I was really interested in the idea of this series, but the reviews from of the first 3 books on Goodreads has completely put me off.

One
Two
Three

Is the main character really as frustrating as these seem to indicate? It's a huge factor of books for me.

Edit: Also, what are the verdicts on Joe Abercrombie's new book? I got the audio book, but it seems extremely short. Like shorter than the first book of the Dresden Files.

 

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.

 

I find it hard to give any book with a character (even deceased) whose name is Countess Evening Winterrose a chance.

 

Abercrombie's book was actually quite good- plot flows well, a character that speaks to you, world building is relatively decent. You can feel the characterization coming along really well.

This is a coming-of-age YA book though- you can't mistake it for anything else after reading it. And the length was honestly really short, compared to other recent fantasy releases. However, for its length, there's quality right there.

It can be read as a standalone one-shot really.

 

Is the whole thing "revenge and violence are bad, m'kay" like almost everything else he's written? I mean, I liked the First Law trilogy and Red Country quite a bit, but it gets somewhat old.

 

I have just been reading the YA books by Sanderson (Steelheart, the Rhithmatist). Could you guys recommend any similar books to these?

 

I don't think that was the message he was trying to portray at all. Nearly all Abercrombie's characters are deeply flawed human beings and most of them acknowledge this. At no point do those books say that they are good or even okay people. Most of them admit that they have committed heinous acts.

In fact Red Country was almost only this exact theme, but with a western twist.

 

Don't know if you're still looking for recs, but two other series I've read has a female protagonist in a distopian world:

Razorland Series: the books are Enclave, Outpost, and Horde. From Goodreads:

Spoiler

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters - or Freaks - who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight - guided by Fade's long-ago memories - in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world- - facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

Legend: The books are Legend, Prodigy, and Champion. From Goodreads:

Spoiler

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

I haven't really done either series justice here, but mainly because I don't want to drop any spoilers. They're both good enough to achieve immersion and waste a few hours reading.

 

Oh, I love his characters, don't get me wrong, but it's pretty much the same theme throughout all the books. I just felt that Red Country did it better than the other two standalones. The view message is still the same; violence begets violence, revenge solves nothing, there's always someone trying to profit off of the misfortune of others.

 

Just finished reading this

AlterWorld (Play to Live)
A new pandemic - the perma effect - has taken over Earth of the near future. Whenever you play your favorite online game, beware: your mind might merge with the virtual world and dump its comatose host. Woe be to those stuck forever in Tetris! And still they're the lucky ones compared to those burning alive eternally within the scorched hulls of tank simulators.
But some unfortunates - the handicapped and the terminally ill, shell-shocked army vets, wronged crime victims and other society misfits - choose to flee real life willingly, escaping to the limitless world of online sword and sorcery MMORPGs.
Once a seasoned gamer and now a terminal cancer patient, Max grasps at this final chance to preserve his life and identity. So he goes for it - goes for the promise of immortality shared with a few trusty friends and the woman he loves. Together they roam the roads of AlterWorld and sample its agony and ecstasy born of absolute freedom.

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It's a translated work by a russian author apply named D.Rus, The book is quite the page turner so be warned, ALSO there are currently 5 books written, however currently only 2 have been translated.

 

Is it like Ready Player One? It sounds interesting, regardless. Will check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

Never read that beyond the summary so I couldn't say.
It's similar to Legendary Moonlight Sculptor & Ark if you have heard of them.

 

I've been reading Daniel Abraham's Dagger and Coin series. I like it a lot. Much more so than Abercrombie's Blade Itself trilogy which I just finished up two weeks ago.

Check it out if you haven't already.

 

Regarding Daniel Abraham's Dagger and Coin, The Widow's House ie the fourth book should be released right around now.

There's a similarly good fantasy release from Brent Weeks coming up later this month: The Broken Eye. Its the third volume in his second fantasy series that runs on the premise of using light and colours as magic. Do try it out, its leagues above his previous ninjatrash series.

 

Half a King is extremely good, and actually, a lot less GRIMDARK than the First Law series.

It's a lot more optimistic about human nature, and shows people being capable of love, altruism and camaraderie, in strong contrast with the First Law's portrayal of humans as being unredeemably selfish. I thought that in this regard Half a King's portrayal of human nature was a lot more realistic and more multifaceted. The essential idea of evil coming about due to people trying to do what they think is best, is still shown, but with greater subtlety than in the First Law.

As a single novel, I think Half a King is better than The Blade Itself, with themes more maturely handled, and with the plot not just impeccably paced, but also self-sufficient, in contrast to The Blade Itself being more obviously a set-up for the rest of the First Law.

 

Finished it in a day.

Great read, even though Clara is a bit of a bore.

Moar Cithrin and Geder plox.

 

I just read the two translated books in this series- I quite liked them. Awesomely enough they're both available on Kindle Unlimited, so I got a bit of use out my free trial thereof.

Course who knows how long it'll take for the rest of the series to be translated D:

 

Anyone else read The Magicians and sequels? I'm working through the third book now, and honestly think I'm just doing it because I don't have anything else to read. The first book is just Ennui: the Novel. the second is kind of boring, and I don't have high hopes for the third. Going to work up a longer review once I finish it, but I generally feel that you shouldn't try and deconstruct something when you don't actually get it, as this guy did with Harry Potter and "magic school!" books.

 

I got about half way through book 1 before putting it down in disgust.

Currently im about half way through Book 1 of the Malazan Empire, and it's certainly a unique style of telling a story. I'm in it for the long haul though, as people tell me books 2-10 are where shit really starts getting good.

 

Currently on book 9, can confirm, it really does get good. Book's 2 and 3 are especially awesome.