What Are You Reading, Part 2

[Left he/him]

I can vouch for Temeraire as well. Starts as an excellent series, has some hiccups in the late middle, but finishes strongly. If you like alternative history, dragons on earth, or the effects of fantasy elements on cultures than it's an excellent series to start. 

[Briar King]

I only made it to bk 4 on that and quit a few pgs in. I did like bk 2 but they weren't for me.

[StormingTexan he/him]

2 hours ago, Ammanas said:

I have read all of the shadow campaign series that is out and can vouch for the series. I actually enjoyed it more than powder mage.

Good to know I've got it on deck. 

 

Not sure if anyone else reads the Magic 2.0 books (they are my light reading when I want something easy) but the most recent book 4 is horrible. It's like they ran out of antagonist and just made one up. 

[Steeldancer he/him]

I just finished reading the complete Dune series. It was very thought provoking. 

[Left he/him]

1 hour ago, The Flash said:

I just finished reading the complete Dune series. It was very thought provoking. 

I just finished Sandworms last week. (See posts above). Highlights and worst parts of the series in your opinion?

[A Budgie she/her]

Currently reading The Rook by Daniel O'Malley, as recommended to me by a friend.

[maxal she/her]

I have finally finished the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne. In the end, I think I have enjoyed the story but it wasn't perfect. I felt the author meant for his three siblings to be sympathetic leads, but quite frankly, after three books, only Adare got any sympathy from me.

Spoiler

 

From book 2 and onward, I couldn't stand Kaden. I felt every single one of this decision making was wrong, made for the wrong reasons, but somehow always ended working because of some tiny plot elements which made it OK for him to be such a despicable jerk. I felt the fact he basically destroyed his entire country by giving it to the end of petty nobles who turned it into their own playground was never addressed. I kept on feeling I was supposed to hate Adare and to think Kaden was justified, but the opposite happened. It isn't I defend monarchy, I hate it, but what Kaden suggested was far worst and created for the wrong reasons (ah my sister took the throne while she thought I was dead and I needlessly delayed to reach it so I have to destroy the empire just so she would have none of it). I also hated how Kaden automatically decided his sister was a traitor without even attempting to talk to her first, always thinking the worst out of her. so really I hated how the story wanted to make Adare the "bad sibling" when I felt the boys were much worst. His last stand could have redeemed his character if it hasn't sounded so much like Shin crap all over again. I disliked how the only way to get rid of evil Gods were to kill yourself as if those despicable Gods deserved it.

Valyn started up quite strong within book 1. I immediately liked his character, but he went downhill starting about towards the middle of book 2. I hated so much what he became, the whole "I am death, I am pain, I am a killer" thing was insufferable. A became a monster, not a man and quite frankly I disliked reading it. What a waste of a good character! I also hated how the Urghuls twisted way of life seemed to be glorified, in the end. I hated how Valyn is depicted as Adare's victim when, from my perspective, he was an out-of-control monster who needed to be put down because he wouldn't listen, he wouldn't control himself and he would kill everyone standing on his way and yes, he would have killed Adare to get to Il Torna if the need had arise. Valyn just became such a loath-full character and it made me realize how the "Adolin will go evil" story arc which so many readers root for would completely destroy his character too. In Valyn's case though, it was made obvious he had always been a bad one, always been a killer for no other reason then he enjoyed killing, so really huh, I didn't think much of him. He could have died and I would have been pleased  All in all, I read him as an antagonist, an antagonist the author was trying to sell me as a hero, but he wasn't a hero. He embraced the Urghuls way of life which is downright idiotic. Revering wasting your life in getting uselessly killed is completely illogical and it is implausible they would have managed to brew in their numbers with such a mentally: half their people die horribly young. I read those people as the bad guys and I hated being forced to attempt at liking them.

Adare was the strongest of the siblings as she seemed to be the only one who thought before she acted. Each time, she weighted down her options and while she might have chosen badly at times, it always made sense for her to pick her course of action base on the facts she did know. I loved her interactions with Nira and I wished the old leach had had a bigger role to play. I found the Atmani fascinating and I wanted more of them. I disliked how Adare was always pictured as being the bad sibling because the boys just wouldn't trust her or were always quick to think the worst out of her. Valyn puts a knife to her throat, but she somehow ends up being the bad one? I could never reconcile myself with Adare being pinpoint as the evil sibling. To me, Kaden and Valyn were the bad ones if for different reasons.

Gwenna ended up being my favorite character, but I felt her story arc was cut short. I really wanted to read the chapter where she forms the new wings and I was sorely disappointed they all died. I would definitely read a book focusing on Gwenna.

Triste was an annoying character. I did end up feeling sorry for her the only agency she had, it was taken away from her as she did have to die for a stupid Godess I would have rather seen dead. That's was one issue I had with the story, the Gods were awful. I ended up wanting Il Torna to succeed because they were so despicable they didn't deserve to keep on existing. This is always bad, in a story, when you don't want the main protagonist to succeed....

 

So all in all, a good story with decent pacing, good action and a few great ideas, but bad (or unsatisfying) character development.

 

 

[StrikerEZ he/him]

I just finished Warbreaker and I think that, after the first Mistborn trilogy, it's been my favorite Cosmere book so far. I absolutely loved the book, and I love the way that BioChromatic Breaths work. 

Now, on to Stormlight.

