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I'm pretty sure the explanation for wizard's anti-tech fields is that human beings have changing natures, and that interacts with magic to make weird poo poo happen. It used to be bad skin and souring milk (I think), and now it's frying tech. Basically seems that wizards have a built in "be an outsider" function. Kind of serves as a nice explanation for why wizards wield so little temporal power.
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Aug 13, 2015 13:00
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For The Dresden Files 3000 it'll have changed so that technology is fine but the biobrains used to run the ansibles and warp capable ships explode near wizards so Harrz Drisdoon has to use boring sublight engines and quantum entanglement phones to travel and talk to people. Also a hoverbike to get through the Nevernever to other planets. e: a spacejet hoverbike
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Aug 13, 2015 21:04
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I have to decide whether to read The Rook next or start the Laundry Files. Which one would the thread recommend first?
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Aug 13, 2015 21:47
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Wheat Loaf posted:I have to decide whether to read The Rook next or start the Laundry Files. Which one would the thread recommend first? I liked The Laundry Files more but YMMV.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:50
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Wheat Loaf posted:I have to decide whether to read The Rook next or start the Laundry Files. Which one would the thread recommend first? The Rook since A. there's only one book (so far) and B. I think it might have a bit more of a broader appeal. I personally really like the Laundry Files (except for the latest book) but I know the reception it gets is a lot more polarized than The Rook.
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Aug 13, 2015 21:50
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The Laundry Files had me moving on to something else somewhere during a tech support rant. The Rook is pretty good, though you really need the audiobook to get the most enjoyment out of it.
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Aug 14, 2015 01:14
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Wheat Loaf posted:I have to decide whether to read The Rook next or start the Laundry Files. Which one would the thread recommend first? What's your tolerance for "babbys first novel/edited by the writer's mum" books? if you don't like them, stay away from the rook. Although thinking on it, I've never actually *wanted* to read a laundry files book - they're the sort of thing I read if I'm killing time and I've read everything else on the kindle. I sort of enjoy some of the episodes, but they do the opposite of grip me. So um, I guess I kind of vote for neither?
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Aug 14, 2015 01:21
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I liked the first Laundry Files book but I never felt compelled to pick any more up. It's still good even as a stand-alone. I keep forgetting to buy the Rook.
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Aug 14, 2015 05:25
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I really, really liked The Rook. It is easily my favorite non-Dresden urban fantasy.
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Aug 14, 2015 05:27
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The Rook is a little pulpy and it's very "I am an American author setting a book in London, where I have never actually lived" but it has its strong points too. If nothing else, its' got a solid female protagonist who fights her own battles and there's no ***romance*** at all. If there were a Bechdel test for books, it would pass with flying colors. The Laundry Files are more professionally written and technically better but the entertainment quality is more variable -- some of the series entries are really entertaining, others are things you read to get to the next one in the series. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Aug 14, 2015 05:33
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Blasphemeral posted:Is anyone else pretty burned out on the magic/technology mutually-exclusive dichotomy? It seems to be one of the most overused concepts in UF. From 2 pages ago, this exact thing really turned me off the the Kate Daniels series because they have a very hard magic or tech limit and there's literally no in between. The series makes up for it with some interesting settings that evolve from the magic and the really limited use of magic when its available. Magic is basically an inconvenience for average people because it messes up the tech and it affects everyone similarly. In the Dresdenverse tech only messes up around Harry so it ends up seeming a little more plot driven (not sure that's the best way to describe it.) I also love how they treat phones in the Kate Daniels series- technically they are tech but they are basically magic since no one really understands how they work so they work about 50% of the time. I am in love with the Daniel Faust books because they feature almost no magic at all while still being very firmly rooted in magic tradition. I just finished the third Daniel Faust and the third Sandman slim novel. Sandman slim is definitely a weaker novel at this point and the second half was a slog to get through but it gives magic users full use of tech with no repercussions but makes the protagonist completely out of touch due to missing the last decade in technological advances. I'm glad to hear it picks up steam cause i was debating dropping the rest of the series. I think the real issue is that magic and full use of internet, computers, and mass rapid transit tends to give them too much power. Faust doesn't command the same sweeping power as Dresden does so when he flies half way across the country and back twice the only major concern I have is how did he afford to do that. I haven't read the laundry files yet and got turned off the libriomancer books because the narrator of the first one. Should I check one of these two out or listen to Faust 4? Also on my to-listen list is Neil Gaiman Neverwhere and Anansi Boys and Alex Verus #1
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Aug 14, 2015 05:49
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I downloaded Naked in Death, which apparently is Book 1 of a whopping 51 story saga I had never heard of. In the first few hours of listening, it sounds like "Karrin Murphy got her own series" in some ways and I am hoping this can fill a bit of the void left by catching up in the Dresden Files series. The series is definitely 'tech and no magic' as it takes place in the mid 21st Century, but that's fine with me. Anyone else here has bothered to check out this series and if it has any potential as it progresses?
