What Are You Reading?

keane2097

I read Titus Groan last year and didn't WTF it was tbh, maybe I need to look at it again.

vasch_ro

Nody wrote: »

Finished the first book of the Malazan series; not that impressed yet based of the praise but we'll see. About to wrap up Guards, Guards, Guards again and started on The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle #1) by Miles Cameron.

Just finished the new Anthony Ryan book The Waking Fire and really loved it, great ideas and well realised industrial revolution fantasy world setting, I would recommend it and better than his bloodsong books, just started City of Mirrors the third in the passage series and so far its been excellent.
Love the Red Knight, really enjoyed the series and would recommend the sequels

nhur

almost through the recent robin hobb book - any suggestions on what to read next?
i've noted the following over the last while...

• Wool
• red mars
• Blood Music by Greg Bear
• Gormenghast
• Timothy Zahn books in the Star War Extended Universe, his Heir to the Empire trilogy
• The Destroyer series by Michael-Scott Earle.

keane2097

I'm about a third of the way through Tigana now. It's solid enough so far.

There were times early on where I thought the writing was going to drive me mad as the author seemed to use several poorly constructed long sentences which were somewhat hard to follow. He seemed to settle down on that front after a while however, or else I picked up his cadence a bit better and no longer notice.

Anyway, the first section is good to very good to the point that I was frequently looking forward to getting back to it during the day. The second section -

Dianora

isn't bad or anything, but the pace seems to have slowed right down disappointingly.

I'm still dipping into it regularly because I'm confident it has potential to really kick into gear, but it has some work to do yet.

reece289

nhur wrote: »

almost through the recent robin hobb book - any suggestions on what to read next?
i've noted the following over the last while...

• Wool
• red mars
• Blood Music by Greg Bear
• Gormenghast
• Timothy Zahn books in the Star War Extended Universe, his Heir to the Empire trilogy
• The Destroyer series by Michael-Scott Earle.

Hyperion and the fall of hyperion.
Vurt
Forever war
The stars my destination.

vasch_ro

nhur wrote: »

almost through the recent robin hobb book - any suggestions on what to read next?
i've noted the following over the last while...

• Wool
• red mars
• Blood Music by Greg Bear
• Gormenghast
• Timothy Zahn books in the Star War Extended Universe, his Heir to the Empire trilogy
• The Destroyer series by Michael-Scott Earle.

Just finished the Destroyer, its like airport lounge Fantasy, enough of a story to keep you ticking over and loads of pretty full on sex scenes, more than I have ever read in any other fantasy novel, but Wool is unmissable, what a book I would strongly recommend Wool for your read

Trojan

vasch_ro wrote: »

Just finished the Destroyer, its like airport lounge Fantasy, enough of a story to keep you ticking over and loads of pretty full on sex scenes, more than I have ever read in any other fantasy novel, but Wool is unmissable, what a book I would strongly recommend Wool for your read

The Destroyer author is publishing a contemporary erotic/romance series after getting a lot of positive feedback about the sex scenes

I thought it was a fun series, plot moved well, good characters and there was a fair amount of depth to the world building too.

nhur

Thanks folks...

will start with destroyer - just got it free from amazon! (kindle edition) ... then on to Wool. Any recommendations for something like The Sky Lords?

reece289

nhur wrote: »

Thanks folks...

will start with destroyer - just got it free from amazon! (kindle edition) ... then on to Wool. Any recommendations for something like The Sky Lords?

Cool just got this myself.

Been reading Sci-fi a lot lately.

Rendezvous with Rama at the moment. Really excellent stuff. Love the constant references back to the seafaring discoverers.

Thargor

Im finishing off the Temeraire series, just realised books 8 and 9 are out, Blood of Tyrants and League of Dragons. Its like Hornblower but with dragons being an important part of the British and French armies, bordering on young adult stuff but still a great read.

Trojan

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen (The Vorkosigan Saga Book 17) - Lois McMaster Bujold

Never thought I'd say this about a Vorkosigan book, but this one is terrible.

It's an exploration of Cordelia's relationship with the secret lover she and Aral shared, Oliver Jole.

Unfortunately, the book appears to be entirely missing a plot. It being a Vorkosigan got me to 50%, but I can't take any more. 1/5, and barely that.

Nody

Finished Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns series); it's the same universe, the same time period (the dead king is out there causing trouble) and quite close by land as well (two or so countries over). It follows Jalan who's a coward, cheat and general lazy git who gets forced into an adventure. If you read Prince of Thorns series there are plenty of references but unlike Prince the main character is much more bland and straight forward and you have no real glimpses back nor giving you more world building and the brothers have been replaced by one person basically. Overall I'd rate it as a weaker version of Prince of Thorns scoring probably one or two points below the series.

ixoy

67% into "Two Serpents Rise" by Max Gladstone, the second in his Craft series. It's urban fantasy but in a world that's more China "new weird" Mieville. It's quite inventive in many ways although I find the author is a bit too abstract at times when trying to describe the magical effects. Certainly enough here though to make me read the third book at some point.

