Dunkum he/him Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 See, I REALLY liked the Belgariad and Mallorean. I've read all of WoT, too. What I liked about B & M, though, was just how FUNNY they were in the midst of all the peril. I wouldn't put one series (WoT or B&M) above the other because, though they're both fantasy, they meet different reading needs. If you're looking for something epic, go with WoT and stick it out a few books. (I agree that if by book 3 you're not hooked, don't bother continuing. If you're like me, though, you'll be so into the characters you won't be able to stop.) If you're looking for something exciting and amusing all at once, head for David Eddings two quintets. (Edit just to fix grammar/typing.) I enjoyed them well enough the first time I read through them, but I felt they just didn't hold up so well on reread, whereas WoT, though it has some problems, seems to hold up on reread much better.
Briar King Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Finished The Grass Crown a few mins ago. Jumping to Fortunes Favorites Masters of Rome bk 3. Great stuff so far esp if your into Ancient Rome era
Frosted Flakes Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 I'm currently reading The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson. Lulz.
Left he/him Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Just finished Joust by Mercedes Lackey last night. Considering it was basically a dragons and sorcercy, it was really fun and I enjoyed it. Currently reading The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.
Argent he/him Posted February 25, 2015 Posted February 25, 2015 I finished Brian McClellan's The Autumn Republic not too long ago. It was an excellent conclusion of The Powder Mage series. There are some - mostly small - things I had problems with, but overall it not only ended well, it ended the series well. I read The Waking Engine before that, and boy do I wish I felt the same way about it... It may be one of the worst books I have ever read (it is, in fact, the second to last on my Read shelf if I sort them starting with the worst average rating). It had a lot of potential, the writing wasn't bad, the idea was clever, but I think it just failed to deliver somehow. I feel like the book would've worked much better if it was twice as big - or the number of characters that showed up in it was cut in half. At the end, I think the biggest downfall of The Waking Engine was it attempting to squeeze an epic fantasy novel's worth of worldbuilding into a regular novel's size. I am reading Django Wexler's The Thousand Names now, a little over halfway through. It reminds me a little bit of Glen Cook's Black Company series, in the sense that there is a lot of army stuff going on - camps, logistics, weapons, battles, tactics, officers, etc. The differences stop there, I think, though. It was a little confusing at first (for the first 50-70 pages, let's say), because the viewpoint characters don't explain much, and there is much going on, but it picks up from there. I am not a huge fan of battle scenes in books, and this one has more than a few, but overall it's more than bearable. We'll see how I feel when I finish it. 1
Left he/him Posted February 25, 2015 Posted February 25, 2015 Currently working on the Parafaith War, by Modesitt, as well as For One More Day by Mitch Albom. Will be trying out the powdermage trilogy soon as well as a Planet of the Apes book a girl friend is raving about, and Madness in Solidar the latest Modesitt. Most excited by the last, although a friend has gotten me interested in powdermage. Oh, and I'm finally going to get around to FireFight soon.
The Rooster he/him Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 I finished Brian McClellan's The Autumn Republic not too long ago. It was an excellent conclusion of The Powder Mage series. There are some - mostly small - things I had problems with, but overall it not only ended well, it ended the series well. I read The Waking Engine before that, and boy do I wish I felt the same way about it... It may be one of the worst books I have ever read (it is, in fact, the second to last on my Read shelf if I sort them starting with the worst average rating). It had a lot of potential, the writing wasn't bad, the idea was clever, but I think it just failed to deliver somehow. I feel like the book would've worked much better if it was twice as big - or the number of characters that showed up in it was cut in half. At the end, I think the biggest downfall of The Waking Engine was it attempting to squeeze an epic fantasy novel's worth of worldbuilding into a regular novel's size. I am reading Django Wexler's The Thousand Names now, a little over halfway through. It reminds me a little bit of Glen Cook's Black Company series, in the sense that there is a lot of army stuff going on - camps, logistics, weapons, battles, tactics, officers, etc. The differences stop there, I think, though. It was a little confusing at first (for the first 50-70 pages, let's say), because the viewpoint characters don't explain much, and there is much going on, but it picks up from there. I am not a huge fan of battle scenes in books, and this one has more than a few, but overall it's more than bearable. We'll see how I feel when I finish it. I agree on the Autmun Replubic, It was overall GOOD. And I'm interested to see more BM. With The Thousand Names I had just Read The first Malazan Book before reading it the first time and the similarities between the two are not insignificant. It actually helped give me a darker and more real sense of dread while reading The Thousand Names.
Argent he/him Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Right, Malazan. It is similar, I suppose - though only partially. The Thousand Names is much more army-centric, while Malazin has more than a few viewpoint characters who are off somewhere. But you know what I like about The Thousand Names? That the people are generally competent. This is present in Malazan and The Black Company, of course, but I haven't read those in a long time, so the impression is fresh in my mind. Yes, there are some goons, but the important characters - on both sides - are generally capable of doing things and thinking on their own. I don't know why this is such a big deal for me - I can't really pinpoint a book I've read recently where this has not been the case (though I also can't pinpoint one where I've consciously noted the characters' competence).
