Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Heeello :)

If you aren't Iain and came here accidentally, that's fine, but you really should grab a copy and join us, the series has been great so far!

If you're Iain: "Hii!" Glad you found it 😁

I'm not Iain (at least I don't think so lol).

I've had my eye on this series for a while but I've been putting off starting it since the last book in the series doesn't come out until August 2020, and then I'd have to wait even longer than that until the paperback is released.

So my question is, do these books end on cliffhangers? If I started this series soon would it be a painful wait until I could read the final book mid 2021?

Hmm... Who knows if we all aren't a little bit Iain somehow 🤔

We're currently reading book 3 and book 1 and 2 had no cliffhanger at all. At least to me it doesn't felt so. There were some open ends of course and I was curious how the story will continue in the next books, but the ending itself was quite satisfying. The books are all published a few years apart (around 5 years each, I think) so I guess that's one of the reasons? The author want to give us readers a satisfying end as she wasn't planning to publish a sequel soon.

(Book 3)

Chapter 4 Here's a bet: (view spoiler)[ I think that the little package with notes of their lesson Costis get isn't from Sejanus but Eugenides :) (hide spoiler)]

Also these agriculture guy, who goes on and on about the different kinds of wheats reminded me so much of a professor of mine. Years ago we had a module where we had to pick 3 different kinds of practice projects. One was with a professor specialised in moss... All of those different and incredibly interesting kinds of moss (sorry, I'm just kidding, botanic never was my favorite aspect of the bachelor 😅)

So his group went on a daytrip to the near forest and it was raining non-stop, everyone was mildly annoyed already, but the prof went on and on about moss and they went deaper into thw forest and end up lost. So they missed the bus and had to spend one more hour in the forest, but the professor told them it wasn't that bad, because he still has a lot of "reeeelly interesting" facts about moss to tell them 😂

I was actually really glad I participated in 3 other projects. But on the other hand I do think it's really cool, if you can involve yourself that much into a theme

Edit: Whoops, sorry for the long and kind of unrelated update 😅

I finished a few days ago, it's so far my favorite book of the series! I really like these little, clever remarks like this:

"Costis, I am speechless."
"Not noticeably, Your Majesty."

(view spoiler)[ I really liked Costis and reading about Gen from his POV was really well done and so enjoyable :) I also liked him and the queen together, those two are really sweet.

I hope Sophos is all right. He has to be! I'm wondering if he and Gen are the Kings mentioned in the title of the next book :) (hide spoiler)]

Was about to check on you... I agree about this being the best to date... writing/series has improved with every book... this one just didn't feel like it had too much to talk about qhile reading...

Re:Sophis: I've read the blurbs for all the books, and one of the books is all about Sophis, and I'm looking forward to it... I think all/most of the journey characters from book 1 will reappear at some point...

So I had no idea this was happening. I binged these books last month except for the last one, so I'll join in for that one!

Book 4, 33% (view spoiler)[ Oh! It's Costis, I thought it would be one of Gen's cousins the whole time 😅 (hide spoiler)]

This book is going by so FAST... I think I'm around 80% already...

Beginning: (view spoiler)[At first, I thought this starter scene was from the end of the book, and meant to assure us that Sophos survives the book to tell his story, but by around 25% I realized it needed to be the middle of the book, if he was going to secure his throne... (hide spoiler)]

33%: I must have missed (view spoiler)[Costis (hide spoiler)]...

First half of the book... I thought this was a pretty great growing experience... (view spoiler)[in a weird way it reminded me of the grassroots royalty of The Shadow Queen, altho I saw more direct similarities to Kushiel's Avatar and the child of the bad guy of the trilogy being hidden in a convent as a sheepherder, until kidnapped... I was already thinking about the books because they also had a character named Hyacinth... (hide spoiler)]

Eugenides: (view spoiler)[is a real Machiavellian character at this point, it seems... but I love it... (hide spoiler)]

Back half of the book: (view spoiler)[every time I see the Medes, I struggle to see how the looming war hasn't happened yet... they strut around controlling people/nations left and right in this series, until the right sequence of circumstances sends them running... (hide spoiler)]

33% Ah... Nevermind, I got things confused I think 😂

I'm nearly done with the first half as well and I really enjoy this book and the perspective and I can't wait to see how we get from now to the future scene shown in the prolog :)

Also I have to say again how much I love the authors writing style! :)

Sir Anni wrote: "33% Ah... Nevermind, I got things confused I think 😂

I'm nearly done with the first half as well and I really enjoy this book and the perspective and I can't wait to see how we get from now to the..."

Yea... if we see anyone give up on the series in the future, we'll have to tell them to not judge the series by the first half of the first book...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Sir Anni wrote: "33% Ah... Nevermind, I got things confused I think 😂

I'm nearly done with the first half as well and I really enjoy this book and the perspective and I can't wait to see how we ge..."

Definitely!

