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EVGA Longoria posted:Was that a limited time thing? Cause I just checked and it says it’s $10 for me still, even owning the old one. Time limited; the email I got posted:Dear Listener,
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Jan 8, 2019 13:38
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BurgerQuest posted:Are his other series worth checking out after? I loved everything about codex alera, though be aware it’s also a heroes journey with exponentially rising power levels and scale of the conflict, I know that kind of things turns some people off. Cinder spires left me unimpresed so far, unironically the best character was the talking cat. Still planning to give the next one a chance because I’m curious about the setting.
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Jan 9, 2019 11:04
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In retrospect, Codex Alera is a bit like a Brandon Sanderson novel. This may be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view.
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Jan 9, 2019 11:25
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Alera is decent, though books 2-4 are the best. The first book is wonky with its tone and pacing, while five and six are okay but still a noticeable drop in quality. Like Dresden, the series also has an excellent audiobook. Skippy McPants fucked around with this message at 15:19 on Jan 9, 2019 |
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Jan 9, 2019 15:17
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Skippy McPants posted:Alera is decent, though books 2-4 are the best. The first book is wonky with its tone and pacing, while five and six are okay but still a noticeable drop in quality. 5 and 6 are very much I GOTTA WRAP THIS poo poo UP 2 and 3 are my favorite because they really highlight how Tavi runs rings around all these powerful Fury wielders not because he's stronger, but because he has none at all and needs to plan and clever himself out of trouble. After he starts to develop his delayed powers it just turns into Dragonball meets Pokemon. (and yes, I know the basis/challenge of how the Alera books started) Like you said, Skippy, it's decent. It's not great nor particularly memorable, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone who like Dresden.
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Jan 9, 2019 15:24
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I liked the concept of Codex Alera and the idea of the main character having to adapt and survive in this world of magic where he had nothing to work with. I didn't like the emotional way some of the lady characters were written but, Butcher, sigh, etc. I was willing to give it a chance. Then a few people here went into where the series went and some of the things that happened in it and I just put it down and never went back. Cinder Spires is OK and enjoyable, but it didn't grab me enough for me to finish it.
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Jan 9, 2019 15:25
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AlphaDog posted:As for the "superheroes" being dumb... did people miss the point of that? The whole TLEAF/TPCU/whatever thing was propaganda and I'm sure it's supposed to appear to the reader as just as hokey and dated looking as the "safe within the magic circle" posters that Pete digs up that one time. No I got the point and what it represented for the universe I just thought it was a lame way to represent normal people suddenly confronting the reality of eldritch horror and computational magic. I don’t have some massively nuanced and complex criticism. Kind of like how I know it's supposed to represent an impossible attempt to maintain emotional detachment in a nightmare world (and a dig at the absurd naivety of a cop turned superhero) but I still think calling one of the main characters in the latest book "Fuckboy" the whole time is kind of dumb. It’s also the single piece of personality given to the new narrator which is a real shame. Tiny Timbs fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Jan 10, 2019 |
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Jan 9, 2019 15:25
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Personally the way the last Laundry book ended with a surprise proposal gave me serious old school Asimov style vibes, like the way half their stories end, and I'm not entirely sure why
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Jan 10, 2019 13:06
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Skippy McPants posted:Alera is decent, though books 2-4 are the best. The first book is wonky with its tone and pacing, while five and six are okay but still a noticeable drop in quality. I cannot get into the first Alera book, I've tried multiple times. But I wasn't impressed by the first Dresden book either. Worth just reading a book one synopsis and starting with the second? Deptfordx fucked around with this message at 00:07 on Jan 11, 2019 |
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Jan 11, 2019 00:04
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I honestly think the second Alera book is the worst of the series. It’s very poorly paced.
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Jan 11, 2019 00:16
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Deptfordx posted:I cannot get into the first Alera book, I've tried multiple times. But I wasn't impressed by the first Dresden book either. It's been years since I read them, but I don't remember any massive improvement in quality after the first book of Alera. I enjoyed reading them all, but I don't see any point in skipping to the second book if you didn't like the first book. There's no shortage of other books you could read instead.
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Jan 11, 2019 11:13
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Deptfordx posted:I cannot get into the first Alera book, I've tried multiple times. But I wasn't impressed by the first Dresden book either. Maybe, with the following caveat, Apoffys posted:It's been years since I read them, but I don't remember any massive improvement in quality after the first book of Alera. I enjoyed reading them all, but I don't see any point in skipping to the second book if you didn't like the first book. There's no shortage of other books you could read instead. I would say that the quality of the prose is consistent across the series, but book one struggles with pacing. It's pretty meandering, with few solid character moments. If that's what bothered you than skipping on to the second book might help, and you won't miss much. I'd also rep the audiobooks again, Kate Reading does a very fine job and makes some of Jim's stylistic quirks a lot more tolerable. Example: there's a bipedal wolf race called the Canim. They're basically furry Klingons, and any time Jim describes their hands he refers to them as paw/hands. That sounded fine in the audiobook, but when I saw it in print the use of a slash rather than a hyphen infuriated me.
