Picked up a new book called The Rook yesterday, written by Daniel O'Malley. Has anyone here read this or heard anything about it?

Here's the amazon summary:

 

^I've read it couple months ago as part of reading project in my school and I can safely say that I enjoy the book thoroughly. I loved, mostly, the fluidity in it and its imaginative plot. It's also slightly humorous, violent, and a little complex.

Overall, I found it a nice, satisfying, and well-recommended read. Give it a try, maybe you'll find yourself surprised.

 

Finished "Forge of Darkness" by Steven Erikson recently: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765323567.
The Summery is:

So it's a prequel to the main series (Malazan book of the Fallen), taking place about 300k years before the first book. Still considering it's pretty much Anomander, Caladin Brood and most of the older Ascendent/ Elder God's origin stories it's very much relevant to the main series.

Personally I found it easier to get through than the first few in the main series, who if anyone who has read them may know, the first few lack much explanation and you spend a lot of time wondering what the hell is going on, something that is avoided here.

This is set up much more like a typical fantasy novel and is probably a better starting point if you found Gardens of the Moon too hard to get into. The slightly reduced cast also means that people are easier to keep track of.

Still it's not without it's flaws. There is a lot more philosophy than usual and the style of the narrative spends a lot of time dealing with the various ideas/ personal philosophies of the various characters. On top of this the children don't really come across as children a lot of the time because of it.

The other, minor, flaw is the fact that significant amounts of what is 'accepted' canon about the Tiste is pretty much gotten rid of. It becomes much more interesting IMO, but it may not appeal to some people.

Still despite this it was easily the best fantasy novel I've read recently and well worth putting the time into reading, and a better starting point than the main series. I'd give it a 4.75/5.

 

Recently read the first book of the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud, The Amulet of Samarkand.

It's about a what if world, where magic exists and magicians and their summons have heavily influenced history and the form of society. Book follows mostly a 4000 year old Djinn and sometimes his 12 year old summoner named Nathaniel.

The Djinn, Bartimaeus, is made of awesome and is incredibly entertaining while I could never quite warm up to Nathaniel, who was an arrogant little **** for most of the time and annoying the rest. It is hard to sympathize with him, seeing that magicians pretty much enslave the beings they summon and strongarm them into, well, being slaves and do their biddings. So, yeah, was rooting for the Djinn the whole time.

Book is very well written, a good page turner, and the Djinn is hilarious. Will definitely be checking out the next books with the hopes that Nathaniel will either become more likable or that the Djinn will snap his neck.

 

Nathaniel is one nasty little fucker and he only gets worse as he sinks into the persona of John Mandrake, but that shouldn't stop you from reading the rest of the books. They're absolutely kick-ass. Easily makes the top-5 list of YA series that debuted during/after HP.

Spoiler

At the end of Ptolemy's Gate, it's virtually impossible as a reader to not forgive Nathaniel for all his cockbaggery.

 

This, so much this. You get a wonderful view of the magician's society from both inside and out (don't want to spoil too much), and you can find that you empathize with both sides as well as hate both sides at different points of the series. Bartimaeus himself is a great character, and always fun to read. The only downside I found to these books were that they aren't great to read on an e-reader due to the references at the bottom of pages. The version that I had screwed up the formatting pretty often when I would change font size etc. I still re-read these every few years though.

 

The footnotes are what kill it for me. So funny, oh man. This is probably one of my favourite YA series ever actually. Its characters really go places and...look I don't want to spoil anything so just keep reading.

Has Stroud written anything since? I feel like he might have but I'm not sure.

 

He's written a prequel about Bartimaeus, and a separate book called Heroes of the Valley.

 

Finished the first book of the Mistborn series and actually really loved it. Had a kind of slow start but the characters really grew on me and the magic system is actually rather ingenious and makes for exciting battle scenes. Book ended kind of anticlimactically though but over all, solid read. Am looking forward to the next one.

 

Do you mind telling me what exactly is gotten rid of? I don't mind the spoilers really.

Also, DoD and TCG kind of had a sort of sneak peak into the new series(especially everything that happened to Sandalath and the shake in Kurald Emurlahn) or am I wrong? Sandalath does making an appearance right? Oh and does the One eyed Tiste andii(momentary forgotten his name) make an appearance? I am really curious about him, I have always wanted to know more about him and Gothos since they seem to have played huge rules in the Andii history.

Interesting to know what was the cause of friction that led to war, so someone else was supposed to have married Mother dark. Realy looking forward to reading it after my exams next week.

Oh and have read any of ICE's books?

 

I need to find Stoneweilder and Orb and Throne, but other than that I've read everything apart from the Necromancer short stories.

