Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
Archive [Retired Book Clubs]
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RETIRED THREAD: Vagabond Treehouse Book Club
House of Earth and Blood - When should we start reading this one? We got derailed with our start date. lol Or do ya'll want to start with a different book? I am game!
I am starting a few BRs on May 1 but we can start this one if you want. Been trying to find something a little lighter to get me out of a slight slump. Lemme do some browsing and I'll let ya know.
Mod
T-Rexes & Tax Law -- Time Traveling Tax Man #1 -- the premise of this book is ridiculous... the MC is a bit annoying, but becomes more tolerable... the character vibe kinda reminds me of Fred the Vampire Accountant and his kick-ass love interest... 3-4 stars, but interesting enough to continue... KU & $7.50 for a pretty short book...
Year One: A Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter Collection -- Quincy Harker omnibus #1 -- collection of novellas about a part-vamp wizard exorcist... I enjoyed this one alot more, read 2.25 of the stories before my phone died at work (just got home after nearly 10hr shift)... reads kinda like a campy TV show you'd see on CW or Spike / MTV... Uncle Luke is Dracula... Marlowe was the baddie of the first story... Van(essa) Helsing shows up in story 3 or 4, based on the blurb... another KU + $7.50, but much better value...
Last night, I found more (new to me) books on Kindle Unlimited & Read & Listen. Here's a few that I bumped up my KU+RL TBR:
- I had fun reading Rysa Walker's Chronos Files. There's a new one called the Delphi Trilogy. Starts with The Delphi Effect. It's a teenager that can see ghosts.
- Samantha Watkins is a PNR with vampires.
- The Garden of Stones looks to be an epic fantasy. It won the Gemmell Morningstar Award. I'm guessing that's based on David Gemmell. Narrated by Nick Podhel, so it should be fun to listen to at least.
- To Honor You Call Us is a military space opera. A GR friend really liked it so I'm gonna try it. I tend to enjoy most of the books that friend rates 4-5.
Otherwise, Charlie N. Holmberg has a couple of new series and standalone novels that look interesting. I feel like she's a nice author to turn to when I want an easy going story with a touch of whimsy.
Mod
Here's a few that I bumped up my KU+RL TBR:
- I had fun reading Rysa Walker's Chronos Files. Ther..."
Me and Anni had plenty of opinions about the CHRONOS Files... we BR'd it last summer... all in all, we enjoyed the trilogy, despite it's flaws... but the novella inside the head of the Evil Aunt didn't do anything to make her more likeable... it actually made her worse, if anything... I think we rated that novella 1-2 stars...
I think I had myriad problems with Holmberg's Paper Magician series, so haven't felt the need to continue with her works, despite how much I like the magic system...
The Paper Magician series was too cozy in some ways. Lots of cool ideas and a handful of fun twists but the basic plot was super simple. That detracted from anything complicated that happened. Also, she kinda sucks at endings. LOL
I didn't read any of the novellas for Chronos Files. I only listened to the main books. RW is another writer that does a decent job with a plot that I'll go look at her work.
I think that list is currently:
- Jeff Wheeler
- Evan Currie
- Rysa Walker
- Sarah Fine (Though most of her MCs/plot are depressing to listen to vs reading. Reading was fine but listening, I find them to be too depressing.)
Out of the not as well known authors. Of those that are well known:
- Chuck Wendig
- Richard Kadrey
- Neal Stephenson
- Dean Koontz
- Blake Crouch
ETA: These are all authors/work that I've been able to read/listen to on KU. =D
It doesn't help that I don't like reading some of the newer authors that are more prolific & friends enjoy reading. Like Lindsey Buroker. Nope. She has lopsided writing quality in her publications. The ideas are always cool but the ending are subpar. I was into Annette Marie until I realized she doesn't know how to get to a point. Like make a real plot point and get there...
Loved Rachel Aaron's Heartstriker's but I can't stand the new Minimum Wage series. The MC is Korean. Except it's not really Korean. The editing flaws on the use of Korea vs Korean and other cultural references were really bad.
