Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Iain wrote: "Who all has read October Daye? My #2 fave UF series... has even more short stories than this series... "

Nope, haven't read it. I'm still a baby reader when it comes to UF/PNR. But it bumped up my TBR. :)

Iain wrote: "Works for me... I had a feeling this would end up taking 3 month... it IS 12 books... maybe you'll get sucked in and binge, tho... things really pick up in books 2-3 tho... this book is positively ..."

Yeah, we'll see :) I might end up throwing the schedule out of the window and binge, but I wanted to announce a 'worst-case' pace from the beginning ;)

I think I was harsh on one of my past re-reads... gonna bump my rating of Magic Bites up from 3 to 4 stars... even if I have my problems with it there are still great parts... every other book in the series got 5 stars I think...

Around 60% now...

First appearance of Jim: re-readers mainly (view spoiler)[ Pot/kettle anyone?... I think he does just as bad in the 2nd book when a Pack emergency occurs... nevermind his actions late in the series... (hide spoiler)]

Derek/Rowena: (view spoiler)[avoiding eye contact... great tactic :D (hide spoiler)]

This is my 4th read, I think, and for once I think I remembered the baddie... (view spoiler)[I usually end up thinking it's Crest, even tho I KNOW better, since I complain about the plothole... but it's Bono, right?... I know it's an Upir... (hide spoiler)]

Greg's ex-wife: (view spoiler)[I don't think I ever noticed she disappears from the series until I saw a Q&A question about it last year... (hide spoiler)]

Finished Chapter 4 (43%). It's great so far, but a little confusing. There are plenty of names, persons and organizations, and listening to it instead of reading is not helping ^_^

I really like Kate. "Here, kitty, kitty..." 😂 😂 😂

Bad guy (view spoiler)[ I'll venture a wild guess and say it's that doctor, Crest. Kate had a good time with him at lunch, he's handsome and hold good conversation. When it looks too good to be true, it's because the guy's a psychopath! (at least in UF/PNR :p) (hide spoiler)]

Organisations:

The People: (view spoiler)[Headed by Roland. Necromancers who pilot Vampires.

Nataraja runs the casino in Atlanta.
Ghastek was in Kate's house in Chapter 1.
Rowena is the public relations manager.

3 main ranks: Masters of the Dead. Journeymen. Apprentices. (hide spoiler)]

The Pack: (view spoiler)[Largest shapeshifter pack in the country. Led by Curran, the Beast Lord. Broken into Clans by type. Clans led by Alphas, Betas are 2nd in command, then the rest of the clan. There's a Clan Council of Alphas under the Beast Lord. Live in a castle/Keep outside the city proper. (hide spoiler)]

Law Enforcement:

Mercenary Guild: It's all in the name... muscle for hire.

Knights of Merciful Aid: Crusaders. Charge what you can afford, you have to live with the consequences.

MSDU: Military police.

I've probably forgotten some details here towards the end. This first book does throw a lot at you, but then most of the framework will be in place for later books, where we'll learn more about each.

Miche wrote: "And I finished Magic Bites!

Page-turner! I read it in one sitting. More! More! More! :D

I am starting to think I am converted to Urban Fantasy."

Yay! That makes me so happy. paranormal was my original go to genre before I discovered fantasy. I still really love it.

I'm trying to go slow to savor it. I'm about 60% through. Will probably finish it today. I forgot how short this book is.

Barely more than 250 pages... most of the rest are 300+, some approaching 400+

Iain wrote: "I think I was harsh on one of my past re-reads... gonna bump my rating of Magic Bites up from 3 to 4 stars... even if I have my problems with it there are still great parts... every other book in t..."

My first read through I thought (view spoiler)[ It was Crest, too.

Greg's ex wife: I forgot she existed until this reread. I forgot he was married. (hide spoiler)]

Oooh, thanks Iain!

