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Yeah I think that’s my issue with Rivers of London. We’re constantly told that Nightingale was a 1-man tank unit in WW2 and here we are 10 books in and Peter is still just making a floating ball of light. Every once in a while he’ll drop a force push. But that’s about it. Let’s get to the real magic.
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Jul 13, 2020 15:27
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Daric posted:Yeah I think that’s my issue with Rivers of London. We’re constantly told that Nightingale was a 1-man tank unit in WW2 and here we are 10 books in and Peter is still just making a floating ball of light. Every once in a while he’ll drop a force push. But that’s about it. Let’s get to the real magic. That’s some exaggeration. Peter is making higher level spells, and impressing Nightingale with his work.
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Jul 13, 2020 15:32
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The_Doctor posted:That’s some exaggeration. Peter is making higher level spells, and impressing Nightingale with his work. You're right, in the latest book he made a telescope.
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Jul 13, 2020 15:34
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For me with the Anita Blake series, it wasn't so much the change of Anita's character and introduction of really interesting sex that reduced my enjoyment of the series. I found that the actual writing got worse and worse as more books came out. Suddenly, I was constantly spotting things a good editor should have caught, lots of inconsistency, etc. The worst, though, was how one dimensional a lot of the new characters seemed to be. I remember one character whose only defining aspect is that he's a sociopath and we know this because he's constantly telling us or reminding Anita that he's a sociopath. Also, everything about Cyn just leaves me feeling real gross and dirty. I will always love this series, at least the series through Obsidian Butterfly, but I have a hard time enjoying the latter books because of all that. I still read them, though. I'm planning on doing a full reread of the series fairly soon, mostly inspired by some of the thorough analysis of the series you guys have done in this thread.
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Jul 13, 2020 15:41
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I just realized there's a new Alex Verus book coming out in November as well. My fall is going to be packed with new books and I can't wait.
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Jul 13, 2020 15:44
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Daric posted:Yeah I think that’s my issue with Rivers of London. We’re constantly told that Nightingale was a 1-man tank unit in WW2 and here we are 10 books in and Peter is still just making a floating ball of light. Every once in a while he’ll drop a force push. But that’s about it. Let’s get to the real magic. Doesn't Nightingale repeatedly say that it takes several years to work up to the more complex magic workings he can do, and the books span a shorter time frame than would be required for Peter to reasonably be at that level?
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Jul 13, 2020 16:32
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Avalerion posted:Yea I guess I just prefer stories where the protagonist like... does stuff. Much like pretty much every UF series, October Daye has a slow start. The first book has a lot of background and world to build. Unlike Dresden, I'd say it's still worth reading, since the things it establishes actually matter. The second book is a bit better, with a decent mystery plot and some cool elements to add. It's the third book where things really pick up. It will never be Dresden Files or Alex Verus in terms of action. It has fighting and stuff, but there's basically no combat magic or explosions. If you can't live without that, then yeah, you're not gonna like it. Also, Kate Daniels hasn't been mentioned in multiple pages. Are you talking about the Anita Blake stuff? Either way, Kate Daniels has some sex, but it's maybe one scene a book that lasts a couple pages. It's not at all what I'd call "porn". I think the only people who would call it that are people who think any woman-led UF book is Paranormal Romance instead.
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Jul 13, 2020 16:37
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biracial bear for uncut posted:Doesn't Nightingale repeatedly say that it takes several years to work up to the more complex magic workings he can do, and the books span a shorter time frame than would be required for Peter to reasonably be at that level? Yeah. More like decades. Also in the last book Peter disarms a literal magical loving bomb within seconds, so he's getting pretty decent.
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Jul 13, 2020 16:45
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EVGA Longoria posted:Also, Kate Daniels hasn't been mentioned in multiple pages. Are you talking about the Anita Blake stuff? Either way, Kate Daniels has some sex, but it's maybe one scene a book that lasts a couple pages. It's not at all what I'd call "porn". I think the only people who would call it that are people who think any woman-led UF book is Paranormal Romance instead. Oh! Yea got those two series names confused it seems.
