Karsa Orlong Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 I admit, it was the beautiful cover that got me interested in this in the first place, and then the list of some rather famous names, but the book sounded great in its own right when I read through your review. I'm thinking I shall look out for this one Haaa, I am quite sure The Anubis Gate is one of the titles that ended up on the challenge list, did it not? I think if I read this and like it, I'll be more inclined to try TAG at some point. Cool, hope you enjoy it if and when you read it I wish I had been able to give it the time it deserves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Book #83: Shadow Games (The Books of the South - Tales of the Black Company) by Glen Cook and Book #84: Dreams of Steel (The Books of the South - Tales of the Black Company) by Glen Cook Blurb: Marching south after the ghastly battle at the Tower of Charm, the Black Company is hounded by shadowy figures every inch of the way. The game is on: the Company versus the Shadowmasters, deadly creatures that deal in darkness and sorrow. When hope dies, there's still survival. And there's still the Black Company. The Books of the South is the second omnibus of novels from one of the greatest fantasy epics of our age, Glen Cook’s Black Company series. Thoughts: Cook's Books of the South (not a book of Cajun recipes ) begins with the novel Shadow Games. Following on directly from The White Rose, Croaker - medic, annalist, and now captain - leads the surviving members of the Black Company south in a quest to return the annals to the Company's birthplace, a a city called Khatovar that lies at the very edge of the known world. Along with them comes the Lady, former enemy, now devoid of her immense powers. Some serious problems lie in their way, however, not the least of which are the Shadowmasters - powerful wizards who are claiming the South for themselves. According to Steven Erikson, "Glen Cook single-handedly changed the face of fantasy". I'm not sure how much truth there is in that statement, but Cook's take on the genre is refreshingly different, and obviously had a huge influence on Erikson's own approach. While Cook's stories lack Erikson's wild imagination - and HUGE scale - he did (and does) tell his stories from the point of view of the grunts, the foot soldiers. This isn't a story about kings and queens and knights in shining armour, it's dark and gritty, written in a stark, terse style. I sometimes had to re-read sentences because he throws information at you with such an economy of words that I feel sometimes you blink and you miss something that other writers would take whole chapters to explain. The events in Shadow Games tell of the Company's battle to stop the Shadowmasters taking the city of Taglios, and it ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, so it was impossible for me not to continue straight into the next book, Dreams of Steel. Naturally, this picks up directly where the story left off, and is told by someone other than Croaker. I can't go into detail without revealing the plot of the previous book, sadly. What I did find with these two books was that, whereas I enjoyed the first trilogy, I absolutely loved these two. I guess that Cook's style is something you have to be in the mood for and, for me, this was just the right time to pick them up. The relationships between his characters is great. It's amazing how well he defines them with so little description. He's not big on detail, but he's big on action and narrative drive. The stories don't hang around. There is plenty of humour, plenty of surprises and shocks, a little romance, and a lot of crows. I finished Dreams of Steel last night. It, too, ends on an absolute bar steward of a cliffhanger. I hate Glen Cook Shadow Games - 9/10 Dreams of Steel - 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 What a pity you didn't enjoy 9 Princes more, Steve; I read all ten books maybe about four or five years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them (although I did enjoy the first series more than the second). I did take to Corwyn as a character, though, which probably helped and I enjoyed some of the concepts such as the Trumps. Mind you, I do like a bit of easy fantasy if I am looking for a bit of escapism! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Yeah, I know! I was really hoping it would grab me. Maybe I'll go back to it at some point in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 (edited) Hey Steve I have a question for you. The Iain M. Banks culture books, are they a series or can you read them separate I was looking at reading Excession which is the fifth book. I also wanted to ask if you had read any of Glen Cook's The Dread Empire series? Edited December 25, 2012 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 Hey Steve I have a question for you. The Iain M. Banks culture books, are they a series or can you read them separate I was looking at reading Excession which is the fifth book. You can read them separately, Devi, they all stand alone - there might be references to events in earlier books in later books and so on, but I don't think it's a deal-breaker. The stories are usually separated by decades or even centuries. I've been reading them in order, though Excession is the next one for me, too. I'd say try it and see if you like it, then go back and try The Player of Games or Use of Weapons I also wanted to ask if you had read any of Glen Cook's The Dread Empire series? I have the first book, A Cruel Wind (sounds like me after yesterday Brussels sprouts Christmas dinner bonanza ), on the shelf, but I haven't read it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Hi Steve Happy Boxing Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 Cheers dude, hope you're having a good 'un Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Yeah you get any books for pressies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 I received these two gorgeous hardbacks for Christmas: The seven novels in the Jules Verne one are: Five Weeks in a Balloon A Journey to the Centre of the Earth From the Earth to the Moon Round the Moon Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Around the World in Eighty Days The Mysterious Island and, as you can see from the cover, the H. G. Wells collection includes: The Time Machine The Island of Doctor Moreau The War of the Worlds The First Men in the Moon The Invisible Man It also contains some lovely illustrations, like this one: I started reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea as soon as I could yesterday - it got me away from the BBC blu-ray boxed set of the Olympics that I also got. Full 1080p HD picture and there I was watching through teary eyes - it kind of defeats the object Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Ooh, lovely books, Steve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 What beautiful books Steve , did you ask for them or were they a surprise pressie ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 You can read them separately, Devi, they all stand alone - there might be references to events in earlier books in later books and so on, but I don't think it's a deal-breaker. The stories are usually separated by decades or even centuries. I've been reading them in order, though Excession is the next one for me, too. I'd say try it and see if you like it, then go back and try The Player of Games or Use of Weapons I think I may just do that! Thank you so much. I have the first book, A Cruel Wind (sounds like me after yesterday Brussels sprouts Christmas dinner bonanza ), on the shelf, but I haven't read it yet. I do love brussel sprouts, despite the side effects! p.s. I managed to pick three steven erikson books up for $3 each! