What Are You Reading?

keane2097

nhur wrote: »

Ur a bit ahead of me... I'm about a fifth of the way thru (having finished all the asimov books) and defo getting bogged down in the names and language issues.... Seems like there are more made up words than not... And I had no trouble with erikson... But with all the praise this series has gotten on this thread I'll persevere

There are actually paragraphs where it feels like a foreign language book where the prepositions have been translated into English alright.

Having read on farther I'd say stick with it, it is good.

david75

miamee wrote: »

I finished this on Friday. First of all, I only discovered these books by accident last year and started reading Fool's Quest before realising it was part two of a trilogy so I went back and read Fool's Assassin then Fool's Quest and now Assassin's Fate. Little did I know that they were a trilogy in a bigger range of stories so I feel like I may have missed out by reading the last trilogy first. Anyway, I digress.

I thoroughly enjoyed Assassin's Fate. There were parts that I enjoyed less than others and at times I had no interest in reading about Amber/Fool but I'm not sure if that was what was intended or not, were we supposed to detach from him as Fitz was becoming more distanced from him. I really want there to be more about

Bee as she gets older, she's a great character.

I found it hard to follow a lot of the names of the characters on the liveship for some reason, maybe I was saturated with new characters at that stage so I probably didn't engage fully with them. The River Wilds sounded interesting and I see there is a trilogy based on them so I may have to go back and read more from the start. Do they all need to be read in order? Or just pick a trilogy and go for it?

Ah man. You have to read them in order. Assassins apprentice, royal assassin, assassins quest, then the tawny man trilogy and then the three you've just read.

You're missing out on ALL the best stuff. This last trilogy is great but you don't have a true basis or understanding without having read the two previous trilogies. Plus it could be argued that the first two trilogies are a lot better written and more engaging. My two cents.

The liveship trilogy are selerate from th farseer books. In the same world and some crossover but not too much related or dependant. I find them a difficult read it's like a totally different author write them. But they are worth it especially as a couple of characters do appear in assassins fate.

Start from the start. The first trilogy is just wonderful and so rich. You'll love em I think.

pH

Just finished the Red Rising trilogy (Pierce Brown).

While it definitely is Sci Fi, it reads more like fantasy, a weird combination of the start of Wool, Hunger games, Ender's game maybe even a touch of warhammer 40k stuff.

So the major thing to recommend it is that it's finished! No waiting years to see if the author actually can (or wants to) finish the trilogy. Certainly not groundbreaking or unique, but if you're looking for a rip-roaring sci fi that kinds of steals its plot from every fantasy book ever then this might be for you.

Currently struggling through Children of Time (2016 Arthur C. Clarke winner - will not be reading the 2017 winner!), somewhere in there there's a decent book trying to get out, but it's ham fisted and all a little silly. Just looking back at the list of Arthur C. Clarke winners, you can pretty much stick a pin in the year it ceased to be about good sci-fi and all about pushing this toxic political agenda that seems to have infested the awards and publishing scene.

ixoy

41% into "Authority" by Jeff VanderMeer, the second in his Southern Reach trilogy. It's taking quite a different tone and angle from the first one, reminding me a fair bit of the approach Hugh Howey took with the Shift arc that followed the Wool series. There's not really the sense of creeping dread here and I feel a little like it's re-treading ground. Hope it picks up a little.

Thargor

david75 wrote: »

Ah man. You have to read them in order. Assassins apprentice, royal assassin, assassins quest, then the tawny man trilogy and then the three you've just read.

You're missing out on ALL the best stuff. This last trilogy is great but you don't have a true basis or understanding without having read the two previous trilogies. Plus it could be argued that the first two trilogies are a lot better written and more engaging. My two cents.

The liveship trilogy are selerate from th farseer books. In the same world and some crossover but not too much related or dependant. I find them a difficult read it's like a totally different author write them. But they are worth it especially as a couple of characters do appear in assassins fate.

Start from the start. The first trilogy is just wonderful and so rich. You'll love em I think.

Dont forget the Rainwild Chronicles aswell, its all one big world and every book in it is gold, absolutely insane to jump straight to the most recent ones. The Liveship and Farseer trilogies really stuck with me even though its a decade since I read them, so many great moments.

Thargor

pH wrote: »

Just finished the Red Rising trilogy (Pierce Brown).

While it definitely is Sci Fi, it reads more like fantasy, a weird combination of the start of Wool, Hunger games, Ender's game maybe even a touch of warhammer 40k stuff.

