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The Books That Have Just Come Out: New Release Thread


Maester Llama

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I absolutely loved Cold Iron by Stina Leicht.  Best book I've read this year.

 

 

I've not read anything by N.K Jemisin befor though. Anyone here who has and can recommend?

 

I've only read her first book, but I hated it.  It left such a sore taste in my mouth that I really have no interest to read anything else from.  I would have given up on the book with fewer than 20 pages left (and I extremely rarely will not finish a book), but I ended up finishing it because I was bored at work and didn't have anything else to read.  Mine seems to be the dissenting opinion, especially as her later books seem to be getting great reviews, so you're probably safe to pick it up ;)

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Also been poking at The Fifth Season http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fifth-Season-Broken-Earth/dp/0316229296but I just can't decide whether to try it or not. I've not read anything by N.K Jemisin befor though. Anyone here who has and can recommend?

I read her debut novel [i]The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms[/i], which I liked a lot although it wasn't without a few flaws. I should really try some of her other books sometime.

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I absolutely loved Cold Iron by Stina Leicht.  Best book I've read this year.

 

 

 

I've only read her first book, but I hated it.  It left such a sore taste in my mouth that I really have no interest to read anything else from.  I would have given up on the book with fewer than 20 pages left (and I extremely rarely will not finish a book), but I ended up finishing it because I was bored at work and didn't have anything else to read.  Mine seems to be the dissenting opinion, especially as her later books seem to be getting great reviews, so you're probably safe to pick it up ;)

 

 

I read her debut novel The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which I liked a lot although it wasn't without a few flaws. I should really try some of her other books sometime.

Thanks for the comments. I noticed that there were already some reviews on Goodreads but wasn't sure how much to trust them since they were all (bar one) 4/5 stars, and I'm always a bit wary when I see that. I might give this a try after I read my other two pre-orders, I'll see how I feel.

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Thanks for the comments. I noticed that there were already some reviews on Goodreads but wasn't sure how much to trust them since they were all (bar one) 4/5 stars, and I'm always a bit wary when I see that. I might give this a try after I read my other two pre-orders, I'll see how I feel.

 

Her previous series/books were discussed here,mostly people seemed to like them.I've only read her 'Dreamblood' duology and liked it quite a bit. :)

 

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/41753-nk-jemisin-the-hundred-thousand-kingdoms/

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/64249-nk-jemisin-the-killing-moon/

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/101494-non-euro-centricmedieval-fantasy-novels/

 

 

Also,Naomi Novik's review of her new one,The Fifth Season - 'The Fifth Season,' by N.K. Jemisin - The New York Times

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Her previous series/books were discussed here,mostly people seemed to like them.I've only read her 'Dreamblood' duology and liked it quite a bit. :)

 

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/41753-nk-jemisin-the-hundred-thousand-kingdoms/

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/64249-nk-jemisin-the-killing-moon/

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/101494-non-euro-centricmedieval-fantasy-novels/

 

 

Also,Naomi Novik's review of her new one,The Fifth Season - 'The Fifth Season,' by N.K. Jemisin - The New York Times

This was really helpful, thanks.I'm sold, book downloaded :)

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There is this story:

http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/jemisin_07_14/

set in the world of Jemisin's "The Fifth Season". Color me intrigued.

Re: her previous work - I mostly enjoyed "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms", though I felt that the second half of it was full of missed opportunities and ultimately went into a direction that was much less interesting than it could have been, IMHO. The second book was alright, but again didn't really explore what I felt to be most engaging about her setting. OTOH, Jemisin always seemed very promising as an author to me, so maybe this new book is it?
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Re: Jemisin

 

I started with The Killing Moon and loved it.  The second book of that series was OK but not up to the first.  So I picked up The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.  Thought it was OK but I was seriously disappointing.  Took me a year or so to read the second book of the series and it was incredible; honestly on a whole different level than its predecessor (I had the same feeling about Amanda Downing's series in that book two blows book one out of the water). 

 

The Fifth Season is tough but damn good, one of the darkest themes I have read in fantasy.  And a thousand miles away in tone from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

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I found Jemisin's first series okay but had some issues with it.  Loved the duology The Killing Moon was part of.  Agree the second book was a bit weaker than the first but still prefered it over the entire trilogy.  I am weighing in on whether to get the ebook today or not.  I have not read any of her ancillary work that is in ebok only form but I think it is all related to the trilogy so might wait to do that if it ever gets a promotional drop to .99 a pop.

