of Thorns (Broken Empire) by Mark Lawrence
The Reality Dysfunction (Night’s Dawn) by Peter F Hamilton
The Grand Design (The Tyrants and Kings book 2) by John Marco
The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle #1) by Miles Cameron
The Colour of Magic by Terry Prachett
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Brandbury
Shards of Honor (vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold
Dark Moon by David Gemmel
The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan
The Time Machine by H G Wells
Lords of Light by Rodger Zelzany
Note - Anyone who can recommend a particularly great book by Bujold, Gemmel or Zelzany, please do. I forget how these particular ones ended up on my list, but I have no attachment to them other than that I want to read these authors. Suggestions welcome :)
Finished Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (10)
It was ... unsatisfying. Seemed to rely very heavily on dues ex machina type plot mechanics to keep alive the important character - well, mostly Jorg I guess. I also don't appreciate the setting:
Storm Front by Jim Butcher (15)
I picked this one up because I heard from a friend, and also a lot of recs from r/fantasy, that this was a good book.
You know, it was alright. Better than I expected, given that it was both a detective novel and a modern fantasy... neither of which I generally like. The main character, Dresden, was snarky and somewhat interesting. The novel was pretty short, so not a ton of room for character development, but I think it might be worth reading a sequel or two to see where it goes.
Thanks Thelli (I can't decide how to abbreviate your name :P). As I said, I think I'll read some sequels. It really seems that everyone agrees that later books are where its at. This kind of goes against my rule, but unlike Prince of Thorns which I very nearly hated, Storm Front had elements that I really liked. I'm tempted to read more, and your encouragement makes it all the more enticing.
Leviathan Wakes (Book 1 expanse) by James S A Corey (17)
You know, it started out feeling a bit mediocre but I ended up liking it quite a bit. If anyone has read more of these, could you help me out? Does the series get better from here, and do subsequent novels follow a similar form - some kind of mashup between space opera and detective novel? Consistent timeline/characters or new cast for each?
I'm going to see if I can read about 2 books a month. Will reevaluate in August.
So put me down for 20.
At some point you're either just consuming fiction, or you're doing scientific research.Pretty much this. TSA is straddling the line, while Blindsight is firmly in the realm of fiction. And I'm not sure the line should exist. Why censor ourselves?
Wut.At some point you're either just consuming fiction, or you're doing scientific research.Pretty much this. TSA is straddling the line, while Blindsight is firmly in the realm of fiction. And I'm not sure the line should exist. Why censor ourselves?
Also, even though they overlap thematically, they're still quite different series. Bakker is all about crash space, what happens when anthropogenic subroutines crash, while Blindsight asks "what if consciousness is a dead end?".I would say the p-zombie and Chinese Room thought experiments ask that (among other things), not Blindsight. Blindsight only reiterates the question through a more conventional narrative.
Bakker is all about crash space, what happens when anthropogenic subroutines crash, while Blindsight asks "what if consciousness is a dead end?".
I have no idea where Bakker got these terms from (I think anthropogenic subroutine was said by him in a stuff to blow your mind interview, but I might be misremembering his exact term). I think the best example Bakker gave was how human light sources cause moths to flicker into them because they crash their lunar navigational system or something.Bakker is all about crash space, what happens when anthropogenic subroutines crash, while Blindsight asks "what if consciousness is a dead end?".
OK, I think that I might be getting this: "Crash space" is a metaphor from computer slang, and an "anthropogenic subroutine" is a metaphor from computer science. The metaphors align human consciousness with computer programming.
Am I warm?
So, I actually managed to finish Persepolis Rising. It was OK, just another installment in the series really...
That's ... kinda sad. Caliban's War just moved down on my to-read list lol.
Currently reading Illium by Dan Simmons. Honestly, after Hyperion, I'm pretty disappointed with how its starting out.
Also, I recall reading a fair bit of evidence that Dan Simmons lost his mind at some point after Hyperion, some time around 9/11.Wasn't that Orson Scott Card? Or is it both?
Also, I recall reading a fair bit of evidence that Dan Simmons lost his mind at some point after Hyperion, some time around 9/11.Wasn't that Orson Scott Card? Or is it both?