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 Yeah you get any books for pressies? Yes, I did! I got the two aforementioned hardbacks and also the first Dexter book, Darkly Dreaming Dexter I have to read the hardbacks at home, because they're too big and heavy to carry around Ooh, lovely books, Steve! What beautiful books Steve , did you ask for them or were they a surprise pressie ? Thanks! Yes, I did ask for them - I even had to order them for my mum so she could give them to me So yesterday was the first time I got to look at them. I'm not usually one for owning hardbacks, but they are lovely editions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 I think I may just do that! Thank you so much. No probs, I hope you enjoy it p.s. I managed to pick three steven erikson books up for $3 each! Somebody else bought Steven Erikson books??? Oooh! Which ones did you get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 They are great looking editions, I think its always worth getting special editions of books you really like. I have a similar looking collection of all the Sherlock Holmes tales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 (edited) Somebody else bought Steven Erikson books??? Oooh! Which ones did you get? I became interested in the author because of your reviews. I did some more research and the books sound like they are right up my alley. I got two books from the Malazan book of the fallen series, Gardens of the Moon and Toll the Hounds. The third one is an omnibus called The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, it contains BLOOD FOLLOWS, THE HEALTHY DEAD and THE LEES OF LAUGHTER'S END. Edited December 27, 2012 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 I became interested in the author because of your reviews. I did some more research and the books sound like they are right up my alley. I got two books from the Malazan book of the fallen series, Gardens of the Moon and Toll the Hounds. The third one is an omnibus called The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, it contains BLOOD FOLLOWS, THE HEALTHY DEAD and THE LEES OF LAUGHTER'S END. Nice! Toll the Hounds was the one I saw in the shop that first grabbed my interest and made me go and look him up Making me want to start another re-read . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 They are great looking editions, I think its always worth getting special editions of books you really like. I have a similar looking collection of all the Sherlock Holmes tales. Yeah, I'm so happy with these that I'd very much like the Sherlock Holmes one to replace my decades-old edition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Oooh, pretty books! I wants to caress pretty books... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 I am with these books as Nigel Tuffnell is with his guitars . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Book #85: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Blurb: Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, begin an extremely hazardous voyage to rid the seas of a little-known and terrifying sea monster. However, the "monster" turns out to be a giant submarine, commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo, by whom they are soon held captive. So begins not only one of the great adventure classics by Jules Verne, the 'Father of Science Fiction', but also a truly fantastic voyage from the lost city of Atlantis to the South Pole. Thoughts: When I first looked at the two hardbacks, above, on Christmas Day I was pretty certain that I'd start reading The War of the Worlds immediately. When I finally sat down and thought about reading, though, I turned straight to this one. It is the longest of the novels included in the Jules Verne hardback, and a story of which I have very fond memories from when my dad took me to see the James Mason/Kirk Douglas Disney adaptation at the cinema when I was a child. Apparently this hardback uses some of the earliest - and most faithful - translations of Verne's stories, but it doesn't actually give the names of the translators, as far as I can see. Whoever it was, the text reads very easily. Contrary to what the blurb says, I'd always thought Verne to be the grandfather of science fiction, with Wells as the father. There is a lot of similarity in the style of this story to those I have read so far of Wells's. It is a grand, rip-roaring adventure, with lots of mystery and action and, in Captain Nemo, one of the great - and possibly first - scientists-turned-criminal-masterminds. Shunning civilisation and seeking revenge, he casts a long shadow over this book, holding Pierre Aronnax and his friends hostage aboard the Nautilus as he traverses the seas. And the Nautilus - what a creation it is! Prowling the seas, mistaken for a monster, it is a work of genius, and almost a character in its own right. I had just one issue with the novel and it is probably due to the nature of its original publication, in that is was serialised in France over the course of some thirteen or fourteen months. As a result, I'd say a good 80% of the chapters follow something of a pattern: the Nautilus arrives in a particular area, they surface and have a look around, then they dive and - at this point - Verne, through Aronnax, launches into a long passage describing all the sea life about him as he watches through the saloon viewports. These sections are fine at first but, as they start to repeat, they really start to drag, becoming little more than lists of scientific names. Fortunately you don't miss out on anything by skimming these parts, which I tended to do in the end as I found them a tad tedious. Once past that, though, and back to the meat of the story, the writing is wonderful and, although there are really only four characters that are fleshed out in any sense, you don't get tired of their company. In fact, I found the final stages of the novel to be very exciting, and it kept me reading until 1am this morning because I was enjoying it so much and didn't want to leave it unfinished. The battle with the giant squid, as seen in the movie, is even more exciting in the book, as it involves multiple poulps, and makes for a grand climax to the story - or it would, if it weren't for the further excitement that follows. The very end, though, and the escape in particular, are left wanting. Verne actually dodged describing it in any detail by having Aronnax knocked unconscious - just a bit of a cheat! So, in short, it's a thrilling story, beautifully told, but with just a few too many fish! 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 That's an awesome collection Steve! I have the H.G. Wells collections and I love 'em. Great presents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Was it you who first brought the H.G. Wells collection to my attention, Tim, or was it someone else? I know someone on here mentioned it to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Was it you who first brought the H.G. Wells collection to my attention, Tim, or was it someone else? I know someone on here mentioned it to me I certainly bought them and boasted about them... whether I was the first or not i'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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