[Briar King]

Only just getting to ch 5 around 90 pgs into Tigana. Loving it! Deadhouse Gates is taking up most of my reading time, 374 pgs in it. I'm barely making any progress in Safehold 8. I'm so ready to finish this series but the past bk till now pg 520 has been such a grind.

[Steeldancer he/him]

22 hours ago, Left said:

I just finished Sandworms last week. (See posts above). Highlights and worst parts of the series in your opinion?

I enjoyed the planet, and the whole idea of the economy being based on a drug. I have mixed feelings about the computers. It certainly wasn't Brandon sanderson, and sometimes was downright confusing. Especially with the philosophy.

[Ammanas]

I'm rereading Magician:Apprentice by Feist. It's been about five year since I have last read this and the sequel Magician:Master. This is the book/series that made me fall in love with the fantasy genre and it's always a great experience getting back into this world. Pug's view from the tower in Master will probably always be one of my favorite scenes from any book.

[StrikerEZ he/him]

I started The Way of Kings over the weekend. I'm only about 50-60 pages in so far because I didn't have much time to read and I didn't wanna get dragged into it and not get any sleep for a few days. So far it's pretty dang good.

[Jondesu he/him]

43 minutes ago, StrikerEZ said:

I started The Way of Kings over the weekend. I'm only about 50-60 pages in so far because I didn't have much time to read and I didn't wanna get dragged into it and not get any sleep for a few days. So far it's pretty dang good.

It gets even better. Of course, you're a Sanderfan already or you wouldn't be here, so you probably know to expect that.

[StrikerEZ he/him]

54 minutes ago, Jondesu said:

It gets even better. Of course, you're a Sanderfan already or you wouldn't be here, so you probably know to expect that.

Oh, I know. Sanderson books tend to drag me in and don't let go. So, in order to actually get sleep, I have to hold off on them sometimes.

[Dunkum he/him]

20 hours ago, Ammanas said:

I'm rereading Magician:Apprentice by Feist. It's been about five year since I have last read this and the sequel Magician:Master. This is the book/series that made me fall in love with the fantasy genre and it's always a great experience getting back into this world. Pug's view from the tower in Master will probably always be one of my favorite scenes from any book.

I remember loving that series when I first read it in middle or high school.  When I reread it more recently it was OK, but, like a lot of what I read then, I don't think it quite holds up as well as I would have expected.

[Ammanas]

4 hours ago, Dunkum said:

I remember loving that series when I first read it in middle or high school.  When I reread it more recently it was OK, but, like a lot of what I read then, I don't think it quite holds up as well as I would have expected.

I hear that from others, but its still great for me. I'm sure a large part of it is nostalgia for me. It reminds me of growing up in Texas and reminds me of stuff I haven't thought of in a while. Also, as much as I love the grimdarke genre, reading Joe Abercrombie etc...it is nice to read stories like these every once in a while for a change of pace.

[Briar King]

I read up to Silverthorn a few yrs ago but at the time i started Apprentice I bought about 6 of them in total. Maybe up to Kings Buccaneers I think. Silverthorn kinda let me down and I haven't got around to starting Darkness at Sethon

[Dunkum he/him]

20 hours ago, Ammanas said:

I hear that from others, but its still great for me. I'm sure a large part of it is nostalgia for me. It reminds me of growing up in Texas and reminds me of stuff I haven't thought of in a while. Also, as much as I love the grimdarke genre, reading Joe Abercrombie etc...it is nice to read stories like these every once in a while for a change of pace.

in my case part of it is that there are tropes that I enjoyed when I was younger which I don't like as much now, and Feist hits a few of them

[AngelEy3 he/him]

Alright, back to work tonight. Time to finish Deadhouse Gates!

Edit: Finished the book.... Wow. Just wow. Epic in every sense.

On to Memories of Ice.  

Edited May 18, 2017 by AngelEy3

[Straw he/him]

I'm reading Ready Player One.

[Briar King]

12 hours ago, AngelEy3 said:

Alright, back to work tonight. Time to finish Deadhouse Gates!

Edit: Finished the book.... Wow. Just wow. Epic in every sense.

On to Memories of Ice.  

Did you need Kleenex? I have 40 pgs left. Really looking forward to starting MoI again.

[Who Sharded?]

I didn't love DG as much as most when I read it, but that ending...maybe the most powerful scene I've ever read.

I'll probably reread DG this summer, and I think I'll enjoy it more this time.

[Briar King]

Finished Deadhouse. That was so good to read again! That being the case MoI ought to be straight up mind blowing this time though I will be skimming one particular character arc this time around that I wanted to cry over on my 1st read.

[Ammanas]

1 hour ago, Briar King said:

Finished Deadhouse. That was so good to read again! That being the case MoI ought to be straight up mind blowing this time though I will be skimming one particular character arc this time around that I wanted to cry over on my 1st read.

The Mhybe? I hear fans complain about it, but I thought "The Snake" and "Ghost" story in DoD were far less compelling. Did you pay attention to the Tano Spirit walker in DG? Also this prophesy in ch 2 of DG, "Two fountains of raging blood! Face to Face. The blood is the same, the two are the same and salty waters shall wash the shores of Raruku. The holy desert remembers its past!"

Edited May 19, 2017 by Ammanas

[maxal she/her]

15 hours ago, Straw said:

I'm reading Ready Player One.

Heard about it. Is it good?