Ammanas Posted May 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 @officiumdefunctorum I thought you were listening to James Marsters with the Dresden Files? What Vance series were you listing to? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 2 hours ago, Ammanas said: @officiumdefunctorum I thought you were listening to James Marsters with the Dresden Files? What Vance series were you listing to? I am intermittently listening to DF as the titles become available from my library. I'm on a five week wait for book 8, I think. I listened to Richard K. Morgan's Land Fit for Heroes (which was HELLA GOOD), then the newish Darkness Within trilogy by JD Franx, which was actually amazing, and I can't wait for more of it. He's a Canadian author and it looks to be the first three of a larger saga spanning years, like Robertson's Cycle of Arawn/Galand. So, six Vance books back to back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted May 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 I might have to try The Darkness whithin some time soon. I liked the premise of the Morgan books about these "Heroes" who's big moments happen before the book opens and these stories take place in their latter years and explore how the fame has affected their lives. I must admit I was uncomfortable with the graphic gay sex scenes though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 1 hour ago, Ammanas said: I might have to try The Darkness whithin some time soon. I liked the premise of the Morgan books about these "Heroes" who's big moments happen before the book opens and these stories take place in their latter years and explore how the fame has affected their lives. I must admit I was uncomfortable with the graphic gay sex scenes though. Ringil being gay AF was my favorite part, actually. I loved it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted May 30, 2019 Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 Finished KR, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Esslemont's style is very different from Erikson's, but in this context it works. I thought that the way some of the side character arcs ended was a bit abrupt, but I'm still digging this prequel stuff. Spoiler below. Spoiler Anybody else think Gregor is going to be Blues? His surname was Bluethen, or something, and Blues fought with two weapons, and his Warren was D'riss (stone for an apprentice stonemason). Blues is supposed to be Napan, but it's Malazan. Who needs consistency? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine Posted August 18, 2019 Report Share Posted August 18, 2019 Long time no update, but I have finished all of the Path To Ascendancy books, and they definitely are good. The character dynamic between Kellanved and Dancer is really fun. I was a bit disappointed with Dassem Ultor's backstory, but he's still a great character and his brief romance was well handled. But more importantly, I am cruising through my re-read/re-listen to Malazan Book of the Fallen. Gardens of the Moon is such an amazing book! It's crazy how much of the full story is in the first volume. I loved Deadhouse Gates the 2nd time through, it's a lot stronger book than I remember it being. Also, there's one point where Felisin is making predictions when she opens the book of Prophecy, and she makes a prediction about Karsa which I think will be played out in the Witness Trilogy (based on Erickson's statement on his website that Witness is really the consequences of Karsa's actions catching up to him). I'll edit this post later and add the exact quote, pretty interesting though. Memory of Ice, is, of course amazing, but the real reason I am posting is because of a line from House of Chains. It's when Trull and Onrack are investigating the hound statues and talking about the power behind the Edur, and Onrack is going on about how the Crippled God is either going to abandon the Edur after they are no longer useful to him or destroy them outright, and Trull says: "There is the unpleasant ring of truth to your words, Onrack". To which, Onrack replies: "I am generally unpleasant, Trull Sengar". "So I am learning", Trull replies. So good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briar King Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Started DoD on 12/31/18 and I am only on page 550 something. Taking forever!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted August 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 (edited) In many ways DoD is the toughest of all the Malazan novels but that ending makes up for it! It’s almost more sci-fi than fantasy. Evil dinosaurs driving a fleet of Death Stars into battle. It’s hard to get more epic than that! @hoiditthroughthegrapevine I personally found my reread to be more enjoyable than my initial read of the series. Now you are well grounded you see so many connections and can really appreciate the story without feeling lost most of the time Edited August 20, 2019 by Ammanas 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted August 20, 2019 Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 Y'ALL it's been a dime since I've been around. I'm currently rereading The Dresden Files because anybody who knows me could have predicted I'd be obsessed with it and start it over as soon as I finished it, but I'm getting that Malazan Itch. Unrelated: I posted this question in a Malazan Facebook group, but who are the best/worst dads in Malazan? Ones who actually had some presence in the books and aren't like, a mysterious backstory, and spent time as a parental figure. Spoiler I'm going with Draconus as probably the worst, Udinaas as probably the best. Did we actually get to see Berethal being a dad? I can't remember... