Now busy on The Gathering Storm, the first of Sanderson's contributions to the series. (I actually had them mis-shelved, so accidentally read 75 pages of the next book (Book 13) before realising I'd missed one.
)--A
What fantasy/science fiction book are you reading RIGHT NOW?
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Well, that's both CoT (book 10) and Knife of Dreams (book 11) done with. (I've done nothing much but read the last few days.)
Now busy on The Gathering Storm, the first of Sanderson's contributions to the series. (I actually had them mis-shelved, so accidentally read 75 pages of the next book (Book 13) before realising I'd missed one. )
--A
Now busy on The Gathering Storm, the first of Sanderson's contributions to the series. (I actually had them mis-shelved, so accidentally read 75 pages of the next book (Book 13) before realising I'd missed one.
)--A
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Reminds me of an issue of The Flash. He was running (you know, really fast) and ran right past a guy strangling another guy. He thought something like, "I was twenty miles past it before what I'd seen registered."Avatar wrote:(I actually had them mis-shelved, so accidentally read 75 pages of the next book (Book 13) before realising I'd missed one.
All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
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Fist and Faith wrote:He thought something like, "I was twenty miles past it before what I'd seen registered."
I'm Murrin wrote:I finished The Eye of the World. Don't think I'm going to catch up to Av.
You've actually impacted my current read Murrin, since we had a discussion about it a while back I've started keeping an eye out for "differences" in Sanderson's writing compared to Jordan's, and found that now that I'm actually looking for it, I can spot the stylistic divergences.Anyway, almost finished Towers of Midnight (13) now, and shall be starting the last book, A Memory of Light, today.
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Well, if you've read the last 3 books of WoT you have.
Could have sworn it was you, and I said something about not being able to tell the difference between who was responsible for what bits in the last few books.
However, this time round I noticed some incongruities...words that Jordan would not have used mainly.
Anyway, finished Memory of Light yesterday...there's always a weird sort of disconnect when you finish a series that big.
And since there's been all this Harry Potter 20th Anniversary stuff, have decided to re-read those quick, so started The Philosophers Stone.
--A
Could have sworn it was you, and I said something about not being able to tell the difference between who was responsible for what bits in the last few books.
However, this time round I noticed some incongruities...words that Jordan would not have used mainly.
Anyway, finished Memory of Light yesterday...there's always a weird sort of disconnect when you finish a series that big.
And since there's been all this Harry Potter 20th Anniversary stuff, have decided to re-read those quick, so started The Philosophers Stone.
--A
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Finished The Shadow Rising. The interesting part of rereading these is seeing how the writing changes as the series goes on. For example, the sniffing and braid tugging the series is famous for only really takes off in book 3. Book three and four also have a shift in style toward a broader, more ensemble-based story, rather than the more focused first two novels.
The Dragon Reborn was a rehash of The Great Hunt with a less eventful plot (honestly not much important happens in the book until the end), but it's also the book that sets out who the characters are for the rest of the series - Mat and Perrin in particular go through changes that solidify their characters. Where the first book focused on Rand, with other PoVs being used only when characters are separated from him, and TGH expanded Perrin and Egwene to equal status, TDR establishes most of the main cast as permanent PoV characters.
The Shadow Rising takes the change in writing style from TDR and broadens the story to suit it - longer chapters, more PoVs, and a much more solid bunch of storylines than the previous book. It's the first book that has multiple, distinct stories happening that don't all tie in together at the end, almost three novels in one. It's also one of the best in the series, particularly the Two Rivers storyline (though the Perrin/Faile stuff can still be grating, especially the early chapters when they're bickering).
I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to The Fires of Heaven. From what I can remember it's a less focused book than TSR, and has the whole lengthy travelling circus plot. But I can't remember a huge amount about it, so I'll see.
The Dragon Reborn was a rehash of The Great Hunt with a less eventful plot (honestly not much important happens in the book until the end), but it's also the book that sets out who the characters are for the rest of the series - Mat and Perrin in particular go through changes that solidify their characters. Where the first book focused on Rand, with other PoVs being used only when characters are separated from him, and TGH expanded Perrin and Egwene to equal status, TDR establishes most of the main cast as permanent PoV characters.
The Shadow Rising takes the change in writing style from TDR and broadens the story to suit it - longer chapters, more PoVs, and a much more solid bunch of storylines than the previous book. It's the first book that has multiple, distinct stories happening that don't all tie in together at the end, almost three novels in one. It's also one of the best in the series, particularly the Two Rivers storyline (though the Perrin/Faile stuff can still be grating, especially the early chapters when they're bickering).
I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to The Fires of Heaven. From what I can remember it's a less focused book than TSR, and has the whole lengthy travelling circus plot. But I can't remember a huge amount about it, so I'll see.
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Started reading a book called Wormwood by G P Taylor last night.
Now this is a book I read many years ago, probably close to its original publication date in 2004, but was not if I recall correctly, absolutely taken with. I'm thinking that perhaps I simply wasn't ready for it at the time, because yesterday it seemed to be striking a chord that it failed to connect with all those years ago on my first reading.
