What Are You Reading, Part 2

[Treamayne]

8 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

wait, guys! what book recs do you all have? I'm looking for a few fantasy books for the holidays and i am going to head out to the book store tomorow.

Reading Reccommendations are in this thread, suggestions in-thread are added to the first three posts for ease of locating. 

[aneonfoxtribute]

Starting the ReZero light novel, at volume 15, which is the last volume adapted into S2. I wanted to read it rather than jumping into the next arc to get a refresher for the end of S2, as well as to see if there's anything at the end of the book that wasn't adapted because it was being saved for S3. I'm going to be reading this while at home (because I'll be damned if I walk out in public with some of those book covers, volume 17's cover would bring me neverending shame), and continuing to read Darker Shade of Magic whenever I go out.

[Kasimir]

Four books left to the goal Hael and I set.

Just finished:

-Yumi

I think I'll like it better the second time around. Hoid narrating is tiresome (back to my problems with Sanderson and banter) and Yumi had to grow on me but really enjoyed Kilahito as a setting. That Sanderlanche was insanely good though.

-The Winter Road

I have not in a while read a book I should love but really hated and only read because I wanted to see the protagonist suffer. Strong character voice, fascinating setting, protagonist who has Issues but I'm told to root for without the author ever doing the damn work to make me want to.

Currently reading:

-The Winged Histories (re-read)
-Heretics of Dune
-Snakewood (promised myself to DNF if I hate it as it's by the same author as TWR and commonly held to be the weaker book.)

[Dunkum]

38 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

-Yumi

I think I'll like it better the second time around. Hoid narrating is tiresome (back to my problems with Sanderson and banter) and Yumi had to grow on me but really enjoyed Kilahito as a setting. That Sanderlanche was insanely good though.

He wasn't quite as bad in Yumi as he was in Tress. I think he more or less works in the storytelling segments in Stormlight, but those are much shorter - not long enough for it to become grating.

[Kasimir]

8 minutes ago, Dunkum said:

He wasn't quite as bad in Yumi as he was in Tress. I think he more or less works in the storytelling segments in Stormlight, but those are much shorter - not long enough for it to become grating.

I actually felt it was the opposite way around - I was okay with it in Tress because of the Princess Bride conceit, but disliked it in Yumi. Agreed with you wrt the storytelling segments in Stormlight though!

[Dunkum]

10 hours ago, Kasimir said:

I actually felt it was the opposite way around - I was okay with it in Tress because of the Princess Bride conceit, but disliked it in Yumi. Agreed with you wrt the storytelling segments in Stormlight though!

I can see that - Tress takes itself a bit less seriously. also Hoid is more actively involved in Tress, as opposed to Yumi, and that can help a bit as well because it sort of internally makes more sense that he would be talking about it. but as I recall (and its been a bit since I read either) he was also adding a lot more commentary in Tress, so for me at least it was more distracting. it more or less works sometimes, but there is definitely such a thing as too much.

[Edema Rue]

Just starting Babel by R. F. Kuang, I’ve heard a lot of really good and really bad things about it…I love her style, but it’s definitely slow. So far it kind of reminds me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

[The Unknown Ajah]

Finished A Little Hatred. Abercrombie has a tendency to fake me put thinking I won't like it, only to fall in love by the end. Also, to those of you that think like Orso, I'm so sorry, I know that's how some people really think, and my heart goes out to them. Really a great character despite that. And I have a friend that is pretty much spot on for Leo, so everyone interacting with them is very relatable.

Almost done with Shadow's Edge, it's better, but still not my favorite. Definitely think I'll read the third one though. I have enough faith in Brent Weeks.

Started Dune, it feels like a walking headache, but it's a very interesting book, especially the second time through with more accurate expectations. 

[Treamayne]

37 minutes ago, The Bald Brandon said:

Almost done with Shadow's Edge, it's better, but still not my favorite. Definitely think I'll read the third one though. I have enough faith in Brent Weeks.

Did you already read Perfect Shadow as well (I did not see it mentioned in the last few pages)?

Spoiler

It's the Durzo Prequel Novella, though I would not recommend new-to-Night Angel readers to start with it. . . best after Book 1 at least since less is explained due to story length. 

Book 3 can be . . . polarizing (much like Lightbringer Book 5), but I liked it.

