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Hedrigall posted:For anyone anticipating The Magicians TV series, meet Quentin and Alice: That hat is stupid. Also, I always pictured Alice like this: 
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Dec 5, 2014 20:51
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Didn't know The Palace Job had a sequel, putting it on my enormous audiobook backlog. Finished Stardance by Spider Robinson, narrated by Spider Robinson. Man, how many ways can I say that I hate that book? Between the "whoaaaaaaa duuuuude"ness and the insane amount of 2deep4u-ness and the cringeworthy corny jokes and the highly unlikeable main character, it was a giant piece of crap that I hated more the farther I got.
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Dec 5, 2014 21:31
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drat, just finished up The Blasted Lands by James A. Moore, sequel to Seven Forges (some kind of ongoing series but I dunno if it's a trilogy or what). It's really, surprisingly good. Only thing I didn't like about it was that it ended on a gigantic cliffhanger like some kinda midseason finale on tv. My friend was batshit about it though, so guessing it's a personal choice. Can't wait for the next one to come out. There are some rough points I don't like much, but overall, it's a pretty good couple of books. Gonna have to add this to my "Buy when it's out ASAP" list of stuff to keep an eye on.
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Dec 5, 2014 22:43
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RndmCnflct posted:Anyone else feel like the fantasy category on goodreads is a loving joke? Hey now there are also a lot of teens using it! But if you fall outside of those demographics it's tough to get good stuff on it that's for sure.
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Dec 5, 2014 23:11
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Kalenn Istarion posted:That hat is stupid. Also, I always pictured Alice like this: Well gee
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Dec 6, 2014 00:58
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FastestGunAlive posted:I read the first Dagger & Coin book and found it was not very ambitious for most the story- and I found that very refreshing. Have been tired of the epic fantasy focus on world politics with dozens of viewpoints. I also enjoyed Cithrin's analytical personality. I would read an entire book of Geder just exploring the wilderness and deciphering history but he seems to be going down a dark path. Going to continue reading the series. Would love to hear others opinions on this series. If you enjoyed the first book, I think you'll continue to enjoy the series. I really liked the first book as well, and having just finished the fourth book, I think the series has only gotten stronger -- the fourth book was my favorite. I think you'll continue to find the focus of the books to be a refreshing change of pace from most other fantasy series. Without getting into any specifics, I'll just say that I wouldn't have expected monetary policy to be such an interesting plot point for a fantasy series, but it absolutely is. And, so far as I know, the author still plans for the fifth book to be the conclusion of the series, so it's not suffering the bloat of The Expanse sci-fi series that Daniel Abraham also writes. Definitely keep up with the series.
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Dec 6, 2014 01:24
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So many bad choices.
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Dec 6, 2014 01:32
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systran posted:I'm halfway through City of Stairs and the present tense is still irking me. It just feels like they are not making actual use of the present tense and that it was done for no real reason. I strongly feel that third-person past is the default, and unless you have a good reason to deviate from that, don't. First-person present is also another form of a default, but third-person present is just really weird to me. Same boat here. I really like the setting, but the jumps between tenses is rather jarring/off putting. I feel like I have to force myself to read it, and that's no good and a shame because it seems like it has a lot of potential and will be good. FastestGunAlive posted:I read the first Dagger & Coin book and found it was not very ambitious for most the story- and I found that very refreshing. Have been tired of the epic fantasy focus on world politics with dozens of viewpoints. I also enjoyed Cithrin's analytical personality. I would read an entire book of Geder just exploring the wilderness and deciphering history but he seems to be going down a dark path. Going to continue reading the series. Would love to hear others opinions on this series. Really liking the series so far, just finished book 3, but the library doesn't have the 4th...pretty drat lame. I imagine Geder looking kinda like Sam Tarly from the GOT TV series, but more awkward and goony. dog nougat fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Dec 6, 2014 |
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Dec 6, 2014 01:48
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Hedrigall posted:Well gee You should be thankful that I googled "chubby goth girl" so you didn't have to The kinds of poo poo people put on the internet Jesus Christ
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Dec 6, 2014 08:48
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SF Signal reports that God's War by Kameron Hurley is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle (US only perhaps?) and I don't remember seeing it this cheap before. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B006OOEYB2 From the Amazon page, here is a Publisher Weekly blurb Publisher Weekly on Amazon posted:Readers will be fascinated by the setting of this slow-starting but compelling far-future debut. On a planet settled by Muslims and ravaged by constant war and pollution, Nyx, a former government-sponsored assassin or "bel dame," gets by as a bounty hunter. Her assistant is the foreign magician Rhys, who can control the ubiquitous insects that drive the planet's technology. When the government asks them to hunt down an off-worlder who possesses technology that could end the war, they find themselves facing off against foreign agents and their fellow bel dames. Hurley's world-building is phenomenal, with casual references to insectile technology and the world's history that provide atmosphere without info dumps. Far too many pages are spent introducing the characters, but the story is highly engaging once it starts, and Hurley smoothly handles tricky themes such as race, class, religion, and gender without sacrificing action.