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Jul 13, 2020 16:50
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Daric posted:You're right, in the latest book he made a telescope. So, fireballs, skinny grenades, shields, water bombs, door spells, those don't count?
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Jul 13, 2020 17:07
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October Daye is generally low action, more about fostering relationships, mediation between the haves and have nots, repercussions of royal actions and the past affecting the present. It has high stakes but it's more world council and less world war. poo poo is solved with getting stuck in and finding things out. Kate Daniels is higher action, poo poo is wild, magic knights killing monsters that crawl in the night, but it's more bloody swords and claws in the beginning and less blowing poo poo up like Dresden does ( though that does level out a bit. )
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Jul 13, 2020 17:11
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Daric posted:I just realized there's a new Alex Verus book coming out in November as well. My fall is going to be packed with new books and I can't wait. Hopefully that won't be the last, since Benedict Jacka may have the Covid.
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Jul 13, 2020 17:19
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Finally got through the most recent Rivers of London. I gotta admit, at first I hated the slowburn of Peter's story and how understated and off-screen Nightingale's fights were, but I must say I think it's kinda grown on me. Previously I would have hated that this book barely has any meta-plot progression, but since I forget most of the meta plot in between books I guess I don't mind as much? (also I think the meta-plot only advances every other book anyway). Also I am amused at the slow modernization/technological advancements with magic Peter has made. I am looking forward to him developing Falcon Armor with the piece of magic insulation he got from the warehouse wall at the end. biracial bear for uncut posted:Hopefully that won't be the last, since Benedict Jacka may have the Covid. Welp 
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Jul 13, 2020 17:32
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biracial bear for uncut posted:Hopefully that won't be the last, since Benedict Jacka may have the Covid. Oh *goddammit* Hope he's written an outline
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Jul 13, 2020 17:52
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Xtanstic posted:Finally got through the most recent Rivers of London. I gotta admit, at first I hated the slowburn of Peter's story and how understated and off-screen Nightingale's fights were, but I must say I think it's kinda grown on me. Previously I would have hated that this book barely has any meta-plot progression, but since I forget most of the meta plot in between books I guess I don't mind as much? (also I think the meta-plot only advances every other book anyway). I always enjoyed the fact that Nightingale is basically a horror movie monster to everyone who isn't Peter. The description of Nightingale unzipping a brick building will always stick with me.
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Jul 13, 2020 18:06
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Sloth Life posted:October Daye is generally low action, more about fostering relationships, mediation between the haves and have nots, repercussions of royal actions and the past affecting the present. It has high stakes but it's more world council and less world war. poo poo is solved with getting stuck in and finding things out. I'd pretty much agree with this. A lot of October Daye is figuring out mysteries, and usually how they relate to the history of the Fae and her kingdom. When there is action, it's less fighting, more chases or sneaking through places they're not supposed to be. When this is fighting, it's pretty much all stabbings. And it is usually October getting stabbed, for reasons that make sense. It's not low magic, so much as it's Fae magic -- illusions and transformations, not explosions. Both of them do have romance. Both of them do have sex happening on screen. Neither is particularly egregious about it.
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Jul 13, 2020 18:16
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Daric posted:Yeah I think that’s my issue with Rivers of London. We’re constantly told that Nightingale was a 1-man tank unit in WW2 and here we are 10 books in and Peter is still just making a floating ball of light. Every once in a while he’ll drop a force push. But that’s about it. Let’s get to the real magic. Nightingale was probably one of the best students of his generation. Peter isn't (he's not an unreliable narrator per se but a lot of what he says is wrong) - his cousin Abigail is far more talented (if you're not reading the novelettes and graphic novels you've missed out on a lot of this background btw) and I am sure she's going to be a bigger figure in the series soon.