If you ever need a detailed list, Kaleigha makes character guides for her favorite series over on her UF blog:

https://wickedscribes.wordpress.com/k...

More details than you could ever want... it's packed with spoilers, tho, since it's basically an encyclopedia of information from every book...

End of book spoiler.

The villain: (view spoiler)[ my first guess was Crest and the second guess was Saiman. IA got me at this one! (hide spoiler)]

I am starting A Questionable Client now. :)

I'll copy some headers to avoid spoilers:

Shapeshifters: (view spoiler)[Consisting of 32 species divided into 7 Clans, those afflicted with the Lyc-V (Lycos) virus have the ability to change into an animal form, with incredible strength, speed, and heightened senses. But the price they pay is steep. No shapeshifter can afford to lose control, not even for an instant. They are at constant war with themselves, their animal instincts demanding they slaughter without discrimination, and their minds in constant battle against the bloodlust. Those who find control live within a highly disciplined and structured pack, but those who do not inevitably go loup and become the most vicious form of killers, stopped only with their own death. Their passion and power make them the natural rivals of The People. (hide spoiler)]

The People: (view spoiler)[Proficient in both magic and technology, The People are in fact Necromancers who pilot and control Vampires. Both powerful and dangerous, The People are wealth-oriented and prize power above all else. Unemotional and cold, they are the rivals of the Shapeshifters. Part cult, part corporation, they have chapters in most major cities, similar to The Order. (hide spoiler)]

Mercenary Guild: (view spoiler)[Blue-collar and working class, the members of the Mercenary Guild live life on the front lines. Rough and tumble, the Mercs take the jobs that others cannot – or will not- handle. (hide spoiler)]

Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid: (view spoiler)[Powerful and respected, the Knights of the Order serve with complete loyalty and dedication. Providing aid to anyone who asks – regardless of whether or not they can pay for the service – the official mission statement of the Order is to protect humanity against all harm, by magic or weapon. While they might be both highly competent and completely lethal, the Order can also be judgmental and controlling. They have chapters in most major cities. Their prime directive is to ensure the survival of the human race. (hide spoiler)]

Paranormal Activity Police Division: (view spoiler)[ Quick on the trigger and aggressive, the Paranormal Activity Division (PAD) deals with magic related issues, and are usually the first responders to any magical situation. (hide spoiler)] -- I KNEW I was forgetting one...

The character guide doesn't have anything about the MSDU since they're mostly an off-screen entity...

I think these descriptions are a bit more detailed than mine... she even has descriptions and membership counts of all the Pack Clans...

Miche wrote: "End of book spoiler.

The villain: [spoilers removed]"

I'm not opening this because while I read this series already, I can't remember who the villain was, and I want to be surprised again :-)

Iain wrote: "Those who find control live within a highly disciplined and structured pack, but those who do not inevitably go loup and become the most vicious form of killers, stopped only with their own death"

Oooh, I heard 'loop' and was confused! "Loup" is the French word for wolf (loup-garou is werewolf), but the 'p' is silent.

I know about Loup-garou because of the Dresden Files... Dresden is a kitchen sink series... throw everything at it...

The 2nd book is the werewolf book, I think... Werewolves, wolfweres, loup-garou, and a magic belt that makes you a wolf-shifter...

Miche wrote: "I am starting A Questionable Client now. :)"

Another fun one!

(view spoiler)[Saiman mentions The Raven Prophet in one of their conversations. I wonder if this is related to her family somehow. I remember her tattoo in homage of her father was a raven.

She has definitely a thing with kitties and milk, lol.
(hide spoiler)]

Starting Magic Burns now. :)

Iain wrote: "My main problem with the book is

I've heard this is the result of a chapter being cut in editing, and this resul..."

Yeah, I had that grievance as well.

I have read 2 books of October Daye. I quite like it but the protagonist is not OP like Kate and hence it doesn't thrill me in the same way.

