The Sword and Laser discussion

We've had a few people crowing about Lemming it, and some raven about how good it was.

What did everyone think of Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr?

Yay - Exceptional book. Enjoyed it immensely (5 Kas)
Great- Loved it (4 Kas)
Ok- Enjoyed parts. Overall good book (3 Kas)
Meh- Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. (2 Kas)
ZZZ- Struggled to get through it. (1 Ka)
Nay- Lemmed it, or finished it and wished you had Lemmed it (0 Kas)

I'd rate it as Ok. I liked most of it. It was a bit slow in places and hard to get into

ZZZ for me. It was hard to be motivated to continue and therefore slowed down my reading for the month. My least favorite S&L pick of the year.

Nay for me. I barely lasted a chapter. Barely. I thought the writing was pretty but the content was distractingly boring. I recently read another book where the main character was an animal (non-SFF) and I didn’t like it, either. The world through animals’ eyes isn’t all that interesting to me I guess...

Still ZZZ for me. I'm continuing on because 1) I have a thing about corvids, and 2) others say that it gets better. But I too have found that it's getting in the way of other reading.

I'd say Meh.

There are some wonderful passages, but they feel isolated. Most of the time, I just feel myself uninterested about discovering what is going to happen next in the story.

I have a thing about lemming, though. I'll keek going until the end.

I’m not done, but feeling meh.

It was totally Meh for me.

Nay for me. I started skimming around the middle of the first chapter. I just couldn’t get into it.

I feel like I’m enjoying it - I like the unusual POV and the writing style - and yet after nearly a fortnight of reading it I’m still only halfway through, and I’ve just picked up something else, so I’m clearly not loving it that much!
I’m going to say Ok for now, although that could change.

This is why we get series that repeat tropes over and over and tread the same ground as others have trod.

^Uh...well, I'm currently reading the second of a two book series that involves a Libertarian society on the Moon. Then there's the time travelers stuck in 9th century Scandinavia and trying to build a rocket so they can reach their orbital vehicle. Better known around these parts is the Bobiverse. All fresh new ideas. They're all Indie published though. Have a look around, there's fresh and interesting stuff all around.

OK for me

I like the idea of Libertarians on the moon because all their ideas suck on this planet ! This book never kicked in for me but I will give Props to Veronica for going out on a limb. From the Book summary I thought I was really going to like it.

I'd call it at least OK for me. This was one of those books that I can say I'm certainly glad I read, but that I'm not sure I fully enjoyed. Starting as it did in a near-future with human society on the brink of collapse was a pretty clear message that this wasn't going to be light or uplifting. For me it took enough mental effort that I couldn't really call it fun.

Ok for me. I had to work to finish. I think the middle (medieval) part was best. Less so the wrapping story

Tassie Dave wrote: "We've had a few people crowing about Lemming it, and some raven about how good it was."

Love the puns.

5 cawing Kas for me. Enjoyed everything from the writing, myth/fairytale feel, characterization, layers, and different slices of history. It was not a fast read but truly poignant and contemplative. I felt I wanted to just hug Dar Oakley if he let me! If that makes sense.

Anyway, maybe you just have to be in the right mood, and also time (not during end-of-year rush) to read it. *shrug

Silvana wrote: "Anyway, maybe you just have to be in the right mood, and also time (not during end-of-year rush) to read it."

I agree. I took my time reading it and I’ll admit I wasn’t always in the mood. Sometimes I had to put it down and read something else instead. I wouldn’t call it a difficult read but it requires attention.

But when I was in the right mood, I really enjoyed it and it has staying power. I read it in June and gave it 4 stars but considering how often I still think about it and recall parts of it, I’ve considered giving it another star.

I’m not sure I understand John’s post. Do you mean that Ka was neither fresh or interesting?

Phil wrote: "ZZZ for me. It was hard to be motivated to continue and therefore slowed down my reading for the month. My least favorite S&L pick of the year." I have to agree its been hard I get through I have been reading it for 2 weeks I want to finish it but it is a slog I have finished books twice the length in half the time. I would read something else but I doubt I would pick it up again. But I will finish it or die in the attempt!

John (Taloni) wrote: "^Uh...well, I'm currently reading the second of a two book series that involves a Libertarian society on the Moon. Then there's the time travelers stuck in 9th century Scandinavia and trying to bui..."

