Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

We're approaching the middle of the year, maybe a good time to check out your reading challenges to see if you're still on track!

I finished reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology, it went pretty quick since I'd already gone through most of the myths though there were a few I didn't run into before including the tale of Oedipus (surprised he didn't come up in anything else I've read so far). There was a good section towards the end where she went through the "Houses" of mythology like the bloodlines of Athens, Thebes, etc so help figure out who was related to who.

While browsing Goodreads (like I didn't have enough books already) I found Atwood wrote The Penelopiad which my library had. Since I'd already read Circe and Song of Achilles, I thought it would be a nice touch to read another author's take on a different minor character in the, what I've decided to call, Trojan Trilogy. The positive it's short so won't impact my overall plan much :)

I have finished the novella Ironclads. Very enjoyable.

That sounds interesting, Tony! I just added it to my TBR.

Completed:
text:

Dominion: Nicole Givens Kurtz - Trickin’ , Dilman Dila -Red_Bati,
audible:

==========================================
Authors:
Darcie Little Badger, Yaroslav Barsukov, Becky Chambers, C.L. Clark, Dilman Dila, Robin Hobb, Paulette Jiles, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Sarah Pinsker, Martha Wells
Narrators:
Patricia Rodríguez
==========

I read Rasel's Song by Jeanette O'Hagan recently and enjoyed it. You can read my review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished The Penelopiad, only took a couple days as it was short and had sections of poetry and song, but was an interesting way of exploring Penelope's (the wife of Odysseus) point of view. It also has the honour of being the first book I've picked off a library shelf since COVID started. The library also had a few other books in the same "series" so I'll go through as many of them as I can (except for the one that wasn't translated into English!)

Now, to keep working on my 900+ page book for that BINGO slot. It's an omnibus, and I'm on the third book The Devil's Right Hand by Lilith Saintcrow

I finished Norse Myths. Compact, but providing reasonably broad coverage of Norse mythology. However, the final chapter convinced me to drop my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars. It is a comparison of Norse and Greek myths, showing the similarities between them. For some inexplicable reason, the author decided to use the Roman names for a number of the gods, instead of the Greek names - so Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, and Mercury are used instead of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Hermes. Apollo is correct, but Diana is used instead of Artemis. Highly irritating.

Apollo is correct because both the Greeks and Romans used the same name :) So Apollo *is* the Roman name, no inconsistency there. It is weird though if the premise of the book is to compare Greek myth with Norse to use the Roman names. While a lot of similarity between Greek and Roman, they aren't exactly the same just with different names either. Looks like not many other reviewers were impressed with that book either. My ears perked up when you posted since I'm on a mythology binge, but I'll pass on that one :)

I got used to using both versions of the names since The Age of Fable used the Roman names. That was done since most classic writes like Dante, Milton, etc were also using Roman names, and the goal of Bulfinch was to give people the background on those writers, so people would recognize and understand the references. Mythology would use both as well, depending on which source she used for the tale. So if she was writing about the Aeneid it would be Venus, if talking about The Iliad it's Aphrodite.

I went through The Devil's Right Hand pretty fast...the main characters thoughts are so repetitive that skimming works pretty well, unless the next two books in the omnibus are amazing, I don't think this is going to be a keeper...

Starting on Fade by Lisa McMann. This is not part of my reading theme, but I read the first book for free on the Simon & Shuster site and saw the library had the rest of the trilogy so finishing it up. This one should be super fast, not only is it short but it's in a kind of diary entry format with a lot of whitespace and short sentences.

Eclipse: The Girl Who Saved the World by George Phillies

I finished Cinder by Marissa Meyer and enjoyed it. Here's my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished Fade, didn't like it much, but it did go really fast. Figured if the next one is just as quick a read, might as well finish off the trilogy, will reserve it at the library and see.

Now started on Conversations with the Devil by Jeff Rovin. Not really sure why I picked this book up years ago except it was on sale, I'm not really into horror, and I'm not even sure if it is a fantasy or meant to be purely psychological. But then that's why I want to get around to reading it, if I don't like it, it doesn't need to take up space on my shelves anymore, and its a hardcover so it does take space!

I started reading Broomsticks and Burials a couple of days ago. I enjoy cozy mysteries, and they are generally an easy read, but I started this one primarily because it has a purple cover for the Bingo slot :)

My review of Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished A Memory Called Empire, which I liked very much. I just started the second book in that duology, A Desolation Called Peace.

