The Sword and Laser discussion

8 books moved on to round 2! Voting for round 2 is now underway until 9 PM Pacific, Saturday March 12.

A few stats from the first round

A Darker Shade of Magic had the biggest win 60.6% to 39.4%

The Grace of Kings had the tightest victory winning by 4 votes.

Most votes: 206 votes cast in the Fifth Season v. Neverwhere match.

Least votes: 182 votes cast in the Mirror Empire v. Dreamer’s Pool match.


MATCH 1 ROUND 2 - MARCH MADNESS
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

MATCH 2 ROUND 2 - MARCH MADNESS
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

MATCH 3 ROUND 2 - MARCH MADNESS
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

MATCH 4 ROUND 2 - MARCH MADNESS
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Oh and the brackets are updated too!

http://swordandlaser.com/march-madness

Three easy decisions and one incredibly tough one.

I predict Fifth Season vs Theft of Swords vs Mirror Empire vs A Darker Shade of Magic :)

My prediction for the final round was already proven 100% wrong so I'm retiring from the Cassandra business.

Phil wrote: "I'm retiring from the Cassandra business."

I don't believe you ;-)

I predict you will be 100% correct this round but not be able to prove it

Tassie Dave wrote: "Phil wrote: "I'm retiring from the Cassandra business."

I don't believe you ;-)"

I see what you did there. :)

Same dilemma as round 1, a book I loved vs. one I own and haven't read.

Two books I read and didn't like go head to head. I'm not sure which to vote for there.

The other two were easy votes for me, but both of those may lose.

Looking forward to seeing the results.

"Two books I read and didn't like go head to head. I'm not sure which to vote for there.."

I'd recommend voting for the one you think will provide the best discussion in this case. I personally think discussions are best when not everyone likes the book, but many have clear reasons for why they do or don't.

Well, its a new book for me. All my already marked To Reads lost but one...This is just like March Madness!

None of my selections from Round 1 made it through! (Although I didn't vote in every match-up.) 16 books was too many to have an opinion on anyway - I think it'll get more interesting as we whittle it down.

Yay, two favorites made it through, so I'm good.

Yay The Fifth Season!

Tom wrote: "The Grace of Kings had the tightest victory winning by 4 votes."

Heh, that's the one match-up where I changed my vote. If not for my change of heart, the vote differential could've been 2. Anyone else change their vote at some point in the Grace of Kings/Aeronaut's Windlass match?

Ooooh, my fav is still in the running! :D

Already about halfway to the vote total from round 1!

Darn, my two favourites in the competition face up against each other in Match 4...tough but oh so fun :-)

This is sooo much fun! Although a couple of my favourite picks are already out of the running.

Erik wrote: "Heh, that's the one match-up where I changed my vote. If not for my change of heart, the vote differential could've been 2. Anyone else change their vote at some point in the Grace of Kings/Aeronaut's Windlass match? "

The original vote was a bit of a toss-up for me. I actually enjoyed Aeronaut's Windlass more than Grace of Kings, but I am a bigger fan of Ken Liu than I am of Butcher, so I voted for the author, not the book. I expect the upcoming sequel to GoK will be much better.

If Kushiel's Dart wins, Veronica will be on easy street, since Vaginal Fantasy already read it.

Only two of my made it through.

BOO!

Fix!

I demand a recount!!!

Its time we divided ourselves into Book Parties. So that our personal Book views can be better represented. Apart we can achieve nothing, united we can make a difference.

Or we can just go straight to corruption. Tom, Veronica, how much does a pick cost? This is not a bribe merely a quotation request for future services.

Tamahome wrote: "If Kushiel's Dart wins, Veronica will be on easy street, since Vaginal Fantasy already read it."

That's exactly why I didn't vote for Kushiel's Dart, because I already read it for VF. I'd like to try more new to me books.

