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  1. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I really enjoyed Red Sister but found Grey Sister to be something of a let down that didn't match its predecessor, failing to really make use of the plotthreads and characters the first book introduced. It isn't a bad book, even if the whole "dystopia" approach is getting more than a little old in my opinion, and I would perhaps even go so far and say it is his best series yet but Grey Sister really reduced my expectations and hopes for the series. And I am really no fan of the central...
    Post by: Erandil, May 23, 2018 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  2. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Yeah when it comes to prose I would either suggest something from Guy Gavriel Kay (my personal favourite is Under Heavens but I think most of his books should easily qualify for a recommendation) or indeed Name of the Wind, which I admittedly no longer view as positively as I once did but still think as one of the better books in the genre, especially in regards to its prose. Red Sister is in my opinion the best book of Mark Lawrence and it is one of my favourite books of last year but I...
    Post by: Erandil, Apr 16, 2018 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  3. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    For those interested the fourth book of the Traitor Son saga, A plague of swprds dropped this week and I think everyone who enjoyed the previous books will also enjoy this one. Though I have to say I personally found it and the last one not as interesting as the books before. I am simply no fan of "apocalypse" plots and think it tries to show too much in too little time/space (while at the same time showing unnecessary stuff) leading to a sometimes disjointed reading experience. Plus I...
    Post by: Erandil, Oct 28, 2016 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  4. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I liked the first book and was quite disappointed by the second which soured the third for me. That said it is more than good enough for beach reading. The setting is entertaining and while the general plot doesn't exactly win any prices in innovation it is solid. I am torn about the characters, they are both the reason why I liked the books and why I stopped liking the further I got in due to me disliking certain developments and actions... I would give it a 3/5.
    Post by: Erandil, May 25, 2016 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  5. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    [SPOILER] It is an okay book/series in my opinion though I like the first one the best while the following books (especially the second) destroy a lot of their potential with a series of mistakes and never really recover.
    Post by: Erandil, Apr 4, 2016 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  6. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    In my eyes those books are one the worst series in the entire Star Wars universe. Karen Traviss is famous for her "interesting" interpretation of the Mandalorians/Clone Troopers (in short = Mandalorian => Mary Sue), her reinterpretation of the Jedi (which comes near/reaches character bashing) as well as her ignorance for the works of other authors in the EU/, even if she uses already introduced characters or co-writes series (and thus her tendency to re-interpret everything to her liking)....
    Post by: Erandil, Jan 14, 2016 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  7. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So The Dread Wyrm (The third book in the Traitor Son cycle) is finally out and I have spent the last few hours reading it.I love this series and thus had pretty high expectations when I started this and I am happy to say that Cameron has managed to fulfil most of them. The action and combat scenes are better than ever and the plot, while very different from I expected, is well thought out and full of great surprises. I found that PoV switches worked a bit better this time, probably because...
    Post by: Erandil, Oct 23, 2015 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  8. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Some things, like the characters and story, can be a bit confusing at the start and get better the further you get in the book but the writing style doesn`t really change. I personally like his attention to detail and the action/battlefield scenes are certainly some of the best I have ever read but the "tone" itself remains the same. And I really don`t get your complain about it being trite/boring- in my eyes it has a very interesting setting and a intriguing start.
    Post by: Erandil, Jul 10, 2015 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  9. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Yeah the book can be a bit overwhelming at the start but I think that you will find out that effort really pays off. I liked the PoV thing in the first book where it is used relatively sparingly and yet offers many interesting insights into the setting as well as characters. The second one however truly suffers from having to many of them (though I think that this could change once the latter books are out and the various plots/characters get connected). The third book should come out...
    Post by: Erandil, Jul 10, 2015 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  10. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Something like that... though I would prefer something a bit more modern or with a bit more humour.
    Post by: Erandil, May 17, 2015 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  11. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Hey, I am looking for some good spy/action books/novels, something ranging from the early Tom Clancy books to the new James Bond movies and wondered if DLP had some suggestions. Interesting and believable plots, intriguing characters, well written-action and dialogue as well as a semi-realistic world is what I am looking for.
    Post by: Erandil, May 17, 2015 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  12. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Misplaced Legion: AU/Fantasy A Roman legion (and a barbaric) warlord gets transported to a fantasy world and decides to hire on as mercenaries. Wounds of Honour (Empire) Historical fiction Marcus Valerius Aquila has scarcely landed in Britannia when he has to run for his life - condemned to dishonorable death by power-crazed Emperor Commodus. The plan is to take a new name, serve in an obscure regiment on Hadrian's Wall and lie low until he can hope for justice. Then a rebel army...
