Kevin's Watch

Tried The Runelords...didn't work...

Cail wrote:You got that right Danlo.....I suffered through The Real Story and about 200 pages of Forbidden Knowledge, but since then these books kick butt. The wife's at a party, the daughter's at a sleepover, Cail and the dog are reading all night.

Yes, for me reading The Real Story was very painful emotionally, and it was all I could do to get through that little book. But when I eventually got far enough in to The Gap, I could not put it down. That happened somewhere in the third book for me.

I've been reading some books about werewolves in Rome by Alice Bouchard. One of them is set in ancient times when Julius Caesar ruled, and one in the Dark Ages. Actually, the one set in the Dark Ages comes first, and the second tells the backstory of one of the werewolves, back in ancient Rome. Fisty recommended the books to me. The author does one thing very, very well and that is to let the reader see the world through the senses (sight, smell, hearing) of the wolves. Those parts of both books are fascinating.

Im reading Michael Moorcock's The Dreamthief's Daughter on a recommend... better than most, but seems to fall short of my expectations as the 'most amazing fantasy auther ever' which is how it was touted.

danlo wrote:Tried The Runelords...didn't work...

Yeah...I wasn't totally grabbed by it the first time I read it. I figured I'd give it one more try before I give up on it altogether. Some of my favorite books (e.g. The Chronicles) didn't really get me the first time but upon a second reading I really enjoyed them, as weird as that may sound. Sometimes I'm just not in the right mood to read something and that sours my opinion of a book the first time around but a second reading improves it a lot.

In any case, I only paid a couple of bucks for Runelords at the second-hand bookstore so I'm not out much.

Aren't second hand bookstores/second hand books for sale on the internet a great gift?

I am now on the third book of the trilogy Alice Borchardt wrote about werewolves in Rome.

These are very light spoilers about things established very early in the books:

The first book is called The Silver Wolf and tells the story of Regeane, a young woman who is a blood relative of Charlemange, albeit a very poor one. She has been orphaned and is under the care of her awful, abusive uncle and his awful, abusive son. Pretty much the only thing that keeps them from raping/killing her is that they hope to make a fortune by marrying her off, as she is related to the king of the Franks. Most girls in that sort of situation might be glad at the prospect of such a marriage, for little could be worse than that horrid uncle...but Regeanne is terrified of the marriage, for she has a terrible secret...she is a werewolf and as such, can be burned at the stake by the Church...

The second book is Night of the Wolf. It tells the back story of one of the other werewolves we meet in the first book. He has somehow survived the bloody invasion of Gaul by Julius Caesar, and ends up traveleing to Rome...so there is Roman politics, gladiators, all that sort of thing...

I have just started the third book, The Wolf King and it looks like it will involve Charlemagne's invasion of Italy, and will feature the two werewolves who starred in the previous two books.

Fisty recommended these books to me, and the author does a very good job of describing the world through the senses of the wolves.

They sound excellent. Love the premise already, sort of a "Vampire Chronicles" for werewolves.

Will have to look out for them. *sigh*

--Avatar

Stalking the Nightmare - Harlan Ellison

I have been rereading Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy. For those who haven't read it, it's a very good read. It's very, very original, with perhaps the most original magic system I've run across in fantasy books -- uses runes/marks, music, and some necromancy among other things.

Technically its Young Adult, but please don't let that put you off. It's very well written, with an interesting plot, and plenty of darkness.

duchess of malfi wrote:Aren't second hand bookstores/second hand books for sale on the internet a great gift?

Don't I know it....

I've gotten so many good deals on older books from the second-hand stores. I don't mind if they're a little tattered around the edges and it is nice to get a copy of something that's been broken in already.

Not to mention, the older editions of books usually have better cover art and designs, IMHO. It seems like the popular books that have gotten tons of reprints end up with some cheesy mass-produced cover. It doesn't change the content of the book, obviously, but I guess I'm a bit of a purist.

It's friday, so I think a late night (early morning?) is worth catching up on the reading I haven't been doing all week. I think I'm going to try and get half of Sea of Silver Light done by monday, otherwise I'll never finish it. I've ordered Blood Follows, "A novella of the Malazan Book of the Fallen", from PS Publishing which I'll want to read soon after it arrives. I'll probably get the sequel, The Healthy Dead, soon as well.

Reading Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, from the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It's pretty good so far. Does anyone know if this is the last Malazan book to be published in the U.S?
Finished Martin's Dying of the Light a few days ago. Now that was excellent.

George R. R. Martin's Dying of the Light was a brilliantly written book. Hard to believe that anyone could write a first novel that good!!

Yes, as to the Erikson. In fact, that book was just published here. I keep meaning to pop over the river to Canada and see if they are further along over there, as I have heard that Erikson is Canadian...

This morning I started to read a book about witches called Prospero's Children by Jan Siegal. I've been having a bit of trouble getting into it, but that just might be the affects of my stuffy head (I've had a cold most of the past week).

Lord Mhoram wrote:Does anyone know if this is the last Malazan book to be published in the U.S?

Deadhouse Gates just came out - expect a new volume in the series every 8 months.

Duchess - Canada has all books published so far - the first five volumes. Book six is due a year from now (delayed; was previously scheduled for June).

Just finished Chaos and Order, just started This Day All Gods Die.

I'm a convert, The Gap kicks major butt. Now I've gotta get the Mordant's Need books.

I enjoyed Mordant's need more the second time through than the first.

Well, it's done. I just ordered the two Mordant's Need books. There are just 2 right?

Might as well start tracking down The Man Who...books.

Right, two.

(Four of Man Who )

I read the Man who Fought Alone.
That was some good reading.

Anyone read "The Meq" by Steve Cash? Thinking about picking it up....

Murrin,

Deadhouse Gates just came out - expect a new volume in the series every 8 months.

That's just ridiculous. Why can't they release them faster if they've already been published for a time in other countries? Errr, just frustrating.