Sophie’s Comments (group member since Apr 28, 2013)

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

Don't worry, I've only got myself down for one at the moment as I just don't know what mood I'm going to be in for reading.

The mini tab looks fabulous from a planning perspective! Thanks everyone for looking at those tricky tasks and embracing them - makes such a difference.

We both failed you on that one!

20. Cade goes to each of the other travellers and has final words with them. Do you think he learned any new information about his travellers? Or did he learn something about himself?
I don't think he wants to learn about himself

21. The journey to The Seven Brothers is full of many challenges. Did this journey remind you of any other quest you've read?
A little bit of Kings of the Wyld, but other than that not really

22. We now find out about the Pandorals, how they were using The Seven Brothers as vessels. Quite interesting how this was accomplished. Did this surprise you how they were formed ? What did you think of why they came to acquire the red soil?
This should have been fleshed out more; felt half done somehow

23. It was determined that Cade be the one to use the apparatus. What attunement do you think he chose?
I thought he'd chosen the Pandoral attunement so he'd be basically invincible from then on... Reading everyone else's comments I'm wondering why I came to that conclusion though

24. What was your overall impression of this story? What was your favorite part of the story? Will you read the next in the series or try one of the authors other series?
It was fine, I'd read another one if it works for a challenge and is free from the library. Probably wouldn't pay for it though

Bomer for me

Day 4: Chapters 28-39

15. The way the different characters react to the trek through the magic wasteland is interesting. With all the magic that flows through this world, why do they not have transport spells? Did this trek remind you of any other stories?
Locke had some so I guess they are specialised to particular mages and magic types.
I was glad that Tenebris cut a lot of the trekking out, could have been a lot more tedious!

16. We keep being reminded (by the narrator) that the wanderists are not good guys. Do you agree with this assessment?
They are mercenaries so how good they are depends on your standpoint. As a way to make money and stay alive if no one else will have you around, I don't think they've made the worst choices, but the life expectancy seems v low

17. What is your impression of the seven brothers? The Pandorals are benevolent? Really? Do we believe that?
Seven brothers are creepy and I don't like the way they are treating all the animals

18. So. We get to see the apparatus. What would you have done with that temptation?
I'm ambivalent about it honestly. Seems ridiculous given all the characters are meant to be motivated by it.

19. Is anyone who they say they are? Did you expect Mr. Bones?
I had a feeling he was in disguise, but I hadn't figure out who he was going to be

In a move that should surprise no-one, I have once again ignored both the daily schedule and the questions until the book is finished. I need to get myself together and set a better example one day... Today however is not that day...

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?

I'm never sure where the line lies between Dark Fantasy and just fantasy to be honest. Fantasy is a genre both my parents read a lot of, so some of the first adult books I picked up fall into this category.



Picture a wizard. Go ahead, close your eyes. There he is, see? Skinny old guy with a long straggly beard. No doubt he's wearing iridescent silk robes that couldn't protect his frail body from a light breeze. The hat's a must, too, right? Big, floppy thing, covered in esoteric symbols that would instantly show every other mage where this one gets his magic?

2. The book starts with the quote above. Is this your mental image of a wizard, too? Or something different? :)

This definition had me thinking of Rincewind (particularly the hat being a must that signals that you are a WIZZARD).


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?

It certainly made me wonder how he'd ended up there as he seemed too moral to be taking part in that level of slaughter.

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?

I think he's better than he presents himself and puts more effort into seeming like one of the bad guys than he would need to if he was actually bad.

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?

The religious/magical system already had me thinking about how power corrupts even at this point.

I suspect I overheard that conversation as it's on my tbr too. This might be the push I need to read it (or a Jo Nesbø that has been there forever).

Thanks for the suggestions Mel and Cecily!

Suzanne fingers crossed the antibiotics work soon and you feel a whole lot better.

They just have to be finished after 9 UTC on 1st June so books you are reading now could count.

Thanks Mel! Hopefully we'll be able to find other things set in Idaho that aren't a torment to read.

https://www.mappit.net/bookmap/countr...

This may also be useful for finding books in weird and wonderful locations.

If you put a book on the regular tab, you can add the resources as normal. Then if it works for one of the mini tasks, add the mini code (column b on the mini) to column O on the main tab and it'll all be copied across automatically.

Basically all books for minis should also be used for the main part of the challenge.

FYI I am just adding the autofill info to the mini tab. Please just enter the code at the start of the row on the mini tab to column O on the main books tab for the round and everything will track across nicely when I'm done.

The Tailor of Panama is my choice for set in Panama.

Melindam wrote: "Oh... Mini.... yaaay!"

Thought you might be excited!

Oh Niccolo! So many twists and things to try to figure out. You'll probably manage to finish the series before me despite me having 3 left. I enjoy them but need to be in the right frame of mind to concentrate on every detail (and still be flabbergasted about where they end up).

The first mini is released; more details can be found here.


Key details are that books finished between 1st and 15th June 9am UTC can be used. 5 different people can all read the same book for a task if we want.


Each task can be repeated a maximum of five times. Each food item in text can be repeated once.

This mini challenge runs from June 1st to June 15 9am UTC


- Read a book with a orange cover
- "harvest" (plural OK, no other variants) in text
- Author initials in HERACLES
- Word in title is hiding a different smaller word (of at least four letters) inside it (not the singular form or verb tense differences) - examples LimonCELLO; THINg; wereWOLF (or indeed WEREwolf); HUNGer but NOT GAMEs (as that's the singular/plural)
- One of the following food words in text (plural OK, no other variants): corn, grape, ham, bread, cheese, apple, fish, chicken, bread, rice, tomato, pepper, salt, honey, lobster


- Horn on cover (instrument or animal equally OK. but not antlers please)
- Book set in Crete
- Book set in Idaho
- Author's name has a diacritic (Cornucopia was a concert tour for Björk. yes, it's tenuous, but go with it anyway!)
- "abundant" or "abundance" in text
- Takes place on a farm (farm meaning somewhere raising plants or animals to be sold for food)


- Title (including subtitle) includes all the letters CORNUPIA (no need to duplicate C and O)
- The cover has at least 3 different food items
- Set in Peru, Panama, Colombia or Venezuela (or combination of them to reach the 50%)


There will be a mini tab up on the SS soon. Initially we'd suggest that people only reserve 5 mini tasks and that we start with the 5 point tasks as much as possible.

Urgh GR with its periodic glitches is so frustrating. Fingers crossed it decides to play nicely again soon.


Malevolent 7 I enjoyed. It wasn't as dark as a lot of grimdark fantasy and was able to poke fun at the tropes of the genre which I appreciated.


Yay Marty - another person who doesn't manage the questions at the right time.

Just finished Malevolent Seven (still need to answer the questions though - my normal MO of reading the book knowing their are DQ but failing to do it as I go along carries on) and about to start Salt and Broom (will I have learnt my lesson and changed my ways?). Glad to hear it is more humourous than some.

Lucy - thanks for letting us know.

Cat - Mel has given a more thorough answer than I would! If you're struggling with links in the SS then feel free to put all 3 in a post in this thread and we can move them.

Steam train was good. Think the kids liked the balloon animals most. My sister got very into trying to do tricks with a spinning plate.