The Sword and Laser discussion

Has a book ever changed your mind? Do authors write differently for audio? Pack that reading list with Clarke award nominees, it’s a new Sword and Laser!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/69106603
https://soundcloud.com/swordandlaser/...
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I'm so embarrassed that I didn't read the 1st post better before I listed those authors. ha

About ff@&$ing time.

Sigh on next month’s pick. I’ve voted against it every time because I started it a few years ago and I couldn’t remotely get into it. As I own the book I guess I’ll try again but hope does not spring eternal.

I was on the elliptical at the gym while listening and was very amused at the book conflation. I enjoyed Darker Shade of Magic and The Rook, too, though (and I was mentally yelling those titles during the confusion).

Ian (RebelGeek) - happens to the best of us!!!

terpkristin wrote: "and I was mentally yelling those titles during the confusion"

same here

Which one will you read next month?

UK



or US

Midnight Riot Mine looks like this. I bought it from Audible U.S.

Oh, we’re reading Rivers of London? (I’m behind of the podcast, so haven’t listened yet.) I’m glad it won’t be in the poles again next year. I read got it from the library in March, assuming it would win, and when it didn’t, I read it anyway. Honestly, I was disappointed - I think it was a case of too much hype. Also, contrary to popular opinion, I didn’t get along with the audio.

But hey, free month, and I’ll be interested in hearing what others think of it.

Haven't read it yet, where did it fall short of the hype?

I'm vaguely with Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth. I read it when it came out, read book 2 and never got further. I'm not super into things set in London just because of the setting (it's fine, but I don't go "ohh London!") and from my hazy recollections, it didn't have a lot of overt magic elements but that fit - it's an origin story kind of.

I might pick it up again and re-read just because nothing else is really grabbing me right now, though.

Veronica said, "did it really need to be in space?" and I did a little nod because that's how I've felt mostly been feeling about Hunt the Stars. I don't know why I couldn't get over it and have fun with the romantic stuff - that's probably my fault.

I’m gonna wave the flag for Rivers of London, I think it’s a great urban fantasy series with lots of cool characters and ideas. I have read the OG Rivers of London book but not for a long time and I’m stoked to read it again and see how it all began.

I’m going to listen to the audiobook this time round as I didn’t get into the audio versions of this series until Book 5. Unlike my namesake, I really enjoy the audio versions of these books- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith does a fantastic job of bringing Peter Grant to life. For anyone who’s tried to read this book before but not got on with it, I suggest giving the audiobook version a try - imho the audio performance raises the later books in the series from a four-star read to a five-star read.

Oaken wrote: "Haven't read it yet, where did it fall short of the hype?"

Keep in mind, it’s just my opinion, but this book, to me, felt very much like a run of the mill, monster of the week, mid-season mid-run episode of Supernatural. It was all… fine, but given that there were so many comparisons to Dresden, which I loved from the first (though that could arguably be described in similar terms) it fell short of my expectations. I thought it would be funnier and cooler and more fantastical.

I didn’t really click with any of the characters either. Well, maybe Molly, she was cool, about the only reason I would venture to continue the series.

More personal to me, and something I can hardly blame the book for, is that I don’t much like London, so the setting is never going to inspire me.

But honestly, I think it’s just a book I’d have liked better if I’d gone in cold, without any expectations. That’s mostly what I mean by ‘overhyped’. It’s not bad, it’s just not great.

Then again, I had a similar experience with season 1 of Schitt’s Creek, - fine, but nothing special, considering how much folk were raving about it, but I stuck with it and now I treat myself to episodes only occasionally, because that show is my happy place and I don’t want to get to the end of it and have no more new episodes to enjoy. So maybe it is the series that folk love, and if I kept going, I’d see what the fuss is about?
But if I read any more of the series, I’ll stick to reading, and leave the audio be.

Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth wrote: "Oaken wrote: "Haven't read it yet, where did it fall short of the hype?"

Keep in mind, it’s just my opinion, but this book, to me, felt very much like a run of the mill, monster of the week, mid-s..."

Funny. At his core Peter is nothing like Dresden which is one of the reasons I love the series. It is quite different from American Urban fantasy. Of course it is a urban fantasy police procedural which may or may not be a red flag (it could be viewed as copaganda, but I like to think of it as a fantasy Met which does serve London).

And can we just call it Rivers of London and ignore the name used across the pond. Go with the title the author gave it.

I love the River of London series, the novels, the novellas, and the comics. The Audiobooks read by the great Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are a pleasure to listen to.

Super excited that a thread I started was mentioned in the podcast! However, Tom pronounced my user handle "Papa M-R-F." Totally understandable, but I've always pronounced it so it rhymes with Papa Smurf.

Thanks Tom, for filling in for Veronica on this week's mispronunciation! :-D

I have always listened to the audiobooks of the Rivers of London series and I have a suspicion that it is these that raise above it the ordinary (my impression is that most people who don't take to it read it rather than listen to it).

It will be an interesting to see whether the feedback from the group backs this up.

Steve wrote: "I have always listened to the audiobooks of the Rivers of London series and I have a suspicion that it is these that raise above it the ordinary (my impression is that most people who don't take to..."

I found this series in print, then tried the audio and went back to the print. I found the narrator difficult to understand.

Steve wrote: "(my impression is that most people who don't take to it read it rather than listen to it).

It will be an interesting to see whether the feedback from the group backs this up."

I mean, I literally said above that I really didn’t get along with the audio. I borrowed the audio from the library because I’d heard so many people rave about it, but I’ve read a little of the text since, and think I would have had a much better experience reading the book than listening to it. I still don’t think I’d have loved it as I was expecting to though, but the audio just wasn’t for me.

Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth wrote: "I mean, I literally said above that I really didn’t get along with the audio"

Yes, I didn't mean to I imply that everyone likes the audiobook, however in my (granted) limited experience, people tend to rave about the audiobook but are more lukewarm on the written version.

For those who don't like the audiobooks, my impression is that people are put off by the bravura performance. I stand to be corrected however (which is why I am looking forward to the feedback).

For me, the strength of the performance papers over some of the cracks of the story-telling, but I understand that some people might want more substance/originality.

I don't know that I'd have described the audio as bravura, it's rather flat, if anything, though I'll admit to being put off by what I find to be overly dramatised performances - I don't like listening to Mary Robinette Kowal's audio performances, for example (another favourite of many, I know! I'm sorry!) though in her case, I adore the stories.

Papa MRF wrote: "Super excited that a thread I started was mentioned in the podcast! However, Tom pronounced my user handle "Papa M-R-F." Totally understandable, but I've always pronounced it so it rhymes with Papa..."

Ah. Good to know! Thanks for the pronouncer.

I'm liking the audio narration so far!