LavenderLane’s Comments (group member since Oct 11, 2023)

LavenderLane’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Day 3: Chapters 19-27

11. The fantasy genre is known for its world building. How do you feel about the world building in this book? How does it compare to other fantasy novels you’ve read? I think the world building is pretty light in this book. I love a complex fantasy world and this just isn’t it for me. I can’t really picture it in my head like I can with other fantasy books with excellent world building.

12. In this section we meet Cade’s former teacher Hazidan. What do you think of her character? Did you ever have a favorite teacher and were they similar to Hazidan in any way? she intrigues me but I’ve never had a teacher like her.

13. Chapter 25: Friends in Low Places had a pretty big reveal about the Celestials plans and how they’ve been herding Cade this whole time. How did you feel about this twist? it was ok, not a particularly shocking twist, but ok.

14. At this point I think we have the whole team together: Is one of them your favorite? I like the Rat Mage so far, but I don’t really have a favourite. Much like the world building, I don’t think the characterisation is all that fantastic either to be honest.

Day 2
6.) Did Galass turning into a blood mage and Fidick being the cause of Lucian's death (I assume that's what the black cloud that left the tent did) surprise you? Or were you expecting their bit in the story to be over and just a footnote about Cade's character? yes it did,I expected that they would continue with him in the story, but at had no clue they were responsible for Lucien’s death or that Fidick would die - that really surprised me.

7.) We learn about more magic types and there's pretty much any type of magic you can dream up. What type of magic you like to have or what animal would you like an affinity with? I actually like the infernalist’s magic as it seems very varied and getting into the minds of others is probably underrated as a weapon. However, if I had an affinity with an animal, maybe it would be something like a wolf.

8.) Is anyone else's favorite character Mr. Bones? Just me? mkay. I feel he’s going to have a greater presence in the book than what we’ve currently seen, but so far he’s not been featured enough for Mr Bones to be my favourite character as yet.

9.) At this point I think it's clear Cade is a fallen Glorian of some sort, likely a Justicar. Do others agree with my guess here or do you have other thoughts? that hadn’t occurred to me. I don’t personally get justicier vibes, but maybe a different type of Glorian?

10.) Assuming my guess in Q9 is right, why do you think Cade got the heave ho from the Glorians? Maybe he fell fo someone he shouldn’t have.

Information overload! That’s exactly it, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was that I was disliking, but you’ve hit the nail on the head.

And, not just the magic system but the amount of characters and terms being flung around.

Anyone else reading The Malevolent Seven BOM. I must admit I’m struggling with it, I enjoy fantasy but I don’t think this one is my cup of tea. It’s early days though, so that could change once the story has progressed.

Wow, interested to see how the supply drops work out, what a fun twist.

Day 1
1. The book has the MPG Dark Fantasy. Do you like this genre in general? If so, do you have any favourite authors or books
This is my first dark fantasy, and I’m not sure that I’m enjoying it. But I’m open to that changing as we progress through the story.

2. The book starts with the quote above. Is this your mental image of a wizard, too? Or something different? :) yes, that is my impression of a wizard. When I think about the most famous wizards, Gandalf, Merlin (in the Disney version), Dumbledor, they all look like that.

3. And the author lands us in the middle of a siege (ideal for the Book Games, right? ;) with 2 of the main characters Cade Ombra and Corrigan Blight. Cade is narrating what is happening and offering us his views on good and evil, the part they are playing and how they "win" this particular siege.
Do you think it's a strong start to the book? Has it got you intrigued? yes, landing us in the middle of the action is a strong start, and getting Cade’s view of it helps us understand his position very quickly.

4. As an extra incentive & entertainment, the Ascendant Lucien offers young girls and boys (sublimes) to the wanderists after the siege. We get introduced to Fiddick and Galass and learn that Cade decided to kill Lucien. We can actually start putting some pieces of Cade's character together. What do you think about him at this point? Cade seems like a character whose head I don’t mind being in, I would hate to be in the mind of someone who took advantage of Lucien’s offering. However, I also think he has shades of moral grey when it comes to life and death that I hope they explore through the book.

5. Some demonic highlights to this introductory part: Tenebris the demon, with whom Cade as an "infernalist" mage trades with to get his spells.
What were your impressions of Tenebris? How do you find the "religious/magical" system of the Infernals and the Celestines? I’m finding it quite confusing, which I assume is the author’s intent. I feel like it’s one of those stories where it’s going to take half the book before you understand the world and magic system and up until that point the reader is going to be uncomfortable trying to piece together how it all works. Tenebris as a character seems quite interesting and looking forward to more interactions with him.

I’ll have several on the go, depending on my method of reading.

I’ve started the BOM , which is my ebook. My audiobook is , and my physical book is .

If our books can fit multiple categories, do you want us to choose one and go with that, or should we just write the justifications under the relevant categories and Captains can choose which option they want to use?

I’ve selected categories to start, but can’t seem to remove the category from the drop down now.

From my timezone calculation I think the challenge starts in 1 hour12 minutes 😄

I’m going to read The Malevolent Seven BOM, but unfortunately it was the only one that appealed to me. I’m looking forward to reading it though, it looks to be a fun read.

Im in as backup District 5

So, in anticipation of this challenge I seem to be compulsively buying up books 😂. Like I don’t already have enough to read!

They are all such lovely pictures! They make me want to read The Hunger Games again, lol.

The Goodreads page says it’s #14 in the Cosmere series, but most of Brandon Sanderson books are set in the Cosmere, this story is actually a stand alone and not part of a series.


Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.

This sounds like a lot of fun, so I’m sure time will fly while reading it.

The Tainted Cup

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

Hi Everyone! great to meet you all.

I’m from Canberra, Australia where I live with my partner and our 7-year old son. I work for the federal government in contracting & procurement and spend my spare time watching all things Premier League football, watching/listening to true crime docos/podcasts and of course reading.

Up until last month I had been in a bit of a reading slump but have managed to dig myself out of that in April and am reading lots again. I like most genres, with fantasy probably my favourite at the moment. I do enjoy some romance but primarily historical romance and I’m not that good with cozy-type books - when someone says cozy mystery or cozy fantasy it generally doesn’t appeal. Besides that I am pretty open to everything.

I’m currently working my way through the Wax and Wayne books of the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson and have the lastest book in the series The Lost Metal ready to go for this challenge. I also have The Familiar and Bright Young Women top of the list for May as well.

I’m looking forward to the next few months of reading with you all 😀.

Challenge Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Serious Readers Challenge 2024 - Level 1

Hoping this will help with my reading slump

January
Bad month - nil

February
1. The Book That Wouldn’t Burn


March
Uggh - another bad month - nil

April
2. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
3. Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
4. Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
5. Throne of the Fallen
6. The Hacienda
7. Shadows of Self
8. So You've Been Publicly Shamed

Look at me getting over my reading slump 😀

May
9. The Bands of Mourning
10. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
11. The Malevolent Seven
12. Assassin's Apprentice



June
13. Vampires of El Norte
14. Wuthering Heights
15. Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos
Dances with Wolves
16. The Blade Itself




July

17. Royal Assassin
18. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
19. The Lost Metal
20. Yellowface
21. Bright Young Women
22. Dungeon Crawler Carl

I’m up for a reread of this one. I loved it at the time but need to reread it before attempting book 2.