The Rooster he/him Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Right, Malazan. It is similar, I suppose - though only partially. The Thousand Names is much more army-centric, while Malazin has more than a few viewpoint characters who are off somewhere. But you know what I like about The Thousand Names? That the people are generally competent. This is present in Malazan and The Black Company, of course, but I haven't read those in a long time, so the impression is fresh in my mind. Yes, there are some goons, but the important characters - on both sides - are generally capable of doing things and thinking on their own. I don't know why this is such a big deal for me - I can't really pinpoint a book I've read recently where this has not been the case (though I also can't pinpoint one where I've consciously noted the characters' competence). I'll agree, It's very satisfying that really non of the characters are farmboy rubes. They are all Takin' Care of Buisness. The Second Book if really good as well and manages to have a distance feel from The Thousands Names while still maintaining the same cast (plus an awesome addition). My favorite character is Winter by far.
Argent he/him Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Winter takes it all, I agree. Not that Marcus is bad either. Which reminds me of another excellent thing about the book - it doesn't stretch itself to a large cast of characters. Two main characters, plus the rare side viewpoint chapter (e.g. Jaffa or Feor). It works really nicely.
sanderfuss he/him Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I'm about a quarter of the way through 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I decided to take a little high-fantasy break after finishing Words of Radiance. So far, I like it. It makes me feel weirdly nostalgic for the simplicity of the 1950's, the weirdness being that I wasn't born until '89. Great book. Really enjoyed it.
Left he/him Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I just started the first book in the Sword of Truth series, seems fine so far. I was wondering though, on a scale of Elantris to Warbreaker(or beyond) how adult/explicit does it get?
Frosted Flakes Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) I just started the first book in the Sword of Truth series, seems fine so far. I was wondering though, on a scale of Elantris to Warbreaker(or beyond) how adult/explicit does it get? On a scale of Elantris to Warbreaker? It goes to 50 Shades of Grey. Not sure what book it's in, but like a 1/3 of an entire book is Richard being tortured by a woman in tight red leather, then she falls in love with him and so she starts sleeping him while she tortures him, then she has him kill her out of love. Can't make this stuff up. Personally, I've seen and read about every sexual act that you can imagine, but SoT starts getting vulgar in a way that I don't think is even necessary to the plot. Edit: I seriously can't remember where it is in the story, but I think it's either book two or three. You should be safe with book one. Edited February 28, 2015 by Frosted Flakes
GreyPilgrim he/him Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I finished Stonewielder a little while ago. I really enjoyed it, and am glad that I have come to like Esslemont, because I was going to read his books no matter what. Can't miss any Malazan! I'm now a good quarter into the sci-fi classic Time and Again, which I've never read but was given to me as a gift. Really good so far, though I don't see quite yet why it is held in such high regard by so many.
Left he/him Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 On a scale of Elantris to Warbreaker? It goes to 50 Shades of Grey. Not sure what book it's in, but like a 1/3 of an entire book is Richard being tortured by a woman in tight red leather, then she falls in love with him and so she starts sleeping him while she tortures him, then she has him kill her out of love. Can't make this stuff up. Personally, I've seen and read about every sexual act that you can imagine, but SoT starts getting vulgar in a way that I don't think is even necessary to the plot. Edit: I seriously can't remember where it is in the story, but I think it's either book two or three. You should be safe with book one. Hmmm, wow, okay. Does the rest of the series continue on and off like that? And is it pretty easily skippable like the Felurian section of book two of KingKiller chronicles?
Meg Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) I am reading Django Wexler's The Thousand Names now, a little over halfway through. It reminds me a little bit of Glen Cook's Black Company series, in the sense that there is a lot of army stuff going on - camps, logistics, weapons, battles, tactics, officers, etc. The differences stop there, I think, though. It was a little confusing at first (for the first 50-70 pages, let's say), because the viewpoint characters don't explain much, and there is much going on, but it picks up from there. I am not a huge fan of battle scenes in books, and this one has more than a few, but overall it's more than bearable. We'll see how I feel when I finish it. Did you finish that book already? I'm curious about your "review" when you're through. I've read (though in German translation) Black Company years ago and I liked them very much. Thus if The Thousand Names were similar I'd give it a try. edit: Might I kindly ask if you could tell about his the writing style of this author. Is it more like Mr. Sanderson's style or more like Rothfuss? Thanks in advance. As for I normally don't search around for authors and such I hope I don't hit a nerve when I say that I'm a bit surprised nobody mentioned Michael Stackpole's The Dragencrown War or the Crown Colonies series or Realms of Chaos. Does he have such a bad reputation? Edited February 28, 2015 by Meg
Kasimir he/him Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Technically, I'm supposed to be reading 'Rational self-doubt and the failure of closure' by Joshua Schechter. However, after having been shot down ten times (I kid you not) in my attempt to do my paper, I went to Google some other stuff and found that Philip Kerr had gone and produced another Bernie Gunther book when I hadn't been paying attention! So recently: I finished The Autumn Republic and generally liked it. Ditto for Brian Staveley's The Providence of Fire, although I had to resist the urge to throttle characters at various points. (I've gotten more impatient with characters, I find, even though I never really have that feeling with characters in a Sanderson book.) Actually, I generally have mixed feelings about books that try to draw on Chinese-type settings, so I'll leave it at that. In addition, I'm moving onto A Man Without Breath (Kerr's Gunther #9 book), and I'm still on the first few pages of Überm Rauschen by Norbert Scheuer. The problem with the latter being not that it isn't interesting, but that I end up reading more of my trusty dictionary that I do the book -.-''' I appreciate Kerr's mystery books though: I tend to get impatient with mystery books when you can see the ending coming by the time you're done with Chapter Two. (In that vein, let me comment that Mark Charan Newton's Drakenfeld series seems pretty excellent, though Book Two is a little strange given how Book One was.)