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Aug 14, 2015 06:20
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XyrlocShammypants posted:I downloaded Naked in Death, which apparently is Book 1 of a whopping 51 story saga I had never heard of. In the first few hours of listening, it sounds like "Karrin Murphy got her own series" in some ways and I am hoping this can fill a bit of the void left by catching up in the Dresden Files series. The series is definitely 'tech and no magic' as it takes place in the mid 21st Century, but that's fine with me. Without looking it up at all, I'm going to guess that:
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Aug 14, 2015 06:28
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Wikipedia on In Death cycle, Book 3 posted:Cause of death: drug overdose Wikipedia on In Death cycle, Book 5 posted:Cause of death: cardiac arrest by drugs Wikipedia on In Death cycle, Book 25 posted:Cause of death: jumped out of window under the influence of drugs
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Aug 14, 2015 06:32
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ConfusedUs posted:Without looking it up at all, I'm going to guess that: The title of each book incorporates "in death" and relates to the victim of the crime. In the case of the first book a prostitute found naked at the scene of the crime. As far as I can tell, the main character is strong, abrasive and very much a Karrin Murphy figure, which I found intriguing. Also, the series is printed by Penguin Publishing and the author now has more than 70 bestsellers, so not self-published. Audiobook narration so far is quite good. It may very well be complete garbage and just pseudo-romance novel tripe, but I feel that Dresden Files are increasingly getting there as well anyway. The sex scenes in the recent novels were, cringeworthy and relationship conversations are increasingly redundant. Shammypants fucked around with this message at 06:46 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Aug 14, 2015 06:40
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The In Death series is written by Nora Roberts and it shows. There are still a few books here and there and I actually do like some of the supporting characters, although it's hard to give a poo poo about the main characters' drama. Finished Fearless by Elliiot James and The Left Hand Way by Tom Doyle. They are book 3 of Pax Arcana and book 2 of American Craftsman respectively. Both were pretty good, although I enjoyed Fearless more (it helped that there was much more Sig and company and 100% less Knight Templar fatal rape than the second book*). That said, Tom Doyle cannot write romance at all. The one in this book was perhaps even worse than the one in the first, and that was already pretty drat sudden. * One word, Elliott James: abortion. Foglet posted:I mean, I already knew that dude as a military-grade douche since time immemorial, yet still color me impressed and intrigued. Mars4523 fucked around with this message at 06:52 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Aug 14, 2015 06:47
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Anyway I am totally late to the party with Skin Game and more than any other book in the series my feelings were mixed, leaving me with a weakly net positive impression of the book. The idea of connecting the way between the vaults was interesting but exposed the obvious collaboration with Marcone/Mab. When people talk about reveals, I imagine they are excited about Butter's transition to Jedi Knight, which was funny and very "dresden-files-like." However, the other reveal with Goodman Grey was at the other extreme for me. The character enters the novels as a potential Ferrovax-light figure; that is, someone with long-term potential to influence the broader narrative. Instead, his deception is obvious and the conclusion, with the $1 payment had no affect on me as a reason. Was it intended to be funny or obvious in the broader context of the world? I don't know. I was hoping the repayment of Grey involved giving him one of the sacred relics from the vault or something else, but instead they set up Grey to be a 'friend of Harry's family.' Lame..