I finished as well :) I think I liked the last one a tiny bit more, but I still really liked it and will give it 5 stars. I agree on Eugenides, he also seems to (view spoiler)[ grew inti his role as a king more and more (hide spoiler)]

I was rather surprised by the second half of the book and how (view spoiler)[ Sophos handled everything and secured his throne. I actually didn't expect him to be that ruthless, but I think it was really well written and believable. I think one of my favourite parts was him throwing a tantrum and thinking that he acted more like a child than he did back at the time and still the people surrounding him found it kingly, I need to look up the quote. (hide spoiler)]

I know it's not the way we planned it, but would you like to continue with book 5 now? :)

Sir Anni wrote: "I finished as well :) I think I liked the last one a tiny bit more, but I still really liked it and will give it 5 stars. I agree on Eugenides, he also seems to [spoilers removed]

I was rather sur..."

Sure... I should be able to read tomorrow or the day after... almost my weekend... got Queenslayer, Boundary Crossed, The Fourth Bear, and this to read this week, I think...

I'll be ready in a couple days too! Joining in at the very end lol.

Going to start Thick as Thieves today/tonight... all caught up on BRs for the month, for the most part...

I already started as well and I really liked it! Not much is going on, but somehow I could read about the characters wandering around for ages 😂

Agreed... and I can see how an allied Mede will make all the difference in the final book :)

Yeah, good call! How far are you? I'm close to the halfway point :)

Me, too... Kamel has halfway started thinking of Costis as a friend... I just had the scene with the miller...

Nevermind... I'm actually around 75%... oops :D

I also just finished the scene with the miller, it's 67% in my copy...

And (view spoiler)[ nooooo! :( Costis can't be dead! Maybe he landed on the dog or something...


Also now that were past my comment of book 4, I can confess my stupidity 😂 The comment on Costis was meant for this book, that's why you missed him. I was nearly half way into book 5 before I realized (mainly due to your comment) that I'm reading book 5 instead of book 4... Actually it have worked, as the story could as well took place parallel to events of book 4, but the whole time I was so confused because everyone said that the book was more about Sophos and I thought "Hmmm, how long does Kamet work for his Master? Could he be Sophos? I was really confused 😅 (hide spoiler)]

Sir Anni wrote: "I also just finished the scene with the miller, it's 67% in my copy...


Also now that were past my comment of book..."

That makes SOO much more sense... good thing the books happen in parallel then... they basically have to without how book 4 ended with the Mede invasion imminent...

😂 Yeah, I now, I'm a little muddle headed sometimes. I did very well to confuse myself immensely...

You revealed my spoiler in your quote, you should hide it before Yanique sees it.

Also the Servant boy Kamet is talking about, (view spoiler)[ do you think it was Gen in hiding? It really much sounded like him, especially the bit with him telling two different people that he's currently wirking with the other one while doing nothing. Not that he actually have to do any of these works, but it sounds like something he would come uo with.
It would also explain his disappearance and why no one went after him, if he wasn't a servant at all. Also that he send Kamet a text after he disappeared and that his writing was terrible :) (hide spoiler)]

I didn't know where this plot was going at first, but I've gotten used to it with this series. I enjoyed it. I think this is a pretty solid series.

Sir Anni wrote: "Also the Servant boy Kamet is talking about, do you think it was Gen in hiding? It really much sounded like him, especially the bit with him telling two different people that he's currently wirkin..."

I suspected that as well!

I really enjoyed it as well, such a great series, I'm really looking forward to read book 6 when it is published!

Biggest tragedy, after finishing Thick as Thieves. is that MWT doesn't really have many other things we can read...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Biggest tragedy, after finishing Thick as Thieves. is that MWT doesn't really have many other things we can read..."

A tragedy!
I'm glad I randomly picked up this series when I saw all the books for super cheap on BookOutlet.

I'm glad Anni FORCED me to BR this series with her, when I was running late and sidetracked :)

Timelord Iain wrote: "I'm glad Anni FORCED me to BR this series with her, when I was running late and sidetracked :)"

With my Sword!! 😂

M here, started...four chapters in... (view spoiler)[ simple, spare, and brisk prose... they're in fellowship travels thru the mountains mode... we found out the "mission"... no magic yet... And not much to say xept that its easy to keep going on this...
(hide spoiler)]
Dunno how (going in) I was under the impression that the protag was female... btw, his name's Gen :D

Zaara, do you mind if I join you in this read? I have wanted to read these books for a long time...

Will start tonight! I'm audiobooking this series :)

@Choko: yay, join us! The more, the merrier!

Awesome! Thank you (•‿•)

Choko wrote: "Zaara, do you mind if I join you in this read? I have wanted to read these books for a long time..."

Always happy to see you on a thread + the more Jhags the better! All that All for One stuff...
:D
Glad you're finally getting to the series, Choko. I'm in the same space with Black Jewels, been wanting to read it since forever...

50%
(view spoiler)[
...and the worldbuilding is thru campfire tales... some bits that I liked read rahter like geography lessons... (hide spoiler)] nothing much to say, this one's a setter-upper... and I can see why ppl didn't have much to comment until Book 3.

I really want to join in this series binge, since it's been on my to-read for a while now. Alas, I'm not a speed reader and my other books still await me to finish them. Could really use Hermione's Time-Turner...