Tamahome wrote: "If Kushiel's Dart wins, Veronica will be on easy street, since Vaginal Fantasy already read it."

If it wins, it will be my third read through! However, it was not my pick for this round for just that reason :)

Much easier decisions for this round. I do hope we come back around to Juliet Marillier - I did only just read the book but if it comes up again after a bit more time I'd love a reread. Her fiction is sublime.

Crap, they're onto us!

Veronica wrote: "Crap, they're onto us!

"

Gee, it's almost like you tweeted about it and they noticed. Dastardly!

And the winner automatically gets a Hugo.

Tamahome wrote: "And the winner automatically gets a Hugo."Well, it's spelled Huge-O but yes.

Rob wrote: "Veronica wrote: "Crap, they're onto us!

"

Gee, it's almost like you tweeted about it and they noticed. Dastardly!"

I guess I'm just surprised anyone looks at our Twitter.

Hey I look. But like once a day, because I'm a very unusual twitter user. But you probably mean authors and such..

Ooh they're onto us. We better be nice ;-)

I think my prediction of a "The Fifth Season" V "Mirror Empire" final might have become a sure thing.

Either winner with that choice is going to be great!

The problem with winning is that George R.R. will probably kill you by the end of the season

Veronica wrote: "Crap, they're onto us!"

March Madness keeps getting better and better! This should be made into an yearly event.

Warren wrote: "The problem with winning is that George R.R. will probably kill you by the end of the season"

Do you think George plays this with his characters?

Warren wrote: "The problem with winning is that George R.R. will probably kill you by the end of the season"

Like he did with George Martin this week.

Tamahome wrote: "Warren wrote: "The problem with winning is that George R.R. will probably kill you by the end of the season"

Do you think George plays this with his characters?"
By the middle of the season they're all saying;
"I feel fine"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdf5E...

Tamahone wrote: "Do you think George plays this with his characters?"

Kevin wrote: "Warren wrote: "The problem with winning is that George R.R. will probably kill you by the end of the season"

Like he did with George Martin this week."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016...

He's not dead but if the record labels want to send him a % of the White album that would be OK.

I'm surprised "Mirror Empire" never made it through. I thought Kameron's Twitter followers might have voted for her book. Apparently not. "The Fifth Season" would have to be the favourite now.

Round 2 Match 1
158 votes 67.8% The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
75 votes 32.2% Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence

Round 2 Match 2
129 votes 57.6% Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
95 votes 42.4% Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Round 2 Match 3
116 votes 53.5% The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
101 votes 46.5% The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley

Round 2 Match 4
139 votes 62.9% A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
82 votes 37.1% The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

Grace of Kings vs Mirror Empire was a really tough one. I went with the book that I haven't read yet but want to over the one I already read and loved. Mainly because I felt like Mirror Empire would not lead to a good group discussion, it is such a polarizing book that discussion would end up with two groups talking past each other, like with Sword of Shannara.

My choices went 2-2 this round.

I was away for a few days and am gutted I missed the chance to vote. Well done to everyone who turned out to vote. :-)

It was sad to see Prince of Fools get trounced but The Fifth Season is a great book, so I am OK with that. I just wish more people would read Lawrence. Though I expect many people say the same think of Jemisin.

I was surprised GoK beat Mirror Empire too. I ended up lemming Mirror Empire - agree with your comments about polarizing discussion. GoK discussion will only be split between people who thought it was great and people that thought it was just OK :D

I liked The Warded Man a lot as a first book, but had to lem the series - I started getting annoyed at it in book 2 and just wasn't enjoying it. A Darker Shade of Magic is the only book left I have not read.

I predict that A Darker Shade of Magic will win over Grace of King by 2/3 to 1/3 of the vote.

I just want to say this is super fun. Thanks for organizing and great idea!

Yea, this is fun. Whichever book wins, I'm already already pretty invested in reading it :)

Me too for all of it - have been enjoying the voting and the speculating and discussion immensely!