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What Are You Reading, Part 2


Chaos

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Eh. I didn't exactly say the story would be predictable - obviously I haven't read it, I wouldn't know. But the moment I read this bit:

 

It has been twenty years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs - once thought of almost as gods - were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them.

I knew something like 

 

But when Davian discovers he has the ability to wield the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything.

was coming. You don't mention enemies that have been defeated unless you plan on bringing them back somehow. It's how synopses work. This is not criticism, it's an observation - Elantris, Mistborn, and The Way of Kings all follow a similar pattern, and they are some of my favorite books.

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I agree the synopsis pretty much spells that out. There is a pretty good twist to that though (although you will probably see it coming). Like I said if you like Sanderson (obviously we all do) I think you will like this too. It is not WoK caliber by any means but I think on par with Elantris.

 

 

 

About 6 chapters in to Armada looking really good so far! It is following the nostalgia porn route Ready Player One did. Some may say this is gratuitous and a cheap trick but I'm a geek at heart and like it.  

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I finished reading The Way of Kings (which was a massive undertaking), so, to spice things up a bit I'm going to read Books 4 and 5 of Shadows of the Apt, by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This series is very alien in feel, but is still comprehensible and entertaining.

Edited by Sol Invictus
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Done with Witches Abroad. This puts me halfway through the Witches subseries of the Discworld books, and already I find them noticeably superior to the Wizards. Which, of course, in a meta turn of events, is how the witches feel about wizards, so everything is right in the world. 

 

I am going to finish the second half - reading Lords and Ladies now - before I go back to more traditional fantasy for a bit.

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Yes Apt is a very fun read. I really need to knock out bks 9 & 10 of it.

I'm fascinated by how both simultaneously human and alien Shadows of the Apt really is. It's such a very bizarre concept, and yet, the pacing is fast, the action is intense, everything fits into the rather foreign, alien framework of the setting, and, above all else, Mr. Tchaikovsky follows the old writing adage, "Show, don't tell, the setting".

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I just got done reading Salute the Dark, but that not as impressive a feat as you might think: It was a "mere" 300+ pages long. So, tomorrow, or maybe the day after, I'll plunge into the significantly longer Book 5, The Scarab Path. Once I'm done with Book 5, I shall go read Words of Radiance.

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I just got done reading Salute the Dark, but that not as impressive a feat as you might think: It was a "mere" 300+ pages long. So, tomorrow, or maybe the day after, I'll plunge into the significantly longer Book 5, The Scarab Path. Once I'm done with Book 5, I shall go read Words of Radiance.

Have you ever read Malazan? I think both bk 5's are very similar in that they both bring a new element and change of pace from what came before. My advice is to be patient reading it as it's very different from 1-4 but totally worth it in the end.

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Well, I'm done with Brett's The Skull Throne. I have to say I'm kind of disappointed. The fact that

the guy that was supposed to be dead was not dead, but everyone else died and those who didn't die got pregnant

really makes me wonder where the author is going with the series.

I also finished Bakker's Prince of nothing trilogy. Not as enjoyable read as I expected, since it lacked some more interesting action, in my opinion. But still pretty good. After I'm done with the book I'm currently reading (really good Polish epic fantasy), I'll probably start his Aspect-Emperor series. Or maybe I'll read White Sand. I don't know yet.

But I have to say that you really make me want to read Shadows of the Apt.

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I finally decided to get back into the Drizzt books with Neverwinter! It's been so long since I read Gauntlgrym that there are about six more books to read at this point.

 

Of course, that's what I call a good problrm.

 

Other than that, I recently began the second volume of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci.

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Just finished the quartet "A Man of His Words" by Dave Duncan. Overall it was a very fun and engaging fantasy runaround (A little shaky on the dismount though). I appreciated the approach to fantasy "races", they were all some sort of sub-species of human, and there were no plain vanilla 'human' humans to be found  (The two main protagonist were both hybrids).

 

 

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Just finished The Scarab Path (Book 5 of Shadows of the Apt, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky). It was a damnation fun read. 

 

This was the last book in the series that I read, and I found it to be a big step up from the previous books.  It just seemed like it was written with a lot more confidence, and you really got to know the characters well.  I also agree with Briar King on how it is similar to Malazan's book 5 in a way.

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Currently working through Armada, aaaaand yeah, it's disappointing how little Cline's changed from Ready Player One. It feels like he's milking the nerdish references for all it's worth, when it's really almost detrimental to the story and characters.

I've also started On Basilisk Station, by David Weber, and am actually enjoying it more than I thought I would. It's slow ish, deliberate might be a better word, but still quite readable and interesting.

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I loved how it radically expanded the world. Everything felt a little claustrophobic, hyperfocused on the Lowlands. Now, after The Scarab Path, I have a strong feeling that setting is large. The Wasp Empire invading the Lowlands is, in my opinion, now in a better perspective. Further east of Khanaphes lie lands that've never even heard of the events in the novels. It, as a setting, feels more "alive" now.

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Just finished Rome 6 30 seconds ago and jumping straight into the last book Antony and Cleopatra. I'm happy it's the smallest of the 7 and I admit to being burned out after reading these massive 750-1100 pg books back to back but if I had broken up the reading names and places would've been forgotten by me. Glad my Rome journey is almost done.

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Currently working through Armada, aaaaand yeah, it's disappointing how little Cline's changed from Ready Player One. It feels like he's milking the nerdish references for all it's worth, when it's really almost detrimental to the story and characters.

Yeah pretty much how I felt. Worst part is it's not like the overall story is that original in the first place and then this just adds insult to injury. I'd love to tell you it gets better and there is this awesome twist that saves the book but it never comes. Pretty much RPO 2 without even a hint of originality.

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I just finished Harper Lee's new book, Go Set a Watchman. It didn't make me feel like to Kill a Mockingbird did, and it wasn't very intellectually engaging for me. I thought that a lot of the pre-release buzz really focused on the wrong things, and I feel like this books going to be interpreted in so many different ways that the good parts of it, might get sunk under other criticisms. I'm really not sure whether I liked the book or not.

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