What are you reading at the moment?

Discussion in 'Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books' started by Readsalot, Aug 24, 2017.

  1. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    Just finished book 6 of the second frontiers saga by Ryk Brown. I really enjoy reading the books, even if the xanatos chess gets a bit ridiculous.

    The writing is good though, and the characters are believable. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in grand space opera, but you should probably start with book one of the first series. Otherwise you might be just a smidge confused.
     
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  2. Kidlike101

    Kidlike101 Level 18 (Magician) Citizen

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    I just completed "fool" by Moore, Totally recommend it. I think I might binge read some of his work over the next few weeks.

    Currently starting "You are dead. (Sign here please)" which I have been eyeing for some time in my amazon recommendations and have NO idea how it got on my kindle!!! anyway it's there so reading it this afternoon after the gym.

    I kindda need an Litrpg detox, all my fav. authors have their next books coming out later in the year so I'm stuck with my second and third choices :(
     
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  3. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    I've read almost every single litrpg available on KU so I know your pain @Kidlike101.
     
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  4. Viergacht

    Viergacht Thunderdragon LitRPG Author Roleplaying Beta Reader Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    "City of Devils" and "Fifty Feet of Trouble" by Justin Robinson. Pulp detective novels set in an alternate 1950's where humans lost a war against monsters about 10 years ago, and now monsters are the majority citizens. The books are very tongue-in-cheek, as the monsters are based on the sort of cheezy rubber monster movies of the 50's and 80's, so you've got plain ol' vampires and werewolves, but also giant crawling eyes, 50 foot tall women, gremlins, vengeful pumpkinheads, gorilla-robots with tv heads and so on. I'm a sucker for all of this, so these were right up my alley.
     
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  5. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    So I kinda binged and have finished M.D. Cooper's entire library. It took me awhile. I did skip the short stories though - I've never really enjoyed short stories, truth be told.

    Hell of a read. From ground pounding space marines to reluctant cyborg assassins and even a colony ship or twelve, it's hard military sci-fi at its most unbelievable. There's a saying about sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic, and this universe has a lot of magic going for it. I'd recommend starting with the Intrepid trilogy - the whole thing (plus book one of the Orion War trilogy) is available free from KU.

    Also fairly decent writing although MCs tend toward the deus ex machinegunner type.
     
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  6. Tom Gallier

    Tom Gallier Level 15 (Guardian) LitRPG Author Citizen

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    You had me with "deus ex machinegunner type"
     
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  7. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    Well, that's what happens when nearly every situation a character gets in is resolved through "luck" (we really need a sarcastic air quotes emoji).
     
  8. Viergacht

    Viergacht Thunderdragon LitRPG Author Roleplaying Beta Reader Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074W7P6MB/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    "Another Stupid Spell" by Bill Ricardi

    This was suggested and although it's not pure LitRPG (its straight ahead fantasy) the way the character progresses through the story levelling up, gaining skills, companions, reknown and money, is very LitRPG-like, so you'd probably enjoy it even if it's lacking stats and so on.

    The main character is Sorch, a magic-using orc. Orcs were cursed as a race so that every time they use magic, they become a bit dumber. To keep the tribe's magic-fueled "Voodoo Engine" running, Sorch's job is to cast augmented intelligence spells on himself, which cancel out the dumbing-down effect but don't leave him enough magic or energy to do much else - until the night he rescues a pair of humans who are so grateful, they gift him with a magic-amplifying amulet. With the amulet, Sorch is able to get just a little bit more intelligence every day, gradually becoming smart as any other sapient creature and learning more magic from the tribe's Shaman, who eventually sends Sorch out to find his place in the greater world.

    This seems to be the author's first book, and while there are some of the usual rough edges in first books, like uneven pacing, overall it was an enjoyable read with likable characters and fun adventures. My main crit is that I would liked to have seen more of the poor treatment Sorch describes getting as a orc mage - not because I'm a sadist, but because it would have thrown his later life with friends, good living, and respect into greater relief. The general populace seems a bit too accepting of an orc in their midst once he meets them - basically, a bit more personal conflict would be good. Also, even though Sorch is able to mostly keep his IQ through his adventures, he sometimes seems a bit too wise or well-informed for someone who grew up in a remote swamp and is only just now entering the wider world. But these are smallish crits and I'm definitely planning on picking up the next books in the trilogy.
     
