Cycle of the Scour #1-3 (October 2023)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Plagues has been slow going for me, I didn't work today so I only listened for an hour or so. Through Chapter 16 [spoilers removed]"

I think you misspelled Gepetto (from Pinocchio) ;)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Through chapter 19 [spoilers removed]"

maybe it's good JL isn't here to hear how disenchanted we've become :D

[Ann-Marie]

I finished earlier today and i am unsure if I want to read the next just to get it done with for the month or put it off until the last week. I read A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking today and I thought it was just lovely.

(view spoiler)[So the ending was a bit of a headscratcher. So they are going to close off the portals between worlds but what about all of the promises they made along the way to come back and help? And will they be able to visit the mists going forward? Will the mists be open for them at all? And I don't even really like Dante & Blays at this point very much, who would have thought Gladdic would be my favorite of the 3 at this point? They have been on a path of destruction for hundreds of pages, there has been no character development and in fact they act dumber than they did when they were young. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Through chapter 19 [spoilers removed]"

maybe it's good JL isn't here to hear how disenchanted we've become :D"

JL suggested this and is a big fan? If so probably for the best lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Through chapter 19 [spoilers removed]"

maybe it's good JL isn't here to hear how disenchanted we've become :D"

JL suggested this and is a big fan? If so pr..."

Yea, this was the big Buddy Read they setup, after joining the group last December-ish...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished earlier today and i am unsure if I want to read the next just to get it done with for the month or put it off until the last week. I read [book:A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking|54369..."

Defensive Baking is the BEST... that world is just asking for a whole series... all the magic can be stretched almost endlessly, honestly...

And yea... your Dante & Blays complaints mirror what I've read in critical reviews...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished earlier today and i am unsure if I want to read the next just to get it done with for the month or put it off until the last week. I read [book:A Wizard’s Guide to Defe..."

I would absolutely read a sequel to Baker's for sure. As far as Plagues goes, I haven't read the reviews but when I went to the page earlier to confirm page count it was rated like 4.25 stars and I thought to myself did I read the same book that they read? lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished earlier today and i am unsure if I want to read the next just to get it done with for the month or put it off until the last week. I read [book:A ..."

Nah... ratings always go up, the deeper into a series you go (usually, unless something really bad happens at a certain point and everyone hates it)... because, the people that aren't loving it don't continue...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished earlier today and i am unsure if I want to read the next just to get it done with for the month or put it off until the last wee..."

I just checked the total ratings and I am surprised how few there were on the earlier books plus there was quite a decline by Plagues (509 for Plagues and 3159 for Red Sea).

And now I am looking through the reviews and lol OMG (view spoiler)[

I am starting to feel it's kind of like the author is flogging a dead horse at this point.

At this point, it feels like a dungeons and dragons campaign that has gone on too long. Too many world-shattering calamities to be shouldered by a single god-adjacent person, a fantastic sidekick, and a grumpy old man.

I don't feel like this installment gave us anything new. More bad stuff, more running around trying to stop it, more gods, more snark (even the snark is getting a tad worn)... like, poor Dante just needs (and deserves) an ending.

As much as I've enjoyed this series to date, I just couldn't finish this one. The books have devolved into a series of fetch quests, that while with occasionally fun character interactions and development, just don't hold my attention enough to finish any more. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea, I read that one :D

[Choko]

Started The Twelve Plagues ... Only up to Ch. 5... (view spoiler)[ Can this world get a break??? Ka showing up and declaring that no one will live past the year, is just horrible!!! And now some weird green magical worms plague... (hide spoiler)]

I hope I enjoy it more than you guys... I am sorry it has become such a slog for you...

[Ann-Marie]

Choko wrote: "Started The Twelve Plagues ... Only up to Ch. 5... [spoilers removed]

I hope I enjoy it more than you guys... I am sorry it has become such a slog for you..."

I started the 13th god and I was like nope, not today! I will read it this month though, I am determined to do so! And I am glad you are enjoying it and I hope you continue to do so :)

[Ann-Marie]

13th God through chapter 5 (view spoiler)[and Dante plans on killing like 1 million people to destroy the portals to block Nolost from their world. Blays put up token resistance to the plan but that did not last long. They are teamed up with this guy named Kelen who they trust for some reason, I guess because Maralda & Carvahal directed them to him for assistance? They are currently battling the Xonos, another seemingly overpowered opponent who I am sure will quickly be defeated....Oh and of course we can't forget poor Nak trying to keep the people alive as Nolost tries to kill them all, meanwhile Dante is off diddling around and planning on committing straight up murder for a million people. Like it didn't give him pause, how many people live here? 1 million? Okay, dead!

