The Sword and Laser discussion

What's on your reading agenda this month?

I've been very slowly working my way through Will Wight's Elder Empirs dual trilogies. I'm on the final book of the sea trilogy Of Kings and Killers. Then I'll be jumping into Of Killers and Kings

In general I've liked the Sea books better. I find the protagonist more likeable.


I'm not sure if the intent is that you see things from the antagonists POV, but I don't find that helps me enough. I'd be curious if my opinion was different had I chosen to read the Shadow books first

(I've gone: Sea 1, Shadow 1, Sea 2, Shadow 2, Now Sea 3).

But I'm not sure it would. The main reason I went Sea first was Travis Baldree does the narration. However the narrator for the Sea trilogy is also good. I think I had listened to a few things read by her in the past.

I'm finally finishing up Robert Jackson's Divine Cities trilogy with City of Miracles. I don't know why I waited so long, because it's very good.

Redliners by David Drake is a slog. I keep renewing my library loan but I’m not really motivated to read it. Not sure why.

Some of my non-fiction library holds have come in.

Battle of Ink and Ice: A Sensational Story of News Barons, North Pole Explorers, and the Making of Modern Media

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I

Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II's Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron

These have me covered from 1900 to 1945. I burned through Tin Can Titans and am now into Ink and Ice.

After reading the first book way back when it was published, I'm doing a complete read of 'The Empire Trilogy' by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts.
Daughter of the Empire
Servant of the Empire
Mistress of the Empire

I read the first sea book of Will Wight's Elder Empire series and had to really push myself to get through it. I love Will Wight's Cradle series and also his new series about space traveling magicians but not so much the Elder Empire series. I may read the other two sea books but I won't be reading the shadow books. What I didn't really like was the whole pirate vibe mixed with some magic. It just wasn't my type of book I guess. I just finished the first book in the Thursday Murder Club series. Really enjoyed it but it was a bit depressing since it reminded me of how old I am. It was also quite convoluted in parts. I had to reread some of it to understand the conclusion.

Just started listening to Midnight at the Houdini on loan from my local library.

AndrewP wrote: "After reading the first book way back when it was published, I'm doing a complete read of 'The Empire Trilogy' by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts.
"

I remember those being really good and I keep meaning to go back and revisit them, but I can't figure out if I'm up for revisiting any of the Riftwar books proper.

I finished Rafael Sabatini's The Tavern Knight. It was awesome.

Currently reading,
1. Henderson the Rain King
2. Lucky Infantryman
3. The Gladiators of Cuapa
4. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes

I've finished listening to Herc. A very interesting interpretation of the Hercules myth.

Now I'm listening to Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold written and narrated by Stephen Fry. What an amazing voice.

I seem to be on a Greek myth kick.

I just finished listening the third book of the series Troy and want more. I really want him to take on the Odyssey.
In a coincidence, another book group I'm in is currently reading Clytemnestra, which intersects heavily with Troy.

Looks like he is: Odyssey. Expected publication September 26, 2024

Keen! Thanks.

No problem!

Currently reading The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

and am planning on reading for May:
Dandelion Wine
How High We Go in the Dark
The Light Pirate
Stoner

Jayme wrote: "Currently reading The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo


I’m reading The Familiar too, I just started it this evening!

Finished listening to Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands which is definitely the middle of a larger story. Doesn't finish on a cliff hanger but a "Next Time"

Now listening to Captain Vorpatril's Alliance as I edge closer to the end of the Vorkosigan saga. Romantic farce is definitely the theme. For someone who wants a quiet life Ivan sure gets into a lot of jams.

Reading Axiom's End which is struggling to hold my attention. Middling first contact story.

Iain wrote: "Reading Axiom's End which is struggling to hold my attention. Middling first contact story."
I had a similar reaction. Interesting concepts, the execution was lacklustre.

Started reading the Alex Verus series. Enjoying it so far. Fated

Several books...first up, three of the Lost Fleet series, finishing out the "Lost Stars" quartet that covers the breakaway Midway system. It's a straight riff of the post-Communist era as Midway seeks to discourage major powers from taking over the system and carve their own small Republic out of nearby sympathetic systems.

