Book 1 in Will Wight's new series, The Captain is out.
Books Fantasy Reads
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Finished Er Gen's I Shall Seal the Heavens. Another excellent read, full of both funny moments and intense fights. I have now read 4 of the classic translated Chinese xianxia novels, and my main impression is how, in terms of depth and complexity, even outstanding western cultivation novels such as Cradle are but pale imitations of the Chinese novels. In my view, what makes Cradle worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the Chinese novels is how easily and how smoothly it reads compared to the Chinese novels (due to elimination of the repetitive situations and tropes in many xianxia novels). My ranking of the 4 xianxia novels I've read so far:
1. Desolate Era, by Zhu Hong Zhi, writing under the pen name I Eat Tomatoes (IET). The most classic of the classic Chinese cultivation novels. This novel has everything. Highly recommended for all lovers of complex, intense progression fantasy.
2. A Will Eternal, by Er Gen. I just loved this novel. It combined the expected depth and complexity, intense fight scenes, with really hilarious moments. I literally laughed so hard throughout the 1400+ chapters. I would have ranked it ahead of Desolate Era if not for the unexpectedly downish final 8 chapters or so.
3. Coiling Dragon, by IET. Another classic, and the starting point for many current readers of the translated xianxia genre. IET wrote this novel before he wrote Desolate Era, and both novels have most of the same elements in the progression, complexity and intensity. I rank it below Desolate Era only because of its too abrupt ending.
4. I Shall Seal the Heavens, by Er Gen. I have seen a few written reviews where ISST is ranked by the reviewers as the best xianxia novel ever written. For me, ISST has all the same elements I loved in AWE, great characters, great plot, intense fight scenes, with a lot of humor, though the humor in ISST is not as pronounced as in AWE.
All these novels are available on Amazon. I highly recommend this genre to all fantasy lovers, and these four novels in particular as good entrants into the genre.
1. Desolate Era, by Zhu Hong Zhi, writing under the pen name I Eat Tomatoes (IET). The most classic of the classic Chinese cultivation novels. This novel has everything. Highly recommended for all lovers of complex, intense progression fantasy.
2. A Will Eternal, by Er Gen. I just loved this novel. It combined the expected depth and complexity, intense fight scenes, with really hilarious moments. I literally laughed so hard throughout the 1400+ chapters. I would have ranked it ahead of Desolate Era if not for the unexpectedly downish final 8 chapters or so.
3. Coiling Dragon, by IET. Another classic, and the starting point for many current readers of the translated xianxia genre. IET wrote this novel before he wrote Desolate Era, and both novels have most of the same elements in the progression, complexity and intensity. I rank it below Desolate Era only because of its too abrupt ending.
4. I Shall Seal the Heavens, by Er Gen. I have seen a few written reviews where ISST is ranked by the reviewers as the best xianxia novel ever written. For me, ISST has all the same elements I loved in AWE, great characters, great plot, intense fight scenes, with a lot of humor, though the humor in ISST is not as pronounced as in AWE.
All these novels are available on Amazon. I highly recommend this genre to all fantasy lovers, and these four novels in particular as good entrants into the genre.
Finished the first book in the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, Gideon the Ninth. I think I've been spoiled by the intense action in the xianxia novels I've been reading recently, so I found Gideon a bit slow. It reads like a mystery novel in a fantasy setting, with several unexplained deaths occurring among a group of necromancers on an isolated planet (kind of like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None), before the final reveal of what was behind the murders. I started Book 2, Harrow the Ninth, but decided to switch to another xianxia novel, Stellar Transformations by IET. I'll see if I can pick up Harrow again later.
How did you find it?
Decent and fun plot. But meh characters and world. Not close to quality of Cradle or any of his previous books.
