January Reads: Setting the Tone for 2016!

[Jo498]

Since Xmas or so I read:

McMaster Bujold: The Curse of Chalion. Rather straightforward, somewhat predictable, rather "flat" villains and comparably "positive" (someone nominated this for opposite of grimdark), but fairly original in other respects. It also has the best treatment of religion/theophany in fantasy I have encountered so far.

Poul Anderson: The broken Sword. Grimmer and darker (but still larger than life "high fantasy", similarly to Turin Turambar, only more brutal) than many contemporary "grimdark" and more atmospherically written than most (although I did not like the last third or so as much as the beginning; he also lapses more and more (maybe on purpose?) from the almost saga-like style of the beginning).

Glen Cook: The black company. I have "chronicles" doorstopper but I am pausing now after the first volume. Very characteristic laconic style but I found it somewhat pointless and boring for about the first half or more. Because of the terse style it is also easy to miss some things (whereas one main revelation could be guessed fairly early on). I am also not completely convinced by the mix of "high magic" and pseudo-20th century "gritty grunts in the trenches".

Before the remaining Black company, I'll probably go for Vance's "Lyonesse", another classic I have missed so far.

 

[Sheep the Evicted]

Probably. That said, it totally fails to impress upon reread (in fact, the book gets retrospectively shoddy), so I guess my recommendation is to enjoy the ride and then walk away quickly.

Damn, you're definitely still talking about The Library At Mont Char right ? Was really looking forward to this one, loved the premise and it won the Kirkus reviews best fantasy of 2015. But i hate nothing more then getting to the end of a book and realising it wasn't internally consistent, feels like i've been conned by the author somehow..

[red snow]

Need more help deciding what to read:

The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan

I've yet to read the final part of that trilogy so I can't fully reccomend.

[Peadar]

Just starting Kolymsky Heights by Lionel Davidson.

[lessthanluke]

Just started Ace of Skulls by Chris Wooding. Only 3 years late.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I quite enjoyed The Magicians by Lev Grossman despite not liking most of the characters.

Now reading the final book in the Imriel trilogy, Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey.

[Spockydog]

About halfway through Fool's Quest. Really enjoying it so far, despite the fact that in nearly four hundred pages, there's only been one 'action' scene. But that's okay. Hobb's such a good writer, it's not dragging at all.

Mindful of the comments upthread, I'm bracing myself for something really horrible.

 

[TheRevanchist]

Just finished Neverwhere by Gaiman. It was okay/decent, but definitely didn't love it. Much crazy at times, almost like Alice in Wonderland (can be completely wrong because I read that book near 2 decades ago) made for adults. I also didn't found the humor funny at all.

Is 'American Gods' similar? I was planning to read it, but if it is like Neverwhere, then maybe I'll skip it.

[Spockydog]

Just finished Neverwhere by Gaiman. It was okay/decent, but definitely didn't love it. Much crazy at times, almost like Alice in Wonderland (can be completely wrong because I read that book near 2 decades ago) made for adults. I also didn't found the humor funny at all.

Is 'American Gods' similar? I was planning to read it, but if it is like Neverwhere, then maybe I'll skip it.

American Gods is nothing like Neverwhere, in that it doesn't suck. You should definitely give it a shot.

 

[TheRevanchist]

American Gods is nothing like Neverwhere, in that it doesn't suck. You should definitely give it a shot.

 

So, it seems that I am not the only one who didn't like Neverwhere (it wasn't shit, but somewhere on 2.5/5 rating).

Thanks for the reply, likely going to read it these days.

[Iskaral Pust]

American Gods is much better than Neverwhere. The latter shouldn't be read after age 12.

I finished Nesbo's Cockroaches. An entertaining Nordic noir and a nice break from fantasy.

Next I picked up Cold Iron (book 1 of Malorum Gate) by Leicht, which was recced in one of these threads, but I dropped it after two pages. It immediately felt like such cliche, derivative fantasy. I'll give it another chance another time.