Fairly well done, good space battles throughout (that's what Campbell is known for.) A little overly preachy as just about every encounter the characters comment on how they no longer have to kill each other like under the old system. Yes, we get it, Soviet Communism was brutal, but people getting out from that system probably wouldn't comment on how great they are for escaping every moment.

There's silliness with names. A bad journalist named "Buthol." One of the MCs is named "Artur Drakon" which I just kinda let pass, until he has a kid with a character named Morgan. Soooo Arthur (pen)Dragon and Morgana. Well, at least they didn't name the kid Mordred.

Good battle scenes both space bound and ground based. That is, so long as you approach it as a strategy game. No need to glorify war and indeed this series shows the brutal effects of war and death. A little overmuch for my tastes, but it's good to not overglamorize war.

There's a romance subplot that's well over the edge to silliness. Please, Campbell, spare us. You do space flight and strategy games well. Romance, not so much.

Then, the latest from Robert Kroese. This is a new entry in his comedy SF "Rex Nihilo" series. I backed this on Kickstarter. It was definitely worth the money.

Rex is a grifter with a robot sidekick. She's unexpectedly lost seven years of memories. They are arrested by the "Pre Krime Division" (yes, PKD) for crimes they are about to commit. Except the crime will be done not by them but one of a series of androids, including "Rexlicants" of the titular character. Plus run-ins with the local mob, which the bumbling Inspector Corcoran (named after author Travis Corcoran in a bit of Tuckerization) completely misses and pretty much lets the mob have their way.

Rex grifts, schemes, and shows surprising humanity in pursuing the rescue of his companion robot over seven years. Nice tieup to apparently dangling ends. Rex isn't a scumbag grifter, tho he does play one regularly.

Aaand the first book of the "Court" series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. Yeah. Good worldbuilding, fantasy secondary world. Mean elves, nice elves, humans, romance and intrigue. Not too long at ~400 pages. I enjoyed it. Only real problem is that it's three months to the next one. Should tagged them on hold at the same time...

EDIT: Well la tee dah! Was doing one of my idle checks of LAPL and a one-week read came in. Got it. And I was just lamenting how slow the other book I downloaded was going. (That's the second Posleen book by John Ringo. I'll get back to it but my god the endless minutiae of military life...)

Just finished The Many-Coloured Land by Julian May. It was an interesting premise but not quite what I expected, which is ok.
The first third takes place about a hundred years in the future. Humanity has met an alliance of alien races and made some technological leaps that has made living easy for most people. Also a man on Earth has invented a portal that can send you 6 million years into the past but can't bring you back. The misfits who don't fit in with the new society make a steady stream of customers (about 90 thousand people by the start of the book) who choose to go through the portal into "Exile". We're introduced to 8 individuals who go back as a group and in the rest of the book we find out what happens to them.
It was well written although I found it a little confusing keeping characters straight; I kept wishing for a dramatis personae. Apparently it was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula and won the Locus award. It ended with a bang but left a lot unresolved to be continued in the sequels.
I think this would be a really interesting group read leading to some good "what if" discussions.

Next up is Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show: An Anthology edited by Edmund Schubert and Orson Scott Card.

Phil wrote: "I think this would be a really interesting group read leading to some good "what if" discussions."

I am surprised we have not read anything by her yet for the group.

I loved the "Saga of the Exiles" series

Tassie Dave wrote: "Phil wrote: "I think this would be a really interesting group read leading to some good "what if" discussions."

I am surprised we have not read anything by her yet for the group.

I loved the "Sag..."

I wonder if it holds up decades after the original read. Good mix of SF and fantasy.

I picked up The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi because it was on one of the award shortlists. It was really good. I loved the setting - an alternate history where magic exists set on and around the Indian Ocean instead of being Euro-centric. An interesting mix of found-family and real family themes and I loved the book’s slow reveal of the main character’s history.

What surprised me is that after reading it I saw that this author had also written The City of Brass and related books. Interesting concepts in TCoB but I really did not like the YA Romantasy feel of that one and stopped reading after the first. The Adventures is a much more mature novel imo.

Phil wrote: "Just finished The Many-Coloured Land by Julian May. It was an interesting premise but not quite what I expected, which is ok.
The first third takes place about a hundred years in the..."

