Books Fantasy Reads

Well Finn seems to be a bit plot component, read Tarot before jumping in.

It's not mandatory, but you'll appreciate background better. I didn't read Book 3, and now wish I'd had pushed through it. Still it's not a deal breaker. This works well even if you haven't read it too.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Well Finn seems to be a bit plot component, read Tarot before jumping in.

It's not mandatory, but you'll appreciate background better. I didn't read Book 3, and now wish I'd had pushed through it. Still it's not a deal breaker. This works well even if you haven't read it too.
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book 3 was the best of a meh bunch.
I figured he was going to join them at some point. So now we have water, fire, light, and darkness with their avatars, right?
 
WI_Red said:
book 3 was the best of a meh bunch.
I figured he was going to join them at some point. So now we have water, fire, light, and darkness with their avatars, right?
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Well, not to SPOILER too much....he's the antagonist till now. I'm only 20% in so things are liable to change.

There's a brief paragraph about air avatar, but nothing much till now. RAFO.

I would have preferred to read Tarot 3, but hey, this works ok too.
 
The Cat said:
I finally got around to starting these this week, I'm only up to around Chapter 6 but I'm hooked already and nothing much has happened yet - very promising. The footnotes are pretty humourous I'm making sure I read them all.
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So I am almost done with this and I have gone from loving it to kinda despising it. If there is one thing in fantasy books I can't abide it is characters doing insanely stupid things to help the author advance a plot. It is lazy writing and destroys the character building they have done.
Mia leaving her notebook essentially unhidden b/c of a note, and then not even mentioning the note to Tric, when she knows the Red and Dyamo want the book is just next level bad writing.
. I am leaning towards putting this down and not picking it back up.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Well, not to SPOILER too much....he's the antagonist till now. I'm only 20% in so things are liable to change.

There's a brief paragraph about air avatar, but nothing much till now. RAFO.

I would have preferred to read Tarot 3, but hey, this works ok too.
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I think I mentioned it in a previous spoiler but
he was already the unwitting antagonist as he is the one who sent the brothers that attacked Jason.
I assume they will partner up at some point.
 
WI_Red said:
So I am almost done with this and I have gone from loving it to kinda despising it. If there is one thing in fantasy books I can't abide it is characters doing insanely stupid things to help the author advance a plot. It is lazy writing and destroys the character building they have done.
Mia leaving her notebook essentially unhidden b/c of a note, and then not even mentioning the note to Tric, when she knows the Red and Dyamo want the book is just next level bad writing.
. I am leaning towards putting this down and not picking it back up.
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I just finished the trilogy tonight. I hope you carried on I found the 2nd book the best of the lot was absolutely glued to it.
 
The Cat said:
I just finished the trilogy tonight. I hope you carried on I found the 2nd book the best of the lot was absolutely glued to it.
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Nope. Put it down at the moment mentioned. I think the dichotomy of such a well written 2/3 book contrasted with such a lazy plot device was too much for me. I could see where everything was going from there and it was not worth my time. The author, in my eyes, killed the credibility of his character in the scene and nothing done could get me invested again.

as an aside. I have made this comment before on here but I will say it again. I am fecking sick and tired of the way female characters are written in fantasy, especially by male authors. I don’t care how she progresses in the next 2 books, because that scene is such a misogynistic piece of crap.

anyways, I am 3 books in to a wheel of time re-do. Never read the last book and it’s been a decade since I read the other books, so I’m booked (pun intended) for the next 5 months.
 
WI_Red said:
Nope. Put it down at the moment mentioned. I think the dichotomy of such a well written 2/3 book contrasted with such a lazy plot device was too much for me. I could see where everything was going from there and it was not worth my time. The author, in my eyes, killed the credibility of his character in the scene and nothing done could get me invested again.

as an aside. I have made this comment before on here but I will say it again. I am fecking sick and tired of the way female characters are written in fantasy, especially by male authors. I don’t care how she progresses in the next 2 books, because that scene is such a misogynistic piece of crap.

anyways, I am 3 books in to a wheel of time re-do. Never read the last book and it’s been a decade since I read the other books, so I’m booked (pun intended) for the next 5 months.
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Hope the slog isnt too much for you. In my re-read last year, I found myself just turning pages in Crossroads of Twilight :lol:
 
harshad said:
Hope the slog isnt too much for you. In my re-read last year, I found myself just turning pages in Crossroads of Twilight :lol:
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doing audiobooks so I can listen while doing yard work and items on the wife’s to-do list. Michael Kramer and Kate Redding could narrate the phone book and j would find it fascinating.:)
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Book 2 was essentially Book 1 in a different setting. I mean an assassin in a gladiator arena? Surely you get the eye roll! Apart from the twist at the end, it was just a different school.
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Yeah I just enjoyed the writing and humour.

