Steve's Bookshelf 2013

[Athena]

Most of mine have a black spine, though I think I have one (a double copy of something I also have in an omnibus) with a yellow spine. I didn't know the yellow spine meant newer. I also prefer the black spine.

 

Steve, that's pretty cheap !

[Karsa Orlong]

I didn't know the yellow spine meant newer.

 

Yeah, a lot of them have been re-issues, though.  I don't mind the yellow spines so much as the yellow tint the cover art seems to take on.  It's good to have so many of them back in print again, however.

[Karsa Orlong]

Book #43:  The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing Book 1) by R. Scott Bakker

 

 

From Amazon:

 

Many centuries ago, the world was nearly destroyed by the dark wizards of the Consult, and the High King's family was wiped out--or so it seemed. Then from the wild, uncharted north comes a mysterious and extraordinarily powerful philosopher-warrior, Anasurimbor Kellhus, descendant of the ancient High Kings. But the return of the king's bloodline is little cause for rejoicing. For Kellhus's appearance may signal the overthrow of empires, the destruction of the sorcerous schools, the return of the Consult demons--and the end of the world.

 

 

Thoughts:

 

It was back when I was in the midst of my first read through of Steven Erikson's 'Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen' that I first came across the name of his fellow Canadian author, R. Scott Bakker.  It's taken me a long time to actually get around to reading one of his books and this, I think, is largely due to the mixed reaction towards them.  That mixed reaction is similar to that towards Erikson's books, so I'm not sure why it bothered me so much, but I've finally got here.

 

The comparison to Erikson, for once, I think is appropriate.  There is a similarity in the style of Bakker's eloquent prose, the pointed dialogue, the characters who arrive fully formed and as a result take a while to get to know, the complex and deep history of the world and his accompanying desire to show not tell, which leads to characters talking about things the reader knows nothing about.  Obviously, I love all of that, and the journey from initial confusion to the thrill of discovery as I work out how the pieces fit together.  I wouldn't have made it through Malazan if i didn't like that sort of thing, and the same applies here.  I love being thrown in at the deep end.

 

One comment, in the Amazon.com editorial on the book, said "For many readers, this approach will have the opposite effect of clarity - it's like demonstrating snowflake structure with a blizzard".  Wimps!   But, no, it won't be for everyone.  If you disliked Malazan, you will inevitable hate this even more.  The two (yes, two) prologues are, quite frankly, bewildering - a mass of names of people and places, references to events and powers that have held sway in a world you know nothing about.  But crucially, for me at least, the narrative hook is strong, and the prologues end on a thrilling note.  I think I mentioned somewhere upthread that I was genuinely excited at that point.

 

Once you get into the story proper the landscape changes again.  The main character from the prologues, Anasurimbor Kellhus, disappears and the rest of the cast is gradually introduced.  Most of the characters here are excellent: there's Drusas Achamian, the sorceror/spy who binds the whole tale together; Ikurei Conphas, the young general whose military prowess has him eyeing his uncle the emperor's throne; Esmenet, the prostitute who dreams of a better life.  Best of all is the Scylvendi barbarian, Cnaiur, and the aforementioned Kellhus.  Cnaiur reminded me a lot of Erikson's Karsa Orlong, or even Howard's Conan.  He is fierce, uncompromising, and takes no prisoners.  He's a brute with a thirst for vengeance, and he has great cause for wanting that.  He's also at the heart of the book's action sequences, which are the best I've read in ages, probably back beyond Abercrombie's The Heroes to The Crippled God and Dust of Dreams.  They had my eyes glued to the page, genuinely thrilling, scary stuff.

 

It's not all good, though.  The female characters, in particular, were a sticking point for me.  They are strongly written characters, but they are not strong characters themselves.  The two main ones are a prostitute and a slave - hardly a glowing endorsement, and you can imagine the kind of treatment they receive - I found it, at times, disturbing, to say the least.  This is definitely a book for adults. 

