What we're reading, the SFF edition

Threak 17

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Re-reading James P. Hogan's, Inherit The Stars. Great Book, I try to pick it up every couple of years or so.
 

rwm4768

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Finished The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler. I thought The Thousand Names was good. The next in the series was great. Parts of the book had me reading with breathless anticipation, and when a book does that, I know it's doing something right. The book as a whole was entertaining, as was the first one.

If you want to read some good gunpowder fantasy, this is a great series. I'd also recommend Brian McClellan's Promise of Blood.
 

phantasy

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Finally, finally finished the Way of Kings by Sanderson after skipping good chunks of it. The ending is actually pretty good, I just don't get why this book is so long and takes forever to get there. I think why I generally don't like his work because it focuses too much on detail and I'm far more interested in big picture stuff.

But I'll try reading the next one too.
 

rwm4768

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Finally, finally finished the Way of Kings by Sanderson after skipping good chunks of it. The ending is actually pretty good, I just don't get why this book is so long and takes forever to get there. I think why I generally don't like his work because it focuses too much on detail and I'm far more interested in big picture stuff.

But I'll try reading the next one too.

I think you'll find you like it better. As much as I liked the first book, I'll admit that it was mostly setup. Things move more quickly in the second (though it is just as long, it doesn't feel like it).

Also, if you have trouble with Sanderson's level of detail, I wouldn't suggest reading George R.R. Martin.
 

phantasy

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I think you'll find you like it better. As much as I liked the first book, I'll admit that it was mostly setup. Things move more quickly in the second (though it is just as long, it doesn't feel like it).

Also, if you have trouble with Sanderson's level of detail, I wouldn't suggest reading George R.R. Martin.

Actually I meant detail when it comes to the world building and magic system. His writing isn't very descriptive. I simply don't care for all that extra stuff and history. But I know there's an audience that loves deciphering all that stuff.

But yeah, don't really care for Martin either.
 

Threak 17

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Moving on to book number two of the Giants series by Jams P. Hogan, The Gentle Giants Of Ganymede. Though I've read Inherit The Stars quite a few times - and enjoyed every minute - I've never felt the urge to read book two. Strange?
 

rwm4768

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Finished Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach. This book was just plain fun. Lots of action. Characters I liked. A whole bunch of mystery. And some pretty cool technology and aliens. About the only drawback was the romance, which seemed a little ridiculous at times.

It's not what you'd call "serious" science fiction, but it's the kind of stuff I wish I could find more of.
 

harmonyisarine

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Super busy, but finished The Warded Man by Peter Brett and just starting into The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks. I found the Warded Man's story very intriguing, enough that I want the next book, but some details and choices in the writing a bit tiring. The Broken Eye is pulling me along as surely as the first ones did, though. Massive book, but I'll have some time to read it on the drive to Michigan in a few days.
 

dolores haze

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Finished 'The Heroes' by Joe Abercrombie. Not my favorite of his books, but I enjoyed it well enough. Had more difficulty keeping up with all of the characters than usual.

Now reading 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss. Bit of a snoozefest so far. Skimmed a lot in the beginning, but now the main character is at wizarding university and it's picked up a bit. I keep expecting Dumbledore to show up.
 

CheG

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So very, very late to the Brandon Sanderson party, but at the last library sale I picked up the Mistborn trilogy box set for a buck and I'm now on Well of Ascension. Can not put these things down!
 

ad_dupont

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I'm reading Old Man's War, by John Scalzi. It's for a book club. Otherwise, I don't think I would finish it. I'm no stickler about the "show don't tell" thing, but this book has waaaaay too much telling, even for me. As a result I don't feel anything for the characters.

It has a great premise, though. I had high hopes!
 

phantasy

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Just finished the Blue Blazes by Chuck Wednig.
Pretty good book, writing is nice and different, I liked it more than his Blackbirds series. Lots of action, clear characters, a ton of metaphors and similes to get the creative juices flowing. Lots of cliffhangers too. Shucks, going to have to read the next one. ;)
 

rwm4768

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Finished Small Favor by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #10, I believe). Once again, I just love this series (and Butcher in general). It's not going to win any literary awards, but it's just plain fun, and that's what I want in a story more than anything.

As usual, the pacing was nice and fast, with plenty of action. I just love seeing all the new plot twists Butcher can come up with. Makes me want to write my own urban fantasy.
 

sharkbait

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Finished 'The Heroes' by Joe Abercrombie. Not my favorite of his books, but I enjoyed it well enough. Had more difficulty keeping up with all of the characters than usual.

Now reading 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss. Bit of a snoozefest so far. Skimmed a lot in the beginning, but now the main character is at wizarding university and it's picked up a bit. I keep expecting Dumbledore to show up.

Don't give up on it yet. I also thought it got off to a slow start, and I actually put it down for a few weeks at one point before remembering that I hadn't finished it. Now I'm totally hooked on Rothfuss. The second book (The Wise Man's Fear) is sitting next to me and I've read all but the last 20 or so pages, because I'm just not ready to finish it when there's still not a date for the third book. I'll definitely be picking up the novella he's got coming out at the end of October.

