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Books: 2nd Edition

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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby coracle » Jun 03, 2017 12:21 am

I've begun reading a long historical novel series by Bodie & Brock Theone, so far following the events in the late 1930s through the eyes of Jewish residents of Austria while Hitler's Nazi power is slowly affecting them.
I'm staying with someone who has the whole set; I have read "Vienna Prelude" and am partway into number 2, "Prague Counterpoint".
“Not all of us can choose what we give up. The things we love are taken or are never ours at all. If we’re lucky, life is defined not by what we let go, but what we let in: friendship and kind words, frailty and hope.”

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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby SnowAngel » Jun 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Arwenel wrote:I had an order of books arrive today, all by N.D. Wilson -- the 3 100 Cupboard books and the Ashtown Burials. So far, i've only read the first 100 Cupboards book.
100 Cupboards is my least favorite of N.D. Wilson's books, but I did enjoy reading the whole series. I read The Ashtown Burials before reading 100 Cupboards and I kind of wish I had read 100 Cupboards first since I absolutely loved The Ashtown Burials and the whole gang of characters in it. Cyrus, Antigone, Dan, Rupert, and the rest of TAB gang are just awesome. :)

One of my teen sisters is reading The Ashtown Burials for the first time. :D She got them from the library this week, if I get my library books done before she returns TAB I am hoping to reread them. It has after all been almost eight months since the first time I read them.

I am almost done reading The Song Of Glory And Ghost. There has been a lot happening in my life, busy distracting things, so it has taken me a lot most a week to read The Song Of Glory And Ghost and just because of the crazy things. I am really enjoying the new book. :D

I have read a few of Bodie & Brock Thoene's books, but I don't think I have ever read the Zion Covenant series. I have read a couple of the Zion Chronicles which are connected to the Shiloh Legacy series and I read the Shiloh Legacy series several times as a teen. coracle, I would love to know what you think of the Zion Covenant series.

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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby ValiantArcher » Jun 03, 2017 9:06 pm

SA, nope, haven't read Death by Living; just have enjoyed other works by the author and have heard lots of good recommendations for it. ;))
I'm glad the Nikki Boyd books were tolerable at least, though it's too bad they're not keepers (though, maybe not too bad for your bookshelf space ;))).
Hurrah for the book box to give away or resell! :D Yay also for your sister reading Ashtown! :D I hope she's enjoying it! And glad to hear you're enjoying Wilson's new one! :D

Too bad that MWT isn't available in the UK, AJ! :( That's very odd. ...are you needing a NW express delivery of Thick as Thieves then? ;)) (Hope you can find it somehow!)

Enjoy the mysteries, Mel! :D The literary association of John Buchan to the Miss Silver mysteries interests me. ;))

Please keep us appraised of your thoughts on the N.D. Wilson books, Arwenel! I agree that 100 Cupboards has its issues, especially with pacing (and a lack of common sense from some (admittedly young) characters). Frank and Dotty are probably my favourite characters from that book. And the Henry-Henry-Henrietta naming convention is kinda repetitive and a bit odd. ;)) Only thing I can think of is that the town name was coincidental, Henry was named for the town and/or his grandfather, and that Henrietta was already born and named or her name was chosen already (and named for her grandfather) by the time Henry arrived. But I don't know if that matches the timeline or not.