Both. Definitely both.Well, that's unfortunate.
Both. Definitely both.Well, that's unfortunate.
Also, I recall reading a fair bit of evidence that Dan Simmons lost his mind at some point after Hyperion, some time around 9/11.
Practicing psychiatry without a license? Or just disagreeing with his worldview?
I've read a lot of Dan Simmons' fiction published since 9/11. To this layman's eyes, there's no evidence of mental deterioration.
Finished First Lord's Fury(6) by Jim Butcher, The Codex Alera series. Wonderful finish to a great series. Predictable in a sense, and in other ways not so much. I would recommend to anyone. 4 out of 5 stars.
Fairly said, H.Almost done with Illium and I'm really disappointed. The Hyperion Cantos was such a masterpiece for me, maybe I had too high expectations.
I've got quite a bit of Simmons' recent fiction on my shelf. None of it gets much rereading action, but that doesn't signify a lack of cogency. Perhaps I need to revisit the novels. "The Fifth Heart", his most recent, I think, is a historical fiction that pairs Sherlock Holmes and Henry James (!). "Drood", another HF, featured Wilkie Collins (author of "The Moonstone") as the laudanum-addled protagonist. A meditation on drug-fueled insanity. Recommended.
I've got quite a bit of Simmons' recent fiction on my shelf. None of it gets much rereading action, but that doesn't signify a lack of cogency. Perhaps I need to revisit the novels. "The Fifth Heart", his most recent, I think, is a historical fiction that pairs Sherlock Holmes and Henry James (!). "Drood", another HF, featured Wilkie Collins (author of "The Moonstone") as the laudanum-addled protagonist. A meditation on drug-fueled insanity. Recommended.Almost done with Illium and I'm really disappointed. The Hyperion Cantos was such a masterpiece for me, maybe I had too high expectations.
MSJ, just thought you might find this amusing regarding Codex Alera (from wikipedia):
The inspiration for the series came from a bet Butcher was challenged to by a member of the Del Rey Online Writer's Workshop. The challenger bet that Butcher could not write a good story based on a lame idea, and he countered that he could do it using two lame ideas of the challenger's choosing. The "lame" ideas given were "Lost Roman Legion", and "Pokémon".
That's very interesting. I thought it was a great series nonetheless. Awesome that he could come up with such a great story off of two lame ideas though.
Hobb is on my list ... can you let me know if you finish? I started it once, briefly, but only got a handful of pages. Does it have much magic, or not so much, and if its worth reading. These are things I need MSJ to tell me :).
Quote from: WilshireHobb is on my list ... can you let me know if you finish? I started it once, briefly, but only got a handful of pages. Does it have much magic, or not so much, and if its worth reading. These are things I need MSJ to tell me :).
I am only on chapter 2, so there hasn't been any type of action so far. Only the background on Fitz (main character), and a little world building. I will keep you informed as your questions are answered.
Only thing is...i might put it down in favor of another book. Came across a thread about The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North (which is a ghostname(?) for Charlotte Webb). This has really grabbed my attention, the whole premise is that Harry is a a man that lives the same life over and over. He can remember his previous lives, and meets others just like him. It has gotten a lot of rave reviews on it, and everything I read up on, says it's an excellent book. Also, it's only $2.99 on kindle, couldn't pass that up. I might put off AA for a minute, and gobble this one up first. We'll see.
I have read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and would recommend it. I really enjoyed the exploration of how people who could remember their past lives (well, the same life over and over, but you get what I mean) would try to change the world/society (or choose not to do it), and how it affected their mental well-being, personality, etc
Quote from: ThoughtsofThelliI have read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and would recommend it. I really enjoyed the exploration of how people who could remember their past lives (well, the same life over and over, but you get what I mean) would try to change the world/society (or choose not to do it), and how it affected their mental well-being, personality, etc
Yea, I'm starting it tonight, just can't stop the itch I have to read this book. Once I've read it, I'll start a spoiler thread so we can discuss. :)
Started Thomas Covenant Lord Foul's Bane. I hate stories like this lol. About half way through. At least the outset of the journey was more unique than WOT, but the ring of power and naming structures, histories, its all so LOTR-y. Sigh. The writing is fine at least, just not a fan of the story structure - what would you call it, 'traditional fantasy' or 'tolkeinian fantasy'?