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Jan 11, 2019 20:43
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The sun-powered magic laser of doom was the only cool thing about Alera, and after that point it never got cool again.
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Jan 12, 2019 02:23
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The ending to Lies Sleeping made me smile.
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Jan 14, 2019 08:26
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I finally got around to catching up on Verus and I have to say: I am so loving tired of Anne. Every single loving book she gets kidnapped at least once and every scene is basically either Alex and Anne or other characters talking about Alex and Anne. The other members of the team barely get any goddamn screentime whatsoever. I can't remember the last time Luna and Variam did anything onscreen instead of having offscreen adventures. I liked Anne early on but she dominates every loving thing and the near-constant kidnapping is frankly absurd.
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Jan 24, 2019 03:49
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She's the most powerful of all of them by several orders of magnitude and at the same time the most vulnerable. Also Richard really seems to need her somehow for his plans. But yeah, it does get a bit old by now.
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Jan 24, 2019 06:37
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Okay guys, I've lurked here somewhat but I've gone through most of my UF book series and could do with some recommendations. I started reading it before ever knowing about this thread and have taken a few I've seen you guys talk about here and there but if there's any series I've missed that you think are good, let me know. The list I've gone through: (I'll spoiler most things story related because I have no idea about what is and isn't a spoiler.) Iron Druid - I know from lurking this is held pretty low but it was my first UF series which I stumbled upon by accident. I'm not exactly a critical literary genius so I didn't hate it, especially as I stumbled on it from interest into Celtic history and mythology. Although after hitting other series later on it suddenly felt like a worse series in hindsight. And the last book was a train wreck. Demon Accords. I really liked this at first. Second series I read in UF and despite the power creep being off the chains I read a fair deal of it. I think I tapped out the book before they were planing on going to fae? Not so much "ugh this sucks now" but just didn't have the inteerest to put it above other books in this/other genres. Eh, maybe I'm missing out? Yanzy Lazarus. Love this series. The setting is great, I like the take on the urban fantasy world and the last book is one of my favourites, although I do need to read the other series in this universe as a result. Hellequin Series. It's my top three along with Yanzy and Verus. A bit more low brow and action movie-esque but that's right up my alley. Read the spin off set as well, can't get enough of the world and magic system in general. Monster Hunter. I mean, it's gun porn written by someone who definitely, definitely has a crush on The Rock. Up to date on it and thought it was alright. Verus. Loved it. Up to date and debating a re-read if I can't find anything new. Faust. Big fan, and bless him for spitting the out so fast. Nate Temple. I really like these, although a bit more crass and another with some power creep issues but some of the characters make me keep coming back. It's Carl. Carl is the reason. Dresden. I started these quite a bit into my UF binge. I really like the world and general setup, but man, as the books have gone on it started slipping down the list. Saying that i think I'm in the minority in that I enjoyed he last book? The Divine. I enjoyed it, although it was a a slog in places. Again, not exactly looking for award winning stuff here though. Sandman Slim. The premise and some of the characters should be ridiculous, but the author makes it work. It's like ou can tell he loves writing it and you can pick up on that passion. Pax Arcana. Another where I like the world itself and anything with some comedy in will get more effort out of me. Trailer Park Fae. Good series, although short compared to the rest of the list. (Three books is pretty short in comparison.) Twenty Palaces. I read this ages ago and can't remember anything. I'm just going by it being a collection on my kindle. Colin McCool. Celtic mythos bias,. So yeah, read a lot, but need more, drat it. I do have the first Rivers of London already bought but I've not pulled the trigger on it yet. Maybe it's the northerner in me or I've seen a few things lurking which made me hesitate trying it? Also if anyone hasn't touched some of the above and wants an actual useful opinion rather than me saying "I liked it" let me know. Puckish Rogue fucked around with this message at 09:20 on Jan 24, 2019 |
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Jan 24, 2019 09:17
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rivers of london rules, also please say more about yanzy lazarus (what a ridiculous name) please thank you
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Jan 24, 2019 09:39
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Puckish Rogue: I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series - it takes place primarily in the state of Washington, involves some Native American folklore (the protagonist is a coyote shapeshifter), and a whole host of old world critters (werewolves, vampires, and fae primarily). It has some relationship triangle drama early in the series but it gets resolved a few books in, and never goes down the porn road. Briggs is one of the better writers in the genre, imo.