 

Which leads to my next issue: Bakker's tone is relentlessly serious, dour even, and heavy on politics and philosophy.  Erikson's later books lurched into over-philosophising, but at least he had his wonderfully irreverent sense of humour to offset the darkness.  If Bakker managed to improve on these aspects in the subsequent books I will be happier.  And, finally, this book is all set up.  It is, essentially, one very long prologue.  Whilst his hypnotic writing pulled me along, there are only a couple of major action scenes, and the rest is a bit of a chess game, moving pieces into position.  It's an enthralling chess game, for sure, but again it won't be for everyone.

 

To try and explain the plot beyond the simplified blurb above would take forever.  Fierce and uncompromising are the best words to describe this book.  And exciting - not because of the action (because there isn't much, as mentioned), but exciting for me because of the potential.  A lot of authors have tried to topple Erikson from the pedestal I've set him upon - Martin, Abercrombie, Sanderson, Jordan and the rest - but none have come close.  I don't know whether Bakker will (probably not!), but I am looking forward to finding out.

 

 

8/10

 

[Karsa Orlong]

Inevitably, I have ordered:

 

The Warrior-Prophet (The Prince of Nothing Book 2)

The Thousandfold Thought (The Prince of Nothing Book 3)

 

I'll add them to the TBR list when they arrive.  It was down to 60 for a moment there . . .

[Timstar]

Hmm that sounds really interesting! Did you read the paperback or Kindle version? Were there maps and things you would need to refer to?

 

 

Book #43:  The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing Book 1) by R. Scott Bakker

 

It's not all good, though.  The female characters, in particular, were a sticking point for me.  They are strongly written characters, but they are not strong characters themselves.  The two main ones are a prostitute and a slave - hardly a glowing endorsement, and you can imagine the kind of treatment they receive - I found it, at times, disturbing, to say the least.  This is definitely a book for adults.

 

Are there similar things like this in Malazan? I just mean other then the obvious complexity of the world would you say they are adult books?

[Karsa Orlong]

Hmm that sounds really interesting! Did you read the paperback or Kindle version? Were there maps and things you would need to refer to?

 

I read the paperback, and I'm glad I did, cos I was referring back and forth to the maps and the appendices regularly.  There's a lot to get your head around in terms of factions, religions, schools of sorcery and such. Plus there's some help with pronunciation of names, which helped a lot.  It had all started to sink in by the end

 

 

Are there similar things like this in Malazan? I just mean other then the obvious complexity of the world would you say they are adult books?

 

Yep, they're definitely adult books, although not necessarily for the same reasons as I mentioned for this one.  The female characters in Malazan are much, much better, for a start.  Plus there are multiple races, human and non-human, where Bakker's seem to all be human so far.

[Karsa Orlong]

I've now started the first of David Weber's 'Honor Harrington' series, On Basilisk Station.  I wonder how many different series one can have on the go at the same time before reaching critical mass?  

[Timstar]

I read the paperback, and I'm glad I did, cos I was referring back and forth to the maps and the appendices regularly.  There's a lot to get your head around in terms of factions, religions, schools of sorcery and such. Plus there's some help with pronunciation of names, which helped a lot.  It had all started to sink in by the end

 

 

 

Yep, they're definitely adult books, although not necessarily for the same reasons as I mentioned for this one.  The female characters in Malazan are much, much better, for a start.  Plus there are multiple races, human and non-human, where Bakker's seem to all be human so far.

 

Great cheers, I added it to my wishlist! I think I will be starting Malazan when I'm up to date with Song of Ice and Fire.

[Karsa Orlong]

Great!  I'm eager to start my re-read but I keep putting it off.  I was thinking I'd get my TBR list down to 50 and then do it but, seeing as I keep buying books, it doesn't look like it'll happen soon  

[Karsa Orlong]

The Warrior-Prophet and The Thousandfold Thought arrived today.  The latter, the last book in the trilogy, has a 150 page 'encyclopedic glossary' at the end

 

I've got about 30% into David Weber's On Basilisk Station and I'm finding pretty dry and uninvolving.  So tempted to drop it and start The Warrior-Prophet instead . . .