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Aug 14, 2015 07:02
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Mars4523 posted:I'm pretty sure that this is supposed to be future cocaine. Ah, since I currently have no plans to read this series, I'll probably prefer to think that a book exists where, in a near-future cyberpunk police setting, a supreme Greek deity is walking around giving people drugs out of sheer douchebaggery just to watch them jump out of their windows. Like American Gods, only less subtle. (It probably also includes a scene where they arrest and fail to future-electrocute him. Future-tasers aren't likely to work either.)
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Aug 14, 2015 07:51
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XyrlocShammypants posted:I downloaded Naked in Death, which apparently is Book 1 of a whopping 51 story saga I had never heard of. In the first few hours of listening, it sounds like "Karrin Murphy got her own series" in some ways and I am hoping this can fill a bit of the void left by catching up in the Dresden Files series. The series is definitely 'tech and no magic' as it takes place in the mid 21st Century, but that's fine with me. I actually read a bunch of these and liked them, but at some point stopped reading. The setting is actually pretty cool. It's a future America post-post some kind of social apocalypse called "The Urban Wars." It's never (at least as far as I got) really explained what happened but the country is governed from New Washington. It's got some really good characters and definitely passes the Bechdel Test. There are some steamy sex scenes in each book, but they normally only take up a couple of pages and are easily skippable.
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Aug 14, 2015 09:02
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XyrlocShammypants posted:Anyway I am totally late to the party with Skin Game and more than any other book in the series my feelings were mixed, leaving me with a weakly net positive impression of the book. The idea of connecting the way between the vaults was interesting but exposed the obvious collaboration with Marcone/Mab. When people talk about reveals, I imagine they are excited about Butter's transition to Jedi Knight, which was funny and very "dresden-files-like." However, the other reveal with Goodman Grey was at the other extreme for me. The character enters the novels as a potential Ferrovax-light figure; that is, someone with long-term potential to influence the broader narrative. Instead, his deception is obvious and the conclusion, with the $1 payment had no affect on me as a reason. Was it intended to be funny or obvious in the broader context of the world? I don't know. I was hoping the repayment of Grey involved giving him one of the sacred relics from the vault or something else, but instead they set up Grey to be a 'friend of Harry's family.' Lame.. The deal with the one dollar bill was supposed to be a bit mysterious and not fully explained (it will probably come up again later) but the way I read it was that it implied that he was bound in the way supernatural beings can be to have debts and obligations be a big deal - if he asked for nothing Harry would be in his debt. By asking for 1$, he freed harry of any obligation by accepting the 1$ as a trade. Presumably as an immortal shapeshifter he doesn't give a poo poo about money, but the way he was talking about 'The Rent' made me think that what he did for Harry was something that benefitted him personally in a way that he didn't actually feel like he needed any further compensation. My theory is that it's some sort of penance that lets a him, as the child of a Naagloshi, who are essentially native american fallen angels, be reedemed and go to native american heaven where all the naagloshi that didn't turn evil went, since he wasn't actually one of the original Naagloshi. Or it's just something that lets him hold off the curse/corruption that turned all the naagloshi into psychopathic monsters, since divine beings like that tend to have very limited free will, so he's making some sort of bargain to get around that.. Wolpertinger fucked around with this message at 09:34 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Aug 14, 2015 09:30
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Mars4523 posted:Finished Fearless by Elliiot James and The Left Hand Way by Tom Doyle. They are book 3 of Pax Arcana and book 2 of American Craftsman respectively. Both were pretty good, although I enjoyed Fearless more (it helped that there was much more Sig and company and 100% less Knight Templar fatal rape than the second book*). That said, Tom Doyle cannot write romance at all. The one in this book was perhaps even worse than the one in the first, and that was already pretty drat sudden.