The Rascor Plains - Book 2 of Immortal Great Souls by Phil Tucker. It's a very nice progression fantasy set in a intriguing world. Liked it. 8/10
All the Skills by HonorRae - A card based deck building LitRPG. Haven't come across this mechanic before. Really interesting and fun read. 8/10
All the Skills by HonorRae - A card based deck building LitRPG. Haven't come across this mechanic before. Really interesting and fun read. 8/10
Eminent Domain by RJ Shoke
Not sure how I got this in my queue, but glad I did. It's super blend of System Apocalypse and Desolate Era set in a galactic space faring sci-fi world with bits of Cradle thrown in. Got bits of LitRPG, Progression and Cultivation elements all mixed into a nice fast pace and binge worthy adventure. Would definitely make for a brilliant anime TV show. Gets going from pretty much page 1 and what started off as a trial read ended up in a back-to-back trilogy binge.
Fun and entertaining. 9/10
I want to blame whoever recommended The Umbral Storm in this thread as I read it and bloody loved it, and only then found out it's the only one released so far. Broken my rule of not starting unfinished series!
I finally finished the Fitz and the Fool Series by Robin Hobb, so I finished the The Realm of the Elderlings Series, at least the 16 main books and The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince. I still like better The Liveship Traders series.
Though Robin Hobb may write about other characters. I read that she discarded one project because of the covid situation.
Though Robin Hobb may write about other characters. I read that she discarded one project because of the covid situation.
Shoke appears to be a brand new author. Goodreads shows that he has this completed trilogy (The Way of Etherforging) and one other book as his only works. But I'm intrigued by your mention of the series containing elements of Desolate Era and Cradle, so I'll put it on my to-be-read list.
Eminent Domain by RJ Shoke
Not sure how I got this in my queue, but glad I did. It's super blend of System Apocalypse and Desolate Era set in a galactic space faring sci-fi world with bits of Cradle thrown in. Got bits of LitRPG, Progression and Cultivation elements all mixed into a nice fast pace and binge worthy adventure. Would definitely make for a brilliant anime TV show. Gets going from pretty much page 1 and what started off as a trial read ended up in a back-to-back trilogy binge.
Fun and entertaining. 9/10
Finished Stellar Transformations by IET. Great read, same ending as Coiling Dragon.
Next on my reading list are Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (starting tonight) and Renegade Immortal by Er Gen.
Not seen much discussion on this one. Personally, I loved it. It was a delightful and whimsical book, so very unlike the vast majority of Sanderson’s writing.
Yeah it's an excellent read.
The Liveship Traders is the best part in the Realm of the Elderlings, although Fitz and the Fool are the two best characters.
Seeing the whimsy even in the first few chapters!
Absolutely. That is a common sentiment expressed by the majority of people who have read the entire Realm of the Elderlings series.
The Fool happens to be my favourite character in the series. I wasn't happy about how she was portrayed in The Tawny Man trilogy especially the apparent gender change that is totally inconsistent with Liveship Traders
I dislike Liveship Traders. Gave up after so many attempts. Tawny Man is my favorite trilogy of the lot.
Think Liveship Traders is among the best trilogy across the genre and easily the best work in the ROTE series.
I just started A Will Eternal and it's damn funny!
If Er Gen had cut out the last 8-9 chapters or so and ended at the logical point (you'll know when you get there), I would have rated it as one of my all-time fun reads.
Finished it. And it was a great book.
The Heavenspan books were great. Adventurous and funny. The last war and Eternal Lands arcs were more serious and typical to the genre. The ending was ok.
But yeah, if they had a made a happy ending at Heavenspan arcs (book 6, I think) it would have been perfect.
But yeah, if they had a made a happy ending at Heavenspan arcs (book 6, I think) it would have been perfect.
Wait, that's... not actually crazy talk.
As a trilogy it is the most consistent, I think Royal Assassin (book 2) is probably the best individual novel across her work, but the Liveship books have so much creativity and world building it is hard to argue.
Finished I Shall Seal The Heavens.