    Post by: Erandil, Feb 4, 2015 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  13. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I read a few of them last year but didn´t really like them but I don´t think that the books are a (bad) copy of LotR, at least not more than any other simplistic and idealistic fantastic story in the last fifty years. (And like Pasta says, it is not like Tolkien was the first to use those ideas. Hell most of the traditional fantasy tropes can be traced back to the Gilgamesh epos.) Ok my next suggestion is really a guilty pleasure. Blades of winter It is an alternate history where the US...
    Post by: Erandil, Oct 8, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  14. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So I finally found some time to try it out and I have to say I am bit disappointed. You are right that the setting is interesting and the fight scenes are entertaining but so much of the underlying logic is pure bullshit. For example the idea that murder will disappear simply because the police can catch every perp is a silly pipe dream. Most major crimes (like killing your cheating husband etc) are not pre-planned but spur of the moment things where people don´t really think about the...
    Post by: Erandil, Sep 1, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  15. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    It doesn´t really get that much better. Like you say the writing is decent, the characters(Soren especially) simply lack emotion. Like I said it is something you can read if you have nothing better to do. The Barrow Dark fantasy with an interesting world (even if that leads to a bit much info-dumping), an interesting cast of characters(with the high-points being a pimp and Erim) and the typical plot (find a powerful artifact and get rich). What makes this story special is that it...
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 26, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  16. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    The Tattered Banner (Society of the Sword #1) We follow Soren, a young beggar/thief, who loves nothing more than watching the duels in the arena (fencing tournaments). One day he robs the wrong(right) person who, after fighting with him, decides that has has enough raw talent to sponsor him to the local dueling school. It is mostly the typical fantasy stuff with some variants (the career choice of his lover for example) and some interesting world building. It lacks the...
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 18, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  17. Erandil
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    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Hm... The characterization is average for female leads in UF. We have a typical hero character with self-doubts at the start that somehow feels responsible for everything and everyone. There is also the much liked Commoner(changeling) vs. Noble(Fae) theme present and the romance really sucks (at least for the first 6 books). I personally believe that it gets better later on but maybe that is because I have grown used to it.
    Post by: Erandil, Jul 15, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  18. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So I spent the last few days reading this series and I am surprised at how much I liked it. Like you say it has many similarities with Dresden Files but never really reaches the same depth with its characters and plot. Still it is an entertaining series that seems to get better and more interesting with each book.
    Post by: Erandil, Jul 14, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  19. Erandil
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    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    @Relic If she likes the darker parts of Hunger Games you could always try Battle Royale. @Tower Lord I liked the book even if the first one was much better. The second one has too many bad clichés like evil empire, an evil god, destined hero etc. Ravens shadow let me hope that the author would try something new, Tower Lord showed my that he would just repeat the mistakes of previous authors.
    Post by: Erandil, Jul 11, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  20. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Death Angels Set in a dark fantasy world this book does quite a nice job of combining gunpowder/technology and strange magics. The Imager series It also does an okay job of combining industrialisation and magic. But be warned the pacing can be a bit slow and the latter books didn´t hold my interest as much as the first trilogy. If that doesn´t sate your hunger you could look at some of the series/books set in the Warhammer setting. (Worth mentioning is the interactive novel Sabres of...
    Post by: Erandil, May 24, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  21. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Isn´t that the book where in the last 10-50 pages everything gets "fixed"?
    Post by: Erandil, May 11, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  22. Erandil
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    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12395241-sworn-in-steel?from_search=true The second book in the Tales of Kin series is available now... so go and read it. Great adult adventure story based in a medieval fantasy world. Edit: Both 1632 and Island in the Sea of time suffer from a very pro American perspective. That ideology destroyed at least the 1632 series for me (never got more than 100 pages into it).
    Post by: Erandil, May 6, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  23. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Fatherland Probably the only book with the whole Germany won WW2 I feel comfortable enough to recommend. We follow a police detective who stumbles over a murder with the potential to shake the world. A bit short to explain the interesting alternate setting a bit long for a mystery book. Tomorrow, When the War Began (Tomorrow, #1) A more YA themed book. North Korea (or some other Asian Nation) attacks Australia and beats them handily. We follow a group of teenagers who start...