Also reading "Spoils of War" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a collection of short stories set in his Apt world and the first of two volumes. All good so far and yeah, a number of these are free on his site but it only cost £2.99.

Thargor

Nody wrote: »

Finished Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns series); it's the same universe, the same time period (the dead king is out there causing trouble) and quite close by land as well (two or so countries over). It follows Jalan who's a coward, cheat and general lazy git who gets forced into an adventure. If you read Prince of Thorns series there are plenty of references but unlike Prince the main character is much more bland and straight forward and you have no real glimpses back nor giving you more world building and the brothers have been replaced by one person basically. Overall I'd rate it as a weaker version of Prince of Thorns scoring probably one or two points below the series.

Never heard of them cheers.

david75

Nody wrote: »

Finished Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns series); it's the same universe, the same time period (the dead king is out there causing trouble) and quite close by land as well (two or so countries over). It follows Jalan who's a coward, cheat and general lazy git who gets forced into an adventure. If you read Prince of Thorns series there are plenty of references but unlike Prince the main character is much more bland and straight forward and you have no real glimpses back nor giving you more world building and the brothers have been replaced by one person basically. Overall I'd rate it as a weaker version of Prince of Thorns scoring probably one or two points below the series.

I liked both series.
But agree the first series was better. Jorg (?) was a much more unlikeable but loveable prick. And the story a lot more engaging. Still think Rothfuss' kingkiller chronicles were better. Read them and these right after each other.

Nody

david75 wrote: »

I liked both series.
But agree the first series was better. Jorg (?) was a much more unlikeable but loveable prick. And the story a lot more engaging. Still think Rothfuss' kingkiller chronicles were better. Read them and these right after each other.

I'd agree with you on all points; it's also about character complexity, Jorg's background is slowly told and you have the world building flashback events etc. to explain the world which is missing which makes me sad. I loved the world he built and I wanted more from it but it's simply not forthcoming and there were plenty of scope to do so which I hope will come in the next books.

OwaynOTT

The next trilogy from Mark Lawrence will not feature that universe at all. Or in other words(better words), the next trilogy is set in a new world.

Yawlboy

Listening to Fahrenheit 451 on audible - for a book that was published in 1953 it doesn't seem that dated.

keane2097

Yawlboy wrote: »

Listening to Fahrenheit 451 on audible - for a book that was published in 1953 it doesn't seem that dated.

Yeah I really liked that.

Dades

Yawlboy wrote: »

Listening to Fahrenheit 451 on audible - for a book that was published in 1953 it doesn't seem that dated.

I only read it last year. I can see why it's considered a seminal work for the themes involved but the science is olde skool.

PADRAGON

Are the Black Company books by Glen Cook any good? I picked up three of them in a charity shop but they seem to be in the middle so I don't want to read out of order. Is it worth buying the first couple?

keane2097

PADRAGON wrote: »

Are the Black Company books by Glen Cook any good? I picked up three of them in a charity shop but they seem to be in the middle so I don't want to read out of order. Is it worth buying the first couple?

Yeah the first four or five are excellent anyway.

OwaynOTT

Second that opinion, they're mostly excellent. I stopped at book 7 for a change but they were all good up to that.

PADRAGON

Thank you both. I'll find the ones i'm missing and give them a go.The hunt begins...

drake70

Just finished Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. Judas Unchained has just been downloaded.

mcgovern

Finished The Fireman, it's not bad, but not great.
Also read The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey. It's a somewhat similar premise, end of the world as we know it due to an 'infection', but is much better. It's a pretty quick read, I'd recommend it.
After that I read The Last Wish by Andrze Sjapkowski which is the first in The Witcher Series. I'm playing The Witcher 3 at the moment, which seems to have stayed fairly true to the book. Surprisingly there is some Irish influence in both, (the game has regions with Irish accents, the book has several names languages cleared based on Irish).

Starting The Red: First Light by Linda Nagata next.

david75

You can get autographed &personalised bookplates from robin hobb for free if you mail your name and address to chase@robinhobb.com

AbusesToilets

Finally got a paperback copy of Fall Of Light from England. Really enjoying it so far. Finished Dancer's Lament beforehand, easily one of Esslemont's best books. I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes this series.

nhur

drake70 wrote: »

Just finished Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. Judas Unchained has just been downloaded.

love those books

Thargor

His next one is out this August, Chronicle of the Fallers.