Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" discussion

More historical fiction: Aztec Autumn by Gary Jennings.

Just finished the b&w S&S/Horror graphic novel Nightfell illustrated by Nicolás Giacondino and authored by Jeremiah Tolbert - which was a helluva lot better than the two annoying 3 star reviews here on GR. Amazing to me. Now reading a novel follow-up set in the same world, The Risen by D.W. Vogel and though I'm only a handful of chapters in it's do damn good I can't turn the pages fast enough.

Conan - Blood of the Serpent


Savage Realms Monthly: February 2023: A collection of dark fantasy sword and sorcery short adventure stories

Just a heads-up, one of the cooler books out there free today in Kindle is Darkblade: Assassin by Andy Peloquin

Thank you Michael

I own it, just haven't read it yet!

Alex wrote: "I own it, just haven't read it yet!"

Richard wrote: "Thank you Michael"

⚔️👊🙂⚔️

... I didn't realize this at first but in anticipation of the release of the 6th book in the the series the first 5 books are all free right now(!).

Great! I just went out and got them! Thank you!

Alex wrote: "Great! I just went out and got them! Thank you!"

Me too!
👍

Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek by H. Rider Haggard.

Reading Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

Listening to Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Reading Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues edited by J.M. Martin

Just started Glen Cook's The Black Company

Jason wrote: "Just started Glen Cook's The Black Company"

I have this one but wish I would have brought it with me from CA to UT because it's one of the three books I want to read most right now. Happy reading, Jason.

That begs the question, what are the other two that you want to read right now?

Witch Hunter, C.L. Werner. It’s been on my shelf too long

Jason wrote: "That begs the question, what are the other two that you want to read right now?"

It's really about four more!:

The Citadel of Forgotten Myths by Michael Moorcock

The Fall of Númenor: and Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

The Destroyer of Worlds by Matt Ruff

Georgina by Alida Leacroft

A Treasury of Fantasy, edited by Cary Wilkins.

I'm reading Gemma Files' collection The Worm in Every Heart, and cutting its horror with David C Smith's epic fantasy The West Is Dying: The Fall of the First World, Book One: Volume 1. I like the writing in both!

Last month, I'd finished reading Allies & Assassins, a YA fantasy-cum-murder mystery. The first half felt a bit clunky but the second half was much smoother and made up for the issues experienced earlier on.

Currently reading From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back.

Rereading Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword , with Moorcock's The Citadel of Forgotten Myths high on the TBR stack.

Brothers in Arms Dragonlance

Reading The Children of Men

Listening to The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

The Earth is Flat: Tales from the Flat Earth and Elsewhere

Just started The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter.

Edenet by Kit Sun Cheah

Reading The Free Bastards

Listening to The Aeronaut's Windlass

Reading The Free Bastards

Listening to The Aeronaut's Windlass

The Viking Gael by JTT Ryder.

These Spindrift Pages by Theodore Dalrymple

The Virtues of Captain America: Modern-Day Lessons on Character from a World War II Superhero by Mark D. White

Just finished The Citadel of Forgotten Myths (new Elric novel) which was ok (review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)

Now I'm reading and reviewing an ARC, a non-S&S book (but it is dark fantasy). It's Nightborn: Coldfire Rising, a prequel novel to the Coldfire Series.

I've been plowing through Jack Vance's Dying Earth books in preparation for next week's Appendix N Book Club Patreon discussion. Currently in Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight: (previously titled Cugel's Saga) (a.k.a. Cugel's Saga), the actual object of discussion.

Joseph wrote: "I've been plowing through Jack Vance's Dying Earth books in preparation for next week's Appendix N Book Club Patreon discussion. Currently in [book:Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight: (..."

Joseph, I assume you heard about the Amber TV series produced by Colbert?

Heard about it; and will happily watch it if it ever eventuates.

Legends & lattesLegends & Lattes

Didn't think I'd ever be reading a fantasy book about an orc opening a coffee shop and enjoying it, but here we are!

In the Forests of Serre
Patricia A. McKillip

So Enchanting! (Just like her other books)

McKillip does so many lovely things. . . .

McKillip is wonderful.

I enjoyed The Tower at Stony Wood

Swain Kingsbane

@Richard & Mary- Yeah, The Tower at Stony Wood was totally intoxicating to me. McKillip is one author I swear can actually weave a spell that has a physical effect. I actually felt somewhat dizzy&dazed upon setting that one down sometimes. Something like coming out of anesthesia Intoxicated, Charmed, Dreamworld feelings, Blissfully lost in a bright gold fog.... etc. I loved Forgotten Beasts of Eld as well. One of my top favorites

Seriously, could an author get much higher praise than this? That their prose had a palpable positive effect?
I haven't read Forgotten Beasts of Eld in a very long time, but I just got it down off the shelf.

I've only read the Riddle-Master trilogy but agree about McKillip's writing. Witty, taut and wonderful.

I'm on a bit of a Moorcock binge: now reading Fortress of the Pearl, right after Stormbringer. Appreciating Later Elric.

Bryn wrote: "I've only read the Riddle-Master trilogy but agree about McKillip's writing. Witty, taut and wonderful."

Her writing gets much more lyrical in later books.

The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History by Tonio Andrade

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. This is going to take a while.

Mary wrote: "The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History by Tonio Andrade"

How are you liking it? I've been interested in this book for some time, but it's rather pricey here so hesitant to pull the trigger.

Dariel wrote: "Mary wrote: "The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History by Tonio Andrade"

How are you liking it? I've been interested..."

It is definitely interesting if you are into military history, or history of technology