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted August 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 Your probably right about worst dad...that’s one messed up family. By the way which was your favorite Dresden book? Favorite quote? My favorite book is probably Dead Beat with Changes being a close second. My favorite quote comes from Cold Days. Something like, “Cat sithe isn’t evil..he’s just easily bored and hyper violent” 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted August 20, 2019 Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 17 minutes ago, Ammanas said: Your probably right about worst dad...that’s one messed up family. By the way which was your favorite Dresden book? Favorite quote? My favorite book is probably Dead Beat with Changes being a close second. My favorite quote comes from Cold Days. Something like, “Cat sithe isn’t evil..he’s just easily bored and hyper violent” Oh man. I need to finish my second listen before I really pick a favorite, but probably Turn Coat, or Changes. Quotes? So many. Any time he and Marcone are talking. I recently read Blood Rites so when he called Trixie a , self deluded, half witted schlong jockey" was pretty amazing. I found "Parkour!" at the end of Skin Game a particularly salient moment. I gotta start keeping a list. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briar King Posted August 20, 2019 Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 I liked White Night best. i agree the 2nd read is much better. Finding the nuggets books apart is mind blowing at times. This DoD read is just snailing along due to other books, games, TV and a mostly boring entry honestly though. Reading time is limited with so much piled up. Lucky if I can get a 2-3 pg day in most days. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briar King Posted September 14, 2019 Report Share Posted September 14, 2019 Finally within 99 pgs till finish. Still got so many Malazan to go after this to and I think I ll hit 3 yrs total read time in April easy before I get done. DoD just kinda undid me. Have spent 9 months of the 2 years and 5 months since starting GotM on it. Crimson Guard took awhile to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 (edited) Just looking at the survey, 3 out of 7 Malazan readers liked Midnight Tides the best out of any of the Malazan books. I'm currently re-reading the Book of the Fallen series and am reading Midnight Tides right now, for those of you who this is your favorite book, what are some of the things that you like best about this book? Is it the Tehol Beddict and Bugg dynamic? The saga of the Sengar brothers? Lines like when Delisp is asking Shurq Elalle what she is going to spend her incredible wealth on and says "How many variations of sex-assasin attire exist out there?"? The showdown in the Azath house (with Iron Bars and Ublala Pung)? The appearance of Silchas Ruin? The opening scene with the Betrayal of Scabandari Bloodeye? I think this a great book, definitely one of my top 5 favorite Malazan books, but I am curious to hear what you guys liked about it. Edited September 17, 2019 by hoiditthroughthegrapevine 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briar King Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Finished those remaining pages the day after that post. It was by far the most pgs a day I made on DoD. So happy to be done with that one finally after all these months. Now I’m just hoping TCG doesn’t take me forever like that did. 6 days has only gotten me to pg 38 though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine Posted September 23, 2019 Report Share Posted September 23, 2019 On 3/28/2019 at 4:38 PM, Ammanas said: So this is somewhat embarrassing, but I just realized I don't know what Midnight Tides refers to nor what the cover art (see image below) is depicting. The only idea that I can think that Midnight Tides refers to is that the image invokes a sense of dread of a dark overwhelming force; which would be the Edur and the birth of their empire. Any thoughts from fellow veterans? And yes I consider anyone that has read 1-10 of Erikson books veterans and hopefully any real veterans realize that I am being a little tongue in cheek about the word. Hey Ammanas, I don't think this was ever fully resolved, and I am currently reading Midnight Tides, and in Chapter 16, when the the Letherii sorceress Nekal Bara is watching the arrival of the Edur Fleet, she sees the ancient sea god/monster darkening the water in front of the Fleet, here's the actual description from the chapter. "Beneath the lead ships, a dark tide surged forward, spreading its midnight bruise into the harbour." On 3/29/2019 at 3:40 PM, Ammanas said: Its in chapter 23. He calls him "the new Emperor of the Edur, this Tyrant of Pain, this Deliverer of Midnight Tides" It doesn't go into details about what Midnight Tides actually is though. This might be referring to the above mentioned ancient god that Hannan Mosag bound in service to the Edur, it could be was previously speculated be referring to the diversion of the river and flooding of the Nascent and quite possibly it could also be referring to the legion of Tiste Andii wraiths that Emperor Rulad controls through the power of the sword. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted September 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2019 Thanks! I keep meaning to read these books again but something keeps on distracting me. It looks like I’ll have to at least reread House of Chains to prepare for the new Kara’s books when it hopefully comes out next year. Right now I’m currently alternating between rereading The Songs of a Dying Earth Anthology and The Devils Rosary by Quinn. The first is probably my favorite anthology ever and it’s been so long I might as well be reading them for the first time (you get more out of it if your familiar with the original Vance Dying Earth tales). The second is a collection of short stories that came out in the 1920’s and 30’s. Imagine a French Sherlock Holmes and Watson like character that solves mysteries with paranormal twist in a small town. There kind of fun if predictable at times...not in the same league as his contemporary Clark Ashton Smith. I’m also listening to The Broken Eye by Weeks to prepare for the conclusion of the Lightbringer series which I am very excited about! