SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading in 2025?
Somewhat disappointed in The Thousand Coffins Affair by Michael Avallone.My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Maybe if I had watched the show, but I am not that old. Had some of the series when I was a teen and remember enjoying them.
My review here
Instead of continuing this series on tablet, remembered that I picked up Goblins & Greatcoats and will read that when I feel like an ebook.
I'm about 25% through Machine Learning (Star Scrapper #9) by J.N. Chaney. It's just as fun to read as the previous 8 books in the series. The story just wound up a Mad Max-type battle which followed the Buzzard (the ship) being downed by an EMP, also taking out Ned, the AI. I think a lot of this book is going to focus on Ned's personal growth. I enjoy stories that explore AI in the future.
I was excited to revisit a bright time in my childhood with Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon—The Untold Story
by Jeffrey Kluger:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm on the 6th book of the Sun Eater series, and the last book comes out next week. I'm hoping to get the series completed by the end of 2025! Disquiet Gods
Woke early and finished Krondor: The Assassins by Raymond E. Feist instead of sleeping.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Upon rereading, I am liking this series of book instigated by the release of the Riftwar video games in the 90s even more.
My review here
Continuing with Krondor: Tear of the Gods.
I'm reading The Night House by Jo Nesbø and I really don't like it. I've liked all the rest of his books but not this one. It's very much a horror story with an unreliable narrator (according to the blurb) which makes it worse
That one seems very polarizing, CBR.
I've just started reading A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos, and I like the worldbuilding and characters, but I'm worried that it will slow down later on.
Started The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy and I'm enjoying it. I seem to be gravitating toward middle-school fantasy lately.
I'm trying out the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. I just finished The Final Empire, working on Well of Ascension(but I'm struggling to get through this one)I may put it on hold and try something else since its not really holding my attention.
Raven wrote: "I'm trying out the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. I just finished The Final Empire, working on Well of Ascension(but I'm struggling to get through this one)I may put it on hold and try som..."
I liked the first four books better than the Stormlight Archives
After some comments (in a different one of our threads, I think), I had to read The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan and finally got to it. The novel is based (a bit loosely as the author explains) on the poem of the same title in the Edda and the Hervararkvida. As a novel, this is a coming-of-age tale to fit a Norse myth, replete with brutality, bloodshed, berserkergang, vengeance, and, of course, the cursed sword, Tyrfing. Hervor is a young woman who hears ghosts talking to her about death and betrayal and will do anything to make them stop. The story really pulled me along on Hervor's wild ride to doom and damnation. There are a few issues. The colloquial English in some of the dialog popped me out of the story world on occasion. Also, nobody gets hit over the head and knocked unconscious for that long (more than once) without serious problems afterward. Those did not spoil the enjoyment of the story, though. It is an excellent read. I would recommend this to folks who enjoy the Norse myths and the sagas and who like their fantasy on the grimdark side. (view spoiler)
Colin wrote: "After some comments (in a different one of our threads, I think), I had to read The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan and finally got to it. The novel is based (a bit loosely as ..."I recommended this one a while ago on either this forum or another one. I thought it was very interesting
as far as this goes: Also, nobody gets hit over the head and knocked unconscious for that long (more than once) without serious problems afterward. She did have serious problems afterwards (maybe even hallucinations)
I've just finished The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi, which is the latest installation in the Old Man's War series. I really enjoyed it. There were some absolute laugh out loud moments for me, amongst the actual, quite serious, story.
CBRetriever wrote: "Colin wrote: "After some comments (in a different one of our threads, I think), I had to read The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan and finally got to it. The novel is based (a b..."I recommended this one a while ago on either this forum or another one. I thought it was very interesting
Yes, it was your recommendation that made me decide to get the book! Thank you very much. (One of the things I most like about this group are the recommendations.)
(view spoiler)
you're welcome and you made me look up a word too!
