Joe's Series Challenge

[Joseph]

Let's see ... I think 2017 would be a good year to read the entire Malazan Book of the Fallen (all 10 novels, plus the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach stuff; the new trilogy and Ian Cameron Esslemont's novels may or may not be added, based on a multiplicity of factors).

I'll also complete Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series (bit of a cheat since I've read 8 out of 9).

And that's probably enough of a start; I may update as whims dictate, or as other things present themselves.

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

I loved Malazan.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

I started Kushiel and found it interesting. I probably won't read on this year, but I look forward to your perceptions.

[Joseph]

I read the first five Malazan novels back in ... 2004? Good heavens. At that point, only the first two had been released in the US, so I ordered British paperbacks of 3-5. Then I just never quite got around to continuing onwards as I acquired successive volumes.

I love the Kushiel books -- Carey's prose is just so lush & gorgeous. I'd also recommend her Sundering series (Godslayer & Banewreaker), which are kind of a retelling of a standard Dark Lord epic fantasy, but from the (much more sympathetic) POV of the Dark Lord. Like Morgoth's version of The Silmarillion.

[Scott]

I started the recommended reading order back in May and I'm up to Stonewielder. That's doing a book a month not including K&KB which I doubled up with other books. I won't be done with the books currently in publication until September of this year. It's a large undertaking. You should read the ICE books. They fill in a lot of details. Just don't constantly compare them to SE's works and they are very enjoyable.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/173946

[Joseph]

Thanks! Right now, my plan is to maybe start them in the summer -- I'll probably be spending a couple of days on Amtrak going on vacation again, which gives plenty of nice, uninterrupted reading time ...

[Scott]

Sweet, enjoy the journey. My favorite series. Nothing comes close to being that epic.

[Margret]

I need to get back on the Malazan train too! I should make that my goal as well, I just wasn't feeling smart enough to read them the last 6 months or so!

[Joseph]

When I read them, it'll be on my Kindle. But I've been buying the Subterranean Press limited hardcovers because they're entirely too gorgeous not to own.

http://subterraneanpress.com/store/pr...

[Margret]

Whyyyy did you show me that!!? Those are indeed meant to be a showpiece!

I guess I can't complain because I purchased the whole main series plus some supplemental Malazan reads for only $25 Canadian dollars

[Joseph]

They're also gigantic -- regular 10" hardcover size, but Memories of Ice is a full 3" thick and weighs 4 1/2 pounds. Which is why I'll be reading them on my Kindle ...

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

Margret wrote: "Whyyyy did you show me that!!? Those are indeed meant to be a showpiece!

I guess I can't complain because I purchased the whole main series plus some supplemental Malazan reads for only $25 Canad..."

I was just going to type that!

[Scott]

OMG that is awesome. If you see a post on a woman's forum that says "My 48 year old husband put up a poster in our bedroom......" That's me.

[Joseph]

[Margret]

Anomander's hair game is unparalleled on that cover

[Margret]

Ah Scott that's hilarious. Luckily my hubby likes stuff like that. I have the '78 Lord of the Rings' Gates of Argonath calendar page framed and hung in our bedroom

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

Wow!

[Margret]

Joseph how is t Sundering series for th

[Margret]

New thumbs... sorry! Internet hard!

What I'm trying to say is... is there lots of sex scenes? I wanted to like the Kushiel series but I just couldn't take it seriously after (view spoiler)[ the whole "pincers for the nether-lips" line in Kushiel's Dart (hide spoiler)]

[Joseph]

Margret wrote: "New thumbs... sorry! Internet hard!

What I'm trying to say is... is there lots of sex scenes? I wanted to like the Kushiel series but I just couldn't take it seriously after [spoilers removed]"

Well, I should preface this by saying I haven't read them in probably 10+ years. But while there might have been some "adult content and situations", I certainly remember them as being much more circumspect than in the Kushiel books.

[Margret]

Thanks! I can handle some, I swear I'm not a prude.. I'm just not all that into sex or romance in my books I find that it detracts from the storyline

[Margret]

And I could tell she's a great writer as well so I do wanna give her a try again

[Joseph]

Yeah, the first Kushiel trilogy in particular is kind of, um ... Not just because of the sex scenes in general, but because of Phedre's ... proclivities. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

[Margret]

Haha yeah that was some freaky stuff.. I thought I'd seen/heard it all working in an inner city ER but whoa

[Joseph]

And I just finished Naamah's Blessing, so that's one off of my list. Great, great series; great, great book.

[Joseph]

Change of plans, I'm guessing -- since the new Tad Williams Osten Ard book came out, I decided to reread the original Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, then read the new one, so that may keep me from getting to Malazan this year.