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Vlett

Vlett

Lord Nagafen Raider
817
69
Going through all of Scott Baker's books at the moment. Basically I'm trying to find filler material while the half of dozen books I'm looking forward to get published this year. Is the beginning of the new year always the sparse on new material? We need a thread of hot releases like we have for video game forum. Heh.
 
K

Kaosu

Bronze Knight of the Realm
232
2
Just read The Thousand Names: Book One of The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler.

Its feels like the French incursion into Algeria back in the 1800s, or western forces in North Africa more broadly. Its a musket era inspired fantasy novel that has magic (maybe inbetween supernatural and magic), but it only shows you small traces throughout the book until near the end. It has two pov characters that the author likes to switch back and forth on.

I'm not one particularly good on dribbling on the strengths or weaknesses of book, but I'd recommend this one. I wouldn't say characters are the author's strength (though above passable), however the overall story and flow kept turning the pages for me. Plenty of action and a few sudden twists to keep the story a little unpredictable but not entirely out of nowhere.

Looking forward to the next book.
 
K

Kaosu

Bronze Knight of the Realm
232
2
Just read The Emperor's Blades (first book) by Brian Staveley.

Fantasy series. 3 POV characters (all siblings) that all travel separate paths that intersect from time to time. Characters throughout the book are memorable, even though you don't find out too much about them. Author isn't afraid of killing them off. Lots of world building, lore, current state of affairs between the three pov characters. Pacing is steady throughout the book until near the end where it seems to speed up quite a bit just for a time. Storyline is somewhat typical of fantasy, but I don't mind it. Best way I can describe it: Elements of GoT, The Left Hand of God, Wheels of Time. Just felt like thats what the author got some of his inspiration or influences from.

Either way, recommended reads.
 
spronk

spronk

FPS noob
23,378
27,265
reading D&D books for some weird reason (just finished Might and Magic X Legacy so probably that), finished The Seal of Karga Kul and now reading Eberron Heirs of Ash (trilogy). not masterpieces of fantasy, but good fun reads and its cool visiting worlds set in D&D rules
 
Himeo

Himeo

Vyemm Raider
3,263
2,802
Peloton_sl said:
I just read the Star Wars Republic Commando series by Karen Traviss. VERY good series so far.
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Stop when you finish book 2. It doesn't get better, and the people running the SW franchise fucked her over and all the material is not cannon.
 
Gask

Gask

Silver Baron of the Realm
12,819
49,372
Read Blood Song and The Thousand Names recently, neither was anything more than average fantasy fare but Blood Song had a good intro/coming of age in the beginning (very Spartan) before the main characters "Blood Song" ability started to tingle every other paragraph
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. But as it usually seems to, once magic gets into the mix narrative quality takes a nosedive in favor of destiny, spider senses and other lazy bullshit that cheapens the characters and their experiences.

The duel prior to the ending was just head scratchingly absurd. Especially given the buildup; yes, lets ask a boon from a neighboring, hostile, empire to deliver over their prized prisoner so that we can have him publicly face Noble Idiot who has no skill with the sword... brilliant! I know he had to spare him to survive the encounter but at least try to make it sensible.

Also the war that dominated half the book being unwinnable, unprovoked and completely unnecessary from the start didn't help things very much either. If there were some purpose with an achievable goal and a cast of endangered characters that we were actually invested in besides the protagonist it would be one thing but as it stood each of his companions were more or less interchangeable and expendable, his love interest, forced and cliche. There wasn't even the excuse of an insane king with absolute and unshakable grip on power to move things along and make it tolerable, instead its revealed that this preordained disaster was necessary in order to fulfill a prerequisite of the main quest of the series
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whatever.
Thousand Names just suffers from being bland and using dull characters for both of it's main PoVs. The 1800's era colonial Arabian setting was interesting but there is never any back story, the characters are unimaginative and gimmicky (secret female, lesbian, officer
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) and there was no dedicated perspective for the other side, only the imperialists, which was pretty dull.
 
Himeo

Himeo

Vyemm Raider
3,263
2,802
Just finished Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. It's Gates of Fire / The Black Company meets Game of Thrones told in a Name of the Wind style and not as good as any of the books mentioned.

However, it was easy to get into and enjoyable. Very much worth a read if you're out of stuff and looking for something to grab your interest. I'm hooked and eager to see the rest of the series. I particularly enjoyed the ending, although the transition from coming of age story to the main plot was... underwhelming? Whatever whatever.

I loved what Gask is complaining about. To each their own.
 
Gask

Gask

Silver Baron of the Realm
12,819
49,372
Divine intervention and magic only bugs me when it's used to explain away or bring about events or circumstances that would otherwise require good storytelling and character interaction to pull off. It's a shortcut that too many authors in the genre use and the absence of which is what attracted me so strongly to a song of ice and fire initially; momentous events occur through a complex web of character interactions and their power struggles. No divine hand guiding the protagonist hither and yon at the perfect time to accomplish X deed in the nick of time to bring about Y outcome (only Littlefinger
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).

