Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! I wish you all good health, happiness and wonderful reads :)

What are you reading/planning to read this month?

The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods by Antonin Sertillanges

Happy New Year folks!

Carrying over from 2019, I'm reading La Belle Sauvage. His Dark Materials is one of my favourites and I had been intending a reread for a long time so that I could get to the Book of Dust, but the excellent recent TV adaptation gave me the needed push. So far it's slower than the original trilogy, but enjoyable.

Finishing A New Dawn and Star Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith, Vol. 1: Imperial Machine.

After that might start The Shadow of What Was Lost

I've read Ashes today which was quite good fun.

Just finished Tower Lord. I did enjoy this and will keep an eye out to buy the next book. Now for something a bit different, but still fantasy. Will be reading Toreador.

Have just reread The Shadow of What Was Lost and am now onto the next one in the trilogy as the final part has just been published.

Finished Peril's Gate. It was fantastic. Janny is such a good writer. Now onto The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

Undeading Bells by Drew Hayes

Reading The Stone Sky. Around half-way through it. So far, it's been fantastic series.

I've re-started Starsight in audio since I only got to 10% before my December-reading-hiatus.
Reading Ormeshadow in ebook.

Have just finished The Light of All That Falls which is the final part of James Islington's Licanius trilogy. It's always satisfying to read an entire trilogy straight through and I really enjoyed this one. The time travelling got a bit confusing at times (possibly because I was reading late at night ) but still good.

I agree. I’m on the last part of the Ashes trilogy.

We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk

Story's a bit ho-hum, but the characters are terrific.

The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman

Finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It was a wonderful story. Now on to The Burning White. OMG, I had no idea that Burning White would be so massive. It may take a while to get through it.

Finished Broken Earth trilogy. It was wonderful series. Now, I will read few non-fantasy before getting back to fantasy again.

I believe I may dwell into some sci-fi in the next few months. I may even devote a whole month to it.

Finished The Killing Light. It was a pretty satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Now I'm starting Come Tumbling Down.

Finished Seeker's Bane and am continuing the series with Bound in Blood.

I like some sci-fi. I prefer watching it.

The Natural History of Unicorns by Chris Lavers

Ordination by Daniel M. Ford

Reading classic sci-fi now. The War of the Worlds by HG Wells

I’m trying to finish the four books I started and left...

Low Town
History of Dragons
Bear & Nightingale
and something else....

Helen wrote: "I like some sci-fi. I prefer watching it."

I like SF short stories better than Fantasy ones :)

I've just finished my re-listen of The Death of Dulgath and then Every Heart a Doorway. I'm planning on continuing with the Wayward Children series (I abandoned it after book 1 a couple years ago).

Reading Sisters of the Vast Black in ebook, in alternance with some short stories & mangas.

Sisters was one of my last reads of 2019, it's really interesting. I've just finished book 5 of the Wayward Children, book two is my favourite.

Virginie wrote: "Helen wrote: "I like some sci-fi. I prefer watching it."

I like SF short stories better than Fantasy ones :)"

Some of the SF I'm looking at are shorter books.

I'm reading a sci-fi collection called Neon Leviathan by T.R. Napper. It's awesome, near future grit with linked stories set in Australia and cultured in Vietnam. It has a real PK Dick feel to it. It's coming out next month....

Also working on reread (listen) of Last Argument of Kings by Abercrombie, and churning through The Scarlet Tides by David Hair

ghosts of tomorrow by Michael fletcher

Frank wrote: "ghosts of tomorrow by Michael fletcher"

Ghosts of Tomorrow looks like it might be good. Let us know if it is.

I've just finished Out of the Woods bought in 2012 probably for the cover - I went through a phase of buying books with eyes on

I'm its third reviewer, three others have rated it (one the publisher) all five stars. Yet it's not read and no longer available on Amazon UK. It's brilliant.

I'm about half way through The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. It's a mixture of mundanity and high drama.

Helen wrote: "I've just finished Out of the Woods bought in 2012 probably for the cover - I went through a phase of buying books with eyes on

I'm its third ..."