Leonie wrote: "I've just finished The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi, which is the latest installation in the Old Man's War series. I really enjoyed it. There were some absolute laugh out loud m..."Also just finished The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi and enjoyed it as well. This is the seventh installment in the Old Man's War series and the mystery of how a colony of 50,000 people could simply disappear makes for an excellent story, told with Scalzi's light, sarcastic touch. The call backs to characters from The Last Colony and Zoe's Tale (this book shows them years later) are a lot of fun. A definite recommendation for science fiction fans who enjoy deep space adventure.
Raven wrote: "I'm trying out the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. I just finished The Final Empire, working on Well of Ascension(but I'm struggling to get through this one)I may put it on hold and try som..."
I'm working on Hero of Ages now. I personally loved Well, but i think most prefer the first and third to the second.
Woke up early this morning and finished Krondor: Tear of the Gods by Raymond E. Feist.My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars
A notch above the prior two books in the Riftwar Legacy subseries. I wish I had a copy of the next book (it is the only Midkemia book I am missing).
My review here
Picking up from where I diverted to these chronologically earlier (but published later) books with The King's Buccaneer.
Y'all are better than I at embedding your reviews and links to books in clever hyperlinks. That being said, two more books down this month! Unpopular opinion time! I did not like Nine Princes in Amber. I might read book two because apparently things get better, but how is this the same Zelazny? How do others feel?https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also, just read the delightfully odd Momo to my kids. Very prescient...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dean wrote: "Unpopular opinion time! I did not like Nine Princes in Am..." You're definitely not alone there. For me it wasn't the writing but the worldbuilding, which felt too scant and lifeless for my liking. I much preferred his Lord of Light but it still didn't blow me away or anything.
Sheska wrote: "Dean wrote: "Unpopular opinion time! I did not like Nine Princes in Am..." You're definitely not alone there. For me it wasn't the writing but the worldbuilding, which felt too scant and lifeless..."
I tried reading Nine Princes in Amber once, but I still don't understand what the book is about. Иге the books Lord of the Light and Lord Demon by the same author seemed very interesting and funny to me, especially Lord Demon. I liked the idea that missing socks could end up in a special dimension where they grow in size and create gigantic labyrinths. The dimension where lost clothes hangers gathered and attracted lightning bolts was great, too.
Started Arcana Academy by Elise Kova yesterday. It's a romantasy where magic is invested in tarot cards. While I like the tarot card angle, I haven't decided yet whether I like the story.Ha! You're going to shame me into embedding my reviews. Let me put on my learning panties...
Mai wrote: "Started Arcana Academy by Elise Kova yesterday. It's a romantasy where magic is invested in tarot cards. While I like the tarot card angle, I haven't decided yet w..."just copy/paste the url in your post
CBRetriever wrote: "Mai wrote: "Started Arcana Academy by Elise Kova yesterday. It's a romantasy where magic is invested in tarot cards. While I like the tarot card angle, I haven't d..."Some people have a word in place of the full text of the hyperlink in their reviews, say for example the word "here". I always wondered how they did that. Maybe that's what Mai is referring to?
Right. And when I do the html formatting for that, even when the URL says it's going to my review, clicking on it sends me back to the discussion. There's a SFF plot in this bug somewhere...
Dean wrote: "Right. And when I do the html formatting for that, even when the URL says it's going to my review, clicking on it sends me back to the discussion. There's a SFF plot in this bug somewhere..."
just the url should work and here's a link to one of your reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
More details and tech tips here
CBRetriever wrote: "Mai wrote: "Started Arcana Academy by Elise Kova yesterday. It's a romantasy where magic is invested in tarot cards. While I like the tarot card angle, I haven't d..."Sweet, thank you!
Michelle wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "Mai wrote: "Started Arcana Academy by Elise Kova yesterday. It's a romantasy where magic is invested in tarot cards. While I like the tarot car..."Nope, just the plain jane copy and paste. I think I can do it.
Dean wrote: "Right. And when I do the html formatting for that, even when the URL says it's going to my review, clicking on it sends me back to the discussion. There's a SFF plot in this bug somewhere..."
Right???