I am currently reading (at last!) Words of Radiance and am about 2/3 of the way through. I was loving it, but then things happened and I'm on my toes a bit to see if they resolve well. XD
SHOW SPOILER Random thoughts on WoR
I don't trust Jasnah enough to actually stay dead, especially with the disappearing body; even less so after Shallan drew a lady carving a statue (more or less) and survivors from the ship. /:)
There were lots of ways I imagined Shallan and Kaladin first meeting, but Shallan pretending to be a Horneater princess (pretty terribly) and stealing Kaladin's boots was not at all what I expected. XD ;)) Nor did I expect the insult war when they next met. ;)) I did expect Kaladin to crash a date between Adolin and Shallan, though I was a wee bit disappointed that no comments were made about Kaladin being there to make sure Adolin's boots were kept safe.
Speaking of Adolin, his speech to his sword before the first duel was hilarious and easily the best thing he's done in the series. ;)) Otherwise, I haven't figured out my thoughts on him - on one hand, he's trying to be a good man and is more honorable, in a number of ways, than his father. On the other, he keeps insulting Kaladin and his men, is rather arrogant/proud, is STILL interested in every girl that crosses his path, and is rather an idiot around Shallan (the last wouldn't be too bad on its own, more the icing on the cake).
Renarin, though having limited page time, is a dear so far. Him begging to join Bridge Four was touching, and his enthusiasm at clearing dishes was hilarious (and reminded me of some of the kids at church when they try to collect trash at fellowship lunch ;))). I was also very pleased with his courage in stepping onto the dueling arena to support Adolin, even if he just became leverage against Adolin.
Dalinar I am still unimpressed with; actually, my opinion has taken a further nosedive with how he's handling Amaram and Kaladin's accusations, and Kaladin himself right now. He claims to be all for honor, which is dead, but justice seems very dead too... :P And he seemed pleased at the Roshone resolution, but didn't even think about the people that he inflicted Roshone on??? Kaladin isn't telling him things, but Dalinar is not at all communicating well with him - what was with not telling Kaladin that there were 17 people backing Amaram up BEFORE??? He had some good points in his conversation with Kaladin in prison, but he didn't express himself well, especially with the darkeyes comment. Either he trusts Kaladin or he doesn't; if he doesn't, he never should've promoted him. If he DOES, then he needs to actually trust Kaladin and respect what he has to say and then reply in a respecting way - if Kaladin isn't a liar in general, what makes him think he's lying about Amaram??? GAH.
Shallan is very interesting. She's in over head, but seems to be handling stuff pretty well (...she even survived the assassination attempt without any issue???). I'm curious to see if my suspicions about her parents' deaths are correct or not; I won't be happy if we have to wait another book to find out. :P The flashbacks appear to be careening towards her father's death, and I'm hoping we'll find out what happened with her mother's death at the same time. I was really proud of her sending Pattern to protect Renarin during the duel (and that she very briefly thought of jumping into the field before realizing she would be a liability worse than Renarin ;))).
Kaladin. GAHH. He was doing so well! (The horse scene! ;)) Made me think of Gen from Queen's Thief.) I loved the arena duel scene (I KNEW as soon as Adolin said he would fight whomever Relis brought along there would be trouble, particularly number of duelists trouble) and was so happy that he jumped in and helped, despite everything, and he got two of the knights to surrender and then he CAUGHT the Shardblade! And then he got overeager for demanding justice and it all blew up on him, and then Dalinar just threw stuff back at him and definitely did not show trust or try to discuss things and find out what Kaladin is struggling with, and now Kaladin thinks Elkohar should die. :( And I'm very afraid he's going to lose everything, including himself, and...he really needs to have that not happen. And he was still trying to protect and save everyone. :( Someone please come save Kaladin from himself (and Moash too, please!).
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby AJAiken » Jun 05, 2017 12:06 am

ValiantArcher wrote:Too bad that MWT isn't available in the UK, AJ! :( That's very odd. ...are you needing a NW express delivery of Thick as Thieves then? ;)) (Hope you can find it somehow!)

The other books are available from some places, but they're not on any bookstore shelves. I asked my local bookshop if they could find Thick as Thieves. They contacted the UK branch of the publisher but because they didn't publish it, the US branch did, they can't source it. So I'll probably end up buying it through an Amazon reseller. Thanks for the suggestion but I think the postage will make any NW delivery rather expensive! ;))

When I was in Canada there were several UK authors whose books weren't published over there. It's interesting how different the markets are. Another author I struggle to find here is Robin McKinley. When I was at school Beauty and Spindle's End were published. I fell in love with Beauty but was disappointed in the other (at that time; I've since reread it and enjoyed it). It took me many years to discover she'd written anything else. Again, during a trip to the States I was able to source a copy of The Blue Sword which is now one of my favourite books ever. Over the last few years I've bought many of her other books though resellers and AbeBooks and places like that. I love The Door in the Hedge and I also really like Rose Daughter, because even though it's the story of Beauty and the Beast again it's a completely different take on the tale. Deerskin was a difficult read, but very powerful. Funnily enough, some of her more recent books are now published here. However I read one, Shadows, and I was very disappointed in it. There were some fun elements to the story - I like the world it was set in, and the reason for the title. But the book never felt full of depth and real emotion and danger like The Blue Sword.
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Lady Haleth » Jun 05, 2017 4:50 am

If you loved The Blue Sword, I hope you can find the prequel, The Hero and the Crown. Its fantastic! (Its the story of the legendary Aerin and how she fought dragons).
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Arwenel » Jun 05, 2017 4:36 pm

Finished Dandelion Fire, the second 100 Cupboards book, today. I liked it better than the first, but overall i'm not terribly impressed.

