Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Narilka wrote: "Eye of the World is on sale for Kindle US today again."

LOL are you peer pressuring yourself? =D


Timelord Iain wrote: "Most people feel like the Sanderson books retain the Jordan style (trimmed down a bit of that bloat)...

Jordan had the rest of the series outlined, and Sanderson made sure to maintain important Jo..."

I know about all that but Sanderson doesn't write like Jordan. At this point, I've read more books by Sanderson than I have by Jordan. It's not going to be the same. Concepts/outlines/etc will be kept but each writer has a voice.

I expect that the core ideas will be the same and the story will go where Jordan had planned but the voice will an altered Sanderson to fit with Jordan's dreams and plans for the WoT.

@Soo: I kinda hate you right now :D

I spent the last couple days finishing out my Joe Ledger backlog... I did Joe Ledger: Unstoppable, an anthology that really showed me why things never go well in full-length books... without problems and missing information, Team Echo kinda just wipes the floor with any threats... also makes me want to try some of the authors of the collaborative short stories...

Then I did Altar Boy & Limbus, Inc. & the crossover novellas... they were alright...

THEN, I did Rage... and this is why I kinda hate you... that epilogue... all your oblique comments, and you didn't warn me that things could possibly get worse for Ledger, after the dark days in some later Ledger series books..

I liked alot of things about the new series... (view spoiler)[more Church, increased scope, etc... the more defined enemy... but at the same time, I have reservations about the constant enemy reuse, and the scope of the enemy... you start to think that there are so many bad guys that basically every good guy is being blackmailed in some way or another... (hide spoiler)]

Now, I'm stuck waiting for the next book with everyone else...

Heheheh =)

Aw, now we're in the waiting torture together! Yay friends! lol

Which of the collaborative authors are you going to try? Have particular books in mind?

Soo wrote: "Heheheh =)

Aw, now we're in the waiting torture together! Yay friends! lol

Which of the collaborative authors are you going to try? Have particular books in mind?"

I did when I was listening, but I'm going to have to go back and check... the anthology really felt like a stepping stone to try other authors... either because they were crossovers, or just because Maberry did a little author hype bio at the end of each short story, listing their biggest works and type of writing... and some book titles stood out as things you've mentioned I think, like Seal Team 666...

Soo wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Eye of the World is on sale for Kindle US today again."

LOL are you peer pressuring yourself? =D..."

I resisted temptation this time :D Too much in my TBR already!

My reading is jumping around a bit. =)
Currently back in chaotic-neutral mode. lol

While browsing the Upcoming New Releases on Audible, I'm happy to note that I'm going to be very happy about all the new releases for thriller series like Reacher, Orphan X, etc. =D

By random jumps on GR, I went looking for Kitty Norville series at my library and several of the audios are available. Woo! It's on my TBR and I enjoyed the first book: Kitty and the Midnight Hour.

I definitely recommend the audio over the print version. It has new book/writer blues but the audio smooths out the flaws and makes the book have more oomph.

Got my fingers crossed and hoping this can be my fun popcorn audio series to listen to while I cut into my print read list.

I finished out Kitty Norville 6-14 on audio, in several bursts over the past couple years... I didn’t love the arc/conclusion, as much as the novelty of the first few books...

Yeah, I'm about done with #2 and the plot is rather flimsy. Hopefully it will wrap up okay.

The scope of the Kitty Norville series balloons around book 3-4, when Kitty (view spoiler)[gains national notoriety as a werewolf, and lucks her way into an Alpha role (hide spoiler)]... characters also evolve in ways that feel reminiscent of a TV show, where (view spoiler)[a werewolf hunter turns into an ally, after Kitty helps his brother (turned werewolf) deal with the transition... (hide spoiler)]

The ending builds up this Big Bad, then I feel like it was all rushed when the author decided to just end the series or something... one book just wasn't enough time to be suitably epic, after several minor scuffles...

Re:anthology, I'll try and go back in the next few days, and check which books I'm interested in... hopefully I find something interesting to fill the Joe Ledger void, because I'm still struggling with finding things I want to read...

In that vein, I've started my 3rd or 4th re-read of , my favorite steampunk series... like I said last week, I can't wait for to get audio... the audio really sells the series, for me... the first book is "short" at 9hr, but the 2nd and 3rd are twice as long... you guys should check them out... I've been upselling them for years, and a bunch of people have added them to their TBR, but nobody has ever actually read them...

Thanks Timelord. I will add them to the growing list. I have been slumping a bit too and need something easy and fun. I am debating Ledger, Dresden, or Relic (Pendagrast). Haven't read Pendagrast yet at all but got it on paperback for $2.99.

Brian wrote: "Thanks Timelord. I will add them to the growing list. I have been slumping a bit too and need something easy and fun. I am debating Ledger, Dresden, or Relic (Pendagrast). Haven't read Pendagrast y..."

