What Are You Reading?

Trojan

OwaynOTT wrote: »

The Black Company Chronicles just get better and better.

How many books are there in the series?

There's 9 or 10 in total, if you count the last one. Pretty awesome series.

coffee_cake

Read this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Worthing_Chronicle
enjoyed it a lot

Thargor

I see War Factory by Neal Asher is in the shops, latest Polity novel, some of the best sci-fi there is imo.

ixoy

Thargor wrote: »

I see War Factory by Neal Asher is in the shops, latest Polity novel, some of the best sci-fi there is imo.

Asher's book also tend to be well priced on the Kindle - £7.49 for this new release, notably cheaper than the HB which is too often not the case. Very tempted now after finishing 'Dark Intelligence' recently with its cast of lovely friendly people.

The first book in this trilogy - Dark Intelligence - is also a bargain at £2.29. You wouldn't even get a decent sandwich for that.

david75

Struggled with Abercrombies the Blade itself and dropped it for Darth Plageuis by James Luceno which was a really good read if you want Star Wars backstory fleshed out.

Now reading Bloodline by Claudia Gray which follows Princess Leia and is set a few years before the Force Awakens. Really good so far.

OwaynOTT

david75 wrote: »

Struggled with Abercrombies the Blade itself and dropped it for Darth Plageuis by James Luceno which was a really good read if you want Star Wars backstory fleshed out.

Now reading Bloodline by Claudia Gray which follows Princess Leia and is set a few years before the Force Awakens. Really good so far.

Go back to The Blade Itself and keep at it. The trilogy is great but starts off s bit formulaic but Abercrombie starts to play around with conventions soon enough.
Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, his first trilogy is his best work, so far.

kirk buttercup

Getting through Ready Player one (im a slow reader, i like taking my time) have to say Alot of negativity on here about it but im actually really enjoying it.

keane2097

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Getting through Ready Player one (im a slow reader, i like taking my time) have to say Alot of negativity on here about it but im actually really enjoying it.

It's great fun.

To that poster above, I think I finished the Blade Itself but thought it was ridic boring and never went anywhere near the follow ups.

Glebee

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Go back to The Blade Itself and keep at it. The trilogy is great but starts off s bit formulaic but Abercrombie starts to play around with conventions soon enough.
Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, his first trilogy is his best work, so far.

About quarter way through Before They are Hanged and finding it good going. Better than The Blade Itself. Are all of Abercrombies books set in the same universe???

ixoy

Glebee wrote: »

About quarter way through Before They are Hanged and finding it good going. Better than The Blade Itself. Are all of Abercrombies books set in the same universe???

Most are with the exception of "The Shattered Sea" trilogy... which is a nice segue to say I'm reading Book 3 of this - "Half a War" currently. 22% in and it's remained at the same consistent level in the series. It's slightly "Abercrombie lite" so it won't win over any new converts but solid enough.

OwaynOTT

Glebee wrote: »

About quarter way through Before They are Hanged and finding it good going. Better than The Blade Itself. Are all of Abercrombies books set in the same universe???

The Shattered Sea trilogy is set in a different world, as ioxy said, but Abercrombie's next trilogy is set in the First Law world.
I think it's set roughly 20 years after Red Country, which is like 30-40 years after Blade Itself.

ixoy wrote: »

Most are with the exception of "The Shattered Sea" trilogy... which is a nice segue to say I'm reading Book 3 of this - "Half a War" currently. 22% in and it's remained at the same consistent level in the series. It's slightly "Abercrombie lite" so it won't win over any new converts but solid enough.

Only got half way into the second installment and just lost interest in it. I'm not sure Abercrombie lite really works.
At the same time, I found Red Country to be underwhelming as well. Maybe Abercrombie has lost his steam.

Fian

This is a compilation of comments posted by a user on Reddit called 9Mother9Horses9Eyes.

https://www.reddit.com/r/9M9H9E9/wiki/narrative

It is truly creepy/weird/strange. Well worth a read, it is still evolving.

Basic idea is that the redditor, after prolonged LSD abuse, is flitting into alternative timelines and his comments are basically his account of what he has seen in these other dimensions. Conspiracy theory kind of stuff. Really weird/odd. And free.

Highlighted in the Guardian today:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/05/9mother9horse9eyes9-the-mysterious-tale-terrifying-reddit

coffee_cake

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nightblade-Ryan-Kirk-ebook/dp/B013D0H2GS?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Good idea, very poorly executed

mcgovern

I finished The Vagrant, wouldn't recommend it, it was more annoying that anything.
I'm not a good bit into Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. I can't really say why I like these, but I do
Also dipping into Rogues, which is a collection of short stories by George R.R. Martin, Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss and others. Unfortunately, several of the "others" are not even Fantasy, which is disappointing.

