Chris’s
Comments
(group member since Feb 25, 2011)
Chris’s
comments
from the Beyond Reality group.
Showing 81-100 of 934
I enjoyed this nice, cozy, beautifully told story. I found it very reminiscent of The Last Unicorn, with multiple levels appealing to different readers. The dragon hunter who wished to be a valet. The princess who wished to be a warrior. The prince who wished he was more prince-like. All feeling a bit trapped by the expectations of those around them and by their own sense of duty. Yet the ending was not a simple resolution, nor does it wrap up tidily. Happy to have read this one.
Aug 25, 2024 09:17AM
I enjoyed this installment more than any of the previous books. It was less battle focused, which gave us more time to focus on the characters themselves, and on the age-old dilemma of "what do we do when the war is over .... until the next one starts". I agree with Natalie that Thalric has become particularly interesting -- clearly a patriot to his country, but ultimately disappointed by his country's leadership. And Totho's journey has gotten very, very dark... Looking forward to the next installment!
If you are planning to be in Glasgow for Worldcon 2024, please stop by and say "Hi!". I'll be working the registration desk all day on Wednesday and every morning thereafter. It would be great to see you face to face!
Aug 04, 2024 02:45PM
I am dying to start this; it's been sitting on my shelf, waiting for August. But now I'm traveling for the next three weeks, and I don't want to carry a physical book. I'll just have to be patient ....
Aug 04, 2024 02:44PM
Well, I just finished this. I find each book hard to start, but hard to put down towards the end. This was no exception, what a finish!I have found the series rather grim so far. There is just so much war, so much death and loss, and very little relief from the struggle. But at least most characters had meaningful ends. I will miss a many of them -- indeed, sometimes it seems that only a few of our key players are left. But I am interested to see how the story continues in the next book.
Post here to discuss The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor. This is a discussion ONLY about this novella - there are separate topics for the other parts of the trilogy. Spoilers ahead!
Post here to discuss Home by Nnedi Okorafor. This is a discussion ONLY about this novella - there are separate topics for the other parts of the trilogy. Spoilers ahead!
Post here to discuss Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. This is a discussion ONLY about this novella - there are separate topics for the other parts of the trilogy. Spoilers ahead!
Welcome to August, a month known for heat, hurricanes, travel, and back to school for many. But wherever you are, whatever your weather, I hope you carve out some time for a good book. Let’s see what’s on tap for our group this month!Books of the Month - For August, you selected:
—August 2024 Science Fiction: Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
—August Fantasy: I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
There are (or soon will be) a couple of starter topics up for each book, but please feel free to start more.
We also have our schedule set for the next couple of months:
—September 2024 Science Fiction: The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks
—September Fantasy: Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin
—October 2024 Science Fiction: Provenance by Ann Leckie
—October Fantasy: The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson
Series news - we are continuing the Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky and are currently reading & discussing the fourth book, Salute the Dark. Mid-month, we will move on to the fifth book, The Scarab Path. Please join in!
Lastly - Don't forget to check out the Question of the Week (a new one posts each Sunday) and drop by the “What are you reading in August 2024?” topic to share your picks, pans, and progress for the month! All genres welcome in this topic!
Enjoy!
Post here if you are reading or planning to read Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor. No spoilers please!
Aug 01, 2024 11:56AM
Post here if you are reading or planning to read I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle. No spoilers please!
Dawn wrote: "I did try that series, only got through the first book so far. I like it but it is not near as good as Peabody. Another one that has a bit of the same flavour (I thought anyway) is [book:Emily Wil..." Totally agree, I'm a fan of Emily Wilde as well.
Oh, I LOVE Amelia Peabody. I made a project last year of re-reading all the books in order. If you like Amelia, you'd probably also like Marie Brennan's Memoirs of Lady Trent series (the first one is A Natural History of Dragons.
What a wonderful story, a rich full luscious world built on Chinese mythology.I also appreciated First Archer's relationship with the prince, initially based on friendship. And she built a whole range of other great friendships, and respect from serving maids to generals.
I loved the dragons. I appreciated that they were an important presence, but that they were not used as a deus ex machina to solve everything.
I'm ready to summon my own cloud now! Where can I get one?
I always like to look at the villain's motivation. Why was Minister Wu so dead set against her? I can understand the coldness of the Emperor and Empress, particularly regarding the sunbird incident.
I am two thirds done with A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher, and I can't wait to finish it. Horror isn't normally my thing, but the narrator has a WONDERFUL voice, and I just can't put this down. Count me in for a substantial, somewhat snarky research entomologist moving back home temporarily with her mother, with lots of unexpected asides on vultures and rose varieties.
Welcome to July, a month for heat, hurricanes, and BBQ. But wherever you are, whatever your weather, I hope you carve out some time for a good book. Let’s see what’s on tap for our group this month!Books of the Month - For July, you selected:
—July 2024 Science Fiction: Exhalation by Ted Chiang
—July Fantasy: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
There are (or soon will be) a couple of starter topics up for each book, but please feel free to start more.
We also have our schedule set for the next couple of months:
—August 2024 Science Fiction: Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
—August Fantasy: I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
—September 2024 Science Fiction: The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks
—September Fantasy: Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin
Series news - we are continuing the Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky and are currently reading & discussing the third book, Blood of the Mantis. Mid-month, we will move on to the fourth book, Salute the Dark. Please join in!
Lastly - Don't forget to check out the Question of the Week (a new one posts each Sunday) and drop by the “What are you reading in July 2024?” topic to share your picks, pans, and progress for the month! All genres welcome in this topic!
Enjoy!