    Post by: Erandil, Apr 14, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  24. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I read both the Sharpe series, which was interesting but got a bit boring towards the end of the series (and I have a problem with rooting for Napoleon which means for my always the wrong side won ;-), and The Saxon Chronicles which was quite good and very entertaining. The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco, #1) This is here is the only Rome book that I feel halfway save to recommend. This series chronicles the adventures of a private eye in Rome and how he dreams of reaching a higher...
    Post by: Erandil, Apr 13, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  25. Erandil
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    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Have a new Fantasy book I wanted to share. Red Knight Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder. It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it....
    Post by: Erandil, Apr 5, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  26. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    After reading quite a few mediocre fantasy books (like Oberon´s Dreams) I have finally something worth sharing. A Crucible of Souls While it doesn´t invent the book new it is solid fantasy with only a few weaknesses. We follow a young, smart man who quickly learns that reading about the world and living in it are very different things. He and the world are bit too simplistic and idealistic in their portrayal but still within acceptable limits. It was an entertaining read and I have some...
    Post by: Erandil, Mar 17, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  27. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Tales of Kin should fulfill all your needs. Maybe something of William King, like the Terrach series. (For a soldiers view of the Napoleon-British war you can always try the Sharpe series)
    Post by: Erandil, Mar 5, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  28. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    That series starts strong but gets worse with each following book. The MC character has some very strange ideas of duty/honor that make absolutely no sense and often only seem to exist to make his life harder. And I feel that Napoleon is a much nicer guy with a much nicer regime than anything the British have to offer, especially in that series.
    Post by: Erandil, Mar 2, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  29. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Malazan is definitely not a happy book and I never really managed to get into it, it was simply to complicated for me. For recommendations simply go through this thread, many great books are mentioned. Fantasy: The Riyria Revelation : A solid fantasy series (that is finished). Good action and an interesting plot with believable characters. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay or any of his other work if you aren´t interested in Asian themed fantasy. He is a master of historical AU´s and I...
    Post by: Erandil, Jan 22, 2014 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  30. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So the summer comes to end and I have another book for the last warm days of the year. I Know Not: The Legacy of Fox Crow Protagonist wakes up in the aftermath of a massacre in a small castle and has lost his memories. He finds out that he is a capable swordsman and after some time ends up as the bodyguard of a travelling noblewoman. It is First Person and I really liked the tone, dark and sarcastic, of it. While the storyline is a bit linear and real surprises are on short supply it...
    Post by: Erandil, Sep 13, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  31. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Most historical fiction is (late) middle ages, Victorian or Roman and even there nearly no book is alternate history. I spend quite some time the last weeks searching for such alternates and I am pretty sure I haven´t seen anything like you describe.
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 18, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  32. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Thx Falco was more or less what I was looking for... maybe a bit less of following the actual history but you can´t have everything. I would also like to use this post to recommend another book. The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling In the mid-1870s, civilization froze in time when comets hit the earth. Instead of advancing technologically, humanity had to piece itself back together. In the 21st century, boats still run on steam, messages are delivered by telegraph, and the British...
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 17, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  33. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Not sure if this here is the correct place for it but didn´t want to make a new thread. I am looking for fictional stories in a Roman setting. Roman History AU. So0mething based on reality but willing to expand on it instead of being a simple being another biography. Any recs?
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 17, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  34. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So with summer coming I thought some of you are probably searching for some entertainment. Among Thieves: Tales of the Kin Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors-a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain. One of the better books I...
    Post by: Erandil, Jul 8, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  35. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So I found some time to start reading the Wheel of time series and to be honest I found it somewhat lacking. The charcters are lacking depth and childish (Nymeria for example) and most of the problems could be easily avoided if people talked with each other. The Shadow is your typical evil god and the trait most of his followers share is idiocy. Only Rand and Mat manage to be somewhat interesting. I managed to get through book 5 but now I wanted to ask you if it gets any better or if it...
    Post by: Erandil, May 13, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  36. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    The problem with Alex Verus is how pointless evil most of the mages are. For people with that much power they are strangely limited in their goals and wishes. Why do the mages gather power? For what? Immoral mages work a lot better if they have some sort of goal they work to..Be it absolute understanding of the world (Fate/stay night) or protection of humanity from the supernatural (Dresden). Alex Verus has none of that.. mages are the top dogs and there existence is mostly pointless.
