The Vlad Taltos Series [Reading: Phoenix] (August 2024)

[Chris]

That's the thing about reading in chrono order. While it's great on a reread, first time through a lot of that stuff is written by Brust kinda like a flashback. Which in his mind I guess it kinda is...

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

Chris wrote: "That's the thing about reading in chrono order. While it's great on a reread, first time through a lot of that stuff is written by Brust kinda like a flashback. Which in his mind I guess it kinda i..."

Yeah all the stories up until now besides Jhereg did feel more walking down memory lane than solid stories within themselves. Hopefully that means that most of the stuff from here on out will be stronger. :)

[Tammie]

I finished the book and enjoyed it. For some reason, even though I like these books, I don't feel very compelled to pick them up. I feel the same way as you Niki about feeling like I'm missing stuff. I mosty enjoy the humor in this series. The bit at the end left me feeling a little melancholy though. This is my first time reading so I'm wondering what happens. I'm giving it 3.5 stars.

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

Tammie wrote: "I finished the book and enjoyed it. For some reason, even though I like these books, I don't feel very compelled to pick them up. I feel the same way as you Niki about feeling like I'm missing stuf..."

Yeah it's good for an occasional snack, but it's not as good as it probably would be if I picked up on all the stuff. I blame him for that though rather than my attention span. He's enigmatic on purpose and I think he sacrifices clarity in the name of being clever.

That said... are you all up for inching our way through the next one? It's Teckla and I think I liked that one.

[Tammie]

I'm up for it. It will be a very slow read again for me, but that's ok.

[Chris]

I'm game. Teckla is a reread for me

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

Sounds great! Iain are you done with Tsalmoth? Do you want to continue also?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm nowhere near done with Tsalmoth, but fine with continuing with audiobooks... I'll finish Tsalmoth eventually, as an ebook or if audio ever appears...

I've done terrible at making ebook time lately... done a bit less reading in general... still been swamped in Buddy Read commitments... and taken a short break to read some LitRPGs and Cultivation/Xianxia stories in the Vagabond thread... so, it is what it is... new month, 30 more Buddy Reads on the docket :D

I AM curious about our discussion, tho, about Publication vs Chronological order... is chronological order really chronological, for Vlad Taltos, when it seems like most books are being told as flashbacks to someone else in the correct publication order, even when it goes back to fill something in in the past?...

I spoiled some details for Tsalmoth, and know (view spoiler)[demon stuff is involved, and this is Vlad regaining suppressed memories from pre-Jhereg/Teckla, most likely after Vallista/etc (the newest chonological books)... (hide spoiler)]

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

Hey gang, Tammie and I were coordinating getting back into this series… we’re on Teckla. Thinking about starting Monday, June 24th or close to. If you’d like to join. :) I remember this one being one of the good ones.

[Chris]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Hey gang, Tammie and I were coordinating getting back into this series… we’re on Teckla. Thinking about starting Monday, June 24th or close to. If you’d like to join. :) I remember this one being o..."

Let's do it...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

We should finish this BR by 2041 ;)

If we do 1 book a year

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

Timelord Iain wrote: "We should finish this BR by 2041 ;)

If we do 1 book a year"

On track haha.

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

Where does the new Lyorn fit into our chronology?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

From what I see with a quick google search, it's the latest in the timeline... from what I know, there's not too many gaps in the earlier sections of the timeline anymore... most/all have been filled in, and Tsalmoth only exists because Vlad's mind was messed with/altered?...

I still need to finish Tsalmoth someday and read Lyorn, but I hold out hope for audio eventually, and plan to just continue re-reading with you first timers...

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

Timelord Iain wrote: "From what I see with a quick google search, it's the latest in the timeline... from what I know, there's not too many gaps in the earlier sections of the timeline anymore... most/all have been fill..."

Oh funny! I thought you'd finished it since. We can hold out hope that it'll be available in audio by then...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Just did a google, audio was announced 19 days ago...

Tsalmoth -- July 23rd, 2024
Lyorn -- August 13th, 2024

They're being narrated by Kevin Stillwell, instead of Bernard Sotaro Clark...

