[May] What are you reading?

[Welverin]

My girlfriend read them a while ago, and she's giving the books to me in order. Great books. Though some of them aren't as good as the others...currently, Another Fine Myth is my favorite.

I just finished reading the last two books, though Myth-ion Improbable actually takes place between books three and four.

I liked them both, though it took a bit for me to get familiar with the characters (it had been a while since I read the other books).

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

Finished The Golden Age, and since I don't have access to book 2 here in Japan I've started on Midnight Tides, book 5 of Steven Erikson's A Tale of the Malazan, Book of the Fallen series.

 

[Pielorinho]

At y'all's advice, I've finally started The Phoenix Guards, by Stephen Brust. (It seems to be a prequel to his more famous set of books, but my library doesn't have the full series, so I figured the prequel would be a good standalone). I'm loving it--thanks for the recommendation, folks!

Daniel

 

[Sarigar]

I'm still trying to get through Danielewski's House of Leaves. Been at it for over a year. It's good, just dense, and very unusual. Take a look at it in your local bookstore to see how unusual.

 

[ghettognome]

I'm rereading Martin as well, hoping that his next book will actually come out sometime in this lifetime.

 

[barsoomcore]

At y'all's advice, I've finally started The Phoenix Guards, by Stephen Brust. (It seems to be a prequel to his more famous set of books, but my library doesn't have the full series, so I figured the prequel would be a good standalone). I'm loving it--thanks for the recommendation, folks!

You'll enjoy it just fine, I THINK.

There's not a great deal of explanation about the world in it, so you might get confused. I think he pretty much assumes you're conversant with the Houses and Draegarans/Humans and sorcery and the Orb and Sethra Lavode and all that. You might not be, so there might be some confusing bits.

I DON'T recommend reading ALL of the Paarfi books before embarking on the Vlad stories. The Phoenix Guard is good, but really, you want to have read at least up to Taltos before reading Five Hundred Years After, and you should have read up to Issola before talking The Viscount of Adrilankha volumes. I think. Just to make sure everyone's getting introduced in the correct order. Even the ending of The Phoenix Guard loses a little impact if you haven't at least read Jhereg.

But have fun!

 

[Viking Bastard]

I'm rereading Martin as well, hoping that his next book will actually come out sometime in this lifetime.

I live in constant fear of Martin's death. I mean, LOOK AT HIM!! I must know
how it all ties together and ends!

Why did I do this? It's all ENWorld's fault. I know better than to start reading
books in a series that isn't finished. I never do that. But no, I was curious.
Everybody here encouraging me to bloody pick it frickin' up.

I'm so weak.

 

[Pielorinho]

Thanks, barsoomcore, for the information. My wife actually put the book down a few months ago because the world was so incompletely explained; as I'm reading it for the language more than for the plot or world or characters, that doesn't present as much of a problem for me . However, it would be nice to know what he's talking about on several fronts. What's the orb? How come everyone lives so long? What's deathgate? and so forth.

Daniel

 

[barsoomcore]

Keep in mind that none of the main characters are human. They're Dragaerans. Completely different. Though of course Dragaerans call THEMSELVES "human", so it gets confusing.



Go to Cracks And Shards for a VERY in-depth discussion of the world of Dragaera. Stay away from the Spoilers sections and you'll be fine.

Again, you really SHOULD read them in publication order. But I would never turn someone away from Paarfi.

 

[Stone Angel]

Just finished a book called Withchunter by C.L. Werner. I plan to start on a book about the life and times of the wicked witch of the west, called Wicked. I will crack that open right after the Pacer game tonight.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone