Reading List Update: #62-74
Sep. 23rd, 2007 12:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedibuttercupThirteen more books since I last posted, September 3.
You're not reading that wrong, I really did read 13 books in the last 19 days. I've kind of been burying myself in them while (a) life was crazy enough I needed the escape and (b) Dad had my HP:DH so I couldn't write fic. Eight were fantasy and five military sci-fi this time, over half of which were rereads.
62. Hour of the Octopus, by Joel Rosenberg. Paperback, 263pp. 2nd of the D'Shai series. More of the first-- "a lightly humorous mystery set in an Asian-influenced fantasy world with very strict cultural standards and etiquette"-- only with more emphasis on politics this time as the main character adjusts to his sudden elevation in rank and solves new mysteries. Good, but not as riveting as D'Shai. I'll be interested to see what happens in the rumored third novel in the series.
63. Cordelia's Honor, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Paperback, 596pp. Part of the Vorkosigan saga. I decided to finally get my toes wet in this series, and this book-- combining the first two tales (chronologically) in the series-- seemed like the perfect start. It was-- riveting, engrossing, etcetera and so on; I'm such a sucker for this combination of space opera with slightly backward noble culture and very strong, imperfect but honorable central characters. If Miles is much like his parents, I might have to pick up the rest of the series, too.
64. The Ninth Talisman by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Hardcover, 317pp. 2nd of the Annals of the Chosen. I'm still intrigued by this universe, but troubled by the developments in this book; whereas The Wizard Lord felt like a complete tale, this felt like half of one. And I really hate it when major plot developments only make sense if one or more characters-- whether hero or enemy-- are complete fucking idiots. The main hero ends this one alone against the world, and I'm not sure whether I care if he succeeds with his desperate plan or not.
65. The Mother of Lies by Dave Duncan. Hardcover, 343pp. 2nd of the Dodec duology. I read the first one-- Children of Chaos-- fifty books ago, and was impressed; this sequel didn't let me down, unlike #64. The four lost children of Celebre reach their destinies, mostly in unexpected yet satisfying ways. My only complaint was that the endgame for the queen of the bad guys was terribly cliche and seemed to exist only to support the potential for further stories in the universe, but in all other ways, I quite enjoyed this unique fantasy world.
66. Oath of Swords by David Weber. Paperback, 481pp. 1st of the War God series. Reread. This series is a little Tolkien flavored, but not extremely so, and centers on an entirely invented race-- the hradani. Specifically, Prince Bahzell Bahnakson, an oversized, stubborn as heck, honorable "barbarian" type who embarks in traditional epic fantasy fashion on a hero's quest with funny sidekick at his side, encountering and conquering all sorts of impossible obstacles. But he's-- an especially endearing example of the genre; I grin hugely every time I pull this series out for comfort reading.
67. The War God's Own by David Weber. Paperback, 374pp. 2nd of the War God series. Reread. More of the adventures of Bahzell Bahnakson; a little more epic in scale that the previous book, but just as enjoyable. Bahzell has started to settle into his newfound hero role, but there is still plenty of adventure in store for him as he picks up a few more sidekicks and finally heads home, where more trouble is afoot in his father's domain.
68. Wind Rider's Oath by David Weber. Paperback, 570pp. 3rd of the War God series. Reread. This is where the awesomeness of Bahzell starts to become just a weensy bit overkill; might as well rechristen him SuperHradani as the plows through his enemies. But his personality continues to be endearing, and the secondary cast carries more weight, as there are two other main story threads Bahzell is not directly involved in. The one with the baron's daughter especially intrigued me, and I hope if there's ever a fourth book she has a prominent role.
69. With a Single Spell by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Paperback, 263pp. A Legend of Ethshar. Reread. I picked this one up again because #70 is a direct sequel, which is unusual for this series, which generally are set in vastly differing time periods in a shared world. It's a quick, fun read, where the lead character, Tobas, sets off into the world after losing his master and his home with only the ability to create fire (see title), and stumbles his way into a hero's quest that unexpectedly ends in love and riches. Lots of dry humor.
70. The Spriggan Mirror by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Paperback, 365pp. A Legend of Ethshar. Picks up a thread left untucked in #69 and runs with it, from a different POV. Not quite as fun as the original, but a decent yarn. Tobas has to fix some unintended consequences of his luck and his love life that were established in the prior book, with the help of a clever merchant named Gresh, who has his own unusual adventures and romance along the way.
