Please PM me with suggestions like I said. Post them here if you want, don't care just give me feedback.
Book of the Month - Merged
- Thread starter Himeo
- Start date
It's the 22nd!
So here's the biggest thing I've taken away from it aside from the obvious "holy shit this book fucking rocks":
The one-on-one fight scenes with Temujin were almost poetic.
Where Iggulden could have easily drawn them out to add tension and drama, he kept them short and sweet, helping to build on Genghis' stature as a badass. Take the first real one, with the Olkun'hut son of the Khan, for example:
He was a lot bigger than Temujin, was obviously well respected by his tribe, and seemingly fearless. At the same time, he was completely green when it came to battle (as his tribe never really fought during his lifetime), and Temujin is motherfucking Genghis Khan. Iggulden could have carried out the drama over a few paragraphs, but Temujin just did what needed to be done and it was over.
Then take Eeluk. Another larger warrior, but this time he's a seasoned and certified faceraper and the main antagonist of the novel. While it stretched out for an extra paragraph or two longer than the previous duel, I expected almost an entire chapter dedicated to this one. Again, Iggulden keeps it pithy and satisfying.
Maybe it's that I am (as I bet the rest of you are) used to fantasy battles that last for fucking ever. When you have several video game like battles over the course of a single book they tend to become stale and boring. By employing this (seemingly) more realistic prose, the reader isn't taken out of the story by the 1900th fucking whirling-twirling-dervish parry and, most importantly, Temujin is shown to be the conquering destroyer that he needs to be for the rest of the narrative to work.
So here's the biggest thing I've taken away from it aside from the obvious "holy shit this book fucking rocks":
The one-on-one fight scenes with Temujin were almost poetic.
Where Iggulden could have easily drawn them out to add tension and drama, he kept them short and sweet, helping to build on Genghis' stature as a badass. Take the first real one, with the Olkun'hut son of the Khan, for example:
He was a lot bigger than Temujin, was obviously well respected by his tribe, and seemingly fearless. At the same time, he was completely green when it came to battle (as his tribe never really fought during his lifetime), and Temujin is motherfucking Genghis Khan. Iggulden could have carried out the drama over a few paragraphs, but Temujin just did what needed to be done and it was over.
Then take Eeluk. Another larger warrior, but this time he's a seasoned and certified faceraper and the main antagonist of the novel. While it stretched out for an extra paragraph or two longer than the previous duel, I expected almost an entire chapter dedicated to this one. Again, Iggulden keeps it pithy and satisfying.
Maybe it's that I am (as I bet the rest of you are) used to fantasy battles that last for fucking ever. When you have several video game like battles over the course of a single book they tend to become stale and boring. By employing this (seemingly) more realistic prose, the reader isn't taken out of the story by the 1900th fucking whirling-twirling-dervish parry and, most importantly, Temujin is shown to be the conquering destroyer that he needs to be for the rest of the narrative to work.
Yeah, there's no reason to take up several months with a series. Use the BotM to introduce new authors/series to people, and people can continue on their own if want to.
Grimmlokk
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 12,190
- 132
Finished last night. Can't wait to dive in to the next book(read the prologue already), and I can't wait til Genghis meets Yuan again. Also just love the relationship between the brothers and am pretty curious to see what ends up happening with Temuge. Only thing I'm not sure on and only just realized is that Jelme kind of disappeared for the last few chapters after being a pretty big part of the entire middle section of the book.
I came in almost completely clueless about the story beyond knowing Temujin was his name, so it's all gonna stay fresh to me.
I came in almost completely clueless about the story beyond knowing Temujin was his name, so it's all gonna stay fresh to me.
khalid
Unelected Mod
- 14,071
- 6,775
Finished book 2 and starting on book 3, but I definitely liked book 1 the most of them all. As book 2 continues, my problem is more that it stops being a story of someone growing in power and fighting against the odds and instead turns into straight up raping and pillaging for little reason. I found myself somehow hoping that he would be defeated in book 2, even though obviously he wasn't going to be.
Book 2 spoiler kinda
Book 2 spoiler kinda
The chin general says at one point "These people that have grown nothing and built nothing" and I really kind of agreed with him. The Chin civilization was horrible in abunch of ways, but at least they can mostly read, are building things, advancing technology. The mongels were just destruction, at least so far in book 2.
khalid
Unelected Mod
- 14,071
- 6,775
Well, it was a gradual thing that grew in me as book 2 continued. Certainly initially I was all for it.
Book 3 I'm enjoying atm.
TrollfaceDeux
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
- 19,577
- 3,743
About 3/4 of the way through book 2 and it kicks ass as well. This was an awesome recommendation.
I am going to close this out 24 hours from this post because I will be travelling during the time it needs to be closed. This will give me time to make a thread for the book chosen.
So far I think we have enough of a gap to mean I am not forcing a book.
Second place book rolls over into next month.
So far I think we have enough of a gap to mean I am not forcing a book.
Second place book rolls over into next month.
iannis
Musty Nester
- 31,351
- 17,656
Black Sun is pretty decent. I'd honestly put it as one of the best in category for Swords and Sorcery Fantasy. It's an entirely enjoyable halfbreed of dumb pulp and "serious" fantasy that skirts deeper themes, and it's fairly clever.
Dan brown, awful. Just awful. William Gibson... while I like him he's become increasingly frentic as an author, and I know it's an intentional stylistic thing, but it makes him hard to read. I don't wanna get a headache reading a book. Stem Cell Now, haven't read it. Probably should.
Dan brown, awful. Just awful. William Gibson... while I like him he's become increasingly frentic as an author, and I know it's an intentional stylistic thing, but it makes him hard to read. I don't wanna get a headache reading a book. Stem Cell Now, haven't read it. Probably should.
That Gibson book reads like a "standard" novel which is why I picked it.
You should read that Stem Cell book, I learned a lot from it changing my stance on stem cells.
You should read that Stem Cell book, I learned a lot from it changing my stance on stem cells.