What series are you reading?

[Tyche]

I'm on the eight book of the Malazan series.
I'm not sure how I got this far.
I've developed a hatred for the author.
I can only conclude that I'm a masochist at heart.

[tek]

@Tyche I can't get around the pompous prose. I quit three chapters in.

[Cupcake]

@Cobaltasaurus I'm reading the Hunter/Angel series (out of curiosity and interest in your game) - I'm finding the dubious consent issues somewhat problematic, but I'm waiting to see where it goes between the focus characters.

I might be getting weary of the whole OUTSIDE SO TOUGH/INSIDE SO FEMININE/SHUDDERS AT HIS MASCULINITY stuff, but I will admit to it all being pretty titillating.

[Arkandel]

I'm reading Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence. It's the third novel in a second trilogy set in the same universe blending grimdark fantasy with sci-fi elements, and it happens to be amazing; the main characters in both the first and this series are innovative and very unique personalities, I really love the author's work.

[Arkandel]

Hey folks,

I'm halfway through my current book (The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan) and I feel like renewing my to-read queue.

What's your favorite new series? Let's keep it to relatively fresh stuff - say, published after 2010, with at least two books in it. It can be already finished or still ongoing, in any genre.

What's exciting about it? Hype it for me!

[Cobalt]

I'm about to start the first book of the 20-sided Sorceress Series, because it sounds both geeky and interesting. It's a little further out of my comfort zone than usual. But it stars a female lead, and some kinda nerdy things. So I have some high hopes.

[ixokai]

In like TWO DAYS the latest installment of the Brent Weeks Lightbringer series is being released and I'm seriously loving these books. An interesting, unique magic system, compelling characters (men, women, and one of the main characters isn't your typical hero), and fun writing.

The first book is The Black Prism.

[Cadi]

@somasatori said in What series are you reading?:

I'm currently re-reading China Mieville's Bas-Lag series.

If you haven't, you really should check it out. It's pretty incredible. While I tend to shy away from anything that's considered steampunk in any way, the fantasy and tech really works in this series. I highly recommend it.

YES YES YES. I /hate/ fantasy, especially typical Tolkien fantasy (anything with dwarves, elves or fairies makes me immediately lose interest. Even urban fantasy doesn't get me. Magic is just too broad and feels like a cop out for most stories.)

HOWEVER, Mieville is just...damn, I love his work, I love his characters. His fantastical elements are not sexy, not cute, not pretty. None of his characters are pretty. He uses the grotesque a lot and it shows - all his non-human creatures are /ugly/ and downright weird, alien-like and almost absurd. He also manages to mix science with fantasy while still giving off a dystopic, ruined world that makes sense.

He wrote one of my favorite female protagonists (Bellis Coldwine) who is a flawed woman without being weak /because/ she is a woman. She could have easily been written a man and it would have worked just as well.

Read The Perdido Street Station first, then The Scar. Those two have to be my favorite. I didn't finish the Iron Council though, I've been meaning to.

ETA: Oddly enough Dark Towers would have been my recommendation but I also haven't finished the series. I still need to read the last book but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Stephen King is known for his lackluster endings, and since the journey was just so good to get to this point, I'm kind of scared and wary to end it.

[somasatori]

@Cadi

I completely agree with everything you said. Bellis Coldwine is probably one of my favorite characters of his, if not one of my just generally favorite literary characters. I didn't read the series in order -- I went from The Scar, to Perdido Street Station, then Iron Council, which led me to feeling really disappointed with Isaac.

Normal fantasy like elves and whatnot is always so clichéd and annoying, since it's generally just variations on a theme. You take Tolkien, then play on what Tolkien did and adjust your story line a bit (which will be either a mix of coming age with dude being the be-all, end-all savior of the world, or one or the other). The grittiness of Mieville's work is pretty astounding, and sort of throws all that up into the air. You're absolutely right, pretty much every race in his work is utterly absurd or hideous. Like the mosquito people in the Scar, for example, that was a fairly intense scene when they went ashore and realized they totally weren't fucking around about the women in the mosquito-people society (totally can't remember their names right now) were bloodthirsty and vicious. Then there's the Khepri.

I'm also in the same boat with the Dark Tower series. I've read up to the Song of Susannah, but am worried about reading the last book on account of how his stuff usually ends.

[Arkandel]

A Plague of Swords by Miles Cameron is excellent.

It's the third part of a series taking place in a fantasy world where the Wild - the forces of nature - are traditionally opposed to the spread of civilization. What's exceptional about it though is how well it balances character development with military brilliance and political intrigue; usually writers juggle only one or maybe two of those at a time and neglect the others, but the plot here goes from strength to strength.

