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The Official Wowhead Book-Club
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Post by
Azazel
Eoin Colfer... Didn't he write the Artemis Fowl series?
Post by
Jubilee
Yes sir!
Post by
Monday
Eh, I didn't like the Artemis Fowl books too much, beyond the 1st-3rd. They got really preachy and just meh.
Post by
Jubilee
And just now finished The Supernaturalist, my other favorite!
Post by
Interest
Anyone check out
The Omen Machine
yet?
It's an...interesting "sequel."
And it's part of a story arc, most likely. I finished the book and there's no apparently obvious ending there. Goodkind likes to write books in packs of 2 and 3 anyways.
Post by
Jubilee
Next book I just picked up is Malafrena by Ursula Le Guin.
Post by
Monday
Ew, Goodkind. I never could get into his books.
Post by
Adamsm
Ew, Goodkind. I never could get into his books.
Agreed; his stuff....meh.
Post by
Interest
Ew, Goodkind. I never could get into his books.
It does take a certain mindset, I've found.
Post by
OverZealous
Anyone check out
The Omen Machine
yet?
It's an...interesting "sequel."
And it's part of a story arc, most likely. I finished the book and there's no apparently obvious ending there. Goodkind likes to write books in packs of 2 and 3 anyways.
I'm going over to the "nearest" book-store tomorrow to pick it up. Damn training camp coinciding with the greatest book-release of the year >.>Ew, Goodkind. I never could get into his books.
As Interest says, you need a certain mindset to enjoy his books. Personally, I think they are some of the best books
ever
written.
Post by
Monday
Seriously?
"Sorry!"
"I'm sorry for making you say sorry!"
"No, I'm so sorry!"
Post by
Monday
>:C
Finally got the time to sit down and finish A Dance With Dragons.
WHAT THE HELL? JON? I swear, if Melisendre or someone else doesn't save him, I'm going to be so pissed if he actually ends up dead. Can't believe that the rest of the black brothers are so close-minded and stupid! Jon was doing so many great things! GRRRRRREWJIKOWANE#@:P!KNPOIHJF{PH@!#{IBNPJCVPJDSNFU!#@_*$&!#@*&_!@*Y#$
So I just finished, and came here to rant, then I saw Queggy had already done it for me.
I'll add my own voice. WHAT THE *!@#ING HELL MARTIN? WHAT. THE. HELL. If Jon dies, there are only two characters I'd care about, which are Tyrion and Aegon.
I swear, Martin, if you let him die, I can and will burn my copy of that book. And video tape it.
Post by
Pwntiff
A little over halfway through Kevin J Anderson's nautical fantasy
Edge of the World
, and he just alluded to Hemingway. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to guess the allusion. :P
I recommend the Terra Incognita trilogy. I may only be on book one, but so far it's somewhat enthralling.
Post by
Jubilee
I don't know if people care enough to read things like this, but I figured I would give it a run since I read at an extremely fast rate and can probably put up a review or two a week.
Book Review
Title:
Against the Fall of Night
Author:
Arthur C. Clarke
Genre:
Hard Science Fiction
Themes:
Utopia, Space travel, Robots, Future evolution, Aliens
Published:
1948 / 1953
Length:
160 pages / 40000 words
Note:
Clarke rewrote this novel several years after it was first published and renamed it
The City and the Stars
. While his plan was to completely supplant the first with his rewrite, that did not happen, and both versions are read and circulated to this day. I will read
The City and the Stars
at some point in the future and provide my thoughts in it then, but for now this review is only on the original work.
Blurb:
Billions of years in the future humanity has drawn itself into a single utopian city. Or has it? Alvin is one of the only people who is not too afraid to venture out of the city, and his actions will be a defining moment in man's history.
Spoiler-free review:
It should be noted that this was Clarke's first ever novel, and so it lacks the maturity of style that many of his later work have. However, that being said, this feels like a rather typical Clarke tale. There are enough unique aspects to make it a fine read, but the overarching ideas are neither new nor fresh. Because of its rather short length, the thoroughness of the resolution is somewhat lacking with some ends left somewhat lose, and in very manner very typically Clarke, these are just waved away with simple "I guess we will never know" attitude.
There is one major fault I have with the book, and that is its propensity to throw around giant chunks of time like they do not really matter. The very idea of the human race doing anything for a billions years is borderline fantastic, especially with our real life experience of just the last ten thousand. All in all I feel as if he was a bit too cavalier with the timeframe, and could have done better with more realistic numbers.