I wonder if this ends up ultimately with the gods turning against Taim and allowing Dante's world to continue after they go through the many trials to try to save it themselves. That would be stupid. (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

I finished The Twelve Plagues

I am not sure how I feel about it... I love Fantasy - Adventure, but I am not a fan of the constant monster attacks in any of the genres. Here it is becoming too much. (view spoiler)[ I agree with you guys that the three's constant survival against insurmountable odds is becoming ridiculous. But what bothers me more is the ease with which they accepted the "sacrifice" of other people's lives for "the greater good", while they are not willing to do the same when it comes to their own people. They threw all their higher goals out of the window and used a powerful artifact to go back and save Nak and the people he leads, but left the people of 4 different realms to get exterminated because they "couldn't do anything" and they had to strive towards the ultimate goal of killing Nolost and possibly stoping Taim somehow... I especially felt badly for the first boy, who wanted to bring change to his folks...

Also, Ann-Marie, I totally agree, Blays and Dante have regressed as characters and G is about the only one of them still likable.

I did like being introduced to the different cultures where the Fallen shells were and the different ways they had evolved or devolved, but again, the monsters were tiring...

I still think I enjoyed it more than you guys, but I can see your points... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

WE'VE CONVERTED CHOKO ;)

Anyway, I'm saving Twelve Plagues for work this week, because I haven't learned my lesson...

[Choko]

Hahaha! I just want some different plot! I would have been much happier if the author had stuck with them visiting those other places and learning about their cultures than this monster slaying...:)

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "WE'VE CONVERTED CHOKO ;)"

[Choko]

Hahahaha!

[Ann-Marie]

13th god through chapter 11 (view spoiler)[Dante, Blays, Gladdic & maybe Kelen have drank something that turned them into slaves, the group they are with now treats the slaves terribly, horrifically brutal but they give them stuff so they are happy about the treatment. The king in this area sent Dante to murder a house that opposed him and Dante straight up murdered quite a few people including children.

I am just about a third of the way through and the only reason I am continuing is because this series will not beat me lol (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

13th god through chapter 17 (view spoiler)[Poor Wessen! I hope he gets released somehow and goes back and murders all of the other gods because they all suck anyway and I hate them. And if Wessen doesn't murder their faces I hope that they suffer and wither if the portals do end up getting closed. And I cannot believe that they are going to TURN GLADDIC INTO A LICH!?!?!?!? After they spent 3 books defeating the last Lich?!?!?!?!?! Who thinks this is a good idea besides Dante, Blays & Gladdic.....

I am at 50% and all I keep thinking is the way the trilogies have gone there is an entire book after this one before Nolost is defeated! Unless they beat him this book and fight Taim himself in the last, yet to be released book which will likely be 897 pages of Dante & Blays doing dumb shit and then pulling out a glorious victory in the last 2 chapters. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

13th god through chapter 22 (view spoiler)[you are never going to believe this but when they tried to turn Gladdic into the Lich it didn't work and so they re-summoned the Lich that they spent 3 books trying to kill! So 2/3 through the book and they are back in the swamp chasing the Lich as he is wiping out the remaining Tanarian villages that he missed the first time.....I wish I was joking but I am not! They came across a village that the Lich hadn't wiped out and because the chief would not help them since they were the ones who summoned the Lich, Dante was legit going to murder her so they would appoint a different leader who may assist him!

So here's where am I right now with this book:

- I absolutely hate Dante & Blays, Gladdic is hit or miss for me
- I would hazard a guess this will end on a stupid cliffhanger and honestly I am in no way certain I will be reading the last when it is released
- Poor Wessen is still chained up in excruciating agony and these dipshits who have caused so many deaths cannot kill him when he wants to die to be put out of his misery
- Did I mention that I hate Dante & Blays?
- At this point I wish Carvahal would go and save Nak, bring him and the like 3 dozen of his people still alive after Dante once again deserted them to go traipsing around committing atrocities and murder back to the realm of gods and let them live in peace (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "13th god through chapter 22..."

Don't worry, I spoiled all this forever ago... altho you gave me some extra terrible details... (view spoiler)[eventually they'll catch up to the White Lich... try to persuade him... kill him... bring him back... try to persuade him... rinse... repeat... recruit the White Lich... go back to fight Nolost... fail... and then the thing they spent the whole book trying to kill Nolost to cause, will go ahead and happen anyway for some nebulous reason... further making all of this pointless... (hide spoiler)]

Sounds like the only fitting ending to the series, would be (view spoiler)[for the few remaining survivors of Dante & Blays' "help" to team up with Taim and the gods to slay Dante & Blays... the true threat to the world/multiverse/reality...

Remember when Cally was deposed from the Wizard Council for being too old and troublesome?... small potatoes, LOLOLOL.. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "13th god through chapter 22..."

Don't worry, I spoiled all this forever ago... altho you gave me some extra terrible details... [spoilers removed]

Sounds like the only fitting e..."

