Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for An Echo Of Things To Come by James Islington starting October 10, 2017.

If I can get through the book club October book City of Stairs in time, I will try and join in for this one.

Sweet. :)

Sorry not going to be able to get to this one on that date for various reasons.🙁

No worries. Goodness knows I've had that issue before. :)

Read this right after the September FBR Book Club read of The Shadow of What Was Lost, so I'll follow along and might comment.

I've just devoured this in literally two days without really stopping. Can't wait to discuss a bit because I'm somewhat lost towards the end. Unsure wether it's just me or if the remaining answers are in the third book!

I really want to read this with the group but not sure I can manage it!! And I got it as a pre-order and still not read it!!

This is my first time doing a buddy but I would really like to join. I just happen to be around halfway through this book right now. Started right after the first book.

Hi Adam! You're more than welcome to join. :) are you familiar with how to mark spoilers?

I'm really excited for this one. The first was one of my favs of the year.

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Hi Adam! You're more than welcome to join. :) are you familiar with how to mark spoilers?"

I don't but I just clicked the (some html is ok) link and figured it out :). Thanks for the heads up!

Sweet! :)

Hmmmm ....

Starting tonight :)

I just finished this book but would be glad to offer insight and my overly opinionated opinions.

Just testing this spoiler thing. It's not really a spoiler. But maybe you shouldn't click it just in case? :)

(view spoiler)[ Everybody lives happily ever after with Puppies, Rainbows, and Unicorns (hide spoiler)]

Justin wrote: "I just finished this book but would be glad to offer insight and my overly opinionated opinions.

Just testing this spoiler thing. It's not really a spoiler. But maybe you shouldn't click it just ..."

Is it an end of book spoiler?

Also, I'll be starting today. ^_^

It's really not a spoiler at all or has any reference to the book. Unless there are lots of Rainbows, Puppies, and Unicorns in the book that I missed somehow. I was testing the spoiler function is all.

Yay on starting to read it!

Lol

I am going to start probably tomorrow morning (unless I can squeeze in a chapter today!).
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO hyped!

This is a BR for 2018? Just checking.

I've read the first book and it was one of my favorits this year. The second one is not in the library yet.

It's for today, actually, but there were a few people who wanted to wait until the new year to read it. Nothing has been set up for that officially though.

Aw, I saw in the opening post '2018', so I was hoping that the library would have it then. I'll pass on this one. Maybe I'll peek at the spoilers, until I can read the book.

Ack!! No, that's just me screwing up again.

I'm about 3/4s of the way through because I had an early start. I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts!

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Ack!! No, that's just me screwing up again."

You're forgiven ;)

Through ch 1. (view spoiler)[ should I remember any of the people Davian is with? I swear my memory is better than this, but I seem to have forgotten everything about how Davian's tale ended in the last book lol (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 4. I can't decide if the book feels like a Sanderson novel because of the writing and story or if it's just because it's a Kramer narration lol. Anyone else feeling Way of Kings or Mistborn vibes?

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Through ch 1. [spoilers removed]"

Agreed, I have that feeling throughout the series

(view spoiler)[ Particularly with the administrators, people from Caeden's past, etc. At one point, I had a webpage open just so I could reference who characters were! (hide spoiler)]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Through Chapter 4. I can't decide if the book feels like a Sanderson novel because of the writing and story or if it's just because it's a Kramer narration lol. Anyone else feeling Way of Kings or ..."

Absolutely. Robert Jordan as well. I think Iselington's strengths are similar to Sanderson in that he creates an unbelievable amount of detail and history of his world. His weakness is in character-building, relationships, etc.

Adam wrote: "Niki Hawkes wrote: "Through Chapter 4. I can't decide if the book feels like a Sanderson novel because of the writing and story or if it's just because it's a Kramer narration lol. Anyone else feel..."

A refrence would have been helpful haha. I think I'm keeping them all straight now, but we'll see. Jordan is a good comparison! I'm reading one of his simultaneously and am worried I'm going to confuse the two.

I'm through Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ I'm finding the flashbacks interesting, but they're occasionally getting in the way of forward plot progression. This is something I usually don't care for, but the author is making it work. I especially like every little discovery about what made Caeden tick before his memories were removed. Such a fascinating character. (hide spoiler)]

About halfway through. I'm liking it as much as the first one, which is awesome. However I occasionally am getting confused whether we're on past or present tense. Also, there are too many names that start with A and T lol.

I don’t do well with past and present switches either

There were just way too many flashbacks in this one and it usually killed the momentum of a scene to boot.

Scott wrote: "There were just way too many flashbacks in this one and it usually killed the momentum of a scene to boot."

I thought they were well-handled and usually integrated with what was happening in the present, but I get the point. They were VERY frequent.

Just finished it. Had it’s slow points but otherwise it was Ta’veren-tastic.

I finished last night. I think I liked it as much as the first one, despite the pacing issues. It helped that I found each flashback really interesting. (view spoiler)[And that ending!! Had I been about to knock a star off for pacing, the last chapter and the epilogue would've bumped it back up. Now I'm worried that by the time the third one comes out I won't remember anything. (hide spoiler)]

Regarding the whole series, does anyone else feel like the characters lack personality to some extent?

Like there's not a huge difference between our 4 main characters in how they react to situations, etc?

I agree, the characters need to be more complex. That would really send this series to the next level

That's a good observation. It's not something I noticed while reading, but in hindsight I agree - all of their decisions could've been interchanged and it wouldn't have felt out of character. Maybe that's the twist in the last book: surprise!! everyone is the same person lol.

The character development was one of my big criticisms for book two. I expected a lot more growth in that area and they remained flat.

I won't read the spoilers, I won't read the spoilers....Still need to finish the first one.

Well, that book was awesome!