Fantasy Book Club discussion
Challenge: Complete those Series
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Aaron's Series Challenge
Skyward - Oh man, this is how you do YA. Skyward is hand’s down one of the best books I have read this year. I mean it is Sanderson so that is not really surprising. Classic Sanderson world building, character development, plot pacing and damn is it full of hooks to keep you reading.Spensa is a fantastic protagonist and plays very well of off her supporting cast, most of who are given enough time to shine and become interesting and noteworthy. M-Bot is probably my favorite representation of AI I can think of, and his obsession with mushrooms had me actually laughing out loud. The action is hectic but easy to follow and very engaging. And the plot, oh the plot, has the right amount of secrets and discovery to never feel frustrated but constantly hungering for more.
Detritus, and the world building around it is genuinely interesting and solid. And, for the love of god, no love triangle! My least favorite thing in most YA novels. In fact very little in the way of romance for now. The seeds are there between Spensa and Jorg but, for once, the best friend/sibling at heart relationship looks to stay that way, Rig looks set to get the rich girl instead. Fingers crossed.
Cannot wait for the rest of the series.
Lies Sleeping - Another fantastic chapter in a fantastic series. This one had a very tight focus and brought a lot of the past elements and earlier threads from the previous books together into a nice finish for the Faceless Man arc. There was a nice bit of character development on most fronts, and some very memorable moments both in the grand sense (battles, showdown) and in smaller moments (Molly and Foxglove, Peter and Bev). I eagerly await the next book and, once again, recommend anyone with a slight interest in fantasy to read this series.
The Three Secret Cities - The final book of the year and damn what a good one. After the previous book which contained most of its action in one central location, 3SC returns to the tried and true formula of the series. Globetrotting, crazy ancient locations, incredible action, and just a fantastic story. I was very impressed with the failure consequence introduced and kind of wanted it to happen, just to see them deal with it in book 6. But given everything else that happened, that might have been too much heartbreak to deal with.
I do love the inclusion of new characters (and two fan favorites from Scarecrow) but 1) it's hard to forget Iolanthe handcuffed a child to a boat and sunk it into crocodile infested water 10 years ago and 2) the lack of Stretch, Pooh, Skymonster and Zoe was a little bit disappointing.
I did love the hidden kingdom reference to The Tournament establishing it within the same universe as Scarecrow and Jack West Jr.
All I want in book 6 is William RACE! Come on Matthew, show Temple some love. (Same universe as implied by Area 7)
Apologies for the delay in reading. There was a death in the family at the start of the month, been hard to focus on books until the last couple of days. Looking forward to a new year and to get back into properly.
Mod
Aaron, I'm so sorry about your grief. May the Lord put his hand of peace on you and your family.
Thanks Tnkw01, really appreciate the kind words.
Area 7 - Still great, with so many iconic moments. Now on to the depressing (scene, not book) sequel... :(
Just to help you keep the list updated....Paper Girls by Vaughn now has five books released. The sixth (and final) book will be published in about a year.
Scott wrote: "Just to help you keep the list updated....Paper Girls by Vaughn now has five books released. The sixth (and final) book will be published in about a year."Thanks Scott, I really do need to update the list, add more too it and get through some of the books of it haha. I am getting a payout from my old job soon which should allow me to buy a bunch of graphic novels :D many excited.
Scarecrow - Well, (view spoiler)Such an unrelenting pace. Reilly somehow managed to make his action movie in a book even faster and bigger. This one has some of the most memorable moments in the series, both in awesome action and in solid character development. Speaking of characters, the introduction of Knight and Rufus is another reason this book is such a standout. I am always happy to read more about those two.
But yes, as expected, amazing action scenes, incredible escapes and Reilly's ability to paint a vivid picture, even at such a fast pace, is as good as ever. The delivery of the plot, done during action this time, was a wonderful idea and really adds to the book.
On to book 4
Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves - I totally forgot how much I enjoyed this book, I mean when it first came out I did read it in one sitting. Which also helped me forget about some of the action settings so this re-read was a bit more of a surprise at moments compared to the rest. While the action is just as balls to the wall as the rest, what really steps this book up is two-fold. The villain is the first true nemesis type bad guy for Scarecrow, who loves to play up physiological torture, which feeds into the second point. The fallout from Scarecrow and how our two main characters deal with that on an emotional level.
The new characters are fantastic, especially Bertie the lil unstoppable Robot, and I hope they return in the future whenever Scarecrow 5 gets written. However, I wish Book II was either in the book or his missing whereabouts was mentioned.