Finished. A few things stuck out like how (view spoiler)[ comparatively weak Curran is in this book and how some of the stuff about shapeshifters in this book like needing to sleep after changing is emphasized a lot less in the later books. Or how Mahon's personality is changed. (hide spoiler)]

Overall I loved it as always. This book involves a lot of "normal" Atlanta society through Crest and I am kind of glad that part got de emphasized later.

Arkadeb wrote: "Iain wrote: "My main problem with the book is

I've heard this is the result of a chapter being cut in editing, and this resul..."

Yeah, I had that grievance as well.

I have read 2 books of Octo..."

Uh... October Daye has layers... you just haven't reached them yet... you should read the third book... that's when the series gets good... altho hopefully we read those in a few months and we can all read together... October Daye is approaching an ending in a couple years, I think...

Arkadeb wrote: "Iain wrote: "My main problem with the book is

I've heard this is the result of a chapter being cut in editing, and this resul..."

Yeah, I had that grievance as well.

I have read 2 books of Octo..."

YES (view spoiler)[Mahon is so friendly in this book, lol... (view spoiler)[altho he kinda reverts in book 9, once all is said and done... (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Finished! It was a good start to the series! I really like Kate, her humor and sarcasm.

The villain (view spoiler)[ wasn't Crest after all... It was a really creepy creature though. Cannibalism, rape and mind control. Total villain package! (hide spoiler)]

I was annoyed too that (view spoiler)[ Kate was blamed for the raid on the doctor. Curran being 'disgusted at her' was harsh, given how suspicious the guy was.
I was expecting [spoilers Georgina Kincaid] (view spoiler)[ Crest to pull a Roman, and be a total psychopath xD (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

There was quite the infodump in this book. I understand the need to setup the different powers for the future books but I was confused as hell. Thankfully, Iain came to the rescue :D
Thanks, you're the best!

Starting the short prequel right now!

Virginie wrote: "Finished! It was a good start to the series! I really like Kate, her humor and sarcasm.

The villain [spoilers removed]

I was annoyed too that Kate was blamed for the raid on the doctor. Curran b..."


I remember complaining about the infodump the first time I read it, too. It was why I lowered my rating.

Finished A Questionable Client!

Quick but fun :p

The only complaint I have is that this time around I'm listening to it instead of reading and all of the voices the narrator has are kind of wussy. There's no steam of menace in any of them, except Kate, who's pretty dead on. I have to keep redoing the dialogue parts in my head the way they're supposed to sound.

70% (view spoiler)[She is at the expensive restaurant and just sent a saucer of milk to Curran's table. OMG I love this so much more than "here kitty kitty"😂😂😂😂😂😂 (hide spoiler)]

And I just realized that (rerread spoiler) (view spoiler)[she was the first one to offer the other food. I must have forgotten that. I just remember the apple pie in book 3 maybe? (hide spoiler)]

I just finished Magic Burns!

Those books are page-turners! I can't stop reading them! :)

The story was interesting and it was nice to have some more info about Kate's family.

Random thoughts, including end of book spoilers.
(view spoiler)[I liked Bran. My poor heart is broken. :(

Red. You got it easy...

Curran and Kate! <3

I loved the epilogue, when she found him on her house.

“Welcome home. I’m glad you made it. There is coffee in the kitchen for you.”

Throwback to that conversation they had in which she said:

“Nobody keeps the porch light on for me. Nobody hugs me and says, ‘Hey, I’m glad you made it. I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.’ Nobody cares if I live or die. Nobody makes me coffee, nobody holds me before I go to bed, nobody fixes my medicine when I’m sick. I’m by myself.”

💖💖💖💖

(hide spoiler)]

I might read one more book before I switch to another series. :)

Miche wrote: "I just finished Magic Burns!

Those books are page-turners! I can't stop reading them! :)

The story was interesting and it was nice to have some more info about Kate's family.

Rand..."

