Karsa Orlong

I've been tempted by the J V Jones ones several times - not the 'Book of Words' trilogy but the 'Sword of Shadows' series - so look forward to hearing what you think of them. Seems she's another one who's taking years and years to finish the series. Four or five years since the last book? Some good reviews here

Another vote for The Shadow of the Wind here Is there any particular period of history you're interested in? Some of my faves are: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (about Thomas Cromwell) Bernard Cornwell's Saxon stories, beginning with The Last Kingdom (about Alfred the Great and the Vikings) Patrick O'Brian's 'Aubrey/Maturin' series starting with Master & Commander (about the Napoleonic Wars) Colleen McCullough's 'Masters of Rome' series (about Ancient Rome from Gaius Marius through to Caesar and beyond) Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (about the Battle of Thermopylae) Then there's the historical crime stories by people like C J Sansom and Rory Clements (set in Tudor England), and Steven Saylor (set in Ancient Rome). If you like George RR Martin you could do worse than give Joe Abercrombie a try (Best Served Cold, maybe, as it's a stand alone story). Have to mention David Gemmell's Troy trilogy as well, starting with Lord of the Silver Bow. However, if you fancy a blend of history and fantasy I'd highly recommend Guy Gavriel Kay. He's a fantastic writer, and most of his books are set in a fantasy world but are based on historical events from our own. My faves, in no particular order, are Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Sarantine Mosaic two-parter, and A Song for Arbonne.

Oh yes! Could be! You know how to use spoiler tags, eh?

Yep. But I'll probably go and see it anyway

Steve thinks it's up to Laura what she reads

Thanks all I knew that the film rights for the Breach trilogy were bought by David Goyer and co a while back, but I wasn't aware that the rights to Runner had been snapped up over a year before the book was even published http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/justin-lin-michael-de-luca-team-at-warner-bros-on-patrick-lee-thriller-novel/

Finished Runner by Patrick Lee last night. Best thriller I've read in ages

# 46 Runner by Patrick Lee 2014 - Penguin ebook - 328 pages From Amazon: Don't. Get. Caught. Thoughts: A couple of years back I read Patrick Lee's 'Breach' trilogy, in which he combined some fabulous, mind-bending science fiction ideas with great leading characters and a fast-moving, action-packed plot. Basically, they were 'big-screen' novels, only with more brains and heart than the vast majority of Hollywood blockbusters. And now he's done it again. Sam Dryden is an ex-military type whose life was torn apart when his wife and child were killed some six years before the story starts (sounds a bit ho-hum but Lee never dwells on it long enough for it to become too derivative). Since then, in his own words, he's been like the 'walking dead', off the grid, nothing to exist for. Until, that is, his insomnia drives him to go out jogging in the middle of the night, where he quite literally collides with a 12-year-old girl, whose name turns out to be Rachel. She's terrified, being chased by gun-wielding men for unknown reasons (not helped by her having lost her memory beyond the past two months), and - as her pursuers close in - Dryden helps her out. That all happens in the first two or three pages and, from that point on, Runner is a breathless, and breathtaking, thriller as Dryden and Rachel run for their lives. But why is Rachel running in the first place? What happened to her prior to the last couple of months? This is where Lee's trademark 'big sf idea' comes in, but I don't really want to spoil the reason any further than that. It's a really fun and - frankly - scary idea, which probably doesn't hold a lot of water, but it's a brilliant conceit, a great hook on which to hang the story and Lee moves things along at such a clip that he doesn't give you too much time to think about it. And he pretty much answered most of the questions that came to my mind, anyway - most of them very cleverly. Once again, he's created some winning characters. He doesn't do much apart from briefly sketch in their backgrounds - you don't know an awful lot about Dryden by the end - and yet they quickly became rounded individuals who I genuinely cared about. Central to this is Dryden's relationship with Rachel and the rekindling of his parental instincts. I thought it really worked without resorting to sentimentality - I believed that they cared about each other. Then there's the action, which is practically non-stop. I didn't find it overly graphic in terms of the violence, but it did make me wince a couple of times. There are a couple of scenes with mild sexual content, again nothing too graphic. Some of the situations they find themselves in are of the edge-of-seat, hold-on-tight, this-is-going-to-get-scary brand of thrills and spills that sweep you along for the ride. I did have to laugh when Dryden realised 'this was going to go bad' - really? You've only just realised that?? Runner is possibly the fastest-paced novel I have ever read, full of twists and turns and, just when you think you know where it's going, just like the 'Breach' books, it pulls the rug from beneath you. Admittedly, you do have to be prepared to suspend your disbelief but, as thrillers go, this is the best I've read in a long time. I found it genuinely thrilling, something I've found lacking in a lot of so-called 'thrillers' I've read in the past few years. Hollywood dreams of plots like this (and usually fails). Some producer has to snap this up, surely? This is the first in a series of books about Sam Dryden (it's listed as 'Sam Dryden Book 1') but it is a completely self-contained story, with a definite ending. I think Dryden is basically Lee's answer to Jack Reacher, so he'll probably be wandering around America getting himself into trouble for quite a while. Fortunately, Dryden is neither omniscient nor indestructible, and is altogether a better character than Reacher already, imo. I just hope this book gets the attention it deserves. It's brilliant. Buy it, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready for a hell of a ride! 9/10