There's just so much going on that isn't explained. Names of people, places, and concepts are thrown around a lot, but despite their implied importance, the book never explains why it's so important that Henry hasn't been christened, or that he's the son of Mordecai -- or why Mordecai is such an important person, anyway.

Most of the problems i have with this book can be tied to that lack of understanding, really. Without a working knowledge of the magic system, the villain doesn't feel like a real threat, the peril of the good guys can't be measured, and whatever way is used to secure victory doesn't feel meaningful. Without depth to the characters, there's no investment in them, no worry about their safety or relief in their survival. Without enough world-building, these other places don't feel real, and what happens to them is of no concern.

A different problem i have is excessive characters. The new villain was threatening for not even the first half of the book, then he became nothing more than the weapon through which the main villain was threatening the characters. Zeke, Richard, and the police sergeant had their moments of usefulness, but on the whole didn't do much for the main plot. It would have been nice to spend more time with other characters, ones more important to the plot who hadn't been developed enough for me to care about them.

Like the first book, i started losing interest once the major action began, and for the same reason: too many characters, many of whom were not developed enough to be cared about, against a villain of unclear power, and action that i couldn't picture. Some of that is no doubt my own fault, as i have a bad tendency to skim-read when things start picking up, but if i'm truly invested in what's happening then i go back and re-read to make sure that i'm following what's going on. That wasn't the case here.

I still plan on reading the third book. It would be unrealistic to expect it to make up for everything i didn't like in the first two, but perhaps it can end on a reasonably solid note.
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Meltintalle » Jun 05, 2017 9:39 pm

I just finished The Song of Glory and Ghost myself, SA! :D It's a very exciting read, though I think it doesn't have the multiple layers that make Ashtown Burials or 100 Cupboards so appealing. I was rather surprised when I found I'd reached the final third already; I'd been expecting all the adventures so far to be set-up (which they were) but not as many twists and turns as usual. My favorite bits were the parts with Cindy and Speck and the two second description of the lady with chandelier earrings.

Also, I picked up A Match of Wits by Jen Turano after you mentioned the author... I grinned pretty much the whole way through and am looking forward to reading others in the series. It's a nice change of pace from my usual fare of heavy drama. :)

Arwenel, re: Dandelion Fire: For me, a lot of the appeal of the series is that it's more of an intuitive read instead of a logical one. It takes expectations of certain storylines or types and spins them slightly off-kilter but never explains. (This being so, I'm curious as to what you'll think of the ending especially since there are more characters popping up and I thought the secondary villain in the third installment should have had a bigger role. (And Monmouth should have had a bigger role. So should Caleb. :p ) As for Henry not being christened, I believe it's a call-back to Irish fairy tales, where being given a name wards against evil. It's that intuitive thing again... I can see that there IS a connection but I can't spell it out for you. :ymblushing: Same with the seventh son of the seventh son--it's a fairy tale convention that's taken and used here to explain and limit the workings of the magic; ie if you're not a seventh son, you're a Muggle or a thief or a non-human with different rules.

AJAkien wrote:Again, during a trip to the States I was able to source a copy of The Blue Sword which is now one of my favourite books ever.
Blue Sword is one of my favorites as well; probably tied with Outlaws of Sherwood. The prose sketches such vivid pictures with only a few words. (I would like Hero and the Crown even better except I read Blue Sword first and wanted more recognition/page time for Tor, and I find the ending to be severely anticlimactic after the fight with Maur. But the first half is all my favorite things rolled into a very neat and tidy package. ;))

Valia, I think it's the style and pacing in Grey Ghost that remind me of Buchan; there were a few Wodehousian moments with the characters... it'll be interesting to see how the series develops since that was the first one. :)
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby AJAiken » Jun 06, 2017 2:35 am

Lady Haleth wrote:If you loved The Blue Sword, I hope you can find the prequel, The Hero and the Crown. Its fantastic! (Its the story of the legendary Aerin and how she fought dragons).

I did manage to find it, and have read it! I much prefer The Blue Sword, though. I think I loved the world of Damar that I discovered in it so much I was disappointed that the prequel was so different in tone and landscape and culture. Also, I love the way McKinley describes how Harry discovers and falls in love with Damar, which can't easily be replicated in another tale. Perhaps I just enjoyed the first one so much that anything slightly different was a let-down. ;))

Meltintalle, Outlaws of Sherwood was good fun, and a different take on the tale, but I was frustrated by the ending. I felt it built up and built up and then ended without fully resolving anything. Other than that I can't actually remember very much about it. :ymblushing:
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Arwenel » Jun 06, 2017 9:49 am

Meltintalle - the "intuitive vs. logical" is an interesting way of looking at it.