Relic & Reliquary are more ensemble books... Pendergast takes center stage from book 3 on...

Dresden is a series that takes some time to pick up momentum, in my opinion...

Ledger is high octane from the get-go...

Kitty Norville series - I'm trucking along with the audiobooks. I like Kitty okay but the author doesn't create characters and plot well. It's okay popcorn reading. Also, the writing doesn't seem to be maturing with each book. Book #5 has the same stilted phrasing that the first one had.

My library is missing #10 & 11 for audio. I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to enjoy reading the books vs listening. So, I may look up spoilers for those books and jump into the #12 because the library has #12-14.

#16 is coming out in the fall.

#16 is a misnomer... it's an anthology... #15 only came out recently, and basically expanded a short story about the history of a side character...

#14 is still the end of the main arc...

Ahh. Well, that's silly. This is probably one of the few series where I don't feel weird about "spoiler reading" a few books and jumping into the next available audiobook. lol

Ya'll should take a gander at the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series by Julie Kenner. The books are available to read on KU.



My library had the audiobooks for #1-4. Currently on #4.

You ever wonder what it would be like if Buffy was able to get old enough to get married and have her own kids? It's kinda like that.

Campy, tongue-in-cheek, some action and lots of family. Good popcorn reads.

It's kinda like Buffy & Charmed mixed together.

The narrator for the audio is great! I'm kinda sad that I'm on #4 because that means I gotta decide if I want to wait for a sale, read the KU or just wait till later for the other books. lol

You like them?

The books are fun. Brian, if you read them, I'd be interested to see how you think about it. It's from a Mom's point of view and I'm gonna be sexist and think it'll be more appealing to feminine minded? lol

But plenty of people like Buffy and Charmed! These books are a lot like that. The way all of them have core family/friend setting and crazy stuff happening around them.

Also! Audible's 2-for-1 Credit Membership Sale had another refresher. Lots of good books in this batch and the selection size seems to be a little larger.

I am tempted by a couple that I haven't read yet but there are a bunch of new releases coming out and I think I may save credits for them.

Choko, Brian, anyone else :)
Still up for Dresden #1? I thought I might start towards the end of the week or weekend coming? If that suits?

Yep, I'm in. Have to finish a couple but can possible be ready by next week

Brian wrote: "Yep, I'm in. Have to finish a couple but can possible be ready by next week"

Ok let's push it out to mid next week?

Sounds great!!! I will hustle! lol

Actually I should be ready by Saturday or Sunday if your ready by then.

Ok, l let's see where choko's at and take it from there.

Anyone want to BR the new Sandman (Full Cast) Audible Adaptation? Should be awesome!



I'm putting it down as 450 pages for the Team Challenge page count.

Loriidae, absolutely there next weekend! Yay! I am excited!!!

Soo, I will start it tonight or tomorrow and we can discuss it here ❤️

Woo! Works for me. I'm finishing up Wandering Inn Vol2 (audio). This time around, I only enjoyed some parts of the webserial in audio and really disliked others. Which makes reading it easier than listening to it for some parts.

Will start The Sandman in a few hours. =)

Soo wrote: "Woo! Works for me. I'm finishing up Wandering Inn Vol2 (audio). This time around, I only enjoyed some parts of the webserial in audio and really disliked others. Which makes reading it easier than ..."

Is there a thread for Sandman ? I am almost done with Age of Death and might jump in for it.

We'll post thoughts here. Make it easy. When you look for the Audible Original version, search for Sandman Maggs. It's because of the guy that wrote the adaptation: Dirk Maggs.

I'm going listen to another audio while I work and then start Sandman tonight when I can pay attention to it better. =)

Choko wrote: "Soo, I will start it tonight or tomorrow and we can discuss it here ❤️"

Excellent I hope Harry lives up to the hype!

- Decided to listen to this a bit slower than normal listening speed for me so I can enjoy the audio experience. =)

I don't remember how far I got in the comic. I do remember that it's a strange story and gets pretty dark in parts. =)

- Intro is a bit busy because we're getting snippets of the different dreamers that are stuck sleeping but it was a nice summary of what is shown in the comic.
- Justice League! Woah I never connected Sandman to DC Comics.
- Constantine - In theory, awesome character. In comic, woah. lol

It gets a bit murky in the middle but isn't it crazy the way Sandman has to work in order to recover himself and his power?

Rose Walker - Jed - Unity: This was the best!