Spoiler

Especially the Vir reveal.

 

[The Unknown Ajah]

2 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Did you already read Perfect Shadow as well (I did not see it mentioned in the last few pages)?

No, just the first one a couple times. Don't know if I'll read that one, but if I do it will be after the main trilogy. 

Honestly, Durzo is a bit of a disappointing character for me. 

Spoiler

I really really love to toy around with the immortal character idea, and it felt kind of like a let down. Maybe the prequel would help with that, but I'm hesitant. 

Interesting that it's polarizing, I've only really heard negatives, but I do enjoy Lightbringer's so hopefully I'll enjoy this one as well. 

[Treamayne]

5 hours ago, The Bald Brandon said:

Durzo is a bit of a disappointing character for me.

It's under 17k words, so fairly short - but having the Durzo POV really makes some of his . . . ideosyncracies. . . finally make sense (as well as a certain relationship). 

5 hours ago, The Bald Brandon said:

Interesting that it's polarizing, I've only really heard negatives, but I do enjoy Lightbringer's so hopefully I'll enjoy this one as well. 

I guess that's why I say polarizing - I. too, had heard a bunch of negatives; but I liked it (and I think I've only talked to one other that liked it). No story spoilers, but discussing tone a bit:

Spoiler

Like Lightbringer - there is a lot of very subtle foreshadowing in books 1 and 2; and if you missed it - then much of Book 3 can "feel" deus ex machinae. However, if you had been noticing certain patterns, then the ending feels more like a Sanderlanche than any other non-Sanderson book/author I've found. Chapters and chapters of reveal after reveal - with action throughout. . . 

 

[Kasimir]

On 3/29/2024 at 9:35 AM, Treamayne said:

Book 3 can be . . . polarizing (much like Lightbringer Book 5), but I liked it.

 

I liked it but I saw why people didn't.

On 3/29/2024 at 8:36 AM, The Bald Brandon said:

Started Dune, it feels like a walking headache, but it's a very interesting book, especially the second time through with more accurate expectations. 

Walking headache is the best description ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[+Slowswift]

I've just finished The Black Locomotive by Rian Hughes. It read a bit like a Nolan film, if Nolan had a thing for trains--so, in other words, I absolutely loved it.

However, I do have one major issue, which is...

Spoiler

...that he just??? ended it??? at the end of Act 2??? Like, all the plot threads to this point have reconverged, we've gathered all the people, we're getting ready for Act 3, I turn the page and fin. It's like Dune pt. 1 if it just ended there and they were like. Yup. That's it. Thanks for coming!

To be clear, I still think it's a very good book. Everything up until that point was dealt with in a way I found satisfying. But holy Hannah did it feel like plowing straight into a brick wall on the freeway.

 

Edited March 30 by Slowswift

[Etedbert]

Perks of a bookseller: I just finished an advanced reader copy of Lynn Buchanan’s book coming out in August, The Dollmakers! (If I knew she had a 17S account I would tag her)

here’s the link to her website’s page on the book: https://www.lynnbwrites.com/books/dollmakers

Spoiler Free:

anyways, the book was amazing, anyone who likes Sanderson will probably like this too. It’s not quite as rules based in its magic system as he normally writes, but IMO it works really well. Her characters are incredibly compelling and the world she’s imagined is super expansive, but she keeps the scope really grounded in these characters and the people they care about. You can definitely feel the influence Brandon’s writing has had on her’s, but her voice strongly stands apart.

Light Spoilers (I say the character names and stuff about them. No plot spoilers outside what’s in the cover flap blurb):

Spoiler

If you aren’t familiar with the premise, The Dollmakers takes place in a world where there is a ravenous horde of monsters called the Shod kill rampant. The only effective way to combat the Shod are with Dolls, crafted by master artisans who animate the dolls with a Breath Mark. Dollmakers fall into two exclusionary categories, Guard Dollmakers, abd Artisan Dollmakers, each being licensed separately. The book revolves primarily around two characters the first is Shean, a prodigy apprentice whose licensing exam starts the book. Shean is angered when she’s given an artisan license instead of a guard license. She then hatches a plan to challenge and replace a provincial guard dollmaker’s position to prove her dolls are guard material.