I don't mind the callback to folklore and mythology like that, but in my opinion, you can't treat those references as self-explanatory. It would be like naming your villain Darth Vader, and then never showing him doing anything evil, just assuming that your readers will know it's the same guy from the Star Wars movies and accept that as enough reason for the hero to defeat him.

As for my thoughts on The Chestnut King --

This book was about what i expected after the first two. Same problems as before: too many characters, too little world-building, not enough information or depth to care much about what happened.

Not really sure why the characters got split up like they did -- if there was a point to most of what happened to Anastasia, Una, and Fat Frank, and any of what happened to Dotty, Uncle Frank, and the others, i missed it. Even Henrietta and Zeke didn't seem to have much to do next to Henry.

I won't say the Blackstar was a deux ex machina, but like the past two books, there wasn't enough description of ... anything, really, to make it feel like a genuine resolution. I strongly recommend Mr. Wilson become familiar with Brandon Sanderson's first law.

I'll be honest, there were a few characters whose survival i was worried about -- Henry's wasn't one of them. This isn't the first YA series to threaten the death of the protagonist in its final book, but it's a trope i would happily see die. And of course, it turns out i needn't have worried, as the only notable good guy death is that of Henry's grandmother. But seeing as very few of the characters could have had a meaningful death, based on how much i cared about them, perhaps it's just as well.

Perhaps this wasn't the author's fault, but the importance of the whole "Henry must make a choice" thing from the back blurb was seriously overblown. Another trope common to YA fiction that really needs to be handled well to be tolerable.

The epilogue was completely unnecessary. The souvenir shop with the merchandise was kind of funny, but the idea could have been done so much better, and everything after that was ridiculous.


I know i'm highlighting the negative in these reviews, but the books were a mostly enjoyable read. I'm just not sure what i found enjoyable.
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Adeona » Jun 06, 2017 4:00 pm

Arwenel wrote:Meltintalle - the "intuitive vs. logical" is an interesting way of looking at it.

I know i'm highlighting the negative in these reviews, but the books were a mostly enjoyable read. I'm just not sure what i found enjoyable.

Mel explained the 100 Cupboards working ethos quite well, I think. :) In the end, it works for some readers and not for others; my sister tried the series and fell more in line with your opinion, while I can see how it's a bit odd but enjoyed it immensely. :D Your ending comment is great - I can definitely relate to that with other books but have never quite put that situation into words.

AJAiken wrote:I just finished Beyond the Wall by Tanya Landman. It has a beautiful cover which first attracted me to it, and then then fact it was a Roman Britain-set piece meant I had to buy it. I've enjoyed reading some of Rosemary Sutcliff's books recently and this had some of that feel. I liked the characters and the twists in the story, and I'll be looking out for the author's other books.
You've sold me, that sounds straight up my alley! Beyond the Wall is going on the to-read list immediately.

I'm a few chapters from the end of Thick as Thieves!! I'd agree that in some ways it is definitely most comparable to The Thief.

To be honest, while it's a very fast-paced story I've had trouble being as interested in the plot as I've been with the preceding books. This might be because there isn't much of an overarching storyline, it's been very episodic with just the thread of on-the-run travel to connect the short little incidents and escapades. Also the characters haven't been as likeable - Kamet is constantly looking down on Costis and refusing (to an outrageous extent) to trust him. Costis, meanwhile, while still an excellent person, was far more engaging as a POV character than as the sidelined and underestimated foil he is now. The story's starting to get more interesting now that they've arrived in Attolia and details are being revealed. What a crushing update about Irene and Gen! :( I wasn't quite shocked to learn that Nahusaresh isn't dead, but the identity of Kamet's long-lost little friend was a bit more surprising (even with the handwriting hint which had given me pause for a moment). So yes, the closing chapters are improving my opinion so far, but it remains to be seen quite how much I'll like the book overall. It may be my least favorite. :|
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Meltintalle » Jun 06, 2017 4:43 pm

AJAiken wrote:Outlaws of Sherwood was good fun, and a different take on the tale, but I was frustrated by the ending. I felt it built up and built up and then ended without fully resolving anything.
ValiantArcher had the same reaction when I finally convinced her to read this version. ;)) But for whatever reason the ending appeals to me. It's not the upbeat "Hurrah the king has returned! All shall be well!" of classic Robin Hood stories--which might have been tonally awkward with the rest of the book--but everyone does survive.