Not sure what happened to the old Bernard Sotaro Clark contract, but Kevin Stillwell isn't new to Dragaera universe... he narrated the Khaavren Romances, the 5 book in-world Three Musketeers parody, written by Paarfi, who is a POV character in one of the Vlad books (I think the one we were reading in pieces to read in chronological order, since part of the story took place in Khaavren times, then Paarfi, then Vlad, then Sethra Lavode)...

Anyway... AUDIOBOOKS...

And these are the Khaavren Romances:
The Phoenix Guards
Five Hundred Years After
The Paths of the Dead
The Lord of Castle Black
Sethra Lavode

Not sure if/when we're reading those... they've been on my backburner TBR for a long time...

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

oh cool! I didn't realize the series were somewhat related. We may as well extend to 2046.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The Khaavren romances are set hundreds of years ago, in times I think get referenced a bit in the main series... obviously the sword from then is relevant...

And there's actually a 6th book, written in 2020, that parodies the Count of Monte Cristo instead:

The Baron of Magister Valley

Wikipedia says Paarfi wrote Phoenix Guards during Vlad's lifetime, and the other 5 books and counting 100+ years later...

[Chris]

Brokedown Palace is also set in this world, though standalone from what I gather

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

Good to know!

I'm starting today... just read the Prologue.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

We've been reading this series for so long, and we're still so early in it... I just opened the book page and series page to doublecheck, and we're still 2-3 books away from what I consider one of the most defining moments of the series, that shapes the next dozen books... to get all ominous...

Also failed to add this to my spreadsheet... so I've got alot of other things going on, and I'll make it around to this BR soon-ish...

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

oooh. Something to look forwards to. :)

I'm planning about a chapter a day, so no rush.

[Tammie]

I'll start this as soon as I'm done with Winter Lost. It should be tomorrow.

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

Tammie wrote: "I'll start this as soon as I'm done with Winter Lost. It should be tomorrow."

I'm late to that party. Really excited for it though!

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

Finished Ch 1. Best chapter I’ve read so far in this project - I liked all the things.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

High praise

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

Okay, maybe the chapter where he (view spoiler)[ met Loiosh (hide spoiler)] in Jhereg was the best. But I liked this too. A bit of everything.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I did my re-read last night and at work this morning...

Didn't the book start by saying "nothing I did had any effect on the following events, really?... it would have happened either way"... that didn't feel particularly true...

[Tammie]

I read the first 3 chapters. I love the chapter headings. (view spoiler)[The marriage trouble is a little sad, but I'm enjoying the humor in these as always. (hide spoiler)]

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

Ch 3 (view spoiler)[ I also detail clean when I’m stressed haha. It’s actually kind of nice to see relationship issues - it makes them feel more like real people. (hide spoiler)]

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

Timelord Iain wrote: "I did my re-read last night and at work this morning...

Didn't the book start by saying "nothing I did had any effect on the following events, really?... it would have happened either way"... that..."

How did it compare to the others we’ve done so far for you?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Felt pretty par for the course... this is a re-read for me, we've taken a long break, and I love the series in general...

To me, this is a sci-fi series that feels like a fantasy series... and it's a fantasy series that's a bit of a mystery/thriller, as if Vlad is telling you a story in a bar or something... reminds me of the Alex Bledsoe series called Eddie Lacrosse:

The Sword-Edged Blonde
Burn Me Deadly
Dark Jenny
Wake of the Bloody Angel
He Drank, and Saw the Spider

Anyway, i can check my ratings from my first-time readthrough, since I don't think I changed any on re-read...

Jhereg = 4 stars
Taltos = 3 stars
Dragon = 4 stars
Yendi = 4 stars
Tiassa = 4 stars
Tsalmoth = didn't finish ebook, waiting for audio
Teckla = 4 stars

Future books are primarily 4 stars as well... one 2 star (Athyra)... and I started giving alot of 5 star ratings later on (Issola, Dzur, Iorich, Hawk)...

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

It’s really nice to know it gets better and better as we go.

I just finished Ch. 7. I think one of the reasons I’m liking this so much is that for the first time I don’t feel on the verge of getting lost or missing something. Sometimes he’s too ambiguous for his own good. I like the straightforwardness of this one. It’s more engaging. Plus I can more easily keep track of Teckla, Easterners, and Jhereg. lol.