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Aug 14, 2015 19:49
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I liked The Rook for the most part, but I felt like it fell completely apart toward the end. Still interested enough to read the next one whenever it's finally released.
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Aug 14, 2015 20:27
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If I really really like the Iron Druid Chronicles (by Kevin Hearne) what are some other urban fantasy books, that are equally funny and charming? (Preferably with a good narrator, since I listen to books while I work.)
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Aug 15, 2015 03:25
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Turtlicious posted:If I really really like the Iron Druid Chronicles (by Kevin Hearne) what are some other urban fantasy books, that are equally funny and charming? (Preferably with a good narrator, since I listen to books while I work.) That's a pretty low bar, so check the third post of this thread and pick whatever sounds nice.
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Aug 15, 2015 03:54
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Just binged the Alex Verus series, which I wouldn't have known existed but for this thread. I don't mind the ways it rips off Dresden, because the author takes Verus in a different direction; he's less goony than Harry and more morally interesting. Just about to start Veiled, the 6th in the series.
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Aug 15, 2015 06:11
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ConfusedUs posted:Without looking it up at all, I'm going to guess that: 2. No, they're written by Nora Roberts who just writes all the fuckin time and pubbed with Putnam (or Penguin, something with P) under a pseudonym 3. Nah, they're typical novel length with a few short stories published separately 4. Actually they're pretty good for what they are e: she does one hell of a good job of slowly drawing out character history and creating/revealing relationships in this series, and the characters are well made. I've read every one and enjoyed them. But they are not in any way urban fantasy IMHO despite weird rear end tech like unexplained flying cars or some of her forensic doodads. boneration fucked around with this message at 06:31 on Aug 15, 2015 |
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Aug 15, 2015 06:25
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g0del posted:I think you might have misread part of the 2nd Pax Arcana book. It wasn't the pregnancy that was going to be fatal, it was the conflicting werewolf curse/knight geas that was going to kill the women. Abortion wouldn't have saved anyone. Also, spoilers for the 3rd book but I'm really hoping that Sig doesn't get pregnant now that she and John are sleeping together. There is all kinds of birth control that she could be using to keep herself whole, but then the inconvenient pregnancy thing is a trope and the author has already done the "Death by childbirth" thing once. Mars4523 fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Aug 15, 2015 |
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Aug 15, 2015 06:41
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The first book made it sound like valkries are effectively sterile till they decide to have a child. Also the Knights gave John a vasectomy.
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Aug 15, 2015 07:09
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Mars4523 posted:I thought it was something about the infection in the fetus conflicting with the geas, but I don't really care to reread that book to doublecheck. One read of fatal Knight Templar rape is already bad enough. As for your spoiler, pregnancy won't kill Sig, just make her mortal (and her daughter a Valkyrie), and it won't happen anyway because John was forced to get a vasectomy when he was a kid by the knights.
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Aug 15, 2015 07:17
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Read Half Ressurection Blues and thought it was allright but I have a question that I must have missed but I dont want to read the entire book again to find out. How long between the main character sleeping with Sasha and him discovering her again? It says she has an easily recognisable baby bump but I had the impression it was no longer than 2 or 3 weeks, not long enough for her to be obviously showing
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Aug 15, 2015 21:22
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Turtlicious posted:If I really really like the Iron Druid Chronicles (by Kevin Hearne) what are some other urban fantasy books, that are equally funny and charming? (Preferably with a good narrator, since I listen to books while I work.) No idea about audiobook quality but check out Libriomancer.