Thanks - I'm looking forward to reading your review No pressure First thing I did after closing the book was to pick up Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice. I was so tempted to start one of them straight away but I resisted, for now at least I don't know about you, but once I get into the Malazan books I find it a bit difficult getting into another author's style afterwards I wish! That's artwork from the Subterranean Press edition. The basic limited edition was $150 when it first went on sale. I saw a lettered edition of GotM go on Ebay for over £300 last year, and there's a lettered edition of Memories of Ice on Ebay at the moment going for £330 Thing is, if you buy them directly from Subterranean Press on publication you have to have the certificate from the previous books in order to buy the next one. I think that's how it works anyway. It might've briefly crossed my mind to try and get in at the start and get them all, but common sense prevailed in the end. Dammit They're so huge I wouldn't have had anywhere to store them anyway

You mean Raest's Finnest? No, QB said it in the epilogue, after all that had happened.

Best wishes to Xiao-Xiao (and the cone of shame )

# 45 Gardens of the Moon (Book 1 of The Malazan Book of the Fallen) by Steven Erikson 1999 - Tor paperback - 657 pages From Amazon: The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand . . . Thoughts: Is there much point in me reviewing this? Everyone knows it’s the first book in my favourite fantasy series, right? Job done! I’m not sure I can do justice to these books, from my perspective, not without gushing ridiculously. So here goes . . . What’s it about? The Malazan world was co-created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont (who has his own concurrent series of books called ‘Malazan Empire’) back in the 80s. Gardens of the Moon was originally touted as a film script before Erikson and Esslemont later split up the story and began turning it into a series of books. This particular book begins when a young fishergirl, who comes to be known as Sorry, has the misfortune to encounter and overhear two gods called Shadowthrone and Cotillion, and they’re plotting something. Rather than kill her for what she now knows, Cotillion comes up with another plan and takes possession of her. Shadowthrone, meanwhile, sends his Hounds of Shadow to deal with some Malazan cavalry who have recently passed the scene. Later, when the Empress’s Adjunct investigates the massacre, she and a young soldier called Paran realise that sorcery was involved, and this leads them on a three year long hunt for the perpetrators, beginning with the trail of a missing fishergirl. This all happens in the first 40 or 50 pages before the story moves forward three years to find out what happens next. On my first read, by this point, I was totally enthralled, but I can understand why others will not have been, especially if they came to it expecting more traditional fantasy. The ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ doesn’t hand anything to the reader on a plate. There’s no spoon-feeding, no info-dumps to catch the reader up in a ‘Previously, on the Malazan Book of the Fallen’ kind of way. Erikson wants you to work for the rewards, and I was so grateful for having to use my brain for a change, rather than reading about the latest farmboy/hobbit/wizard with a destiny. As a result, he chucks you in at the deep end without much in the way of explanation, and then sets about upending a whole bunch of fantasy tropes whilst expecting the reader to either sink or swim. All of the characters seem to share knowledge that we, the readers, are not party to. Everything about it is enigmatic, almost to breaking point. The world, its races, its history, its characters, all land on the page fully-formed and in motion and you either keep up, or go along for the ride, or get trampled underfoot. He also uses the unreliable narrator, meaning that each character tells the tale from their own perspective. Switch to another character and their idea of what happened, and why, and to whom might be totally different. There are lies within lies and plots within plots and, in the hands of a lesser writer, it probably wouldn’t work for me, either. But, for me, all of these aspects were positives first time around, and still are. I’d grown bored with the usual fantasy stories, so Erikson’s choices were a breath of fresh air to me. I loved – and still love – the mysteries that abound in the world in which these stories are set. I like that it doesn’t play by the rules, that characters don’t fit in to the narrow stereotypes that used to beset the fantasy genre (this is an aspect that has been changing steadily since I first read this series). I love the sense of being in the midst of all these places and people and races, all of which have vast, millennia-spanning histories, with all the alliances and suspicions and hatreds that go along with it. I like that the magic has a sense of chaos about it, that it doesn’t play by set rules where it’s the same for whomever wants to use it. Here it’s governed by the individual’s ability to control and channel these otherworldly powers, and the resulting anarchy is often mind-blowingly brilliant, and not a little cool. Everything, even the dragons, is given a new spin, and it all fits into the world of Wu like clockwork. There are some moments in this book that I still find so jaw-droppingly brilliant, but I couldn’t possibly list them all here (although I might as well, given the length of this review already . . . ). That’s not to say that I think Gardens of the Moon is flawless – it isn’t, but I found its flaws made it both exciting and frustrating in equal measure – and both of these elements made me want to read more. I wanted to know more about the T’Lan Imass. I wanted to know what Shadowthrone and Cotillion were up to. I wanted to know more about Warrens and Azath houses and Finnests and Jaghuts. I wanted to know just who or what a K’Chain Che’Malle was and, more to the point, what the hell was Kruppe? And why is Crone so funny? And what exactly are Quick Ben and Kalam planning now??? But, as thrilling as I found the book on first read, I have to admit that it’s a book that only truly reveals its brilliance on re-read, having come back to it after reading the rest of the series. There is so much depth, so much foreshadowing, so many throwaway comments that relate to events five, six, seven books down the line, that it’s quite staggering, and it becomes like reading an entirely different book once you have all that knowledge under your belt. A lot of people would wonder why that should be? Why should a book require a re-read to reveal all of this? They’re probably right, but sod 'em, it works for me 9/10 And I got through this whole waffling gushiness without mentioning the super-coolness that is Anomander Rake and his sword, Dragnipur. But now I have