This is one of my all time favorites and if you read the entire series you will come across one of the most mind blowing twists in time travel fiction.

“She D-jumped!”

^^ Funny thing about that. I went to LAPL and searched on "The Many Colored Land" and got nothing. Figured they didn't have it.

Just for the heck of it, went back today and searched "Julian May." Yep, they're all there. Go figure. I have tagged them and after the second "Court Of" book and finishing the Posleen book that I also have checked out, that's next. Should make a nice fill in with four books.

The Julian May is another one of those series I remember reading and enjoying in high school. Someday.

The complete series is actually 8 books.
The Saga of Pliocene Exiles - 4 books
followed by
The Galactic Milieu Series - 4 books

Yeah, I only ever read the Pliocene Exile books -- for whatever reason, I never got around to the Galactic Milieu books when they started coming out.

I've never read "The Galactic Milieu" books.

I still have the 4 "The Saga of the Exiles" Books (As the series is know here) on my book shelf.

Which I bought and read in 1984. 40 years ago 😕

I may need to do a re-read.

Read Traitor's Blade and listened to Terms of Enlistment which feel connected me not just because I read them at the same time, but also because neither book seems like it surpasses the generic.

I've started The Lost Book of the White. It's the last Shadowhunter book that I haven't read.

If you liked my Helldivers rant, I have a new one for the stupid comic book Eden: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've finished listening to Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold, narrated by Stephen Fry. It was excellent.

Now I've started listening to Mona of the Manor.

Decided it was time to revisit The Pillars of the Earth which is historical fiction, but as I've said, a lot of these historical novels scratch the same itch as big, fat fantasy novels.

Hugo nominees reading:
Mammoths at the Gates and Adventures in Space
after these, either Thornhedge or The Saint of Bright Doors.

And being ambitious, I also just signed up for buddy reading Jade War even though I last read Jade City six years ago.

Oaken wrote: "I picked up The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi because it was on one of the award shortlists. It was really good. I loved the setting - an alternate history where magic exists set on and around the ..."

Agreed. Amina was lots of fun.

I am reading To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts, It is a stand alone. Also Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes which is described as the Titanic meets the Shining in space. Third in and I am hooked. Hope to fit in The Silverblood Promise by James Logan which I have heard good things about.

Finished The Brides of High Hill - pretty good, but maybe not quite as good as some of the other Cleric Chih books.

Stephen wrote: "I am reading To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts, It is a stand alone. Also Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes which is described as the Tita..."

I have To Ride Hell's Chasm checked out from the library. I haven't started it yet but looking forward to reading a stand alone.

Re-reading Leviathan Wakes for a family book club.

I flew through A Court of Thorns and Roses and went right into A Court of Mist and Fury thanks to a longer than expected flight yesterday (extra time at the gate and on tarmacs...).

I wanted to jump right into ACOTAR 3 yesterday but I don't own it yet (and would like to buy it at a boozy bookfair scheduled for tomorrow), so instead I've started The Jinn Daughter, which is by a local author and is blurbed by the author of The Golem and the Jinni, which was a positive in my opinion. I'm not too far in (maybe 20%?) but am enjoying it so far. But also looking forward to ACOTAR 3. ;)

I'm 41% into Pillars of the Earth. It has a Game of Thrones medieval hard times vibe to me.

Tamahome wrote: "I'm 41% into Pillars of the Earth. It has a Game of Thrones medieval hard times vibe to me."

Fewer dragons and ice zombies; more flying buttresses.

If you're interested in actually seeing what he's talking about in the book, I highly recommend tracking down a copy of Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction by David Macaulay -- it's ostensibly a children's book, but it's profusely illustrated and gives a really great explanation of what the different parts of the building are and why they're there.

I just finished The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. There were bits where I got Thin Man vibes from the characters, but they seemed more like a Lady Astronaut couple to me.

I look forward to starting Babel by RF Kuang.

I like flying buttresses and I cannot lie
You other Brothers cannot deny
That when a cathedral goes up with an itty bitty arch
And a supporty-thing in your face you gotta chant

I never got far enough in the Game of Thrones books to get many dragons and zombies.