Rating and recommendation:
6.5/10, must-read if you consider yourself or desire to be an informed 20th century science fiction aficionado, but for anyone else I would recommend skipping this for more notable works of this period in science fiction history.
Post by
Jubilee
Finished a new book. Here we go. (Also if anyone wants me to read and review a book, I open to suggestions, but I can't make any promises)
Book Review
Title:
Canticle
Author:
R. A. Salvatore
Genre:
Fantasy (D&D)
Themes:
Magic, Coming of age, Forgotten Realms
Published:
1991
Length:
550 pages / 90000 words
Note:
The first book in the Cleric Quintet, and one of the few of Salvatore's books that doesn't immediately concern Drizzt Do'Urden, though it takes place right as the same time as Drizzt's main narrative.
Blurb:
Dark days are about to befall the Edificant Library, and it is up to the young student Cadderly Bonaduce to save his home from the sinister machinations of Castle Trinity and its poisonous goddess Talona.
Spoiler-free review:
To say it simply, this book is quite good at what it is meant to be: pulp fantasy. The hero is young, dashing, and lovable, the heroine is tough but never harsh, and the bad guys are unruly and easily recognizable. As with the rest of Salvatore's books and D&D books in general, there is a special emphasis on describing fighting and action sequences down to every detail in typical rpg fashion. You won't find the epic battles of non-D&D high fantasy, but when it comes to making a fight against "level 3" skeletons interesting, Salvatore is your man.
But along with the perks that the genre brings, there are also things that don't come across as well. Some of the characters seem somewhat outrageous in either their personalities or their actions, and at some points an entire scene can seem quite disconnected from reality.
Rating and recommendation:
7/10, not the most remarkable of Salvatore's Forgotten Realm series, but for sure one you should pick up if you enjoy the author and/or the setting. It's nice also that it's one of the few books in the list that can be read out of chronological order with little confusion, so if you get tired of the Drizzt narrative and need a quick detour, Canticle and the rest of the Cleric Quintet will be perfect for you. For those who have not yet delved into the Forgotten realm, I would recommend starting at the beginning of the Drizzt narrative, either with The Icewind Dale Trilogy (the first books written) or The Dark Elf Trilogy (the prequel trilogy). For those who dislike D&D books in general, you'll want to skip this as it's exactly what you'd expect from the genre.
Post by
Monday
I never could get into Canticle. My favorite so far definitely has to be the Sellswords Trilogy/Paths of Darnkess.
Post by
Interest
Anyone check out
The Omen Machine
yet?
It's an...interesting "sequel."
And it's part of a story arc, most likely. I finished the book and there's no apparently obvious ending there. Goodkind likes to write books in packs of 2 and 3 anyways.
I'm going over to the "nearest" book-store tomorrow to pick it up. Damn training camp coinciding with the greatest book-release of the year >.>Ew, Goodkind. I never could get into his books.
As Interest says, you need a certain mindset to enjoy his books. Personally, I think they are some of the best books
ever
written.
I wouldn't say "best" but they are pretty good.
Seriously?
"Sorry!"
"I'm sorry for making you say sorry!"
"No, I'm so sorry!"
Eh, some of the word choice Goodkind uses does leave something to be desired. He can be damn good at making a short story into a giant ass book though.
Also:
At least he doesn't write like Stephanie Meyer
Post by
Monday
Eh, some of the word choice Goodkind uses does leave something to be desired. He can be damn good at making a short story into a giant ass book though.
Also:
At least he doesn't write like Stephanie Meyer
Both are incredibly true.
It just comes down to a matter of taste, I guess. I will say that I never thought that his writing was "bad" per se, I just can't stand his writing style or the political views he slips into his books.
To each their own.
Post by
Interest
Eh, some of the word choice Goodkind uses does leave something to be desired. He can be damn good at making a short story into a giant ass book though.
Also:
At least he doesn't write like Stephanie Meyer
Both are incredibly true.
It just comes down to a matter of taste, I guess. I will say that I never thought that his writing was "bad" per se,
I just can't stand his writing style or the political views he slips into his books.
To each their own.
I don't particularly mind it, but the fact he's so extremely slated towards one side without showing the positive aspects of others disturbs me (and I MOSTLY mean IRL)
Post by
Queggy
Leviathan Wakes
, by James S. A. Corey. One of the best Sci-Fi novels I've read in a long time. You won't regret reading it.
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