What are you reading? Erudite Aug 2018 Edition

[Blue]

So dropped what I'm reading and I'm part way into Falling Free, the proto-Vorkosigan story. Next up is the omnibus of Cordelia's Honor, and then I can get onto Miles hisself.

Gods, what a fantastic character he is.

Finished Falling Free, Shards of Honor, the short story Aftermath, and I'm in Barrayar.

I know LMB's novels aren't the longest, but I've been plowing through them at the expense of just about every other entertainment these past few days to get this far this fast. Right now it's like old friends remembered - later books I've only read once or so and they will have a different feel.

 

[Nellisir]

Just finished Sisters of the Raven by Barbara Hambly. It's a nice and quite different bit of worldbuilding, and a decent story, but not exceptional.

I've been reading pretty steadily all summer, just not inclined to post anything. Weird sort of summer. Lots of stresses. Looks like I'll be moving back to NH next year though, so that's pretty excellent.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Almost a year later, I’ve finished the Wheel of Time series. A Memory of Light is done. I think it suffered from still having too much to do in its pages, even though the conclusion started two books prior. But the ending still satisfied, and that’s no small feat in a fourteen-book series.

I’m so excited to read stuff that’s not the Wheel of Time, and not in excess of 600 pages.

First up, something I’d been meaning to read for a while – William Dear’s The Dungeon Master, on the James Dallas Egbert case.

 

[megamania]

Near the end of Crimson and still liking it.

 

[Blue]

Almost a year later, I’ve finished the Wheel of Time series. A Memory of Light is done. I think it suffered from still having too much to do in its pages, even though the conclusion started two books prior. But the ending still satisfied, and that’s no small feat in a fourteen-book series.

Real life needs some sort of Achievement system that pings when you finish WoT.

Okay, you're done. I can talk about when I did this a few years back.

_spoilers_










First ... holy shoot, that's a lot of characters, points of view, and such to keep in your head. All of the characters, who knew what, and all of their relations. I almost needed a filing system just to read it.

I expected more of a role and twist in regards to Alivia.

Perrin was perhaps my favorite character. Until N books were spent chasing Faile.

Matt was one of my favorite characters, but I didn't like how Branderson protrayed others reacting to him. To the original grou, sure he's a prankster and such. but Branderson had people in the Red Hand treating him like a butt monkey, not like the tactical genius and luckiest-man-alive he was.

So much coming together. Juggling that man threads isn't something I've seen many authors even attempt. Really, just wow.

More, but I don't have time right now.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

It certainly felt like an accomplishment!

I honestly couldn't imagine the effort of keeping track of all the characters and everything going as the books slowly came out. It was much easier to just dive in an immerse myself in the whole thing.

[sblock]
Oddly, all said and done, I think my favorite character was Nynaeve. I don’t think Robert Jordan handled her so well all the time, but at her best, she showed determination and a strong moral compass. She brooked no, ahem, sass, and was never afraid to speak her mind. She cared about helping people, fiercely, more than some grand destiny.


Perrin was pretty darn cool; I dug his character journey quite a bit. But as with so much in the series, I’m not sure Robert Jordan had the best grasp on the thought processes of women, and how men and women actually interact like human beings. Like, no healthy relationship can actually survive the pathological jealousy and mindgames that Faile played. There are plenty of things I liked about Faile, but I don’t think their relationship always felt true-to-life.


Cauthom was a fun character to read, always. But I agree, some of that comedic element didn’t always sit right with the other, capable parts of him.


As for Rand, well, he’s more a force of nature (or I suppose, The Pattern) then a character. But I liked how the series showed his character shifting and changing under the strain of his power and destiny. Though, I think I’m done with any fantasy novel that starts with a farmboy with a hidden destiny!


[/sblock]

Real life needs some sort of Achievement system that pings when you finish WoT.

Okay, you're done. I can talk about when I did this a few years back.

 

[Blue]

Though, I think I’m done with any fantasy novel that starts with a farmboy with a hidden destiny!

Hey, I have a SF series that starts with a farmboy with a hidden destiny. Well, most people watch the movies...

 

[Richards]

I'm reading Far Frontiers, Volume IV - a collection of science fiction short stories from the magazine of the same name, taken from stories published in 1985 and 1986. I'm about half through, and it's been an interesting (and varied) collection.

Johnathan

 

[Blue]

Still on my Lois McMaster Bujold: Vorkosigan Sage rampage. Finished Barrayar, read The Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning (short story), The Vor Game, and now early in Cetaganda.

While I have become refocused on reading, this isn;t a huge feat - LJM's stories are shorter form, not like Robert Jordan's bricks. And they read fast. Miles has so much forward momentum that you are just swept along with him.

 

[TwoSix]

Still on my Lois McMaster Bujold: Vorkosigan Sage rampage. Finished Barrayar, read The Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning (short story), The Vor Game, and now early in Cetaganda.

While I have become refocused on reading, this isn;t a huge feat - LJM's stories are shorter form, not like Robert Jordan's bricks. And they read fast. Miles has so much forward momentum that you are just swept along with him.

I've added Vorkosian Saga to my list after reading Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls last month, can I assume this is a positive recommendation for the series? Because the two Chalion books were awesome.