I'll add that I missed out most of the sex scenes in all 3 books - not my thing that.
 
Haven't updated my reads in a while, so here goes:

The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue, #1) by Buehlman, Christopher

A fun adventure quest book filled with lots of humour. The humour didn't click with me, but have heard raving reviews all around. 7/10

The Coward (Quest for Heroes, #1) by Aryan, Stephen

Hero called out of retirement to redeem himself. Fast paced and fun quest with peril filled journey, bad ass villain at the end. Very enjoyable! 9/10

Activation Degradation by Lostetter, Marina J.

Billed as the new Murderbot, but it really is not. It's a good book on it's own. MC is a newly activated cyborg whose actions delve the deeper truths that what he was told. Space drama with action. 7/10

Awaken Online: Hellion (Awaken Online #5) by Bagwell, Travis

Good continuation of the series. Moves the story to a interesting node and looking to see how the next book falls. 8/10
 
The wife and I are halfway through book 4 of WoT (The Shadow Rising, we are doing audiobook together) and are in agreement that we forgot how completely shit Jordan was when writing some of his female characters. They come across as thoroughly unlikeable.
We can't remember if this improves, but currently I want Perin to get it done with and take Faile's head off and for Nynaeve to fall off the boat. Min is the best written one and that's probably because she dresses and acts more like a boy!
 
WI_Red said:
They come across as thoroughly unlikeable.
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The Supergirls are insufferable in the early WoT, but their behavior fits the story. Remember that women have ruled the world for over three thousand years, since The Breaking that was caused by men. So most of the women you meet treat men as idiots who can't be allowed to make any meaningful decision. You'll bear the story better if you have that at the back of your mind in the early going.

If you think the Supergirls are bad just wait till you meet most of the Aes Sedai, and in particular, Cadsuane.
If it is any consolation, Nynaeve grows into one of the most heroic and beloved characters by the end
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Haven't updated my reads in a while, so here goes:

The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue, #1) by Buehlman, Christopher

A fun adventure quest book filled with lots of humour. The humour didn't click with me, but have heard raving reviews all around. 7/10

The Coward (Quest for Heroes, #1) by Aryan, Stephen

Hero called out of retirement to redeem himself. Fast paced and fun quest with peril filled journey, bad ass villain at the end. Very enjoyable! 9/10

Activation Degradation by Lostetter, Marina J.

Billed as the new Murderbot, but it really is not. It's a good book on it's own. MC is a newly activated cyborg whose actions delve the deeper truths that what he was told. Space drama with action. 7/10

Awaken Online: Hellion (Awaken Online #5) by Bagwell, Travis

Good continuation of the series. Moves the story to a interesting node and looking to see how the next book falls. 8/10
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Just finished Hellion. Maybe I am in the minority, but it was the worst of the main story line books for me. Details below.

1. The ending is just stupid. There is no way the Alfred could have repaired Fin's spine. It is said multiple time in multiple books that he would need surgery to fix it, so the idea that by firing a couple of neurons in his brain that Alfred can fix structural damage beggars all belief.
2. The sudden and game breaking powers of the avatars is stupid. By the way Alexion is described, he could likely have singlehandedly defeated the Twilight Throne in the last battle where he was captured. I think only a week or 2 has passed since then and now he is fecking Tyrael (bonus points for anyone who gets the reference)
3. Going back to number 2, this book read like an author rewriting the rules to his book every time he wrote himself into a corner.
- "Shit, Jason needs an army he can control, but he has a control limit..... Aha! New power that removes the control limit!"
- "I want Fin to have a cool laser weapon that can shot lasers from the sky..... Aha! He can launch a fecking satelite into space!
4. The real world story line was boring and served no purpose.
5. The in game story line sucked. I still hate Julia. Kyle is still a weeny. Fin is completely unsympathetic. Jason still "Beautiful Minds" every situation. Frank is Perin and Silver is Faile and I hate them just as much.

Basically a 3/10
 
WI_Red said:
Just finished Hellion. Maybe I am in the minority, but it was the worst of the main story line books for me. Details below.