 

By the way, is there a thread that is devoted to only ancillary works?  I.E. those that are associated with a series but can stand on their own and are in short form?  I looked but could not find it.  Bujold's recent work is an 'for instance'  .  I know Brian McClellan has a bit offered as does Django Wexler. 

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Thanks for the advice re: Jemisin everyone. Found it very helpful and looking forward to reading The Fifth Season later this month.

 

On the subject of upcoming releases, a non-fantasy book coming out at the end of this month that I had no idea about is The Girl in the Spider's Web - a continuation of the Lisbeth Salander series.Obviously, this one isn't written by Larsson, but is instead written by David Lagercrantz. Since I enjoyed the first three books a lot, I'm certainly going to give this a try, but I'll be entering into it with certain apprehension. Apparently Larsson's long-term partner was, um, not happy with Lagercrantz's handling of the series.

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I'm a big Jemisin fan. The Killing Moon is brilliant in my opinion. I didn't love The Thousand Kingdoms but the second was a marked improvement. I thought the first book was a bit unrefined so I thought The Killing Moon was a later improvement but apparently she wrote in before the trilogy?
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I started Jemisin's new one today. Holy moley that's emotionally savage. Very well written (as per) and a fascinating world but I after a certain (early) scene I had to take a break and intersperse it with Dark Ascension because it was just too heavy for my morning commute.

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I started Jemisin's new one today. Holy moley that's emotionally savage. Very well written (as per) and a fascinating world but I after a certain (early) scene I had to take a break and intersperse it with Dark Ascension because it was just too heavy for my morning commute.


Yep. Makes every discussion ever about 'grimdark,' 'adult fantasy,' and so on seem silly doesn't it? That prologue damn near broke me.
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  • 2 weeks later...

I read Jemisin's first book and liked it but having said that, I totally understand it has a ton of flaws and weird content. We hashed that book over extensively in 2011.

Robin Hobb's Fool's Quest - Very good stuff in it but it is the 2nd in a trilogy so it doesn't have an ending yet. This trilogy is also the third trilogy in the series so it's probably best to read the other 7 books first.

Django Wexler's The Price of Valour - a fine book that continues the story with a great deal of action. This is a Naploeanic (guns and swords) fantasy army books series with lots of magic, too.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted, I have been looking for more good books to read.

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I started Jemisin's new one today. Holy moley that's emotionally savage. Very well written (as per) and a fascinating world but I after a certain (early) scene I had to take a break and intersperse it with Dark Ascension because it was just too heavy for my morning commute.

I'm about 60% through now and absolutely loving it. Took me a while to become accustomed to the writing style but I'm finding it really interesting. I like the cynical and almost cynical tone of Essun. Its a very dark book but there is also a grim slightly disturbing note of humour cutting through some of the thoughts of the characters.

PG, were you referring to

[spoiler] Uche being beaten to death? [/spoiler]

I also have a question

[spoiler]

Are Damaya, Syenite and Essun the same person at different points in her life? I'd assumed that for some time now, and recently read a bit in Syenite's chapter about home, and linking that to a "fusty smelling blanket" (i.e. the one from Muh Dear). Is that correct? [/spoiler]

This is shaping up to be one of my favourite books so far this year i think.

 

Had The Story of Kullervo delivered to my Kindle last night to. I'll be giving that a read once i finished The Fifth Season. This summer has been great for new releases, as far as what I've been reading anyway.

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Had The Story of Kullervo delivered to my Kindle last night to.

 

I'm waiting for the library/second hand copy. I don't own a Kindle, and the length (or lack thereof) isn't worth the expense. I really wish that these miscellaneous bits and pieces of Tolkien had been compiled into a more meaty volume; they could have put The Fall of Arthur, Kullervo, and the Beowulf translation together, perhaps even with Sigurd and Gudrun too. Bloody cash grabs. 

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I'm waiting for the library/second hand copy. I don't own a Kindle, and the length (or lack thereof) isn't worth the expense. I really wish that these miscellaneous bits and pieces of Tolkien had been compiled into a more meaty volume; they could have put The Fall of Arthur, Kullervo, and the Beowulf translation together, perhaps even with Sigurd and Gudrun too. Bloody cash grabs.

Yeah, I'm normally reluctant to pay so much for such a short piece (same with anthologies, I'll only buy them if the whole anthology interests me) but I don't mind doing it every once in a while. Even the kindle price was pretty steep for the length though (£9.99)
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