So the major thing to recommend it is that it's finished! No waiting years to see if the author actually can (or wants to) finish the trilogy. Certainly not groundbreaking or unique, but if you're looking for a rip-roaring sci fi that kinds of steals its plot from every fantasy book ever then this might be for you.

Ugh, I read them recently, they're pretty weak tbh, its written in that modern American kind of young-adult fantasy style that really annoys me, where the protagonist is this smug righteous character who's better at everything than everyone else for no particular reason and all the other characters are one-dimensional cliches, it was a chore to finish them.

mcgovern

pH wrote: »

Just finished the Red Rising trilogy (Pierce Brown).

While it definitely is Sci Fi, it reads more like fantasy, a weird combination of the start of Wool, Hunger games, Ender's game maybe even a touch of warhammer 40k stuff.

So the major thing to recommend it is that it's finished! No waiting years to see if the author actually can (or wants to) finish the trilogy. Certainly not groundbreaking or unique, but if you're looking for a rip-roaring sci fi that kinds of steals its plot from every fantasy book ever then this might be for you.

Currently struggling through Children of Time (2016 Arthur C. Clarke winner - will not be reading the 2017 winner!), somewhere in there there's a decent book trying to get out, but it's ham fisted and all a little silly. Just looking back at the list of Arthur C. Clarke winners, you can pretty much stick a pin in the year it ceased to be about good sci-fi and all about pushing this toxic political agenda that seems to have infested the awards and publishing scene.

There's another book in Red Rising universe coming out this year, start of a new triology.

miamee

Thargor wrote: »

Dont forget the Rainwild Chronicles aswell, its all one big world and every book in it is gold, absolutely insane to jump straight to the most recent ones. The Liveship and Farseer trilogies really stuck with me even though its a decade since I read them, so many great moments.

Thanks guys, I'll have to start again at the actual beginning this time! By the time I get through them all, I'll probably be ready to read Fitz and the Fool trilogy again.

keane2097

keane2097 wrote: »

Having read on farther I'd say stick with it, it is good.

Half way through this now (Prince of Nothing book 1), the characters are really smart - very impressed so far.

mcgovern

Artemis Fowl was pretty much exactly as advertised, a fun light read.
I read Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. A collection of short stories including the one that inspired the film Arrival. So good and thought provoking ones in there.
Really struggling to get back to Too Like The Lightning so I have started Daemon by Daniel Suarez instead. It's a near future sci-fi/thriller about a murderous computer program, but is much less cheesy than it sounds.

OwaynOTT

The Calling by Peadir O Gullin.
Irish Y/A with fairies, what's not to like really. He has another series where it involves canbalism, so some of your standard Y/A books there.

nhur

keane2097 wrote: »

Half way through this now (Prince of Nothing book 1), the characters are really smart - very impressed so far.

ditto - much better now (though still not a patch on erikson)

keane2097

nhur wrote: »

ditto - much better now (though still not a patch on erikson)

No, but the gap between Erikson and most fantasy is pretty huge. This is way up towards the top of the pile otherwise. Have a few pages left, will be moving on to the next one fairly quickly after which I often don't do.

super_furry

The Long War - the second in the The Long Earth Series by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. I absolutely loved the first book but this is really dragging and I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with it.

ixoy

20% into "The Widow's House" by Daniel Abraham, the fourth book in his 'Dagger and Coin' quintet.
I find this series a very easy read. It's nothing deep but there's some nice humour by the leads who are an interesting read. The main plot arc is a bit meandering, taking its time to get to the point, but the journey so far has been diverting. No classic but a more relaxing read than the previous fantasy novel I read, R. Scott Bakker's latest.

Xofpod

ixoy wrote: »

41% into "Authority" by Jeff VanderMeer, the second in his Southern Reach trilogy. It's taking quite a different tone and angle from the first one, reminding me a fair bit of the approach Hugh Howey took with the Shift arc that followed the Wool series. There's not really the sense of creeping dread here and I feel a little like it's re-treading ground. Hope it picks up a little.

Loved the first one, was really disappointed by the dull, unnecessary second one. Anyone read the third and can advise if the quality picks up again? As it stands, I'm inclined to leave it.

nhur

keane2097 wrote: »

will be moving on to the next one fairly quickly after which I often don't do.

you moved on to the next as quickly as forecast? Certainly seems to be a better read so far...

keane2097

nhur wrote: »

you moved on to the next as quickly as forecast? Certainly seems to be a better read so far...

