Timstar Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Loki is adorable! glad you know the gender now Aww, what a shame you have allergies. My brother-in-law suffers the same thing, and every time he calls round both our other cats always rub themselves on him. It's like they do it on purpose, because they usually just ignore visitors. Thank you! Yeah, I don't understand it either. A cat is a cat, no matter what it looks like! Yeah, luckily when we wanted to get our two last year our landlady said it was fine, on the condition that we have the carpets steam-cleaned when we leave. I also imagine we'll have to either re-paper the living room or lose a chunk of our deposit, as they've completely knackered the wallpaper on one corner, the little monsters. Good luck with the house deposit - we're in the same boat. It's a loonnng road, isn't it? It is a long road, but hopefully get there eventually. That's the other reason we're worried about getting a cat, chewing away all the walls and furniture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Loki looks so cute! I'm glad the vet helped him, the poor thing! Give him extra pets from me please . Quite a surprise she turned out to be a he. It was a huge surprise! I've given him lots of pets and hugs this morning. Loki is adorable! glad you know the gender now He's adorable, but he's also very playful and a little bit naughty. My hands are scratched to pieces already, and my clothes are full of holes where he keeps climbing up me. I'm wearing quite loose trousers today, and the little monster decided it would be a great laugh to burrow inside my trousers and claw his way up my leg. It was like the ferret scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Review: 'The Blade Itself' by Joe Abercrombie Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it. Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Recently finishing Half a King has given me a craving for re-visiting the other works of one of my favourite fantasy authors of all time. Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy was my first real introduction into the world of modern fantasy; when I first read The Blade Itself several years ago the only other fantasy authors I’d read much of were Tolkien and Feist, both of whom write far more ‘traditional’ fantasy, and I revelled in Abercrombie’s refreshing writing style during this re-read as much as I did when experiencing it for the first time. The language is forthright and sparing, the tone is dark and dry, the action is bloody and grim, and the humour is often laugh-out-loud hilarious. There are so many brilliant lines and moments of bathos (the First of the Magi storming out from the bathroom springs to mind), enough that you can’t help but admire not only Abercrombie’s ability to write but also his imagination’s seemingly endless supply of amusing situations and dry witticisms. The Blade Itself introduces two of the best fictional characters ever created: Logen Ninefingers and Sand dan Glokta. Both are very cynical, both are very realistic, and both are very, very different. Glokta is a cripple and member of the Inquisition, a former soldier who was tortured for years in an enemy prison camp and now does the same to others for a living; while Logen is the leader of a group of grizzled Northmen, a band of barbarians cast out from their tribes and wandering the lands beyond the mountains. The other characters – Ferro, Dogman, Jezal – are also very entertaining to read, and all have their own unique voice that comes across brilliantly on the page. Abercrombie really captures the essence of his characters: Jezal’s self-centredness, Logen’s practicality, Glokta’s sneering cynicism – and despite the switching POV’s I never once experienced the ‘internal sigh’ such as when beginning a paragraph about a ‘meh’ character (a bit like a ‘Bran’ or ‘Catlyn’ chapter in ASoIaF). For all that, though, I have to say that not an awful lot really happens in the book – it pretty much functions as an introduction to the characters and a set-up for the next book. However, it’s easy to overlook this most of the time as the character-focused narrative keeps it ticking along nicely, and some of the internal monologues – particularly those of Logen and Glokta – are so entertaining that you can forgive the story for being a little slow in places. You also have to remind yourself that it’s the author’s debut novel, and any minor flaws are guaranteed to be ironed out in future works; as Logen would say, you have to be realistic about these things, after all. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 It was a huge surprise! I've given him lots of pets and hugs this morning. He's adorable, but he's also very playful and a little bit naughty. My hands are scratched to pieces already, and my clothes are full of holes where he keeps climbing up me. I'm wearing quite loose trousers today, and the little monster decided it would be a great laugh to burrow inside my trousers and claw his way up my leg. It was like the ferret scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Nice . And awww the naughtyness is not nice . I suppose it's all part of being a young cat (or dog), but it can be quite annoying! Great review of The Blade Itself . I recently bought the book so I'm glad you liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Nice . And awww the naughtyness is not nice . I suppose it's all part of being a young cat (or dog), but it can be quite annoying! Great review of The Blade Itself . I recently bought the book so I'm glad you liked it. I don't mind him being naughty - like you said, it's all part of being young and playful. And thank you. I really hope you enjoy it when you read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 