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Jul 13, 2020 18:16
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Old Kentucky Shark posted:I always enjoyed the fact that Nightingale is basically a horror movie monster to everyone who isn't Peter. The description of Nightingale unzipping a brick building will always stick with me. I was going to bring that scene up earlier but figured the complaint about Nightingale in comparison to Peter was ignoring the fact that Nightingale had decades of being magically young/etc. to get as good as he is. I mean, Nightingale has repeatedly gone up against things that Peter runs in terror from with relative ease. The fight against the person he unzipped that building around was described as Nightingale basically having fun. Kind of dreading the book where Nightingale is going to get fridged to show off how deadly the Big Bad is whenever it shows up.
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Jul 13, 2020 18:34
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biracial bear for uncut posted:Kind of dreading the book where Nightingale is going to get fridged to show off how deadly the Big Bad is whenever it shows up. This is so practically inevitable (he's both described as crazy powerful AND he's Peter's mentor) that I hope it doesn't happen just for the sake of variety. (Also he's my girlfriend's favorite character in the series, which also tends to be a sign that said character should borrow huge sums of money immediately.)
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Jul 13, 2020 18:40
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Yeah I think Aaronovitch is smart enough to know that he's writing the Peter and Nightingale show and use less cliche means to take NG off the board when necessary. He's already done that multiple times, including the shooting in the first book.
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Jul 13, 2020 19:00
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docbeard posted:This is so practically inevitable (he's both described as crazy powerful AND he's Peter's mentor) that I hope it doesn't happen just for the sake of variety. I really hope he doesn't either. The retirement/old WWII files alluded to at the end of the most recent book is an interesting sideplot/premise and it would suck to be deprived of that.
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Jul 13, 2020 19:16
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Xtanstic posted:I really hope he doesn't either. The retirement/old WWII files alluded to at the end of the most recent book is an interesting sideplot/premise and it would suck to be deprived of that. Ben’s Twitter over the last few days has been full of him asking research questions about 1930’s/WW2 Germany. Also, while I do worry about it, I feel like Nightingale isn’t going anywhere for quite some time. He’s evolving into a more teacherly role (noting that he taught Peter very badly), and Peter is much more at the forefront, and becoming more and more capable. Nightingale is the tank still, and very necessary. There’s so much information not imparted to Peter yet, and the thought of Peter flailing around on his own with no superior support isn’t an easy one.
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Jul 13, 2020 19:58
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Sloth Life posted:October Daye is generally low action, more about fostering relationships, mediation between the haves and have nots, repercussions of royal actions and the past affecting the present. It has high stakes but it's more world council and less world war. poo poo is solved with getting stuck in and finding things out. This is a pretty fair assessment and probably why I love the series so much because I really appreciate characters and relationships (both romantic and non) and I really appreciate how seriously violence is handled (for the most part barring you-know-what) on a personal level.
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Jul 14, 2020 03:37
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StrixNebulosa posted:The way you're phrasing this complete with an implied "dresden is better" is grossing me the hell out. I can understand not wanting to read a series because of a change of direction and different tastes, but this feels sexist. Harems, whatever the gender, gross me the hell out. So, Dresden is better... for me. It's more to my taste than what the Anita Blake series became. Overall, I'd say that I prefer Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London to both of them. Peter and Nightingale are great but I am hugely looking forward to the Abigail novelette he's supposed to be releasing later. I love me some Abigail. One of the highlights for me from The October Man was learning that other countries' magic section were aware of Abigail - were at least slightly terrified of her. Everyone fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Jul 14, 2020 |
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Jul 14, 2020 03:55
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I've been relistening to the dresden series and I just finished changes. The denouement of that book is something else, Marsters does a loving incredible job.
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Jul 14, 2020 04:01
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I finished my 28 day read-through of books 3-15 so I pulled out Brief Cases. I'm not finding his short stories to be as gripping as the novels.
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Jul 14, 2020 04:53
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Just finished Peace Talks and......it's definitely half a book. Can't think of any reason to split it into two except as a cash grab, it wasn't even that long.
