Kevin's Watch

I've ordered "Gardens of the moon" from the library.

Thought I'd see what all the fuss was about, and then be able to post in the Erikson forum

About half-way through Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.

Eventually, I'll be starting on Radix by A.A. Attanasio.

Continuing my (first ever) journey to the Dark Tower with book 3 "The Wastelands".

My biggest fear going into "The Drawing of the Three" was that King would make the whole story up as he went along. King impressed me with "Drawing" - great edge-of-my-seat set pieces, a "world" which is becoming increasingly relevant and closer given the nature of climate change, engaging and unique characters, who have quickly become people I care about. And he kept the story fairly tight, which I'm thankful for.

duke wrote:Continuing my (first ever) journey to the Dark Tower with book 3 "The Wastelands".

My biggest fear going into "The Drawing of the Three" was that King would make the whole story up as he went along. King impressed me with "Drawing" - great edge-of-my-seat set pieces, a "world" which is becoming increasingly relevant and closer given the nature of climate change, engaging and unique characters, who have quickly become people I care about. And he kept the story fairly tight, which I'm thankful for.

I found The Drawing of the Three to be my favourite book of the series, as you said - great set pieces and some great characters.

Avatar wrote:

Loremaster wrote:Ringworld - Larry Niven.

Classic.

--A

You think? I finished it a while back and was left feeling disappointed. Sure, the Ringworld itself was great, but the aliens (especially the Kzin ambassador) were average.

Hmm, really just meant that it was a classic of the genre...been inspirational to many authors.

Long time since I read it actually.

I'm busy on Caves of Steel by Asimov.

--A

Balon wrote:Eventually, I'll be starting on Radix by A.A. Attanasio.

That's one of my all time favorites. You have to let me know what you think.

I just finished The Sheep Look Up. I dug it out because it came up the other day.

I was impressed. For a story written in 1972, it still has a lot to say, and says it a lot better than Al Gore.

(It's a cautionary tale about environmental crisis. Many of the ecological issues that play into the story are as real now as they were, although there are some that the author didn't nail. But the importance of the work is the over-riding theme, which is that everything is interconnected, and that when you cross the watershed it all goes downhill, and that if the governments of the world continue to tie themselves to business interests at the expense of the environment, eventually the sheep will look up.)

Anything Dresden!

Halfway through 'Gardens of the Moon' by Erikson. WOW!

I'm reading Reaper's Gale by Erikson, and Mistress of Mistresses by ER Eddison.

Stonemaybe wrote:Halfway through 'Gardens of the Moon' by Erikson. WOW!

I'm about 1/3rd through it - think I may like this series, how many books are there again?

Just finished Scott Lynch's Red Seas under Red Skies!

As was the case with me, I'm persuaded that most of you are curious to see if this one lives up to the expectations generated by its predecessor, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Hence, let me put your mind at ease. With Red Seas under Red Skies, Scott Lynch lives up to readers' high expectations!

And by that I mean that if you enjoyed Lynch's debut, you'll undoubtedly like this second volume in The Gentleman Bastard sequence. To me, Lynch's books are like summer blockbuster movies. They're big productions with plenty of action, all in all quite the roller-coaster ride. They'll never win an Oscar, but in terms of fun and entertainment they pack a sure KO punch! If you're looking for a grand fantasy epic, don't bother. But if another imaginative and convoluted caper is your cup of tea, then buckle up and enjoy the ride! Think of it as an original cross between Ocean's Eleven and Pirates of the Carribean.

Locke and Jean's newest set of misadventures are sure to thrill fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora. Having screwed up things as bad as humanly possible in Camorr, both were forced to flee and eventually settled in Tal Verrar. Interestingly enough, that's where the Sinspire, the most exclusive and notorious gambling house, can be found. Orchestrating their most perfect crime, Locke has his sight set on the Sinspire's fortune. Unfortunately, Locke's plans have a tendency to go awry, and both he and Jean somehow find themselves among pirates on the Sea of Brass. Mix the Gentlemen Bastards and piracy on the high seas, and you find yourself with a recipe for one fun-filled adventure!

Red Seas under Red Skies may not be the best fantasy novel you'll read this year, but I doubt you'll have more fun reading anything else!

Check out the blog for the full review!

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

Just finished Ian Flemiing's ''Live and Let Die'' - 007.

I finished Reaper's Gale. Keeps the high standard of the series going--on a par with Memories of Ice.

Just finished Richard Morgan's excellent Black Man/Thirteen.

Morgan's writing style and his fine eye for details make the narrative leap off the pages. The author truly knows how to make the story come alive, and I found the imagery quite compelling.

The worldbuilding is interesting, though Morgan doesn't delve too much on how it all came to pass. The USA have imploded and the country has split into three separate States: the Pacific Rim, the North Atlantic Union, and the Republic, also known as Jesusland. China is now a superpower and the rest of the world appears hard-pressed to keep up with them. It is a fascinating backdrop, to be sure, and it's too bad Richard Morgan didn't spend a bit more time explaining how it all unfolded.

The characterizations are well-done, the dialogues gritty. The author knows how to keep the readers interested by allowing us to learn more about the characters by increments. The Carl Marsalis/Sevgi Ertekin tandem provides a nice balance between the Thirteen and the COLIN agent. The supporting cast is comprised of a good bunch of characters, including the Norton brothers and Carmen Ren.

The pace is great -- Black Man/Thirteen is a veritable page-turner! However, the storytelling is at times a bit uneven. Nothing that really takes anything away from the novel, mind you. But Morgan sometimes takes the "easy" route, and Marsalis' hunches prove to be on target, though they're coming from way out of left field. With such a absorbing and convoluted plot, I felt decidedly short-changed when that happened.

Black Man/Thirteen is a high-octane, action-packed and violent book. It is also an intelligent and thought-provoking thriller, one that will even satisfy readers from outside the genre.

Check the blog for the full review!

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

Ok, I've put down Dark Tower 3 "The Waste Lands" half way through, as I'm off to Sydney for the weekend to see my lovely wife. DT3 is fun so far, but I'm finding it slower, longer and looser than the excellent DT2.

I've started Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in preparation for book 7, so that I can leave the book with my wife and let her read it as well before book 7.

I'm going low-tech from Melbourne to Sydney this weekend, via the train. The irony of my travel plans and the references to trains so far in The Waste Lands is not lost on me.

inching my way through The Coming of Conan The Cimmerian, by Robert E. Howard. only four stories left, trying to savor them as if getting Weird Tales.

Just bought Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly. Looks AMAZING. I just now discovered Dick, so I should have quite a bit of material to go through before I get bored.

Currently rereading the Potter books in anticipation of the last book. I can't tell if I'll finish by July. I'm not the fastest reader, but I am on book 4. I think I can make it.

Wayfriend wrote:

Balon wrote:Eventually, I'll be starting on Radix by A.A. Attanasio.

That's one of my all time favorites. You have to let me know what you think.

Jeeze! I was begining to think I was the only person left who read Attanasio.

I've read Radix many times before, it's one of my alltimers too.

Love it.