Reading in December 2011

[Hobbit]

This is where, for the last time in 2011, you talk to us about your monthly Fantasy and Horror Reads: whether good or bad, we want to discuss with you what you thought.

Our Fantasy Book of the Month is Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. Discuss here.

Our SF Book of the Month is The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach. Discuss here.

As this is the last 'Reading' thread of 2011, I'd like to thank you all for your continued involvement at SFFWorld and wish you all the compliments of season, whether you follow a religious belief or not.

At the end of the month we will be releasing our customary SFFWorld Review of the Year. More when it appears!

Mark

 

[RTR]

Acacia, really like it so far

 

[hippokrene]

Acacia, really like it so far

By David Anthony Durham?

I picked that book up yesterday because I liked the cover of the third book in that trilogy but hate to read books out of order.

What do you think of it?

 

[RTR]

By David Anthony Durham?

I picked that book up yesterday because I liked the cover of the third book in that trilogy but hate to read books out of order.

What do you think of it?

Yeah thats the one. Im only about 1/3 into it, but so far it's been a really good read. It's got a few things going for it that are pretty unique

 

[Evil Agent]

Finishing off the year with The Lord of the Rings (8th reading). Loving every page!

 

[Winter]

I am reading Blake Charlton's Spellwright. It is pretty dire.

 

[thrinidir]

By David Anthony Durham?

I picked that book up yesterday because I liked the cover of the third book in that trilogy but hate to read books out of order.

What do you think of it?

Durham is one of the best, most mature and somewhat under-appreciated author. There's bound to be several appreciation threads laying around and an official review of Acacia,if I'm not mistaken.

I'm still trundling through ISANDERS by C.Priest. So far it's a decent read, although I've expected more from his 10 year hiatus. He's mainly indulging on his recurring theme of Dream Archipelago over his lenghty career. Definitely not a book to start with, if you're new to Priest.

 

[Astra_]

About 3/4 through House of Chains by Steven Erikson.

 

[Seak]

I'm a little over halfway through Prince of Thorns, should finish up this weekend. Absolutely loving it. I really like Jorg's life philosophy, you know, outside of the raping and killing. Kind of a make things work no matter the odds. I feel like these guys could fit in Abercrombie's books oh so easily.

 

[Daddy Darth]

I completed Abercrombie's The Heroes last night. I have to say it was very well written and had some memorable characters. Everytime Gorst was on I was excited (I would read a whole book just about him I think). I have never met a character quite like him before. And the concluding chapters were excellent. Calder's visit to the pit had me holding my breath. The battle scenes also were amazing and totally put you right in it, very immersive. And there were a few nice twists in there as well, again in there at the end.

However, I don't think the book will stick with me despite what I said above. It just seemed to miss the mark a bit for me. Perhaps it was mired a little too much in the murk and muck of the realities of war which Abercrombie delivers in Spades.

So, I would definitely reccomend it to you folks who love a story with great battles and gritty characters doing gritty things. I am intrigued by Abercrombies writing and defintely have him on my list of authors to go back to now.

 

[Yezarul]

The last week of the year I'll be re-reading my reading copies of "Name of the Wind" and "Wise Mans Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss again as well as an Anne McCarthy book or three.

Right now I am about to start book 3 of David Dalglish's Half-Orc series "The Death of Promises" followed up by 4 and 5.

When I finish those I will be hitting up Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame D&D Series.

 

[Rob B]

Right now I am about to start book 3 of David Dalglish's Half-Orc series "The Death of Promises" followed up by 4 and 5.

These books are generating a fair amount of buzz. I'm assuming the first couple were good enough to keep you interested in continuing on with the series?

 

[JustaStaffer]

These books are generating a fair amount of buzz. I'm assuming the first couple were good enough to keep you interested in continuing on with the series?

I read the first couple. The writing is good, but I found the characterizations weak. I've heard he's improved quite a bit in his subsequent work.

 

[Yezarul]

These books are generating a fair amount of buzz. I'm assuming the first couple were good enough to keep you interested in continuing on with the series?

I think the main reason they are generating buzz is they are different than your knight in shining armor type books that are out there.

I would say 90%-95% of the books I've read all have hero knight-types in them.

So far the scenes are a pretty graphic and dark in their ways. The books are dark but kind of predictable if you know there is another book afterwards (but that's true for almost any series).

But as JustaStaffer said the characterizations are weak-ish. The characters themselves are well-written (in my opinion) but could of used a little more depth.

The chapters are well broken and provide very good stopping points to break/rest/sleep or whatever.

So far it's been a page-turner* for me and very enjoyable reads, I highly recommend at least book 1 and 2. So far 3 is kinda meh compared to the first two but good all the same.

* - I use kindle so not really a page-turner.

 

[suciul]

I finished The Hedgewitch Queen by Lilith Saintcrow and after a slightly rocky start I liked it quite a lot - not yet at Kushiel levels for sure, but intriguing enough and with a great (cliffhanger) ending followed by a teaser from the second volume that left me wanting that asap.

I also got one huge 2012 asap The Daemon Prism by Carol Berg and I plan to start it tonight as well as a 2012 debut, Seven Princes by John Fultz which I will take a look at.

Edit a bit later: opened Seven Princes and a quick browse showed it is not a novel i am interested in; the writing just doesn't mesh with my taste and the subject is very standard, while some of the naming conventions annoyed me; I flipped through and read the ending too just in case i see a "hook" but none appeared so that's a drop to 'not for me' and forget book

 

[thrinidir]

Do report on Berg when you read it. I'm quite intrigued by all the buzz around her lately.

 

[suciul]

Do report on Berg when you read it. I'm quite intrigued by all the buzz around her lately.

Daemon Prism is book 3 of a trilogy and while each has had different narrators (Portier, Anne and now Dante) they hang together; loved first one (Spirit Lens) but the second one (Soul Mirror) was a blow me away book.

As Daemon Prism goes, I opened it yesterday evening in a quick 5 minutes break from other stuff and I just started turning pages and was very sad to stop.

 

[Erfael]

Daemon Prism is book 3 of a trilogy and while each has had different narrators (Portier, Anne and now Dante) they hang together; loved first one (Spirit Lens) but the second one (Soul Mirror) was a blow me away book.

As Daemon Prism goes, I opened it yesterday evening in a quick 5 minutes break from other stuff and I just started turning pages and was very sad to stop.

I think this is the top book I'm looking forward to in 2012. Shame it's out on the 4th day of the year...nothing more to look forward to with the same level of anticipation for the rest of the year.

 

[Astra_]

I think this is the top book I'm looking forward to in 2012. Shame it's out on the 4th day of the year...nothing more to look forward to with the same level of anticipation for the rest of the year.

Is it the last book in the series?

 

[Erfael]

Yes, it is.