Mod
Al..."
The 1st novella showed (view spoiler)... and the 2nd novella showed (view spoiler)...
Now that I'm discussing this, I remember being a bit unhappy with the final resolution of the trilogy... (view spoiler)
Yah. the last book wasn't that great of a conclusion but the books were okay reads in general. I felt the same way about Mark Lawrence's Impossible Times. It started out great and then ended on a meh note. It's the case of explain too much on one front and not enough on another.
Mod
I had similar feelings when I read A Thousand Pieces of You trilogy with Anni & Charlie (I think it was Charlie)... great trilogy, but the end was rushed and kinda came out nowhere (view spoiler)
I love the topics of time travel and the multiverse, so I constantly try series with these themes, even if they struggle in the resolution...
Some of the best ones, tho, are when time travel sneaks in unexpectedly... but then I can't recommend without giving away a bit spoiler 4 books into a series... it's like me recommending a book to Niki... it means there are surprise dragons, all of a sudden...
Soo wrote: "...I was into Annette Marie until I realized she doesn't know how to get to a point. Like make a real plot point and get there..."Yes that's it. I have been trying to work out why I suddenly took 6 weeks to read the fourth book, when I had quite liked the previous ones.
Yeah, I was super excited about Annette Marie. A decent writer that publishes a book every few months? Awesome! Except, it turns out that she's not great at putting a plot together. lol
I have got to stop reading your club threads. My TBR can't take it LOL Added T-Rexes & Tax Law to my list :)
Nah, you should totally just hang and talk with us! Besides, Iain adds to everyone's TBR at some point. Hahaha
There isn't a good place to post this one so I'm posting here. HahahaSo, you ever get in the mood to try a story that you know will be bad but you want to see just how bad it is? These books fall under that umbrella for me:
- Spellmonger #1 - Apparently this has ridiculous sex magic as part of the story.
- Tarnsman of Gor #1 - This is suppose to be the male brawn, light S&M Conan.
At some point, I'm going to want to read something silly just to see how silly it is. These two are at the top of that list. Ya know, just like how I listened to The Fire Seekers. Total cheese but it was entertaining in audio.
OMG!!! I read the Gor books and yes, if you actually want to spend a ton of time reading something just because it is completely terrible, this is the series to do it! It is the male chauvinist dream world, rape city and just everything that is wrong put together on page! But I used to love the original book covers, so this is how I got it back in the day. Then I finished the series just because I was being a masochist at the time... And very OCD, could never DNF a book or series, or went bonkers... I have gotten much better in my old age...
LoL I can't believe you read the whole series! But I'm definitely gonna read the first book. Reviews said that it doesn't get bad until later but I'm curious to see what it's like. It wouldn't be the first time I read something super cheesy! =D
I skimmed Tarnsman of Gor and I'm not sure how you could have read a whole series of that. lol
Haha! I told you! I used to be extremely OCD and could never start something and not finish. It was a real problem in college, because I HAD to read the textbooks from start to finish, and reading several in a course of a semester was almost impossible. Several times I dropped off from a class, finished the book, and then enrolled in it again... And I was paying for my own classes! It was a real illness! Another reason I would only start reading something I was reasonably sure I might like, because I knew I was committed to the whole thing...So glad I am mostly over all that!!!
Choko, you're nuts! I'm glad it's easier for you to stop a series if you need to. Though, this totally goes in line with several of us being serial-reading-holics. LOL =DGood company of people! =D
Mod
But I still go through phases where I want to clear my open series... and I have 100s of them, from my years of voracious reading...
My spreadsheet has nearly 500 series on it now... I'm caught up on 97 series that are unfinished, and behind on 45 more, with a backlog of 330 books (most are long-running mystery series)...
I just did a bunch of SF books and want to dive into fantasy before I go into my re-read of Murderbot. =)Who's in the mood to read one of the Vagabond TBR books or have a suggestion?
