SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
Group Reads Discussions 2015
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"City of Stairs" - First Thoughts *No Spoilers*
I just started it yesterday. I'm intrigued.
The setting is interesting and unusual. Some sort of antipathy between Slavic-themed and Indian-themed civilizations. Not something I've read before. The author writes with a good command, I feel.
Started today. Trains and Magic. Murder and spy. It's started very well.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it before it came out and really loved it. Unusual setting and magic system. It really lives up to the hype.
I really enjoyed this one. Looking forward to seeing the thoughts of the group.
I read this one late last year and I loved it. The setting strongly reminded me of The City and the City, and I like the way it explores themes of colonisation and empire.
I started this today.Very intriguing.Is the oppressor and the oppressed a reference to the Russian and Tartar culture?
Also interested to see how the group receives this one. One of my favorites from last year. I remember it starting kind of slow but I loved Bennett's story telling and never felt bored. The world is very intriguing
My in person book group is reading this next month, so I have to wait on this one. Sigh.
I gave up on this around page 150. Just not really feeling it. Should i shoulder on? I'm thinking of reading Lev Grossman's Magicians trilogy instead.This is the second "big book of 2014" that I could not finish. (The first was Addison's "The Goblin Emperor." I just DON'T CARE about the characters in that one, but lots of people love it.
There is a really awesome part in the book, that I thought happens fairly early on. Can't remember if it's before or after the 150 page mark though. Personally, that was when I really started it enjoying it.Of course, not every book works for every person. 150 pages seems like a good amount to having given it a fair shot.
Mad wrote: "I gave up on this around page 150. Just not really feeling it. Should i shoulder on?"("Soldier on.")
It really depends on why you're not feeling it. If I recall correctly, by page 150 the characters and their world were pretty much established. So if you don't care for the setting and/or characters, then you should probably give this book a pass.
On the other hand, I think it's also around a third of the way through that the action starts ramping up and the central mystery gains some interesting nuances, so if the problem is that the beginning of the book feels too slow, then you might want to try reading a bit further.
Also, I was amused by your referencing The Goblin Emperor as another recent fantasy book you don't care for, since I also see these two books as more connected than one might otherwise imagine based on their style and subject matter. For me, though, the primary connection is that they're both standalone fantasy novels that made me long for sequels, as opposed to the all too common fantasy trilogies that should really have been compressed into one or two books. :-)
(Bennett does have City of Blades coming out later this year, but he hadn't originally planned to write it, and I gather that it's more a companion novel to City of Stairs than a direct sequel.)
I really enjoyed reading this one, and like a lot of you I was quite fond of the unique setting and magic system that Bennett created. It did take me a bit to get fully immersed, but one I did I couldn't put it down.
First fantasy book I read in 2015 and I'm definitely not disappointed! The writing is quick, well paced and the story takes surprising turns. The main characters are easy to like and also have just the right level of complexity. While reading (I think I read it in 3 or 4 evenings straight) the same feeling came happened when reading books of China Mieville - a whole new intriguing universe with it's own laws and nature drags you in and doesn't let you go.
Mad wrote: "I gave up on this around page 150. Just not really feeling it. Should i shoulder on? I'm thinking of reading Lev Grossman's Magicians trilogy instead.This is the second "big book of 2014" that I ..."
Interesting. I loved City of Stairs and was pretty lukewarm about The Goblin Emperor. I couldn't finish the first book of The Magicians (despite, on paper, it being a book I should love). The Magicians had plenty of plot but I hated the characters. The Goblin Emperor did not have anywhere near enough plot for me; so much court etiquette! Meanwhile, I loved the characters & setting of City of Stairs from the get-go.
I completely agree with Robyn about Grossman and the Goblin Emperor. Grossman pretends to like Narnia, then writes an anti-Narnia with the most arrogant, unpleasant characters he could think of. And he is a writer with immense skill, which is the sad part. The Goblin Emperor is just silly. Nothing remotely interesting in it. Too bad, too, because I think we need more nuanced fantasy novels that aren't just people killing each other all the time. The beginning of City of Stairs has the kind of attention to detail and believable, human characters that are so often missing nowadays. The only problem I have with it so far is that it seems to be more style over substance.
Jain said it right: - ... by page 150 the characters and their world were pretty much established. So if you don't care for the setting and/or characters, then you should probably give this book a pass.Yes, it's a slow immersion into an AU, but it is cleverly written in order to make one say "just another few pages..." and before you know it, you're halfway through and thoroughly enjoying it.
That's how I found it: different to my usual read/s, but intriguing enough to make me want to continue. And I think that's the skill of a good writer - making you WANT to continue because you REALLY want to know what happens next!
I really liked City of Stairs, a mystery in a fantasy setting. I read it because I saw it praised by one blog I follow.I disliked The Magicians, probably because it was telling us that magic was pointless and the book was not really inspiring with messages like "real life is depressing", and "even with magic, life is still depressing".
