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I just finished Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, and it is easily the best fantasy book I have read in years.  This may be my new favorite author, it reminded me of a David Gemmel book but with a more intricate plot and universe.  It was outstanding.

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I just finished Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, and it is easily the best fantasy book I have read in years.  This may be my new favorite author, it reminded me of a David Gemmel book but with a more intricate plot and universe.  It was outstanding.

 

Awesome! I'll have to check it out

Free games updated 3/4/21

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I just finished Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, and it is easily the best fantasy book I have read in years.  This may be my new favorite author, it reminded me of a David Gemmel book but with a more intricate plot and universe.  It was outstanding.

 

Awesome! I'll have to check it out

 

So after reading it I checked up on him, and apparently the book isn't getting published until July.  But it is available on the Amazon marketplace.  It did so well on there that he got picked up by Penguin to complete the trilogy.  Pretty cool to see how these e-published authors are getting picked up by big publishers.

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I just finished Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, and it is easily the best fantasy book I have read in years.  This may be my new favorite author, it reminded me of a David Gemmel book but with a more intricate plot and universe.  It was outstanding.

 

Awesome! I'll have to check it out

 

So after reading it I checked up on him, and apparently the book isn't getting published until July.  But it is available on the Amazon marketplace.  It did so well on there that he got picked up by Penguin to complete the trilogy.  Pretty cool to see how these e-published authors are getting picked up by big publishers.

 

I picked it up on Google Play last night and managed about 5 chapters before passing out. I'm really digging it so far.

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Free games updated 3/4/21

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Now reading The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about. It's good no doubt. Well worth the time if you guys could ever tear yourselves away from fantasy or sci-fi.

"While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before"

Thomas Sowell

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Yep, was reading it last week. Didn't wanted to watch the movie before reading the book and it really is worth it. It's not a book where you have to think a lot about what you read (because everything is pretty much explained to you at some point), but it's tensing and interesting.

"only when you no-life you can exist forever, because what does not live cannot die."

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Finished Hyperion by Dan Simmons. 6 short character stories fit to a plot that works as a good framing device for these stories. Recommended.

Remember: Argue the point, not the person. Remain polite and constructive. Friendly forums have friendly debate. There's no shame in being wrong. If you don't have something to add, don't post for the sake of it. And don't be afraid to post thoughts you are uncertain about, that's what discussion is for.
---
Pet threads, everyone has them. I love imagining Gods, Monsters, Factions and Weapons.

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I'm nearing the end of Dune Messiah and still thoroughly enjoying it, just reached the nuke blasted eyes/prescient awareness bit, so damn cool  :thumbsup:

 

Finished Hyperion by Dan Simmons. 6 short character stories fit to a plot that works as a good framing device for these stories. Recommended.

 

I've been meaning to check out Hyperion for years, I'll bump it up my list.

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Just finished the Blood Song and recommend it to anyone that likes good books  :biggrin:

 

This guy is literally just breaking into the market, so it will be interesting to see what he turns into.  The user reviews are phenomenal, so I'm predicting big things.

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

"While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before"

Thomas Sowell

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

 

For those who like murder mysteries set in quirky periods of time.. I have to recommend Deanna Raybourn's "Silent in the Grave".

 

Set in Victorian London, it blends a deft touch of historical detail, the cut and thrust of polite society, witty dialogue and the matter of murder.

Indeed, the opening line is a wonderful hook and presents the whole mood and atmosphere of how the story unfolds:

 

"To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor."

 

So enters the principle character Lady Julia Grey and the abrupt death sequence of her husband, Edward. At first it's assumed to be the result of a heart disease that plagues his family, but in the process of learning to cope with the suddenness of monied widowhood she finds out that her husband had hired the rather notorious and strange private detective Nicholas Brisbane to find the source of some threatening letters shortly before his death.

 

From there, this leads to a testily collaborative search between the pair for the culprit and to discover why her husband was killed. Along the way they prove servants, peers, and family members, discovering strange and varied truths about the husband she never really knew and dealing with the eccentricity of her own family. In many ways, Lady Julia starts of the story as a daughter of a duke, one sibling among many, and a wife suffering from the malaise of no real challenges, general boredom, a husband she was merely friends with, and no real self-identity beyond those elements. However with the delving into the case, she certainly grows into her own.

 

The assortment of characters are generally free of cliche and not the expected cutouts you see so often, whilst still managing to blend in the expected victorian foibles and matters of polite behaviour even as events descend into assorted deceptions and the odd sidetrip reveal of hidden depravity.

