The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books Thread Book • Page 53

After reading this, it is abundantly clear that I need to re-read it first, haha.

 

I've found I buy audiobooks, and if I love them, I then buy a hard copy (Sanderson automatically gets both) for the shelves/future re-reads. I really want to start expanding my hard copy library again, but man, it adds up fast.

 

I don't remember if it was this thread or the actual book thread but I think I narrowed down my top 10 in no order, limiting myself to one book per author/series:

The Book Thief
Black Swan Green
Last of the Renshai
Memories of Ice
A Storm of Swords
Wilmington's Lie
The Two Towers
The Black Company
Band of Brothers
Catch-22

 

Anybody in here read any of Jen Williams' The Winnowing Flame trilogy? The first book won the British Fantasy Award a few years back and seems to be very highly acclaimed. I saw it recommended the other day and wondered why I'd never heard of it before. I guess the US editions of the trilogy won't be released until next year? I bought the first book on Kindle though, will probably read it pretty soon. Seems like it'd be up the alley of several of you here.

 

I've seen good reviews but never read it. It's the next Broken Binding edition box and I'm looking forward to owning it.

 

Having a blast so far with the first in the Farseer Trilogy. Hitting me a little bit better than it did first time. The first read through didn't do much to make me want to read books 2 and 3 but i think i will this time around.

 

That's one I want to start as well

 

Book 1 of Steven Eriksons new trilogy is 3 bucks on kindle today.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVBKC1N/?tag=absolutepunk-20

 

By the time I get back to Malazan I’ll own all the books haha

 

Just finished the Empire trilogy of Riftwar and I liked it more than the first 4 books, which surprised me because it's a little bit more grounded and they don't completely go into the cosmic creation story like the first series did, which is typically the kind of stuff I like. Could have been the addition of Janny Wurts, I guess I'll see going forward without her. Also could have been the fuedal/Eastern setting.

 

I should read more Riftwar. His stuff is too overlooked now I think. But I very much enjoyed the couple books I read years ago

 

The Empire trilogy reminded me hardcore of Gemmell. Technically could be read on it’s own but probably best read with the series.

i don’t know if RW is considered grim/dark but it definitely has the main characters can die at any moment and probably will vibes

 

Just wanted to share this great passage from Otherland Vol 2...This is how he starts the second chapter.

"One of the tires on the Zippy-Zappy-Zoomermobile had gone flat, and they were all going to be late for King Sky Monkey's fabulous Pie in the Sky Picnic. Uncle Jing, with help from the children, was trying to comfort a Zoomer Zizz when the headache returned with a vengeance."

I have only slightly more context as to what this means.

 

Amazing

 

I'm sorry what

 

So I finished Assassins Apprentice and whilst I enjoyed it a lot more the 2nd time round, I didn’t enjoy as much as I perhaps wanted to.
It’s enough to make me want to at least read the trilogy but there’s just something about the description in such a short book overshadowing the story until the last 50/100 pages that really gets to me. Im not one to shy away from massive books but at least it can be justified. Still enjoyed it and felt more connected and understood to Fitz.

 

So, since I have 21 Malazan books, I looked up a few suggested reading orders. Those who have read it, how do you feel about this order?

 

Looks perfect to me.

 

this is a very daunting amount of books

 

I’m currently halfway into The Fall of Hyperion of that series run through.

 

But soooooooooo worth it. I would kill to have 21 new Malazan books to read, lol.

And only 16 of them are directly Book of the Fallen related, the rest are prequel stuff, so you can reassess and see if that still interests you after you finish the 16.

 

Looking at that list more closely, I'm not sure why Night of Knives is so late. Like the biggest advice I can give is read it before Bonehunters, so maybe they were thinking it would be best to keep it close to Bonehunters, I dig that, but that could be read at as early as after book 2. For some it's even an alternate start point. If you want to know what the Empire is like within its boundaries, then read it, it won't spoil anything, besides maybe like the Rope stuff, but I think you learn about that in book 2, maybe even 1. Me personally, I was dying to know what mainland Malaz was like.

And the sooner you meet Edgewalker the better.

It's also a very short book, and almost like a horror novella. It is not necessarily the best indication of what Esselemont's books are like. Though it can be a very nice change of pace from the oppressively epic nature of the series.

 

what a beautiful list

 

Watching For All Mankind on Apple TV+ and this has got me wanting to finally finish Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy.

 

I've read one Kim Stanley Robinson book (the one about global warming and finance, uh, 2140? maybe?) and it's made me hesitant to read the other I own (2300? something like that, haha) as it was solidly "ok." Is the Mars trilogy good/better?