1. The ending is just stupid. There is no way the Alfred could have repaired Fin's spine. It is said multiple time in multiple books that he would need surgery to fix it, so the idea that by firing a couple of neurons in his brain that Alfred can fix structural damage beggars all belief.
2. The sudden and game breaking powers of the avatars is stupid. By the way Alexion is described, he could likely have singlehandedly defeated the Twilight Throne in the last battle where he was captured. I think only a week or 2 has passed since then and now he is fecking Tyrael (bonus points for anyone who gets the reference)
3. Going back to number 2, this book read like an author rewriting the rules to his book every time he wrote himself into a corner.
- "Shit, Jason needs an army he can control, but he has a control limit..... Aha! New power that removes the control limit!"
- "I want Fin to have a cool laser weapon that can shot lasers from the sky..... Aha! He can launch a fecking satelite into space!
4. The real world story line was boring and served no purpose.
5. The in game story line sucked. I still hate Julia. Kyle is still a weeny. Fin is completely unsympathetic. Jason still "Beautiful Minds" every situation. Frank is Perin and Silver is Faile and I hate them just as much.
Basically a 3/10
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:lol: Finn is probably the worst that could have happened to the main AO plot. But looks like he's in for the long run!
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
:lol: Finn is probably the worst that could have happened to the main AO plot. But looks like he's in for the long run!
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Seriously. I am half wondering if his wife threw herself out of the car to get away from him. It really sucks because the first books in this series were awesome. The world building was great and the character development was measured, steady and realistic. This last book (and the whole Fin series) just seems so jarringly different.
 
Just finished latest AO: it was okay. Does feel like the escalation has moved beyond the point of no return at this stage in terms of powers, comic-style. Presumably next step will be a 'solve' that strips the powers away for a book or two.

Also read that NPC series (warning its' not done yet) and it was really enjoyable, as kind of silly as it is.
 
Beachryan said:
Just finished latest AO: it was okay. Does feel like the escalation has moved beyond the point of no return at this stage in terms of powers, comic-style. Presumably next step will be a 'solve' that strips the powers away for a book or two.

Also read that NPC series (warning its' not done yet) and it was really enjoyable, as kind of silly as it is.
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Re: AO, that was my take as well. Comic-ish is a great way of looking at the powers they ahave achieved. Completely unbalanced and in a normal game would be game breaking. After the inferno series and now this the next book needs to be a good one to keep me in the series.

Re: NPC, silly is what Hayes does (except for villains code series, that is pretty dark).
 
WI_Red said:
Re: NPC, silly is what Hayes does (except for villains code series, that is pretty dark).
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On the rec on here started with Villians Code, then did NPCs (damn you Amazon and your recommendations). He's an excellent authour, really enjoy his writing. Will probably try another of his series next.
 
Beachryan said:
On the rec on here started with Villians Code, then did NPCs (damn you Amazon and your recommendations). He's an excellent authour, really enjoy his writing. Will probably try another of his series next.
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Off topic, but he does a podcast that I love and is how I found him. Podcast is called Authors and Dragons and is a group of fantasy authors who play D&D (Hayes is the DM). Absolutely love it as it is stupidly hilarious. The are drunk (especially Bevin) 95% of the time.
 
Michael J. Sullivan: Theft of Swords & Rise of Empire (first 2 books of the Riyira Revelations series). Not worth reviewing these books separately as they both share the same faults - good stories, bad everything else. The writing is very much tell don't show, scenes drag on for way too long and it's not unusual to have a single character speech that just goes on for 3-4 minutes of audiobook time. The characters are not interesting and are somewhat indistinguishable from each other as none of them have many discernable characteristics or personality traits. The storyline is decent and is the only reason I kept going - not sure it's going to be enough to make me pick up book 3, though.
 
SmashedHombre said:
Michael J. Sullivan: Theft of Swords & Rise of Empire (first 2 books of the Riyira Revelations series). Not worth reviewing these books separately as they both share the same faults - good stories, bad everything else. The writing is very much tell don't show, scenes drag on for way too long and it's not unusual to have a single character speech that just goes on for 3-4 minutes of audiobook time. The characters are not interesting and are somewhat indistinguishable from each other as none of them have many discernable characteristics or personality traits. The storyline is decent and is the only reason I kept going - not sure it's going to be enough to make me pick up book 3, though.
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Brutal :lol:

I love Riyria!
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Brutal :lol:

I love Riyria!
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I honestly couldn't finish the series. I didn't really like any of the characters, whose personalities I found to be too inconsistent - when they actually had any personality at all. The story was good, but the end of book 2 was just too infuriating for me to continue.
Haha we just handed an entire city to a horrifying and brutal enemy who is likely to eat the inhabitants alive. Let's make jokes about it while we're strung up in this dungeon and then easily escape and never really talk about it again.