Melanie wrote: "Click on the "some html is ok", only visible on PC, not the apps. Paste the code for a link and replace sample info with your details.More details and tech tips here"
Y'all are the best! Thank you.
Black Indians, William Loren Katz. It's about exactly what it sounds like.
I had to give up on:
The Angriest Angelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sometimes it just gets too silly, too overwrought. Aliens that sound like bad Attenborough imitators.
I'm on a real bender this month apparently - and the Thanksgiving holidays haven't started yet!Just finished An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. So good.
Resigning myself to this being the way I would share a review for y'all to mock, like, or be incensed by:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jabotikaba wrote: "Lord of the Light and Lord Demon by the same author seemed very interesting and funny to me, especially Lord Demon." I've not even heard of the second book. Sounds trippy :) That said, I've given Zelazny three fair shakes and none of them lived up to my tastes. So, I'm pretty comfortable letting him go. I know he's well loved and respected by many but for some reason I just couldn't get into his writing. Glad I tried though.
Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes) by Travis BaldreeCables and Conjurers by Nancy Warren
Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders
Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, #14) by Janet Evanovich
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, #2) by Patricia Briggs
The Sweetest Burn (Broken Destiny #2) by Jeaniene Frost
Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver
There's more but these are my main focus with my mood reading.
Sheska wrote: "Jabotikaba wrote: "Lord of the Light and Lord Demon by the same author seemed very interesting and funny to me, especially Lord Demon." I've not even heard of the second book. Sounds trippy :) Th..."
Lord Démon
This is a book about aliens who pretend to be demons, and it is completely different from Nine Princes in Amber or Lord of Light. It's an easy read with a lot of humor.
Sheska wrote: "Jabotikaba wrote: "Lord of the Light and Lord Demon by the same author seemed very interesting and funny to me, especially Lord Demon." I've not even heard of the second book. Sounds trippy :) Th..."
This is a book about aliens who pretend to be demons, and it is completely different from Nine Princes in Amber or Lord of Light. It's an easy read with a lot of humor.
Lord Demon
Jabotikaba wrote: "It's an easy read with a lot of humor." Oddly, I actually really liked his sense of humour. The start of Nine Princes was pretty comical but then it kinda went off the rails. Same with Lord of Light. There was a lot of humour at the start but it soon petered out.
On the topic of the thread, I recently finished Lem's Solaris. I am so happy there are still sci fi concepts that totally surprise me. Love Lem's short stories; this novel didn't disappoint either.
Sheska wrote: "Jabotikaba wrote: "It's an easy read with a lot of humor." Oddly, I actually really liked his sense of humour. The start of Nine Princes was pretty comical but then it kinda went off the rails. S..."
Lord Demon is a funny and interesting book until the very end. It even has a vibe similar to A Night in a Lonesome October.
Lem was certainly a great writer, but some of his books are creepy. Of course, this does not apply to Solaris.
Grapes of Wrath. Started it in college, better than 20 years ago, but study got in the way, so it's getting a second chance.
finishing The Expanse and River of London. got loads of other books and graphic novels i want to finish as well including Akira and Neon Genesis.
Just finished The King's Buccaneer by Raymond E. FeistMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A well-done 'passing to new characters' book in the Midkemia series. Characters from prior books are eased out without killing too many of them and the new young characters are allowed to shine.
My review here
The novella Jimmy and the Crawler (earlier in same series) just arrived, so I will go back and read that. This one was disappointingly short until I found out it is the treatment for two more video games from Sierra that never were made. So I have some hopes that there will be a lot of plot even if many of the scenes that would make full novels are not included or just referenced.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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Scorpio (other topics)Scorpio (other topics)
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Shadow of a Dark Queen (other topics)
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Marko Kloos (other topics)Marko Kloos (other topics)
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My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
We sold this game back when we had a software store. I liked the game 30+ years ago and like the novel now.
My review here
Starting the sequel, Krondor the Assassins. Almost finished with The Thousand Coffins Affair, so moving to another U.N.C.L.E. book on tablet if I decide to keep on with that format - not really comfortable reading on tablet yet.