Your spoilers made me sad! Also I was looking at the reviews just now and OMG

(view spoiler)[This is starting to feel drawn out and unenjoyable. The lack of character growth is painful. Each of them is the same they have been for so many books :/ I might be done

this one is a slog. Zero character development and the pacing is abysmal. I’m at 97% complete and I’m skipping entire pages of end battle scene. Just. Get. There. Already.

Robertson is ready to be done and it shows. Somewhere along the way, Dante, Blays and Gladdic stopped being helpful denizens and became dangerous meddlers— they’ve caused every world-threatening situation they’ve been in for the last 3 books. We’re murdering and/or sacrificing scores of innocent people without so much as a backwards glance

And this which is making me want to say eff this and stop because this is Wessen and I <3 him: I felt as if the killing of the chained god was terrible, brutal, and in the end - served absolutely no purpose. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... the reviews of this series have been a real highlight, as diehard fans slowly become fed up :D

[Ann-Marie]

Finished (view spoiler)[ and it was just awful. What they did to poor Wessen was terrible, So they collapsed the portals but guess who went into their world with them? NOLOST! So now Dante is merged with the Lich (he finally was able to take the power of the Lich) and somehow has knowledge in his brain that the Lich had and now Dante, Blays & Gladdic are going over the mountains to find an ancient people who may have a way to kill Nolost.

Oh and we found out the Lich's backstory, he murdered his brother to seize the power 800 years ago then when they raised him again he went to where he hid his brother's body and resurrected him but Nolost killed him which is why the Lich agreed to help them kill Wessen. Because of course Dante made a deal with the Lich to help then kill Wessen. But he really didn't help that much because Nolost showed up and the Lich was super mad that his brother died again so they were fighting. Basically Nolost killed the Lich, Dante took the mantle and was able to keep it so Wessen got killed and the portals collapsed but Nolost is now trapped in their world so great job executing that plan, boys! And now they are off on further adventures with a group of ancient people who they will certainly murder or cause to be murdered..... (hide spoiler)]

Solid 1 star, would have been a DNF but I refused to let this book beat me!!! I will give the first Cally book a try next month but if I hate it I am tapping out of that series and I do not see me reading the final book in Galand when it is released, especially if it is 1 million pages long.

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "13th god through chapter 22..."

Don't worry, I spoiled all this forever ago... altho you gave me some extra terrible details... [spoilers removed]

Sounds like the only fitting e..."

Also I like your idea of how the series should end, it would be a fitting finale for sure.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

12 plagues, chapter 5: why am i making myself read this?…

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You know what would be more interesting?… if Dante and Blays becoming worse than the threats they set out to defend the world against was the whole point of the story… but it’s not, really… that’s just happenstance and reader opinion…

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "12 plagues, chapter 5: why am i making myself read this?…"

The way this made me laugh lol

Do not let the series win, Iain! Be strong!

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "You know what would be more interesting?… if Dante and Blays becoming worse than the threats they set out to defend the world against was the whole point of the story… but it’s not, really… that’s ..."

I could respect that a bit but not really because that story could have been told in like 4 books, not 9.....

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "12 plagues, chapter 5: why am i making myself read this?…"

The way this made me laugh lol

Do not let the series win, Iain! Be strong!"

That was me at work this morning... some days/books, I'm unpausing as often as rules allow (been 1-2 years now since I got away with listening to books while driving a forklift)... other days, I need to force myself to unpause, and not just switch books :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "You know what would be more interesting?… if Dante and Blays becoming worse than the threats they set out to defend the world against was the whole point of the story… but it’..."

I'm up to Chapter 16, nearly halfway through now... doubt I finish before sometime at work tomorrow or after work...

This series could have ended at any time... the author just keeps coming up with reasons to continue...

I mean... the Lich was out of left field at the end of Galand 3... Robertson CHOSE to write the gods the way they are in books 5-6, which turned them into the next inevitable villain... if he didn't keep insisting the series was almost done, he could easily do it again at the end of book 9 with new multiversal villains...

Most OTHER series like this would have large time gaps while good guys recover and bad guys gather strength to attack in force, but this series is just relentless...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I decided to check JL's shelves... they only listed Cycle of Arawn 1-3 and Cycle of Galand 1-4 as read in 2018... not sure they read 5-8... this re-read/series read might have been their chance to read the newer books...

If so, maybe they only read the better books?... I dunno where I'd put my cutoff, but I felt like I enjoyed the series more, until the White Lich was introduced at the end of book 3... started griping in Spear of Stars for sure...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I decided to check JL's shelves... they only listed Cycle of Arawn 1-3 and Cycle of Galand 1-4 as read in 2018... not sure they read 5-8... this re-read/series read might have been their chance to ..."