You're on a roll! And here I thought I'd try to go slow as to not outpace others and I ended up falling behind. I'm so happy you're enjoying them. This is my favorite PNR series.

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "And I just realized that (rerread spoiler) [spoilers removed]"

Nice catch! I totally missed that one

I really didn't expect to read them so fast, Diana. I was in the perfect mood for this kind of books. I have been reading a lot of grimdark and epic fantasy, so it was a good break. :)

The third book is awesome... my first favorite of the series... and it's awesome from beginning to end... (view spoiler)[except when it's not because people are hurt (hide spoiler)]

Already got our first binger... I'm not too worried about being behind... at least I/we know enough to talk with the people ahead of us, Diana...

Iain wrote: "The third book is awesome... my first favorite of the series... and it's awesome from beginning to end... [spoilers removed]

Already got our first binger... I'm not too worried about being behind...."

I'm not too worried. Now that I know everyone else's speed I'll keep up better next round. As it is, I'm about done with Book 1. I'll probably finish .5 as my kindle read before bed, and since I'm currently lacking a job, book 2 will be an easy listen to tomorrow. Unemployment has its perks ;-)

That's basically my plan at work tonight... next BR is Invisible Library on the 1st

Wow. So I just went back and checked my review for Magic Bites and it was harsh. I said barely 3 stars. As a reread I'd give it 4. But I can see how the world building would be confusing at first.

Iain wrote: "The third book is awesome... my first favorite of the series... and it's awesome from beginning to end... [spoilers removed]



The third book has a lot of my favourite scenes in it, though I think I really jumped into the series in the second book with that scene - (view spoiler)[ "Osanda! Kneel you bastards!" (hide spoiler)]

I rated the first book 3 months later, after I knew how great the later books are...

Is it too late for me to join? I will read the first one tomorrow 😉

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "The only complaint I have is that this time around I'm listening to it instead of reading and all of the voices the narrator has are kind of wussy. There's no steam of menace in any of them, except..."

I agree, I'm not very fond of the narrator. I'll try book 2 in audio but might switch to the ebook...

Choko wrote: "Is it too late for me to join? I will read the first one tomorrow 😉"

Yaaaay, join us :D

Starting Magic Burns today!

You either like Renee Raudman or you don't... she narrates every Ilona Andrews series... makes the main characters sound same-y... I just kinda live with it at this point... same with Michael Kramer and Karr Reading reading half the Fantasy books I read...

Magic Burns, Chapter 1: (view spoiler)[

Negotiate. He wanted me to engage a lunatic who had already turned four people into smoking meat. Okay. I could do that.

“Alright, Jeremy!” I yelled into the night. “Give me the salamander and I won’t cut your head off!”

Bwahahahaha! I love Kate! (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "Is it too late for me to join? I will read the first one tomorrow 😉"

Join us!

Virginie wrote: "Diana Stormblessed wrote: "The only complaint I have is that this time around I'm listening to it instead of reading and all of the voices the narrator has are kind of wussy. There's no steam of me..."

Ebook is better for your imagination, esp if it's your first time through. That's kind of what killed Night Huntress series for me. I listened to it on audio and Bones was done like a whiny fop. It was a total turn off. It I had read the books maybe I would have liked them more.

Iain wrote: "You either like Renee Raudman or you don't... she narrates every Ilona Andrews series... makes the main characters sound same-y... I just kinda live with it at this point... same with Michael Krame..."

I liked her better in Hidden Legacy. I just don't like how she's doing the male voices here.

Started A Questionable Client last night and Magic Burns this morning. Will finish both tonight and then take a mini break to start on other reads.

33% into Magic Burns (view spoiler)[ Kate is laying in bed after Curran saved her, again.

"Curran picked up one of the bowl. Looked at it for a second as if considering a matter of some importance. Brought the bowls over, and held it before me."

He fed her. 😍😍😍😍😍 (hide spoiler)]