Tim's Horror, Fantasy and Sci-Fi Reads from 2012

[Karsa Orlong]

Besides I disagree with you about A Dance with Dragons so you never know...

 

Oh dear

 

ETA:  Seriously, I'm glad you're enjoying it.  I guess not having to wait years for it may help . . .

Edited December 29, 2013 by Karsa Orlong

[Athena]

Great review of Pandora's Star, Tim ! My version is a huge hardcover so that's why I've not read it yet. I really should read it sometime, though, it does sound good (even if it might not be as good as the Night's Dawn trilogy).

[Signor Finzione]

Glad to hear you're enjoying ADWD more than I did.

[Timstar]

A Dance with Dragons - George R.R. Martin

 

Synopsis

 

Impossible to include without spoilers, 5th book of the on going epic A Song of Ice and Fire.

 

Review

 

This was it, the big one, the latest book and then I was up-to-date. ASoIaF was on my series-to-read list this year and completed it with two days to spare. In the UK, the paperback was published as two volumes but as they released in the bigger size that didn't match up to my previous copies (one of the most irritating things ever!) I decided to buy from overseas in the one mammoth volume, all 1117 pages of it, plus 60 pages of appendices and maps.

 

I very much looking forward to it yet worried about being disappointed by it, especially with it being described as very boring and a 'yawn-fest'. The previous book was great but not as good as the third which remains my favourite, ADwD did have a head start over A Feast for Crows by bringing back the most popular characters including Jon Snow, Tyrion and Daenerys. The first half, maybe two-thrids of the book runs parallel to AFfC with the different characters before they merge and continue on together for the final thrid. Although I can't think of a better way to handle this many different threads of the same story, it does get a little tricky remember what happened on the previous chapter for certain characters. At the beginning of the book I hadn't read anything with Jon Snow, for example, since about February when I read A Storm of Swords (the TV show doesn't help either). Then when the two lots of stories merged I had to try and remember what happened at the end of each characters stories in AFfC. It's too much of a problem though, GRRM has has different ways, some subtle, some less so of reminding us what happened.

 

Should start by saying I was never bored throughout the whole book, I, like many others, find GRRMs writing so captivating that a simple conversation becomes gripping and tense. I found myself lost in the book (in a good way, before you make any comments Steve) with the hours flying past and the pages flying by. Admittedly there was the odd chapter where I was thinking 'something needs to happen or I'm gonna start agreeing with certain people, but every time it was very short lived as either a major or thrilling event occurred in that chapter.

 

To be honest, the biggest issue I had with the book was the naming of some of the chapters. Normally the characters first name is given, however, in some of the later chapters it gave their job title or description. This was OK for the odd one where it was possibly trying to hide exactly what character it was we were seeing, such as Reek, but most of the time it was given away on the first page, so I didn't really see the point of not just continuing to give their first names

 

Other than that, I loved it, some great character development and interesting twists. Whether I would have been as impressed if I had to have waited six years for it is another matter. But reading them all so far, without too long of a gap between, ADwD stands up to the rest of the series. I was debating whether to give it a 9 or 10, I preferred it to AFfC but not to ASoS (to which I gave a 9 and 10 respectively) and I don't give half points. So if I don't compare it to ASoIaF book but to others that I gave a 9 to, I think ADwD would win, so...

 

Overall 10/10

Edited May 15, 2014 by Timstar

[bobblybear]

I really enjoyed Pandora's Star, but haven't read Judas Unchained yet.

 

I've had The Nights Dawn Trilogy recommended to me numerous times, but have yet to get around to it. Maybe one of these days.....

[Timstar]

I really enjoyed Pandora's Star, but haven't read Judas Unchained yet.

 

I've had The Nights Dawn Trilogy recommended to me numerous times, but have yet to get around to it. Maybe one of these days.....

 

It is a bit daunting! Are you planning to read Judas Unchained any time soon?

