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There is a second void series out now (at least the first one of it) that you should look into
What did you just read?
- Thread starter Fippy Darkpaw
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
khorum
Murder Apologist
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You're french aren't you? Have you finished Maurice Druon'sLe Rois Maudits/The Accursed Kingsseries?
It's a historical fiction series about the Capetian kings and the Templar curse that brings the dynasty down. It starts out a little slow but it gets rolling like a fucking sledgehammer by the second book. That could just be because of the translation I had, but apparently there's a new translation out that George R.R. Martin was raving about.
The series was written in 1955 and it's a classic of the historical fiction genre. All the templar-related mythology that's been popping up since Holy Blood/Holy Grail, Davinci Code and even Preacher can be traced directly to the central ideas Druon popularized in the 60's---and it's still got some shit I haven't read elsewhere.
Easily some of the best historical fiction I've read---right up there with Colleen McCullough's epic First Man in Rome series about Sulla, Marius to Ausgustus.
It's a historical fiction series about the Capetian kings and the Templar curse that brings the dynasty down. It starts out a little slow but it gets rolling like a fucking sledgehammer by the second book. That could just be because of the translation I had, but apparently there's a new translation out that George R.R. Martin was raving about.
The series was written in 1955 and it's a classic of the historical fiction genre. All the templar-related mythology that's been popping up since Holy Blood/Holy Grail, Davinci Code and even Preacher can be traced directly to the central ideas Druon popularized in the 60's---and it's still got some shit I haven't read elsewhere.
Easily some of the best historical fiction I've read---right up there with Colleen McCullough's epic First Man in Rome series about Sulla, Marius to Ausgustus.
wamphyr
Molten Core Raider
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This makes me quite mad, to be honest. How in the name of all that is good and beautiful in the world have you arrived at this conclusion ? I want to write a long rant about this but I am too mad right now. So I'll keep it short.
How the fuck is a well written original historical novel that stays true to the historical events can be "right up there" with that piece of shit soap opera fucking shit piece of crap ?
khorum
Murder Apologist
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Which one are you complaining about? Did you have trouble with McCullough's Masters of Rome? I can't imagine anyone who's read that up to the first triumvirate being disappointed with it. She got pretty hardcore into Lucullus and Scaurus...which I can't recall any of the big recent roman historic novelists like Steven Saylor or Robert Harris get close to. As much as I loved Harris' Cicero/imperium trilogy it doesn't come close to McCullough's Masters of Rome series.
If you meant the Accursed Kings, as I mentioned I read a meh translation for the first two books of the accursed kings but it was very good thereafter. I'd stick with it; it's well worth it.
If you meant the Accursed Kings, as I mentioned I read a meh translation for the first two books of the accursed kings but it was very good thereafter. I'd stick with it; it's well worth it.
Azrayne
Irenicus did nothing wrong
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I just finished the Technomage Archive book 2. Book 1 was vastly better, book 2 kind of felt like it was written for a child by a child. I was still going to look for book 3 (the premise of the series interests me) but apparently it's not out. Weird, the first 2 both came out in 2013.
I'm on the Vlad Taltos book where he's in the army. More of the same, still pretty entertaining and good.
While I do enjoy this guy's writing style of hopping around and telling stories you only heard about in other books, I really want them to start moving forward and doing more about Vlad's soul identity shit.
Been reading a ton of Christopher Moore lately. He's a satirist who reminds me a lot of Pratchett but with a more adult twist.
Fool: His take on king Lear from the perspective of the court jester. Super raunchy with some anachronistic language. Very funny.
The Stupidest Angel: murder who dunnit set over Christmas time with a slight zombie component.
You suck series: his take on vampires. Set in San Francisco with some really great characters and unbelievable situations. Turkey bowling and a fat giant vampire cat.
Lamb: my favorite book of his so far. The story of Jesus's life from about 14 to 29 as told by his best Friend Biff. Very irreverent and also has the stupid Angel from the prior book The Stupidest Angel.
Can't recommend them enough for some comedic reading that will have you laughing and thinking at the same time.
Fool: His take on king Lear from the perspective of the court jester. Super raunchy with some anachronistic language. Very funny.
The Stupidest Angel: murder who dunnit set over Christmas time with a slight zombie component.
You suck series: his take on vampires. Set in San Francisco with some really great characters and unbelievable situations. Turkey bowling and a fat giant vampire cat.
Lamb: my favorite book of his so far. The story of Jesus's life from about 14 to 29 as told by his best Friend Biff. Very irreverent and also has the stupid Angel from the prior book The Stupidest Angel.
Can't recommend them enough for some comedic reading that will have you laughing and thinking at the same time.
I'm on book 11 of the vlad taltos books. These are fun. Just read the back to back books and now I have to go back in time and read about something that happened a few years ago... Again.
Kind of tough to keep jumping all over the place.
Kind of tough to keep jumping all over the place.
Szlia
Member
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Diasporaby Greg Egan
A pretty fascinating read filled with interesting ideas about post-humanity, particle physics, cosmology and universes with more than 3+1 dimensions. It feels a bit like Sci-Fi for and by institutes of technology students though: a lot of hard science, but not a lot of style nor a lot of plot.
A pretty fascinating read filled with interesting ideas about post-humanity, particle physics, cosmology and universes with more than 3+1 dimensions. It feels a bit like Sci-Fi for and by institutes of technology students though: a lot of hard science, but not a lot of style nor a lot of plot.
