So what are you reading this year 2021?

[dragoner]

Finished Moving Mars, last of the Queen of Angels setting books, the ending was ok. Sent Heads off, media mail is slow. Read Gehenna Station, an Asimov Presents sci-fi from the 80's, kinda felt like it too, fairly generic of that era. Star Dragon, from the early aughts, not bad, trying too hard to be sexy, except the science is pretty out there, but sort of sound, as the writer, Mike Brotherton is a Physic and Astronomy Professor. Next is Limit of Vision by Linda Nagata.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Currently finishing up Spinning Silver by Novik. Enjoying at least as much as Uprooted

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Next up Relentless Moon, 2nd book in the Calculating Stars series. I liked the first.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Still reading Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow.

Still reading Night of the Hunter by R. A. Salvatore.

Finished reading Emma by Jane Austen.

Still reading Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray.

Still reading Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire.

Still reading The Battle for Spain by Antony Beevor.

Still reading Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Wizards of the Coast.

Still reading Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson.

Still reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Still reading The Immortal Game: A History of Chess by David Shenk.

Still reading Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb.

Still reading Changes by Jim Butcher.

Still reading The Icebound Land by John Flanagan.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Finished Brooks' Sword of Shannara. I haven't re-read it in years (generally, my feeling has been that if I wanted to do so, I'd just re-read The Lord of the Rings). Which is a little unkind, in hindsight. Sure, Sword feels very much like a person's first novel, and it certainly owes plenty to Tolkien. But it also has its own themes running through it, and the post-apocalyptic setting works. And re-reading it, there's still that part of me that's a little kid thrilling to the adventures of Allanon, the Ohmsfords, and the rest.

I also think that The Sword of Shannara represents the dividing line, perhaps the exact moment when the ideas of fantasy became codified.

Next up is the blissfully much shorter REH's Conan the Wanderer.

 

[Rabulias]

Just finished reading a friend's first novel, Trials of the Horseman, by Dean Radt. I am biased, of course, but it's a good read! Fantasy military fiction, is how I would describe it. A cavalry soldier is called to serve in a secret mission with a "SEAL Team 6"-like team that is much like a D&D party (fighters, a rogue, and a wizard). He is working on the next book now, so there will be more if you like this one.

 

[Nellisir]

Read:

• Use of Weapons, by Ian M Banks; 4/5 (I actually read this a while ago, and forgot it in the previous recap.)
• Red Seas Under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch; 5/5
• The Republic of Thieves, by Scott Lynch; 5/5
• How Long 'Til Black Future Month, by NK Jemisin; 4/5
• The Last Watch, by JS Dewes; 3/5
• Priest of Bones, by Peter McClean; 4/5
• normal comic books and stuff. If it pleases the gods let us start getting some ANSWERS to Hickman's X-Men saga sometime eventually?

The Scott Lynch books were depressing because, while there's a fourth book, it's not out until OCTOBER. I TRIED to read them slowly!! I guess at least it's this year...Republic of Thieves was published in 2014, so he's beaten Rothfuss and Martin, for whatever that's worth.

The other books were fine. Hard to follow Locke Lamora. Priest of Bones is the same vein (urban criminal protagonist), but mafia instead of solo operator. Pretty good, actually.

I swung Book Warehouse just before the 4th and got The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Vols. 1&2. I found Vol. 4 there a while back, so that was pretty cool. Also found the Starfisher Trilogy by Glen Cook, and Priest of Bones. $20 very well spent. I am on vacation this week, in various places, and gods know literally BOXES AND BOXES of unread books isn't enough to keep me from desperately wanting something NEW to read....

<sigh>

Working on Vol. 1 of Smith, and The War of the Roses by Alison Weir, because it's been on the shelf MOCKING me for...I dunno. Since I built that shelf. Eight months?

 

[Nellisir]

OK, am I high or does the MMPB edition of Death of the Necromancer go for a totally insane price? Because it's a good book, and I want to (re)read more Martha Wells, but I will ABSOLUTELY consider selling my copy for $200+ dollars.

The Death of the Necromancer: Wells, Martha: 9780380788149: Amazon.com: Books

The Death of the Necromancer [Wells, Martha] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Death of the Necromancer

www.amazon.com

Edit: The MMPB cover art for The Element of Fire, book 1 of Ile-Rien, is stunningly bad. Whereas the art for Death of the Necromancer, which is Book 2, is rather stunningly good/evocative.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I just finished The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, and it is also the first Stephen King book that I've read. It was quite a slow read and very standard fantasy (this isn't really a criticism on the book, because it came out almost 40 years ago, just something that turned me off a bit), but I still enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone that hasn't read it yet.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Is it confirmed yet? I know he's turned in the draft and all, but I think the release date is still under speculation, with a couple different dates being given over different sites.

Regardless, yeah, my money is on him beating GRRM and Rothfuss for the next overdue entry in their respective series.

The Scott Lynch books were depressing because, while there's a fourth book, it's not out until OCTOBER. I TRIED to read them slowly!! I guess at least it's this year...Republic of Thieves was published in 2014, so he's beaten Rothfuss and Martin, for whatever that's worth.

CAS does really good stuff. The writing is beautiful, the worlds magical and eerie. And so many great ideas to borrow for your campaigns.

I swung Book Warehouse just before the 4th and got The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Vols. 1&2. I found Vol. 4 there a while back, so that was pretty cool.