Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Tracey and I are reading Lies of Locke Lamora in August if anyone wants to join us then.

I'll join in! This one's been on my reading list (and my bookshelf) for a while now.

Enjoy it! :) I will follow along with your discussion, but I'm not going to re-read.

I'm in! It's been on my list since I joined Goodreads xD

Chains is by far my favorite character in the book.

I will probably join if I finish elantris and memories of ice by then. Did you already start or are you going to in August?

Eric, we're not starting until August :-).

Recently read it and loved it! Will join for the next book

I am planning to jump in on this one. Been so committed to outside events (and World of Warcraft with my wife) in my spare time that it'll probably be my one commitment for August. :)

I am in for this!!

I will join for the next book as well!

So great that there is going to be a few of us reading The Lies of Locke Lamora next month.

Yea. I'm going to start reading today because I'm starting pharmacy school august first and it might slow me down a bit. I'm not sure how fast you guys read but Jenna and Scott were insanely fast on the malazan reads. How are you guys going to talk about the book? Like are people going to post their thoughts on every few chapters, Or just talk about random things?

Eric wrote: " I'm not sure how fast you guys read but Jenna and Scott were insanely fast on the malazan reads. "

Sorry about that. O_o

As far as how to discuss the book I would recommend doing every chapter/couple chapters depending on the length. Some good things to talk about would be interesting plot development or characters you liked (or didn't like) and the direction you think the book or character might go. Anything and everything really and quite similar to our Malazan discussion. Scott was quite intense with his long chapter summaries and theories during the Malazan read (it's a good thing, Scott) and I think you probably won't have as much to talk about as often.

That's just a suggestion; you guys can do it however you want.

Eric, I'm not a fast reader.

Great suggestions Jenna. I would just post your thoughts every few chapters. I'm planning to start this next week, so shouldn't be too far behind you! I've found a list of discussion questions we could use? I can just toss them in as we go along to keep discussion going or post a couple of discussion questions each week for the month of August?

Good luck with starting pharmacy school.

I'll be starting next week too! Hopefully Monday.

I will probably start in on this this evening!

Excellent Daniel. I'm starting Monday. I have been called up for jury service so will give me something to read on the bus into town.

Oh Angela! That sounds like the typical thing to avoid! Although, it is still some form of story telling (in legalese terms)!
I am starting the moment I finish with Truthwitch - which I am hoping is going to be tomorrow!

I just got this from the library! I will probably start this weekend, as I am going on vacation soon and want to finish it before that.

Ready! I am starting to read right now and I cannot contain the excitement!

All right, I know I'm early, but I finished the prologue last night and am going to kick off the discussion!

(view spoiler)[Fascinating beginning. The whole "orphans taken in by a criminal for purposes of begging and thieving" shtick has been done repeatedly, but the details of the city give it a lot of color and interest. I don't yet understand the underground political hierarchy that the Thiefmaster and Chains belong to, nor how it relates to the city's authority, but I sense some intrigue brewing, and I like it. Locke himself is pretty nondescript at this point other than tales of his schemes, but we've had almost no "Face time" with him.

The only complaint I have so far is that the dialog is crude beyond what is necessary to conjure atmosphere. It's on the verge of being a point of contention with the story so far, but there have also been one or two colorful metaphors that were legitimately entertaining. I'm probably more sensitive to this than most. (hide spoiler)]

Daniel wrote: "All right, I know I'm early, but I finished the prologue last night and am going to kick off the discussion!

Fascinating beginning. The whole "orphans taken in by a criminal for purposes of beggin..."

I loved it too!
I need to browse to find how to hide spoilers - I might say a bit more when I get to know how to do that so I do not spoil the book here!

Daniel wrote: "All right, I know I'm early, but I finished the prologue last night and am going to kick off the discussion!"

As a warning, the language does not get less crude.

Aristea wrote: "Daniel wrote: "All right, I know I'm early, but I finished the prologue last night and am going to kick off the discussion!

Fascinating beginning. The whole "orphans taken in by a criminal for pur..."

When you comment, there are two blue "links" on the top right above the box. One says "add book/author" which will link the book or author. The other says "some html is ok" and if you read through that one it will teach you all you need.

Jenna wrote: "Daniel wrote: "All right, I know I'm early, but I finished the prologue last night and am going to kick off the discussion!"

As a warning, the language does not get less crude."

I see that! XD

Provided that I apologize in advance if I make a mess with the spoiler bit - I am learning by mistakes pretty much...

I am having a bit of a hard time to get the flow on this book;

let's see if I messed up the spoiler section...

I've also finished the prologue. As Daniel mentioned, the crude language stood out to me and was almost on the verge of being distracting but not quite there.

I'm at around 8% and the back and forth flow of the book I presume between past and present is a little bit off-putting. I guess it will make sense why a little further on.

Angela wrote: "I'm at around 8% and the back and forth flow of the book I presume between past and present is a little bit off-putting. I guess it will make sense why a little further on."

I actually thought this was pretty well done. It's a nice way to advance the story while revealing some of the background very gradually. Seems tied very closely to Locke's development as a character, and slowly opening that door by comparing past behavior with current schemes feels natural here to me. It's part of why I'm really digging this so far.