"Willful Child", Steven Erikson - this was... not what I was expecting. I suppose the cover blurb can't really be accused of lying when it says it is space opera, but the book is actually a slapstick star trek parody. Not like Red Shirts, where it still tried to stay grounded while being funny, but more douglas adams style, only not even 1/10th as funny.
"The Great Way" series, 3 books, finished, Harry Connolly. This was more or less medieval high fantasy - I was a little disappointed by book 1 by the inevitable comparison to Twenty Palaces - didn't measure up in my opinion. ( Your mileage may vary, Twenty Palaces is bleak as all fuck, if that's not your kind of thing ). I changed my mind through books 2 and 3 though - was some awesome scenes there, and everything tied together really well. If I'd take one thing away from the series, is that it was very original in both setting and plot - I never predicted the way anything went. The 'big bad' was also a really interesting example of alien psychology.
"Artemis Awakening", Jane Lindskold. Explorer rediscovers ancient hunting resort planet populated with various genetically engineered servants. This was fun, but a but light, I am uncertain if I'd read sequels.
"Tool of the Trade", Joe Haldeman. Russian sleeper agent accidentally discovers the secret of mind control. Unexpected hijinks ensue. The wish fulfillment was a little hard to suspend disbelief for but otherwise a good read.
"Firefight", Brandon Sanderson. Second reckoners book, reveals a lot more about the background and nature of the world and the epics. Raises a number of uncomfortable questions that make the dividing line between good and evil significantly more blurred. Surprisingly, for a book like this, the main character is fully aware that he is effectively a terrorist assassin rather than living in the blissful denial of being a 'good guy'.
"Skin Deep", Brandon Sanderson. Second legion book. Liked it almost as much as the first one. Worst thing about it was, like the first one, being so short. This world and characters really deserve a full novel at least. The interplay between the manifestations is fascinating, I especially liked the guy in denial coming up with the many worlds theory to justify his own independent existence.
"Immortal at the Edge of the World", Gene Doucette. Third Immortal book, this one was a good fun read. Some background answers revealed, some surprisingly wacky, some surprisingly mundane. Urr is a surprisingly sympathetic character for someone who is objectively a grade A douchebag.
"Mind Sweeper", AE Jones. I bounced right off this one, apparently I have a high, but still reachable tolerance threshold for girly bullshit in urban fantasy. Who knew ? ;p
"The Great Way" series, 3 books, finished, Harry Connolly. This was more or less medieval high fantasy - I was a little disappointed by book 1 by the inevitable comparison to Twenty Palaces - didn't measure up in my opinion. ( Your mileage may vary, Twenty Palaces is bleak as all fuck, if that's not your kind of thing ). I changed my mind through books 2 and 3 though - was some awesome scenes there, and everything tied together really well. If I'd take one thing away from the series, is that it was very original in both setting and plot - I never predicted the way anything went. The 'big bad' was also a really interesting example of alien psychology.
"Artemis Awakening", Jane Lindskold. Explorer rediscovers ancient hunting resort planet populated with various genetically engineered servants. This was fun, but a but light, I am uncertain if I'd read sequels.
"Tool of the Trade", Joe Haldeman. Russian sleeper agent accidentally discovers the secret of mind control. Unexpected hijinks ensue. The wish fulfillment was a little hard to suspend disbelief for but otherwise a good read.
"Firefight", Brandon Sanderson. Second reckoners book, reveals a lot more about the background and nature of the world and the epics. Raises a number of uncomfortable questions that make the dividing line between good and evil significantly more blurred. Surprisingly, for a book like this, the main character is fully aware that he is effectively a terrorist assassin rather than living in the blissful denial of being a 'good guy'.
"Skin Deep", Brandon Sanderson. Second legion book. Liked it almost as much as the first one. Worst thing about it was, like the first one, being so short. This world and characters really deserve a full novel at least. The interplay between the manifestations is fascinating, I especially liked the guy in denial coming up with the many worlds theory to justify his own independent existence.
"Immortal at the Edge of the World", Gene Doucette. Third Immortal book, this one was a good fun read. Some background answers revealed, some surprisingly wacky, some surprisingly mundane. Urr is a surprisingly sympathetic character for someone who is objectively a grade A douchebag.
"Mind Sweeper", AE Jones. I bounced right off this one, apparently I have a high, but still reachable tolerance threshold for girly bullshit in urban fantasy. Who knew ? ;p
Grimmlokk
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters by Tim Marquitz ??" Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists
Collection of unrelated short stories from a bunch of authors about giant monsters on Earth. Picked it up because it had stories from a few authors I've enjoyed in the past. Was entertained by it a lot at first but it really kind of wore me out to where I just wasn't interested. The quality of the stories varies wildly and finishing the book actually took me like...fuck a month+ easily. Just felt no desire to pick it up most nights.
One of my favorite parts was the forward. Author talks about how he had the best selling kaiju book of all time(Project Nemesis), then immediately dismisses that because there's basically no kaiju books and the one he passed was some Godzilla book that didn't actually sell particularly well.
Collection of unrelated short stories from a bunch of authors about giant monsters on Earth. Picked it up because it had stories from a few authors I've enjoyed in the past. Was entertained by it a lot at first but it really kind of wore me out to where I just wasn't interested. The quality of the stories varies wildly and finishing the book actually took me like...fuck a month+ easily. Just felt no desire to pick it up most nights.
One of my favorite parts was the forward. Author talks about how he had the best selling kaiju book of all time(Project Nemesis), then immediately dismisses that because there's basically no kaiju books and the one he passed was some Godzilla book that didn't actually sell particularly well.