Reading in October 2012

[Raule]

Getting into the spirit of the Halloween season by reading some atmospheric books. First read The Child Thief by Brom, which is a brutal reimagining of Peter Pan. I mostly liked it, though I thought by making Neverland Avalon and adding some Scottish mythology into the mix he tried to do too much by the end. Just finished a re-read of Sarah Monette's story collection, The Bone Key, which is just the kind of book I like to read this time of year. I'm getting ready to start Disturbed by Her Song by Tanith Lee.

[Randy M.]

[...] Just finished a re-read of Sarah Monette's story collection, The Bone Key, which is just the kind of book I like to read this time of year. I'm getting ready to start Disturbed by Her Song by Tanith Lee.

I really enjoyed the Monette when I read it a couple of years ago. She's still writing stories about Kyle Murchison Booth, so we can anticipate another collection in time. FYI: I just picked up her newest collection, Somewhere Beneath Those Waves; it includes one Booth story not in The Bone Key.

I look forward to hearing what you think of the Lee.


Randy M.

[Raule]

She's still writing stories about Kyle Murchison Booth, so we can anticipate another collection in time. FYI: I just picked up her newest collection, Somewhere Beneath Those Waves; it includes one Booth story not in The Bone Key.

Randy M.

Thanks for mentioning that. I have the collection but haven't read it yet. I didn't realize there was a new Booth story in it. I'm glad she's still writing about him.

[Loerwyn]

Finished Sir Pratchett's Witches Abroad last night - really enjoyed it. One of the best I've read by him.

Moved onto Stephen Deas' The Adamantine Palace and I'd be lying if I said it hadn't knocked my socks off.

[algernoninc]

Finished King's Blood by Daniel Abraham. This is his second major epic in 2012, after Caliban's War, which was OK for me, but a step back in the Expanse universe, after a strong debut. With the Dagger and Coin series, my reaction was the opposite, and I liked King's Blood much more than the The Dragon's Path. With the main characters already established (Cithrin, Geder, Marcus) and less need for descriptive passages, the plot gains in complexity and surprising twists come in quick succesion. This is not an action oriented epic, though, it goes for politics, economics and some heavy moral dillemmas. I still feel the influence of George R R Martin in some places: absent dragons, killing of main characters, mostly grey morals instead of black and white. Cithrin is my favorite at the moment, and I'm looking forward to 2013, feeling good I don't plan on a 6 years or more break for the next installment.

[suciul]

I finished Red Knight by K.T. Davies a small press series debut. This is a book that came out of nowhere - basically I got interested as it has the same title with the huge Miles Cameron debut as it was pointed to me on Goodreads - so I checked the sample and it was compelling, so much so that I had to read the novel next. The book is soap opera with knights, sorcery, treason and blood and it is extremely compelling, fun, explicit on occasion and quite dark in parts too. While not yet at A level in world building and storyline, the narrative pull is high and the main characters larger than life so I am in for the duration.

[Westsiyeed]

I finished The Wind Through the Keyhole, King's latest (though set between books 4 and 5) in the Darktower series. The novel is in effect a story within a story within a story (!) and although they're set in a different time they have the same flavour and feel as other main novels. This was an excellent book and personally I especially enjoyed the main tale about the gunslinger Tim's coming of age. King still has a great imagination and knack for storytelling; this was one of those books I found hard to put down.

It's rekindled my interest in finishing the whole series now.

[Loerwyn]

I finished The Wind Through the Keyhole, King's latest (though set between books 4 and 5) in the Darktower series. The novel is in effect a story within a story within a story (!) and although they're set in a different time they have the same flavour and feel as other main novels. This was an excellent book and personally I especially enjoyed the main tale about the gunslinger Tim's coming of age. King still has a great imagination and knack for storytelling; this was one of those books I found hard to put down.

It's rekindled my interest in finishing the whole series now.

Good to hear! I really liked it too. One of his better recent books, if nothing else.

[azninvasion99]

I really liked it as well. Roland back story is always worth reading (Wizard and Glass being my favorite of the whole series).

[Eventine]

Funnily enough I started it last night. It's like slipping back into a comfy set of clothes.

[suciul]

one finally got Red Country by that obscure author i keep forgetting his name; and in addition Miles cameron's red Knight is on its way, while i got King;s Assassin by Stephen Deas and The Twelve by Justin Cronin - will probably read in this order with The Night of the Swarm and possibly Luminous Chaos if it is published next week mixed in for good measure; finally the last heavy hitters of the years with maybe Malice in December to come

[Loerwyn]

Balancing a continuation of GRRM's A Feast for Crows with Deas' The Adamantine Palace.

Just trying to get my bearings again with ASoIaF, which may take a little while, whereas one or two teeny tiny things in The Adamantine Palace have annoyed me a little and I don't know why.

[chitman13]

I started reading Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed this week. I'm not the biggest of fantasy readers (this is the first fantasy I've read this year!), and from what I've heard here and there many people say it's a fairly generic tale, but I must admit that I'm enjoying it a whole lot more than I thought I would. The story simply flows off the page and I just want to keep reading it, despite not actually having much time at all to do so. Looking forward to finishing it :-)

[Hobbit]

Halfway through this one, myself, Mark, spurred on after Rob's glowing review when it was released in the US. So far, loving it: a refreshing take on Fantasy, away from from the Tolk-medieval.

[Rob B]

My work here is a success!