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  9. VRRanger

    VRRanger Level 12 (Rogue) Roleplaying Beta Reader Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    What made you decide it is not LitRPG if it has leveling, skills, renown and money? Was it only that it did not have straight up stat bonuses? Just curious
     
  10. Readsalot

    Readsalot Level 13 (Assassin) Citizen

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    On Book 4 of the Faithful and the Fallen series, Wrath.

    [​IMG]

    What a fantastic series, but definitely not for novice fantasy readers. First of all, the books are HUGE, varying from 650 to 800 pages per book. Second, the cast is gigantic (literally, it has giants) and especially at the beginning it is difficult to keep track of who's who in this zoo, with the names of regions, castles, clans and characters all thrown at you with the speed of a charging wolven (like a wolf, but bigger and smarter). Third, Gwynne shifts the pov with every chapter which can be disorienting if you're not completely familiar with all the characters yet.

    However, once you get over those bumps it becomes a dizzying, stomach-clenching ride full of twists and turns, quite capable of leaving you dizzy, out of breath and holding on for dear life. The characters are probably the strongest feature of the books, as very few of them are left two-dimensional. No cartoonish villains or Dudley-Do-Rights here - protagonist or antagonist, Gwynne spends enough time with each character that you understand what drives each of them and, inevitably, you empathise with them. That won't stop you from wanting to pick up a sword and stabbing a few of them to death, though.

    I've seen a few comparisons with the Legend himself, David Gemmell, thrown around, but I don't really agree. Gemmell's strongest point was his economy with words and the way his scenes slipped from one to another with barely an effort, and the way his characters tended to reveal themselves through their actions rather than their words. In other words, they liked to hit people rather than talk about their feelings. While there is some resemblance to Gemmell's characters and some of the fighting scenes could have been picked straight out of a tale told about the Drenai, Gwynne has developed his own rhythm, a pace that is slower to pick up speed but no less powerful for that.

    That is a GOOD thing, imo. While everyone should try to emulate Gemmell, nobody should try to imitate him. And the reason I've been staying awake until the dawn breaks these past few days is because I've been reading a brand-new series by an author who, with each book, has been gaining a stronger voice and the more I heard the more I wanted to listen.
     
  11. Viergacht

    Viergacht Thunderdragon LitRPG Author Roleplaying Beta Reader Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    And that it takes place in a "real" world, not a game.
     
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  12. Kidlike101

    Kidlike101 Level 18 (Magician) Citizen

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    The Never Hero By T. Ellery Hodges

    I'm jumping ship though, got it as a promo or something at one point and finally got around to it. my hunch was on the money. an aged up YA story that thinks it's "epic" without actually doing anything to be so... pretty much Man of Steel syndrome.
     
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  13. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    So basically, exactly like the ASOIAF books, except high fantasy instead of low?
    - long novels, check.
    - tons of characters, check.
    - POV switches by chapter, check.
    - infosperg in the beginning, check.
    - glacial pace, check.
    - wordy such-and-such, check.
    - really big dogs, check (apparently?)

    Sounds like the villains are better at least. I've always been confused by the praise that GRRM gets for his character writing when I consider them to be fairly one dimensional, at best. Daenerys' inner monologue is the absolute worst thing about a character that was already pretty tragic and terrible to begin with, for example, and GRRM touts her as one of his favorite characters and biggest successes in terms of writing a believable person.
     
  14. Readsalot

    Readsalot Level 13 (Assassin) Citizen

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    Weeellllll - no. The techniques might be the same but the style is different, imo. I must confess - I've never read a GRRM novel because I once read a novella of his, The Hedge Knight, and it was so boring I decided life was too short to read his books.

