It's June 2020: What fantasy book are you reading?

[ReguIa]

@Derk of Derkholm Planning on re-reading everything up to Peace Talks?

I had set a goal of finishing at least 3 Wheel of Time books during the summer but it's been 3 weeks and I've already read two. A Crown of Swords was really great and The Path of Daggers had a fantastic last third with the rest being just alright.

 

[afa]

I am at "Dead Beat" now in my Dresden Files re-reread.

It's been so long since I've read it, I didn't even know how many I'd read. I kept thinking it was 4 or 5 books. I was even considering buying Book 6 when it was on sale recently. Luckily, I thought to check back on my history here before doing that, and found out much to my surprise that I had apparently read till Book 8! I honestly don't even remember reading that much.

How's the re-read going? I've heard some complaints over at Reddit about how the series has a lot of casual misogyny and Dresden has a "saviour" problem. Are you seeing any of that on re-read?

 

[ABatch]

Been reading so much indie and small press fantasy that I'm taking a break and reading Michael Connolly's latest Bosch & Ballard book, The Night Fire and Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography.

 

[Cyphon]

I'm just over halfway through the Desert Spear - book 3 of the Demon Cycle/Warded Man and I'm enjoying it. Halfway through the series and I still don't know what has happened to this world to make it like it is.

(minor spoilers here regarding sex and male/female tropes ahead).
One thing is clear to me though - if you never knew who the author was you would certainly guess it was written by a man. Virtually every primary female character is very attractive and a sex goddess. While some can be attributed to an Iranian like, old school culture it's overdone. Sex is quick and used for many reasons. And it's a bit odd how the book has zero swearing and yet quite a bit of sex in it. In some ways it's a bit like Wheel of Time - lots of female nudity although WOT was always fade to black and never explicit. This is more. And rape is also a part of the culture that makes me uncomfortable with parts of the book.

I'd be curious as to how women readers feel about this series. I should add that more than a few female characters are very strong characters. They don't bow to many (if any) and aren't just window dressing by any means.

Not a woman, or even chiming in on that convo but I am glad you are enjoying the series. I was a big fan from book 1 all the way through the ending and even have the side story books he did. Something about the world and plot just had me hooked from the word go. It was similar to the feeling I get reading WoT.

The biggest issue I had with the series is when Arlen reverts into this giant hick and the way he started talking drove me nuts. It was bad enough for me that it derailed a lot of my enjoyment reading his parts. Not sure if it happened in book 3 or 4.

 

[rudyjuly2]

Not a woman, or even chiming in on that convo but I am glad you are enjoying the series. I was a big fan from book 1 all the way through the ending and even have the side story books he did. Something about the world and plot just had me hooked from the word go. It was similar to the feeling I get reading WoT.

The biggest issue I had with the series is when Arlen reverts into this giant hick and the way he started talking drove me nuts. It was bad enough for me that it derailed a lot of my enjoyment reading his parts. Not sure if it happened in book 3 or 4.

Yeah. Arlen was a well educated person in his time as a Messenger and then "ent" becomes a big part of his vocabulary.

Finished book 3. Enjoyed it. Big ending and on to book 4!

 

[ReguIa]

Started Winter's Heart yesterday. (btw will the prologue be 200 pages in the final books..)

Something I'm more than excited for that has taken way too long to get to

Spoiler

Finally talks of cleansing saidin

A few other thoughts

Spoiler

The last two books, Crown of Swords and Path of Daggers weren't as good as the ones before, but something that struck me is that we haven't seen any trollocs since Fires of Heaven I believe? I'm really enjoying the fact that the books became less new Forsaken every book and now it's much more interesting with a more ''gray'' approach, with a split White Tower, rogue Asha'man, Seanchan etc.

 

[rudyjuly2]

Started Winter's Heart yesterday. (btw will the prologue be 200 pages in the final books..)

Something I'm more than excited for that has taken way too long to get to

Spoiler

Finally talks of cleansing saidin

A few other thoughts

Spoiler

The last two books, Crown of Swords and Path of Daggers weren't as good as the ones before, but something that struck me is that we haven't seen any trollocs since Fires of Heaven I believe? I'm really enjoying the fact that the books became less new Forsaken every book and now it's much more interesting with a more ''gray'' approach, with a split White Tower, rogue Asha'man, Seanchan etc.

The books do seem to have their own emphasis on plot or characters. Someone described the series like a TV show. Some seasons are good and some not as good. I felt books 7-10 slid in quality although there are always good parts of each book. What is going on with Perrin and Faile right now?

 

[ReguIa]

@rudyjuly2

Spoiler: Path of Daggers

Path of Daggers ended with Faile and co being taken by the Shaido while Perrin was meeting with Masema

I do agree that even the average books have some amazing parts. Rand's in Path of Daggers for example was really good.

 

[stenney]

on Guardian's of the West, first book of The Mallorean by Eddings. i did enjoy The Belgariad, even though it wrapped up a bit too neat and clean, but that is normal for classic 80s epic fantasy. it is kind of nice to read something straight forward and neat like that, i just have to put myself in that old school mind set.

 

[GreyMouser]

I'm well into the 3rd book in the Night Angel Trilogy. I haven't read a page turner like this since Red Rising.

 

[rudyjuly2]

I'm well into the 3rd book in the Night Angel Trilogy. I haven't read a page turner like this since Red Rising.

Have your read the Lightbringer series by the author? I liked that one better although opinion is torn. Both are good.

I loved Red Rising too but I haven’t read the new books.

 

[ReguIa]

Red Rising will be my first read once I'm done with Wheel of Time.

 

[GreyMouser]

Have your read the Lightbringer series by the author? I liked that one better although opinion is torn. Both are good.

I loved Red Rising too but I haven’t read the new books.

I haven't read the Lightbringer books yet but I am looking forward to reading them next.

I read the Red Rising books through Morningstar (1-3) but I've heard that the latest one was really good.

 

[ReguIa]

@GreyMouser Read the final Lightbringer novel when it came out last year. Liked it a lot too, while a lot of people didn't. Books 2 and 3 are still the strongest books but personally I was super satisfied with one arc in particular and so overall I loved the series.

 

[ABatch]

Been reading so much indie and small press fantasy that I'm taking a break and reading Michael Connolly's latest Bosch & Ballard book, The Night Fire and Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography.

Just finished If It Bleeds -- Stephen King's latest.

 

[Derk of Derkholm]

How's the re-read going? I've heard some complaints over at Reddit about how the series has a lot of casual misogyny and Dresden has a "saviour" problem. Are you seeing any of that on re-read?

Hi Afa,

sorry, wasn't on the forum for a long time.

In the meantime, the re-read is complete, and I have read "Peace Talks" as well.

Regarding the casual misogyny, well, not sure whether I would call it that, but yeah, it definitely is not great writing, either, and the books are just as they were when I read them the first time. (I stopped after the first book, asking myself what the hype was all about, and only later continued with the series. Only around book 3 or 4 did I really start to like the series.)

IMO, his writing did improve quite a bit from Storm Front, so once you have read that, the worst is behind you.

 

[ABatch]

Just started Senlin Ascends. Hope it's as great as everyone says it is!