Reading in May 2010

[Slack Bladder]

70 plus pages into Ash and I'm enjoying it very much. It's grim and it's gritty and there's something really likeable about the central character's determination and resolve. So far it's more historical fiction that Fantasy or SF but I suspect there's something else going on here. Can't quite put my finger on it, though...

 

[Seegee]

Finished another A. Lee Martinez; Monster, this time and also Jorge Luis Borges short story collection: The Book of Sand. Monster was funny and clever. The Book of Sand I found somewhat confusing and tedious, even though the stories are all very short and the book itself is only 94 pages long.

 

[Astra_]

Just finished Shadow's Edge (Night Angel, #2) by Brent Weeks.
Good, solid sequence to The Way of Shadows. I enjoyed reading it. This book is an improvement on The Way of Shadows and surprisingly enough, there are no annoying characters. Night Angel is a very good series so far.

Immediately started the third and the last book in the Night Angel trilogy, Beyond the Shadows.

 

[algernoninc]

finished The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham. For some reason this was the hardest volume to get into from the quartet, but once past the halfway point, it took off and I can conclude this series will be one of my top picks of 2010. I should check out Hunter's Run and whatever else is available from this author.

Now I'm taking a breather because I have lined up 3 of my greatest expectations for this year [Folding Knife, Under Heaven and Watcher for the Dead] and coming immediately after the excellent series by Tchaikovsky and Abraham, I'm afraid of too much of a good thing. So I'm reading now Shutter Island [almost finished with it, wanted to get it done before watching the movie] and will probably have another two or three non genre picks to clear my fantasy palate before tackling the 3 majors mentioned above.

 

[Hobbit]

So far it's more historical fiction that Fantasy or SF but I suspect there's something else going on here. Can't quite put my finger on it, though...

Yup. Fair comment. Things start getting REALLY odd soon....

Mark

 

[Loerwyn]

tibboH, do you think it's worth giving Left Hand of God another try, or should I just try offload it on someone else?
Seems to be forever until Red Hood's Revenge comes out, but I'm going to guess that Rhone and The Stand will keep me busy until then.

 

[Bastard]

tibboH, do you think it's worth giving Left Hand of God another try, or should I just try offload it on someone else?
Seems to be forever until Red Hood's Revenge comes out, but I'm going to guess that Rhone and The Stand will keep me busy until then.

I don't see why not, even if you don't end up liking it. There are some reveals at the end that some of us have liked quite a bit, and puts the whole book in a bit of a different perspective. Plus it should be an quick and easy read, so since it doesn't seem like you have much laying around, I don't see why you shouldn't just go ahead and finish it.

Maybe now you can go to it with a different perspective and expectation than you first started reading with, and it may help in the experience.

 

[Loerwyn]

I don't see why not, even if you don't end up liking it. There are some reveals at the end that some of us have liked quite a bit, and puts the whole book in a bit of a different perspective. Plus it should be an quick and easy read, so since it doesn't seem like you have much laying around, I don't see why you shouldn't just go ahead and finish it.

Maybe now you can go to it with a different perspective and expectation than you first started reading with, and it may help in the experience.

You've convinced me to give it another try, but as for the "not having much laying around"? My Incomplete Shelfari disagrees with you

 

[AuntiePam]

I'm a bit more than halfway through The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers. I wish I knew more mythology, because Powers seems to use a lot of it in his books, and I know I'm not getting the references. Despite that, I'm really enjoying the book. It's my favorite Powers, so far.

 

[Erfael]

Maybe I tried that one at the wrong time. I generally really like Powers, but DotD just didn't do it for me. I can't point my finger at a reason, but I'm not even sure I finished it. Maybe I'll give it another go soon.

 

[beniowa]

Erfael, it was the opposite for me. I really enjoyed Drawing of the Dark, but couldn't get into his later stuff like The Anubis Gates and On Stranger Tides. Which seems odd as everyone seems to like those as well as the Fisher Trilogy. I guess I march to the beat of a different drummer, on Powers at least.

 

[TheEvilKing]

Finished Bloodheir by Brian Ruckley. A highly competent middle book that I enjoyed.

Almost finished Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox.

 

[Astra_]

The Anubis Gates. Which seems odd as everyone seems to like

Didn't like it. At all.

 

[Astra_]

Finished Bloodheir by Brian Ruckley. A highly competent middle book that I enjoyed.

Almost finished Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox.

Correct me if I am wrong. I think I have read somewhere, that the whole trilogy is very bleak, protagonists die, very depressing. It was long time ago. Now, I don't remember whether it was about this trilogy or another (definitely not the First Law)

 

[Erfael]

I'm seeing a number of people doing this, so I'm going to post a general warning here for all to see. It is SFFWorld policy that links to offsite blogs be kept out of discussions. If you'd like us to read your review, please copy the bulk of it here. Take a look at how Werthead does it here or here for examples of what we're looking for. We understand you're all trying to generate traffic, but this is a discussion forum, not a clearing house for everyone's blog links. Trust us, if you're interesting enough in your discussions here, you'll generate far more blog traffic than by posting links.

This is something we're willing to hand out strikes for if it persists.

 

[Shayna]

As longer novels go, I am still on page 60 from Kraken, though I am half into Spring Heeled Jack the Marc Hodder "steam opera" debut, but the latter after a great start became a novel that does not really know what it wants to achieve, switching between modern but "historical" Victoriana - which is somewhat of a misnomer since in its alt hist universe the Queen has been assassinated in 1840 and now it's 1861, but with the same paraphernalia/realistic stuff (Lazarus Club, Meaning of Night, even Drood) and steampunk Victoriana (Bookman, Affinity Bridge) with its inventions and sense of wonder and a little over the top action/characters; so far the balance has not been achieved and I find it occasionally hard to suspend disbelief; the writing is good enough though so I will finish it and hope it will either achieve balance or settle into one mode

Could you please tell me about this "Bookman"...haven't heard of this and am curious??? love steampunk - read Affinity Bridge and liked it!

 

[AuntiePam]

I've had that issue with Powers' books and I think I've figured out part of the problem. It's the blurb. It's really hard to blurb a Powers book. I go in expecting something and the book goes somewhere else. So I think with Powers, I'll stop reading blurbs (and reviews) and just go with it, no expectations or preconceived ideas. Then I won't be surprised (or disappointed) that the book is nothing like its description.

 

[suciul]

Could you please tell me about this "Bookman"...haven't heard of this and am curious??? love steampunk - read Affinity Bridge and liked it!

The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar from Angry Robot; I have reviewed it a while ago on Fantasy Book Critic and sffworld has an official review HERE

 

[Grendel]

Believe it or not, I recently started reading R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt stuff. Have made it through the first 6 in chronological order. On the 4th book of the Cleric Quintet. It makes me fondly remember the old days of pen and paper D&D every weekend. I tend to read everything by one author once I start, so I have the next 2 omnibus' at the ready.

 

[DurzoBlint]

Just finished The King of the Crags by Stephen Deas. I did not find it to be as strong a book as the first one. A lot of plots trying to come together and a weak opening in my opinion. I will more than likely finish the series out with but if the next book is as weak as this one I may change my opinion. It leaves us with a really good cliff hanger but the story itself was lackluster. The Adamantine Palace was a lot better than the second book.

Moving on to John Scalzi's Old Man's War.