[Karsa Orlong]

Book #44:  On Basilisk Station by David Weber

 

 

From Amazon:

 

On Basilisk Station (or "HH1" as it's known to the faithful) is the first instalment in David Weber's cult hit Honor Harrington series, which has charmed the socks off schoolgirls and sailors alike. Honor--the heroine of this fast-paced, addictive space opera--is a polished, plucky bulldog of a naval officer, part Horatio Hornblower, part Miles Vorkosigan, part Captain Janeway, and with a razor-clawed telepathic cat thrown over her shoulder for good measure.
 

The series' kick-off puts a giddy Commander Harrington at the helm of her first serious star-ship, the HMS Fearless. But her excitement quickly fades--political manoeuvring by top brass in the Manticoran navy has left her light cruiser outfitted with a half-baked experimental weapons system. Against all odds (just the way Honor likes it), she still manages a clever coup in tactical war games, a feat that earns her accolades--and enemies. The politicians she's offended banish her to a galactic backwater, Basilisk Station.  But that outpost soon proves to be a powder keg, and it's up to Harrington and the Fearless crew to thwart the aggressive plans of the Haven Republic. A perfect mix of military SF and high adventure.

 

 

Thoughts:

 

  That blurb has just made me laugh!  'A perfect mix of military SF and high adventure' - er, where's the high adventure, exactly?  'Fast-paced, addictive space opera' - really?  I've seen snails move faster

 

I thought I'd like this book, I really did.  There's a dedication at the start from Weber to C. S. Forrester, and it's obvious that this is intended to be 'Hornblower in space'.  In a lot of ways it is, I suppose.  The naval allusion is carried through to the extreme that Weber feels the need to adapt physics so that his spaceships can behave like Napoleonic ships of the line.  The uniforms, the etiquette, the chain of command, all copied over.  Unfortunately, the result of this is page after page after page of exposition, stodgy, formal dialogue between two-dimensional, cardboard cut-out characters, and a story that trudges along like an episode of Star Trek without the stars.  Or the Trek.

 

The blurb says enough about the story, really.  Blamed for a failure in a naval training exercise that she could have done nothing to prevent, Honor finds herself and her resentful crew sent to a backwater duty with her career seemingly in tatters, she has to set about winning the loyalty of her officers at the same time as making her mark with the powers that be against odds that are stacked against her.  Hmm, I wonder how it'll turn out?

 

I haven't been this bored by a book for a while.  I struggled to find any redeeming qualities about it, I just couldn't wait for it to be over, so I forced myself to get through it as quickly as possible.  Should've just ditched it, really.

 

Oh, wait.  There is one redeeming quality.  It's currently free for Kindle, as is the sequel, The Honor of the Queen.  Sadly, I downloaded that one as well.  But, seeing as I never intend to read it, at least I can delete it from the TBR list.  Oh, that's two redeeming qualities.

 

There's always a silver lining

 

 

2/10

[bobblybear]

  Guess you didn't like it then? I won't be downloading it, even if it is free!  

[Karsa Orlong]

^^ Very wise    Although others obviously like it     I have deleted its sequel from my Kindle

 

 

 

Read another Conan story last night (The Pool of the Black One) and am going to make a start on the second 'Prince of Nothing' book today.  I noticed that it's got a recap at the start of the events in the first book.  Why don't all authors of series/trilogies do this?  It would make life so much easier, especially with long gaps between reading their books 

 

 

[Athena]

Sorry to hear you didn't like it. I'll stay clear of it then, for now.

 

I agree, that does make things easier. The Otherland series does this, I've always thought it was quite a good idea.

[Karsa Orlong]

Book #45:  The Warrior-Prophet (The Prince of Nothing Trilogy, Book 2) by R. Scott Bakker

 

 

From Amazon:

 

The first battle against the heathen has been won, but while the Great Names plot and squabble over the spoils, Kellhus patiently extends his influence, drawing more followers to his banner. The sorcerer Achamian and his lover, Esmenet, submit entirely, only to have their faith tested in unimaginable ways.  The warrior Cnaiür falls ever deeper into madness. The skin-spies of the Consult watch with growing trepidation. And as the vast host of the Holy War endures its sternest test in the searing wastes of the desert, a name - a title - begins to be whispered amongst the faithful. But who is the Warrior-Prophet: a dangerous heretic, who turns brother against brother? Or the only man who can avert the Second Apocalypse?

