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Yesterday, Amazon recommended me an upcoming book by James J Butcher which was kinda confusing until I read the author bio and apparently he's Jim Butcher's son. Was I the only one who didn't know he existed? I did have a brief moment, when I saw the very Dresden-esque book cover, where I wondered if James could maybe take over for his dad and wrap up the series sometime this century. Like, maybe he inherited editing and pacing skills from his mom's side? But then I saw the MC is named Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby and I lost all hope for him as a writer.
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Oct 6, 2022 21:08
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wheatpuppy posted:Yesterday, Amazon recommended me an upcoming book by James J Butcher which was kinda confusing until I read the author bio and apparently he's Jim Butcher's son. Was I the only one who didn't know he existed? Is the MC a failed/would-be pro wrestler with a hate/envy/lust for Paul Michael Levesque?
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Oct 6, 2022 23:37
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Everyone posted:Is the MC a failed/would-be pro wrestler with a hate/envy/lust for Paul Michael Levesque? The book description reminds of a series of books, I'm not sure from where though. Luckily, James set his book in New England. Dead Man's Hand posted:On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is...not one of those witches. I think the worst thing is that the publisher expects you to shell out $14.99 for the Kindle edition based on name alone.
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Oct 7, 2022 05:58
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Been getting an itch for some urban fantasy, can anyone recommend something similar to Lukyanenko's Watch series? I liked the mundanity with which the magic was treated in the earlier books (like flicking fireballs at mosquitos) before the power levels went off the charts. The bureaucratic aspect of the conflict between the light and the dark was a lot of fun too Thinking about catching up on dresden files as well but the last thing I read was Skin Game on release and I barely remember any of the overarching plot. neosloth fucked around with this message at 09:02 on Oct 7, 2022 |
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Oct 7, 2022 08:59
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I was also "He has a son? Huh", as well. I mean no reason he shouldn't, but I was also surprised in the whole drama with his wife/house stuff from years ago it hadn't come up.
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Oct 7, 2022 09:08
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neosloth posted:Been getting an itch for some urban fantasy, can anyone recommend something similar to Lukyanenko's Watch series? I liked the mundanity with which the magic was treated in the earlier books (like flicking fireballs at mosquitos) before the power levels went off the charts. The bureaucratic aspect of the conflict between the light and the dark was a lot of fun too Bureaucratic aspect? The Craft Sequence is all about magic just being part of daily life. Bonus points for not having cishet white guy protagonists. All six books so far published are complete in their selves, but they all take place in the same world and characters cross over, so reading them in publication order is still a good idea. https://www.maxgladstone.com/series/the-craft-sequence/
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Oct 8, 2022 19:13
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The Craft Sequence has my favorite book about magic lawyers.
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Oct 8, 2022 19:35
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i love that world so much, it's so realized and modern but still 100% fantastical.
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Oct 8, 2022 21:39
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I finished the latest 20 Palaces Novel, Iron Gate. And it's a fun ride. From the first chapter you're ingulfed in Retro TV shows. Duke rocks.
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Oct 21, 2022 09:26
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Ninurta posted:I finished the latest 20 Palaces Novel, Iron Gate. And it's a fun ride. From the first chapter you're ingulfed in Retro TV shows. Duke rocks. I’m gonna read this soon but first I have to read Blitz, the third Checquay novel, following after The Rook and Stiletto. The Rook is still, to this day, my favorite urban fantasy novel, so I’m excited as gently caress ti see a third one in the series.
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Oct 22, 2022 22:18
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ConfusedUs posted:I’m gonna read this soon but first I have to read Blitz, the third Checquay novel, following after The Rook and Stiletto. Man advertising for books sucks - thanks for mentioning this or I wouldn’t know it existed at all, much less that it was out.
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Oct 22, 2022 23:12
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Velius posted:Man advertising for books sucks - thanks for mentioning this or I wouldn’t know it existed at all, much less that it was out. Every so often I go in a preorder blitz at Amazon. Then sometime later the book shows up on my kindle. Blitz must’ve just come out because it wasn’t there when I last looked at my library list a week or two ago
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Oct 22, 2022 23:31
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Came out Tuesday. For me, at least, it took a while to grab me but enjoyed it once it did.