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Dec 7, 2014 12:52
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Fart of Presto posted:SF Signal reports that God's War by Kameron Hurley is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle (US only perhaps?) and I don't remember seeing it this cheap before. I couldn't get into it and ended up putting it down, but I know others here liked it. It's definitely one I'll go back to sometime, and if it sounds interesting to you at all, $2 seems easily worth paying.
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Dec 7, 2014 16:31
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It's got a slow start but I picked it up earlier this year and I really enjoyed it.
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Dec 7, 2014 16:38
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Well that made me go check if it's available at my library and I found out I can borrow e-books from my library including this one, so thanks Fart of Presto!
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Dec 7, 2014 17:34
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I'm about 40% of the way through City of Stairs, and god drat this is a fantastic read, but really, really depressing. The whole world is just soul crushing, especially any discussion of history.
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Dec 8, 2014 15:44
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Nemesis Of Moles posted:I'm about 40% of the way through City of Stairs, and god drat this is a fantastic read, but really, really depressing. The whole world is just soul crushing, especially any discussion of history. Strange. I thought the whole world was fairly upbeat. The continent is messed up as they've lost their gods, but the islanders have figured out poo poo that will put everyone into a better position for millenia.
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Dec 8, 2014 16:48
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Neurosis posted:Strange. I thought the whole world was fairly upbeat. The continent is messed up as they've lost their gods, but the islanders have figured out poo poo that will put everyone into a better position for millenia. Things are great for Saypuri, sure, but the passages are all about beautiful, glorious and magical things that vanished or were destroyed, hearing the part about the harpists and other Divine beings being genocided was particularly depressing but also hearing about how famine and plagues killed huge swathes of the population, etc etc. There's also the really grim parts where you realize just how deeply the people of the Continent have had their culture and history taken from them, which makes the warehouse burns down even worse. I dunno, I guess I just find that stuff pretty sad.
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Dec 8, 2014 17:00
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I'm about halfway through A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin and I love it almost as much as The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which first turned me on to the author. It's urban fantasy that's darker than the Peter Grant novels but lighter than Paul Cornell's novels, and far better than both. If you're looking for another book about magic in modern London then I highly recommend it.
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Dec 8, 2014 17:59
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regularizer posted:I'm about halfway through A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin and I love it almost as much as The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which first turned me on to the author. It's urban fantasy that's darker than the Peter Grant novels but lighter than Paul Cornell's novels, and far better than both. If you're looking for another book about magic in modern London then I highly recommend it. I'm not sure if the sequels get better or just richer but drat the whole thing is great. Not picked up the spin offs yet but they're in my must read pile.
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Dec 8, 2014 20:32
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regularizer posted:I'm about halfway through A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin and I love it almost as much as The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which first turned me on to the author. It's urban fantasy that's darker than the Peter Grant novels but lighter than Paul Cornell's novels, and far better than both. If you're looking for another book about magic in modern London then I highly recommend it. Huh, thanks for this. I absolutely loved Harry August and was sad that the author didn't have any other books listed; I didn't realize it was a pseudonym.