Finished it last night. A lot of great moments in the book (the rooftop assassins battle, Rake veering into a dragon for the first time to take on the Galayn demon, everything involving Dragnipur and the Hounds, Raest vs the dragons, Paran and Tool vs the Finnest, Lorn vs the Crimson Guard, Kruppe wandering around stuffing his face whilst all hell broke loose at the fete . . . ). Negatives: it's a bit rough around the edges (debut novel syndrome . . . ), the ending feels a little rushed, it's almost too enigmatic for its own good (although that's what I loved about it when I first read it). I do wonder why some 'critics' complain about the magic in these books. One thing I can't remember, maybe Laura can help:

I'll second Kelley Armstrong's Bitten. I'll throw in Robert McCammon's The Wolf's Hour. Possibly not what you're looking for, but I thought it was a fun take on werewolves

Probably not Just been marvelling at some of the throwaway comments again. I won't spoilerise it cos I'm not going into detail but, considering GotM was written years before the rest of the series, the mentions of the Pannion Seer and Icarium and Mappo are fairly gob-smacking Just reached this bit: All kinds of awesome. One of many bits in this series where I have to stop, even on re-read, and think to myself "Holy hell in a handbasket, did I just read that?!"

Great review, Tim If you enjoyed this one, I reckon you're in for a treat with the next few

Me too - I'd tell him how rubbish his drumming is

Don't tell me, tell Taylor Hawkins

True I don't read the chapter synopses, myself, just the reviews. I probably get more out of it because they're discussing it in such detail. I think maybe, with the Wiki, you're in more danger of spoiling by accident The best description I've heard of those two is that The Eel is M to Circle Breaker's 007 Circle Breaker doesn't do anything apart from spy on Turban Orr when he has his meetings at Despot's Barbican, and then report what he's overheard to Kruppe - er, I mean The Eel It does make me laugh that Turban Orr and Baruk both think their various plots are running the city, but The Eel has got them running around in circles He's got his finger in every pie, basically (and literally ). I'll add to this as I refresh my memory reading the book

The advantage you might find with the Tor re-read is that it's being written by two people: one who's read the series before, and one who hasn't. So there are no spoilers (although I'd advise avoiding the comments from the public). Well done for getting it finished in time The end of GotM is actually small scale compared to the rest of the books. He's great at juggling multiple plot threads and then bringing them together in a 'convergence' for a big finish to each book. Power is attracted to power, etc etc. There's very little in the way of cliffhanger endings You could always ask about stuff Not saying I know all the answers, but I hope we'll be discussing the books more in these threads rather than through reviews, otherwise having these threads seems a bit of a waste 8/10 seems about right to me, especially when compared with what's to come.

I watched the first few episodes and thought it was pretty poor, tbh. One of my colleagues really like it , though, so . . .

No, quite frankly. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Welcome Jones It's okay, I'm pretty sure there are no snakes around here . . .

Well I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I think they're getting better and better as a live band, and their chemistry on-stage and with the crowd has come on by leaps and bounds since I first saw them Actually, I sort of like it when bands make mistakes, even complete train wrecks where they have to stop and start the song all over again (only seen that happen once, though). Do you have the set list? I'd love to know what they played Re the Foo Fighters - I've never really understood the fuss. A couple of good tracks but most of it does nothing for me. But I can forgive Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins for their musical ordinariness cos they're both MASSIVE Rush fans Soundgarden, Audioslave and RATM, on the other hand, I love. I've never seen RATM live, but seeing Audioslave play Killing in the Name is an experience I'll never forget - it was awesome being in the crowd for that