Started reading Eye of the World, immediately put off. Is it really starting with the disappearance of a great evil, flash forward to a small peaceful town in the future, about to start a festival and everyone's all excited to see fireworks? C'mon. This is the fantasy I try to avoid, bad Tolkien derivatives...At least the first half of "The Eye of the World" is a deliberate homage to Tolkien. I'm a huge fan of the Wheel of Time, and to this date I cannot get through that start. Like, I skimmed it, I know what happens, but reading it feels like pure masochism. So skimming it is my advice. Later, the series isn't like Tolkien (I mean, it is, but on such a grand scale that it's not evident), it pays much more attention to its characters and their interaction in an everyday manner instead of an epic one.
I sure hope its not all bad, like Sword of Truth by Brooks - which currently holds the title for 'worst fantasy novel i can recall reading'.Do you mean "Sword of Truth" by Terry Goodkind (which is a series) or "The Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks (which is a book in the "Shannara" series)?
I put down The Warded Man, by Peter V. Brett in favor of TPW, picked it up after and back down again. This time in favor of Assassin's Apprentice, by Robin Hobb. I've debated and debated starting this series, but I'm gonna give it a go...I've read "The Warded Man", and it's fine, but I wouldn't recommend it. That entire series is unbelievably bloated (like, there is plot for maybe 2 books in it, but certainly not 6), and in my opinion the author just can't pull off culture clash. Which isn't surprising, since it's extremely hard to do convincingly.
P.S.
I've tried to read Codex Alera twice, and it just seems very boring. The start of "The Eye of the World" level of boring.
Could you direct me to the moment where it picks up? I'll just skip straight to that part, because otherwise it refuses to work for me, and I've heard nothing but praise for Codex Alera.Quote from: SmilerLokiP.S.
I've tried to read Codex Alera twice, and it just seems very boring. The start of "The Eye of the World" level of boring.
Codex Alera is very good. Tavi, is interesting to follow and as he grows he might become a bit of dues ex machine, but overall it's good, and keeps you interested. I admit it did start off a bit slow, but picks up shortly. Magic system is pretty cool too.
@SmilLoki, is say it's just a few chapters in ,or so. It's been awhile, but if I remember correctly it isn't too far in. Can't give exact time of "action", but I'd say that the action stays relatively upbeat once it gets going in every book. But, to me, that's every book though, right? There's always the lull before the storm, in any book.I've gotten to the point in the first book where (my recollection might be bad, since my last attempt at reading it was about 6 years ago):
I still enjoyed it and the "real" action doesn't start til nearer the end of the book.Gonna go skim me some Codex Alera up to that point!
Started Thomas Covenant Lord Foul's Bane. I hate stories like this lol. About half way through. At least the outset of the journey was more unique than WOT, but the ring of power and naming structures, histories, its all so LOTR-y. Sigh. The writing is fine at least, just not a fan of the story structure - what would you call it, 'traditional fantasy' or 'tolkeinian fantasy'?
Hmmmm. I understand your dislike, Wilshire. I would urge you to consider the following observations:
1. There is one obvious significant difference between Covenant's ring and the One Ring from LOTR.
2. I've noticed lots of praise for Bakker in this forum for his repurposing of traditional epic fantasy tropes. Donaldson is doing something similar. Give the series time.
3. Are you not even slightly appreciative of a protagonist that hews to a radical unbelief of the situation in which he finds himself?
4. The Haruchai are badass!
5. Giants! GIANTS!! GIANTS!!!
Cheers, Wilshire!
Shannara, sorry! Hated it so much I can't even remember the title.I sure hope its not all bad, like Sword of Shannara by Brooks - which currently holds the title for 'worst fantasy novel i can recall reading'.Do you mean "Sword of Truth" by Terry Goodkind (which is a series) or "The Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks (which is a book in the "Shannara" series)?
