Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
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Beware of Chicken 3
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Vagabond Treehouse (2023) [Beware of Chicken 3 - December 4th]
Middlemarch was mellow. Ink was gut-wrenching. I need something funny. XD
Currently browsing Audible Plus for popcorn reads and I came across this: Reign of Dragons - Dragon Dojo Brotherhood
The overly dramatic narration and bad reviews have me cracking up.
@Soo ready to start illusion of thieves?
Yup! Let's do it. I'll start later today.
Soo wrote: "Currently listening to Ink. I forgot that this book takes place in Pine Deep. Pine Deep is a horror/spook/mystery series by JM. Pine Deep was corny popcorn fun. Has the 80's horro..."
Ink is already in my wish list. The Nicodemus thing is making it tempting :D Maybe after I finish Joe Ledger he'll have more in that series out and I'll start that.
Ink is a standalone. Pine Deep is a series. It's like 80's corny horror and one of Maberry's earlier work. You can totally read Ink now and not have to wait. Ink is on the current Audible sale. I know, I'm a bad influence!
Currently on Audible Plus:
- Bewilderness Parts 1-3
- Pine Deep Series: Ghost Road Blues #1 + Shorts
I'd say, read Pine Deep series, then Dead of Night series and follow up with Rot & Ruin.
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I saw it as it being Joe showing up in the other books and different dimension/timeline Joe for the ones that our Joe interacts with.
I got a bunch of books from Audible Plus. Started The Game #1. Current cover looks better than the original cover:
Original that I saw a few years ago:
Current:
Story is like a weird mash up of Hunger Games and the Acts of Caine. Kids go into a virtual reality world called E.A.R.T.H. (I forgot what it stands for but it worked.) and live a full life span of birth to death. These lives are viewable entertainment for the masses. For those with the cash, viewers can experience the life/events.
The real world setting seems to be a kooky dystopian where the rich rule and the poor live like rats.
The idea of the VR was to teach kids to become good & experienced adults. It's accelerated time in game vs reality. A few weeks in the real world can be a lifetime in game.
So, like Hunger Games and the stuff in Acts of Caine, the producers of the streaming of the 'lives' and sponsors of the players determine a lot of how well a player will be prepped/supported in game.
I think the only reason why I'm able to just go with it is because there's a lot of info thrown around but not enough explanations to make it all into a mesh stocking. XD
Started illusion of thieves just now. Only read up to about the halfway point in chapter 1 so far so not a whole lot to say yet. Still don't really know what the plot is.One thing I'm curious however is what's up with these names? Every character seems to have some kind of Italian like name
Finished the Game & started An Illusion of Thieves. Chimeras are cool. Wonder how that will be implemented into the story. MC's dad is in trouble and setting has a vague historical style in my head for now.
The intro is loaded. I went back to listen to it.
Mod
This one picks up sometime after the previous one, that time jumped over 100 years... now the space station is some sort of rich conglomeration that Hank can't really afford, but he conveniently gets hired to pretend to solve a murder... but still isn't making enough to handle the estate taxes on a property gained from a will... and sleeping with the widow of the murder victim... and pissing off his old friend Garm, whose also trying to solve the murder to restore alien honor...
LoL you make Hank sound like a cockroach. 🤣
Mod
He kinda is... a space cockroach... lazy Superman... like the Will Smith Hancock movie...
He's bulletproof, he can take a bit of dmg from rockets/etc, but will heal/regrow... he can't fly or jump buildings in a single bound, but he CAN stand on a grenade and be launched :D
I'm reading the ebook version of illusion of thieves so I'll probably a bit slower at finishing it
An Illusion of Thieves: I replayed the Chimera intro a few times and paid more attention to the first chapter. The intro chapters are loaded with lots of info. =DNow I'm looking at the sample of the ebook. The City of Cantagna map looks like a coiled snake. Don't you think? Or a cool snail shell.
Intro: Lots of little info like there's cultural superstition, magical ability is bad, no royals but ruled by the rich, that Romy's mom sucks rotten eggs, Dad's only a little better and it's a dog eat dog world that the story takes place.
Audio vs Print:
Saskia Maarleveld is the narrator. She's ok to great with narration. She does add a more historical vibe to the story with her accent and inflections.
Skimming the ebook doesn't give me the historical atmosphere. That will probably develop in the later chapters.
When I was listening, I had a hazy medieval setting. For some reason, I picked a Venetian type place. Though this tale doesn't have little rivers and canals.
Story has Italian mob vibe. Sorta like Romeo & Juliet.
The first few pages are packed with info. It slows down later. Neri is a brat. =)
ETA: Just realized the series name is Chimera. LOL
There's only audio for #1 & 2. 3 is only in print right now. Hm, decisions to be made later.