Set in the late eighteenth century, the book is a sort of hash-up of the London of the day and a story of dark fantasy, that would I guess, falls into the literary category of magical realism. Beginning with a tumultuous and unexpected 'earthquake' (is there any other kind?) that sees the city (and presumably the rest of the earth) shunted out of its regular cycle of day following night, it presents a cast of often less than reputable characters, jockeying for knowledge and powers of the darker kind, against the backdrop of a soon to occur world changing cataclysm predicted in an ancient tome obtained by one of the protagonists.
I'm not so far into the story yet as to be sure that my transformation of appreciation of its qualities will be maintained - but I am hopeful. I really like the way it is developing - a number of interesting and suitably nefarious characters presented in quick succession with just enough depth to engage ones attention - and should the next day or two's reading deliver upon this start, I think I'll confidently be able to say that I have become a convert.
I like nothing better than to be able to discover a new friend to sit upon my bookshelf (for what is a good book if not a friend to be returned to at leisure when the mood takes one), and if the book turns out to be one that previously you have been unable to gel with, then so much the better.
I'll return with an update in due course.
Now this is a book I read many years ago, probably close to its original publication date in 2004, but was not if I recall correctly, absolutely taken with. I'm thinking that perhaps I simply wasn't ready for it at the time, because yesterday it seemed to be striking a chord that it failed to connect with all those years ago on my first reading.
Set in the late eighteenth century, the book is a sort of hash-up of the London of the day and a story of dark fantasy, that would I guess, falls into the literary category of magical realism. Beginning with a tumultuous and unexpected 'earthquake' (is there any other kind?) that sees the city (and presumably the rest of the earth) shunted out of its regular cycle of day following night, it presents a cast of often less than reputable characters, jockeying for knowledge and powers of the darker kind, against the backdrop of a soon to occur world changing cataclysm predicted in an ancient tome obtained by one of the protagonists.
I'm not so far into the story yet as to be sure that my transformation of appreciation of its qualities will be maintained - but I am hopeful. I really like the way it is developing - a number of interesting and suitably nefarious characters presented in quick succession with just enough depth to engage ones attention - and should the next day or two's reading deliver upon this start, I think I'll confidently be able to say that I have become a convert.
I like nothing better than to be able to discover a new friend to sit upon my bookshelf (for what is a good book if not a friend to be returned to at leisure when the mood takes one), and if the book turns out to be one that previously you have been unable to gel with, then so much the better.
I'll return with an update in due course.
President of Peace? You fucking idiots!
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
"I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily. Move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way." (Benjamin Netenyahu 2001.)
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
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I was the same with Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana. It took me 10 years to get through the first 100 pages, but when I finally did, I ended up being disappointed that it was just a single, stand-alone book. 
This sounds like something I'd enjoy, will keep an eye out for it.
--A
This sounds like something I'd enjoy, will keep an eye out for it.
I enjoyed TFoH quite a bit this time round, whereas before TDR was actually one of my favourites. (I've never really liked TGH).I'm Murrin wrote:I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to The Fires of Heaven. From what I can remember it's a less focused book than TSR, and has the whole lengthy travelling circus plot. But I can't remember a huge amount about it, so I'll see.
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Thanks...it was only 8.5 years ago since I last posted hereAvatar wrote:Hey, nice to see you around SJ.
I'm in two minds about this book, honestly. I liked the overall concept but found it a difficult read.Fist and Faith wrote:Accelerando is AWESOME!Spiral Jacobs wrote:I've been on a Charles Stross spree these last months,
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I just finished Lord of Chaos.
It's interesting; you can see this is where Jordan's overwriting began to take over the series for real. There are storylines he's setting up that he barely begins in this book - and this is the longest book in the series. He manages to give it an arc insofar as it becomes about Rand and his relationship with the Aes Sedai culminating in Dumai's Wells, but every other plotline is left hanging mid-story.
Nynaeve and Elayne are the most obvious part: In books 2, 3 and 4 they had their own complete storylines that ran alongside the others, and book 5 gave Nynaeve a climactic confrontation with Moghedian, but in this one they spend most of the book in Salidar then get 2-3 chapters of the beginning of their Ebou Dar story right near the end, with no climax. It might as well have been their first few chapters in the next book.
It also has the problem that Jordan absolutely wrote this book meaning to do one thing with Mazrim Taim, then changed his mind later in a way that leaves everything about his character in LoC not making sense.
It's interesting; you can see this is where Jordan's overwriting began to take over the series for real. There are storylines he's setting up that he barely begins in this book - and this is the longest book in the series. He manages to give it an arc insofar as it becomes about Rand and his relationship with the Aes Sedai culminating in Dumai's Wells, but every other plotline is left hanging mid-story.
Nynaeve and Elayne are the most obvious part: In books 2, 3 and 4 they had their own complete storylines that ran alongside the others, and book 5 gave Nynaeve a climactic confrontation with Moghedian, but in this one they spend most of the book in Salidar then get 2-3 chapters of the beginning of their Ebou Dar story right near the end, with no climax. It might as well have been their first few chapters in the next book.
It also has the problem that Jordan absolutely wrote this book meaning to do one thing with Mazrim Taim, then changed his mind later in a way that leaves everything about his character in LoC not making sense.