Reading in October 2008

[molybdenum]

I had Acacia in my hand, was about ot buy it, then made a last second decision to do some non-genre reading instead. Soon afterwards, I come back to this site and notice Acacia is book of the month for October. Gah! Oh well, I'll get through the books I'm on, go and get Acacia and maybe be able to finish and post something on it by the end of the month.

A couple of books I have my eye on as soon as they come out in mass market edition:
Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Red Wolf Conspiracy?- by Robert VS Redick - Is this worth reading? I've haven't been hearing anybody get extremely excited about it.

Edit:
Missed a couple- Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson (though I may try to read the entire series again before I start this one)
Return of the Crimson Guard by IC Esslemont (ditto)

[...]

Red Wolf Conspiracy was meh. Reddick seemed to bite off more than he can chew. Some 800 page books should be reduced to 400 pages, well this book should be expanded from 400 to 800. Reddick's story also seems a little young adult. The plot was interesting, although throughout the book there were plot spoilers for later events. The biggest criticism I have is that Reddick would introduce characters to advance the plot. Basically, a character would learn information, the reader was left wondering how that character knew that, then the character would say; "oh, this new character told me this profound infomation." This isn't to say that the book isn't worth a read, but I wouldn't make it a priority.

[Amaunette]

Shelving my book troubles for the time being (I have started the 2nd Amber book, btw) I decided to give in to my need for fluff and comfort. I picked up Tad Williams' Tailchaser's Song at the library, and it's been a lovely romp so far.

[chitman13]

I've just finished Ian C Esslemont's Night of Knives. As this was the first straight fantasy novel I've read in years I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, plus the fact that is set in the established and popular Malaz world. I don't really read fantasy and favour science fiction almost every time so I approached it not quite knowing if it would end up on the unfinished pile like many other fantasy novels I've tried in the past. Luckily enough it hit the spot and has opened the door to other fantasy novels to get a little more attention from me now I'll definitely be going back to the Malaz books to see what else they have to offer.

[Gilgamesh]

I kept my copy of "The Golden Fool" and "Fool's Fate" in case of a good reading emergency for a while. Then, a few weeks ago, I decided to break the glass and read them to get some quality time. I'm 2/3 through "Fool's Fate" at the moment. I'm afraid it's going to end soon.

[Evil Agent]

I've just finished Ian C Esslemont's Night of Knives. As this was the first straight fantasy novel I've read in years I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, plus the fact that is set in the established and popular Malaz world. I don't really read fantasy and favour science fiction almost every time so I approached it not quite knowing if it would end up on the unfinished pile like many other fantasy novels I've tried in the past. Luckily enough it hit the spot and has opened the door to other fantasy novels to get a little more attention from me now I'll definitely be going back to the Malaz books to see what else they have to offer.

Was that the first Malazan book you've ever read?? I would definitely not recommend Night of Knives as a starting point in the series, for any reason. Did it make any sense to you?

Otherwise I finished my re-read of The Hobbit, then I read J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter (out of interest, and also for an upcoming Tolkien course I'm taking through Cardiff University in Wales, purely out of interest), and now I'm re-reading The Silmarillion (for the 4th time). I'm back on my Tolkien addiction I guess!

PS The biography was sitting on my booshelf for about 5 years, but I'm so glad I finally read it. Truly interesting and fascinating, a must-read for any die hard Tolkien fan. I feel like I have such a better understanding of the man now, and it's moved me to re-read the Silmarillion yet again.

[molybdenum]

Night of Knives is just as good a starting point as any in the series. I guess there's a few spoilers as far as what order the informations revealed, but it's a nice ease into the world rather than the smack you get from reading the first few pages of Garden of the Moon.
I'd advise reading Night of Knives after Bonehunters or Reapers Gale, but it's not like starting there is going to confuse you as to what's going on any more than GotM will.
Meanwhile, I'm reading Sepulchre by Kate Mosse, which is sort of horror and fantasy and general fiction all rolled into one, so I'll put it here (I really don't care what books are labelled as, I just read them.)

[Cranky Hamster]

Read Charlie Huston's No Dominion and Half the Blood of Brooklyn last night. Loved the first one, liked the second (the whole freakshow/Jewish tribal vampires subplot struck me as only 75% rather than 150% awesome, so still good but not WOAH GREAT!! the way the rest of the books have been), will be getting the last this afternoon and then probably scrabbling against the walls like a crackhead in need of a fix.

It's kind of weird because I don't really like Huston's vampires -- the pseudo-scientific explanation is just way too farfetched for me to think anyone in that world can take it at all seriously; OBVIOUSLY it's magic, guys, it's okay to admit it -- but everything else is so kinetic and awesome and amazingly executed, I'm addicted despite myself. So thanks for the recommendation; I would not have read these books otherwise, and by the end of the day I will have them all.

Also started Patricia Briggs' Cry Wolf, which so far is not working for me at all. I'll give it another try but if it doesn't pick up in the next 20-30 pages this is going to be a nonstarter. I like her Mercy Thompson books fine, and this one is set in the same world, but the first chapter is pretty dull and there are way too many characters who interact in ways that are not interesting because I don't know who these people are, what their relationships are, and why I should care about any of them. The book is written in third-person and I'm starting to feel like Briggs might be a writer who works best in first-person; the emotional immediacy of seeing things through a particular character's eyes isn't there, and nothing else has replaced it. Whole thing just feels flat, and thus far I'm disappointed.

[chitman13]

Was that the first Malazan book you've ever read?? I would definitely not recommend Night of Knives as a starting point in the series, for any reason. Did it make any sense to you?

Yep, first Malazan book. I thought it was a decent enough stand alone, but that isn't to say that some things didn't have the weight behind them that they would do if I had read the main series - that much is clear. I wanted a shorter novel as an introduction to the series, I figured that if I liked that then it would be a reason to invest in the rest of the books (plus it's half the size of Gardens of the Moon). I certainly wasn't disappointed

[Astra_]

Well, I finished Twelve (Review HERE), which I liked a lot. Even the ending, which was a little disappointing compared with the rest. The overall impression was very favourable, though. I think there's a few here who are going to love it, perhaps more than cynical ol' me.

It is the first book of the series of 5, right?

[Hobbit]

It is the first book of the series of 5, right?

Yup. Now being called the Danilov Quintet, I believe.

Having spent a little while mulling over it, though the ending was a little creaky, I think it is still one of the best debuts I've read for a while. It might be why I'm finding the Brent Weeks so much hard work....

Mark / Hobbit