The earlier books were better for sure, some ups & downs but not as painfully awful as the last couple.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

12 plagues, chapter 22: I just noticed… Nether fatigue seems to have become a non-issue since book 4, when they had to hide from the Lich…

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "12 plagues, chapter 22: I just noticed… Nether fatigue seems to have become a non-issue since book 4, when they had to hide from the Lich…"

Yup, it's amazing. I think it was mentioned in the last book for a moment.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I assume visiting the Realm of the Nine Kings and playing with the sources had something to do with it…

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I assume visiting the Realm of the Nine Kings and playing with the sources had something to do with it…"

I think you are giving Robertson a bit too much credit lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sometimes, you need a bit of headcanon to satisfy your own plot holes/curiosity...

As I approach the end of the story (I listened to the whole thing at 3.5x speed this time, even tho it felt a bit fast at first after listening to Vigor Mortis at 2.7x speed)(40 minutes/2hrs left)... anyway... so many of the novel ideas with consequences/drawbacks, have just become tools in the toolbox at this point...

Up against another unbeatable problem?... lets summon an Andrac... lets point the Spear of Stars at it...

Once upon a time, you had to worry about andracs going rogue and turning on you...

Feels a bit like using Mjolnir to build a house with Habitat for Humanity :D

[Choko]

Hahaha!!! I kind of agree with everything you are saying:)))

[Ann-Marie]

Wait are you done both for this month or just Plagues?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I don't think Choko's read 13th God yet... and I don't plan to touch it until at least next weekend, if not a bit later...

[Choko]

I started the 13th G-d and am up to Ch. 6... The way Dante decides to just kill or let whole societies be killed, is very, very disturbing and disappointing to me! I totally see your point, Ann-Marie, about Blays just putting a token protest and just going with it... They have grown too jaded and I am not sure if that is at all good even for the people they claim are trying to protect... And the new companion is still very weird to me...

[Ann-Marie]

Choko wrote: "I started the 13th G-d and am up to Ch. 6... The way Dante decides to just kill or let whole societies be killed, is very, very disturbing and disappointing to me! I totally see your point, Ann-Mar..."

Exactly! There is quite a lot of things that annoy me about this series by this point but that is a biggie!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

He's been doing it for awhile/all along... he's quick to give up on people... or bitch about other people NOT giving up on people, and making the necessary sacrifices in this apocalyptic situation...

The fans of the series on reddit/etc, like to harken back to some comments made about how people have 2 types of morality... peace time morality and dire times morality... stealing is bad, until you're going to starve to death if you don't steal some food/etc...

I think that's a quote from one of the earlier books, or a paraphrasing...

Also, on the subreddit, Robertson responded to someone's comment about 13th God and noted his frustrations writing it, because he didn't know if it was going to be the final book until it grew to big to be... so it's the first half of the intended finale book, and not really satisfying, how it ends... hopefully it's worth the payoff in the finale (his words)...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Honestly... by the end of Twelve Plagues, I kind of forgot who the Titan was, and why I was supposed to care (view spoiler)[she was being consumed by Nolost...

She was just the generic questgiver throughout the story, right?... that sent Dante/Blays/Gladdic to the Iron Fountain & other locations?... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Honestly... by the end of Twelve Plagues, I kind of forgot who the Titan was.."

(view spoiler)[I thought there were 4 titans and they had to get all on their side and when the last one (of course it was the last one....) was killed then that is when they had to find a different plan, hence them deciding to collapse the portals. The books are all running together in my brain though so I may be wrong.... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Honestly... by the end of Twelve Plagues, I kind of forgot who the Titan was.."

[spoilers removed]"

That sounds vaguely right... (view spoiler)[they got the first 2 easy... then jumped over to the hard one, and the iron fountain, and it only helped because Nolost tried to eat it and failed... then they went for the last one and Nolost beat them to it, and it had already kinda given up and given in?... it all happened so fast...

So did the end, really... they were basically giving up, and deciding to live life in the Realm of the 9 Kings, I think, when Carvahal's sidekick made a comment about the portal destruction damaging the portal world, and them having a lightbulb moment that they could just destroy portals and sever the multiverse apart into independent worlds... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

I was updating my book journal and noticed this from Scottsdale Public Library review of White Trash Warlock and figured I would share since it was pretty much spot-on:

If Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural had a book baby with Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's series, this would be the little bundle of joy.

I read this a couple of years ago and it had a bit of a cliffhanger so I waited for the series to be complete to revisit, just re-read and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

This is why I struggle to explore the high/epic fantasy genre... the longer book size makers it a larger investment... and when it isn't great, it's more of a loss of time... and when I go and pick up the books ahead of time on sale, I feel compelled to read them, which makes me wary of my next purchase... when I get them on audible dollar amount discount sales, I have less chance to refund, vs a credit usage...