Kevin's Watch

Still reading Doctor Who novels. Have moved on to New Adventures, specifically the Timewyrm books featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace. So far I've read Timewyrm: Genesis, based on the Gilgamesh epic. I'm in the middle of Timewyrm: Exodus, which deals with a perversion of history involving the Third Reich. Interesting stories, so far.

I've just finished John Scalzi's Lock In. It's an entertaining read; if you like Scalzi's other stuff you'll like this. It's not a comedy like Redshirts but it is in his usual light tone.

The one issue with it is that I found it pretty easy to guess the mystery early on. The characters within the world were completely sold on certain facts about the technology that I, as a reader unfamiliar with this tech, was not inclined to assume, which meant I was immediately coming to conclusions that took them a lot more information to reach. Still, that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the novel.


Next up: I have to choose between Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch, The Godless by Ben Peek, and City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. Might just roll a die.

The Path of Daggers - Robert Jordan

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Reading Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. Bout halfway through and it's slow going, which is unusual for Sanderson, cause while he's no Donaldson or Erikson, I've always found him a page-turner. You can tell this is his first published novel; the detailed worldbuilding and magic systems he's become famous for are there, but the eye-rolling characterisation and dialogue is even more present, and it has pacing issues that were completely absent in Mistborn and the Stormlight Archives books. Oh well, I hear the ending is awesome as always, so I'm pushing on with it.

Cambo wrote:Reading Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. Bout halfway through and it's slow going, which is unusual for Sanderson, cause while he's no Donaldson or Erikson, I've always found him a page-turner. You can tell this is his first published novel; the detailed worldbuilding and magic systems he's become famous for are there, but the eye-rolling characterisation and dialogue is even more present, and it has pacing issues that were completely absent in Mistborn and the Stormlight Archives books. Oh well, I hear the ending is awesome as always, so I'm pushing on with it.

I liked it over all, and I believe the pacing was about the same as with The Well of Ascension so I was not bothered with it (but take that with a grain of salt, I like books that people complain about not having any plot!)

You're spot on about the dialogue and characterization.

Still reading Gardens of the Moon: Book One of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. My reading time has declined a bit but will increase as the amount of daylight starts to recede. The style/plot reminds me of The Black Company books by Glen Cook.

Winter's Heart. WoT 9.

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Orlion wrote:

Cambo wrote:Reading Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. Bout halfway through and it's slow going, which is unusual for Sanderson, cause while he's no Donaldson or Erikson, I've always found him a page-turner. You can tell this is his first published novel; the detailed worldbuilding and magic systems he's become famous for are there, but the eye-rolling characterisation and dialogue is even more present, and it has pacing issues that were completely absent in Mistborn and the Stormlight Archives books. Oh well, I hear the ending is awesome as always, so I'm pushing on with it.

I liked it over all, and I believe the pacing was about the same as with The Well of Ascension so I was not bothered with it (but take that with a grain of salt, I like books that people complain about not having any plot!)

You're spot on about the dialogue and characterization.

Well, I finished it, and yes, the ending was very cool. Re the pacing, you're probably right to compare it to WoA, however before that book was an action packed opener that got me involved in the characters and the story. I had to do that work myself with Elantris.

The characterisation didn't get any better, and in one instance got significantly worse:

Spoiler

I was just about to start really liking Hrathen as a character, even before he turned his cloak. The conflicted man of faith act was fairly well drawn for Sanderson, and I liked his logic and competitive nature. But having him fall in love with Sarene? Blech. Respecting and admiring Sarene, sure, I could see that. But putting romantic feelings into it was unecessary and borderline unfounded. Pissed me off a bit.

Overall I liked it as well: Elantris was a very cool setting and concept, the plot was never slow enough to stop me reading and picked up a lot in the middle of the second act. The third act was gripping as always with Sanderson. I won't be rushing back for a re-read, but I am looking forward to the sequel Sanderson is reportedly planning.

For anyone looking to read Sanderson: start with Mistborn.

I'm about 1/3rd of the way through Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch. Keep feeling surprised when I realise how little the main storyline has actually moved in the number of pages I've read. Not that I'm criticising; Lynch is very good. I remember being a little the same way in the early parts of Red Seas Under Red Skies.

Crossroads of Twilight. WoT 10. IF I can make it through this one, they get better again rapidly.

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Re-Reading The Chronicles of the Black Company omnibus. Most of the way through Shadows Linger. Everything makes a lot more sense on the re-read; I didn't realise there were so many details I'd missed!

Reading an indie fantasy called The Blue Coyote Motel. The concept is interesting, but it's kind of a mess. Grammar and spelling are okay, but it needs a thorough edit. The author repeats *way* too many details, *way* too often; her sentence structure needs more variation; and so on. There are also some indications (her foreshadowing also stinks ) that the book is going to take a turn into...something else. Horror, maybe? Darker fantasy? I can't tell from the hints she's dropping. I'm basically slogging through it so I can review it.

What really annoys me is that she's written a whole bunch of novels with the same setup, and I bought at least one more when I bought this one. Can't remember whether they were free or whether I spent money for them. It wouldn't have been a lot of money in any case, but still.

Recently finished Shadow of the Scorpion by Neal Asher. Not bad, almost closer to horror than straight-up sci-fi. It's a prequel to Gridlinked, which it is not as good as.

u.

Knife of Dreams WoT 11.

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Continuing the Southern Reach series with Annihilation. I think I like Control more as a protagonist than the biologist, but a quarter of the way in and there's still not much of a story. Mystery, yes. Great characterization, including character back stories, sure. But story? I'm still waiting for the inciting incident.

[Syl] wrote:Continuing the Southern Reach series with Annihilation. I think I like Control more as a protagonist than the biologist, but a quarter of the way in and there's still not much of a story. Mystery, yes. Great characterization, including character back stories, sure. But story? I'm still waiting for the inciting incident.

Overall, I liked Authority but it definitely suffers from "Hey, I'm the transitory middle book in a trilogy" syndrome. It also seems like we get more of "here's some clarifications of Annihilation that you may or may not have wanted" then a progression of plot... which, I could argue, there's not much of in the traditional sense in this trilogy. You'll know what I'm talking about once you start Acceptance.

I'm almost done with Acceptance, and it is by far the best in the trilogy (unless the ending is just terrible). It does not seem so narrow as the previous two, which kinda felt like I was reading a longer weird fiction short story than an actual novel.

Towers of Midnight

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A Memory of Light.

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Halfway through Ancillary Sword. Every bit as good as the first one, really excellent sci fi.

On Warbreaker now. Last one before I'm caught up on all the Cosmere books! Much smoother start than Elantris, not as immediately arresting as Misborn, but pretty good. I am tempted to make a list of character traits and see how many of Sandersons's female protagonists share them.