Arwenel wrote:Meltintalle - the "intuitive vs. logical" is an interesting way of looking at it.
It's interesting that you mention Brandon Sanderson, since he's my go-to example of a 'logical' author. ;))

Arwenel wrote:I don't mind the callback to folklore and mythology like that, but in my opinion, you can't treat those references as self-explanatory.
Rather like how, at the beginning of Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones throws in a comment about how fairy tale conventions like seven league boots and the luck of youngest children exist in this place and then moves on with the story?

Adeona wrote: In the end, [100 Cupboards] works for some readers and not for others...
This is very true--I convinced the rest of my family to read the series with me about the time Dandelion Fire came out, and while everyone was more or less interested when Chestnut King came out, the shorthand reference to it is "that weird series". :p I don't know why it didn't tickle their fancy--I would have thought it'd appeal immensely after Gammage Cup and Phantom Tollbooth.
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby daughter of the King » Jun 06, 2017 7:27 pm

Adeona wrote:To be honest, while it's a very fast-paced story I've had trouble being as interested in the plot as I've been with the preceding books.

That was hard for me at first too. I think the biggest difference between Thick as Thieves and the previous books is that it's more about the characters than the plot. The bulk of the story is about the relationship between Costis and Kamet, with a bit of Mede culture on the side. The previous books were about the conflict between the countries as well as the characters. As much as I loved Costis and Kamet by the end, I am hoping that the next book gets us back to the plot of the entire series.

My copy of Beren and Luthien arrived a few days ago. I glanced through the illustrations (so pretty!) and the preface, but I started reading Terry Pratchett's Snuff last week and I think I'm going to finish that first.
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby Arwenel » Jun 06, 2017 11:21 pm

Meltintalle wrote:It's interesting that you mention Brandon Sanderson, since he's my go-to example of a 'logical' author. ;))


Ha, i can agree with that.

Meltintalle wrote:Rather like how, at the beginning of Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones throws in a comment about how fairy tale conventions like seven league boots and the luck of youngest children exist in this place and then moves on with the story?


More or less. I mentioned Sanderson's First Law earlier, and that basically sums it up -- if something is going to be an important part of your story, you need to explain it to your readers, even if it's based off of something pre-existing. Basing a plot element or a character in some other story can be a fun bonus for those who recognize it, or even add some depth or meaning that a reader who doesn't get the reference will miss out on, but you can't build a major plot element on the strength of a reference alone.
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby ValiantArcher » Jun 07, 2017 8:42 pm

Too bad about not being able to order TaT directly, AJ! But I know things work that way sometimes; my family has had to order things the other direction before (including books by a Canadian author!). ;))
What authors did you have trouble finding in Canada? I know there were some books that we read and enjoyed while in the UK that can't be found here...
And Mel's right - I liked a number of things about The Outlaws of Sherwood but the ending, not so much. ;))

Re: McKinley's The Hero and the Crown: I'm in the minority as I read The Hero and the Crown and hated it so much that I never picked up The Blue Sword. AJ, I think you might be the first person I've come across who disliked it too (though for different reasons, it sounds like). ;))

*reads with interest Arwenel's and Mel's discussion on logical vs. intuitive storytelling* I think you all have clarified something that perhaps gave me pause on 100 Cupboards, so thank you. ;)) Mel, do you think Ashtown is more logical, or is still rather intuitive?

Mel, you'll have to let me know how the Miss Silver series progresses; a mix of Buchan and Wodehouse sounds delightful! It looks like I can get at least some of the books from the library - but only as e-books, so that may be no good. :/

Arwenel, it's been ages since I read The Chesnut King but I think you've nailed down some of the same things that bugged me about it. I wasn't really a fan of the epilogue, either. :/

*waves to Adeona* Still waiting for a family copy to free up (and time, though now that I've finished the tome that is Words of Radiance, there's a bit more time), but I'll be curious to see if TaT falls above or below ACoK (my current least favourite).

OOOOH, DOT! :D Enjoy Beren and Luthien! I'll have to look into getting it at some point, but for now I need to work my way through some more unread-books-I-own, including some more Tolkien. ;))

Arwenel wrote:I mentioned Sanderson's First Law earlier, and that basically sums it up -- if something is going to be an important part of your story, you need to explain it to your readers, even if it's based off of something pre-existing.
OH. That makes sense, in light of some things I've read in his series that seem important but I don't have the info to make connections. ;)) The stories and characters still make sense, there's just a sense that I'm missing something.