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Jan 24, 2019 10:20
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awesmoe posted:rivers of london rules, also please say more about yanzy lazarus (what a ridiculous name) please thank you I think I need to just pull the trigger and start Rivers of London. As for the Yancy Lazarus series, I'll just spoiler everything even though it's an overview: Former marine is introduced to the world of magic but instead of going down the usual routes of "JOHN WICK MERCENARY BADASS" or "WIZARD COUNCIL ASSASSIN/WARRIOR" you get disgruntled supernatural underworld fixer who lives out of his car and is only at home in a dive bar playing Blues or eating red meat and drinking a beer. The New Orleans setting surprisingly doesn't lead to a vampire dominated theme but you do get the voodoo side, which I found really engaging in the series. The magic system is more loose than your usual "he's a fire mage, she's an ice mage" and is based on weaving the spells from base elements. If you have the aptitude and skill, you can copy someone else's spell rather than just having set rpg style classes. Power creep is handled in a Verus style. Yancy is by no means powerful, and if anything the gap widens as the series goes on rather than him pulling away from those around him. There's no fireball throwing badass levelling buildings, more an Alex Verus style uses his gear and intelligence as well as what power he does have. Not an autitstic supernaural Batman type, more a pissed off dad bod vet who just has a knack for getting in and finishing trouble based on years of unwanted experience in the field. I find it refreshing in that I like the Blues lovin', beer swilling lead who just really seems "too old for this poo poo" at times but can throw down and anti-hero his way through some situations that he should just not be a part of. It also gave me an appreciation for Blues which I never had as I'd usually listen to songs referenced. I could see it not being for everyone but I personally rate it highly. Wizchine posted:Puckish Rogue: I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series - it takes place primarily in the state of Washington, involves some Native American folklore (the protagonist is a coyote shapeshifter), and a whole host of old world critters (werewolves, vampires, and fae primarily). It has some relationship triangle drama early in the series but it gets resolved a few books in, and never goes down the porn road. Briggs is one of the better writers in the genre, imo. I've somehow not heard almost anything regarding this series, but I do always love a take on shapeshifters in fantasy due to how broken or ridiculous they can be if not reigned in. I'll grab the first book and put it after Rivers of London, if I enjoy that I'll eat through the books and need something else quite fast. Cheers guys, I've got a couple of new starting points.
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Jan 24, 2019 11:12
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The Libriomancer books are entertaining from a magic system perspective, but it suffers from the same problem Iron Druid had where the world and secondary characters are far more interesting than the main character and primary plotline.
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Jan 24, 2019 11:51
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biracial bear for uncut posted:The Libriomancer books are entertaining from a magic system perspective, but it suffers from the same problem Iron Druid had where the world and secondary characters are far more interesting than the main character and primary plotline. If the world and secondary characters are good I can tend to get past the primary character problems. I'll add it to the list and knowing this up front is usually better than discovering it as it goes. Thanks!
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Jan 24, 2019 12:25
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Wizchine posted:Puckish Rogue: I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series - it takes place primarily in the state of Washington, involves some Native American folklore (the protagonist is a coyote shapeshifter), and a whole host of old world critters (werewolves, vampires, and fae primarily). It has some relationship triangle drama early in the series but it gets resolved a few books in, and never goes down the porn road. Briggs is one of the better writers in the genre, imo. Seconded. The best take on the fae in any of the UF series, too.
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Jan 24, 2019 13:23
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Mercy Thompson is pretty good, there's a pretty big content warning that needs to get slapped on... I'm pretty sure it's book 3? Mercy gets mind controlled and raped then goes into a severe depression, her werewolf boyfriend fixes her by being really dominant and ~*alpha*~
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Jan 24, 2019 15:04
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-Fish- posted:Mercy Thompson is pretty good, there's a pretty big content warning that needs to get slapped on... I'm pretty sure it's book 3? Mercy gets mind controlled and raped then goes into a severe depression, her werewolf boyfriend fixes her by being really dominant and ~*alpha*~ This never happens. The opposite happens in their sex lives, at least.
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Jan 24, 2019 16:52
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ImpAtom posted:I finally got around to catching up on Verus and I have to say: Anne is the Mantis Golem of getting kidnapped. If it were someone who'd given women less power and less agency, I'd have a much less charitable view of Anne's constant troubles. I thought what happened in Bound was a little much, but Alex didn't make it all about him, and Richard's forces deliberately put her into a position where something bad would happen to make her bond with the genie.  I think book 3 and 4 are my favorites for how the entire cast gets used. I'd like to see more of Vari and Luna, but honestly, I'd like to see more of the cast in general. I can't wait to see what happens with Caldera, I love how his relationship with Cinder has evolved, etc.
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Jan 24, 2019 17:18
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torgeaux posted:This never happens. The opposite happens in their sex lives, at least. That might have been retconned by subsequent books but that's definitely how the book in question ended.