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Jul 14, 2020 05:12
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Any idea when it gets released on kindle? It’s still listed as preorder
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Jul 14, 2020 05:48
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30 TO 50 FERAL HOG posted:Just finished Peace Talks and......it's definitely half a book. Can't think of any reason to split it into two except as a cash grab, it wasn't even that long. Maybe it was too long for the publisher.
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Jul 14, 2020 05:56
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Kloaked00 posted:Any idea when it gets released on kindle? It’s still listed as preorder Probably around midnight PST, that is when things I've preordered have come out.
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Jul 14, 2020 06:00
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30 TO 50 FERAL HOG posted:Just finished Peace Talks and......it's definitely half a book. My take as well, but Battle Grounds is looking like it's gonna be a hell of a book.
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Jul 14, 2020 08:24
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It's 13 hours long as an audiobook, so it's slightly shorter (14-16 hours on average) than others from the looks of things.
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Jul 14, 2020 08:51
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350 pages as per amazon when most of his books are 500+ yea. Battle ground is gonna be just 430, too. 
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Jul 14, 2020 09:05
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30 TO 50 FERAL HOG posted:Just finished Peace Talks and......it's definitely half a book. Can't think of any reason to split it into two except as a cash grab, it wasn't even that long. Thought the same thing. Can’t see why they split it. It’d still be shorter than a Sanderson novel.
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Jul 14, 2020 09:11
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navyjack posted:Thought the same thing. Can’t see why they split it. It’d still be shorter than a Sanderson novel. I'd put Peace Talks and Battle Ground combined at shorter than First Lord's Fury. I'm too cynical to treat this as anything other than some combination of a cash grab (he hasn't published in a while and has had many expenses in the intervening period) and an attempt to appease people looking at his lack of output ("See? It's not that I wasn't writing, it's that I was writing TWO BOOKS, which explains why it took so long!").
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Jul 14, 2020 09:36
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Olesh posted:I'd put Peace Talks and Battle Ground combined at shorter than First Lord's Fury. I'm too cynical to treat this as anything other than some combination of a cash grab (he hasn't published in a while and has had many expenses in the intervening period) and an attempt to appease people looking at his lack of output ("See? It's not that I wasn't writing, it's that I was writing TWO BOOKS, which explains why it took so long!"). capitalism claims another wizard
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Jul 14, 2020 10:05
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Yeah, this is half a book. Seems to be setting up another long-term arc, akin to Grave Peril. As a half-book it's not bad, though I admit to skimming past sections whenever it seemed like Dresden was about to start thinking about nipples, so I might've missed something objectionable. Might've been a publisher's decision to split it in two rather than Butcher's. There is a practical limit on how big you can print a paperback without it falling apart while you read it, somewhere around 1000 pages (a lot of Wheel of Time books ran into that problem). spoiler thoughts (whole book): Making Thomas's cell literally Dresden's old basement was just a *weird* choice. There's a clear parallel between the party in this book and the party in Book 3 that set the whole Red Court arc in motion. It looks like Butcher may have taken a lot of the criticisms of the Problem of Thomas to heart -- especially making him suffer all the pain he's inflicted on others, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if Thomas is just effectively taken off the table for a few books at least, and then comes back later severed from his Demon and functionally just a normal human being. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 12:10 on Jul 14, 2020 |
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Jul 14, 2020 11:31
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 ok i laughed at that. fair point tbh spoiled but not really a spoiler at all (from chapter 6 referencing the doughnut Harry got from the eldest goat)  lmao the svartelves kinda own, they understand harry is tough on buildings. again spoiled but again more of a reference to earlier....issues....harry has had with buildings Ramadu fucked around with this message at 11:54 on Jul 14, 2020 |
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Jul 14, 2020 11:49
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Annoyance about the split aside I’m liking it a lot. 
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Jul 14, 2020 11:57
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30 TO 50 FERAL HOG posted:Just finished Peace Talks and......it's definitely half a book. Same here. I would be very miffed otherwise, but since we're getting Battle Ground at the end of September, I can manage. Maybe Battle Ground will be longer than normal and make up for the shortness of this one.
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Jul 14, 2020 11:59
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