To each their own; I've read so much of this stuff though that the usual tropes tend to pull me out of the narrative a bit and mess with the experience, I do wish it were otherwise as I'd be a much happier reader
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.
 
Rime

Rime

<Donor>
2,638
1,612
I picked up a Kindle for Christmas, read the entire Dresden Series of books (Loved them all, Ghost Story was probably the weakest/least liked, with Fool Moon, Turn Coat, and Cold Days being my favorites) and the First Law trilogy (Alright - Loved the character Glokta, others were really hit or miss.)

Going to pick up the Broken Empire trilogy next.
 
Vlett

Vlett

Lord Nagafen Raider
817
69
Finished Prince of Nothing / Aspect-Emp. Can't decide if I want to read The Emperor's Blades or Way of Kings again (prep for new book).
 
lindz

lindz

#DDs
1,201
63
Only 1/3 of the way through The Emperor's Blades and really enjoying it. Definitely worth a read if you haven't yet.
 
Gask

Gask

Silver Baron of the Realm
12,819
49,372
Just finished Justin Cronin's "The Passage" and it was... an abomination of filler, absurdity, and Deus ex Machina. This is the worst novel that I have read since Peter Bretts The Daylight War, a dubious accomplishment but one nonetheless; most bad books tend to start out with at least an interesting premise then lose their way and steadily become dull and mediocre, The Passage had the distinction of starting well and then getting worse and more ridiculous exponentially throughout the course of its bloated span. I love large books when they are filled with content that warrant their length, this was not, instead it was stuffed to the brim with the details of throwaway characters, repetitive dream sequences, irrational motivations and episodes of seemingly divine intervention.

Avoid unless you are desperate for something to kill hours of your life on and are adept at the art of suspending your disbelief for abnormally long stretches of time.
 
Vlett

Vlett

Lord Nagafen Raider
817
69
Knocked out Emperor's Blades already. Really liked it. Haven't done a cover to cover in while.
 
Mist

Mist

REEEEeyore
<Gold Donor>
31,234
23,443
Just re-read Cryptonomicon while I was stuck in bed due to illness, mostly because the Monuments Men commercials gave me the idea to. Still cried at the last couple Bobby Shaftoe chapters.
 
N

Northerner

N00b
921
9
Went back to read the Dark Tower series since I ran into a chick at work reading it a month or so ago. I'd read the first two or three twenty whatever years ago but figured I might as well do the series.

Well, on book six now and honestly, not even sure if I'm enjoying this or not. No matter, it is decent before-bed reading if nothing else and snagged it for the kindle so I can always just delete them all when done.
 
Gask

Gask

Silver Baron of the Realm
12,819
49,372
Northerner_sl said:
Went back to read the Dark Tower series since I ran into a chick at work reading it a month or so ago. I'd read the first two or three twenty whatever years ago but figured I might as well do the series.

Well, on book six now and honestly, not even sure if I'm enjoying this or not. No matter, it is decent before-bed reading if nothing else and snagged it for the kindle so I can always just delete them all when done.
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I couldn't force myself to continue past book 4; the first 3 had their ups and downs but 4 is a poster child for bad fiction and I've heard that 5 is just as disappointing. I liked early Roland and Jake somewhat but the rest of the ka-tet made me skip paragraphs and ponder why I bothered to continue, Rolands pubescent adventure was the nail in the coffin though. Does it get any better?
 
Grimmlokk

Grimmlokk

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
12,190
134
Gask_sl said:
I couldn't force myself to continue past book 4; the first 3 had their ups and downs but 4 is a poster child for bad fiction
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Book 4 is very polarizing. Some people, let's call them stupid assholes, hate it. Other people, let's call them handsome winners, realize that it is outstanding and awesome.
 
N

Northerner

N00b
921
9
Hard to say really. I'm on seven now and obviously I'll finish the series but then again, I will read just about anything.

It is, erm, stylized I guess is how I would put it. There are really very, very good scenes framed by just plain bad arcs for the most part. I'm not hating it but I'm not in love either.

I will see how it turns out and I am still somewhat engaged but I am definitely getting that little itch that tells me I'll likely be pissed off in the end. That's hardly a new thing with a King novel (ha!) but normally it is more tempered by enjoyment along the way.

Some people love the series of course though.
 
Needless

Needless

Toe Sucker
<Silver Donator>
9,404
3,427
I tried reading American Gods last year but got really bored of it heh

Anyway, I'm reading through the harry potter series but need a break. I'm debating between starting Blood Song, or The Way of Kings.. hmmm
 
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