So much company! I'm going to start later tonight :)

@Melissa: I don't know if I'll be able to speedread this series either (given that I like the first book, of course) and I don't think anybody would mind if you read it at a slower pace, so don't let that keep you from joining us! :)

Could use a Time turner, too (or maybe not, playing with time is dangerous ^^)

Done.

Sophos asks a king's questions, but it's Gen has the aristocrat's intellect. That was all I noticed... re the ending (view spoiler)[/the twist... 😂 should've known... the series is called Queen's Thief but all I noticed was that Gen thinks/behaves like someone highborn/blueblooded and that all the "son of the gutter" stuff from Ambiades was a bit overmuch. Too bad abt Pol, liked him.
(hide spoiler)]

Melissa wrote: "I really want to join in this series binge, since it's been on my to-read for a while now. Alas, I'm not a speed reader and my other books still await me to finish them. Could really use Hermione's..."

@Melmione... reckon you've enough to be getting on with so i'm on;y giving you the evil choice here:

😈 OPEN THIS ONE IF YOU WANT TO BE ENABLED/PUSHED: (view spoiler)[ They are small, breezy books and I will read the next one only a bit later. So come on in :)) Jhag, the water's fine...
+ what Bea said + I'm no speedreader either...
(hide spoiler)]

👼 OPEN THIS ONE IF YOU WANT TO CONTROL THE URGE: (view spoiler)[ I'm sure there will be another group reading soon, esp once the last book is released (next month?)... I know you prefer reading completed series...
Meanwhile we have Inda, Winternight and the 😂 astronomically-delayed Ravensong and The Maguf...
(hide spoiler)]

Bea wrote: "So much company! I'm going to start later tonight :)
Could use a Time turner, too (or maybe not, playing with time is dangerous ^^) "

Woot! Bea's here......
I dunno what it was abt this book, as its not violent or very explosively action-y at all but somehow I got tripped into watching old Thief and Assassin's Creed trailers and lost alot of time...
+
+
TimeTurners for everyone...
I could deffo use one, I counted, i think I have a dozen books I'm committed to... and late on most of them...

Done as well! It really liked it despite, like Zaara said, it not being particularly fast-paced or action-laden. It's the characters, I think. Turner wrote them in such a way that they are not all likable but feel like real people, down to the way they bicker :p

The ending: (view spoiler)[ I guessed Gen was lying about his origins but didn't realize he was the Queen's Thief either. Did see the fact he re-stole the rock coming though, from the moment he requested two thingies to tie his hair, since he had previously mentioned he kept them long to hide things in it xD (hide spoiler)]

@Melissa: don't worry, we'll hand around even if we end up reading faster than you. The reason we're using only one thread for the entire series is that everyone can read at their one pace that way :)

Yay, glad you liked it! :) And I think, and Iain agreed, that book 1 is the weakest by far, so I hope you'll love the series much as I do :)

You guys are already finished and I only read chapter 1 😅
It has a bit of a greek vibe...

Btw the map is really hidden in this book. I have this edition and it's a t the end but before the Dramatis personae. It's a good thing that I always check what's at the end of books before I start reading in case there's a map or a glossary.

Zaara wrote: "Done.

Sophos asks a king's questions, but it's Gen has the aristocrat's intellect. That was all I noticed... re the ending /the twist... 😂 should've known... the series is called Queen's Thief but..."

You're doing Inda, too, Zaara? 😀

Just started... First thing I noticed, this thief is trying too hard to establish a street cred... Not normal, so must be a staging for something... Also, if he truly could free himself, why hasn't he done it? Another staging???

Haha yes, Virginie and re spoiler in #42 there's also this quote, which I DID noticed.

BEA + CHOC DO NOT OPEN QUOTE UNTIL ENDBOOK:
(view spoiler)[
“I didn’t dare shake my head, but I desperately didn’t want the magus to try to wrap me in his cloak. I didn’t want his cloak. I didn’t want him to put his hand beneath my head and lift it to slide Sophos’s fancy folded cloak underneath, which is what he did first. When he didn’t notice the bump under my hair at the base of my skull, I gave up protesting.”
(hide spoiler)]

Yup, the author really did play a straight game and laid enough clues out in the open, just like AC books... when you finished you see they were there all along.

Choko... niiiiiiice observations!
Bea, yes I am signed up for Inda too...😂

And hiya Ghost👋 yep, we would deffo continue! I wanna see more of the 2 queens and more of the gods, hope they interfere more.

Choko wrote: "Just started... First thing I noticed, this thief is trying too hard to establish a street cred... Not normal, so must be a staging for something... Also, if he truly could free himself, why hasn't..."

Yes! I've been suspecting that he's only pretending to make stupid mistakes/downplaying his real potential, too.

Read up to chapter five yesterday. Enjoying it so far but definitely still setup.
(view spoiler)[I like all the banter among our travelling group.

Also, I think it's nice that such an emphasis is put on Gen taking some time to become well again after having been in prison. It happens so often in fantasy books that characters go through rough times like that and don't seem to be negatively impacted at all, which is just unrealistic.

I like Sophos. I'm rooting for him and Gen to become friends :) (hide spoiler)]

I rated this first book 3 stars, from how slow I found the first half, but I think I rated every other book in the series 5 stars...