I think the ones that came up most recently are:
- House of Earth and Blood
- Rise of the Ranger
- Children of Earth and Sky
Trying to fill in with a book with solid writing & plot. I just finished an entertaining SF with cool characters but meh ending. The historical fiction novel had great research notes of the time period but the lamest daytime soap opera style plot.
Most of the continuing series I have lined up are either SF or UF and some of those are re-reads. I guess I can start the next Malazan.
Mod
And of the list at the top, the Brilliance Saga sounds interesting, but you already read it...
I know there's that other BR of the Sarah J. Maas book going on, but I'm not interested in any of the books you listed right now...
I've got Mirror Empire I need to read, then a variety of continuations on my menu...
I recently read The X-Files: Cold Cases (which I picked up for free years ago now, it seems), so I did the follow-up for completion's sake...
Finally finished the Sacred Throne trilogy, after being super late for the first one in March, and not interested enough to rush the 2nd & 3rd...
You'll like Brilliance. That's a good series. I decided to start the next Malazan on my list but I'm still open to a BR too. It's funny that while I'm not a fan of the way Erikson has written the series, I know that I can rely on him to have a reason for where details/events are placed. So it'll make sense at some point. That helps me put up with the obtuse writing style he's chosen. There is always payoff! Woo
Plus, there's no way I'm reading Black Company until after I finish Malazan because I didn't like how much SE honored the series within Malazan. The two series have a ton of similarities.
Malayan books are good but I feel like I am prepping for a test more than I’m reading for enjoyment. By the way I am slumping hard right now. Doing Black Lung Captain in audio and about to finish my kindle read. Neither are really inspiring me right now. Hopefully can power through a good chunk of the audio tmrw at work.
Let me know if a story grabs ya! If I have it or can get it easy, I'll join.
Mod
I remember it definitely threw you right into the action, similar to Malazan...
Black Company - I read the first book. The way the characters are portrayed and the names will make lots of Malazan pop ups in your head. It made reading the book a very weird experience because it's not Malazan but there are many parallels. Erikson is a total fan of the series.
What do we want to read next?These are the books on the Vagabond TBR right now, minus Sasha #1. I read that one recently. Decent start to a series & characters + action. It's a YA and I think the author's viewpoint is more epic than what the writing will deliver. It was fun but very YA vibe.
- House of Earth and Blood #1 by Sarah J. Mass
- Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
- A Warrior's Path #1 by Davis Ashura
- Nightblade #1 by Ryan Kirk
- The Iron King #1 by Maurice Druon
- A Crucible of Souls #1 Mitchell Hogan
- Rise of the Ranger #1 by Philip C. Quaintrell
- The City of Brass #1 by S.A. Chakraborty
- Corpies by Drew Hayes
- Cephrael's Hand #1 by Melissa McPhail
- The Ruin of Kings #1 by Jenn Lyons
- Make Me No Grave #1 by Hayley Stone
- Quill #1 by AC Cobble
Other Books to Look At (Don't forget to make suggestions of your own.)
- A Trick of Light #1 (I don't know why they say Stan Lee wrote it when he was just a part of the brainstorming process.)
- The Forgetting Moon #1 by Brian Lee Durfee
- The Dwarves #1 by David Heitz
- Dawn of Wonder #1 by Jonathan Renshaw
- Prodigal Son #1 by Dean Koontz
- The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson
- The Black Hawks #1 by David Wragg
Hey Soo. I have a few bigger BRs this month but I 'd be in to read either Rise of the Ranger, Nightblade, or a Warrior's path. I own all of those. If you want something different thats cool too. Let me know and I will buy any ones you want to start
Any of those work for me! I have a few BR's planned for this month & a handful of maybes that I may join. It's mostly ??? marks on my list for May. lol Choko also has Ranger and Nightblade, I think. When would be a good time for you? I can squeeze it in around whatever works best for ya.
Have no preference really. How bout Nighblade?
Sure, why not? They're all in the mystery (cross your fingers) and hope it's fun pile. lol =)
Nightblade:The writing is a bit rough and the action scenes aren't described that well. LoL
I was surprised to realize that this one would fit in the Enter the Dragon thread. It's definitely martial arts in here.