I visited a few charity shops on Saturday and managed to get these three books for £2 each: The top one is one I downloaded for free a while ago, but never got around to reading as I don't really like reading from my tablet. The other two are the first in a series about Robin Hood - I'm quite excited to read these, since I love the legend, and it seems they're much darker than all the cheesy films and TV series' that have been made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 cheesy films and TV series' that have been made. Oi, Robin of Sherwood wasn't cheesy! <<snooty look>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I haven't read any of them but the covers look intruiging, I hope you enjoy them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Review: 'Gardens of the Moon' by Steven Erikson The vast Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, its subject states bled dry by interminable warfare and clashes with Anomander Rake, Lord of Moon's Spawn, and the mysterious Tiste Andii. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet the Empress' rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his cynical squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, sole surviving sorceress of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to heal the still living and mourn the many dead. The Empress has other ideas. However, it would appear the Empire is not the only player in this great game. A more sinister, shadowbound force is poised to make its first move . . . Gardens of the Moon is the first in a series that you will inevitably either love and worship, or hate and resent, or possibly simply give up on before reaching the end of book one. The first instalment ofThe Malazan Book of the Fallen introduces a hugely diverse and seemingly endless cast of new characters: mages and soldiers, humans and not-quite-humans, demon lords and talking ravens, gods and nobodies, heroes and villains and others occupying the grey space in between. There are several strands of the story occurring at once – huge-scale campaigns, deadly assassin wars, magical battles, political manoeuvring, covert missions – and not all of them appear to fit together very well, at least at first. It’s a lot to take in, and the first three hundred pages or so are enough to leave any first-time readers as lost and helpless as a puppet with its strings cut. In the prologue to the newer editions Erikson himself states that he refuses to spoon-feed his readers, and finds it insulting and patronising when other writers do the same. His decision to withhold important backstory and omit dreary exposition is a conscious and tactical choice, and he is fully aware that Gardens of the Moon is likely to leave readers floundering. However, he writes with the assumption that those who choose to read his work don’t mind floundering a little, don’t mind having to work things out for ourselves, and don’t mind waiting many hours and thousands of pages before the pieces finally begin to fit together. As someone who has read all ten books in this series I can unequivocally state that finally experiencing the moment(s) when everything starts to make sense makes ploughing through the confusion at the beginning so worthwhile. The series contains so many ‘ohhhh, so that’s what that was about!’ moments that the rewards of reading well outweigh the challenges. That said, it’s only upon re-reading Gardens of the Moon and the rest that you really begin to appreciate the amount of planning and detail that’s gone into this series. There are so many tiny nuances that take on a double meaning, so much of the dialogue that becomes multi-layered, and so many little things that you didn’t notice the first time but are steeped in pathos now that you’re fully aware of the events to follow. As a debut novelGardens of the Moon is insanely dense and ambitious, but it’s also incredibly clever and well-executed. I’m not claiming that Gardens of the Moon is the best book I’ve ever read. However, it’s the first book in the best series I’ve ever read, and as a set-up for the rest of the series it does a pretty awesome job. In my opinionGardens of the Moon is actually the weakest instalment of the entire Malazan Book of the Fallen, yet it’s still spectacular and far superior to most of what’s on the shelves today. If you haven’t read Gardens of the Moon,my advice to you is ‘read it, but have patience, and be prepared to read more in the series in order to fully appreciate it’. If you have already read it, my advice to you is ‘re-read this thing right now – you won’t regret it.’ 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Great review ! I was going to try to re-read GotM and see how I get on. The first time I read it was when I was just starting to read English books, so it's possible I missed a lot of things because I didn't know the meaning of the words. It sounds it's definitely worth re-reading several times. I'm glad you enjoyed re-reading it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 as lost and helpless as a puppet with its strings cut. Unless they're Hairlock, of course so many little things that you didn’t notice the first time but are steeped in pathos now that you’re fully aware of the events to follow Whiskeyjack breaking his leg If you have already read it, my advice to you is ‘re-read this thing right now – you won’t regret it.’ But I've only just finished it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 But I've only just finished it! ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Great review ! I was going to try to re-read GotM and see how I get on. The first time I read it was when I was just starting to read English books, so it's possible I missed a lot of things because I didn't know the meaning of the words. It sounds it's definitely worth re-reading several times. I'm glad you enjoyed re-reading it . Oh, well I hope you get on better with it this time then. And if you don't, then maybe consider reading some of the others anyway! Unless they're Hairlock, of course Reference fully intended! Whiskeyjack breaking his leg Yes! and Tavore's little comment about Felisin being too soft for the world, and loads of other little comments and stuff that have so much more significance and/or irony once you've read the whole series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I get a bit more excited about reading the whole series everytime I see a review of GotM. I'm looking forward to getting back to it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 I get a bit more excited about reading the whole series everytime I see a review of GotM. I'm looking forward to getting back to it now! You'd better tell the library to get a move on and reserve special copies of them all just for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I think I might start the series after I finished game of thrones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 You'd better tell the library to get a move on and reserve special copies of them all just for you! They only have a digital copy of Deadhouse Gates Which I have reserved but no idea if I will be able to download it to my Kindle or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 They only have a digital copy of Deadhouse Gates Which I have reserved but no idea if I will be able to download it to my Kindle or not Used copies on Amazon are pretty cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 I think I might start the series after I finished game of thrones. Oh I hope you enjoy it if you do! Used copies on Amazon are pretty cheap Yes! Buy them all and we can race each other to the end of the series. I've just finished the book I'm reading at the moment . . . I have a couple more I want to read first, then I think I'll be making a start on Deadhouse Gates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Review: 'The Adamantine Palace' by Stephen Deas The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons through alchemy was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be mere mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat. And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his own lover and then bed her daughter. A man fit to be king? But unknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued and returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. I was a little sceptical going into The Adamantine Palace, largely because it’s hard to believe that a fantasy series about dragons is capable of doing anything that hasn’t already been done a hundred times. However, the first book in Deas’ Memory of Flames series has piqued my interest, not least because of the way it combines elements of traditional fantasy (dragons, dragon-riders, alchemists and magic) with the subtler sorts of features that define modern fantasy (court intrigue, power plays and political manoeuvring). The author’s heavy focus on the former and deft weaving of the latter gives The Adamantine Palace the feel of Dragonlance meets Game of Thrones. The story is a little slow to get going, and I have to say it took me a large part of the book before I really began to take an interest in the characters. There are so many different POV chapters initially that it’s hard to figure out who we’re supposed to be emotionally investing ourselves in, and not all of them are developed quite as much as they perhaps could be. However, there were some characters whose segments I thoroughly enjoyed reading, particularly those of the book’s main antagonist, Prince Jehal. The chapters showing the thoughts of the dragon as she gradually begins to recover her memories are also interesting, and it would be nice to see more of these in future books. Much as I enjoyed the chapters about the dragons in the wilderness, my favourite parts of the story were those focusing on the power struggle between Shezira and Jehal. I found the political intrigue very, well, intriguing, at least once I’d got to know all the players, and trying to guess different characters’ plots and motivations was a lot of fun. By the end of the novel the politics reach fairly convoluted levels of backstabbing and betrayal, and the author really had me turning the pages towards the end to find out who was going to come out on top. It’s not quite GRRM-level stuff, at least not yet, but it definitely has the potential to become just as interesting, and I’m certainly looking forward to getting hold of the next book in the series. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 we can race each other to the end of the series. Um, no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed the book ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Um, no Just because you know I'd win! Great review, I'm glad you enjoyed the book ! Thanks Gaia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Just because you know I'd win! If that's what you want to do, you go right ahead In all honesty, there is nothing that makes me enjoy any book/series less than feeling I have to 'race' through it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 In all honesty, there is nothing that makes me enjoy any book/series less than feeling I have to 'race' through it Especially with Malazan - if I read it any faster than a snail's pace I end up having to re-read entire chapters because I end up with no idea of what's going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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