I like Romy's nickname is Chimera. I feel like that's a significant thing.
Tempted to get the ebook because I'm having to rewind bits to recapture little details. Already slowed down narration to 2x. lol
Read the first two chapters so far. It's interesting to hear your feedback on the audiobook version. My thoughts so far:They have a lot of history and background information that gets thrown at you really quickly in the first chapter. Regarding magic, I get the feeling that the whole history concerning magic users being descendants of an evil diety is going to be proven false later on. I'm going to take a guess here and assume that it's the opposite and magic users were meant to be saviors this entire time.
I don't understand why the protagonist is so concerned about a family that abandoned her at a young age. It seems that she is throwing away the luxurious life that she has managed to attain for a family whom for the most part dislikes her (with the possible exception of her dad).
I'm still just at the beginning so not much else I can say, but if my theory turns out true about magic users being misunderstood then you heard it here first lol
An Illusion of ThievesCate Glass is Carol Berg. I've read other books by Berg and each have a different approach to characters and stuff.
The thing I'm noticing in this one is that the story flows like waves. We get that initial large load of info, hit the top with that particular little arc and wind down, and story forms another gradual rise to high mark and rolls down. Noting where the loaded info sections and able to take it in without having to rewind. Woo!
Romy's family. She cares about her siblings, and Dad.
Other question: Geez, having kids costs more money, etc. It's odd that she had so many siblings when they're not that well to do.
Magic: Good guess! Let's see if comes true.
Read another two chapters. I can’t stand Neri. I can’t even sympathize with him since he doesn’t seem to care about the situation he put his entire family in even after seeing what happened to his dad. Hopefully he grows up some. Right now he is an extremely unlikable character.
Neri is a total brat, but he is acting out within his age and life state: poor, considered a curse, teen, angry, hungry, helpless, rage, etc. I want more technical details about magic within this world.
Also, yeah, zero feels for the parents, but that intro is all about here's all this shiny info! Shut up and take it! lol
Psst, Choko, can I talk you into reading a translated, Korean LitRPG? HehehehehehehIt would be nice to chortle and yell at the story with someone. Though, I have now hit a few rougher translation parts and it makes the editor side of me a little batty.
Which one? I'll join you. I have some in my library:)
I read a little bit further and Neri is not getting any better, if anything he's gotten worse. When he (view spoiler)Romy I really feel has been dealt an unfair hand so far. While she did have a good thing going for at least a little bit, most of her life has sucked.
"Fesci's partial to girls, so I offered her a go with my sister. Listed all the things you was good at - all those things that lawyer said you could do to him" - NeriThis dude has no remorse for his actions ever.
Neri - He's the prime label of angsty brat with no direction. He does a lot of stupid crap. Don't give up on him though!Choko, the one I'm reading is not available on ebook. You could do that thing where you copy it from the website and turn it into an ebook.
Legendary Moonlight Sculptor
Here's a link to the translation: https://www.lightnovelpub.com/novel/t...
Lee Hyun is young man with inherited troubles. When his parents died, he was only a teen in high school. The family was in debt to mob like loan sharks. His grandmother is sick & he has a little sister. The loan sharks tried to strong arm him into becoming an indebted worker for them. He quit high school, moved his little family, and worked his butt off at under the counter jobs. It wasn't legal for him to work full time jobs and get that pay. So, years of that. Finally, he's of age and can get a real job.
That's where the story starts. XD
He ends up doing unconventional (for gaming) stuff and it's fun to see it unfold. He's socially awkward (mostly due to how he had to adjust to his circumstances), knows nothing about girls and driven to take care of his grandma & sister.
I don't think the translations were clear, but the reason why he played MMORPG was because it was his one outlet for down time and he was able to vent his frustrations and anger by fighting monsters in game.
Mod
Gonna do Cork O'Connor 10 now, then join on the Cate Glass book tomorrow-ish...
Sniffers: OOooh interesting guess. There's a detailed description of them later and it's super creepy. Can't wait to talk about it when ya'll get there.
How far are you right now in the story? I just reached chapter 7
Finished! Ta da! The information loads are in waves for this story. First lump in the intro chapters, high point with what happens with Dad & family, drops down, goes up, etc. Which is nice because you can process the big loads and toss in the tidbits. Checking Audio, Ch7: Oh yeah, that's the 2nd rise. Do you still have Neri in the time out corner? This is where he stopped being such a butthead for me. Also, stinky-drunk swordsman. So many questions. =D
I liked how the story took somewhat expected turns.
Stuff I want to know more about:- Magic
- City Setting (Did you look at the map? It looks like a coiled snake right?)
- More about Romy's magic.
