red snow Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Yeah, I got invited to the book launch of Adrian's but couldn't make it to London due to funds. I was surprised to see it in Durham City Waterstones 2 weeks ago, and it was the only copy there. With Half A World I bought that last week and it was a signed copy too. Sometimes I fear for our Author's hands! All that signing - they probably won't be able to type afterwards. Hopefully Joe will do a signing around Bath when he gets back from his "half the world" world tour. It's nice to get some personalised scrawls too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Walker Texas Ranger Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I just finished and have a bunch of questions, though I'll start off with one. I assume the First of Cities is Constantinople/Istanbul, which makes sense because it's an excellent place for a capital city. Why, then was none of it "elf" made? Did all the buildings from Istanbul just disintegrate in a nuclear war? Why isn't there radiation then? Or is it past the point where lingering radiation is a real danger, and it's mostly jsut leftover superstition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnar of Skagos Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I haven't read any Abercrombie books yet (though my brother has almost all of them) and I'm considering getting the first Shattered Sea book. I'm a very slow reader, and right now in the midst of reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, so short, fast-paced books that I can read in between will be nice. Plus, Germanic-inspired cultures=very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 It may tell the time, but it's clearly more than just a wristwatch - the fact that the colours change according to the wearer's emotions should make that obvious. Elf magic may well be sufficiently advanced technology from our POV as well as that of the characters. Agreed. The changing colour (like when Thorn thinks it changes to match her pain) makes me think of a mood ring, though obviously it is more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jurble Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Finished Half the World, is this still Abercrombie's Young Adult series? Its content seemed to hardly deviate from his other books, aside from being a tad more up-beat and positive. It's definitely an ordinary wrist-watch. The circles-in-circles is just the little clocks for hours, minutes and seconds. I literally have a watch like that. You can buy watches with different colored back-lighting, but who knows why this one's are always on. The fact its battery hasn't died is the more interesting part. Might be ahead of us in technology for extremely long-lasting batteries. Or maybe its a nuclear-powered wristwatch. The magic spell being a gun was humorous. I'm guessing Skifr doesn't know how to load a magazine? Magazine holds 7 bullets, she uses 6 and for whatever reason, has a superstition about needing to empty the clip. Part that bothers me is that, I can't imagine humans, even in a post-nuclear war scenario would be so stupid as to not recognize the utility or purpose of a watch. The fact it measures time is readily apparently. I mean, they're living in a pseudo-Viking Age, which is way after the period where clocks were invented. Why isn't there radiation then? Or is it past the point where lingering radiation is a real danger, and it's mostly jsut leftover superstition? Most isotopes from a nuclear explosion would disappear in decades and this seems to centuries if not millenia post-apocalyptic. I'm more interested where they mine their metals without cannibalizing the "elf-ruins" given our civilization basically using up all the easily obtained surface and not-to-deep places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 ^I agree with your point about the YA thing. Reading the two one after the other, the second has come across much closer in tone to First Law (I've not read the standalones). Its kind of hard to see how this one would be marketed as YA...though I think I mentioned it was in the general Fantasy section in the UK.I'm just about finished it now, a few chapters left to go. Very enjoyable and another quick read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon AS Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 It's definitely an ordinary wrist-watch. The circles-in-circles is just the little clocks for hours, minutes and seconds. I literally have a watch like that. You can buy watches with different colored back-lighting, but who knows why this one's are always on. Again: it has a glow bright enough to not only be seen in broad daylight, it's bright enough to be seen through a closed fist and make the bones stand out as black against the red tinted light. That's one freakily powerful luminous watch.Plus that whole "can't be taken off again" thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jurble Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Like I said, it could be a nuclear-powered wrist-watch. But it's still probably a watch. I assumed the can't be taken off again is just a silly superstition like Skifr having to empty the clip in people. Thorn might not be able to figure out how to take it off, and neither Yarvi or anyone else will help because of a taboo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unJon Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Can we change this to a spoiler thread for Half the World or open a new spoiler thread? Annoying to have conversations in with spoiler tags. no way the elf bangle is an ordinary wristwatch. There is no today technology wristwatch that changes colors based on emotional state of wearer. Plus the battery tech of working centuries later doesn't exist in today's wristwatches. This is some advanced tech. Might still be a watch of some sort in addition to mood ring and flashlight powerful enough to make a hand translucent. Great calls on the geography. It does leave an interesting question about the lack of elf buildings in Istanbul.Great to have an Abercrombie book to read again. Went too fast. Like the last book I thought some of the plot twists were more obviously foreshadowed than in First Law world, but it did not detract from the enjoyment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortstark Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Anyone care to opine on how much time has passed between books? i say 3/4 years at the most, which leads me to Yarvi, Who has become deeper colder and way more subtle, in this relatively short time.. like i said in my earlier post, not so likable he was poisoning the king!