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Aug 15, 2015 21:48
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Read the first book in Monster Hunter International series and dear god it is the airport fiction urban fantasy to beat them all. The main character complains about liberals, fetishizes guns, is the most bad rear end guy in all of existence, hates feds, adores the idea of end of the world compounds etc etc etc, it should be read purely as an amazing example of terrible pulpy fiction.
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Aug 16, 2015 14:48
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Kea posted:Read Half Ressurection Blues and thought it was allright but I have a question that I must have missed but I dont want to read the entire book again to find out. I actually didn't notice that myself, but come to think of it, yeah, that is a little odd.
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Aug 16, 2015 16:53
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Kea posted:Read the first book in Monster Hunter International series and dear god it is the airport fiction urban fantasy to beat them all. The main character complains about liberals, fetishizes guns, is the most bad rear end guy in all of existence, hates feds, adores the idea of end of the world compounds etc etc etc, it should be read purely as an amazing example of terrible pulpy fiction. For a good time, google the author.
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Aug 16, 2015 17:31
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Kea posted:Read the first book in Monster Hunter International series and dear god it is the airport fiction urban fantasy to beat them all. The main character complains about liberals, fetishizes guns, is the most bad rear end guy in all of existence, hates feds, adores the idea of end of the world compounds etc etc etc, it should be read purely as an amazing example of terrible pulpy fiction. It was terribly unfair not winning the Hugo which he thought he really deserved. Fortunately he handled his disappointment with dignity and grace.
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Aug 16, 2015 21:54
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Here, question about Rivers of London - Peter is apparently the first apprentice magician in Britain since the Second World War, correct? Then, in Foxglove Summer, he offhandedly mentions (not plot relevant so not spoiler tagging) that anyone can learn magic if they practice hard enough and have somebody who can teach them. I mean, there's this idea that magic had diminished in the second half of the 20th century and now it's starting to come back, but if anyone can learn how to do it, why hasn't Nightingale taken anyone else on as a student in the past 60 years? Like, I had assumed that Peter and other wizards could do it because they had a higher midi-chlorian count or something, and Lesley could do it because she had magic left in her after she was possessed by Mr Punch. Wheat Loaf fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Aug 16, 2015 |
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Aug 16, 2015 23:02
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Wheat Loaf posted:why hasn't Nightingale taken anyone else on as a student in the past 60 years? I think the general sense was that he felt magic was going away and considering all the poo poo he had gone through with most of his friends and colleagues dying, he was happy to let it diminish. Why bother keeping a full complement of supernatural police if there's nothing to police?
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Aug 16, 2015 23:08
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When he goes to formally apprentice Peter I think there's lines along the lines of "we had an agreement that you weren't going to take apprentices" or something; he only takes Peter because Peter pretty much fell into it.
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Aug 17, 2015 00:04
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Wheat Loaf posted:Here, question about Rivers of London - Peter is apparently the first apprentice magician in Britain since the Second World War, correct? Then, in Foxglove Summer, he offhandedly mentions (not plot relevant so not spoiler tagging) that anyone can learn magic if they practice hard enough and have somebody who can teach them. I mean, there's this idea that magic had diminished in the second half of the 20th century and now it's starting to come back, but if anyone can learn how to do it, why hasn't Nightingale taken anyone else on as a student in the past 60 years? Well, it's possible that Peter is wrong. The ghost at the very first scene in the first book says that Peter has a touch of the Sight. Past that, I suspect that it's a combination of things. I think Nightingale might have gotten so disillusioned by Ettersberg and the war generally that he genuinely wasn't sure teaching magic to anyone was moral. Past that, it's implied that he's had at least one other "unofficial" apprentice in the meanwhile and it didn't go well. I think the real question is why he suddenly changed his mind and accepted Peter.
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Aug 17, 2015 00:24
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Error 404 posted:For a good time, google the author. He said he's already read MHI. With that level of self-insert, I think he's good.
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