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Jun 2012: Slow-Going and Overwhelming
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When I got to the 30s (chapters not pages) it started to drag for me. There was a while there I wanted to give up. But from 40 on I've been blazing though, it picked up a LOT. I'm up to chapter 78 now and am very glad I pushed through. Can't wait to finish!!
I'm struggling too, got it on thursday finally.. might have to renew this book a couple of times before I get through with it..
Chapters 1-38ish set up her development and the intricate political web. Around 39/40 shit hits the fan and 40-96 read much easier and is action packed. Push through, its ruff, there are a lot of characters, and the names are confusing, but its so worth it. I just finished it....about 10 mins ago, and while it's slow in the begining it has defiantly made it into my favorite book list.
I just started skipping over stuff. I could care less about political machinations. I just wanna know what happens to Phedra lol. I agree with you, way too much world info dumping, not enough personal interaction. But that's just my preference.
I couldn't agree more with you Melinda, I am finding the politics really hard to get through. I like intrigue in books/fantasy, I like Game of Thrones etc, but I want more romance and less dithering on about this count and this duc and whether or not this person likes this other person. I'm struggling at this point in the book to identify who the heck Phedre is even going to fall in love with (and more importantly, struggling to actually care). Not for me, this one.
From what I can tell, you don't really get to Phedra's true story until around 40%, if you're reading on Kindle. That's where I'm at and the action has suddenly sped up, and now I see who the love interest might be. It's suddenly become personal. It's been a long time coming. I might read a bit further to see how that plays out.
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I have to admit I've found it tough going for the first 20 or so chapters but I think that's because I've just finished the Rachel Morgan (Hollows) books where the action starts on page one. I think I'm at around 34% on the kindle edition now and can see the hints that's it's all about to hit the fan. So yeah, slower than I'm used to but I am enjoying it, even though some of the names still make me think "Who the hell was that again?"
Felicia wrote: "Just for everyone, to echo, 40% and later is where it gets AWESOME. I love the setup, but this is a book I savor reading slowly rather than tearing through, so it's a different type of book than m..."I have trouble tearing through books im so slow damnit! Im so not gonna have finished this by the 25th june lol if i do im giving myself a gold star lol
I announced I was reading this on Facebook and a friend warned it dtarted slow and was awesome after , I was able to keep that in mind. This also helped me when reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Sorry, somehow e rest of my message erased before I hit post....I meant it helped when reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Felicia wrote: "Just for everyone, to echo, 40% and later is where it gets AWESOME. I love the setup, but this is a book I savor reading slowly rather than tearing through, so it's a different type of book than m..."thats how i feel, i do a chapter and stop. But we are doing the hang out soon so i have to start plowing threw it.
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Oh gosh, now that you mention that it totally reminds me of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo... which I LOVED, even though the beginning was dry as a bone-that's-been-sitting-in-the-desert-for-100-years. This definitely inspires me to keep going!
Chad wrote: "thats how i feel, i do a chapter and stop. But we are doing the hang out soon so i have to start plowing threw it."
I feel like most of us are going to be finishing the day of (myself included, at this rate!), haha.
Is it just me, or does 40% sound like an awful lot to have to read before a book "gets good"?
I love the setup, but this is a book I savor reading slowly rather than tearing through, so it's a different type of book than most more "disposable" and shorter Vaginal Fantasy types we've picked.I totally agree with this. It's like I told someone on Twitter: you need to wear your epic fantasy hat, rather than your Vaginal Fantasy hat.
Andy wrote: "I love the setup, but this is a book I savor reading slowly rather than tearing through, so it's a different type of book than most more "disposable" and shorter Vaginal Fantasy types we've picked...."I feel that whatever hat I'm wearing, it falls short of what it should.
RL has kept me busier than I like so I haven't found alot of time to read. I've only gotten 13% through. The story has picked up for me even this early. I guess Game of Thrones has prepared me for a long setup :) I'm hoping to sneak in some reading at work this week.
Michelle wrote: "Andy wrote: "I love the setup, but this is a book I savor reading slowly rather than tearing through, so it's a different type of book than most more "disposable" and shorter Vaginal Fantasy types ..."I don't agree, as I think is obvious: I loved the world building and how immersed I felt later because of it. But, each to their own. I hope you like the secondary better (which I'm struggling to get into).
Elizabeth wrote: "I'm really enjoying all the long political setup bit. It's got that huge complex world building like A Game of Thrones and Ken Follett's medieval books. Actually feeling a bit perturbed that it mig..."
I totally agree. Don't worry, the politics never really goes away. Phédre just becomes more involved in it.