71. March Upcountry by David Weber and John Ringo. Paperback, 586pp. 1st of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Spoiled brat Prince Roger, Heir Tertiary to the Throne of Man, gets stranded on a steaming backworld with his Marine bodyguards after his transport ship is sabotaged. It's a long hike to the nearest starport, with vicious wildlife and native barbarians blocking the way and a severe shortage of supplies, and the Marines don't respect their charge at all. Fortunately, Roger isn't actually an idiot; he just never had sufficient motivation to grow up before. That's about to change.
72. March to the Sea by David Weber and John Ringo. Paperback, 664pp. 2nd of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Roger is a spoiled brat no longer, but he's still got a lot to learn about being a leader. His Marines (and the reader) have begun to respect and like him, but there's a long way to go yet before they reach the port, and repeated battles and skirmishes are whittling down their numbers. Luckily, they've also found some native allies.
73. March to the Stars by David Weber and John Ringo. Paperback, 588pp. 3rd of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Roger's really bad year reaches an end as he, his surviving Marines, and his native followers finally reach the starport. But he's paid his way there with the blood of too many friends and allies, including the Marine Captain who'd become his father figure during the trek, and once their goal is reached, they discover there's a greater plot afoot back home. No rest for the weary.
74. We Few by David Weber and John Ringo. Hardcover, 392pp. 4th of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Roger and his surviving Marines and local allies finally make it off Marduk and head back to Earth to save his mother from a coup attempt. He's become a worthy Heir to the Empire-- but he's grown up in a hard school, and that's left its marks, too. The series as a whole is great for comfort reading; Roger kicks lots of ass (without becoming too perfect), finally proves his worth, and earns the hand of the woman he loves. Oh yeah, and saves the Empire. The secondary cast is awesome, too. Plus, room is left for more stories in the 'verse.
Next up: Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers. I've only read a few of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, but enjoyed each one; I thought it was time I expanded my collection a little.
~
You're not reading that wrong, I really did read 13 books in the last 19 days. I've kind of been burying myself in them while (a) life was crazy enough I needed the escape and (b) Dad had my HP:DH so I couldn't write fic. Eight were fantasy and five military sci-fi this time, over half of which were rereads.
62. Hour of the Octopus, by Joel Rosenberg. Paperback, 263pp. 2nd of the D'Shai series. More of the first-- "a lightly humorous mystery set in an Asian-influenced fantasy world with very strict cultural standards and etiquette"-- only with more emphasis on politics this time as the main character adjusts to his sudden elevation in rank and solves new mysteries. Good, but not as riveting as D'Shai. I'll be interested to see what happens in the rumored third novel in the series.
63. Cordelia's Honor, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Paperback, 596pp. Part of the Vorkosigan saga. I decided to finally get my toes wet in this series, and this book-- combining the first two tales (chronologically) in the series-- seemed like the perfect start. It was-- riveting, engrossing, etcetera and so on; I'm such a sucker for this combination of space opera with slightly backward noble culture and very strong, imperfect but honorable central characters. If Miles is much like his parents, I might have to pick up the rest of the series, too.
64. The Ninth Talisman by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Hardcover, 317pp. 2nd of the Annals of the Chosen. I'm still intrigued by this universe, but troubled by the developments in this book; whereas The Wizard Lord felt like a complete tale, this felt like half of one. And I really hate it when major plot developments only make sense if one or more characters-- whether hero or enemy-- are complete fucking idiots. The main hero ends this one alone against the world, and I'm not sure whether I care if he succeeds with his desperate plan or not.
65. The Mother of Lies by Dave Duncan. Hardcover, 343pp. 2nd of the Dodec duology. I read the first one-- Children of Chaos-- fifty books ago, and was impressed; this sequel didn't let me down, unlike #64. The four lost children of Celebre reach their destinies, mostly in unexpected yet satisfying ways. My only complaint was that the endgame for the queen of the bad guys was terribly cliche and seemed to exist only to support the potential for further stories in the universe, but in all other ways, I quite enjoyed this unique fantasy world.