And yeah Sand does make an appearance, and reading between the lines you can see why she hates Korlat so much, Orfantal has a really good character arc too.

Draconus is a major character and Envy and Spite show what complete monsters they really are. Their brother is also a key character, the one she talks about in MOI I think (heals Togg or Faraday? havn't read it in a while).

most of the Jaghut stuff is about Hood's war and why they got rid of their civilization, Gothos is a pretty minor character but he is there. in general the Jaghut become much more powerful than you would think seeing the way that the Imass managed to just about kill them all.

Not sure about the one eye guy don't think anyone was mentioned as having one eye, but odds are he'll lose it later on in the series. A lot of stuff's still got to go down and the war has still really got to get going, I'd say we're at least 25 years away from Rake killing Tiam and I imagine that was when it really got going.

Spoiler

basically Mother Dark was a Tiste that Draconus took a liking too and he gave her some of his power, she starts to ascend and most of the Tiste worship her, apart from the Shake, (no distinctions between them, just Tiste). Anyway they fought a war with the Assail not too long ago and the soldiers feel hard done by and start to try and get their commander to marry MD. He eventually becomes FL and the book finishes after Andarist's fiance get's killed by them and he and Rake stop talking to each other over what Vengence/Grief is going to be called. And Draconus pulls some shit (creating the Andii warren) and the Dragons start coming through from SD.

K'rul and the Errent also are creating the Hold's too.

Also the three brothers aren't MD's actual children, just her adopted ones. Ruin and Bloodeye are bro's and the hounds make an appearance.

It's all interesting, but basically the Tiste are a lot less special than the main series creation stories made them out to be. And that Draconian family tree is more or less complete crap or at the most the links are more symbolic than actual blood ties.

If you're familiar with the collapse of the Roman Republic and why they got rid of their kings then it starts to look really obvious what is going to happen.

 

Wait, holy crap, we actually get to see/learn about the war the Jaghut waged against Hood?(Words cannot express how excited I am right now).

I was always curious about that war and how exactly it was waged and expected to be won. Does this get explained? Whats hoods name(the current one, or rather the one who we started out with) If I remember correctly he is more or less the king of Omtose Phellac, right? and who or what was Hood before hood? Jesus I think I will have to look for that book right now.

Also wait Silchas Ruin was Scabandari blood eye's brother?(Bloodeye was the god of the Edur right?)
Never really cared for envy and spite, I always liked how they were handled in the end by QB.

Also wait, are you saying that Draconus was an ascendant that more or else created MD? I don't really remember but Draconus was father light, right? or was it Oserc?


So how are ICE's books, I was planning on speed reading through Night of knives today and I started it and was pleased to see that at least I get to learn about the stormriders(or do I?) because I have to say that shit confused me in DoD.

Also I am assuming its in his books that Laseen being overthrown happens. Because I remember it being casually mentioned by either Kalam or QB and going WTF?

Which characters(other than the obvious Crimson guard ones) get more developed in his books?(Really hoping Tyschren does) Also which races and ascendants does he explain more? and last of all do we get to know what the fuck Edgewalker is?

Oh and also would you advise me to read night of knives or Forge of darkness first?

 

Spoiler

Draconus is Elder, like K'rul and the Errant ect (who here are their own seperate race, and alot of them worship the Azeth houses). and the book makes it pretty clear that he made the Tiste in the same way that Olar Ethel made the Imass. and Killy the Assail.

Ruin and Scabandari are best friends I think, or at least friends from the wars, to the point where Bloodeye is going to let Ruin kill him because his own soldiers fucked up in a major fashion. But as it stands Anomander, Andarist and Ruin are brothers, and adopted children of Mother Dark. Their father was MD's champion but no idea who their mother is, MD was going to tell Rake but he says he doesn't care. Bloodeye is just another noble, and Osseric is the guy who ends up being FL's son. The Sisters are less obvious and I haven't worked out what they're doing. And the other's who become Soletaken are basically kids.

Hood is Hood, as in that's the name he was born with, Jaghut have weird names (his brother is called Haut). The war just involves the army gathering and getting ready to set off, Gothos saying how pointless it is. And Hood saying he's going to do it anyway (Hood is the leader for reasons the book explains I assume he claims the throne of death later on).

As far as Jaghut ranking aside from Gothos, they don't really give a shit about one another, Hood leads the army but that's because he came up with the idea, it's weird but the holds don't exist until the end so he muct claim what will become Omtose Phallick latter on

As far as ICE books go, they're good, but not as well written as SE's. Worth reading because some major stuff like Laseen being killed is covered by him, as well as Silverfox, and Tayschren (I haven't read the ones where he is key though). But not of the same quality. I haven't really bothered looking for them too hard as opposed to ordering all of SE's books since Bone Hunters.