    Post by: Erandil, Mar 26, 2013 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  37. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    So I am searching for military/epic fantasy or steampunk that was written after 2000. A believable plot and intriguing characters would be great.
    Post by: Erandil, Dec 23, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  38. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    That was the reason for reading the book... But if the film follows the book closely even she isn´t enough of a reason to watch the movie.
    Post by: Erandil, Nov 26, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  39. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    The Galaxy Unknown series by Thomas DePrima is enjoyable SciFi. It is a lot like Honor Harrington only more modern in both writing and the technological descriptions. It has lots of action but nowhere on the level of "The Lost Fleet". It has quite a few outrageous and funny ideas and is one of he better modern military SciFi series that I managed to find. Somebody here who read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and is willing to explain what makes it so great? I finally got around...
    Post by: Erandil, Nov 26, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  40. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I have only read the first few chapters but I have to ask why you thought this book so great? In my opinion it is absolute bullshit.. For example the protagonist.. experienced soldier with combat experience who seems to dislike sorcerers but does everything in his power to protect a raging witch who killed one of his teammates and if that was not enough he picks a fight with the sorcerer who not only outranks him but also saved his goddamn live. And as soon as he shows his powers he seems...
    Post by: Erandil, Oct 2, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  41. Erandil
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    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    While John Ringo was not exactly what I wanted his books are Ok. Not great but ok if you can stand his pro-america, pro-war , pro-man philosophy. But Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell is a lot more like what I searched for. Nice military Sci-Fi with fleet to fleet action and a halfway plausible world building. The idea behind the protagonist is also interesting.
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 9, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  42. Erandil
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    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I never really liked "Best Served Cold" but otherwise his books are worth reading. Anybody here with some good, (military) SciFi?. Something in the lines of Honor Harrington(the first 7 or so books), Gaunts Ghosts, Ravenor, Old Mans War, Armor, Culture or Starship Troopers. It doesn´t have to be of the best quality if there is enough quantity. And while some believable characters and plot are important I am quite willing to ignore some unrealistic world building.
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 3, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  43. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    You could try The prince of Nothing series by Bakker, R.Scott it is a nice mix of what you search for. You could also try Death Angels by William King or The Rivria Revelations by Michal J. Scullian if you want to read some books that are not from famous authors. Kushiels Dart is also quite interesting. And the work of Guy Gaveriel Kay like Under Heaven or Tigana should also fit your criteria..
    Post by: Erandil, Jun 23, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  44. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I said it earlier... I don´t like Malazan because it is so complex and confusing.. I read the first 2 books and still had nearly no idea what was going on. It is an interesting read I just don´t have the endurance or will to make it through it. I have a something for those of you who have a simpler taste in Fantasy. The Terrach Chronicles This is old fashioned sword and Sorcery fantasy set in an interesting world. The plot and the characters are nothing extraordinary but they still...
    Post by: Erandil, May 28, 2012 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  45. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    @ MistbornI found the first one great but Elend destroyed the later books for me. His idealism was unbearable for me, especially when it affected Vin. It was still a nice read but nothing worth the hype. I thought that there is enough Fantasy/SciFi in here so I thought I would try something new. Battle Royal by Koushun Takami is a Action/Dystopian book and reads like the hardcore variant of "The Hunger Games": The plot: A class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted...
    Post by: Erandil, Sep 15, 2011 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  46. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    If you liked the first one you will like the chances are high that you will like the second as well. Jadir plays an more important role than in the first book but nothing to extreme and it is interesting to see both sides of the war. Bartimaeus is funny and has wonderful characters. I love The Black Company and for me it is the best dark Fantasy series that I have read. But not everybody likes the style of it. If you like military Fantasy you should try the first book and find out if...
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 20, 2011 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  47. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    I like Dune and for me it is still the best Science Fiction series that I have ever read.And with series I mean the first 6 books, which were witten by Frank Herbert and not by his incompetent son. I have read the first 7 of the list and maybe a third of the rest. I know a other third. And how can you people hate LotR, I mean it is the bible of Fantasy.
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 19, 2011 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
  48. Erandil
    Post

    Official Recommendation Thread: Books

    Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay It takes place in an alternate version of China in the 8th century with some fantasy elements. The writing and the world building are great. I especially like that there is good or evil in the book just human actions and their consequences.
    Post by: Erandil, Aug 17, 2011 in forum: Books and Anime Discussion
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