I also really liked the back and forth from present to past. It's different than a lot of fantasy and the past is usually very relevant to the story in the chapter just before or just after. It does take a bit of getting used to, though.

I loved the Father Chains flashbacks.

Finished Chapter 1 last night:

Language is still a minor sore spot, but otherwise this book is really getting my attention. Lynch pays a lot of attention to details, and it has already made his setting stand out, 100 pages in.

(view spoiler)[Locke's plot to swindle the Don is complex and interesting, and the elaborate roleplaying that the Gentleman Bastards do is better detailed and more complex than anything I recall reading in this genre before. Also, I'm getting a little giddy, because a little ways into chapter 2, there are hints that we might be getting a political cyclone the likes of which I've always wanted but never quite received in a fantasy novel. (hide spoiler)]

Daniel wrote: "Finished Chapter 1 last night:

Language is still a minor sore spot, but otherwise this book is really getting my attention. Lynch pays a lot of attention to details, and it has already made his se..."

Based on what you said in your "spoiler," you are going to love this book.

Just finished the prologue. I am not really intrigued much at this point. But I really do have a problem with prologues.

I agree with everything that has been said about the language. I also thought it was a little messy in its structure. I really wish we had seen the events from Locke Lamoras perspective rather than the more offhand telling of them.

But I am beginning chapter 1 shortly and hoping the story becomes a bit more fluid and that we start to get a better sense of Locke.

Eli wrote: "Just finished the prologue. I am not really intrigued much at this point. But I really do have a problem with prologues.

I agree with everything that has been said about the language. I also thou..."

It does become more his perspective so hopefully you enjoy it. Prologues are never the strongest point of a book for me either. Unless you are Steven Erikson. Scott Lynch is not Steven Erikson (obviously).

Funny I loved the prologue in this book and the language didn't bother me at all.

Lynch is the best at world building while entertaining. Book two even more so since it was a venue change.

Erikson as Jenna says is the prologue guru.

Scott wrote: "Funny I loved the prologue in this book and the language didn't bother me at all."

The language didn't bother me either. And as for prologues, you think every prologue is great based on the buddy reads we have done together so far.

Jenna wrote: "Scott wrote: "Funny I loved the prologue in this book and the language didn't bother me at all."

The language didn't bother me either. And as for prologues, you think every prologue is great based..."

Well they've all been Erikson. :) (And GOTM and HOC the prologues were merely good.)

Plus the Thousand Names and this book. So I guess on your short sample yes but that's heavily influences by what we read. I remember have to do TWOK's several times because it was so confusing and that's an all time favorite book.

I'm about 40 pages in. So far so good. I don't mind the perspective jumping around, as long as its not ongoing.

Tracey the Lizard Queen wrote: "I'm about 40 pages in. So far so good. I don't mind the perspective jumping around, as long as its not ongoing."

As a warning, it is ongoing.

I finished chapter one and am a little more intrigued by now. I am still trying to adjust myself to the jumping around. But I found myself quite entertained by the ploy of Locke and his companions.

I am glad to read that the writing style out others in a more difficult place (I really feared it was me!). But at around 20% of the book, it clicked and it is getting better and better by the page!
I am also really enjoying the back and forth which has a pattern (alternating chapters) and I really want to know how the band was put together. Also, I fear that Father Chains' death (since in present day he is not with the Gentlemen Bastards) was not accidental although I am widely speculating here!

Aristea wrote: "I am glad to read that the writing style out others in a more difficult place (I really feared it was me!). But at around 20% of the book, it clicked and it is getting better and better by the page..."

I definitely agree that once it clicks, Lynch's style starts to flow very nicely. It depends on where you're coming from really, but I think his writing is some of the smoothest I've read in recent memory.

Scott wrote: "I loved the Father Chains flashbacks."

Only 2 chapters in as yet, but I am also enjoying those. I think the story is starting to unfold very smoothly already and I love that it is not all linear. The fact that we get thrown right into the action without knowing much of anything makes it all the more exciting. I have so many questions and speculations already!

I'm getting more and more intrigued. At 23%.

Running about the same progress here. If Lynch was still threading the needle in chapter two, he jammed it through the eye in chapter 3. I'm really digging this now. Some spoiler discussion to come as soon as I wrap up this chapter and its interlude.

Daniel wrote: "Running about the same progress here. If Lynch was still threading the needle in chapter two, he jammed it through the eye in chapter 3. I'm really digging this now. Some spoiler discussion to come..."

I'm with you! I am also just at the interlude of chapter 3 and I am so hooked right now.

I am looking forward to the spoiler discussion! I am really enjoying this book, it is very peculiar, different than the "usual" fantasy book (If there is even a usual).
I am really glad this book was chosen as a buddy read!!

Aristea, yes it is different. Maybe partly due to the fact at this stage we are talking a small scale? By that I mean it's set just in one city? Plus how often do you read a fantasy series where the lead characters (to date) are thieves?

I've got use to the past and present storytelling a lot more as the story is progressing.