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Definitely adding the 2nd book to the list. Good review, sounds like it's right in my wheel house.
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What did you just read?
- Thread starter Fippy Darkpaw
- Start date
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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!
TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 42,755
- 109,146
I'll have to pick this up again I think I left off on book 8 or 9 something. Whichever one ended with...
Skippy going apeshit and calling the crew a bunch of dumb apes then teleporting somewhere.
TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 42,755
- 109,146
Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
- 15,042
- 13,154
Just finished Book 1 - 5 of Red Rising.
By the end I was pretty burnt out and didn’t really enjoy Book 5. It felt like a lot of steam was lost in moving from Book 3 to 4 and the restructuring of the narrative to involve all the other POV.
Darrow turned in to a boring character. The military stuff was nonsensical and read like an excuse Brown wanted to write about millions being killed!! This whole solar system encompassing war was bland battle after battle. Trying to not spoil anything by complaining. But I feel by about halfway through Book 2 you've learned all Brown’s rhythms and beats, everything after that is just same ole same ole. Ephraim chapters turned out to be the most interesting.
The first books of the academy, the house drama, the investment in the characters was all pretty cool. But once things opened up it became watered down and too broad.
Maybe I should have approached it as two distinct series instead of going in to it as one. Will probably read Book 6 but am not anticipating the release.
By the end I was pretty burnt out and didn’t really enjoy Book 5. It felt like a lot of steam was lost in moving from Book 3 to 4 and the restructuring of the narrative to involve all the other POV.
Darrow turned in to a boring character. The military stuff was nonsensical and read like an excuse Brown wanted to write about millions being killed!! This whole solar system encompassing war was bland battle after battle. Trying to not spoil anything by complaining. But I feel by about halfway through Book 2 you've learned all Brown’s rhythms and beats, everything after that is just same ole same ole. Ephraim chapters turned out to be the most interesting.
The first books of the academy, the house drama, the investment in the characters was all pretty cool. But once things opened up it became watered down and too broad.
Maybe I should have approached it as two distinct series instead of going in to it as one. Will probably read Book 6 but am not anticipating the release.
Campbell1oo4
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 1,930
- 6,137
The One-eyed God: Odin and the Indo-Germanic Maennerbund by Kris Kershaw
A little dense but filled with some really interesting things, not only about Odin but also about bands of Indo-European youths, sequestered from their villages and families in order to undergo initiations to become men.
Sometimes these young men would be described as 'dogs' or 'wolves' which in the Indo-European tradition are the same animal. These boys would become animals in the service of a Wolf God (a ripper of limbs but also a seeker of knowledge) and would often fight for their people. In this capacity, some of them transform into werewolves (read; berserkers or fanatical warriors).
Why is this important? A man may go to war but a man is simply a man. If he undergoes a ritual in order to transform into a savage wolf, he will be faster and more powerful. If he dies in the service of his god, he will be guaranteed a place in the High Heaven, where he will serve his god as a cosmic warrior in the final battle against evil. Back on earth, if the young warrior survives, there is often a ritual that brings them back to their human form. They are no longer a werewolf and can rejoin their family without fearing they will bring them harm.
Furthermore a boy cannot become a man unless he partakes in the wolf band culture. Membership in the band will ensure he learns the skills and tribal lore he needs in order to be a man. At the end of his learning, he 'graduates' from the wolf cult and rejoins the tribe.
There are of course some men that never graduate, either by choice or temperament. These men are described sort of as career berserkers; highly effective warriors that you would not want to keep around because they were so wild.
Recommended for any student of Indo-European culture, Germanic culture, or even Roman/Greek culture.
A little dense but filled with some really interesting things, not only about Odin but also about bands of Indo-European youths, sequestered from their villages and families in order to undergo initiations to become men.
Sometimes these young men would be described as 'dogs' or 'wolves' which in the Indo-European tradition are the same animal. These boys would become animals in the service of a Wolf God (a ripper of limbs but also a seeker of knowledge) and would often fight for their people. In this capacity, some of them transform into werewolves (read; berserkers or fanatical warriors).
Why is this important? A man may go to war but a man is simply a man. If he undergoes a ritual in order to transform into a savage wolf, he will be faster and more powerful. If he dies in the service of his god, he will be guaranteed a place in the High Heaven, where he will serve his god as a cosmic warrior in the final battle against evil. Back on earth, if the young warrior survives, there is often a ritual that brings them back to their human form. They are no longer a werewolf and can rejoin their family without fearing they will bring them harm.