66. Oath of Swords by David Weber. Paperback, 481pp. 1st of the War God series. Reread. This series is a little Tolkien flavored, but not extremely so, and centers on an entirely invented race-- the hradani. Specifically, Prince Bahzell Bahnakson, an oversized, stubborn as heck, honorable "barbarian" type who embarks in traditional epic fantasy fashion on a hero's quest with funny sidekick at his side, encountering and conquering all sorts of impossible obstacles. But he's-- an especially endearing example of the genre; I grin hugely every time I pull this series out for comfort reading.
67. The War God's Own by David Weber. Paperback, 374pp. 2nd of the War God series. Reread. More of the adventures of Bahzell Bahnakson; a little more epic in scale that the previous book, but just as enjoyable. Bahzell has started to settle into his newfound hero role, but there is still plenty of adventure in store for him as he picks up a few more sidekicks and finally heads home, where more trouble is afoot in his father's domain.
68. Wind Rider's Oath by David Weber. Paperback, 570pp. 3rd of the War God series. Reread. This is where the awesomeness of Bahzell starts to become just a weensy bit overkill; might as well rechristen him SuperHradani as the plows through his enemies. But his personality continues to be endearing, and the secondary cast carries more weight, as there are two other main story threads Bahzell is not directly involved in. The one with the baron's daughter especially intrigued me, and I hope if there's ever a fourth book she has a prominent role.
69. With a Single Spell by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Paperback, 263pp. A Legend of Ethshar. Reread. I picked this one up again because #70 is a direct sequel, which is unusual for this series, which generally are set in vastly differing time periods in a shared world. It's a quick, fun read, where the lead character, Tobas, sets off into the world after losing his master and his home with only the ability to create fire (see title), and stumbles his way into a hero's quest that unexpectedly ends in love and riches. Lots of dry humor.
70. The Spriggan Mirror by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Paperback, 365pp. A Legend of Ethshar. Picks up a thread left untucked in #69 and runs with it, from a different POV. Not quite as fun as the original, but a decent yarn. Tobas has to fix some unintended consequences of his luck and his love life that were established in the prior book, with the help of a clever merchant named Gresh, who has his own unusual adventures and romance along the way.
71. March Upcountry by David Weber and John Ringo. Paperback, 586pp. 1st of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Spoiled brat Prince Roger, Heir Tertiary to the Throne of Man, gets stranded on a steaming backworld with his Marine bodyguards after his transport ship is sabotaged. It's a long hike to the nearest starport, with vicious wildlife and native barbarians blocking the way and a severe shortage of supplies, and the Marines don't respect their charge at all. Fortunately, Roger isn't actually an idiot; he just never had sufficient motivation to grow up before. That's about to change.
72. March to the Sea by David Weber and John Ringo. Paperback, 664pp. 2nd of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Roger is a spoiled brat no longer, but he's still got a lot to learn about being a leader. His Marines (and the reader) have begun to respect and like him, but there's a long way to go yet before they reach the port, and repeated battles and skirmishes are whittling down their numbers. Luckily, they've also found some native allies.
73. March to the Stars by David Weber and John Ringo. Paperback, 588pp. 3rd of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Roger's really bad year reaches an end as he, his surviving Marines, and his native followers finally reach the starport. But he's paid his way there with the blood of too many friends and allies, including the Marine Captain who'd become his father figure during the trek, and once their goal is reached, they discover there's a greater plot afoot back home. No rest for the weary.
74. We Few by David Weber and John Ringo. Hardcover, 392pp. 4th of the Empire of Man series. Reread. Roger and his surviving Marines and local allies finally make it off Marduk and head back to Earth to save his mother from a coup attempt. He's become a worthy Heir to the Empire-- but he's grown up in a hard school, and that's left its marks, too. The series as a whole is great for comfort reading; Roger kicks lots of ass (without becoming too perfect), finally proves his worth, and earns the hand of the woman he loves. Oh yeah, and saves the Empire. The secondary cast is awesome, too. Plus, room is left for more stories in the 'verse.
Next up: Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers. I've only read a few of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, but enjoyed each one; I thought it was time I expanded my collection a little.
~
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-10-09 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-09 06:26 am (UTC)Honestly, my main problem with the Honor Harrington-verse, and the "Rob S. Pierre" thing? Isn't necessarily that he's building from a pre-existing plot. It's that he's working from an already half-filled-in template that I know, that I've studied, that I got A pluses in during high school and college, and it totally sours the anticipation of what-comes-next. I can geek out over space opera, or I can geek out over historical fiction, but mixing them that way is just dissonant for me.