The Books/Reading Thread

[requiem]

Yep, The Quest For Lost Heroes was one of the first four books in the Drenai Saga so I definitely loved it. The only problem I ever had with his books was when he kept adding to the Druss The Legend series. The first book was enough, the rest really didn't work for me.

Gemmel is a big fan of Druss isn't he. For me he is cool enough but I'm not sure he warrants another two or three books of his own. A follow up to 'The Quest for Lost Heroes' would have been awesome because it ends on such a cool note. I haven't read 'The Legend of Deathwalker' though so I can't say if the Druss books are all good or not. All this Gemmel talk is making me want to continue reading his stuff. I've got two or three of his novels sitting on my shelves that I haven't read for a rainy day...

Also, have you seen the Drenai timeline that has been created? It's thousands of years long and deals with a heap of books. So it makes me want to read them all to get a better picture.

 

[requiem]

I finished reading the Troy Soos mystery novel Murder at Fenway Park last night.

a. Any good?
b. Should I read it?

 

[TageRyche]

Gemmel is a big fan of Druss isn't he. For me he is cool enough but I'm not sure he warrants another two or three books of his own. A follow up to 'The Quest for Lost Heroes' would have been awesome because it ends on such a cool note. I haven't read 'The Legend of Deathwalker' though so I can't say if the Druss books are all good or not. All this Gemmel talk is making me want to continue reading his stuff. I've got two or three of his novels sitting on my shelves that I haven't read for a rainy day...

Also, have you seen the Drenai timeline that has been created? It's thousands of years long and deals with a heap of books. So it makes me want to read them all to get a better picture.

I haven't seen the timeline. I've really gotten mostly out of fantasy novels the last few years.

 

[TageRyche]

a. Any good?
b. Should I read it?

I thought it was OK but not something that I would necessarily recommend to others. The main character (with the story set in 1912) kind of bumbled his way through the story. I was more interested in the female supporting character who employed some actual investigative techniques. However, due to the time period the story is set in, she was mostly sidelined for the story.

 

[requiem]

Apart from Lord of the Rings, I hadn't read a fantasy novel between about 1997 and 2014, when suddenly something snapped inside my brain and I started listening to Blind Guardian, the Rhapsodys, and reading fantasy. I've cooled a little bit since then, but I certainly went through a huge phase. It must have been my subconscious telling me to escape the harsh, cold world that I inhabit.

 

[requiem]

I thought it was OK but not something that I would necessarily recommend to others. The main character (with the story set in 1912) kind of bumbled his way through the story. I was more interested in the female supporting character who employed some actual investigative techniques. However, due to the time period the story is set in, she was mostly sidelined for the story.

Any mention of the sinking of the Titanic in it? You can't get something set in 1912 without that boat in it...

 

[Caecius]

Just finished, The Revenant, and then looked at spoilers for the movie -- quite different from the book. Next up, The Martian.

 

[JontRevolting]

I'm not very familiar with The Cramps nor their history but this got me thinking that an autobiography on Andrew Eldritch or a history of The Sisters Of Mercy would be a great read, if such a thing exists. How is this one? Did The Cramps live the life?

 

[CiG]

Oh it's great. Amazing stories, it could very easily be made into a really cool movie.

 

[Dak]

Gemmell and Feist were/are my two favorite fantasy authors. Still have most of their books.

 

[requiem]

Gemmell and Feist were/are my two favorite fantasy authors. Still have most of their books.

I loved Feist too. I read up to book 3 or 4 of the Serpent War saga at the time they were coming out - so I think I got up to Prince of the Blood in the riftwar saga before I drifted off. That would be about 20 years ago now I guess. I loved them at the time.

 

[EspaDa]

Has anyone read the whole Malazan Book of the Fallen saga?

 

[unknown]

Schmidt maybe? I know he's a big fan of the series

 

[requiem]

Every time I head into a book store I always check out the fantasy section, but I'm always much too gun shy to buy something I haven't heard about before, as bad fantasy is unbearable. Anyone remember David Eddings? Even typing his name is like fingernails on a blackboard to me...

 

[TageRyche]

Any mention of the sinking of the Titanic in it? You can't get something set in 1912 without that boat in it...

Yes there was some mention of the Titanic in the book, but just in passing as it had nothing to do with the story as a whole.

 

[TageRyche]

Every time I head into a book store I always check out the fantasy section, but I'm always much too gun shy to buy something I haven't heard about before, as bad fantasy is unbearable. Anyone remember David Eddings? Even typing his name is like fingernails on a blackboard to me...

Really? I loved his books.

 

[Dak]

I would say most fantasy is garbage.

 

[no country for old wainds]

^definitely

Has anyone read the whole Malazan Book of the Fallen saga?

multiple times. it's pretty much my favourite thing in all of existence. the first book's a little ropey because it was written over a span of 10 or 15 years, plus he just throws you in the middle of a huge history and cast of characters without much set-up, but it's still fun, and reallllly starts to pay off in the second and third books. it's probably an acquired taste but those who like it tend to LLLLLLLOVE it, and i'm a part of that crowd for sure.

i highly recommend that and bakker's PRINCE OF NOTHING trilogy (haven't read the more recent ones) as the peak of modern fantasy. i like those a lot more than martin (granted i've only read AGoT), rothfuss, abercrombie (who's kind of like erikson-lite) etc, although i have nothing against those.

 

[requiem]

Yes there was some mention of the Titanic in the book, but just in passing as it had nothing to do with the story as a whole.

I KNEW IT!!!!!!

 

[requiem]

Really? I loved his books.

Well, a lot of people do as well from what I can tell. There's just a bizarre feminist thing going on in them but it's done in the wrong way. Basically Aunt Pol is so bloody rude, sarcastic and condescending to the others all the time, belittling them at every turn, especially Garion or whatever his name was - the kid. It used to make me really annoyed. Even as a 12 year old ignorant kid I could tell that while Eddings was trying to empower women (and well may he do so), by making this woman a bitch for literally hundreds of consecutive pages any strength of character or independence was reduced to cold resentment on my part. And it's not that she's a woman (many people are women), but sarcastic and bullying remarks are not something I want to read in my fantasy. This, and also the fighting is lame and Eddings is a pussy.