Argh, now I want to read it and it's not available anymore. You're evil :p

Finished up La Belle Sauvage, I loved it, one of the few books to make me cry. Started

It’s so good, I know I’ve sat on it seven years, I can’t believe it didn’t get noticed. Sorry.

The Kencyrath march onward -- finished Bound in Blood and immediately started Honor's Paradox (while sitting in a local pub, drinking beer and eating a very tasty curry).

I finished a couple books. The first was one of my indie freebies: Dragon Rider: The Brindle Dragon Prequel. It was a formulaic YA fantasy, but entertaining enough.

And I finished Starsight. It wasn't quite as good as the first. I definitely think it falls into that middle book syndrome trap, but it was still a solid read.

Now I've started The Fire Within, another freebie, and The Underground Railroad for Black History Month.

Joseph wrote: "The Kencyrath march onward -- finished Bound in Blood and immediately started Honor's Paradox (while sitting in a local pub, drinking beer and eating a very tasty cur..."
Just started the first one of this series. Not sure at the moment. I got it because I someone posted a review of Helen Lowe's Daughter of Night and said that it was a take off of this series. Have to say at the moment that I think Daughter of Night is a much better book.

Janette wrote: "Just started the first one of this series. Not sure at the moment. I got it because I someone posted a review of Helen Lowe's Daughter of Night and said that it was a take off of this series. Have to say at the moment that I think Daughter of Night is a much better book."

I haven't read Helen Lowe yet, but she's definitely on my list. In the meantime, though, I did finish Honor's Paradox and started then next, The Sea of Time.

I just finished reading Fools Quest by Robin Hobb. If you are interested in seeing what happens at the end of the trilogy go for it. If not forget it.

Terrors of Pangaea by John C. Wright

Joseph wrote: "Janette wrote: "Just started the first one of this series. Not sure at the moment. I got it because I someone posted a review of Helen Lowe's Daughter of Night and said that it was a take off of th..."

I love Daughter of Night and enjoyed the next one. The third one didn't seem to go anywhere and was a bit of a disappointment. Be interested to see what you think when you get round to them.

Have just read The God Stalker Chronicles. It took me a while to get into the first book. I think I just found the city too confusing at first. The book is actually the first two books in the series and am now reading the second one. Nice to have a brand new author to read.

I just finished Come Tumbling Down. Eh, it wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad either.

Starting The Root.

The month is over, it's round-up time! How many books did you read? Any favorites?

Here are some symbols to copy-paste if you want them :)

[★☆☆☆☆]
[★★☆☆☆]
[★★★☆☆]
[★★★★☆]
[★★★★★]
📖 = print books
🎧 = audiobooks

Here's my January round-up!
11 books (including 8 novellas) + 6 manga volumes + 15 short stories
3 440 pages

📖 Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma [★★★☆☆]
🎧 Starsight by Brandon Sanderson [★★★★☆]
🎧 The Death of Dulgath by Michael Sullivan [★★★★☆]
🎧 Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire [★★★☆☆]
🎧 Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire [★★★★☆]
📖 Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather [★★★★☆]
📖 The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Hossain [★★★★☆]
🎧 Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire [★★★☆☆]
🎧 In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire [★★★☆☆]
🎧 Dark Days by Derek Landy [★★★☆☆]
🎧 Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire [★★★★☆]

January's books:
📖 The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin [★★★☆☆]
📖 Corvus: A Life with Birds by Esther Woolfson [★★★☆☆]
📖 The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow [★★★★☆]
📖 The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett [★★★★☆]
📖 Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt-Evans [★★★☆☆]
📖 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman [★★★☆☆]
I really had a hard time deciding whether to give the books I read 3 or 4 stars this month.

Seeker's Bane [★★★★☆]
Bound in Blood[★★★★☆]
Honor's Paradox[★★★★☆]

All part of P.C. Hodgell's Kencyrath series. And a healthy chunk of February will be finishing the remaining three.