Sword-Maker [Nov 2017]

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

This is a Buddy Read for Sword-Maker by Jennifer Roberson starting November 8, 2017.

[Choko]

Spot

[Laura]

Spot!

[Mayim]

Here. :)

[Mayim]

I hope to start tomorrow. A bit early I know but I have the rest of the month packed.

EDIT: Wow, it's longer than the previous ones. Looks really solid.

Team Tiger!

[Choko]

😂! I will start tomorrow evening too 😁!

[Mayim]

I am up to chapter 5 and very happy that the current of the story caught me up again.

Tiger (view spoiler)[is very cute when grumpy. Also, his coming to terms with the brand new sword is nicely written. The conflict of desire and mistrust, yearning and avoiding, that I liked very much. A silly question, just to make sure: did he blood his sword on this wild snowcat and so now it will be sandtiger with a snowcat sword? I don't know if I should be disappointed, I hoped the deed is going to be done on some evil badass. (hide spoiler)]

Del (view spoiler)[is Del I guess. Nonetheless, I kind of prefer the "back to square one" trick than the emotional quagmire of the previous book. Although they will never quite be the reluctant yet attracted opposites, as there is less and less opposite in them. (hide spoiler)] I'm definitely Team Tiger.

[Emily]

Mayim wrote: "I am up to chapter 5 and very happy that the current of the story caught me up again.

Tiger [spoilers removed]

Hahaha, I haven't started yet but I remember this from the first time I read it and I thought the same thing, (view spoiler)[ I think he did blood his sword on the snowcat (hide spoiler)].

Del [spoilers removed] I'm definitely Team Tiger."

[Laura]

I'll have to wait a bit till I'm done with Temeraire. Or perhaps I'll start this also today. Don't wanna bite the dust. :)

[Solseit]

I think I will jump the gun as well and start reading the book tonight!
I miss Tiger and I want to see how he is faring in the north!

[Mayim]

Aristea, he is doing great! :)

[Mayim]

I am about 1/3 in. My, that boy can be verbose!
Overall, much better than the previous one for me.

Edit: By chapter 16 I was happy to discover (view spoiler)[ that my initial gut feeling proved true. It has been the evil guy for the sword after all. Although the snowcat seemed fitting. (hide spoiler)]

[Mayim]

Post part I reflection.

(view spoiler)[Now that I see when the story is going I really do not understand why wasn't the first part included into Sword-Singer. It would have made much more sense for two primary reasons:

1. This part is long, much longer than the previous ones, and sometimes I have a feeling that needlessly so when, especially when I think of the action to internal monologue ratio.

2. In terms of tale design, it would also be more coherent and sound - they go north, Tiger gains the northern skils and a northern sword and quenches it in a grand finale fight with the evil one. Now it looks like the story was suspended midway through, like a badly cut soap opera episode. Then the Sword Maker could return neatly to the Adjani hunting down South which really starts in part II. (hide spoiler)]

How are you doing ladies?

[Emily]

I'm only a few chapters in Mayim. I've been participating in my first ever NaNoWriMo so I've been doing more writing than reading lately. I will try to make a dent in the book soon. Sounds like you are enjoying it at least which is good. :)

[Mayim]

Oh wow Emily, while I have no idea what a NaNoWriMo is, the name is formidable so I wish you all kinds of success!

[Emily]

Mayim wrote: "Oh wow Emily, while I have no idea what a NaNoWriMo is, the name is formidable so I wish you all kinds of success!"

Hahaha, Thanks Mayim. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it's where you try to write a novel (of 50,000 words) in one month. So far I'm ahead of schedule so that's promising. Can't let the reading slide too much though! ;) :)

[Mayim]

Oh, triple wow! Most definitely go and write!

[Laura]

Wow Emily! Good luck!

I will start this tonight. Had a bad cold these last few days and wasn't able to do much reading with the wonderful headache and fever. I managed to finish Black Powder War however and will try to catch up with you Mayim. You are so far ahead!!!

