What Are You Reading?

[Lord of the Night]

The Lies of Locke Lamora. Really good so far!

The book only gets better and better, and the series does so as well. The wait for The Thorn of Emberlain is killing me!

I've nipped on to Ghost Warrior by Gav Thorpe and really loving it (Eldrad's Staff of Ultramar! ), though...

I caught that one as well. Just a single letter wrong.

Finished Farsight and found it quite an enjoyable read. A few typos that made me raise an eyebrow, the most glaring being a page where the lead Space Marine character narrates that he has only served fifty years then a chapter later thinks that in his two-hundred years of service he has never seen such firepower, but on the whole Kelly portrays the Tau quite well here, showing both the light and dark duality that make up the Greater Good and establishes Farsight as a character who believes in the image of the Tau'va and struggles with the reality of it.

Picked up the long-awaited Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson two days ago and it's finally time to get stuck in with it! The Stormlight Archive is back and I can't wait to have a nice long train ride tomorrow to return to Roshar and the Knights Radiant!


LotN

[Rob P]

Finished The Gift of Joy which I picked up at Edgelit last year.

This is a collection of short stories by an author I am unfamiliar with - although he seems to have been knocking around for some time. Many of the stories have been previously published elsewhere.

I was drawn in by the praise from Ian Watson who is an author I admire.

The stories are varied but all seem to take place in the future or in alternate timelines.

The prose is an easy read and there are some interesting ideas presented in the anthology.

There were a number of stories that I really enjoyed including:

The Final Hour - The matrix with a meta plot
Glitch in the System - When the Fortean messes with Sat Navs
The Battle for Paradise - Optimism in dystopia

However, I felt that there was something missing in most of the other stories. In particular, I felt that the twist (where present) was not adequately seeded so that it felt jarring. I also felt that in some of the stories too much time was spent on character development at expense of plot and the story lacked sufficient of either because the short story format doesn't suit it.

Overall, I am glad that I read the collection, but I feel that with more careful plotting it could have wowed me.

[Major Rawne]

Banged out a couple of shorts over the last couple of days. First one was Tornado of Sparks by James Maxey, a tie in to his Bitterwood series from a few years ago. On the whole it was a simple affair setting up of couple of characters when they first cross paths, but was nonetheless an enjoyable trip back to the setting.

The next short was Carcharadons The Reaping Time by Robbie MacNiven. A cracking introduction the Space Sharks that really showed off the efficient brutality of the chapter.

Other than that I'm still cracking on with Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion, really want to get this one finished as soon as because it's a killer read. Likely to join Dante as one of my favourite reads this year.

[Aristedes Colettas]

Finished Mephiston: Lord Of Death by David Annandale

Continuing with Mephiston lore. Reading Mephiston - Blood Of Sanguinius by Darius Hinks

Cheers

[Pyroriffic]

I'm on the third book of the Southern Son: The Saga of Doc Holliday trilogy by Victoria Wilcox. First two books were Inheritance and Gone West and the third book is The Last Decision.

This fictional account tied in with various researched histories and combined with what I learned myself during a recent trip to Tombstone, Arizona, has been really enjoyable. My obsession with Doc Holliday has nothing to do with that enjoyment, good heavens no.

When I've finished that, I'm probably going to get round to reading Ready Player One because people keep telling me to read it.

[Rob P]

Currently reading Finding Alice by Andrea DiGiglio. It's a paranormal rom. Not my usual read and i'm not in the target audience.

It's ok, but not great. Not sure i'll read the sequels.

[Major Rawne]

Finished up the phenomenal Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion late last night. Chris really did do a superb job of immersing you in Terra and the events that happen there surrounding the fall of Cadia and the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum. It also did one hell of a job to show how Terra has changed not only since the Heresy era, but also even since the time of the Beast Arises, and actually tied in very well to what he talked about in his seminar on the Vaults of Terra.

Next read is Skitarius by Rob Sanders. Should hopefully be a quick read, and knocks another books off the mental catch-up list I had at the start of the year to finish a number of series I'd started, but also those books I pick up at events and then never read.

[Rob P]

I finished Lion last night.