Shean’s character is definitely the forefront of the book. Shean crafts highly intelligent, beautiful dolls, created to lure in the Shod and outsmart them. She’s egotistical, a narcissist, and incredibly stubborn. Her growth through the book was really amazing, and it’s her emotional graduation that the plot is structured around. While I really loved her arc, the character that I liked the most was actually her foil, and the second POV character.

Ikiisa is the aforementioned provincial guard dollmaker. Where Shean crafts beautiful intelligent dolls, Ikiisa creates powerful but ugly dolls that resemble the Shod that has left her scorned and hated by pretty much anyone who’s ever met her. She’s wracked by a combination of self-doubt, mistrust, and has a difficult time handling social situations. She’s definitely coded as having ASD, or a similar social disorder, and it’s written really well. Ikiisa was handily my favorite of the two POVs, and my favorite character flat out.

more spoilers than the last bit:

the third character I’ll mention (not by name cause his name isn’t in the blurb) , is a kind of enigmatic Hoid-y figure. When he’s first introduced, he’s described as being covered in white lines crossing in patterns across his entire body, and I was like “oh damn is this a Kelsier Easter egg” but no, he’s a bit similar but the lines have a purpose, and he’s much more integral to the plot than I originally thought he was going to be. He’s also technically a third POV character, but I only remember him having 1-2 chapters, but they were really good sections, where the reader clearly needs information that Shean and Ikiisa aren’t in a position to learn yet. He’s set up as a character who could appear in other books set in this world, and overall is pretty interesting. The biggest detractor to his character in my mind is his similarity to characters from the Cosmere for a few more reasons I won’t explain here cause they’re MEGA spoilers but to anyone who isn’t deeply versed in cosmere stuff, they wouldn’t notice.

Okay all in all, the book is stunning, and knowing it’s illustrated throughout and has full front and back illustrations only makes me want the full release more. I don’t often buy books I read advanced copies of, but this is one I’ll definitely buy a personal copy of.

 

My grief with the publisher’s choices:

Spoiler

okay this is getting away from book review/suggestion and is just me complaining about publishers, so here’s my three main issues with Harper’s choices.

1. paperback original

okay normally I’m all for simultaneous release of HC/PB. I think gating books behind the higher price point of HC makes reading current literature less accessible. So I think coming out with paperback at release is awesome. BUT, there’s a current trend of “Special Edition Hardcovers” where publishers will put out PB original debut authors to see what sticks, and whatever is popular, they’ll release limited edition hardcovers 1-2 years later, to boost sales again, basically baiting fans of the book to buy it twice. (E.g. Legends and Lattes was a PB release, that got super popular, and now has a $30 hardcover coming out 2 years later). I think this format hurts new authors, and isn’t a sustainable market trend long-term. All I hope is that this book gets the excitement is deserves and isn’t also subjected to the horrid sprayed edge trend happening.

2. Billed as YA/Adult crossover

This is a terrible terrible marketing choice. They need to pick one or the other, and imo the book leans more YA. Shean is a character who is struggling to grow into adulthood, and accept responsibility for her actions. It’s definitely a YA theme. Ikiisa too, is an older character, but is someone who is struggling with self-doubt, anxiety, and with standing up for herself. All of which are heavy YA themes. I think trying to sandwich this book in-between markets is gonna hurt its marketability.

3. “Cozy Fantasy Potential”
I’m sorry WHAT. What does this mean? This isn’t a thing. And this book isn’t whatever this non-thing is. Cozy Fantasy is a great genre, but acting like something could maybe if written differently have been cozy fantasy is WILD. This book is an amazing fantasy with a touch of horror. It’s not at all cozy fantasy. Storms, over half the book takes place in a spider infested dark forest village of nocturnal people. There’s not a lot of cozy vibes thrown around. They say cozy fantasy when what they mean is character driven story, and cozy fantasy is having a surge of popularity so they’re using it like a buzz word instead of as a subgenre.

you know what Harper, sure, if this book was a different book, it could be cozy fantasy. But it’s not a different book, and I don’t want it to be a different book. I like this book how it is. Putting labels that don’t fit on it, is only gonna frustrate readers, make it difficult to suggest to people, and it just detracts from the things that make the book unique and amazing.

 

[Kasimir]

2 minutes ago, Etedbert said:

My grief with the publisher’s choices:

 

100% vibed with the #3 rant but also just came off a book that I don't understand why it was marketed as cosy fantasy so I get it. But yeah, marketing point does stand - I hate it when reviews penalise a book for not being the genre they wanted it to be.