While the murder mystery isn't that convoluted, it's the array of characters and dialogue between them that makes this one a good read.

Edited by Raithe

"Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

 

I try not to  :disguise:

 

EDIT:

 

Forgot to add that I also read the new Shadowrun novel Neat. It was a fun little read about a scrappy, burnt out elf mage private detective who likes his whisky neat. I recommend it to anyone that likes sci-fi/fantasy genre mashups or the Shadowrun setting but as a pure detective story I thought it was a little weak but not bad.

Edited by ShadySands
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Free games updated 3/4/21

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

Sure, but it's that I perfer fantasy fiction. However I read historical fiction, travelogues, and popular science books. and occasionally one that gets recommended to me.

Remember: Argue the point, not the person. Remain polite and constructive. Friendly forums have friendly debate. There's no shame in being wrong. If you don't have something to add, don't post for the sake of it. And don't be afraid to post thoughts you are uncertain about, that's what discussion is for.
---
Pet threads, everyone has them. I love imagining Gods, Monsters, Factions and Weapons.

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

 

That reminds me: what happened to your book?

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

 

I'm reading a Steampunk anthology right now. It has no lasers and had no swords so far :)

I loved Pride and Prejudice, that pretty much no swords in it either. Nor do I remember it having lasers.

Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise).

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Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them? :lol:

 

That reminds me: what happened to your book?

When we started our new company all my personal projects got put on the back burner. That one included. I hired an editor to proof and advise on changes last year and was looking into self publishing. That has never been easier now in the world or e-readers. I'm still editing and revising but have not even touched it in six months. Between the project in Mexico, South Dakota and our new Simon Mall project I'm too busy to do anything but work. Heck aside from chess I haven't even played a computer game in months.

"While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before"

Thomas Sowell

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I loved Pride and Prejudice, that pretty much no swords in it either. Nor do I remember it having lasers.

 

Heh, have you tried any of the Liaden Universe books? Best described as "Pride and Prejudice meets Star Wars..."

"Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."

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I loved Pride and Prejudice, that pretty much no swords in it either. Nor do I remember it having lasers.

 

Heh, have you tried any of the Liaden Universe books? Best described as "Pride and Prejudice meets Star Wars..."

 

Nah. Starwars no longer is something that labels things positively for me ;)

Is it space opera?

I prefer my scifi to at least attempt to create some sort of (pseudo)scientific bit. So if it is just a "there are spaceships and lasers" but other than that it could have been any fantasy setting, then it probably isn't for me.

Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise).

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Nah. Starwars no longer is something that labels things positively for me ;)

Is it space opera?

I prefer my scifi to at least attempt to create some sort of (pseudo)scientific bit. So if it is just a "there are spaceships and lasers" but other than that it could have been any fantasy setting, then it probably isn't for me.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liaden_universe

 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LiadenUniverse

 

It's space opera, but the principle protagonists have a very serious code of behaviour, so it does tend to rely on that dialogue and back and forth between peoples sense of "right behaviour" in various situations. Depending on which books in the series you read, some have more action/thriller elements and some have more of a romance aspect. With greater or lesser degrees of deception, deceit, rogue tradery and a certain swashing of buckle.

"Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."

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Now reading Pukka's Promise by Ted Kerasote great read so far on how to improve canine health and longevity. Also reading The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Wan Eng. It might be losing something in the translation but I'm finding it hard to get into. It was highly recommended by a friend though.

 

No swords or lasers in either though... sorry guys. :lol:

"While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before"

Thomas Sowell

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Today I finished last book of Bill the Galactic Hero series, for which I fell since first of his adventures got in my hands, I'm gonna chuckle for several YEARS just from the ending, when Bill finally got his foot :biggrin: , anybody else like Bill aswell? 

Edited by Ywerion
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"Have you ever spoken with the dead? Called to them from this side? Called them from their silent rest? Do you know what it is that they feel?

Pain. Pain, when torn into this wakefulness, this reminder of the chaos from which they had escaped. Pain of having to live! There will be no more pain. There will be... no more chaos."

 

 

Kerghan the Terrible,

first of the Necromancers,

voyager in the Lands of the Dead.

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Today I finished last book of Bill the Galactic Hero series, for which I fell since first of his adventures got in my hands, I'm gonna chuckle for several YEARS just from the ending, when Bill finally got his foot :biggrin: , anybody else like Bill aswell? 

 

 

Yup. Plus I've actually met Harry Harrison. :)

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

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