 

The Holy War stands on a knife edge. If all is not to be lost the great powers will have to choose between their most desperate desires and their most ingrained prejudice. Between hatred and hope. Between the Warrior-Prophet and the end of the world . . .

 

 

Thoughts:

 

Picking up immediately where the first book, The Darkness That Comes Before, left off, it's obviously difficult to discuss the plot of this middle book of the trilogy without massively spoiling its predecessor (which is why I've put the blurb in spoiler tags).  I think, for the most part, Bakker has addressed the issues I had with the first book.  The Warrior-Prophet is 730 pages long but to me it felt half the length.  That's a good sign, I think, cos it indicates that the pacing is good, that the story and characters are intriguing, and that it's easy to read.  Even though Bakker's prose is as strong, poetic, and as eloquent as it was in the first book, it was apparent to me that all the groundwork done before really pays off here.  As I read the first book I was constantly referring back and forwards to the appendices to get clear in my mind exactly who and what the various factions/religions/races were and what they stood for.  I didn't have to do that at all in this one.  The pages just flew by.

 

But I still have issues with the female characters, all two of them: Esmenet the harlot and Serwe the slave.  Bakker's world is one where the men dominate and the women are subservient.  They are often used as pawns in the game of power the men play, resulting in some decidedly icky and disturbing sex scenes.  These thankfully rare scenes can be tough to read, or justify, even though the story is effectively a fantasy equivalent of the Crusades and possibly brings the attitudes of the Middle Ages with it as a result.  There is much in the way of light in their stories to go with the darkness, but it does leave a rather unpleasant aftertaste.  There's an element of 'shock tactics' about it, which seems kind of cheap and unnecessary to me - but then George R.R. Martin is far more guilty of this and very few people seem to blink at it.

 

On the whole, though, I think this is a cracking sequel, which manages to avoid the 'middle book syndrome' in that it genuinely moves the story forward, develops the characters in some quite brilliant and unexpected ways, and has action which spans the epic to the intimate.  Aside from the various full-scale cinematic battle scenes, there are some stunning duels and a couple of really thrilling sequences involving sorcery, real edge-of-seat, can't-turn-the-pages-fast-enough stuff.  It is also quite scary at times, with the constant lurking presence of the so-called 'skin-spies', and the final pages are quite chilling.

 

If it hadn't been for my one issue, above, I would probably have given this book a 10, but that is holding me back.  This is definitely not for the faint of heart, but for anyone wanting to read some genuinely different, hard-hitting, modern fantasy, this is almost as good as it gets, imo.

 

 

9/10

[frankie]

Book #32:  Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

 

 

I think I seriously need to add this and the other book on my wishlist.

 

 

It is far and away the best book I've read so far this year.

 

 

10/10

 

I'm so sorry for Marathon Man Well, at least you'll remember it whenever you visit the dentist...

 

 

I think I'm going to read two books at once   I'm a man, I don't multi-task!   

 

 

That is true, but even men can evolve, right?

 

 

 

Book #35:  The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

 

 

I read the book ages ago and yet I cannot remember anything about it... Although I did rate it at 4/5, me thinks... Why is it that as soon as one's read a book, one forgets all about it.

 

 

 

Book #38:  Blood Song by Anthony Ryan

 

 

What a hunk of a man.... Too bad the blurb doesn't do anything for me. Maybe I could buy a copy anyways, and just rip off the cover and glue it on Replay

 

 

      

 

Your plan is going amazingly well, well done Steve  (but .. you know .. get a wriggle on will you )

 

 

 

 

  Thanks, Kay, but I confess I have gone off plan again for my next read . . . 

 

Doh!

[Karsa Orlong]

I think I seriously need to add this and the other book on my wishlist.

 

They're great books, I think, but I know not everyone likes the style.  Give them a go, though, you never know!

 

 

 

I'm so sorry for Marathon Man Well, at least you'll remember it whenever you visit the dentist...

 

 

 

That is true, but even men can evolve, right?

 

 

I prefer to evolve left

 

 

I read the book ages ago and yet I cannot remember anything about it... Although I did rate it at 4/5, me thinks... Why is it that as soon as one's read a book, one forgets all about it.