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hood Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 This poll is UNFAIR. One cannot have just 'one' favourite Malazan book. Had to use a random number to select between the 4 I like (MoI). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine Posted October 5, 2019 Report Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) Ahhh, Malazan. You have to wait until Corlo's info dump to Seren Pedac before you get a truly satisfactory explanation about what the warrens are. Wait for it, wait for it, it will all be revealed in time. Going through the audio books a 2nd time, Michael Paige definitely holds his own against Ralph Lister, and his voice for Karsa is perfect. I hope that Brilliance audio gets the Witness trilogy, and I hope that Michael Paige reads them. His performance of Karsa saying the oft heard standard refrain "Witness" is so good, it would be hard to hear someone else try and do it. Edited October 5, 2019 by hoiditthroughthegrapevine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted October 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2019 I kind of am hoping for John Banks to read the Witness books. I love what he’s done with the Esslemont books and his Books of Babel series. I think my personal favorite delayed explanation was of the Jade Statues. First introduced in book two and finally explained in book 10! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted October 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 Malazan news has been slow, but I know many people who have commented on this thread are Brent Week fans. I’m currently listening to The Burning White (about 15 hours in) and it’s fantastic. The author was enormously helpful and has recaps included for previous installments to help jog your memory. The spelling may be off because I’ve been listening to it but Tia and Kip storyline is the most engaging so far. The Andross flashbacks are really interesting. The Dezin Guile storyline hasn’t taken off for me yet but they just arrived at the tower so I think it will start hitting its stride. I’m also not really a Gunner fan so that’s probably part of it. I already have the feeling this will be the best of the series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted October 25, 2019 Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 (edited) 20 minutes ago, Ammanas said: Malazan news has been slow, but I know many people who have commented on this thread are Brent Week fans. I’m currently listening to The Burning White (about 15 hours in) and it’s fantastic. The author was enormously helpful and has recaps included for previous installments to help jog your memory. The spelling may be off because I’ve been listening to it but Tia and Kip storyline is the most engaging so far. The Andross flashbacks are really interesting. The Dezin Guile storyline hasn’t taken off for me yet but they just arrived at the tower so I think it will start hitting its stride. I’m also not really a Gunner fan so that’s probably part of it. I already have the feeling this will be the best of the series. Oh man. Lightbringer was the best thing I listened to, last year. It's AMAZING. You haven't listened to the first four? Weeks is also really aware of how popular the series is on audio and worked closely with Simon Vance to make sure it was the best it could be. Edited October 25, 2019 by officiumdefunctorum 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted October 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 14 minutes ago, officiumdefunctorum said: You haven't listened to the first four? Oh yes I have! I just mentioned the recaps in case people feel daunted by the last book because they can’t remember what happened. The whole Dezin/Gavin/Prison/Black Luxin plot twists is one of my favorites of all of fantasy. Never saw any of that coming in the previous books 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiumdefunctorum Posted October 25, 2019 Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 11 minutes ago, Ammanas said: Oh yes I have! I just mentioned the recaps in case people feel daunted by the last book because they can’t remember what happened. The whole Dezin/Gavin/Prison/Black Luxin plot twists is one of my favorites of all of fantasy. Never saw any of that coming in the previous books Oh good. XD I was worried there for a minute. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ammanas Posted November 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2019 So I’ve mentioned before how much it kills me that I don’t like the Kharkanus books; to the point of which I have only read parts of Fall of Light. So I decided to try it again on a different format (audiobook). I’m over halfway through Forge and have a few random thoughts: I really like the narrator; he remind me a lot of Peter Kenny. I am more interested in it but don’t know how much more I can take. Every time he starts one of his ponderous reflections my eyes might start to glaze but I’m exercising...so what else am I going to do (focus on) except in putting one foot in front of the other? One thing the Esslemont books and the original 10 books do is balance tragedy with comedy or the serious with the absurd. These books are all dark all the time. There is a Nietzsche quote about warning about staring into the dark pit in case you feel yourself staring out... These books are so dark, gloomy, dense, and ponderous I feel I am starting to descend into my own pit of madness and despair. Ok that’s a pit of a hyperbole but the point remains. Hopefully I can stick it out and at least finish Fall of Light. Whether I give up or actually finish my next read will have to be Starsight or a Skyward relisten. I will need something light and cheerful to cleanse the pallet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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