Shannara, sorry! Hated it so much I can't even remember the title.I have exactly the same relationship with that series. It's completely unreadable.
Finished The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North(15). Burned through this over the weekend. I highly recommend this to everyone. I will start a spoiler thread a luttle later on today.
Started Thomas Covenant Lord Foul's Bane. I hate stories like this lol. About half way through. At least the outset of the journey was more unique than WOT, but the ring of power and naming structures, histories, its all so LOTR-y. Sigh. The writing is fine at least, just not a fan of the story structure - what would you call it, 'traditional fantasy' or 'tolkeinian fantasy'?
Hmmmm. I understand your dislike, Wilshire. I would urge you to consider the following observations:
1. There is one obvious significant difference between Covenant's ring and the One Ring from LOTR.
2. I've noticed lots of praise for Bakker in this forum for his repurposing of traditional epic fantasy tropes. Donaldson is doing something similar. Give the series time.
3. Are you not even slightly appreciative of a protagonist that hews to a radical unbelief of the situation in which he finds himself?
4. The Haruchai are badass!
5. Giants! GIANTS!! GIANTS!!!
Cheers, Wilshire!
Let me just start by saying that the book is at least decently well written. The prose is good, the story pacing is fine and has some interesting parts to it. It has redeemable qualities, I just don't appreciate them lol. Its not a bad book, but its also full of all the things I hate most about the genre.
To me, what Donaldson appears to have done is taken wholesale some (now) worn out Tolkien tropes. He doesn't so much re-purpose them as recycle. From the Ring, to the names, quasi sentient horses... the entire thing reads like all the fantasy I've read from that era - unimaginative derivations of Tolkien. Bakker, on the other hand, at least managed to not put any rings and horses into his books. Whereas Bakker has some elements of the fantasy tradition infused into his works but taken in his own direction, Donaldson more/less copied them and in many cases almost didn't bother changing the names. Authors today actually manage to make new stories rather than retelling old ones, and ultimately that's what I'm interested in reading.
For the record, I don't even like LOTR, and its for this reason that I dislike old fantasy. The hero worship of fantasy authors and readers to Tolkien ruined fantasy for decades, with productions like this and Shannara being some of the best from the era. This is the kind of stuff that people think Fantasy still is today, and its why those who don't actually read fantasy still believe LOTR is the only one worth reading.
At least when compared to Shannara, it was published the same year, this book is a masterpiece. For its time, I can see how it would have been considered something extreme - the book starts rather dramatically plus the whole rape thing which was pretty graphic. But imo it didn't age well. There's nothing especially great about it given the scope of the genre today.
Donaldson created a acerbic and unlikable protagonist whose fundamental unbelief in his situation leads to some original and fascinating plot possibilities. You should at least read the second novel, "The Illearth War". You may be pleasantly surprised.Acerbic is a new word for me :) .
Finished Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (27)
On to American Gods by Neil Gaiman
So far, very well written.Donaldson created a acerbic and unlikable protagonist whose fundamental unbelief in his situation leads to some original and fascinating plot possibilities. You should at least read the second novel, "The Illearth War". You may be pleasantly surprised.Acerbic is a new word for me :) .
I fear that I'm too far displaced in time for Thomas Covenant. Certainly within the context of the time, Donaldson did something very interesting, but it doesn't speak to me. Maybe when I'm older, or something? If I read more Donaldson, it'd probably be from the Gap Cycle. There's just a ton of authors to read... I've basically got 5+ years of recommendations to read if I maintain my current pace (which is doubtful). Covenant will likely not be up for redemption until after that time.
Would you believe that I, BFK, have been called "acerbic"? Shocking! 😉I'm actually just shocked that I haven't been called acerbic lol
With your extremely ambitious reading program, Covenant will be lucky to get revisited. "Hellfire!"
"Finishing" meaning finishing book 3, as I think GB is supposed to be like 7 books, should Lynch ever get around to publishing them all.I hate that this series is so incomplete and avoid it precisely because of that reason.
After all those years waiting for TSA to reach the point that its at, unfinished series do not bother me any longer. Some stories have no end, unfortunately."Finishing" meaning finishing book 3, as I think GB is supposed to be like 7 books, should Lynch ever get around to publishing them all.I hate that this series is so incomplete and avoid it precisely because of that reason.
