James Barclay

Drizzt · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1081 Location: Easington, UK

I'm enjoying Erikson's stuff but, I dunno, there's a lot going on without much point and at times the narrative is too big for its own good... yet, the core characters keep me turning the pages.

Coltaine was a brilliant character, but he's not alone.
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Pagan Music

Max Power · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 467 Location: United Kingdom

Coltaine, Whiskeyjack, Quick Ben, Kalam are all really good characters, but I agree, there are scenes that you read and go, "what was the purpose of that?" However, I keep turning those pages too!
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Mantyluoto · Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 573 Location: Somerset, UK

Its the feeling of missing something that keeps me reading them...... You forgot Fiddler and Kruppe...........

Drizzt · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1081 Location: Easington, UK

I would love to be at an evening where Kruppe and Iskaral Pust are the afterdinner speakers. Laughing

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Alia · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 246

Had some time over Christmas to finish Scalzi's "Old Man's War". I really liked it, it's fun to read, entertaining and fast-paced.

I'm going to spend some time on the train at the weekend, which means I have to choose something else to read - perhaps the second Lynch novel.
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Tk421 · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 275 Location: United Kingdom

Im currently reading the Preacher graphic novels. Well reading and looking at the pretty pictures. Not long finished reading Ravensoul and needed some light reading lol.
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"Right so we're going to steal a bomb that can be remote detonated, take it back to our base and then huddle around it? That sounds like a great plan."

Kerela · Joined: 10 Sep 2005 Posts: 372 Location: Germany

Ravensoul.
Right now I really want to slap a certain character Twisted Evil

repeatedly Evil or Very Mad

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The question that sometimes drives me hazy: Am I, or the others crazy?
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Alia · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 246

I'm reading "Red Seas under Red Skies" - and I must say I'm enjoying it more than book one. Somehow, I feel more sympathy for Locke and Jean than in "The Lies of Locke Lamora".
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Selik · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 1524 Location: South Shields

I'm currently going through 'A Darkness Forged in Fire' by Chris Evans. Right now the only thing keeping me going is the main character Konowa, however even this may not be enough.
It seems very confused as to what age group it's aimed at. The innuendo and comedic sentences within the songs and rhymes throughout would ordinarily suggest adult, but some of the actual printed text is done in an unnecessarily experimental way (much like a kid playing with the blood dripping text or wingdings in works).
Also, i'm unsure as to why there had to be a full page-sized image of a notice, when all he had to do was to describe it.

You'll also have to get used to the idea of Elves wielding muskets!
To be honest i'm really disappointed, because reading the back of the book, it sounded like it'd be a great read. Now, I definitely don't agree with the ststement from the New York Times, "A Masterful debut- if JRR Tolkien and Bernard Cornwell had a literary love child, this would be it."

Well, no it would not. I look forward to reading something with more substance to it.
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"I sit on my arse, not my head." - Baron Gresse.

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

Selik - I'm hassling various people to make sure that you get your book Very Happy

I finished reading Edward Lerner's 'Fools' Experiments' over the holiday, a tale of artificial intelligence set loose on the internet and the chaos that it causes... I loved the concept behind the book but wasn't so keen on the execution with a repetitive plot, heavy handed moralising and an overly technical narrative all combining to make things really drag. My full review is over Here.
I'm working my way through Ian Cameron Esslemont's 'Return of the Crimson Guard' but have taken a short break to read 'Ender's Game'.
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Selik · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 1524 Location: South Shields

Max Power · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 467 Location: United Kingdom

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

Selik · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 1524 Location: South Shields

[quote="Deornoth"]

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I decided to read/re-read some David Gemmell books this month and first up is 'The King Beyond the Gate'. The themes of heroism, honour etc are displayed in force but felt, to me, a little bit too much like everything else I've read of his work. It's a good job then that the story itself is a belter of a read with bonecrunching pitched battle and a look into the minds of the people fighting their way through the story. My full review is over Here.
This week is a week of finishing books off and these are Charlie Huston's 'The Mystic Arts of Erasing all Signs of Death' and Charles De Lint's 'The Mystery of Grace'...

*Edited so as not to post directly after myself* Very Happy

I've just finished reading an advance copy of Charles de Lint's 'The Mystery of Grace' (due out in March), a tale of love and the supernatural obstacles that it must overcome. An absolutely gorgeous book that I ended up really getting into, my full review is over Here.
I'm finishing off the last few pages of 'The Mystic Arts of Erasing all Signs of Death' and I've also started on R.A. Salvatore's 'The Ancient'.
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Does exactly what it says on the tin!