I consider this series to be on par with George Martin's work, and while not as grimdark as Joe Abercrombie's they are still pretty gritty and realistic. For those who care about such things it has a male protagonist but several very powerful female characters, and although the setting's 'powers' are pretty strong they doesn't steal the show from non-magic users.

[Doozer]

The Kingfountain series by Jeff Wheeler. It's a young adult fantasy book. It's kinda cute. Quick reads under 5 hours though.

[Auspice]

Breathing life back into this thread because I was kind of surprised by this book.

Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo.
It was 'assigned' by the RL book club I'm in. There's actually a first trilogy for the world (the 'Grisha Trilogy') that starts with Shadow and Bone (tho you don't have to read the first trilogy to read Six of Crows).

I really didn't like the last book we read (that was my intro to the club) and a lot of their past books had been sort of... eh. They are really into a breed of YA that I am generally not.

But y'all, the world of this book is what has drawn me in. I like the characters, too, but it's the world that's got me. I'm gonna keep reading (go on to the next book and then circle back to the other trilogy).

[Sparks]

@auspice said in What series are you reading?:

But y'all, the world of this book is what has drawn me in. I like the characters, too, but it's the world that's got me. I'm gonna keep reading (go on to the next book and then circle back to the other trilogy).

While the first of the Six of Crows books does not require reading the Grisha trilogy, the second one does benefit from it, btw. Not enough so that you won't appreciate the second book without reading the trilogy first, but there's bits you'll appreciate a lot more if you've read the Grisha books.

(As for the review in general, I concur wholeheartedly: I really love Six of Crows.)

[Auspice]

@sparks said in What series are you reading?:

@auspice said in What series are you reading?:

But y'all, the world of this book is what has drawn me in. I like the characters, too, but it's the world that's got me. I'm gonna keep reading (go on to the next book and then circle back to the other trilogy).

While the first of the Six of Crows books does not require reading the Grisha trilogy, the second one does benefits from it, btw. Not enough so that you won't appreciate the second book without reading the trilogy first, but there's bits you'll appreciate a lot more if you've read the Grisha books.

I will probably circle back and read the trilogy before reading book 2 if only because it's hard af getting Six of Crows from the library rn.

But yes, the world is great. I really love the Polish and other Eastern European roots to the setting. It's not something you see used very often and it gives some amazing flavor. Kaz and Inej are great.

[Arkandel]

@auspice I know how to use the googles, but can you guys give an idea of what the series is about in a non-spoiler-y way? Like, the genre or general plot?

[Auspice]

@arkandel said in What series are you reading?:

@auspice I know how to use the googles, but can you guys give an idea of what the series is about in a non-spoiler-y way? Like, the genre or general plot?

@Sparks may be better at this than me. I'm only halfway through Six of Crows and I'm having a hard time encapsulating it. I just know that so far, the world is really pulling me in steadily in a way that I am super excited to finish this book and pick up others which is, IMO, a really good sign.

[Sparks]

@arkandel said in What series are you reading?:

@auspice I know how to use the googles, but can you guys give an idea of what the series is about in a non-spoiler-y way? Like, the genre or general plot?

The Grisha trilogy is about politics and magic and the misuse of both; it's what I think of as a more 'mainstream' fantasy series, but quite enjoyable, especially as the worldbuilding in general is very good. (It also sort of covers how much it sucks to find yourself being hailed as the "Chosen One" in any significant way.)

Six of Crows is like... the most succinct and non-spoilery way I can put it is to imagine a heist movie—or Leverage—set in the same world as the Grisha books. Sort of. Even that description doesn't really do the book justice, because it's still not quite right. It reminds me a bit of The Lies of Locke Lamora, which I also loved.

(But I liked Six of Crows better.)

[TheOnceler]

The Grisha books are great. Especially A Time to Kill.

[silverfox]

2 year necro but it was still on the first page sooooo...

I told myself I'd just read a little bit of book 5 of Lindsay Buroker's Dragon Blood books. I failed. Two hours later the book is done and I'm wide awake.

Anyone else got a series they love?

[Pyrephox]

Michelle West has an ongoing, endless series of epic fantasy that starts with a duology (Hunter's Oath/Hunter's Death) and hasn't really...ended. Despite the the fact that every single one of the now...12? 13? books is a doorstopper. It's a hugely intricate world where the great and epic magics are starting to awaken again as an exiled god tries to return to the world. I love it beyond reason, even though Sagara can't finish a plot thread to save her life.

She has a slightly less intricate second-world urban fantasy series under her other writing name of Michelle Sagara which has the same flaws, but I still love equally well.