I'm at about 15% now and don't think I can finish. At least not in time for the hangout. Well this thread inspired me to pick it up again and continue reading, maybe I'll try skipping ahead (which I normally hate), I so don't feel like another 25% of the story dragging on.I really don't like the wordy writing style, maybe that's because I'm not a native speaker of english, or maybe it's because I'm just not so much into wordiness. I don't like how there are so many little hints and spoilers in the beginning of the book like "she would be his downfall" stuff. At that I feel like throwing the book against the wall, only it's an e-reader. Don't tell what will come later in the story, tell me what's happening now! And get on with it!
I've kept reading and I do agree - it gets a lot better.But I still think the first third of this book could've done with a jolly good edit - starting with removing all the repetitive 'if only I had known' paragraphs!
PointyEars42 wrote: "Is it just me, or does 40% sound like an awful lot to have to read before a book "gets good"?"Absolutely!
I love my Kindle so much because it stops me wasting money and time on books I won't enjoy. I download the sample first and if you haven't got me at the end of that then I delete the sample and move on.
I'm at chapter 44 and it's definitely getting much better! I don't love it yet, but I still have a long ways to go.
I'm at 19% so far but don't think I will get anywhere close to finishing by the hangout time, even with my week off work! It is such a lot to take in.
I'm glad to see it wasn't just me! The first few chapters I was really unsure, but after all the positive talk from the ladies I knew I had to give it a chance. I'm about 35% and it's definitely beginning to pick up!
Blessed Elua, that was long! I just finished last night - I thought the book would never end!Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed *most* of it, but there were times when I asked myself "why am I reading this?" - especially through the long, slow middle chapters.
I liked the characters (the ones I could keep straight), the world building, the different races and religions. I couldn't follow the politics most of the time and was not completely satisfied with the end.
Anna wrote: "Blessed Elua, that was long! I just finished last night - I thought the book would never end!"I totally agree. I finished this Sunday night but partway I was thinking 'is this going to end? there's really more going on? what?' I did like this book, really did, but when I started I was daunted by the 97 chapters that were in it. I have things like Robert Jordan, though not George R. R. Martin (yet), and so I have dealt with the giant books and have been well rewarded by it.
I guess the feeling is different with a Kindle in that I don't have the chance to really turn the page and feel like I'm making progress except by a percentage. But I hit that spot during those slow middle chapters after Selig I think.
I too loved the characters and the world. Whether or not I'll read more of the series may depend on time and where it falls in my 'I want to read' list.
I'm getting through it, slow as a slug but that's okay I'm liking it... and I'm getting used to the writing which is great because I keep going back over it again and again... it's poetic of sorts, and I'm always like 'whhaatt..' lol!
Andy wrote: "I love the setup, but this is a book I savor reading slowly rather than tearing through, so it's a different type of book than most more "disposable" and shorter Vaginal Fantasy types we've picked...."My epic fantasy hat has taken on greater tomes than this! Still couldn't get through it. She just tries too hard in her prose and it loses meaning after a while. Since I would rather spend my spare time reading the entire Jewels series than put myself through a book I want to throw across the room every other page, I gave myself permission to stop.
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Plus I loveeee Joscelin, so I'm keeping on.
In regards to the epic fantasy hat, I'd just like for it to go on record that I've been on page 160 of A Game of Thrones since... March 14th. :x
I started this book late because I had to finish another book first -_-. I doubt I am going to finish this in time for the hang out, I am only on chapter 10. I can already tell this is a book that will seem better on a second read after waiting some time, at least the start is. I am not used to epics, but at least I am trying.The first couple chapters just didn't do it for me, I would rather be shown than told, but that seems difficult with mythology. I doubt I can read 800 pages before Monday, but I refuse to give in!
I am totally Team Joscelin. I finished this book last night. There were some segments (such as the beginning) that were tough to slog through, but once her life with Delaunay - um - took a turn, it was a bit of a nail biter. Language/prose: Definitely a big adjustment from previous VF picks like Nalini Singh, where the plot is simpler and the sex is smuttier. The first few chapters where the book tried to give a sort of summary of the houses and their canon took a few read-throughs, and I found myself confused about which house her mother actually belonged to at first.
Sex: I actually found the focus of this book to NOT be the sex - I mean, in some books the sex writing explicitly sort of tries to turn you on, but not so much in this book. I did find, though, that some of the scenes seemed kind of forced - really, Phedre had to use her gift for THAT?
Plot/story: I think if I had to rate plot/intrigue on a spectrum with George R.R. Martin on one end and a Mills and Boon on the other, these books would definitely on the GRRM end of the spectrum, maybe 7/10 on a scale of 10 where 10 is GRRM.
This book is tough to read for a deadline - I think it would be better enjoyed when you don't have to rush to get to the end, and you can slowly savor the intrigue and the world building.