 

Cos we're in too much of a hurry to move on to the next one   Sometimes I think I don't give books enough time to soak in when I finish them

 

 

 

What a hunk of a man.... Too bad the blurb doesn't do anything for me. Maybe I could buy a copy anyways, and just rip off the cover and glue it on Replay

 

Sad

[frankie]

They're great books, I think, but I know not everyone likes the style.  Give them a go, though, you never know!

 

I read one page from the other book and liked it just fine, but it was only just one page. I'll try them later on

 

I prefer to evolve left

 

Yes, you Brits....

 

 

Cos we're in too much of a hurry to move on to the next one   Sometimes I think I don't give books enough time to soak in when I finish them

 

I know. It's kind of sad Poor books

 

Sad

 

Is not! Clever, I say

[Little Pixie]

  What a hunk of a man.... Too bad the blurb doesn't do anything for me. Maybe I could buy a copy anyways, and just rip off the cover and glue it on Replay

 

He does look a bit Viggo Mortensen from LOTR, doesn`t he.

[Timstar]

Glad to see you enjoyed the next one as well Is The Prince of Nothing a neat-and-tidy trilogy? Has it been completed or is he planning more in the same world?

[Karsa Orlong]

Glad to see you enjoyed the next one as well Is The Prince of Nothing a neat-and-tidy trilogy? Has it been completed or is he planning more in the same world?

 

'The Prince of Nothing Trilogy' is complete, yeah, and his next trilogy, 'The Aspect-Emperor Trilogy', is set in the same world, but whether or not it continues straight on from PoN or tells a completely separate story, I don't know at the moment as I'm trying to stay spoiler-free.  I don't want to look at the blurb until after I finish The Thousandfold Thought, which I started this morning, in case it gives anything away.  I'll let you know in a few days 

[Karsa Orlong]

Book #46:  The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard

 

 

From Amazon:

 

“Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities . . . there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars. . . . Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand . . . to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.”

Conan is one of the greatest fictional heroes ever created–a swordsman who cuts a swath across the lands of the Hyborian Age, facing powerful sorcerers, deadly creatures, and ruthless armies of thieves and reavers.

In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years before his tragic suicide, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. Collected in this volume, profusely illustrated by artist Mark Schultz, are Howard’s first thirteen Conan stories, appearing in their original versions–in some cases for the first time in more than seventy years–and in the
order Howard wrote them. Along with classics of dark fantasy like “The Tower of the Elephant” and swashbuckling adventure like “Queen of the Black Coast,” The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian contains a wealth of material never before published in the United States, including the first submitted draft of Conan’s debut, “Phoenix on the Sword,” Howard’s synopses for “The Scarlet Citadel” and “Black Colossus,” and a map of Conan’s world drawn by the author himself.

Here are timeless tales featuring Conan the raw and dangerous youth, Conan the daring thief, Conan the swashbuckling pirate, and Conan the commander of armies. Here, too, is an unparalleled glimpse into the mind of a genius whose bold storytelling style has been imitated by many, yet equalled by none.

 

 

Thoughts:

 

I think the blurb says pretty much everything I wanted to say   There are thirteen stories included in this first of three volumes in Del Rey's Conan collection:

 

The Phoenix on the Sword
The Frost-Giant's Daughter
The God in the Bowl
The Tower of the Elephant
The Scarlet Citadel
Queen of the Black Coast
Black Colossus
Iron Shadows in the Moon (aka Shadows in the Moonlight)
Xuthal of the Dusk (aka The Slithering Shadow)
The Pool of the Black One

Rogues in the House
The Vale of Lost Women
The Devil in Iron

 

Most of them are very entertaining, some are brilliant, none are outright bad.  For the most part, they are pulp fiction at its best, although I feel that does Howard quite a disservice.  He was turning these stories out at virtually one per month for the magazine Weird Tales so, at times, it's inevitable that they will follow a pattern.  I found this was true of the later ones, where invariably Conan would happen upon a damsel in distress who would naturally end up falling into his arms (kind of like Captain Kirk without the toupee or the corset).  At times it's also notable that the attitudes of the time (these stories were written in the early 1930s) sneak through regarding race and gender.  