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Dec 8, 2014 20:43
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Nemesis Of Moles posted:
I found that particular passage the sadiest part of the book. Unrelatedly, I'm halfway thru Cibola Burn. I toke the Amazon offer (after lying blatanly about my country of residence... it is fun someone thinks it is posible to enforce commercial borders when we are dealing with virtual goods) and went for it. I'm quite positively surprised about that book. I really disliked "Abbadon's Gate", and Cibola is a refreshing read. At least there is noone making stupid decisions every two pages, the action pace is fine and the new (and not so new) characters are more likeable. I want more Lady Swearalot, and definitely more Bobbie.
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Dec 8, 2014 20:56
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regularizer posted:I'm about halfway through A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin and I love it almost as much as The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which first turned me on to the author. It's urban fantasy that's darker than the Peter Grant novels but lighter than Paul Cornell's novels, and far better than both. If you're looking for another book about magic in modern London then I highly recommend it. They're very good, though I know some people are turned off by the way Matthew is written. Make sure you grab the Magical's Anonymous books as well, they're the same universe with shared characters just a different protagonist.
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Dec 8, 2014 22:13
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withak posted:It's what the people want. And they deserve to get it good and hard.
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Dec 9, 2014 03:26
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Junkenstein posted:Talking about the Goodread awards, anything, erm, good in there? I see City of Stairs, which I'm currently enjoying, but there also seems to be some questionable stuff in there as well. I wound up loving City of Stairs.  I have a lot of good things to say about it, but the main one sticking in my head right now is a shallow "there's a real great little monologue" (that goes from hilarious to horrifying a few pages later). YOU ARE UNWORTHY. YOU HAVE BATHED FRUITS IN THE WATERS OF THE OCEAN. YOU HAVE MIXED LINENS AND COTTONS WITH YOUR GARMENTS. YOU HAVE CREATED GLASS WITH MANY FLAWS. YOU HAVE TASTED THE FLESH OF SONGBIRDS. I SEE THESE WRONGS IN YOU. YOU ARE UNREPENTANT OF THEM. Also, to the guy from a page ago, I wish it was more political but it has some real fun semi-action scenes that might make it a little more appealing to a general audience, so that's fine. It's ultimately sort of a spy-detective-story.
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Dec 9, 2014 15:30
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I just finished up Willful Child by Steven Erikson. Maybe I was in the mood for a Kirk era Star Trek send up or my expectations were low but it was surprisingly good. It barely felt like Erikson, tightly edited with a trim page count, story doesn't overstay its welcome and some solid laughs. Towards the end it gets weird but I stuck it out since it was pretty short. I definitely enjoyed it more than Scalzi's Redshirts.
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Dec 9, 2014 20:41
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Finished up Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost, and other than a kinda slow start it was a pretty good book. Not serious in the least, and it's a pretty decent read. I'm on to the second book later on tonight. Worth a read if you want some fun sci fi.
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Dec 10, 2014 02:10
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Is Zoe's Tale just a rehash of The Last Colony, just from Zoe's perspective? I like the series a lot, is it worth delaying getting The Human Division for it?
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Dec 10, 2014 02:48
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Kraps posted:Is Zoe's Tale just a rehash of The Last Colony, just from Zoe's perspective? I like the series a lot, is it worth delaying getting The Human Division for it? Not in the least. A lot of Human Division is crap too, but it does move the universe forward. Zoes Tale is straight up YA playtime for babies. Does do a little patchwork on some glaring "did you forget something?" loose ends in Last Colony. But you'd have to really want to re-read some 8th grade tween romance and wisecracking. The actual space parts, where you see something you didn't see in Last Colony are spare and undertold.