I've wondered if this book is easier to read in physical form. I often felt like I had read a good 20 pages and that dang percentage meter would only go up one percent. Which was a huge discouragement. Perhaps having a physical copy in my hands would have kept away that dragging feeling by rewarding me with the shift of thickness and weigh?
Joanna wrote: "I've wondered if this book is easier to read in physical form. I often felt like I had read a good 20 pages and that dang percentage meter would only go up one percent. Which was a huge discouragem..."I know what you mean. The percentage just seems to creep along. I've made it up to Chapter 22, but still only 22% or so in.
Crispina wrote: "This book is tough to read for a deadline - I think it would be better enjoyed when you don't have to rush to get to the end, and you can slowly savor the intrigue and the world building."
I've kind of decided the same thing, and even though I've been enjoying it, I've taken a break from it to read other things for a little bit to be able to fulfill some other reading commitments I have. This book is just very slow going for me and I feel like I'm getting bogged down in it and frustrated with not being able to read faster. Hopefully when I don't feel like I have to finish it by a certain date then I'll be able to just enjoy it.
Not an easy book, but an engrossing one. Really glad that I read it and I will probably read all of them.
I have to agree with a lot of the folks in this thread: not a lot happens in the beginning. I'm going to keep reading because I've heard that it gets better, but the first 200 pages just seem to go on and on with no real plot.
I must be weird i love the first 40% and when the first big wrench hit i yelled at my audio book but it was amazing in the end i love the politics.Side note: i read all 3 90h of audio book and loved it so much i went back the first 40% is way better when you can keep track of all the politics. the first time thought i lost a lot of names and smashed some characters together and just remembered a lot of them form their fetish. the whole book came together and the first part becomes important. we need to know why Phedra is and why she is who she is to understand her some time interesting choices. The romance in this book is amazing over the 3 books it starts slow, but becomes one of my favorites over the series.
for those wondering about the romantic interest
(view spoiler)
I am trudging through a bit but heartened by all the posts saying it is going to get better! Here goes passing page 100!
I got a late star on this book, so I'm not likely to be done by tonight. I will finish it for sure in a day or two, but I definitely won't make it through any of the alternate read (though the comments I see make it sound promising).As for Kushiel's Dart, I do find that the world building really slows me down a lot. Just getting the characters straight is tricky (especially all the different members of noble houses and their connections), and so I find myself alternating between moving quickly through exciting scenes and labouring through building scenes that require constant referencing of the world map and Dramatis Personae... Thank goodness these were included!
I found it really hard to keep reading after Delaunay and Alcuin's deaths. I don't know why but I got very upset and felt like tossing the book. I kept on, though having to follow my grief with a Skaldi capture was not fun...
I found it really hard to keep reading after Delaunay and Alcuin's deaths. I don't know why but I got very upset and felt like tossing the book. I kept on, though having to follow my grief with a Skaldi capture was not fun... I had the same problem. I like the way the story was going and the political intreage and I screened when that happened.
I found myself thinking "Oh, I'm surely near the end now." only to check the page count and see I'm BARELY halfway. I wanted to chuck my e-reader after Delaunay died. I figured Alcuin was going to either die or become a rival, but not him!
I'm having a huge FML moment. I tuned in/found out about VF right before Gabriel's Ghost was announced as last months read. And I read that one (personaly loved it, though the smutty scenes made me want to gag...) Anyways then my baby sister came to stay with me (I just moved to Texas) for a week with her friend at the beginning of the month. Plus I was trying to read the whole Cassie Palmer series. THEN I realized I missed the hangout for G'sG. So I JUST bought this months books without thinking of the date or the sheer size of Kushiel's Dart. I guess Felica holding it up on the Hangout (I watched it Thursday) should have been a clue. So I am hardly 10% through this. It is such a hard read. The only other Epic I've dipped into was Game of Thrones and that was just recently. Well hopefully I can get a bit farther before the Hangout. Shoulda started with the Alt book.
I'm at maybe 1%, but then I did choose to read books 1-5 in the Mercy Thompson series instead this month.What I have read so far is interesting and well written, but I agree with everyone in that it is very dense and will take me some time to get through even if I had focused solely on it this month.
A difficult read for those of us who do not read fast or who are easily bogged down in minutiae.
I really like the world. I think it's well crafted and everything makes sense within it's own cultural context, I'm intrigued by the story but it's so... tough to get into, and not because of the topics discussed in the book.
The first FOUR PAGES were a list of characters. That was overwhelming in and of itself. After that, there's a ton of world dumping and very little action. I know it's a big world with a lot of historical factors that lead up to the current state of affairs, but it's so daunting. I feel like I need to be keeping track of the key players, but there are so many characters that it's hard to know who is important and who is not-so.
Not to mention the prose seems so overwritten in places. This quote for instance seems to repeat itself:
I don't know... anyone else struggling? Can anyone assure me that it's going to get better? :x