Since I've set The Wise Man's Fear aside with only a few pages left, I've finally started on A Dance With Dragons (Martin) as well as The Stolen by Bishop O'Connell (AWer!).

Others in the to-read pile:
- The 2nd and 3rd parts of The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron (aka the Rachel Bach mentioned just a few posts ago). I really loved the way The Spirit Thief (the first book) started, but it did get a little too unbelievable for me by the end. But since I have the first three books bound together in this collection, I'll give book 2 a shot.

- The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I read two or three chapters of this but put it down. I'll go back to it because I've only heard good things about Joe Abercrombie. I think Half a King sounds more up my alley, but I want to give a fair chance to this trilogy.

- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I'm really looking forward to this one, but I'm waiting until I pick The Blade Itself back up before I crack it open.
 

Brightdreamer

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Last finished: Death Warmed Over, by Kevin J. Anderson. A humorous urban fantasy set in New Orleans, starring a zombie PI, his ghostly girlfriend/receptionist, his human lawyer partner whose specialty is nonhuman rights, and a host of other characters. Kind of a fun idea and light tone, but it wound up being more of a stereotype than a parody of stereotypes, and it became far too scattered with too many tangent cases and side characters. Ultimately, it started feeling like a joke I'd heard a few times too often.

Currently Reading: Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas. A fantasy tale starring a young lady assassin in an oppressive kingdom, who is offered a chance at freedom from the prison mines if she can best a host of other unsavory characters to become the King's Champion. There's a bit of a Hunger Games vibe to the competition and the various contenders for the prize, and a fair helping of intrigue and potential romance in the castle - which is, indeed, made of glass, at least the upper portions. So far, I'd call it good-not-great, but it's keeping me reading.
 

phantasy

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Just finished the novella the Emperor's Soul by Sanderson.

The best I've read of his work so far, I was pleasantly surprised. He doesn't waste time with extra plots, the tension is palpable and the magic system is pretty inventive without a ton of time on details. Lots of great philosophic character study too. This book reminded me of his talent.

I'm thinking lack of tension is the main reason I have trouble with his other works and why the only other book I really liked of his was the first Mistborn book. I'm also reading his second massive book in the Stormlight Archive and so far stuff is happening, but the read is a slow slog to any good parts. Predictable, almost. I guess that's what happens when you have a rabid fan base, you get to write long books that serve them. And it's not a problem, because the fan base will always buy. We should all be so lucky. I think King might be the same way.
 

BethS

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Just finished the novella the Emperor's Soul by Sanderson.

I loved that book. I wish he'd write more like it. He's actually a better writer when he writes short.

I just finished The Golem and the Jinni, and I would say it's the best fantasy, and in fact the best book I've read this year. It's set in the Syrian and Jewish immigrant communities of 1890s New York City, and the Golem and the Jinni are the strangest immigrants of all. I think it's one of those rare beautiful stories: poignant and satisfying, and in the end, very human. Can't wait to see what she writes next.

Bit of trivia: her agent sold this novel to Harper-Collins when it was only half written. Authors very occasionally land agents with an unfinished, debut manuscript, but it's got to be really rare for a major publisher to offer a contract for one.
 

phantasy

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I just finished The Golem and the Jinni, and I would say it's the best fantasy, and in fact the best book I've read this year. It's set in the Syrian and Jewish immigrant communities of 1890s New York City, and the Golem and the Jinni are the strangest immigrants of all. I think it's one of those rare beautiful stories: poignant and satisfying, and in the end, very human. Can't wait to see what she writes next.

Well, your high praise will get me to keep trying to read it. I'd kind of forgotten about it.
 

franky_s

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I've just finished Cloud Atlas and am now reading David Mitchell's latest, The Bone Clocks.

Again, just as I'm really getting into someone's story.. he jumps to a completely different character and time. It's annoying for about a page and then I'm completely entranced by this new character and their story.
 

Atalanta

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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin. It's making me realize that I've started to dislike epic fantasy that isn't adventure based. Epic quests? Awesome. Epic politics and deities and backstory, all related by a protagonist who sits around waiting for things to happen to her? Not so much. I'm 120 pages in, and only two days have passed in the narrative. Sigh!
 

rwm4768

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Finished The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks. It took me a while to get into this one (it was very different from the previous Culture novel I read: Consider Phlebas), but then it became really good toward the end.
 

rwm4768

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Finished Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This one got my attention because of the worldbuilding premise. There are various humanoid races, each with features of a particular type of insect (well, there are also spiders, so technically not just insects).

Overall, it was a pretty good read. Not great, but it had a good dose of action, and I actually wanted to root for the characters (which I so often don't in fantasy these days).
 

BethS

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Well, your high praise will get me to keep trying to read it. I'd kind of forgotten about it.

It starts slow and builds. I think it was the second chapter that started to hook me.
 

rwm4768

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Finished Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson (the fifth Malazan book). This series has been a bit of a struggle for me, but I actually liked this one (rather than just thinking it was okay). I don't know. Maybe I'm finally adjusting to Erikson's style, which is not easy to read.
 

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Been trying to read The Web of Everywhere by Brunner but it doesn't hang together. Brunner tells you one thing and inadvertently (?) shows you another. Also, very dislikeable MC.