[Tammie]

I've read up to chapter 7. I always like when he visits his grandpa. Sometimes I wish there was a bit more of him in the books.

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

Through Ch 12 (view spoiler)[ I like how many factions are involved (and Grandpa!). I can’t remember how it ends haha. (hide spoiler)]

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

I finished the book. I enjoyed it. I’m thinking a 3/5. I followed and enjoyed this more than many that we’ve read, but it wasn’t really a lasting impression of a book. I like the series enough that it probably should get a higher rating, but don’t like it quite as much as some of the other books I’ve been giving 4 stars to. Does that mean I need to go fix my other ratings to a 2 star? Haha

I am interested in continuing sooner than a year from now.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ratings are a complicated affair... I give way too much stuff 4-5 stars... but it would be way too much work to re-evaluate everything and do more 1-2-3 stars...

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

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ratings are a complicated affair... I give way too much stuff 4-5 stars... but it would be way too much work to re-evaluate everything and do more 1-2-3 stars..."

Yeah too much work. Plus I like the idea of honoring how I felt about things at a given time. But there’s always that unreasonable fear that someone’s going to call me out on inconsistency and that it would somehow take away my street cred lol.

[Tammie]

I finished and enjoyed it. I liked the way it ended and I got my wish for more grandpa! I'm giving this one 3 stars too.

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

More Grandpa is always good. :) Are you all interested in continuing soon?

[Tammie]

I am. When would you like to continue?

[Chris]

I'm game to continue. I do still need to read Teckla to catch up, but should be able to once I break Stephen King's hold on all things entertainment lately lol

(reading Billy Summers and watching Castle Rock currently after a string of King books)

ETA: and listening to several King podcasts too

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

I was thinking near the end of August - Monday the 26th. Chris would that give you enough time to catch up? You've definitely a consistent theme going haha.

[Tammie]

I'm good with the end of August.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

More time for me to do something with all my BRs

[Chris]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I was thinking near the end of August - Monday the 26th. Chris would that give you enough time to catch up? You've definitely a consistent theme going haha."

That should do it. lol

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

Sounds like a plan. :)

Iain, have you slammed yourself again with BRs? Can you actually "do something" about it? So curious haha. I've been trying to not sign myself up for too many lately.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Sounds like a plan. :)

Iain, have you slammed yourself again with BRs? Can you actually "do something" about it? So curious haha. I've been trying to not sign myself up for too many lately."

I burnt out a bit in July, after a rockin' 6 months to 2 years... went off-script alot and started alot of stuff without finishing previous stuff... also slept alot and watched alot of TV... I'm behind on tons of things, will abandon what I can and just be super behind on the rest...

In 2022 I read 317 books and 190 were Buddy Reads...
In 2023 I read 519 books and 410 were Buddy Reads...
So far, in 2024, I read 329 books and 301 were Buddy Reads... got 3 more BRs to tick off tomorrow that are almost done, then a bunch of others I'm nearer the start/middle of, and a dozen I haven't started and haven't abandoned...

9 of my non-BRs were this month... 8 were March... the other 11 were 1-3 per month the rest of the year... it's been a very BR year... Nirkatze meeting and exceeding my reading ability, and being a super-planner left me with a heavily planned BR schedule...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Also, I'm very aware out definition of too many is probably different :D

You've definitely been able to go much more hands-off with the group since recruiting me and Yanique, and Jenna found a bit more mod time...

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

Timelord Iain wrote: "Also, I'm very aware out definition of too many is probably different :D

You've definitely been able to go much more hands-off with the group since recruiting me and Yanique, and Jenna found a bit..."

Wow that’s amazing. I think it’s great you can just let go some of the ones you missed and be okay being late. It’s very zen. Although your schedule stresses me out just hearing about it. Going off the rails sometimes feels good.

I hadn’t intended to remove myself so far from the group, but timeline wise we recruited you right about the time I started a Patreon and began moderating a GR group for that. I’m well over capacity for being able to handle all the things right now and I can’t even imagine trying to help out here too. Thank all for you, Yanique, and Jenna!