Kevin's Watch

Hey tw. I don't remember seeing you in a while.


Hey aliantha. I did a quick search, because I was sure I'd mentioned Red Branch at some point in the past. From 6.5 years ago!
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=10164#10164

I've just finished The Wizard of Earthsea and now starting The tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin.

A very enjoyable read so far!

StevieG wrote:I've just finished The Wizard of Earthsea and now starting The tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin.

A very enjoyable read so far!

Thanks for the comment on my dissection of chapter 9 of WoE over on the Hangar, Stevie. I appreciate it.

Fist and Faith wrote:Hey aliantha. I did a quick search, because I was sure I'd mentioned Red Branch at some point in the past. From 6.5 years ago!
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=10164#10164

That's hysterical. At least now you know who wrote it, since I said it in my post, huh? Did your mom ever give the book back to you?

StevieG wrote:I've just finished The Wizard of Earthsea and now starting The tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin.

A very enjoyable read so far!

Tombs is way better. But Tehanu is the best.

--A

I still can't get in to Tombs. Hopefully the dissections will help. I love Tehanu.

But Dragonfly and The Other Wind are my favorites. They feature Irian, and I have non-Earthsea reasons to be drawn to Irian.

I'm reading the Farseers Trilogy by Robin Hobb at the moment, I'm almost done with the first book and I'm still waiting for the suffering promised in this thread! Took about fifty pages, but after that, it has flown quite nicely.

Currently reading V for Vendetta. I recently bought some of the classics and I'm amazed how much of a novel this is. I've read a lot of European graphic novels over the years but none have his literary depth. Great stuff. I particularly like Alan Moore's 'tricks' with multiple storylines and voices in one panel, which he does a lot in Watchmen as well. Requires attentive reading.

Well, for sure, not all comics are as good as Moore's. He's one of the best, whether a mini- or maxi-series (like V and Watchmen), an extended run (like Swamp Thing), or one-shot stories here and there.


Regarding Earthsea, I'm one of those who thinks Tombs and Tehanu are the least of the books. Wizard and Farthest Shore are excellent. And then she outdid even those with Dragonfly and The Other Wind (and a couple of the other short stories in Tales).

aliantha wrote:That's hysterical. At least now you know who wrote it, since I said it in my post, huh? Did your mom ever give the book back to you?

I don't think so.


I'm a couple hundred pages into Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. That's only about a quarter of the way through. Great so far. It's slow paced, but that's because it's giving great detail (even footnotes) on the characters. Very nicely, interestingly fleshed out.

Fist and Faith wrote:And then she outdid even those with Dragonfly and The Other Wind (and a couple of the other short stories in Tales).

Haven't read those, or the short stories. But Tehanu beats Farthest Shore. (Which is better than Tombs, I'll agree, but WoE is the weakest of the quartet IMO.)

--A

Dragonfly and The Other Wind are point blank my favorites. But I did read them all in one go, as is documented on the Hangar. I don't know if experiencing the wait in between would have influenced that or not. Similar to Beorn reading Runes immediately after reading the 1st and 2nd chrons. He was only ten at the time, but in subsequent rereads his preferences have remained true.

Or my experience with reading The Dark Tower. Again another series I read straight through, without having the intervening wait you experienced, Av.

Wow! Didn't realize, Av. Gotta get those books to you. Despite your backward opinion of the first four. But yeah, I agree with Menolly. I was a HUGE fan of Earthsea even before the last two books. (Again, Dragonfly is in the collection, Tales, even though it first appeared elsewhere.) But they win. Wait until you see Arren/Lebannen all growed up. And if you wonder where the name Azver came from... heh

Fist and Faith wrote:And if you wonder where the name Azver came from... heh

I so smacked myself in the forehead when I realized...
...totally different reaction from when I came across Irian the first time.
*I still don't understand how Plains just...knew...to name my Ranyhyn that years before I ever even heard of Earthsea.

Just started Bakker's Warrior-Prophet, book two of the Prince of Nothing.

Really loved the first book.

--A

Just finished Watchmen. Absolutely amazing. It's like Moore had a film in his head, there are carefully crafted dissolves and transitions between many panels and scenes. And the artwork has such an amount of detail, little things in the background and the way panels 'articulate' what someone is saying, especially the black freighter stuff with the news vendor's voice over. Great stuff.

One of the weakest points, though, is that a major plot point hinges on something stupid: the so-called smartest man in the world's password. Come on!

Path of Revenge, by Russel Kirkpatrick. Damn good fantasy by an excellent New Zealander.

I've got a free copy of "Perdido Street Station" ready to load onto my Reader, once I'm done with "Dust of Dreams". Tho "Night of Knives" is sitting in my dead-tree to-be-read stack. Hmm, continue with Malazan or move on for a bit? What to do, what to do...

Finishing off Bakker's Thousandfold Thought and starting Esselmont's Night of Knives.

--A

Just finished S. L. Farrell's A Magic of Nightfall.

The novel is a multilayered tale of politics, intrigue, religion, magic, love, and treachery. One that should not be missed. Definitely one of the fantasy books to read in 2009!

Check out the blog for the full review.

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

Gardens of the Moon again.

--A