Thargor

Reading Joyland by Stephen King, talk about phoning it in, feels like it was written in an afternoon and the plot is so dull. Kings last few books have been seriously bad, he seems to have lost the spark.

kirk buttercup

I should be finished Ready player one ( and really enjoying it ) soon enough any recommendations for something thats as fun for a holiday read. Thanks in advance

david75

mcgovern wrote: »

I finished The Vagrant, wouldn't recommend it, it was more annoying that anything.
I'm not a good bit into Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. I can't really say why I like these, but I do
Also dipping into Rogues, which is a collection of short stories by George R.R. Martin, Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss and others. Unfortunately, several of the "others" are not even Fantasy, which is disappointing.

Hobbs Farseer books are incredible. Can't wait for the final one in November.

coffee_cake

Kindle unlimited is great wha

Read this one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005J61EJQ/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

I love other worlds and different physics and new ideas about what could happen so I was a sucker for this one. Very much enjoyed it in general.
Some reviews called it "urban fantasy"

Yawlboy

Just started reading A Talent for War by Jack McDavitt - only read 20 pages or so but first impressions are good.

Finished Robin Hobbs Assassin trilogy - enjoyed it but i felt the ending was a bit bland.

Kovu

Nody wrote: »

It gets better but what I really liked was the overall world building and figuring out what is what.

I'm about halfway through the second book now. Very happy with the first book, I hadn't looked at Buford T. Justice V's spoiler so had one of those 'Ooooooooh!' moments when i realised about the

builders and the builders sun.

nhur

@Fian - saw the guardian article and started reading it and came here to post and found you'd beaten me to it!

I really like the World War Z narrative style - and great publishing choice!

Fian wrote: »

This is a compilation of comments posted by a user on Reddit called 9Mother9Horses9Eyes.

Jayd0g

nhur wrote: »

@Fian - saw the guardian article and started reading it and came here to post and found you'd beaten me to it!

I really like the World War Z narrative style - and great publishing choice!

Fian wrote: »

This is a compilation of comments posted by a user on Reddit called 9Mother9Horses9Eyes.

Add your reply here.
I've been hooked by this, it's brilliant.

Fian

Jayd0g wrote: »

Add your reply here.
I've been hooked by this, it's brilliant.

Yeah it is really good, and strangely cool that you get drip fed 1/2 short passages a day, can read them alongside whatever else it is you are reading.

Buford T. Justice XIX

The City by Stella Gemmell, wife of the late David Gemmell.

Liking it so far, kept me from watching the match tonight but that may say more about the match than the book :pac:

kirk buttercup

Has anyone read Red Rising? Ive read the synopsis and sounds cool. Thoughts?

mcgovern

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Has anyone read Red Rising? Ive read the synopsis and sounds cool. Thoughts?

It's brilliant, read it! The whole series is great. I was a bit wary originally, as it sounded like a rip-off of several YA books, but it turned out to be one of my favourite series ever.

I finished Royal Assassin, good read, though not as good as the first.
Now about 20% into War Factory by Neal Asher, not quite as good as Dark Intelligence, but still very good, and I've a feeling it will get better when everything comes together.

Trojan

Reading "March Upcountry" by David Weber and John Ringo, inspired by a poster here somewhere.

david75

Yawlboy wrote: »

Just started reading A Talent for War by Jack McDavitt - only read 20 pages or so but first impressions are good.

Finished Robin Hobbs Assassin trilogy - enjoyed it but i felt the ending was a bit bland.

There's another trilogy with the same characters after it. Tawny man trilogy. And then another set long after which has one book left to come.

stesaurus

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Has anyone read Red Rising? Ive read the synopsis and sounds cool. Thoughts?

Saying that first sentence out loud and I feel like breaking out into a bit of UB40, just me???

It's pretty good, first book was the highlight for me. Definite comparisons to hunger games though.

stesaurus

Finished girl with all the gifts recently. If I describe the book i'll instantly give away the hook so won't do that. It's a post apocalyptic english setting and will no doubt end up being made into a movie soon enough. It was ok but a lot of what was in it just seemed like tired rehashes of other better books.

It instantly put me in the mood to finish the Passage series though. I feel dirty but I acquired a pre-release version of it as I wanted to start it immediately. I'll end up buying it on release but why wait
So far it's big improvement on the 2nd one but I'm holding judgement overall. I think a good editor could cut of lot of Cronin's meandering ramblings of

Fanning/Zero

. Maybe i'm wrong but seems like expanding on

Fanning/Zero

and their backstory is tacked on and was never planned. His motivation just seems unnecessary