It is highly recommended for epic fantasy fans. Twice in the first half, I was completely floored by plot twists. The last third kept me from going to sleep. Haven’t had that much fun reading a book in a long time. This jumpstarts The Ring-Sworn Trilogy, a wild & fresh & furious epic...one could argue it is more of a “King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table” mashup. Instead of a singular Holy Grail, the Altenerai guard are spread out searching for many hearthstones of mysterious, spiritual, power—in this case, stones are not clearly holy.
Matt Sullivan
I'm making my way through Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames. I've only got about a hundred pages left and have (mostly) enjoyed it throughout. There is less Spinal Tap in this one than Kings of the Wyld, which stings a little, but the characterizations remain strong.
Gordon Wilson
I have started re-reading the Barsoom series and some Conan. Just finished A Princess of Mars and about 9 chapters in to Conan the Invincible. I am also dipping in to the Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories.
Actually, yes, more than I thought at first. The writing is pleasant, very sensual in descriptions of places and people and while the character is very "perfect", he still has this something a bit cynical, melancholic about him that saves him for me. The stories have the right atmosphere for S&S in my opinion as well, though I could have liked a bit more sword fighting.
Joseph
The Cyrion stories are interesting because as I recall (it's been some years since I read the book) most or all of them are actually puzzle stories -- Cyrion is cursed, for example, and has to create a loophole out of the specific language, or find a way to turn the curse back on the sender.
MelandrhildJoseph wrote: "The Cyrion stories are interesting because as I recall (it's been some years since I read the book) most or all of them are actually puzzle stories -- Cyrion is cursed, for example, and has to crea..."
Yes, some short stories even have a "Sherlock Holmes" vibe, like the one where he must find the murderer of a woman among four persons :)
MelandrhildJason M wrote: "Melandrhild wrote: "...also gave a try at Kane forget Cyrion - what about Kane?! ;)"
Kane has a really interesting protagonist also, I was less into the slightly politic side of the stories but there definitely were epic parts in it ! I'm actually surprised it is not more known (maybe it is in US, but in France for example we know about Elric, Leiber or Conan but I never heard about Kane before checking Goodreads!)
Joseph
Just checking in to say that I'm still firmly ensconced in C.J. Cherryh's Alliance/Union space opera books, but I will be getting back to the swords and the sorcery sooner or later ...
Clint
I’m back in Fafhrd and Gray Mouser mode. I’m on book 6. I started reading these in earnest in 2017. Thus far, they are like the OG cast Star Trek movies: I’ve enjoyed the even numbered books (2,4) however, the odd numbered books not as much. books 1 and 3 both had high points, but book 5 was particularly not my thing.
Nice art and a decent story are delivered well, but almost too fast. One silly escape scene mars a great issue. Scott Oden's entry for "Shadow of Vengeance" was spot on: fluid prose, crisp details, ramping tension.
Joseph
I'm still reading C.J. Cherryh, but I've progressed to The Pride of Chanur, which is fun, fast-paced space opera, as opposed to some of the other, more recent books I've been reading, which are all about the inner workings of complex bureaucracies.
Jason Waltz
Also currently alternating between 2 non-S&S titles: mystery anthology The Comfortable Coffin (1960) and nonfiction collection If I Die in a Combat Zone (1969).