Furthermore a boy cannot become a man unless he partakes in the wolf band culture. Membership in the band will ensure he learns the skills and tribal lore he needs in order to be a man. At the end of his learning, he 'graduates' from the wolf cult and rejoins the tribe.
There are of course some men that never graduate, either by choice or temperament. These men are described sort of as career berserkers; highly effective warriors that you would not want to keep around because they were so wild.
Recommended for any student of Indo-European culture, Germanic culture, or even Roman/Greek culture.
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Mist
REEEEeyore
- 31,208
- 23,417
I read the second and third books in the Sprawl trilogy from William Gibson. Neuromancer is one of my favorite books of all time but I'd never actually thought to read the other two.
Second book, Count Zero was kind of a waste of time, very middle-trilogy, though the ending was pretty cool/poetic. Third book was pretty good though.
Also read Pattern Recognition while I was at it. That book was incredibly prescient about how much power internet obsessions, trends and marketing would be, and starts off as a strong novel and then never really goes anywhere.
3 megabits of hot ram aside, that guy was very good at predicting the present. His novels are exceptionally well-written at points. But a lot of the plots just don't fucking go anywhere.
Second book, Count Zero was kind of a waste of time, very middle-trilogy, though the ending was pretty cool/poetic. Third book was pretty good though.
Also read Pattern Recognition while I was at it. That book was incredibly prescient about how much power internet obsessions, trends and marketing would be, and starts off as a strong novel and then never really goes anywhere.
3 megabits of hot ram aside, that guy was very good at predicting the present. His novels are exceptionally well-written at points. But a lot of the plots just don't fucking go anywhere.
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LiquidDeath
Magnus Deadlift the Fucktiger
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Shout out to all the nerds who recommended Hyperion years and years ago. Just finished it on vacation and it was fantastic. Are the other 3 books as good?
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The 2nd book is also really good. I can't speak for 3 & 4, I haven't jumped back into the series yet. I will absolutely be reading those soon, and will probably re-read the first two soon.
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Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
- 15,042
- 13,154
That’s interesting. Since Match Game just came out I wasn’t paying attention to anything else he had dropping. Will check that out and maybe read a series of his rather than listening to one.
Sabriel, The Old Kingdom Book 1 by Garth Nix. It wasn’t bad just didn’t hook me. Parts were hard to get through and my mind was wandering back to real life stuff. Possibly I had too much going on to concentrate. Interesting idea on common concept of Death and Water and necromancy. Could be interesting magic system with the bell’s and symbols, but again it doesn’t hook me 100%. Started book 2 called Lirael just to see if it gets better or his writing improves.
At the moment I’m sort of jaded about starting new things. Would like to take a break and revisit an old series I know was enjoyable.
Campbell1oo4
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 1,930
- 6,137
Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
| A very well written book, both technically and in terms of theme. We view the world, strange and alien, through the perspective of a man who seems to be somewhat strange; a lunatic or someone who exists partly in another dimension. It makes for great reading, knowing the author's Catholic faith, and looking for Christian symbolism. But it has another layer to it; the Christian conceptualization of time and place. This comes out in the character and the narrative, which often skips about, forward or back. Also interesting; the concept of our own perspective. Are we reading a sci fi book, or a fantasy book? Is it magic or technology? It could be read either way, in my opinion, and it makes the story a lot of fun to picture two worlds at the same time, in stereo, and see all the more because of two paradoxical images. |
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
| Easily one of the best books that I have ever read. No where else, online or in literature, have I found someone who so succinctly captures the feeling of what it means to believe; the joy, the sadness and the call to purpose. And never have I found a writer who tackles 'the mystery.' It seems all too often nowadays people want to disprove the faith or prove it with scientific evidence. Chesterton does not attempt this, but more or less says, 'Mysteries are good things. By accepting one mystery, you can learn to deal with all the others. If you try to understand every bit of information about the world you will go insane.' Chesterton is also a great writer, not just ideas but technically. His writing is straightforward and clean, easy to follow, but punctuated with such beautiful imagery that it felt at times that I was reading some great novel. One of my favorite bits is when he rejects the idea that Christianity started the Dark Ages. Instead he writes that Christianity was the golden bridge between Roman civilization and Medieval civilization, that Christianity descended into the depths but rose again as a great golden ship to guide the world. This is the only book I have ever read that when I finished, I wanted to turn back to page one and start it all over again. |
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Have a friend with a 10 year old daughter that barely has any books with a Bday coming up. Anyone able to recommend a good series for someone with an early grade school reading level? Something that really hooks the reader if possible.