While I have found the beginning of City of Stairs to be kind of slow, I am interested in the world. It has a different feel from most of a fantasy that I've been reading lately. Hopefully, it will pick up soon. I am only about 70 pages in, and unfortunately, I've had a lot of distractions.I have to agree with several of the comment regrading The Magicians. I finished the first book, but I didn't care for it. I kind of felt like Lev is bitter that he never found his Narnia, so he created his own petty, whiny hero who finds a crap magical world instead.
Just started this one. Have to admit, I've been in a medieval fantasy kick for a while, so it's taking a bit to get into the new setting. Sounds like it doesn't take too long to get into it though, so I'm pushing through.Like others, I didn't know anything about this book until a little while ago. Now I see it everywhere. Figured it was a sign I should give it a go.
I quite enjoyed this book, though I do think Bennett got a little carried away with his world at the expense of the story.
Having read a fifth, I'm very impressed. I like this gaslamp setting: the shattered and rebuilt city of Bulikov, with its beauty shining through like in "for one second, he did not see the tumbledown building fronts and deserted homes, but rather immense, slender skyscrapers of gleaming white and gold"; all those magical artifacts like Parnesi's cupboard or Jukov's scalp; the mysteries of the assassinated Gods and their saints; the clash of cultures where the former slave Saypuri win back their freedom through one big blink.The characters have depth - not only main protagonists like Shara, and Fritz Leiber like nordic Sigrud but also city governor Mulaghesh or Vohannes; even the dead characters like historian Pangyui come to live;
Think also about small things like tea-addictedness or Batlan/Tovos Va "chess" playing.
And count in that nothing is black and white, it is more ambiguous - yes, the former slave Saypuri won back their freedom. But how oppressing was their rule in the shattered civilization?
Finally, I like the prose's structure with its flashbacks and interleaving story lines.
And this is only one fifth of the novel.
@Adreas: I really like how he interweaves backstory in. It's a richly imagined world that doesn't get in the way of the story.
As I started this, it seemed more like a murder mystery wrapped in diplomatic intrigue, that just happened to be taking place in a totally different civilization. The gradual unveiling of the mythology and history of the worlds kept my interest piqued throughout - who hasn't wanted to discover an ancient hidden city and possess artifacts with magical uses?
I really enjoyed this. I thought the world was interesting, the characters were great, and I liked the way the author changes POV based on what works best for the story, not based on giving each character equal time. I think it worked really well. The development of the magic system was really well done. I enjoyed learning the stories of each Divinity as the book evolved.
Sometimes, sentences in dialogues read like citations from classic books or something, e.g.:"Where boot soles strike the ground is where the work gets done." Could be from Gaius Julius Caesar.
"I never saw a country before. All I saw was the earth under my feet."
"I don't have the time or the energy to hate. I only wish to understand. People are what they are."
There are other citations of course. I investigated but didn't find a original source so I assume it is the author's own voice.
I don't know how to feel about those - they feel a bit strained: I always get stuck on them and they somewhow break the immersion.
On the other hand they are really good.
I find it very refreshing that not all characters' histories are releaved early on. It takes two thirds of the book to come up with Sigurd's past in a very dense, action oriented chapter which I absolutely loved: Moby Dick and mysteriousness.
The chapter with the revelation of Sigurd's past is just brilliant. Every rule in the book says that you MUST NOT introduce backstory during a scene, especially a climactic one, because it kills the sense of urgency. Not so here. Bennet's writing is amazing in that every flashback only makes the scene more intense. Very good stuff.
Andreas wrote: "Sometimes, sentences in dialogues read like citations from classic books or something, e.g.:"Where boot soles strike the ground is where the work gets done." Could be from Gaius Julius Caesar.
"I..."
For me the sentences like these read as cliches. I thought the prose was filled with cliches and over-the-top descriptions. When I experience both of these types of problems in combination with the SLOW feeling, I can't enjoy a book.
I'm in the first chapter, and in all honesty the writing style brakes itself when the thoughts are cut in half. Every single time. So far I'm not enjoying it.
Only for those enjoying this novel :)As was mentioned already, City of Blades is the second book to appear - I don't know how many are planned. There's a brief content summary on GR.
In addition, we know a bit more about that book already - the author did a "Ask me Anything" (AMA) on reddit and a summary with highlights of that at Tor.com.
Mod
Hank wrote: "About half way through and I love how I can't decide which group to identify with, which one is more oppressed? which one do I want to "win"?"Why would you have to choose - go for win-win :)
I have an update! Primarily because so many people here (and elsewhere) I forced myself to soldier on in City of Stairs and read far enough until I got to the hook that kept me engaged in the book (the revelation that one of the key characters is gay) enough to read on. I always liked Shara and Sigrud but the overall feel of the book (probably due to the prose style) did not mesh with me. But I was able to persevere and finish the book because I actually was curious as to what was going to happen these characters. It turns out that soon the book has quite a lot of action in it and by the end I am glad I finished it.Probably the main reason I did finish City of Stairs is that I had bought it instead of borrowed it from the library.