- Core Cast
Wow lol I need to pick up the pace some. Are any of my theories remotely close? Neri is finally becoming more likeable. His swordsmanship training has been good for him.
Thus far, it's two guesses, right? One about magic and one about sniffers?The sniffer one we can talk about once you get a little farther. The magic part, I think we'll be finding out for the whole series. lol
You don't have to pick up the pace! I have the audiobook ready to play and remind me of what I thought.
We can easily split this book into 3 parts. Intro/setup - Transition/Change - Stakes/Solid Plot Foundation.
One of my fav dances to do is Lindy Hop. This video has been making the rounds online because Anthony proposed to Irina during their performance. LoL He's a good friend of mine and this is classic him. They're great people. =D
Fun choreographed routine + proposal by Anthony & Irina:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfm--...
I have about 50 pages left to go in The Dragonbone Chair and I should have finished that off two days ago but I'm dragging my feet. I'm at that part of a trilogy where the bad guys get the upper hand (or more of an upper hand) and I don't want to read it. If I don't read it it never happens, right? lol
I am so behind in my reading!!! Work has been killer this week and wife and kid are sick (AGAIN!!!). lol. I am hoping to power through the Wandering Inn by Friday and Heroes Die by next week (reading print book).
I’ll most likely finish the story in the next 2-3 days I think. When it comes to ebooks im much slower than audiobooks. Also on an unrelated note, pretty sad to find out that my goodreads recommendations are broken on the android app. I was wondering why they were always the same regardless of what books I’ve read recently and discovered that they’re just broken there but work fine elsewhere.
Soo, that dance is adorable! I used to follow swing competitions when I lived on the east coast, but they are not very popular here in the Midwest... Do you dance? That is awesome!!! I also love the competitions when the men and women are randomly selected as partners - to me the level of improvisation shows the skill level exquisitely! I am a big fan and supporter of the dance arts, including any and all season tickets to the ballet... Thank you for sharing your friend's dance:)
I totally waisted today, since I had a treatment all day and rested in the evening. I will try to catch up with you guys tomorrow...
I totally missed that video, How fun! It makes me want to take lessons. Such a cute couple. They'll have great proposal story...and the video to go with it!
Choko wrote: "I totally waisted today, since I had a treatment all day and rested in the evening. I will try to catch up with you guys tomorrow..."Take your time and rest, Choko. The books aren't going anywhere.
Choko, you've been reading like a champ! Take it easy and we're here to chat whenever you want to talk. =)Veronica, if you don't read it, it didn't happen. Hehehehe
Brian, aww! Hope they have a regular cold & not Covid. Hope they get better soon!
Julian, delete the app. It's not your friend. lol
I dance for fun. I was introduced to Lindy Hop in 2005. I've entered comps for fun and placed sometimes, but it was rare. The comps where it's a random setup of lead & follow (Jack & Jill/Mix & Match) are fun! My fav is to watch social dances by friends/strangers. I appreciate both choreographed & spontaneous dances. =D
That video of the proposal was on Upworthy and made it to LA News, etc. Pretty exciting.
I'm pretty good at Lindy Hop, Balboa, & Blues dancing. Beginner for Argentine Tango, okay with Collegiate & Carolina Shag (two kinds of Shag dancing), rusty at Peabody & Waltz, back to basics with Brazilian Zouk and okay with Boogie Woogie.
The scenes are smaller in the midwest, but they're there. There's a scene in each state. Usually one the bigger city or at a college.
Thank you, guys! It feels so good to be back among my book buddies:)Soo, that is awesome! I wish I could dance, but I am perfectly happy with just enjoying other people doing it:):):)
Brian wrote: "I am so behind in my reading!!! Work has been killer this week and wife and kid are sick (AGAIN!!!). lol. I am hoping to power through the Wandering Inn by Friday and Heroes Die by next week (readi..."Hope they feel better soon.
@Soo I know I know lol, but it's a bad habit from years of defaulting to it
I have my first rant about illusion of thieves.I just got to the part where Gilliette (view spoiler)
/rant
Soo, just saw that video you posted! So adorable :)
Romy & Neri: You know they can't leave until Neri is cleared on being on that watch list. I think it's another year? Plus, they don't really have money or anything. AND neither truly know how to use their magic. They're newbs flailing around.
But, yeah, Gilliette is a twat and needs a smack down!
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Pine Deep is a horror/spook/mystery series by JM. Pine Deep was corny popcorn fun. Has the 80's horror vibe.
There's a brief mention of Joe Ledger in here. Fun new characters. This one can be read as a standalone. There's only brief mentions of previous events.
The 'bad' guy/??? is like baby Nicodemus. Kinda like the start of the yuck vs the super spook baddie.