Gask
Silver Baron of the Realm
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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!
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Gask
Silver Baron of the Realm
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- 49,368
The Way of Kings is far better than Blood Song and has the upside of a book 2 available shortly.
I really enjoyed both of those books, but WoK gets the nod from me. Plus book 2 is coming out on March 4. You can't go wrong with either, really.
Yes. Blood Song is well written and entertaining, but doesn't break a lot of new ground. Way of Kings is epic.
Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
- 15,059
- 13,287
How did you like Prince of Nothing? I remember starting it probably 3-4 years ago and eventually putting it down maybe 1/3 of the way in but can't remember why or anything about the story. For some reason or another it is still sitting on my nightstand so every night when I grab my Kindle I see the physical book. Been thinking about picking it up again after going through some Raymond Chandler. On a really big Detective Noir crave right now (probably because of no Dresden for so long).
Void
BAU BAU
- 9,847
- 11,793
You didn't ask me, but I absolutely hated the main character in Prince of Nothing. I liked the world, and the supporting characters, and if they had been the main characters it would have been awesome. But the main dude just ruined it for me. I won't go into details to spoil anything, but not only had he practiced "seeing all possible outcomes" and reading people's emotions and manipulating them to the point where they were essentially godlike, but apparently he could dodge/deflect/grab arrows, master anyone in combat, etc...I just hated him to no end. His only real weakness was that he was a terrible fucking character. Even people that hated him, couldn't help but love him, blah blah. Fuck that fucking guy. Ruined the series for me, and I'll never read another one.
If you've seen BBC Sherlock (or RDJ Sherlock I suppose too), take that and then add in physical supremacy, mental manipulation, etc. and then multiply it by 1000. That's this fucking guy. Slightly annoying but interesting when Sherlock does it, particularly because he still has some humanity and weakness, and can be wrong. When this guy does it, he's never wrong, never weak, never human.
Sorry. I try to avoid commenting on these books for exactly this reason. It may be irrational hatred on my part, as I know tons of people love them. But I wanted him to die more than I ever wanted Joffrey to die. At least Joffrey is understandable, even if he's a prick.
If you've seen BBC Sherlock (or RDJ Sherlock I suppose too), take that and then add in physical supremacy, mental manipulation, etc. and then multiply it by 1000. That's this fucking guy. Slightly annoying but interesting when Sherlock does it, particularly because he still has some humanity and weakness, and can be wrong. When this guy does it, he's never wrong, never weak, never human.
Sorry. I try to avoid commenting on these books for exactly this reason. It may be irrational hatred on my part, as I know tons of people love them. But I wanted him to die more than I ever wanted Joffrey to die. At least Joffrey is understandable, even if he's a prick.
Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
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- 13,287
Lol no problem man, I respect your input on it as well as your recommendations have served me well in the past.
The only thing I actually remember from that book is something about a huge monument being built and them floating down some river and having like the most boring conversation I've ever read in a book. Think that was about the point I dropped it.
The only thing I actually remember from that book is something about a huge monument being built and them floating down some river and having like the most boring conversation I've ever read in a book. Think that was about the point I dropped it.
Gask
Silver Baron of the Realm
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This emphatically. Things are so easy for him that he might as well have rolled out of bed one morning, broke wind, scratched himself and then noticed, out of the corner of his eye, the leaders of the world prostrating themselves before his feet with gifts and spread cheeks. He's a prime example of "magic" making the impossible happen to the detriment of story and characterization. That said though, the chapters that don't revolve around him can actually be quite good and some of the other characters have interesting struggles and stories to tell. The problem is that his influence is so pervasive throughout the story, but there are still some gems to find and the latest book was a bit better as he didn't have as much of a direct role in the lives of the other characters; instead having more of a detached God Emperor persona going on.
Finished this last night:
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists
Decent book, but I liked American Gods a lot better. I like Gaiman's writing style, but this story didn't really do anything for me. I enjoyed the last half of it a lot more than the first half (Fat Charlie just getting shit on constantly got a little old quickly). Gave it a 3/5 on Goodreads.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists
Decent book, but I liked American Gods a lot better. I like Gaiman's writing style, but this story didn't really do anything for me. I enjoyed the last half of it a lot more than the first half (Fat Charlie just getting shit on constantly got a little old quickly). Gave it a 3/5 on Goodreads.
DoctorSpooge_sl
shitlord
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I'm reading The Martian, by Andy Weir, and it's one of the best SF books I've ever read. A piece of debris rips a martian astronaut's suit open; he's assumed dead; fellow crew aborts mission, flies home. That's in the first few pages.
This is 'hard' SF, btw - no differential equations, to be sure, but every decision the character ever makes is thoroughly girded in scientific exposition. None of it is difficult, but if that kind of thing turns you off, steer clear. Otherwise, heartily, heartily recommended.
This is 'hard' SF, btw - no differential equations, to be sure, but every decision the character ever makes is thoroughly girded in scientific exposition. None of it is difficult, but if that kind of thing turns you off, steer clear. Otherwise, heartily, heartily recommended.
Vandyn
Blackwing Lair Raider
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I thought it was good but it kind of slowed down near the end. I also didn't like how it ended, too predictable.
I just finished book 1 of The First Law trilogy (Abercrombie). I'm going to sneak in book 2 but I doubt I'll get to book 3 before Words of Radiance.
Oh man, do you have a fucking fantastic batch of books ahead of you.
He looked down at his hands, pink and clean on the stone. "There are few men with more blood on their hands than me. None, that I know of. The Bloody-Nine they call me, my enemies, and there's a lot of 'em. Always more enemies, and fewer friends. Blood gets you nothing but more blood. It follows me now, always, like my shadow, and like my shadow I can never be free of it. I should never be free of it. I've earned it. I've deserved it. I've sought it out. Such is my punishment."
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Just finished 'The Martian' by Andy Weir. Great book.
From Goodreads:
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.
It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Check it out.
From Goodreads:
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.
It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Check it out.
I picked upMagic, Myth & Majesty (7 Fantasy Novels)for 99-cents and have been through them.
THE WHITE TREE (The Cycle of Arawn)- really liked this story
A LEGACY OF LIGHT (The Dragon War)- typical but decent story, characters a bit annoying at times
DEFENDER (The Sanctuary)- didn't finish too bizarre, it seems to be from the perspective of a MMO character - they have guild halls, raids, etc.
THE WHITE TREE (The Cycle of Arawn)- really liked this story
A LEGACY OF LIGHT (The Dragon War)- typical but decent story, characters a bit annoying at times
DEFENDER (The Sanctuary)- didn't finish too bizarre, it seems to be from the perspective of a MMO character - they have guild halls, raids, etc.