I did but haven't gotten very far yet for a variety of reasons.

lordgoat

VE Schwab - Shades of Magic series - book 1 very good, book 2 ok - about to start book 3

Brian Staveley - Unhewn Throne - enjoyed all 3 books, a solid 7/8 out of 10

Brian McClellan - Powder Mage - Enjoyed this alot, interested magic system. Annoyed that he fails to develop the most interesting characters and aspects of the world more.

Mark Lawrence - about to start the Red Queen series next, this or should I go with Joe Abercrombie?

Thargor

lordgoat wrote: »

VE Schwab - Shades of Magic series - book 1 very good, book 2 ok - about to start book 3

Brian Staveley - Unhewn Throne - enjoyed all 3 books, a solid 7/8 out of 10

Brian McClellan - Powder Mage - Enjoyed this alot, interested magic system. Annoyed that he fails to develop the most interesting characters and aspects of the world more.

Mark Lawrence - about to start the Red Queen series next, this or should I go with Joe Abercrombie?

Read the Prince of Nothing series, its 5X better than everything you've listed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Nothing

Im saving the follow-up series The Aspect Emperor for some inter railing at the end of next month and Im looking forward to reading it more than the holiday.

keane2097

I'm still only about a third into the second book for a variety of reasons. I found it a little slow to get going, wouldn't go as far as tedious but I had started to notice. It seems to have picked up now anyway.

Still find them very good overall - did you find any of the books particularly better or worse Thargor?

Thargor

They all blurred into one story for me tbh, I tear through books in a couple of days when I get into something good.

lordgoat

Thargor wrote: »

Read the Prince of Nothing series, its 5X better than everything you've listed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Nothing

Im saving the follow-up series The Aspect Emperor for some inter railing at the end of next month and Im looking forward to reading it more than the holiday.

I'll give it a go and report back.

ixoy

45% into "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch. It's an easy airport-stand type sci-fi book. As a more avid fan of the genre, I'm guessing the twists and what's happening very early on and that runs what's probably meant to be a "surprise". The pacing is good though and it's very much a page turner, I just don't expect it to be memorable / original.

david75

lordgoat wrote: »

VE Schwab - Shades of Magic series - book 1 very good, book 2 ok - about to start book 3

Brian Staveley - Unhewn Throne - enjoyed all 3 books, a solid 7/8 out of 10

Brian McClellan - Powder Mage - Enjoyed this alot, interested magic system. Annoyed that he fails to develop the most interesting characters and aspects of the world more.

Mark Lawrence - about to start the Red Queen series next, this or should I go with Joe Abercrombie?

I'd go Lawrence over Abercrombie. The later is basically teen fiction. Enjoyable enough but obvious and predictable. Try Jemisins inheritance trilogy if you haven't already. Wonderful read.

pixelburp

Finished Annihilation the other day & still not sure what to think. I broadly enjoyed, and it's a creepy tale, steeped with atmosphere and a constant, lingering sense of doom, but it was just so ambiguous I'm just not sure what happened or what was meant to be going on. The lead character also seemed to jump to some wild conclusions about Area X, but without any definitive proof or incident to make her believe it.

Hard to see how the upcoming film adaptation will work though; the story felt like an entity that best works as the written word, the reader letting their imagination form the boundaries & threat of Area X, the place feeling so dreamlike that seeing it up on the screen might take away some of its power...

Xofpod

Luna: Wolf Moon, Ian McDonald.
About halfway through - not as good as the (excellent) first book so far, but definitely worth a read.

Fian

Finished The Crippled God last week. It was a re-read of the series, except for the last two books which I didn't read previously, but I was so confused I decided to start the whole thing again.

Pretty confused/conflicted by the stab in the back from the "good guy" cotillion.

Anyway I loved the series but time for some much lighter/easier/less demanding books now.

nhur

keane2097 wrote: »

I did but haven't gotten very far yet for a variety of reasons.

i'm about 80% through now... goes through bits where it's all go... then it lulls again.. but overall worth it...

I still get stuck with long passages where he talks about all these separate peoples and their leaders and their style of war etc... I can't remember who's who bcos we don't get to know them at all.. then we get a detailed account of somethign where they're all interacting with their specific strengths and weaknesses and it just gets really confusing imho. But the bits with the main characters definitely delivers.

keane2097

nhur wrote: »

i'm about 80% through now... goes through bits where it's all go... then it lulls again.. but overall worth it...

I still get stuck with long passages where he talks about all these separate peoples and their leaders and their style of war etc... I can't remember who's who bcos we don't get to know them at all.. then we get a detailed account of somethign where they're all interacting with their specific strengths and weaknesses and it just gets really confusing imho. But the bits with the main characters definitely delivers.

I really think if he made the names more readable the book would have seriously benefited.