I finally crossed Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World off my list. Pretty good read on critical thinking. 

Reading the Blood of Kerensky books, forgot what kind of writer Stackpole is but remembered it a minute or two after buying it.  Cheap at least, have to say Phelan Kell is a special character.

Edited December 11, 2025Dec 11 by Malcador

13 hours ago, Malcador said:

Reading the Blood of Kerensky books, forgot what kind of writer Stackpole but remembered it a minute or two after buying it.  Cheap at least, have to say Phelan Kell is special character.

I haven't read those in a while, not even sure I finished the trilogy. 

Kell is the Martyest of Marty Sues. I always liked his name though.

Actually almost all of the main characters suck. VSD isn't quite so annoying, though, as Kell or Kai - he's a Superman but is emo about failing.

 

Finished the Jade Falcon trilogy, was much better than the Blood of Kerensky books and Aidan is written better than Phelan, actually seems to have an arc.  The sex stuff in the first book was a bit funny with how much the author mentioned it, heh., considering the issues with it.

 

Edited December 31, 2025Dec 31 by Malcador

I remember liking those books a lot more but Jade Falcon was my clan back in the day

The only Battletech author who could write a novel worth reading was Blaine Lee Pardoe, quiaff?

2 hours ago, melkathi said:

The only Battletech author who could write a novel worth reading was Blaine Lee Pardoe, quiaff?

That seems to be the consensus from 3 places I checked.  Surprised there's 100+ of these novels, though.

Edited December 31, 2025Dec 31 by Malcador

On 12/31/2025 at 11:21 AM, melkathi said:

The only Battletech author who could write a novel worth reading was Blaine Lee Pardoe, quiaff?

well, am gonna observe that one author stands out 'cause his name not only represents an optional rule but may be used as a verb.

stackpole, baby.

is thousands o' battletech players (tabletop and online) who has never read a battletech novel, but they nevertheless venerate stackpole. that's a legacy... of sorts.

on a more serious note, am just finishing battle cry of freedom by james mcpherson. fifth time. 

the first third o' the book reminds us of eerie similarities 'tween US 1830-1850 and today, while at the same time offering encouragement 'cause we ain't quite at bleeding kansas... yet. 

highly recommended.

HA! Good Fun!

I am re-reading Men At Arms.

 

Deferring reading Beevor on the Russian Civil War, to read the Darth Bane trilogy. So far not too awful, for a Star Wars novel.

 

Rereading the Dresden Files before the new book comes out.

a wizard of earthsea

is one o' our favorite fantasy works, so we read every couple of years. 

HA! Good Fun!

New Dresden Files book "12 Months". It's alright, I would compare it to Ghost Story quality wise. Like Ghost Story this one wasn't planned originally, but due to some big things happening in Battle Grounds he wanted to have a book where Dresden could recover and reflect.

The good news is that Mirror Mirror should come out relatively soon at least according to Jim, writing done by March and book out probably beginning of next year. Here's hopping.

Finished the Bane trilogy, decent enough Star Wars books. Some Kotor DS like edginess, but the girl getting her cousin killed was a twist I admittedly didn't expect -was expecting him to be a redeemer in the final book.   Big body count as well

Thinking about starting Black Company or Broken Earth. 

Also want to get this https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/collections/leatherbound-books/products/the-eye-of-the-world-leatherbound.

But I don't want to pay something like 350 euros for it... Need to find a mule to get it to me from the US.

Edited Monday at 09:11 AM4 days by Sarex

I vote for the Black Company.

Oh wow, so Steven Erikson was very inspired by Glen Cooks writing style in The Black Company.

Edited Monday at 11:58 PM4 days by Sarex

Finished book 1 of the black company. On to book 2.

Considering when these were written I can see the influence they had on more than one author. 

I have started the series he wrote before Black Company, should get back to it, Dread Empire.  The first book was a slog though.

Finished the second book and the story is getting better and better. Ended up buying the whole anthology. I guess I wasted 20 bucks, but still a lot cheaper then getting them all individually.

I still grouse about how the first set ends.

Started GW's next money grab. Ashes of the Imperium - start of the Scouring series.

On 1/29/2026 at 10:16 PM, Malcador said:

I still grouse about how the first set ends.

Book spoilers

The cop-out ending, where everyone lives? Or something else?

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by Sarex