After all those years waiting for TSA to reach the point that its at, unfinished series do not bother me any longer. Some stories have no end, unfortunately.Alas. But since there is a lot of finished works out there, I take up unfinished ones only if there is something really, really interesting to me in them. Or if a series contains mostly stand-alone stories, that's fine, too.
Just finished the third book of Codex Alera. It was finally just fun to read, so I immediately started the fourth.I'll keep it on my list for sure :)
I must note that it seems problematic that a genuinely fun book is for some reason third in a series instead of first. Moreover, "The Furies of Calderon" counterintuitively had many noticeably dark sequences in it while the tone of the series as a whole is by no means dark. Still, I'm glad I made it this far, so thank you, MSJ!
The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne) by Brian Stavely (30)
Wow what a great book. 10/10 would read again. Well written, nicely realized world with some lost pre-human race stuff. A sect of monks that are basically proto-dunyain, a guild of supped up assassins, and a bureaucrat all get thrust into some crazy wold domination plot led by some unknown figure.
So good!
Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies, by Scott Lycnh(18). So so, book. Not a whole lot to comment on. I do like the interaction between Locke and Jean, though.Yeah the whole thing is kind of filler. There are hints at the end of a great story afoot, and Jean and Locke are fun to watch, but the book was not all that great. At the end pretty much nothing advanced in the story of the Gentleman Bastards, which makes the entire thing seem pointless.
I've finished Codex Alera recently, and, unfortunately, after Book 3 it was a complete bust. It's readable, and that's pretty much everything I can say about it. Even then, there is no particular reason to read it. To me, it felt like a constant stream of missed opportunities and underdeveloped characterization. I don't think I'll come close to anything of Butchers' in the foreseeable future.That's a shame. I'll still probably read the first one because a friend of mine loves Butcher and I just was very unimpressed with his other series, Dresden Files. I was hoping maybe Codex Alera would give us some common ground.
That's a shame. I'll still probably read the first one because a friend of mine loves Butcher and I just was very unimpressed with his other series, Dresden Files. I was hoping maybe Codex Alera would give us some common ground.I actually tried reading the first installment of the Dresden Files about 10 years ago, since it was right up my alley at the time (I still love me some urban fantasy). It seemed very cliché to me, but not in a bad way, more like a good movie you've seen a lot of times. The problem was, after a third of the book everything lost its nostalgic charm and became just boring. I haven't touched the Dresden Files since.
The Fifth Season (Broken Earth 1) N. K. Jemisin (33)
This was a great book. Or at least, the plot was very interesting - I was really sucked into it - and the worldbuilding seemed to be pretty deep - if left mostly mysterious. The magic was quite fun as well. Writing/prose was not the best, but she did some great things with perspective (who writes in 2nd person??) and timeline, which made it a fun read. Highly recommended.
@SmilerLoki, I couldn't convert you, could I? ;)Alas, not this time, though I still quite liked Book 3.
I enjoyed Tavi as a character, and I was invested in his story/development, etc... I thought the ending came together well enough, though a little out there for a few chapters.He kinda felt grossly lucky, his inventions were all obvious (not only obvious, but literally requiring people to forget what they already know to not use such implements for hundreds of years), making the world around him full of idiots, and I feel that the idea of always coming up with workable third option just plain lies to us. For that matter, Sextus was very realistic: sometimes you are forced to make ugly decisions. That's what you should be ready for, not some fairy tale where you think hard enough, make an effort, and everything magically works out.
@SmilerLoki, I won't say you're wrong, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. See, every "new age" dark, gritty fantasy, all we see is grey characters. It was refreshing to read some bullshit I guess. I was quite fond of it.Oh, with that mindset it totally works, I get it.
Hey allCan't speak for other's but I've had a pretty great read, reading and otherwise. Hope all's well with you SR, long time no see.
Seems like you are wracking up the totals. I have hardly read a thing recently so going to try and start recording what I have read, I'll do a count up and then give myself a reasonable total for the year.
Hope you are all ok?