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Oct 22, 2022 23:38
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Kalman posted:Came out Tuesday. For me, at least, it took a while to grab me but enjoyed it once it did.
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Oct 23, 2022 02:23
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ConfusedUs posted:I’m gonna read this soon but first I have to read Blitz, the third Checquay novel, following after The Rook and Stiletto. Ah fuuuuuck yes I didn't know a 3rd is coming. fake e: oh it's been out for 4 days already. Time to re-up my Audible sub
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Oct 23, 2022 02:35
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ConfusedUs posted:I’m gonna read this soon but first I have to read Blitz, the third Checquay novel, following after The Rook and Stiletto. The book was pretty good, if a bit short. It definitely feels like it may be heading towards an end-game since it's self-published but I'm fine with that. Next on my plate is the next Eric Carter book Hate Machine from Stephen Blackmoore, once I'm finished with that I will tackle Blitz next. It's a fine harvest for Urban Fantasy, eh? Sorry, I will show myself out.
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Oct 27, 2022 09:17
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ConfusedUs posted:The Craft Sequence has my favorite book about magic lawyers. He nails the dynamic of a law firm yeah.
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Oct 27, 2022 10:08
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So has anyone actually read that James Butcher (Jim B's son) book Dead Mans Hand? I'm mildly curious, if not enough to read it myself.
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Oct 27, 2022 15:02
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Deptfordx posted:So has anyone actually read that James Butcher (Jim B's son) book Dead Mans Hand? Added to my pile, it's apparently part of a sequence called the Unorthodox Chronicles.
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Oct 28, 2022 08:44
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Ninurta posted:Added to my pile, it's apparently part of a sequence called the Unorthodox Chronicles. This is the blurb/synopsis from Amazon: quote:In the tradition of his renowned father, James J. Butcher’s debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor. It sounds like a blend of his dad's stuff with some Benedict Jacka tossed in, so, pretty orthodox, all in all. I'll probably still give it a shot when it hits paperback.
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Oct 28, 2022 13:57
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'Usuals' and 'Unorthodox' is really clunky phrasing even by urban fantasy standards, gotta say.
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Oct 28, 2022 14:37
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I definitely get the feeling he was trying really hard not to say "muggles".
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Oct 28, 2022 14:41
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Lemniscate Blue posted:I definitely get the feeling he was trying really hard not to say "muggles". And he really kind of hated that Rowling got to "aurors" first. "Derivative of J. K. Rowling" feels like it should be a serious black mark against somebody's work. Here's hoping he got his mom to do the editing, otherwise... hoo boy.
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Oct 28, 2022 15:15
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Everyone posted:This is the blurb/synopsis from Amazon: I'm sure it's fine but nepotism in publishing really annoys me Like the whole point is new creative ideas and "my dad wrote a thing" is not that
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Oct 28, 2022 15:30
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So I've been giving it a read and it's............. yeah, it's just extremely generic Urban Fantasy Mystery. The victim (the mentor) even had the time to write some words before she died, that was somehow recognize despite the language she wrote it in having only straight lines and her unable to write straight lines, and indeed she apparently wrote this purely in 'long curves' that she apparently splashed onto the wall in her own blood. And also having been 'like a ham that had been spiral cut while on a roller coaster', whatever that means. Of course it was 'Kill Grimsby' so the protagonist can be falsely accused and probably meant to read "They want to kill Grimsby" or something, Funny how the ancient script so old they had carving tools that could only make straight lines to write it with matches perfectly to English. It's not good. Kchama fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Oct 28, 2022 |
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Oct 28, 2022 19:53
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Kchama posted:she apparently wrote this purely in 'long curves' that she apparently splashed onto the wall in her own blood. quote:“Mean? Why, it means that the writer was going to put the female name Rachel, but was disturbed before he or she had time to finish. You mark my words, when this case comes to be cleared up you will find that a woman named Rachel has something to do with it. It’s all very well for you to laugh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may be very smart and clever, but the old hound is the best, when all is said and done.” quote:“Poison,” said Sherlock Holmes curtly, and strode off. “One other thing, Lestrade,” he added, turning round at the door: “‘Rache,’ is the German for ‘revenge;’ so don’t lose your time looking for Miss Rachel.” quote:"As to poor Lestrade’s discovery it was simply a blind intended to put the police upon a wrong track, by suggesting Socialism and secret societies. It was not done by a German. " quote:Perhaps it was some mischievous idea of setting the police upon a wrong track, for I felt light-hearted and cheerful. I remembered a German being found in New York with RACHE written up above him, and it was argued at the time in the newspapers that the secret societies must have done it. I guessed that what puzzled the New Yorkers would puzzle the Londoners, so I dipped my finger in my own blood and printed it on a convenient place on the wall. Literally already a cliche in 1887
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Oct 28, 2022 20:13
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Literally already a cliche in 1887 I don't know if he thought he was onto something brilliant here, but he's not.