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Jan 24, 2019 17:38
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-Fish- posted:That might have been retconned by subsequent books but that's definitely how the book in question ended. I just skimmed through the last part of the book and you are wrong. After Ben confronts him about how he's going about things the wrong way, Adam gives her time and actually stays away from her letting other pack members be a security blanket for her. It's until the very last couple pages that she comes to him on her own terms. There is no "Alpha fucks the rape out of her" that you seem to be espousing.
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Jan 24, 2019 19:04
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-Fish- posted:That might have been retconned by subsequent books but that's definitely how the book in question ended. Nope. The book in question ends with him using his alpha influence to force her to drink a healing potion she otherwise wouldn't. Her "depression" and reaction to the rape is never cured, and he doesn't use his "alpha" stuff in any way.
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Jan 24, 2019 19:17
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-Fish- posted:That might have been retconned by subsequent books but that's definitely how the book in question ended. Last time Mercy Thompson came up I remember people bringing up this plot point.
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Jan 24, 2019 19:29
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Exmond posted:Last time Mercy Thompson came up I remember people bringing up this plot point. Only one person "remembers" it this way. Even a cursory look at the book in question shows it's not correct, and the next book deals with the issue entirely differently than fish recalls.
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Jan 24, 2019 21:07
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I was surprised at how tactfully the books dealt with the issue, to be honest, as well as the ongoing impact.
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Jan 24, 2019 23:13
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Puckish Rogue - I've got a few more series that might be worth trying after you get done with Verus (but by all means, read that first). They aren't the cream of the crop, but they are worth giving a try. Bubba the Monster Hunter - These are actually short story collections that are done in "seasons" by the author. I didn't get it at first, but the short stories eventually weave together to quite a nice effect, plus I think that they are all on Kindle Unlimited. If I had to compare these to anything, I'd go with the Monster Hunters International books, but with less right wing-yness. Grimnoir - By the same guy as Monster Hunters International, but set in a noir world where magic is real and public. Good. Not sure if it counts as Urban Fantasy or just Fantasy, but The Magicians trilogy was very enjoyable. It starts like a Harry Potter knock off, but becomes something more in short order. Ellie Jordan Ghost Trapper series - These are very disposable, but entertaining. Also, on Kindle Unlimited. There are 11 of them, but keep in mind that they are only 250 pages or so each.
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Jan 24, 2019 23:37
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torgeaux posted:Nope. The book in question ends with him using his alpha influence to force her to drink a healing potion she otherwise wouldn't. Her "depression" and reaction to the rape is never cured, and he doesn't use his "alpha" stuff in any way. Ah yeah that's the part I'm remembering, it's been a few years. This is not as bad as what I was remembering, but it's still pretty gross.
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Jan 25, 2019 01:57
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gerg_861 posted:Puckish Rogue - I've got a few more series that might be worth trying after you get done with Verus (but by all means, read that first). They aren't the cream of the crop, but they are worth giving a try. I'm intrigued by the Bubba series. It sounds a little different in format and that's always fun. It'd be also interesting to see the MHI author doing something different. Cheers man. Didn't expect the Mercy Thompson books to start such a back and forth. Kinda have to try them now.
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Jan 25, 2019 09:03
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Puckish Rogue posted:I'm intrigued by the Bubba series. It sounds a little different in format and that's always fun. It'd be also interesting to see the MHI author doing something different. Cheers man. The Mercy books have a woman author, and lovely "boob girl" covers, so they get pushed into the romance section of UF. It doesn't help with that that they lean on an active romantic/sexual relationship more than most of the male driven UF. Fortunately, the close your eyes painful poo poo is about as frequent and painful as dresden, just a bit differently focused. Aaronovich is the only one I can think of that I don't have those "jesus gently caress!" moments with.
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Jan 25, 2019 14:08
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torgeaux posted:Aaronovich is the only one I can think of that I don't have those "jesus gently caress!" moments with. Well I started the first book today so it's on! I only got through 3? pages of the irst chapter before work but I got to his wise father's saying and that is enough for me to continue no matter what develops in the series.
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Jan 25, 2019 14:17
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Puckish Rogue posted:Well I started the first book today so it's on! I only got through 3? pages of the irst chapter before work but I got to his wise father's saying and that is enough for me to continue no matter what develops in the series. The audiobooks are loving awesome, too.
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Jan 25, 2019 17:44
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I only got into audiobooks last year and got Moon Over Soho in an Audible trial, on Broken Homes now. I think Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has spoiled me on all over narrators.
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Jan 26, 2019 12:37
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Junkenstein posted:I only got into audiobooks last year and got Moon Over Soho in an Audible trial, on Broken Homes now. I think Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has spoiled me on all over narrators. Yeah, he's good enough to make you look at other books he's narrated, even if you wouldn't otherwise get them.
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Jan 26, 2019 14:07
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