Joseph’s Comments (group member since Oct 24, 2012)

Joseph’s comments from the Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" group.

Richard wrote: "For me, this is a problem in two parts.

First, the price on the e-book is a tad excessive, and the pre-order price on the hardcover isn't any more desirable.

Second, this book takes place in th..."

IIRC, this one is going to slot in between books 1 & 2 -- The Black Company and Shadows Linger -- so I'll probably just reread the original trilogy, but add the new one at the appropriate point.

I did preorder the eBook. Yeah, $13 is a bit higher than I'd prefer, but eh, it's a price I'm willing to pay if I'm planning to read the book right away or in the very near future.

Finished Jade City and started The Poppy War -- neither are S&S, but there's much to recommend in both of them.

S.E. wrote: "Joseph wrote: "And not necessarily things that I'll be reading cover-to-cover, but Amazon is shipping me
Swordfighting, for Writers, Game Designers and Martial Artists
[book:Masteri..."

No, for stuff like this I prefer hard copies. And I actually ordered the books before I realized he was being interviewed -- they turned up in my Amazon recommendations for whatever reason. What can I say? I have poor impulse control ...

And not necessarily things that I'll be reading cover-to-cover, but Amazon is shipping me

Swordfighting, for Writers, Game Designers and Martial Artists

Mastering the Art of Arms, vol 1: The Medieval Dagger

The Medieval Longsword

Advanced Longsword: Form and Function

All by Guy Windsor, who just had an interview on Robert Zoltan's Literary Wonder & Adventure Show podcast (although I'd ordered the books before listening to the podcast).

He (Guy) also has a website (www.guywindsor.com) with blog posts & videos that might be of interest in these parts ...

Finished Darkwell and started Fonda Lee's Jade City, which I don't believe will be S&S, but which I do believe will be quite excellent.

Finished Black Wizards and started Darkwell, the third in Douglas Niles' Moonshae trilogy. When I'm finished with that, it'll be time for something most emphatically not a D&D novel.

*blushes*

Mary wrote: "The Old Gods Waken by Manly Wade Wellman

I'm not overly impressed by it. I was thinking in the opening chapters that Gygax was probably thinking of it as a source for ..."

FWIW, if you get a chance you might try some of the earlier John the Balladeer short stories -- I think he works better at short story length than at novel length.

I wrapped up Darkwalker on Moonshae and am moving on to Black Wizards. They're obviously not Appendix N, but they're official D&D novels, so if you kind of squint?

Was on vacation and finished all three of Jon Sprunk's Shadow books (Shadow's Son, Shadow's Lure and Shadow's Master), which I quite enjoyed, and, in a fit of possibly misplaced nostalgia, started reading the very first D&D Forgotten Realms novel, Darkwalker on Moonshae by Douglas Niles.

S.E. wrote: "Agreed Joseph. I’m thinking September/October will be (a) Wagner’s Kane ... on combo with the Podcast read along mentioned in other threads

And

(B) the new “cook” book"

I support both of those! Especially given that I have those Centipede Press Kane editions sitting over on my shelf ...

A suggestion: Since there's going to be a new Black Company novel out in September (Port of Shadows), maybe Glen Cook for one of the Sept/Oct groupreads? He has several series (Black Company, Dread Empire, Garrett PI) that kind of exist at the center of the Venn diagram between sword & sorcery, epic fantasy and grimdark.

Finished Shadow's Son and moved into the second in the series, Shadow's Lure. And Shadow's Lure came out in 2011, so it definitely qualifies … :)

I mentioned this in the modern S&S group-read thread, but I started Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk.

Clint wrote: "I enjoyed Sword of Rhiannon. Good action tale. Heresy, perhaps, but I prefer Leigh Brackett over ERB."

Brackett on her worst day could write rings around ERB on his best day; having said which, Barsoom (with its dead sea bottoms, ancient, crumbling cities, four-armed green warriors and flotillas of airships) will always be my first and dearest love.

Mary wrote: "Leigh Brackett's The Sword Of Rhiannon

Action, adventure, being swept away in time to ancient Mars! The love story makes some implausible leaps, and I must warn you t..."

Such a great book. Although I have to admit that the use of Celtic names ("Rhiannon", e.g.) on ancient Mars made me a bit twitchy.

I'm just starting Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk, which I do believe was first published in 2010 ...

Jack wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Jack, are you wearing Archival Gloves Nitrile +3 or better?"

Nah, I'm Chaotic Neutral, I'm using bare hands and drinking coffee while reading them."

A big ol' barbecue pork sandwich in one hand.

Finished Sign of the Labrys -- it was short. Probably wouldn't have read it were it not for the Appendix N connection, and it was kind of just OK, but certainly not the worst way to spend a couple of hours.

All right, I'm about to start Margaret St. Clair's Sign of the Labrys, which, by coincidence, just got its first reprint in some decades.