 

Most of the time, though, Howard doesn't play to these tropes.  If this really was the beginning of the sword & sorcery genre, he wrote with real verve.  The stories always start in mid-flow, throwing you into the adventure and dragging you along, kicking and screaming.  His descriptions are so vivid, so full of vitality, and so beautifully written.  One aspect I found interesting was that Howard didn't write these tales in any sort of chronological order - he said he envisioned it as if Conan, as an old man, sat before him and related stories in his past, as they came to him.  So the timeline flies all over the place.  In the first story, Conan is a king, in the next he might be a young thief, the next a corsair etc etc.  He's always a barbarian, of course, but he always seems to have a thoughtful and occasionally profound outlook on the world around him - before he kills everything in sight. 

 

My particular favourites in this collection were The Phoenix on the Sword, The Tower of the Elephant, The Scarlet Citadel, Queen of the Black Coast, The Pool of the Black One, and The Devil in Iron.  In addition, the last third of the book is composed of miscellanea: a first draft of The Phoenix on the Sword, Howard's essay The Hyborean Age, several untitled synopses, fragments and drafts, maps, and an essay on Howard and the genesis of his most famous creation.  It's fascinating stuff, especially as a glimpse into how the mind of a writer works, and I'd imagine it's a real treasure trove for long time Conan fans.  Coupled to all this, the book is illustrated throughout.  All black and white, each chapter has an illustrated heading, and each story has at least one full-page illustration.  All of them are detailed and very atmospheric, although I did find that they kind of gave away what was going to happen before it actually did.  A minor complaint, in this case.

 

This is a brilliant collection, highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in the genre and its origins.

 

 

9/10
 

[Timstar]

'The Prince of Nothing Trilogy' is complete, yeah, and his next trilogy, 'The Aspect-Emperor Trilogy', is set in the same world, but whether or not it continues straight on from PoN or tells a completely separate story, I don't know at the moment as I'm trying to stay spoiler-free.  I don't want to look at the blurb until after I finish The Thousandfold Thought, which I started this morning, in case it gives anything away.  I'll let you know in a few days 

 

Won't really affect my decision to read it or not, it's just good to know if there is more coming. I still have three more trilogies I would like to read/make a start on before the end of the year as well as continuing on with the bigger series. So this will likely be on my list for next year

 

Hope you enjoy the final book!

Edited August 10, 2013 by Timstar

[frankie]

Book #46:  The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard

 

One aspect I found interesting was that Howard didn't write these tales in any sort of chronological order - he said he envisioned it as if Conan, as an old man, sat before him and related stories in his past, as they came to him.  So the timeline flies all over the place.  In the first story, Conan is a king, in the next he might be a young thief, the next a corsair etc etc.  He's always a barbarian, of course, but he always seems to have a thoughtful and occasionally profound outlook on the world around him - before he kills everything in sight. 

 

I agree, that's fascinating

 

This is the kind of book I wouldn't pick up, but then I'm kind of curious about it... And now I'm fearing you will be considering this for our next year's reading challenge (If there's one to be had, that is!)

 

Coincidentally we had a movie night with friends last Saturday and one of the movies my friend had picked out as a possible to-watch-movie was a Conan movie with Schwartzenegger Friend had about a dozen movies picked out, from which I selected maybe six movies which I would like to watch. Conan didn't make the list

Edited August 12, 2013 by frankie

[Karsa Orlong]

I agree, that's fascinating

 

This is the kind of book I wouldn't pick up, but then I'm kind of curious about it... And now I'm fearing you will be considering this for our next year's reading challenge

 

Now there's an idea! <<makes note>> 

 

 

Coincidentally we had a movie night with friends last Saturday and one of the movies my friend had picked out as a possible to-watch-movie was a Conan movie with Schwartzenegger Friend had about a dozen movies picked out, from which I selected maybe six movies which I would like to watch. Conan didn't make the list

 

The Arnie movies are quite good fun, actually, but they didn't particularly resemble any of the stories I've read so far.  I prefer the character in the stories to that on film (although I haven't seen the recent Jason Momoa version yet)