I’m onto the second book of the Brent Weeks quintet and I am having so much fun with this. Very similar vibes to Warbreaker and Elantris. Some really good twists along the way thus far.
which books are those? I remember reading his first trilogy and thinking they were very meh, but that was over a decade ago
I’ve only read the first one but I thought it was excellent. Really inventive and engaging. Both dense and a page turner somehow.
As a pretty religious person, I honestly love that he wrote this spoiler in a way that’s hilarious and inoffensive. It’s so clear the aliens don’t understand earth that it works.
wrapped up the Baru Cormorant books. @Vivatoto thanks for the gift that got me into it! Now the wait begins for book 4...... I kind of want to read a stand-alone fantasy novel before jumping into another series. Anyone got any recs that aren't Priory since I've already read it?
Trials of Empire is bangin' about 75% in. Really really enjoyed this trilogy and Richard Swan is absolutely a name to start taking notice of.
Ok thread help me decide what to read next. I don't need to buy anything else (right????) when I have all this in my closet
The first like third of that book just left me breathless. That's where the slow burn finally breaks and it's just like non stop action and/or emotional turmoil. And how about that ending and the new look at another people's "magic?" I don't know if that will top the first presentation of "magic" but it does feel like he's trying to outdo himself with what's the most fucked up way to make a magic system lol. Also if you want a stand alone I'm gonna rec Tigana again, that book fucking rules, the only problem is it put way to high of a bar for Guy Gavriel Kay for me and I have not liked any of his other books as much. If you want a series, it's either Poppy War or Blade Itself. I lean Poppy War since it's a perfect trilogy, while Abercrombie's world is huge and ongoing.
Trials of Empire was awesome. If you've been on the fence about reading the Empire of the Wolf trilogy from Richard Swan, read it.
also this is the wrong thread for this, but I'm working on my own fantasy novel and I'm trying my very best to write a damn blurb. Nothing seems to be working, so I grabbed some fantasy books from my shelf, looked at their blurbs, and then wrote one for my book in each style. I've written a blurb for my book in the fashion of The Riddle-Master of Hed, The Shadow of What Was Lost, and The Blade Itself. They're all pretty different but I like them much more than what I currently have (see the Writing thread for that travesty). Because I respect the opinions and taste of this thread, I'd like to ask permission the share these blurbs here. I don't want to shamelessly self promote or beg for feedback, so I can message any interested parties in private so as not to clog the thread with off-topic stuff instead. Just let me know. ok that's all back to the books
@theagentcoma I can tell you that you won't go wrong with Dragon Wing, Furies of Calderon, or The Eternal Champion. Those are the only ones I've read of the stack. If you haven't read any Moorcock yet, go for that. Wild stuff.
I'd love to see them. I don't think this is thread is solely about "already published" authors/books so don't see why we can't all discuss it with you :)!
also, here are the working blurbs for my book. Bear in mind, these are all written in the formulas based on existing works. As such, each of them has a different vibe. Please do not be gentle, even though I'm baring my soul here lol Riddle-Master Version Long ago, the Dha’lnar fled the mortal Sphere, leaving behind only relics and ruins. Aliss Cistalion, a fledgling Aspirant of the Luviatran Empire, has been tasked by her masters in secret to pursue the rumors of one such relic. But the Protectorate, long-hated enemies of the Empire, have mobilized their own expeditionary forces to secure the relic. Spies and treachery abound until no one can be trusted. Turmoil stirs amongst Aliss’ own cadre, hand-picked veterans loathe to accept the command of an untested leader. Her second-in-command is Brimellin Norso, a battle-tested and devoted Aspirant, and the only one who believes in her ability to lead. Together, destiny drives them toward the truth of the Dha’lnar. What they find may restore their Empire’s dying glory, or shatter the mortal Spheres altogether. - The Blade Itself Version Aliss Cistalion, fledgling Aspirant of the Luviatran Empire, has never been on a mission beyond her city’s walls. The only child of an esteemed veteran, strings have been pulled to set her on a course beyond Empire borders to pursue rumors of an ancient relic. Belligerent, constantly drunk, and an undefeated street brawler, Viktor Pryton spends his days drowning himself in whiskey and beating any opponent the slumlords send his way. But in the slums, alliances are forged in secret, and an ally one day could slip a blade into your back the next. Adept Snare, Talented agent of the Protectorate, returns from her latest extraction to find that rumors abound in her Order of the Dha’lnar relic far from the capital. The Adepts cannot let the relic fall into the hands of the Luviatran Empire, their long-hated enemies. Enter Karek Albright, the only living scholar who can read and speak the Dha’lnar tongue. Plucked from his research by Snare’s Order, he is forced to serve at the Protectorate’s whim, lest the secrets of his buried past be dragged out to doom him forever. These four souls are bound by fate, their destinies intertwining to set the stage. Their paths will cross to deliver the mortal Spheres into an age of glory, or to shatter them altogether. - The Shadow of What Was Lost Version Centuries have passed since the Dha’lnar fled the Sphere of man, fearing the threat of extinction at the hands of humans. The few that remained were enslaved or hunted down. All that remains of the otherworldly beings are the relics and ruins of an ancient age, coveted by human hands. Aliss has never set foot beyond her city’s walls. An untested servant of the Prophet, someone high in the Luviatran Empire has judged her worthy of leading her first expeditionary force. Her mission: pursue the rumors of a Dha’lnar relic buried deep behind enemy borders. Across the sea, the Protectorate - long-hated enemies of the Empire - have mobilized their own elites to seek the relic. Aliss and her squad of veterans must outrace them, lest their dying Empire finally be put to rest, doomed to become a footnote in the annals of man. Above it all, a god-killer stirs in the Primal Spheres, set on a relentless quest for vengeance.