Not as good as A Will Eternal, but still nice.
Though still suffers from authors inability to write a crisp finish. The entire last book was redundant.
Not as good as A Will Eternal, but still nice.
Though still suffers from authors inability to write a crisp finish. The entire last book was redundant.
Pat Rothfuss has announced a
Bast novella release in November. It's a start right?
Bast novella release in November. It's a start right?
Not reading his stuff until the final book is released.
Yeah, long overdue. I can't wait!
Pat Rothfuss can go feck himself until Doors of Stone is released.
Anyway with that off my chest, I’m half way through The Wheel of Time with the final 6 audiobooks already in my library. I have 2 credits to use before I cancel my Audible membership for a while and am looking for some recommendations for that to read next if anyone could be so kind
My go to recommendation is always The Lies of Locke Lamora.Pat Rothfuss can go feck himself until Doors of Stone is released.
Anyway with that off my chest, I’m half way through The Wheel of Time with the final 6 audiobooks already in my library. I have 2 credits to use before I cancel my Audible membership for a while and am looking for some recommendations for that to read next if anyone could be so kind
edit: Agreed, feck Rothfuss.
Have been reading Dungeon Crawler Carl, and it is fecking awesome. Just grabbed them on trial of Kindle Unlimited after a few friends recommended them, after the first couple of pages I thought they were taking the piss, but they turn out to be just so much fun. I mean how can a book get away with this line?
The velociraptor moonwalked back across the platform.
Apparently the audio books are fantastic as well, tempted.
The velociraptor moonwalked back across the platform.
Apparently the audio books are fantastic as well, tempted.
DCC is brilliant! Brilliant writing and extremely entertaining.
Audible? Gideon the NinthPat Rothfuss can go feck himself until Doors of Stone is released.
Anyway with that off my chest, I’m half way through The Wheel of Time with the final 6 audiobooks already in my library. I have 2 credits to use before I cancel my Audible membership for a while and am looking for some recommendations for that to read next if anyone could be so kind
Avoid it like the plague.
Great series. Just that the next book is gonna be released sometime between The Doors of Stone and The Winds of Winter.
Counterpoint.... just read Lies as a stand alone. It is a fantastic book, and while the next 2 books are good, they are not on the same level.
Try the Seven's!Pat Rothfuss can go feck himself until Doors of Stone is released.
Anyway with that off my chest, I’m half way through The Wheel of Time with the final 6 audiobooks already in my library. I have 2 credits to use before I cancel my Audible membership for a while and am looking for some recommendations for that to read next if anyone could be so kind
Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston
Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell
All Will Wight books are free in Kindle today.
I've never heard of this guy, but thanks for the heads-up - I have now just walked away with about 18 free books and feel like I just robbed the guy blind!
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Cradle is awesome. Probably the best selling Indie book that outsells most of trad published books.
Good to know. I'll give it a go after I finish the last 30% of LoLL.
I'm listening to Stormlight ArchivePat Rothfuss can go feck himself until Doors of Stone is released.
Anyway with that off my chest, I’m half way through The Wheel of Time with the final 6 audiobooks already in my library. I have 2 credits to use before I cancel my Audible membership for a while and am looking for some recommendations for that to read next if anyone could be so kind
Anything by Anthony Ryan, if you like grimdark stuff. Anything by Joe Abercrombie, sort of the same (but somewhat less grim and less dark).Pat Rothfuss can go feck himself until Doors of Stone is released.
Anyway with that off my chest, I’m half way through The Wheel of Time with the final 6 audiobooks already in my library. I have 2 credits to use before I cancel my Audible membership for a while and am looking for some recommendations for that to read next if anyone could be so kind
I am in the home stretch in my multiyear effort to catch up on the past 2 campaigns, and current campaign, of Critical Role. Should anyone care in here? No. However, what this does mean is that I will finally be able to dive back into my backlog of books to read, many recommended in this thread!