Night of Knives covers the night of the Emperor being killed, that's it. It is just them ascending and claiming the Shadow throne. FOD is the making of the world as it were as well as giving a good insight into the way that all the powers in the Book of the Fallen think/ operate Plus Rake and Ruin which makes it that much better.

So it really doesn't matter which one you read, FOD was more enjoyable I think, once it got going, but KOK has two of the most awesome characters in the series playing puppet master with their empire. Can't remember much about the SR I think they once owned Malez island? but they're mentioned only in passing.

As far as Edgewalker, it's possible he's Draconus's son (that's been floated around a bit, but I think its unlikely). Grizzan Farl is also popular, but at the moment no one really has any idea. Hell it might be one of the Tiste who get killed. Impossible to say aside from probably Elder.

 

So was there an entity that ruled the house of death or was it more like a force of nature kind of thing?

Also was MD just a common Tiste or was she royalty? Oh and if you don't mind can you explain what the deal with the hostages(Sand was one IIRC)?

Holds weren't there before? Then how were they made? Was it similar to how Krul made warrens only less refined?

 

It hasn't really said, I kind of envisioned a "Final Destination" type arrangement but I imagine it will be answered later on. Hood and his Warren were more of a holding area for dead souls anyway, so I don't even now if he can be considered a god of dying/death per say, so much as the manager of the afterlife.

MD was the half sister of the last Queen, but was too much of an idealist to be allowed to rule I think, so yeah basically I got the impression she was just a Tiste noble, nothing particularly special about her.

And yeah K'rul creates magic, as in all magic. Before that there was stuff the Elder Gods could do but the Tiste, the Assail and everyone else couldn't do anything resembling it, not sure about the Jaghut though, they're completely different from the other races evidently. Aside from Soletaken none can do anything. The warrens came about as people refined the holds I think.

The Hostage thing is like fostering in ASoIaF, nobility trade heirs around to build alliances/ curry favor with the Sons and the rest of MD's elite.

 

Just finished reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. It was superb. I liked it. It's a huge book but I never felt bored anywhere.

Now thinking of reading either Wheel of Times or Malazan.

 

I read the first three books of WoT and got soooo bored. Okay, they're good, but the plot is so boring and predictable. I'm also thinking of picking up the Malazan series, don't know what else to try...

 

Tried Malazan but I just can't get into the first book. I find it way too impenetrable, it's like the author wants to leave you feeling off balance. Just not my cup of tea.

 

It takes until about the fifth or sixth for them to pick up pace and even then you spend most of the book pissing about with characters that piss you off, doing stuff I personally never cared about, Winter's Heart being the best of the lot IMO. But yeah I remember the third being particularly dull, I've actually got it out from the library a couple of days ago to try and actually read all of it rather than skipping through it like I've always done. Aside from a couple of twists, the plot is pretty transparent.

The problem with the Malazan books is that they're not big on the details and explaining stuff initially. It takes until about halfway through the second one until you have much of an idea about what's happening. Personally I found the magic and the role of the gods to be the main draw and by the time I had worked out what was happening I was pretty heavily invested in the plot (book 6 or so).

I'd recommend Forge of Darkness as a starting point. It's a more self contained novel that will help towards understanding what's going on in the main sequence, the next one should be out next year if his output is at the same pace it was a couple of years back, (so it's not like you will be waiting ages for the next one). But It's well worth it if you can get through the first one and a half books or so.

Still they are to my mind, fairly unique in recent fantasy novels and there is a pretty big online community if you're desperate to work out what is going on/ have questions.

As an aside does anyone know of any WoT/ Malazan esque books? Anything vaguely Dresden Files would be good too, as I wait for my Hicks-ville library to have them sent in.

 

Read five or six of the Wheel of Times books before I quit because I simply couldn't stand the female characters anymore. Nearly all of them were incredibly and unreasonably bitchy and unbearable and made me want to kill something.

So, outside the fact that I hated half the cast and was ready to toss my book away in rage, and I did put them down a few times simply because it became too much, plot and idea are solid. May pick 'em up again, one of these days but dude, either he didn't get women at all or he hated them with a passion.

Am reading the first Malazan book right now, Gardens of the Moon and it is rather hard to get into it. Many characters get introduced without learning much about them or it jumps around rather often and it is hard to remember who is who. For a series that is often compared to GoT, I find it lacking so far, but will continue to read it, with the hopes of them getting better.