Tim > Recent Status Updates

Mixed feeling this early in the book. I'm not that familiar with the gnomes, but at some point I had to think of a typical Disney cartoon love scene (Mickey Mouse sort of stuff). A little later, I thought I was reading a children's book. I have a hard time seeing this as a Dragonlance novel. Let's hope the situation will improve.

I hope to finish this before the end of the year, so I can start 2017 with a new fiction novel. ;-) That way, I'll also have finished the Chaos War series.

Ups and downs, sometimes it just drags. :/ Two points of critique: 1) Calling each other, at random, by the name, by the species, by whatever else... Several times, it just doesn't make sense to change the addressing. 2) Aryx needed a scabbard for the Sword of Tears (gift from Sargonnas) and all of a sudden, a little later, the sword is in a scabbard. Where did it come from? Have I overlooked something?

2.5 years after The Puppet King, picking up a new DL-novel takes some time to adjust to the style, the world (although that was the easiest bit), ... Aryx is not your typical hero, rather reluctant to intervene, lots of wind, not enough action. So why was he chosen? But it's entertaining, somehow.

This is great stuff, already had quite some laughs. :-) Sadly, it's also my last Discworld novel, so I'll have to get some new ones later.

Book 2, La saison des conquêtes, finished. More stuff gets unravelled, and we finally learn that Janes (the gods' bastard) has the gift of not being afraid, not feeling pain, etc. Ragnarök is due & there's one important item to decide the fate of all: a ring. It must be undone (Frodo? LOTR?) to save mankind from the battling Dragons & Faeders. Cliffhanger ending! The ring is not yet destroyed, this also impacts Janes

Things are quite exciting (again), though the story started a bit slow. Yes, Janes conquers everything, every challenge and what not. They almost all do, no matter how badly they're injured. But hey, it's Fantasy, right? Can't let characters suffer too long, can't let any wounds ex/persist or be too severe to endanger the mission. Also, vocabulary: not your daily French. Yay for dictionaries.

Started with book 2 in this omnibus: La saison des conquêtes (Winterheim, #2); a bit tough to get into again (who's who again?), as I read Abercrombie's The Heroes the past two weeks. It's thus best to not leave that much time between the books in this trilogy. :P

Day 3 done: bloodier than before. You'd think the Union will win, but it seems the Northmen were more cunning, strangely enough. Bayaz might be a fancy supervisor, but Lord Marshal Kroy goes against him when victory is far from near. A need for peace, accepted, except for one final outburst from the Northmen, or at least Dow's "surprise" fighter. Dow & Calder have a feud: a challenge. Who will win?

Day 2 done: More bloodshed, severe casualties on both sides, hostages, a little loving, & there are even a bunch of savages who came to join the party, but they were driven back by the Union. In both camps: egos, arrogance, & feuds = internal division. Calder (son of Bethod) stood up for himself. Bremer Dan Gorst is still a beast, but has no way with words at all. Very exciting! What will day 3 bring? Who will win?

Day 1 of the battle is done. It's was bloody with many casualties, especially in The Union camp. Abercrombie made it very descriptive (hunger, blood, hardships, egos), showed each camp has different tactics and styles, but also how a war is never an answer; there are only losers, no matter what. Add a philosophical thought here and there, and it becomes more than just a Fantasy novel. On to day 2 now.

Power-hungry and vengeful as f*** Black Dow's gang and the troops of The Union are now converging on each other. The battle will commence any time now. But is The Union, led by General Jalenhorm (underqualified for this position?), really a tight unity? Not that Black Dow doesn't have problems with his own troops (egos and what not).

No Glokta here, sadly enough. But the other characters make it very entertaining, nevertheless. It's fluently written, with a touch of humour here and there. I'm loving it, at the moment. :) But it's clear you must first have read The First Law trilogy, to have enough background on the story here, on why the situation is like it is, as this stand-alone follows the circumstances/events in that trilogy.

1) Le Fils des Ténèbres: Gods and man, Asgard vs Midgard. A story of power, friendship, love, revenge. The gods are gone (are they?), mankind has taken over. But various kingdoms have succumbed to the conquests of Kzaar Asraan, the tyran draaken, who refused to retreat when the gods did. He considers Midgard his playground. Janes, who thinks himself invincible , swore to one day kill Asraan, to prevent the conquest.

I'm going to be so glad when I finish this book. Very mixed feelings about this one.

Miller, Holden & co. have been spending a lot of time together, trying to find clues about the virus, the war, who profits from all this (Earth? Mars? The OPA - Outer Planets Alliance?, ...). With Holden & Miller in the spotlights, it seems (former detective) Miller is giving Holden every time (or mostly) a lesson in logics. Holden's somehow too honest? A little too naive?