Paper Girls, Vol. 1 - Beautiful artwork and engaging story. Leaves you wanting to read the rest of the series. Will do a full review once I get some money to buy and finish the rest of the series haha.
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Tnkw01 wrote: "Aahh, books are my guilty pleasure and I spend way too much for them."haha they are mine as well, but I am in a shitty spot financially until I get my payout at the end of March, then I will be debt free! So many books going to be purchased after that haha
Mod
Under the Eagle - Pretty good start, really like the use of historical characters in a fictional story. Will be interesting to see Vitellius and Vespasian's rise (and fall for Vitellius) to Emperor and what role Macro and Cato will have in it. Looking forward to the rest when I can afford to get them haha.
The Hod King - Come the Hod King. The sheer creativity of The Books of Babel will never cease to amaze me. This series would be one of the tops of my list to see created into a funded TV show, if done right, it would be so visually stunning. The third book in the series is no exception and even goes a step further by utilizing a different narrative structure.
I really enjoyed the three arc style and think they were put in the perfect order. Senlin with the slow investigation, Voleta with some of the funniest moments in the book and finally Edith with the looming fear and dread of what was to come. I particularly enjoyed Edith's section and how she comes to realize how badass she is. The Hod King also has probably some of the darkest moments and it really leaves you in a state of hunger for more, both due to worry and curiosity.
I was a bit surprised that the majority of the book took place in one Ringdom but I think it ended up working pretty well. The Ringbuilding (heh) was still fantastic and I really do not have a single complaint about this book. Well maybe one, but I know why these things happen (view spoiler) The extra focus we get with Byron, Iren and The Red Hand is fantastic. Though I am a little bit surprised Adam was missing completely and expected a slight teaser to his new circumstances.
In a way, I hope Mr Bancroft is actually creating a literary interpretation of the tower with these books, and they turn into a never-seen, never-ending trap for the unexpected and we go blissfully into the future looking forward to book 39 of the Books of Babel. But for now, I will simply look forward to book 4 and the proposed ending of the series.
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The Black Prism - 2nd read through (nearly on the 2nd year anniversary of the first read coincidently) and it still amazes me how much growth Weeks has shown as an author.I liked Night Angel trilogy but it did feel a little... unplanned and like half of it was written as it came to the author. This book though, it just feels immensely different. If I read both with no knowledge I would not assume it is the same author.
The Black Prism has such great world building, the magic system is complex and follows a set of rules, giving it a very Sanderson feel. The action is fast paced but easy to follow and the characters are likable and very well written. The plot is super intriguing and leaves you wanting more (What are the 7 great purposes!). I am very much excited to move on and read the next of the series. (After The Expanse #8)
Dexter By Design - Better than the last one but eh, its still not the best. The series has taken a bit of a dive and if it wasn't for the Dexter brand it probably wouldn't be a seller. Jennifers Leg was fucked up. Will finish the series someday just because, well it is Dexter.
Aaron wrote: "Dexter By Design - Better than the last one but eh, its still not the best. The series has taken a bit of a dive and if it wasn't for the Dexter brand it probably wouldn't be a selle..."Yeah the series does head down hill and the last book left me feeling like the last season...
Aaron wrote: "Dexter By Design - Better than the last one but eh, its still not the best. The series has taken a bit of a dive and if it wasn't for the Dexter brand it probably wouldn't be a selle..."Well, that does not inspire me with confidence (but I am not surprised in the least)
Seriously how bad was the last season.
Tiamat's Wrath - Gah, so good. This really is the best Sci-Fi series I have read. Continues the trend of great characters, incredible world-building, and almost unbearable tension. It took a turn halfway through I really did not expect and I can finally see how they may actually finish this series in one more book. I am sad it will end but also glad that it will end on a high note.
Also Elvi is back finally! and of course (view spoiler)
If you have not read this series, do your self a favor and pick it up.
Paper Girls, Vol. 2 - Beautiful artwork, compelling if wack story. Ok with it being loose with details at this early stage but I do hope the future issues become a bit more focused.
The Color of Magic - And the great discworld read through begins. This is a fantastic introduction into the wacky, insane and bizarre. Leave's you wanting more. Very much looking forward to the Death series. And I will always be happy to read more of Luggage and Twoflower
Mod
Welcome to the crazy world of Discworld. Great stuff. I may have to do that challenge myself in the upcoming years. Also, there are even better characters than Luggage and Twoflower. IMO.
The Blinding Knife - Ho-ly Shit. While it started off a bit slower it just snowballed on itself and got faster and faster. So many moments had me stunned. I will be interested to see if the third book is even better. I have a feeling this series is just going to keep climbing upwards in greatness.