So I moved onto City of Thieves by Benioff. I really like it so far. Writing in the voice of his grandfather was a great choice.

[Spockydog]

Neverwhere was great. Haters gonna hate. 

 

Meh. This review from Goodreads pretty much sums up my feelings on the book.

Picture Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Really good books right? Now imagine if someone took the first book and mad libbed characters, settings, monsters, etc, so that you were left with the exact same story except instead of travelling the galaxy with your crazy friend and the most powerful man in the universe, you were travelling in haunted British sewers with a nerd's wet dream of a Xena warrior princess rival and a Gothic princess who can unlock doors (sigh). I don't think there is much of a coincidence either because Gaiman wrote the Hitchhiker's companion in the early 80s, as well as conducted interviews with Adams while he was alive (not to mention took writing tips from him). The only saving grace for me with this book was the fact that someone actually made a miniseries on the BBC of it that is actually so bad that it makes the book look half way decent. Between all the cliche characters, cheesy narration, and formulaic plot, its just not worth your money or a read, especially when Hitch Hiker exists already. I've said it before, stick to American Gods and The Sandman when it comes to Gaiman.

[Sheep the Evicted]

I found American Gods to be painfully slow while Neverwhere was a light, funny, imaginative read. Making it by far the better book. 

Despite the reccomendation's  Cold Iron really doesn't get better. What you see from page one is what you get.

[TheRevanchist]

 

Meh. This review from Goodreads pretty much sums up my feelings on the book.

Yeah, a shit version of Hitchhickers works too (although, it looked originally to me like Alice in Wonderland). However, while I laughed like a lunatic reading Hitchhickers, here the humor looked very forced to me.

Really, take the torture aside and it will look like a book for kids.

[Bjornbert]

    Read The Shadowed Sun by NK Jemisin. A weaker book than the first one but I'm not sure exactly why. The writing is just as strong as in The Killing Moon. The characters are even better. The plot dragged a bit and the setting was less interesting with most of the action happening in the wild. Still, excellent book. Excited to read the two books from her I haven't read which would be her new one and the last book of the Inheritance Trilogy. For those who read The Fifth Season, is the sequel supposed to be more connected to it than the books in either the duology or the trilogy. Those feel more like connected standalones than a series.

      Started Cold Iron by Stina Leicht based on reccomandations here. So far so good. I like the prose and the setting seems interesting

[beniowa]

Goddess of Buttercups and Daisies was a good, short little historical fantasy comedy.  The plot is interesting, though those more familiar with the Peloponnesian War and the historical characters may or may not get much out of it.  This was my first book by Millar and while his sense of humor was fine, I didn't exactly laugh out loud at anything.  Still, I'll probably try something else by him in the future.

Also finished Kowal's Word Puppets.  It contained stories from the last decade or so with one new one.  All the shorts were good, although none reached out and grabbed me.

Now reading The Tainted City by Courtney Schafer and Meeting Infinity edited by Strahan.

[LongRider]

Neverwhere was great. Haters gonna hate. 

I've yet to read American Gods, but I have a copy now so it's going to be anywhere in the next month-2 years.

I loved Neverwhere too.  Giaman's best written book? No.  Plenty of flaws, yes, but I found it fun and enjoyable.  

I read Lions of Al-Rassan over Xmas/New Years and really liked it.  Rodrigo Belmonte is my new favorite character.  I get on a one author kick so just finished River of Stars today, it was good but a bit long I thought.  Next up is Guy's Sailing to Sarantium, a duology, apparently.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I am reminded anew just how completely fucked up (and, at least to my mind, totally compelling) Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis is. Holy fucking gods. I am very glad I've decided to reread this series. 

[Guest]

Xray - Your av is kind of glorious and disorienting at the same time.

I am just starting Abraham's Tyrant's Law.  I am thinking about trying Harry Potter for the fist time soon.

 

[RedEyedGhost]

Now reading The Tainted City by Courtney Schafer

Me too!