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars447 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Anyone care to opine on how much time has passed between books? i say 3/4 years at the most, which leads me to Yarvi, Who has become deeper colder and way more subtle, in this relatively short time.. like i said in my earlier post, not so likable he was poisoning the king!! Thorn was 13 in the beginning of the first book and 16 in this one, so I'd say 2, 3 years at most considering all of that travel time. Yarvi had to grow up fast. I actually have to say that I like Father Yarvi the ruthlessly cunning Minister more than Prince Yarvi the crippled YA protagonist. Yarvi's character works so much better from an outsider's perspective, and Thorn is a much better lead POV in terms of how she grows and matures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I just finished and have a bunch of questions, though I'll start off with one. I assume the First of Cities is Constantinople/Istanbul, which makes sense because it's an excellent place for a capital city. Why, then was none of it "elf" made? Did all the buildings from Istanbul just disintegrate in a nuclear war? Why isn't there radiation then? Or is it past the point where lingering radiation is a real danger, and it's mostly jsut leftover superstition?Maybe it was obliterated for centuries. IIRC, though, the centre of Istanbul is very medieval, with few skyscrapers or modern buildings, with a huge palace complex, so maybe these buildings are the one's that exist in the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Maybe it was obliterated for centuries. IIRC, though, the centre of Istanbul is very medieval, with few skyscrapers or modern buildings, with a huge palace complex, so maybe these buildings are the one's that exist in the story.Think you are probably right, Google images doesn't show all that many things that would be considered elf buildings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon AS Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Think you are probably right, Google images doesn't show all that many things that would be considered elf buildings. Not in the old city centre around the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, no, but the city is much bigger than that these days. There are 15 million people living in the metropolitan area, plus stuff like the two big bridges that span the Bosphorus. You'd expect some of that to merit a mention as elf ruins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFatCoward Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 does anyone know where i can read a synopsis of the first book? i can't remember shit about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unJon Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Anyone care to opine on how much time has passed between books? i say 3/4 years at the most, which leads me to Yarvi, Who has become deeper colder and way more subtle, in this relatively short time.. like i said in my earlier post, not so likable he was poisoning the king!! Yarvi was deep, cold and subtle at the end of the first book. Remember how he became minister to Gettland!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
End of Disc One Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Thorn was 13 in the beginning of the first book and 16 in this one, so I'd say 2, 3 years at most considering all of that travel time. Yarvi had to grow up fast. Thorn was in the first book? My memory must be getting worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Not in the old city centre around the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, no, but the city is much bigger than that these days. There are 15 million people living in the metropolitan area, plus stuff like the two big bridges that span the Bosphorus. You'd expect some of that to merit a mention as elf ruins.Hmmm, interesting. Well if all the traditional buildings are concentrated in one part of the city then it seems likely that is the only part that survived. But that of course begs the question of what exactly happened, and why only that area would still be standing.Does anyone think the third book will explain this stuff in more detail?I also meant to ask Is the ruined bridge they pass on the Divine supposed to be a landmark/recognisable? I really need to work on my knowledge of that area End of Disc One, yes she is, very briefly though she is not name. Yarvi mentions it in this book when talking with her. She is the young girl he sees in the fighting square at the beginning of the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Hmmm, interesting. Well if all the traditional buildings are concentrated in one part of the city then it seems likely that is the only part that survived. But that of course begs the question of what exactly happened, and why only that area would still be standing.Does anyone think the third book will explain this stuff in more detail?I also meant to ask Is the ruined bridge they pass on the Divine supposed to be a landmark/recognisable? I really need to work on my knowledge of that area End of Disc One, yes she is, very briefly though she is not name. Yarvi mentions it in this book when talking with her. She is the young girl he sees in the fighting square at the beginning of the book. I think the city with the ruined bridge is Vitebsk. Initially, from its name, I though it was Smolensk. But that city is on the Dneiper (Denied). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Walker Texas Ranger Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Hmm Maybe Abercrombie's just throwing us for a loop by making the elves very similar to, but not exactly the same as future earth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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