Libertarians on the moon? You've read Heinlein, yes? Time traveler stuck? Not precisely new (Cough.. Connie Willis...).

But my point is that most genre, including SFF, runs over the familiar much more than the new. Look at all the 'kids being daring in a hostile, post apocalyptic world!' novels or the 'special kids go to magic school' ones or the 'shining kingdom confronts an ancient evil about to rise again with a hero who is the only one who can save it' or...

It's not that there are no different things being done, but much of what we as a fan community read and what gets press is pretty standard fare. We (again as a broader SF community) don't reward different, risky work as much... plus, not all risks pay off and even when they do, they're nature means that a higher percentage of readers will dislike the way they turn out.

I think that's the nature of any genre though. Genre is mostly entertainment and entertainments of any kind tend to the familiar. I'm not excepting myself here - I like different and challenging work but sometimes I want to dive into something that just takes me way in an uncomplicated, fun, romp of a story.

I am finding it really difficult to stay focussed. Lovely writing with a plot that leaves me cold.

Saints and realistic middle ages stuff is not my cup of tea...

I'm just under halfway through it and fighting hard not to Lem it. I'll finish it because I'm stubborn, but it is a chore. As someone said already this is my least favourite book of the year.

Update: I finished it yesterday, and have to say I'm finished with this one. There were some parts that picked up a bit, but overall it just never really grabbed me. This was my least favourite book of the year.

I'm still struggling to get through it, but I haven't given up on it yet. I think I mentioned this in the Lem thread, but I think I'm just not fond of John Crowley's writing style. I'm having a very similar experience with Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr that I did with Little, Big. It's written well, and I don't mind the story but the pace is glacial and I'm not drawn in to finish the book.

Nay (0 Kas) for me. It won my worst S&L book of 2018 Award (Someone had to get it). Not Lemmed as I don't like not completing a book, but oh how I wish i did. The good news is I still have 80+ unread books on my Audible account so off to the next one.

I did like the idea of a story from crows, just could not get into it.

The writing was fine and parts of story were neat, I just couldn't figure out what the point was. Was it commentary on humankind's relationship with death? Maybe? I don't know what I got out of reading it, except a feeling of, "Well that part was nice, I guess". I thought maybe something would happen at the end that would wrap it all up nicely for me, there was certainly potential for something profound to come of it, but the end was basically just as lukewarm.

Solid 3 Kas from me. I liked it for the most part, just the ending felt somewhat unfocused. The pace was really slow and I had to be in the mood to enjoy the book. It’s really a book that I feel you need to take your time with. So to read it in a book club and try to finish it on time is probably not the best way to read it.

A great sadness. To live for generations would be a lonely life and the writer carried that message through the voice of Dar of the Oak by the Lea. And yet, to explore different points in human history through the eyes of a crow is unique and intriguing. To see common things anew.

Through the beauty of the writing, the creativity of the words (constantly grabbing my dictionary), we reach a zenith in the final section - Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr - and read, "Over centuries People - some People - has become more and more sure they could do anything, make anything, change anything: and so they could. They had even - too late to stop - changed the earth and the seas and the seasons: changed Time."

I'm left with sadness from the journey, sadness for our human condition, and hope with the unanswered questions.

3-4 Kas.

2 Ka’s for me. I started off loving it, however, the story seemed to just go on and on. Perhaps to simulate the longevity of Dar Oakley?

The POV and writing style, I felt were superb. The novelty of the POV did not keep my interest past 50% though.

Overall, I think I’m better for reading it, and feel as though this will be one of those books I find myself thinking about for a long time to come.

3.5 Kas for me, I liked the style, prose is very solid, POV unique. At the same time it didn't grab me

Jessica wrote: "The writing was fine and parts of story were neat, I just couldn't figure out what the point was. Was it commentary on humankind's relationship with death? Maybe? I don't know what I got out of rea..."

I also am not sure what the point was. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but at 44% I thought "this seems to be a big idea literary type book", so I kept going expecting that there would be some sort of message or overall theme, but I'm just finished and I'm not sure if there was.
I even looked up the etymology for Dar in case that was a clue. Interestingly enough, Dar means "oak" in Cornish, but I keep trying to figure out if "gift" holds any significance, because that's a recurring definition across multiple languages.
Is the author trying to say death can be a gift?