[Zurvanight]

I'm reading Disquiet Gods the sixth book in The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. So far it's been great. Every single one of The Sun Eater books have been amazing and this one is no exception.

[Kasimir]

One book left to that 52 books goal!

Just Finished:

-Snakewood

I promised to DNF if I hated it but it was actually alright. I liked the worldbuilding, but it was definitely grimdark and I'm not fully sure I'd recommend it. It felt like Kings of the Wyld but with none of the warmth, which makes sense given the setting. The idea of a magic/economy system based around Walter Whites supplying people with (in-world legal) drugs is actually fascinating. People who write about how this reminds them of the East India Company are filthy powindah

-Heretics of Dune

It's slow-going at first due to the timeskip and I felt a bit underwhelmed, but when it hits you, it hits you. Really liked the shift to studying the powindah scum Bene Gesserit internally in a time of great conflict. Heretics sometimes feels more like set-up and a bit slower than I expect.

-Chapterhouse Dune

Darwi Odrade, probably my favourite female lead in Dune. She has warmth which is not something I'm used to expecting from a BG protagonist, and the fact the BG are in crisis, precipitated by Leto and his challenge is a plot thread I'm appreciating a lot more when older. I'd probably rank Chapterhouse more highly than Heretics. I'm stopping here as I've read the Brian Anderson and KJA sequels once and that's enough for me. (Anyone who reads KJA's Star Wars should really know better than to let him near Dune.)

Currently Reading:

-The Winged Histories (re-read)
-Tracers in the Dark
-?????????

If anyone has a nice comfort read rec lemme know. (Thinking of something like Goblin Emperor.) Tracers is pretty dark and I'll probably want something new after it. I'm stalling through Winged Histories mostly because I want to copy down a quote from it and daren't progress until I do it.

Edited to add:

Nah, just finished Tracers so my 52 books goal is done!

Edited April 7 by Kasimir

[aneonfoxtribute]

Finished volume 15 of ReZero, and I'm very excited to finally go on to volume 16 and read content I haven't read before. I'm very curious to see where the story goes.

[aneonfoxtribute]

And now I've finished Volume 16 of ReZero. Arc 5 is off to a great start, the ending was really damn good, I wasn't expecting what happened at all. It's taking all that I have to not continue to Volume 17 right now. I NEED to know what happens.

[kylie13]

right now I’m reading twisted love, oathbringer, and the deal!

[The Unknown Ajah]

I finished Dune. This was I think the third time. Like the second time, I am thoroughly ready to delve into the sequels. This time I received some light spoilers as to what the future contains, so hopefully I can make it through Messiah (I DNFed really early on last time).

I'm plodding along through WoR. I feel very much in the minority, but I kinda hate Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. They take the already long Stormlight books and make them seem even longer. 

Started Seven Blades in the Dark by Sam Sykes. I'm only a few pages in, but it has a very intriguing tone. It seems very much the opposite of Dune, so probably just the palate cleanser I need.

I think I'm switching to  Leviathan Wakes, the first Expanse book for my next Audiobook. 

As for the future, I've got some Enderverse books, and Jade City, plus a couple others. We'll see how long SBitD takes me, but those might be a ways out.

Edited April 25 by The Unknown Ajah

[Dunkum]

been slowly making my way through Tad WIlliams's "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy. it isn't bad, but it just isn't grabbing me either. I'll try to finish it but part of that is just because I don't have anything else I'd rather be reading right now.

[The cheeseman]

2 minutes ago, Dunkum said:

been slowly making my way through Tad WIlliams's "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy. it isn't bad, but it just isn't grabbing me either. I'll try to finish it but part of that is just because I don't have anything else I'd rather be reading right now.

The sequel series, Last King of Osten-ard, is a lot better, imo. I enjoyed Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, but it's not one of my favorites.

[+Slowswift]

Taking a quick break from some fantasy to reread Dan Wells' Mirador trilogy. Apparently, all my favorite Dan books are the ones that flopped hard. I'm not sure what that says about either of us.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Finished arc 5 of ReZero, and it was really good, probably my favorite ReZero arc. Now I'm gonna read the EX novels before going into arc 6