[Mayim]

It's deceptive Laura, the chapters are really short and so you fly through them. Plus, I will be here to chat regardless of your speed. ;)

[Laura]

Mayim wrote: "It's deceptive Laura, the chapters are really short and so you fly through them. Plus, I will be here to chat regardless of your speed. ;)"

Thank you lovely. :)

[Mayim]

I'm sorry I'm spamming this thread so much but I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed part II very much. It had all the best things of the series.

[Emily]

Thanks ladies!

Mayim have you finished the book? Glad you're enjoying/enjoyed it. 😊

[Mayim]

No Emily, there is still one part more. This instalment is really long (when compared with the previous ones). My epub has nearly 600 pages.

[Emily]

Ah ok. Well I am on chapter six so I better get to it! ☺

[Mayim]

Finished, liked it much more than the previous one. Will be here if anyone wants to chat.

[Shaitarn]

Will start this tomorrow; hopefully it'll be something fast and relatively light after the intense/dark books I've been reading recently!

[Emily]

Mayim wrote: "Finished, liked it much more than the previous one. Will be here if anyone wants to chat."

Glad to hear it Mayim. Working my way through slowly.

[Choko]

I am here. Just started it and am loving it already! I think I just really enjoy this series:):):) Thanks guys for reading it here!!!

[Emily]

Ugh, not going to lie, Del is pissing me off. (view spoiler)[ JUST ADMIT WHAT YOU DID IS WRONG (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Oh. Up to Chapter eight re: spoiler tag.

[Mayim]

Emily wrote: "Ugh, not going to lie, Del is pissing me off. [spoilers removed]"

That motif was not elegantly played out I thought. (view spoiler)[both in terms of Del's stubbornness and the way she finally did admit. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Sorry for the delay. I have finished only chapter 2 as I was little busy setting up my owned shelf for the book buying ban challenge. Figured I should have that done before I buy again a book I already had. :)

This seems a very light and easy read just as the last and I'll be concentrating on it today trying to catch up.

[Solseit]

I just finished Chapter 12 in Part III.

Overall, I think this is a bit weaker than book #2 so far. Especially the first part of the book was too slow for me. (view spoiler)[ Don't get me wrong, I loved the sorcerer aspect, how Tiger really made a difference and how powerful Samiel is. I also love the fact that Tiger ends up in complicated relationships with other males in his life, especially the stud (I LOVE HIM) and Samiel!
I found it fatiguing the relationship with Del; I like how focused she is but she messed up and she continues to be stubborn about everything. (hide spoiler)]

Part II was a bit better but I still found it slow. And I think it does not help that this book is a little longer than the prior installments.
(view spoiler)[ I am enthusiast about being back in the South, making Tiger finally at home. Yet this section is purely an interlude really, it could have been significantly shortened in my opinion (hide spoiler)]

Part III is living up to the standard of the second book really. (view spoiler)[ I am happy that side characters we encountered in the prior installment are back, from Garrod to Hashi, Alric and Lena.

I got the chills when the son of the Sandtiger showed his true colors. Spectacular built of events there. I had a blast really.
I am also enjoying the relationship between Tiger and Del again and I hope she stops being a pain in the neck that characterized her in the last two books. (hide spoiler)]

I definitely plan to finish the book today!

[Shaitarn]

Emily wrote: "Ugh, not going to lie, Del is pissing me off. [spoilers removed]"

She's pissing me off to! I'm glad Tiger called her out on it. (view spoiler)[ Does she come after Tiger to apologise or because she missed him? No! She wants him to dance with her! Gah, does she ever think of anyone else?! (hide spoiler)]

Oh, and I'm doing NaNo too. I use the same name there as here, so if you want to add me as a writing buddy, go ahead!

[Mayim]

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you writing ladies!

[Solseit]

Mayim wrote: "I am keeping my fingers crossed for you writing ladies!"

Well said Mayim! Good luck to everyone engaging in NaNo!

[Solseit]

Mayim wrote: "I am keeping my fingers crossed for you writing ladies!"

Well said Mayim! Good luck to everyone engaging in NaNo!

[Mayim]

Aristea wrote: "I just finished Chapter 12 in Part III.

Overall, I think this is a bit weaker than book #2 so far. Especially the first part of the book was too slow for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the sorc..."