But maybe I'm just falling out of love with fantasy recently. I also just finished the first 2 books in Abercrombie's Shattered Sea series and thought they were awful. And I'm usually a fan of Abercrombie's work. But I just couldn't believe how bland the story and characters were. I know it is billed as 'YA' but that doesn't mean it has to tick the boxes for every single fantasy trope.
 
Making my way through the Powereds series, on year 2. I hope someone has snapped up the rights to this, because if not I want to quit and get into that business.

Would make an absolute brilliant TV show, CW-style. So much better than the writing on so many things actually being made out there, and could basically translate straigh tto screen.
 
SmashedHombre said:
Michael J. Sullivan: Theft of Swords & Rise of Empire (first 2 books of the Riyira Revelations series). Not worth reviewing these books separately as they both share the same faults - good stories, bad everything else. The writing is very much tell don't show, scenes drag on for way too long and it's not unusual to have a single character speech that just goes on for 3-4 minutes of audiobook time. The characters are not interesting and are somewhat indistinguishable from each other as none of them have many discernable characteristics or personality traits. The storyline is decent and is the only reason I kept going - not sure it's going to be enough to make me pick up book 3, though.
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Hate this. It's so unnatural. Most real conversation is short and sharp, yet in fantasy fiction there is this bizarre love for grandiose speeches that inform other characters of things they likely already know, just so that the author can fill the reader in.
 
SmashedHombre said:
Michael J. Sullivan: Theft of Swords & Rise of Empire (first 2 books of the Riyira Revelations series). Not worth reviewing these books separately as they both share the same faults - good stories, bad everything else. The writing is very much tell don't show, scenes drag on for way too long and it's not unusual to have a single character speech that just goes on for 3-4 minutes of audiobook time. The characters are not interesting and are somewhat indistinguishable from each other as none of them have many discernable characteristics or personality traits. The storyline is decent and is the only reason I kept going - not sure it's going to be enough to make me pick up book 3, though.
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What the feck? They are great.
 
abandoned wheel of time again, this time it was after book 6. I just can't get into it.
 
ivaldo said:
Hate this. It's so unnatural. Most real conversation is short and sharp, yet in fantasy fiction there is this bizarre love for grandiose speeches that inform other characters of things they likely already know, just so that the author can fill the reader in.
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Yeah, it's infuriating. There was actually an entire chapter in Ryvira that I skipped because it was just one big long speech and I thought it might never end.

Runebound trilogy, Sandell Wall: I actually finished this trilogy, which I guess says a lot for it. That said, I think they're the author's first books and it does show. His editor really let him down on what could have been a really, really good debut. Dear Mr. Editor, there are other speech tags aside from 'said'. Said gets used so much in this trilogy that I thought I was being trolled for a while. The author is definitely a pantser (doesn't meticulously plan in advance) and it also shows. The magic system wasn't fully developed and in later books it was clear the author decided 'oh yeah, the runestones should definitely work like this', resulting in a magic system that was never really fully explained or fleshed out. It also ventured a bit too much into grimdark for my tastes. And grimdark for the sake of grimdark more often than not. Some of the unpleasent shit that happened to characters really served no purpose and had no payoff.

The story was very good though and moved at a pace that will keep you turning pages. I finished the trilogy pretty quickly. I wouldn't go back and re-read it, but I would recommend it for someone looking for a read.
 
Haven't updated this in a long time:

Quantum Magician (Derek Kunsken) - Kind of hard sci-fi Ocean'11 in space. A Homo Quantus (Genetic enhanced people whose brains are enhanced to quantum calculations) is engaged to move a bunch of ships through a protected wormhole and puts together a ragtag brillaint crew to do that. Quite a fun read with betrayals, hidden agendas et al. 8/10

Wool (Hugh Howey) - A sci-fi dystopan book where people live in underground silos and outside planet is uninhabitable. A set of incidents bring new characters to play threating to expose a generation spanning deceit that would shake humanity to it's core. Character driven but moves at a good pace. Engaging read. 8/10

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Becky Chambers) - Widely acclaimed book, but fell flat for me. A travelogue type book with all good characters and feel good plot that didn't feel real. 3/10

The God is Not Willing (Steven Erikson) - The beginning of next trilogy in Malazan world following Karsa. It surprisingly more accessible than original Malazan and still a great plot to boot. 8/10
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
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The God is Not Willing (Steven Erikson) - The beginning of next trilogy in Malazan world following Karsa. It surprisingly more accessible than original Malazan and still a great plot to boot. 8/10
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Why I'll probably pass. I hated Karsa Orlong in the original 10-part series.
 
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