Finally finished the Northworld Trilogy, and while I appreciated the Norse mythology inspiration mixed with future technology and alternate dimensions and the nature of the gods, in the end, it was a story of a guy who likes to fight a lot, and girls whose main purposes (even if they are warriors too) are to pleasure the men, and totally missing the answer to the original question that started the plot off because all that was said was that "Hansen probably guessed it"...thanks, but I didn't :) Filled my "Free" BINGO slot though, was from now nearly defunct Baen Free Library

Northworld was on my Kobo, but while I'm still working at home, I should read the one I have on my Kindle tablet since I don't want to be dragging that heavy thing to and from work :) I need this one for my "Genre Blender" BINGO slot, fantasy/mystery - Barnabas Tew and The Case of The Hellenic Abduction by Columbkill Noonan. Unfortunately it's book 5 but mysteries like this are usually easy enough to jump into the middle of.

It was a freebie I found off of Randy's free Kindle book list.

I'm enjoying An Oblique Approach. It has well-written and terrific dialog!

I finished Broomsticks and Burials. An enjoyable cozy mystery that also fills the purple cover slot in my Bingo.

My review of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Faith wrote: "My review of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir..."

Good to read this. I just got it from the library, but I'm in the middle of another book right now.

Jim wrote: "Faith wrote: "My review of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir..."

Good to read this. I just got it from the library, but I'm in the middle of another book right now."

I hope you enjoy it.

Finished Conversations with the Devil, and as expected, wasn't a book I particularly loved so I'll be saving some shelf space next time I go to the charity book store.

Now I really got into those Homer/Virgil tales, and read Madeline Miller's takes (Patroclus, Circe), then Margaret Atwood's take (Penelope), now I'm seeing what Ursula K. Le Guin will do with the Aeneid character Lavinia. Another female who doesn't get to say much in the original tales.

Now that the Amazon Prime series has finished, I felt it was ok to go back and read the 3rd 4-issue compilation of Invincible Vol. 3: Perfect Strangers. The order of events is different from the TV series, but season one covers up to the end of this book - the first 12 issues (more or less). It continues to be an excellent, and somewhat dark, take on superheroes. Recommended for fans of The Boys (either the comics or the TV show).

I am now starting What the Dead Said. Written by an Aussie author and set in Sydney in 2021, it seems now is the right time to read it :)

Finished two books.

The first is When We Were Magic, didn't like this one much, too many logic holes and handwaving in the world building which even though it is a fantasy, still needs to make sense (and too much teenage angst but then it is targeted at YA)

The other is Lavinia, didn't like it as much as Miller's tales but still enjoyed LeGuin's attempt to bring a voiceless character to life. And interesting she wove it around the possibility that Lavinia exist only within Virgil's poem, a fictional character in her own narration.

Now for my Purple Cover BINGO slot - Demigods Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan This one will be a quick read.

And since I have enough time left in the month, I'll tackle the rivetedlit.com free read - The Scorpion Rulesby Erin Bow

I just began Lost Legio IX. His books never disappoint me!

Finished Barnabas Tew and The Case of the Hellenic Abduction, to fill my genre blender (mystery) BINGO slot. It was light and silly, though it was the fifth and felt like last book in the series, but the author filled in the appropriate holes for a new reader.

And finished my purple cover book, Demigods and Magicians. I didn't realize there wasn't any new content in that book, I had read all three stories before, they were included in the regular Percy Jackson novels. Oh well. At least it has a purple cover, the only one I had :) It also has the honour of giving me my first BINGO row!!

Switched to Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles by Jeanette Winterson. This is another short one, found it at my library.

Just finished reading Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee. See my review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've finished Project Hail Mary, which I really enjoyed. It's basically The Martian but in a spaceship (and with a wacky roommate); Andy Weir's formula of putting a McGyver-type in dangerous situations and having him get out of them through the scientific method works very well and makes for hard-to-put-down books. The ending was not obvious, and very sweet. Also it's a bit better written than The Martian, and yes!, copy-edited.

I'm now reading , which is a very Dan-Simmonsy take on The Iliad; you've got robots, faxnodes and farcasters, also, the gods are beings who have future technology and give Diomedes superstrength with nanotech. Not the easiest read as you're thrown into the world and then get what's going on bit by bit, but very engrossing.

Aria: The Masterpiece, Volume 4 by Kozue Amano

Just finished Mark Lawrence's Prince of Fools which I ended up really enjoying even though the main character is an ass through much of the book. He grew on me as I read, and I'm eager to go on to the next book now.