I found myself enjoying the relationship building. I think it's one of the strongest aspects of the series. Too many fantasy books end with the lovey-dovey "and they lived happily ever after". One thing Tiger and Del shows is that nothing like that exists. You build your relationship and it grows and matures and expands with you and your spouse/partner. I like how they bicker and negotiate personal boundaries, how they mold each other, how they grow on each other without even realising this at times. How they are jealous without acknowledging why or what does it mean. It just shows that there is nothing casual in the daily life of every couple. You don't have to be a sword-dancer to be able to relate.

[Solseit]

Mayim wrote: "Aristea wrote: "I just finished Chapter 12 in Part III.

Overall, I think this is a bit weaker than book #2 so far. Especially the first part of the book was too slow for me. Don't get me wrong, I..."

I would agree with you if I did not feel that Tiger is the only one compromising. I agree with you they both are growing (especially Tiger), they are maturing as a couple, they are becoming a better version of themselves (one much faster than the other).
Said so, it is difficult for me to relate to this couple at this point (view spoiler)[ if my significant other, the person I care for thinking the feeling is mutual, decides to sacrifice my freedom for his personal advantage, that would be it for me. There would not be a continuation and this is why I think Tiger is just the one compromising. (hide spoiler)]

[Mayim]

I don't argue, you are 100% right. I guess I mind the asymmetry less perhaps hoping that in the coming instalments the chit will catch up.

[Solseit]

Mayim wrote: "I don't argue, you are 100% right. I guess I mind the asymmetry less perhaps hoping that in the coming instalments the chit will catch up."
I am hoping exactly for the same! Only, I hope Tiger does not mess up BIG time! This would not balance things out for me!

[Mayim]

Aristea wrote: "Mayim wrote: "I don't argue, you are 100% right. I guess I mind the asymmetry less perhaps hoping that in the coming instalments the chit will catch up."
I am hoping exactly for the same! Only, I h..."

I just found the quote that basically sums your previous points: (view spoiler)[I was being altered, while Del remained the same. (hide spoiler)] I couldn't stand it in the previous book.

[Solseit]

Mayim wrote: "Aristea wrote: "Mayim wrote: "I don't argue, you are 100% right. I guess I mind the asymmetry less perhaps hoping that in the coming instalments the chit will catch up."
I am hoping exactly for the..."
That is exactly it! Well done Mayim!

[Emily]

Shaitarn wrote: "Emily wrote: "Ugh, not going to lie, Del is pissing me off. [spoilers removed]"

She's pissing me off to! I'm glad Tiger called her out on it. [spoilers removed]

Oh, and I'm doing NaNo too. I use ..."

I know right? I didnt remember her being this frustrating last time.

Also I found you and sent a buddy invite. :)
Happy Writing

[Laura]

Just finished chapter 11 and I like it.
Can't really say Del makes me angry. By now I believe (view spoiler)[she has given up so much to that sword of hers that there is no clear line in between Del and sword. I think her sword could make her more "unfeeling".
And that part with not being able to have any other children ever again because a vow she made (again on or with the sword) sort of explains her despair and pigheadedness in wanting the child. She didn't think about anyone else, not even the child in question, because she was desperate. She lost everything by now and is trying to find a new purpose and a new life, which doesn't seem to be very easy to do. These songs sang by the kin seem to be so very important in the North and now Del is a blade with no song and no name. That must be painful.
Now I'm not saying all this makes what she did less screwed up. I'm just saying I understand why she did it. So I'm a bit tolerant towards her and hope she will be able to change. (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Thank you Mayim and Aristea.

[Choko]

Just finished CH. 2... I feel bad for Tiger and the Stud!!! And the Stud is still my favorite horse in books EVER!!! That is a lot to say, since I have many horses in literature I love:)

[Solseit]

The stud is the best!

[Emily]

Choko wrote: "Just finished CH. 2... I feel bad for Tiger and the Stud!!! And the Stud is still my favorite horse in books EVER!!! That is a lot to say, since I have many horses in literature I love:)"

Choko I LOVE the Stud, and his relationship with Tiger. They're a great pair. :)

[Laura]

Love the Stud too! And felt so sorry for Tiger also!!! I didn't get to mention that in my spoiler.