 

Reading plan:

 

A Dance With Dragons - George R. R. Martin

Enemy of God - Bernard Cornwell

Excalibur - Bernard Cornwell

The Shadow Rising - Robert Jordan

A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge

Replay - Ken Grimwood

The Dragon's Path - Daniel Abraham

Misery - Stephen King

King of Thorns - Mark Lawrence

Pebble in the Sky - Isaac Asimov

A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway

The Player of Games - Iain M. Banks

Isaac Newton Biography - Michael White

Space/Ranger Trilogy - C.S. Lewis

The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

 

 

Think I forgot to mention on here that I finished Enemy of God and thought it was just as amazing as the first, so that also got a 10/10

Edited December 29, 2013 by Timstar

[Timstar]

Series plan for the year 2013:

 

The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan 3 of 15 read

The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss 2 of 3 read - Abandoned

Night's Dawn Trilogy - Peter F. Hamilton Not started

Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson Not started

First Law Trilogy - Joe Abercrombie Completed

Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin Up-to-date

Ketty Jay - Chris Wooding 3 of 4 read

Books of the Art - Clive Barker Not started

The Demon Cycle - Peter V. Brett Up-to-date

Malloreon - David Eddings Not started

Warlord Chronicles - Bernard Cornwell 2 of 3 read

Milkweed Triptych - Ian Tregallis Completed

Codex Alera - Jim Butcher 2 of 6 read - Abandoned

 

 

It was never my intention to complete all of them, a very rough guide to the books I least wanted to make a start on, which I did for the majority.

[Signor Finzione]

Nice review of ADWD Tim! I really am glad you enjoyed it.

 

One thing I did like about reading it was trying to imagine what certain bits will look like in the TV show - there's a certain scene with Daenerys and Drogon that I can't wait to see on-screen.

[Signor Finzione]

I can't believe you abandoned the Rothfuss. And the Codex Alera is on my wishlist, so that's not looking too good either.

[Timstar]

Nice review of ADWD Tim! I really am glad you enjoyed it.

 

One thing I did like about reading it was trying to imagine what certain bits will look like in the TV show - there's a certain scene with Daenerys and Drogon that I can't wait to see on-screen.

 

Thanks, me too!

 

I know which scene you mean and it will be amazing if they get it right.

 

Also a certain scene with Cersei that should be good on TV    

[Signor Finzione]

Also a certain scene with Cersei that should be good on TV    

 

Oh god, I forgot about that one!

 

I'd also love to see

Tyrion riding a pig!

 

[Timstar]

I can't believe you abandoned the Rothfuss. And the Codex Alera is on my wishlist, so that's not looking too good either.

 

 

 

It wasn't bad in any particular way, it was an interesting concept but I felt no desire to keep reading them, mainly as there are six quite lengthy books and the overall series had no direction that gave me the encouragement to keep reading. Had it been a trilogy I would have read the last one, but four more... nah

 

 

Oh god, I forgot about that one!

 

great to see her taken down a peg as well

 

 

I'd also love to see

Tyrion riding a pig!

 

 

Yes! that would be hilarious

[Karsa Orlong]

 

I'd also love to see

Tyrion riding a pig!

 

 

 

Oh God, please, NO!  

 

 

Tyrion's storyline was a waste of paper, as was Dany's, apart from that one bit mentioned above.  All filler, no killer.

 

[Timstar]

 

Tyrion's storyline was a waste of paper, as was Dany's, apart from that one bit mentioned above.  All filler, no killer.

 

 

I know what you mean,

 

 

but I think we really see Tyrion develop as character, he has someone depending on him, he starts to take the business of the Westeros throne a lot more seriously. Even starts to joke around a bit less

 

 

[bobblybear]

It is a bit daunting! Are you planning to read Judas Unchained any time soon?

 

Not sure....I'd be surprised if I get to it this year.   I think I need to re-read Pandora's Star because I only remember bits and pieces of it. I recall the ending being a bit of a cliff-hanger, but I don't remember the details, so I imagine I'd be a bit lost with the sequel if I don't give it a re-read.