Orlion Blight he/him Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 On a scale of Elantris to Warbreaker? It goes to 50 Shades of Grey. Not sure what book it's in, but like a 1/3 of an entire book is Richard being tortured by a woman in tight red leather, then she falls in love with him and so she starts sleeping him while she tortures him, then she has him kill her out of love. Can't make this stuff up. Personally, I've seen and read about every sexual act that you can imagine, but SoT starts getting vulgar in a way that I don't think is even necessary to the plot. Edit: I seriously can't remember where it is in the story, but I think it's either book two or three. You should be safe with book one. Hmmm, wow, okay. Does the rest of the series continue on and off like that? And is it pretty easily skippable like the Felurian section of book two of KingKiller chronicles? I remember reading the first book, and I remember the S&M, Stockholm Syndrome, come on Goodkind, what does any of this have to do with anything side-story. Might have been all right, except (to me) the ending was so dumb that it did not justify reading through such pointlessness. From what I've heard from friends who have read further, this continues throughout the series.
Briar King Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Sword of Truth is one of the most hated series by most people I've ever run across. It's really hard to find a series with more hate then this one seems to produce.
Argent he/him Posted March 1, 2015 Posted March 1, 2015 Did you finish that book already? I'm curious about your "review" when you're through. I've read (though in German translation) Black Company years ago and I liked them very much. Thus if The Thousand Names were similar I'd give it a try. edit: Might I kindly ask if you could tell about his the writing style of this author. Is it more like Mr. Sanderson's style or more like Rothfuss? Thanks in advance. Storms, having no Internet is a terrible thing. Here. First, my review. It's not a long one, but to make it even shorter - it's a good book. A little too much military stuff for my taste (e.g. actual battle descriptions), but that doesn't make it bad. I would definitely recommend it. I am halfway through the second one, and it's even better - but in a different way. If the first one is about military campaigns, the second one is about urban heists. As for Wexler's style, it's much more similar to Brandon's. Subtle. Transparent, rather - it doesn't distract from the plot. 1
sanderfuss he/him Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 I've said it before and I'll say it again: Eye of the World is the worst in the series. I always recommend that people try to make it through book 3 before they give up on the series. It's my personal favorite (well either that or one of the ones near the end when everything starts coming together) and If you aren't hooked by then, you never will be. That said it can be somewhat of a slog from about book 6ish through book 10 or 11 before it picks up again for the climax. I'm on it. Book 3. The dragon reborn. Here we go
Argent he/him Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Finished The Shadow Throne, #2 in The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler. Definitely better than the first one, though by how much will depend on the reader. This one was less militaristic - though there were some battles and altercations - and more urban (as in, all of it took place in a city). I liked the removed militarism (and the other things it did well, such as the new viewpoint character) more than I disliked the added urban environment, so overall I liked it better than The Thousand Names. I am going through Messenger's Legacy quickly just so I am done with Peter V. Brett until The Skull Throne comes out. Which I just saw at the end of the month, so not much room there. Next one my list... probably The Scarlet Tides by David Hair. I read the first book in the series, and it was alright - alright enough to give the second one a shot.
Orlion Blight he/him Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Sword of Truth is one of the most hated series by most people I've ever run across. It's really hard to find a series with more hate then this one seems to produce. True, and I was even holding back! Of course, someone (quite a few someones, actually) have to like it since it continues to be a bestseller, despite efforts by those of us who know better to slay interest in the series with a sword...of truth!
Left he/him Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Yeah I decided best to just call it quits, which was really sad because it seems like there's a lot of potential here. Going to the library to pick up: Madness in Solidar, Planet of the Apes(by some french guy, cute girl geeked out over it, what else could I do? ), Promise of Blood, and I'm finally getting around to Firefight. Also, anyone read the Riftwar books? I read the first trilogy/quad a while ago and want more of Pug/Thomas action, where to next?
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