I really hope that the whole series will be adapted! This was pretty great way to enjoy the story. My stumbling block in the comics were the changes in artists. My taste in art + vision of the story didn't always go with the various artists that worked on the comic series. With the audio adaptation, I can finish the series! Woo

I am reading The Sandman and am up to Ch 10, about the (view spoiler)[ man who doesn't die. This is probably the best structured story so far, although the one we got to meet his sister Death was really good too. (hide spoiler)]

This is a very moody read for sure. It has those bleak and dark overtones, which I kind of expected, but it is a bit more... surreal than I thought. However, I am really liking the audio adaptation and can't wait to see what happens... It is like a series of short stories and it is easy going. I am planning on checking out the comic books too(✿^‿^)

Just finished Sandman... Very psychedelic:):):):):) I enjoyed it and am interested if they make more of the series into audio. Loved that there were so many different little stories, and still there were common threads... The one with the Muse was very disturbing. I think my favorite one was about Rose Walker and her brother... I loved the one with the cats also. I really enjoyed most of them, some more than others. Glad I got to read them:)

Sandman - I liked the way Sandman was able to get free and the way he dishes out punishments for wrongdoing.

Yet, he's not a normal person and doesn't react to people like you would expect. I like that too. Otherworldly.

Exactly! He is still an immortal and separate from the people and their mortal understanding... Completely cold in that aspect. Love it:(*_*)

The comics are much darker than the audio adaptation. I had to take breaks when I was reading them because it was a lot of dark, gloomy drawings to go with the dark, gloomy story lines. lol

Haha! It actually sounds right up my alley when it comes to art.

Finished my re-read of WoT 6, and started Threshold... these are SOOO good on re-read... so much foreshadowing and easter eggs, once you know the twists...

Book 1, 14: (view spoiler)[I was rusty on alot of things, but I knew that the weird characters hid the duplicitous ones on my first read-through... (hide spoiler)]

Book 2, The Fold, still near the start: (view spoiler)[this one is so meaty, with characters full of discrepancies in their memories, once you know to pay attention from the get-go... the boss's anniversary, "swapped" offices for Olaf, etc... I find the prologue a bit far-fetched, tho... like the dude jumped to conclusions a bit quick... you'd think he'd notice differences in family photos or something... instead of running off for the gun and phone, without exploratory calling out... minor quibble... (hide spoiler)]

I still like 14 more than the Fold, but I have to say that it made a better impression on the re-reads (for the Fold) because the small details that didn't stand out, did stand out on re-reads.

But it was also the one that had the most obvious flags to note too.

I really just want to look behind the curtain... I wonder if book 5 will be like book 4 in connecting things, or more like books 1-3 and relatively self-contained...

Oooo. I would love to do a Threshold reread some day. Right now my audio listening speed is down since I'm not really driving anywhere. I bet you spot a lot more listening to them all back to back.

The Fold is almost overfull of things to notice... by the time the reveals started, I was more than ready...

Gonna do Dead Moon in the next day or so, then re-read and appreciate the new one we already read once this year...

I pretty vividly remember my first read of The Fold, last summer... once momentum picks up, it never stops...

Starting Harry Dresden. Hope it lives up to the hype. :)

@Loriidae Hope you enjoy it! The first Dresden book is rough ;)

@Iain Is there a buddy read for Emerald Blaze next month? I didn't see a thread when I looked earlier and wasn't sure if I missed it.

Narilka wrote: "@Loriidae Hope you enjoy it! The first Dresden book is rough ;)

@Iain Is there a buddy read for Emerald Blaze next month? I didn't see a thread when I looked earlier and wasn't sur..."

We talked back and forth a couple times in December/January, then forgot to request it, so go ahead and request it...

(ended up just searching the group discussions for Emerald Blaze, using the top right search bar, when no discussions were listed at the bottom of the book page)

Just finished Terraway #3 - Torture...

(view spoiler)[ This was intense and would have had an even bigger impact if the author didn't like to put on the internal drama a bit too thick!
Poor Ezra, having to find out about his fiance this way! She is such a mess. The ending, when they found her in the trailer with some of her junk out and her being all bewildered over how she could have been like that and treated her kids the way she did, it really seems to me that she had been possessed. But by whom and why???? And then November and Vaughn getting in that ugly fight, after all the sexual innuendo we were put through, and her leaving with Fin, just a horrible relationship cliffhanger to leave us with, if you ask me. Still, I am enjoying it and want to know what the hell is going on ʘ‿ʘ. (hide spoiler)]

Dresden Files:
1st book is rough and it takes a few books to get into the groove but I really love the way the details are connected from the get go.

Threshold:
I think the reason why the Fold isn't my fav of the Threshold books is because of other books doing multiverse dimensions really well. Like, it's good but there are other books I loved more that does similar things. BUT! Threshold has become of the best series we've read as more things are added/revealed/adjusted. It's pretty exciting to read and talk about with ya'll.

Terraway:
YAY! I'm glad you're reading the series! Next book will show more about everything you mentioned. The author has a great way of making you SUPER care about what is happening and half the time I wanted to yell at the terrible bits.