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Dec 10, 2014 03:32
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The Gunslinger posted:I just finished up Willful Child by Steven Erikson. Maybe I was in the mood for a Kirk era Star Trek send up or my expectations were low but it was surprisingly good. It barely felt like Erikson, tightly edited with a trim page count, story doesn't overstay its welcome and some solid laughs. Towards the end it gets weird but I stuck it out since it was pretty short. I definitely enjoyed it more than Scalzi's Redshirts. Willful Child was basically Erikson taking Tehol Beddict and going wild. It is pretty great, even if I prefer the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach short stories. What is often forgotten about Erikson is his humour, which is one of the things elevating him above writers like Sanderson or Abercrombie.
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Dec 10, 2014 21:43
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I have finally finished Cibola Burn. As I said in a previous post, I kinda liked it. It is a departure from the first three books of the series; it is quite different, puting aside the big politics (until the very last chapter) and puting the focus on a besieged community trying to overcome their internal differences just to survive in an increasingly hostile environment. The "bad guy" is credible, and it could even be argued about him being in the Right Side of the conflict (at least during the first two thirds of the book). The book is almost ruined by the usual Deus-Ex-Machina solution to the problem the colonists are facing, but it is The Expanse and it seems to run with the premise of doing something kinda magic in each book. I wonder how will this part of the history fit into the TV series. It could probably spawn a spin-off.
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Dec 10, 2014 22:03
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There's a shitload of Arthur C. Clark books going for 1.99 on the Kindle daily deal today. Anyone have any recommendations from that selection? I'm not as up on Clark as I am other SF writers.
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Dec 10, 2014 23:44
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Stuporstar posted:There's a shitload of Arthur C. Clark books going for 1.99 on the Kindle daily deal today. Anyone have any recommendations from that selection? I'm not as up on Clark as I am other SF writers. The City and the Stars.
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Dec 10, 2014 23:48
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Stuporstar posted:There's a shitload of Arthur C. Clark books going for 1.99 on the Kindle daily deal today. Anyone have any recommendations from that selection? I'm not as up on Clark as I am other SF writers. I remember Fountains of Paradise being really good. Though it's been a good decade since I read it.
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Dec 11, 2014 00:59
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Stuporstar posted:There's a shitload of Arthur C. Clark books going for 1.99 on the Kindle daily deal today. Anyone have any recommendations from that selection? I'm not as up on Clark as I am other SF writers. Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama are classics. I remember thinking Hammer of God was pretty good, but it's at least 20 years since I read it. Hieronymous Alloy posted:The City and the Stars.
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Dec 11, 2014 01:31
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Thanks, all.Fart of Presto posted:Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama are classics. Is the rewrite notably better? Because if it is, I might as well shell out the extra buck for it.
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Dec 11, 2014 03:19
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Just finished City of Stairs. drat that was probably the best fantasy book I've read in ages - just narrowly beating the Gentleman Bastards series. Though, that ending was maybe a weakpoint. Still, fantastic read.
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Dec 11, 2014 05:15
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Stuporstar posted:Thanks, all. It's an odd situation where some people prefer the rewrite and some people prefer the original, so both have stayed in print.
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Dec 11, 2014 05:55
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Wasn't this Penny, the uber-cool punk?
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Dec 11, 2014 06:54
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:Finished up Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost, and other than a kinda slow start it was a pretty good book. Not serious in the least, and it's a pretty decent read. I'm on to the second book later on tonight. Or if you want the most glorious sendup of the Predator. "Hey, my fishnets are all ripped!" "Sorry, I mistook them for my T-shirt."
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Dec 11, 2014 16:05
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Fart of Presto posted:Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama are classics. Do yourself a favour though and don't read the sequels to Rendezvous with Rama. The original is great but after that they get pretty bad.
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Dec 11, 2014 19:45
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A good rule of thumb in my experience is that the "Arthur C. Clarke with/and X" are not worth your time. Clarke's name is there for the PR and he was at most the "ideas guy." The Rama sequels are a prime example of this.
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Dec 11, 2014 20:08
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