[Timstar]

2013 statisitics

 

Total paperbacks read - 77

Total e-books read -   11

Total audio books listened to - 15

 

Total = 103

 

Total Horror books - 15

Total Fantasy books - 32

Total SF books - 12

Total other fiction books - 39

Total non-fiction books - 5

Edited December 29, 2013 by Timstar

[Karsa Orlong]

 

 

 

Think I forgot to mention on here that I finished Enemy of God and thought it was just as amazing as the first, so that also got a 10/10

 

 

Yay, we agree on that one!    

 

 

Still haven't read any of 'Codex Alera' - doesn't look like it was up to much? 

 

 

Not sure....I'd be surprised if I get to it this year.   I think I need to re-read Pandora's Star because I only remember bits and pieces of it. I recall the ending being a bit of a cliff-hanger, but I don't remember the details, so I imagine I'd be a bit lost with the sequel if I don't give it a re-read.

 

I wound up in the same situation - I read Pandora's Star twice.  You could probably find a decent recap somewhere

[Signor Finzione]

I know what you mean,

 

 

but I think we really see Tyrion develop as character, he has someone depending on him, he starts to take the business of the Westeros throne a lot more seriously. Even starts to joke around a bit less

 

 

 

I think I liked Tyrion's storyline up until

he got separated from the Targaryen guy and ended up with Jorah. It all seemed a bit pointless after that, as did Dany's marriage and subsequent mooching about the countryside. Strong Belwas rocks, though.

 

 

Were you shocked by the ending? I was! 

 

2013 statisitics

 

Total paperbacks read - 77

Total e-books read -   11

Total audio books listened to - 15

 

Total = 103

 

That's a lot of books!   Well done!

[Timstar]

Not sure....I'd be surprised if I get to it this year.   I think I need to re-read Pandora's Star because I only remember bits and pieces of it. I recall the ending being a bit of a cliff-hanger, but I don't remember the details, so I imagine I'd be a bit lost with the sequel if I don't give it a re-read.

 

Well it is a literal cliff-hanger   I would be very surprised if you got to it this year, let's just aim for 2014 shall we

 

 

Still haven't read any of 'Codex Alera' - doesn't look like it was up to much? 

 

 

 

 

He did well considering he was challenged to make a fantasy series that was a cross between the Roman Empire and Pokémon. But it would have worked well as a stand-alone book and I did enjoy the first one, but there was no need for any more, and the second didn't add anything and certainly didn't leave me wanting more.

 

 

Were you shocked by the ending? I was! 

 

I was, very shocked!

 

That's a lot of books!   Well done!

 

Thanks, my aim was 70, not including audio books. So not bad

[Signor Finzione]

He did well considering he was challenged to make a fantasy series that was a cross between the Roman Empire and Pokémon. 

 

That's hilarious! I have to read it now.

[Karsa Orlong]

That's hilarious! I have to read it now.

 

Me too!

 

After Dresden, though 

[Timstar]

Me too!

 

After Dresden, though 

 

How many more you got?

[Karsa Orlong]

How many more you got?

 

I haven't read any since January, so next up is number 7 

[Athena]

Great review of A Dance with Dragons! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have the books split up into two. I've read books one, two and the first half of the third (since they were also split up into two books). I plan on reading the second half of the third one in a while.

 

Your statistics are impressive, you've read a lot of books! I'm glad you had a good reading year .

[Timstar]

I haven't read any since January, so next up is number 7 

 

Best get on with them if that TBR pile is ever gonna come down

 

 

Great review of A Dance with Dragons! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have the books split up into two. I've read books one, two and the first half of the third (since they were also split up into two books). I plan on reading the second half of the third one in a while.

 

Your statistics are impressive, you've read a lot of books! I'm glad you had a good reading year .

 

Thanks! Hope you enjoy the rest of A Storm of Swords, if you liked the first half there is no danger of you not liking the second