    The reason Malice (Book 1) started out slow was because I had to think a bit every time the pov changed, to remember who that character was and how he or she fit in. In other words, I was the one who slowed my reading pace down a bit, not Gwynne. And while it does feel like you get thrown into the deep end it felt more like that was because Gwynne didn't want to baby or bore you by spending hours explaining the history of his world. It feels like he trusts that you will figure it out as you go along - which actually worked for me.

    So rather than wordy, which I remember being true of GRRM (and Tolkien, for that matter) it is more that a lot of things are happening. And while there are some inner monologues, in the beginning they are mostly by the main hero, Corban, who is a boy when the story begins and therefore still in the process of growing up and discovering his strengths. Therefore he gets a little unsure and bewildered by a world that is rapidly changing and forcing him to change and grow up a lot stronger and faster than he expected. But Ban (as his friends call him) is no self-pitying, whiny, pathetic little hero, constantly walking around asking, Why me?

    Instead, he spends his time practising his sword dance, under the watchful eye of one of the greatest swordmasters of the world, and as he matures so does his thoughts. The other main characters are mostly grown-up, so not too much neurotic inner monologue from them either. More dealing with some bad people who are basically just begging for a sword to be stuck in them.

    I have to emphasise the fight scenes, which I mentioned could have been taken straight from a Gemmell novel. Another comparison might also be Anthony Ryan's Blood Song, the first book of the Raven's Shadow series: It takes a while for the hero to learn how to fight, but damn, once he does... And he's not the only one!
     
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  15. Viergacht

    Viergacht Thunderdragon LitRPG Author Roleplaying Beta Reader Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    FWIW I think GRRM's short stories are much, much better than his novels. He's written some really striking ones. I feel the same way about Brian Aldiss and Stephen King - some authors just seem to need the discipline of a word count or they tend to write flabby, meandering prose.
     
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  16. Tom Gallier

    Tom Gallier Level 15 (Guardian) LitRPG Author Citizen

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    I've noticed the Faithful and the Fallen series on Amazon. I have a problem with it, though the descriptions sound like my kind of books and you make a great argument for reading them. But they are so EXPENSIVE. I have a very tight budget right now, and I cannot afford to spend that much for a book. And honestly, I've never spent 8, 10, & now 12 dollars for an e-book. When I find it at the half-priced book store, then I'll read it. I hate doing that because the writer doesn't get paid when I read it, but... Jeeze. What are Trad Pubs thinking? It's a friggen' e-book. At that price I want a hardcover (yet cannot afford them right now).
     
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  17. Readsalot

    Readsalot Level 13 (Assassin) Citizen

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    No lies - books are an expensive, addictive habit, especially new ones. I'm lucky that my brother and I have the same tastes so we can share the expenses.
     
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  18. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    Yeesh. $12 for an eBook? I remember when I had a Nook, B&N charged that much and eventually lost a class action lawsuit over their pricing. My share of that settlement was a whopping $7.something.

    For that much, I'll wait until I find it at the library.
     
  19. CheshirePhoenix

    CheshirePhoenix Crazy Hermit on the Hill LitRPG Author Beta Reader Citizen Editor Aspiring Writer

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    Stephen King just writes the same books over and over with some MadLibs replacements for MacGuffins, plot coupons, names, and places.

    I guess at least if you're a fan of his writing, you know that you're going to like his new books when they come out.

    Right now I just finished book one of the Evermen series. I saw that it was a 4.x rating on Amazon with almost 1400 reviews so figured I'd give it a shot.

    Damn I'm glad I did. Because I think I just found another author that, like Glynn Stewart, I'll deep dive an entire catalogue for - even if it's out of my genre. I can't praise it highly enough.
     
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  20. Readsalot

    Readsalot Level 13 (Assassin) Citizen

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    Two fantasy series I've given up on this week.:The Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron and The Grim Company by Luke Scull. Just couldn't get into them.

    Going to try the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley again. Tried it a year or so ago but then got distracted by Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series, if memory serves.
     
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