Reading in July 2011

Thanks, B. I liked it, thought it was one of the more intelligent urban fantasies out there.

I'm going to be interested in Cherie's thoughts on the OCD thing. There's a couple of leaps of faith/coincidence, but I loved the snarky style.


Review now up: http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/730.html

Mark
 
Hobbit said:
Thanks, B. I liked it, thought it was one of the more intelligent urban fantasies out there.

I'm going to be interested in Cherie's thoughts on the OCD thing. There's a couple of leaps of faith/coincidence, but I loved the snarky style.


Review now up: http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/730.html

Mark
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I just don't remember what aspects I didn't like, should have written them down. I think part of it is the leaps of faith/coincidences you mention, and I think it was a bit predictable as far as the bad guy went. I might have had a bit of trouble with the narrating voice, but overall I enjoyed it, and pre-ordered Hellbent.
 
Am jealous, Rob: sounds like it was quite the event.

And B: the Cherie Priest interview questions are now up: http://www.sffworld.com/interview/295p0.html

Personally, there were more plusses than minuses. I will read the next when it's out in the next couple of months.

Mark
 
I'm still on Canavan's The High Lord, and I'm starting to get really ticked off by it.

It's to the series what Mockingjay was to The Hunger Games.
 
I'm a little more than half way through The Adamantine Palace. Really enjoying it so far. Fast paced and brutal.
 
I forgot to mention that I also started L.E. Modesitt, Jr.'s Imager's Intrigue last night. It seems to be a sequel of sorts, but more along the lines of the jump from The Magic of Recluce to The Death of Chaos in that there's quite a gap chronologically between the two. It feels a little disjointed, but I'm still enjoying it.
 
Finished Pandemonium and now reading Daryl Gregory's latest, Raising Stony Mayhall, centred around a zombie boy being raised in a human family.
About 1/3rd of the way through an enjoying it immensely.

I enjoyed Pandemonium, The Devil's Alphabet even more, and so far this may be his best for me.
 
i finally mustered energy to go through Low Town aka Straight Razor Cure aka the supposedly new wonder in noir fantasy by D. Polanksy and I still found it bland and boring and turning the final page was a big relief - would have put it down long ago, but to my woe I requested it from Amazon Vine due to a review comparing it to Mieville - ha, ha!! - and I felt compelled to give it a 2 star review since it was not atrocious to deserve one star, just overrated banal stuff; you have read any noir or any urban fantasy, you have read this one
 
I listened to Sandman Slim by Kadrey yesterday. It did not really grab me -- I think it was probably too comic-bookish, especially the climax -- but it had some interesting ideas and some great descriptions scattered around, and I hear the sequel is better, so I'll probably go ahead and read the next one before too long.
 
Finished Tiassa. Steven Brust good as ever. Some baroque stile in in the last part, but not especially heavy.
 
I finished Nation by Terry Pratchett. It was a bittersweet experience, knowing how important it was for him to interrupt the Discworld series because this story needed to be told, while there is still time.
And indeed, this may be the best book he has written: an anti-Lord of the Flies where he affirms his faith in our humanity to survive catastrophe. His two teenage heroes, Mau and Daphne, have each of their worlds shattered in a tsunami wave that throws them on a deserted Pacific island, and will have to cope with despair, lack of a common language, a hostile environment and ultimately pirates and cannibals. They will question the rules of the world and the rules of religion, but they will never give up hope.
Pratchett tells a very serious story here (basically it's about The Meaning of Life), without giving up on his humorous touches.
Highly recommended.
 
I've been reading a lot of YA fiction lately (alternately with more adult fare), and at the moment it's Relic Master: The Lost Heiress, by Catherine Fisher. They are releasing the books in the series very quickly, at intervals of about two months, I think. In my opinion they're not as good as some of her other books, but after a slow start on the first one, they are holding my interest.
 
I've finished up Hammered by Kevin Hearne and have moved on to The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene. Castaways by Keen is next and then I'll be looking for a new read.
 
I finished The High Lord by Trudi Canavan. Very, very disappointed with it. Such a poor end to such a promising series.
 
After spending most of the last several months reading Malazan (and only making it to Midnight Tides, though not because I don't like it..just don't have as much reading time as I used to), I am itching to read some newer releases.

So I started reading The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke. Thought I would give this a go since the last book is out now. But I dunno..hasn't really grabbed me. I also started Song of the Dragon by Tracy Hickman. I can't say it has knocked my socks off, either, but I am gonna make an effort to finish it. I am still mixing in Midnight Tides by Erikson and Shadowplay by Williams.
 
Finished Raising Stony Mayhall and was very impressed. I'm normally not interested in books with a Zombie theme but after liking Gregory's previous novels so much I had to give this a go, and am glad I did. Gregory has a knack for keeping you in the story the whole time, and creating characters you can feel for. RSM was funny, horrific and heartfelt all in one, and for me it's one of the best reads of the year so far.

Now starting on Joe Hill's Horns.
 
Loerwyn said:
I finished The High Lord by Trudi Canavan. Very, very disappointed with it. Such a poor end to such a promising series.
Click to expand...

I'm curious to know what it was about it that disappointed you, if you don't mind me asking :)
 
Paks said:
I'm curious to know what it was about it that disappointed you, if you don't mind me asking :)
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Canavan took some good characters, a potentially great storyline and a well designed setting... And then threw them in a blender, put in gallons of utter trash and then did unspeakable acts to the resulting goop. Very little about the book seemed right. The way characters reacted and interracted was mostly terrible, the plot was convoluted, bloated, drawn out and unsatisfying, and I stopped caring over 400 pages before the end.

In other words, it was badly written and a very poor conclusion to what had been a great trilogy.
 
This took me way too long, but only because of lack of time. I finally finished Songs of the Dying Earth, edited by GRRM and Gardner Dozois. I'd never read Vance before, but this anthology was amazing. Very highly recommended. At times it reminded me of the crazier characters in the Malazan series, such as Kruppe and Iskaral Pust, but overall it was amazing.

Started reading Runescape: Betrayal at Falador. I've never played Runescape, but hopefully this'll be decent anyway.
 
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