Two characters are introduced but the nobleman's kid is not one of the three talked about in the blurb.
I do want to see how Ryu develops. I'm just at the beginning right now. =)
Nightblade: I finished it vs DNFing because I wanted to see how the story ends. The writing is really rough. The author jumps between in story plot moments to "talking at the reader and making statements".
Some of the base ideas are cool but execution is very sloppy.
I liked the idea of Night/Day blade warriors.
The author obviously has a love for Asian martial art stories. But... it's not enough to use Asian style names and write (poor) fighting scenes to make the story Wuxia/Martial Arts. Totally failed to create the setting/atmosphere. Sword of Kaigen, Never Die & Green Bone Saga are much better at it.
Near the end of the book, there's a torture scene that totally disgusted me. Not because it's super descriptive/gross/etc but because there are SO many "shock factor" scenes written into the book. Look at me! I'm a grim-dark fantasy story because I have rape/torture/death scenes!
*eyeroll*
This book went from potential low end 3 star to 2 stars to 1 star for me.
I have a few friends that enjoyed the story. Because of their ratings, I thought it would be okay to pretty great. Turns out I have low tolerance for gimmick writing and that's what the book came across as for me.
Your done already!!! Lol!!! I’m just on chapter 2 (work getting in the way). Writing a bit amateurish at first glance but I’m interested in Ryu and how he develops. Definitely some horribly dark scenes in first chapter so I can only imagine. I hope to be done by Thursday and we can start another one on the list. Will you continue this series?
The book is sloppy but readable. I just got pretty irate because I actually paid attention to it vs minor attention. So all of the stuff that didn't work and patterns piled up until I didn't like it vs mild amusement at how badly it's thrown together.I'm taking this author off my TBR. I don't like writers that use formula writing in such an obvious fashion.
The stuff about Night/Dayblades are cool. You'll enjoy that part. Let me know what you think of it when you finish.
Mod
There's 5 books and 2 anthologies...
The Cloud Roads
Interested on Cloud Roads! I'll do the books. Not sure on the anthologies. I don't find most short stories to be worth the effort to read a book of them. When are you thinking?
Mod
When are you thinking?"
Probably next week, at the earliest?... still wrapping up a bunch of stuff this week... been a chain of BRs for days...
I'm in no rush. Are you doing it by audio?
Mod
Yea... got the first book awhile ago... 5th is on Hoopla... just need to get the in-between...
The whole series is on Hoopla as ebooks, just not all audio... 5th audiobook just came out this year, probably why Hoopla got it...
I have the ebooks but not the audio. I'll get the 1st audio and see if that works or not. If not, I'll continue by ebooks, so slower. lolThe narrator doesn't sound that great in the sample. He's pretty monotone and flat.
Mod
The narrator doesn't sound that great in the sample. He's ..."
I kinda hate samples, these days... they don't do a very good job of showcasing the narration, when you usually listen at 2-3x speed... even monotonous narrators seem to gain a bit of variation when you speed them up a ton... but we'll see...
You know me... I tend to be fine with most narrators... altho I was a bit critical of Jenny Sterlin's narration of Sorcerer to the Crown... I felt like it did the book a disservice...
Fantasy Buddy Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
Boundary Crossed (other topics)Into the Black (other topics)
Terms of Enlistment (other topics)
The Palace Job (other topics)
The Cuckoo's Calling (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rysa Walker (other topics)Rysa Walker (other topics)
Charlie N. Holmberg (other topics)
- Terms of Enlistment #1
- Aftershocks #1
- Under the Empyrean Sky #1
- Pines #1
- Good Behavior
- Brilliance #1
- Crimes Against Magic #1
Iain knows more. Maybe he'll post some suggestions. There's a bunch on my R&L TBR but I haven't read them so I can't say if they're good.
Bargain Buys
- The Disappeared #1 - Bought the Kindle & Audio for like $6?
- Dead: the Series #1-12 - 1 Audible Credit & like 145 hours
Plus there are the other bargain buys that I posted in here & Space Team thread. =)
Lots of options.