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I knew after the first book it was leagues above his previous series. In a way I am a bit sad it took me this long to get to it, but on the bright side, it means I won't have to worry about waiting for the finale haha.
The Light Fantastic - I must look like an idiot on the bus with how much this makes me laugh. Such a funny book. Filled with puns, both subtle and obvious humor and fantastic characters. I hear that the series picks up from the 5th book, and considering how good it already is, if that is true I am very much looking forward to the rest. Rincewind, Two-Flower and The Luggage make the best trio. And there were a few nice touching moments at the end.
Equal Rites - Not as good as the previous two and took a fair bit longer to really get into it. Do like the new characters of Granny and Esk and the final third of the book was really enjoyable.
The Broken Eye - While not as good as the previous book it was still incredibly enjoyable and held you for long moments. The scene in the arena was particularly tense. I do think the lack of freedom given to Gavin did hurt overall but it makes sense for the plot. Looking forward to book 4
Mod
The Blood Mirror - So damn good. Many twists, many turns. All most all of them great. Can not wait for the next book. Bring on October
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I can't wait for book 5 either.
Tnkw01 wrote: "Aaron wrote: "The Blood Mirror - So damn good. Many twists, many turns. All most all of them great. Can not wait for the next book. Bring on October"I can't wait for book 5 either."
Shame it got delayed but if it means he doesn't rush it I am ok with it haha.
Mort - Ah dat's good shit. I knew from the previous books that Death was going to be a stand out character and I am so glad he has his own bunch of stories. Mort and Co complemented him well and I enjoyed the Rincewind cameo.
Mod
I loved Mort. I have only read a few Discworld books but so far Mort is my favorite.
Children of Time - I never thought I would cheer for the success of a spider over a human before, but yet here we are.What a story, and a very unique one at that. Having read some of Tchaikovsky’s Shadow of the Apt series this does not surprise me, he has to be one of the most creative/imaginative authors going around.
I really liked the two sides of the story being told, one through generations, the other through one generation passing time through cryo-sleep, leading to an inevitable yet satisfying clash. Characters were great, the plot was such a fast-paced that there was never a dull moment.
I am very glad to know that there is a sequel and pretty happy to know it just came out. Looking forward to getting onto it when I can.
Red Rising - Reread - 2019 - Reading it again as I plan to move through the series now. Enjoyed it more the second time, and feel like the character work is better than I originally thought and I am very interested in following up the series. Still think the concept of the color's having specific roles is fantastic. Original Review - 2017 - Not bad, interesting premise and world-building but the main character is a bit too great at everything. I can easily see the Hunger Games reference but for once YA novel without a shitty love triangle. Brutal at times and I appreciate the Roman/Greek mythology running throughout the story. Will finish the trilogy at some point.
Golden Son - What an ending, as soon as I got the inkling things were about to go down I became tense and actually delayed returning to work in order to finish it.(view spoiler)
Ok so outside of that the action was intense but easy to follow, and all the twists and turns made it a super-fast read. Great follow up to Red Rising, even better I would say in the end. I am not waiting and going straight on to book 3.
Aaron wrote: "Children of Time - I never thought I would cheer for the success of a spider over a human before, but yet here we are.What a story, and a very unique one at that. Having read some..."
Just picked this up for $5 on Audible and based on these comments will up the priority on when to listen. Spider over human sounds interesting.
Hope you enjoy it :) if you remember, please let me know how you found it
Morning Star - To quote a completely unrelated book. Journey before destination. The ending was good but not as great as the journey to get there, and given how big of a change Darrow was going for, it makes sense that it would be that way. It was very clever how the future antagonists were set up and delayed for book 4. The character progression was great (Yay for Victra) and there were some hard-hitting moments throughout.
While this is the end of the first part of the story, given I am late to the party and moving straight on to book 4, I'll do a more in-depth review later
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Iron Gold - While it was good it still, it was a bit lower than the previous books, but that was probably to be expected given it has to introduce new characters and deal with a 10 year gap. The ending was pretty expected and not much of a surprise but was still enjoyable and sets up the next two books well.
I will now probably wait until the final book is released before heading forward on this.
Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Scarab Path (other topics)Lux (other topics)
Salute the Dark (other topics)
Blood of the Mantis (other topics)
Dragonfly Falling (other topics)
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The new characters, good and bad, are fantastic and the action is nonstop and thrilling. Plus the foreshadowing of things to come in what I assume will be the next 3 books leave me very excited for the future. Now, onto the new book!