(I had no qualms returning The Goblin Emperor after barely finishing the third or fourth chapter, for example.)
I might actually read the sequel, but I'll borrow that from the library, I don't feel compelled to purchase it, but I am interested to continue the story Bennett has started here.
I'm about 2/3 of the way through and am loving it so far. I haven't read anything from Bennett before, although American Elsewhere has been on my wishlist for forever. The setting is wonderful - I understand the comparison with China Miéville but for me the most obvious similarities seemed to be N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy (lost/captured/dead gods) mixed with a bit of Sanderson's The Alloy of Law magic-meets-gaslamp feeling. There's also quite a bit of Joe Abercrombie's morally ambiguous characters and rough edged humour. In fact, Sigrud could practically be an avatar of Logen Ninefingers...
It didn't really grab me, at first, although I thought the political/religious aspects were interesting. But the characters seemed kind of...I don't know. They just seemed to be missing something. Now, I've changed my mind. It's getting to be pretty good. The characters are becoming more human. Good stuff.
I am still working my way through, but Jim that same comparison to N.K. Jemisin flashed through my head as I read this morning.
I hadn't heard about this one til the group poll either.I was a bit uncomfortable with the tense when I started, but it grew on me, especially with the contrast to back story told in the usual past tense.
Jim wrote: "The setting is wonderful - I understand the comparison with China Miéville but for me the most obvious similarities seemed to be N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy (lost/captured/dead gods) mixed with a bit of Sanderson's The Alloy of Law magic-meets-gaslamp feeling. There's also quite a bit of Joe Abercrombie's morally ambiguous characters and rough edged humour. In fact, Sigrud could practically be an avatar of Logen Ninefingers... "I liked the setting too - made me think of stairways to heaven in a way, though that's pushing it too literally I think.
China Miéville popped into my head at one point, but almost more as contrast - this had a less rough feel to it than his books somehow, though I suppose the particular mix of magic and tech could be semi-comparable.
I'm glad people hadn't said that City of Stairs was like N.K. Jemisin or else I would have run, not walked in the other direction!The China Mieville I can see--to me China is hit or miss. Some f my most memorable reading experiences in the last decade were during The Scar and Perdido Street Station but nothing he has done since has affected me as much.
I just picked this up over the weekend and am having trouble convincing myself to keep reading it (which is highly unusual for me.) I feel like it must get better, but I am on page 84 and I feel like I know nothing about anything except some guy was killed and someone has come to investigate it, and weird things are happening in a weird world that apparently only has two civilizations (The Continent and Saypur). The bad part is, it isn't interesting enough to keep my attention. So that is my first impression. Hopefully it gets better as I continue on.
That's how I felt as well! Trust me, I think it is worth sticking around for. Especially for developments with Sigrud later on...And Shara always held my attention, I just was not very interested in the stuff about all the Gods. In the end, though, it is worth finishing...
I am 60% through, but I am struggling. It's not that it is a bad book, it just has never really snagged me. I am willing to take some of the blame for having had a lot of distractions. But then, I can't seem to get into it enough for distractions to fall away. Over the weekend, I gave myself a break and picked up an ARC of Vision in Silver. I had to make myself put it down to go to sleep last night.
Agreed with the comments about Sigrud, he is one interesting dude. He kind of reminds me of the "unkillable" Rasputin from history.There was a reference to the stairs in the book, but I'm not sure its enough to earn it's title! What about... "City of Divinity"?
Valerie wrote: "I am 60% through, but I am struggling. It's not that it is a bad book, it just has never really snagged me. I am willing to take some of the blame for having had a lot of distractions. But then,..."I'm looking forward to reading Vision in Silver. Sounds like it is as compulsively readable as the previous two - good news!
Frankly, I kind of enjoyed reading it but later in the book I started to slow down, you know reading other stories I had. But I figured keep going, finish this so I did. And it was a good thing I did because it got interesting when I went back to it.
Michelle wrote: "There was a reference to the stairs in the book, but I'm not sure its enough to earn it's title! What about... "City of Divinity"?"well, but there are how many divine cities in that particular world - I've forgotten the name for the divinities decision to build the combined city and work together in a sense, but perhaps that would apply a little more closely? But then, it says at some point toward the beginning that "City of Stairs" was actually the city's nickname - looking at the next book in the series, the author seems to be using a name that reflects the culture/reputation of that city in some sense. just my 2 cents anyway. :)
I'm about a third of the way through. I'm enjoying it, but it hasn't really grabbed me yet.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Vision in Silver (other topics)The Alloy of Law (other topics)
City of Blades (other topics)
City of Stairs (other topics)
The Magicians (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
China Miéville (other topics)N.K. Jemisin (other topics)
Joe Abercrombie (other topics)
Until this was on the poll I'd never heard of it. Then it seemed I was hearing about it everywhere.