Bryan wrote: "I'm now reading Iium..."

How did that book not cross my radar, what with me digging up all kinds of retellings of Homer and Virgil's works. Will have to see if I can squeeze that in since an SF version of it would be pretty cool.

Andrea wrote: "How did that book not cross my radar, what with me digging up all kinds of retellings of Homer and Virgil's works. Will have to see if I can squeeze that in ..."

Have you read Silverlock?

I finished Fortress of Radiance, and it was fair at best. Which is a shame because the first, Lost Legio IX was so stinkin' enjoyable! I'm about to delve into the third, The First Compact: The Karus Saga, which I'm hoping will bring back some of the quality that was present in the first. Besides, I want to know about this compact that's been referenced so much in the later Stiger series starting with Stiger's Tigers!

Jim wrote: "Have you read Silverlock?"

If I came across that one I wouldn't have detected it Homerian :) The summary mentions Beowulf and Robin Hood, and I'm focused more on things with gods/demons/angels in them, not just legends in general. But if it's also a kind of Odyssey retelling, I'll keep it in mind.

Finished Weight, it was interesting, more a philosophical examination of loneliness and responsibility, but I enjoyed the interactions between Atlas and Hercules (and Hercules' shame for leaving Atlas holding the bag...or in this call, a ball).

In the meantime, I've switched to a book that will probably fall under my "don't waste my shelf space". Fallen by Lauren Kate. At the time, the YA craze for fallen angel stories sound like a great idea and I snapped up a bunch, but based on the reviews, this one should have all the worst and the most annoying of the YA tropes (girl not good enough for the sexy bad boy, angst/moan/whine/whimper). But I hate letting a book leave my hands without at least giving it a quick read, so will find out if I agree with the reviewers or not...

Andrea wrote: "Jim wrote: "Have you read Silverlock?"

If I came across that one I wouldn't have detected it Homerian :) The summary mentions Beowulf and Robin Hood, and I'm focused more on things with gods/demon..."

It's very much a retelling of the Odyssey, way more than the other two. It's been a long time since I read it, but I've read all 3 & always remembered it as the first.

Finished reading Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells and Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson. I’m reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I plan to read The Burning White by Brent Weeks next.

Been reading Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series and re-reading Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, and thoroughly enjoying both :)

Boundless by Jack Campbell

Jim wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Jim wrote: "Have you read Silverlock?"

If I came across that one I wouldn't have detected it Homerian :) The summary mentions Beowulf and Robin Hood, and I'm focused more on things ..."
I found it weak.

I came across The Brand of the Warlock by a new-to-me author, and I've got to say that it's really enjoyable! The MC is wrapped up in mystery, and has fallen into a majorly bad case of mistaken identity.

Ready Player Two wasn't as good as the first, but I didn't expect it would be. As an audiobook, it was pretty good. I gave it a 3 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished Fallen, I didn't think it was quite as bad as the reviews made it sound, though it definitely wasn't great, hard to work to get through nearly 400 pages before things actually started happening and was surprised to find out it has more complexity to it than I expected. Will read the next book next month.

Now, a library book that needs to be returned in a week - Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson by David Grossman. Discovered this series of novellas retelling the different myths, I plan to go through as many as I'm able to get my hands on, even if they aren't all technically god/angel/demon themed like this one.

Lion's Honey was a quick read, didn't enjoy it that much since it wasn't a retelling but rather an analysis and a kind of attempt to fill in the gaps the Bible leaves out, but it wasn't a story. Though it was well written enough to not be boring. And there were gods and angels involved ;)

I also finished the rivetedlit.com freebie The Scorpion Rules...I must admit I rather enjoyed the personality of the AI overlord, I'd like to read the second and final book but only found a french copy at my library, I guess if all else fails...anyway, it can wait a bit.

Finishing off the Wake trilogy with Gone by Lisa McMann, it was in the same choppy diary style as Fade which at least makes it fast, I'm already halfway through

And the other half went quick, finished Gone, enjoyed it a little bit more than the previous one.

Today I'll read Miller's Heracles' Bow, a short story, then I'll continue working my through the Dante Valentine omnibus with Saint City Sinners by Lilith Saintcrow

I finished What the Dead Said. I quite enjoyed it and would give it 4.5 stars. It will count as my genre blender for the Bingo - it is a police investigation set in 2021 Sydney (although written in 2012), except that a couple of years ago ghosts started appearing to almost everyone. It's only in the latter part of the book that the urban fantasy element becomes the dominant storyline.