I thought it was ok to good. It was certainly better in the earlier parts and then it hit the middle where it meanders a little (where it delves into the past of his new family). Obviously it's an autobiography so that can't be helped. The fact that it's quite short helped it not got boring. It was very eye-opening and now i'm keen to move on to the film.

I'm now reading Jim Swallow's Nomad. I bought it not long after release and haven't got around to it until now because it's not really my genre, but so far it's not bad. Quite like Spooks meets something a little more Americanised.

[Squiggle]

reading Rob Sander Redemption Corps cos, ya know, storm troopers, battle sisters. Plus its written by Rob Sanders!!

[Erunanion]

I'm reading Dark Imperium to get up to speed on what is going on in this new frontier for 40K, and Watchers of the Throne is up next.

My non-fiction reading at the moment is Owen Jones' The Establishment, because my lefty reading credentials could do with an upgrade

[Rob P]

About half-way into Nomad now. One of the really good things about it so far is how competent everyone is.

[Erunanion]

Finished Dark Imperium, and now I am at the halfway mark for Watchers of the Throne. And by god, this is one of the best 40K books I've ever read. Chris Wraight has done a spectacular job of capturing the terror and the majesty of the End Times of the Imperium of Man. It is so, so good.

Now, away with you so I can finish it.

[Rob P]

Finished Nomad.

I enjoyed this one.

It's action packed; tense in places; and the villains are very competent for the majority of the book. The plot is clever and not too basic or too complex to follow. Despite being the first in the series, I also felt that I got a good complete story with only a few very intentional loose ends to justify the next book.

However, it's a little longer than I would have liked (perhaps by about 100 pages) which meant that there were 1 or 2 too many 'aha, nearly gotcha' points which felt a little repetitive. and because of the competency of the villains, the protagonist's success felt very fluky. Also, for exposition, the villain 'has to' reveal his plot at the end.

About half-way through I decided that I was enjoying it, but probably wouldn't read the next one. By the end, I decided that I probably would read the next one.

Currently reading a writing book called something like '5,000 words an hour'. I'll summarise it elsewhere when i've done. I've read it before and was not impressed but thought i'd re-read it to make sure.

[David Earle]

Starting Lorgar: Bearer of the Word. I don't think I'm going to like him much by the end of this...

[Aristedes Colettas]

Finished Mephiston: Blood Of Sanguinius by Darius Hinks. Awesome read very epic scenes and battles.

Currently Reading more Blood Angles Space Marines Legends – Lemartes by David Annandale

Cheers

[Rob P]

Currently reading a suspense thriller called I'm Watching You. It's very good and a writing style that closely follows my own - very little detail.

[Major Rawne]

Finished Mephiston: Blood Of Sanguinius by Darius Hinks. Awesome read very epic scenes and battles.

Currently Reading more Blood Angles Space Marines Legends – Lemartes by David Annandale

Cheers

Ooo I really dug Lemartes. Enjoy.

I myself am still plodding along with Skitarius. It's somewhat middle of the road on the whole, there's some really good segments held together by very little in the way of story.

Other than that I am neck deep into this years Black Library Advent. Only one story behind so far and i'm loving it on the whole. There's only been the one story that hasn't done much for me, and that was Chris Wraight's Endurance though he did bounce back to form with yesterdays Magisterium.

[Rob P]

Finished Ratburger - so what if it's for ten year olds? - always good to see what your kids are reading.

I am now 7 books to completing by 52 book reading challenge for 2017. It is once again doable.

Not sure what to go for next.

Edit:

Now reading Little Boy Lost. White author writing black characters and doesn't feel good.

[Major Rawne]

I'm done with Skitarius. As I said very middle of the road but did pick up at the end. Hoping to read Tech-Priest before the year is out, want to see how the story all pans out.

First though is something I probably should already have read when it came out judging by all the praise it's had, Fabius Bile: Primogenitor.

Also still ploughing on with BLs advent 2017. Still excellent. Highlight since last update is probably Clints The Witch Takers, an Witch Hunter story revitalised for the Age of Sigmar setting.

[Rob P]

50%+ into Little Boy Lost. I feel there is a negative social commentary that is not very subtle here.