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Post by Rune Lai on Aug 29, 2020 19:38:27 GMT -5
And with The Venusian Gambit, I have finished the Daedalus trilogy. The pacing is at its best in this book, and it was a really great read as long as I didn't sweat the details, but narratively I think the first installment is still the best as it leaves no plot holes. The second and third installments are essentially a two-parter, so I expected that the questions I had in the second book would be answered in the third book, and that wasn't necessarily the case.
For instance, I never really understood what the 18th/19th French were after. I know what they say they were after, but what they wanted and how they went about it didn't feel internally consistent (but hey, how about those battle scenes!). There had to have been easier ways, and even then, the face value answer, when answered at all, felt a bit too simple after being left wondering for more than a book.
The third book also had a rather strange epilogue since it was from Napoleon's POV and he's never been a POV character the entire trilogy, and though he receives a visit from two of our characters, I have no idea what the significance of it was.
Still, the trilogy was a good read. It wasn't a perfect one, but it was fun while it lasted. I actually read the whole trilogy one after another, which is saying something since I usually bounce between series.
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Post by Solana on Sept 19, 2020 8:27:49 GMT -5
It's neat reading books that take place in locations, real or fictionalized, that you've been. I'm re-reading Kushiel's Chosen, that takes place in a fictionalized version of Venice. It also makes reading the Trickster's Duo by Tamora Pierce even better for having been to Indonesia.
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Post by Solana on Oct 3, 2020 8:56:00 GMT -5
Rereading 'Kushiel's Avatar' is reminding me that I haven't been to Africa yet...
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Post by Solana on Oct 11, 2020 9:58:40 GMT -5
Another new Jim Butcher book!!!!!! On a day we have family over, helping my sister-in-law prep for a biology test, and when I also downloaded Anthony Bourdain's Indonesia episode of 'No Reservations'. Oh, well...
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Post by Solana on Oct 24, 2020 16:21:59 GMT -5
Wow. Just... wow. A novel that takes place pretty much in a single night, and is mostly 300 pages of ass-kicking, and it worked. It totally worked. Jim Butcher has just gotten better, and I'll have to go through 'Battle Ground' again with a notebook to write down quotes.
I had read that there would be a major character death, but I hadn't expected this one, and it hit in the feels. It sent the feels through a wood chipper. I... kind of understand why once I got to the end, but.... agh, no spoilers.
Butters has really come into his own in his new job, especially after reading the short story 'Day One'.
The 'Christmas Eve' short story almost had me in tears. So cute.
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Post by Solana on Nov 5, 2020 19:52:52 GMT -5
I re-read the first two books in the 'Shadow of the Fox' trilogy to prep for the third one that was released this year. It's a very, very well-done Japanese-inspired fantasy. I'm not too far into it yet, but it picks up right after the huge battle and aftermath at the end of 'Soul of the Sword'.
Rune, have you read the series?
(It was recommended to me by a former coworker who has never been wrong in her suggestions to me so far. She even suggested a wonderful sounding manga series called 'Ascension of the Bookworm' that sounds amazing, but I was Christmas shopping and had spent enough that day.)
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Post by Rune Lai on Nov 7, 2020 17:08:59 GMT -5
I've heard of Shadow of the Fox, but haven't read it. I haven't been reading much at all lately. :\ Still hoping to get another book or two in by the end of the year, but haven't yet.
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Post by Solana on Nov 11, 2020 18:03:00 GMT -5
It's one I'd be happy to pick up for you, if you want. I was surprised by how the ending turned out, and pleased because I thought it was going to go the cliche route. It did not.
I'm now re-reading 'The 10th Kingdom', but I miss our avatars, Lunar characters, and videogame references. Oh, and plots of revenge.
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Post by Rune Lai on Nov 13, 2020 17:44:16 GMT -5
Sure, but just the first volume since I'm not sure if I'll like it enough for the rest.
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Post by Solana on Nov 14, 2020 9:34:20 GMT -5
Cool. If you wanna PM me the best address, I was planning on doing some more Christmas shopping tomorrow anyway and will be happy to send you one. (If my body holds up. Damn change of season and work schedule...)
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Post by Rune Lai on Dec 13, 2020 17:52:47 GMT -5
Read The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart during my first chemo session and the days after while I was laid up in bad. It's a fantastic debut novel, but I'm not surprised because 1) I know Andrea and 2) her work has been great ever since I started reading her short stories. It's a bit on the dark side, but the worldbuilding is so good and there are some excellent plot twists. I can't wait for the second book (which isn't out yet).
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Post by DarkKnight on Feb 2, 2021 10:22:03 GMT -5
Got a bunch of stuff from Solana to go through, and I've also started working on Jin Yong's LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES, now that there's a solid English translation. I've previously read THE BOOK & THE SWORD, and really enjoyed it, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
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Post by Solana on Feb 9, 2021 18:45:44 GMT -5
One of my friends gave me a gift card to the old place for Christmas, so I stocked up. In addition to the 'Oceans' BBC series about the oceans from all kinds of scientific paths, I grabbed a copy of 'Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest'.
This book is amazing, with the author described as 'half poet, half scientist'. It's beautifully written, with history and folklore about the Amazon region and the 'boto', or pink river dolphin woven into scientific investigation. I'm very curious about the Amazon and it's variety of life, especially the flooded forest after seeing it on 'Planet Earth 2', so this has been fascinating.
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Post by Solana on Feb 24, 2021 17:20:42 GMT -5
Just finished rereading the 'Revisionary' by Jim Hines. I know he's amazing and how much I love his books, but I'm always reminded of why when I read one. So many chuckles, so many moments of epic nerdiness. I'm glad he found out when I hit a hundred sold copies of 'Libriomancer'.
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Post by Rune Lai on May 24, 2021 19:37:46 GMT -5
In the middle of Velocity Weapon by Megan O'Keefe. It's good sci-fi space opera, but she's also my friend so I might be a bit biased.
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