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Oct 28, 2022 20:16
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Literally already a cliche in 1887 And more recently, straight up just the opening from The Da Vinci Code.
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Oct 29, 2022 11:55
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Literally already a cliche in 1887 In the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock, she really was writing Rachel
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Oct 29, 2022 17:50
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My writing group buddy has the 2nd part of his British urban fantasy series out: Unit 13 It’s pretty hilarious and a great price. Check it out and help out a fellow goon.
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Oct 29, 2022 18:38
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newts posted:My writing group buddy has the 2nd part of his British urban fantasy series out: Unit 13 I have not read this book, and nothing against your friend, but I think if you're an urban fantasy writer you should strike the numbers 4, 13, and 666 from your lexicon.
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Oct 29, 2022 21:39
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Beachcomber posted:I have not read this book, and nothing against your friend, but I think if you're an urban fantasy writer you should strike the numbers 4, 13, and 666 from your lexicon. It’s kind of part of the theme. ETA: my inbox is at 666 right now (full of student emails) newts fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Oct 29, 2022 |
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Oct 29, 2022 22:01
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Beachcomber posted:I have not read this book, and nothing against your friend, but I think if you're an urban fantasy writer you should strike the numbers 4, 13, and 666 from your lexicon. 4? Symbolism in Japan, or something else?
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Oct 29, 2022 22:03
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Grundulum posted:4? Symbolism in Japan, or something else? In Japan and China. It's a homophone for death, among other things. Hence the famous thing about buildings in China not having fourth and thirteenth floors - they call them things like 3A and 12A, or just skip them altogether.
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Oct 29, 2022 22:07
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newts posted:My writing group buddy has the 2nd part of his British urban fantasy series out: Unit 13 Clicked the link and immediately giggled at the sitcom title reference. I’m in.
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Oct 30, 2022 16:06
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Oh my god I started reading more into Dead Man's Hand and I hate the protagonist and everything. He's a 'taco fairy' at not-McDonalds who runs birthday parties and stuff, and the birthday mom is an ugly, nicotine-stayed unibrow bitch and her son is a fat unibrow ugly blob that calls him a dildo and he's being made to answer what a dildo is. This book is embarrassing.
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Oct 30, 2022 18:28
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Kchama posted:Oh my god I started reading more into Dead Man's Hand and I hate the protagonist and everything. He's a 'taco fairy' at not-McDonalds who runs birthday parties and stuff, and the birthday mom is an ugly, nicotine-stayed unibrow bitch and her son is a fat unibrow ugly blob that calls him a dildo and he's being made to answer what a dildo is. This book is embarrassing. Sounds like unibrow mom would be more qualified to answer the dildo bit. Also sounds like somebody had to work a few service industry summer jobs for spending money despite his dad being a rich author.
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Oct 30, 2022 21:34
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Everyone posted:Sounds like unibrow mom would be more qualified to answer the dildo bit. Also sounds like somebody had to work a few service industry summer jobs for spending money despite his dad being a rich author. As someone who worked service industry jobs for years, it more reads like how someone who has never worked a service industry job in their like pictures it must be like.
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Oct 31, 2022 02:10
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Kchama posted:As someone who worked service industry jobs for years, it more reads like how someone who has never worked a service industry job in their life pictures how it must be like. Haven't read the book (and now don't intend to) but I can easily see that as a possibility as well.
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Oct 31, 2022 04:23
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Kchama posted:As someone who worked service industry jobs for years, it more reads like how someone who has never worked a service industry job in their like pictures it must be like. I just read one of the more recent Charles Strosses - the one with a grocery store - and it does a good job of a moderately amusing horror dystopia grocery store.
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Oct 31, 2022 23:58
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