I finished Words of Radiance. :D Overall, I liked it; there were some moments that I really loved and some I rather didn't, but that's about par for the course. ;))
SHOW SPOILER More Random Thoughts on WoR
THE CHASMS. I KNEW there was going to be more of a relationship between Shallan and Kaladin than boot-stealing and snide insults (as humourous as those were ;))) and wow! That was a life-changing field trip even Toph would've approved of. ;)) I loved how they spent the entire time thinking they had somehow saved the other using Stormlight and then completely missing when the other used/tried to use Stormlight. ;)) That said, by the end Kaladin was rather suspicious, but that probably had a lot to do with Shallan playing her cards by giving him the Shardblade.
I was amused to realize that Shallan, Kaladin, and the chasmfiend setup was reminding me of the R.O.U.S.S. scene in The Princess Bride, albeit the timing was different: "And the chasmfiends?" "I never saw one. They're not as common as people claim." *cue impending chasmfiend attack* ;))
They also played off and complemented each other well, and I hope we see more of that in the future books. I don't know Sanderson well enough to tell if we're heading for a horrible love triangle, some angsty pining, a crush turning into pure friendship and camaraderie, an established relationship, or all of the above, but I hope it goes well anyhow - I'd like them both to just be happy. XD

I was so glad Kaladin sorted things out FINALLY and realized part of honour and protecting people included protecting those you hate and disagree with; that is part of honour and justice. I was so focused on a Renarin-Tien comparison that I completely missed the fact it was going to be an Elkohar-Tien comparison we got instead. :ymblushing: In my defense, I had completely forgotten what exactly had happened to Tien... But the entire final sequence with Kaladin defending the king, speaking the words, and then showing up to save Dalinar et al. was great. :D Also, happy that he is starting to recognize at least the Kholins beyond them being lighteyes; I was also happy when he admitted that Adolin was a good man, "not just for a lighteyes".

Oh, yi, Shallan. :( I knew she'd killed her father and suspected she'd killed her mother (and the friend of the mother, maybe? It's still unclear whether her father killed the friend or if she did), but yi... I was prepared for the poison, but not for the second way in which she had to kill him; it's something I'm still trying to sort through. It was sort of defensive, but it was so clinical and cold... That said, I enjoyed seeing her come more into her own, although I'm rather nervous about her entanglement in the Ghostbloods. XD She (and, well, Kaladin) will need to learn how to trust people and not carrying things alone... And I'm hoping her brothers and Eliyat (please!) do arrive safely and can start healing... (HAHA! Does anything come so easily for anyone??? :P)

Renarin! How long was he a Radiant for??? And was he responsible for all the glyphs then, not Dalinar? That seemed to be implied but no one really said so... I am glad he's sorting a few things out and that he was fitting in with Bridge Four. :D Hopefully becoming a Radiant hasn't set that back...

And Adolin! I was so proud of him for sticking up for Kaladin and the growth he showed in trusting Kaladin (!!!) AND in controlling his temper. Also, his "I knew there was something" when he found out Kaladin was a Radiant was great. ;)) BUT THEN! He snapped, rejected his father's statement of him being a good man, killed Sadeas. and then just walked away, covering it up. :( GAH... :/ It, along with everyone else's secrets, will probably out at some point and I don't know how that will play out. It's disappointing, though.
I do wonder how he will react, though, to being the only family (...and friend, depending on how you count Shallan and Kaladin) member who isn't a Radiant (yet?). ;)) At least he can always go hang out with Elkohar and Navani if he wants some non-Radiant company. ;))

And Dalinar...Dalinar just bullied the Stormfather into bonding with him so he could be a Radiant. o_O Dalinar had his better moments (his resolution of the Amaram-Kaladin conflict), but a lot of worse ones (his entire handling of the Amaram-Kaladin conflict until that point, his talk of honour while having huge flaws of it, his blindness in certain areas, etc.)... I don't know if I liked him any better than I did in WoK...

And HA! I knew Jasnah wouldn't stay dead. :P She drives me crazy... She has her good moments, yes, but I find her irritating more than anything else. Still, a break was nice. ;))

Lift was a bit annoying in the beginning of her interlude, but I became rather fond of her and Wyndle by the middle and especially at the end. ;))

SO, a question now for anyone who knows: Can I read the collection of Cosmere short stories without having read the other series (besides the two Mistborn series)? And is Mistborn: The Secret History a short story collection or something else (I would think one of the three libraries/library systems I have access to would have it!)?
Edit: Or is Secret History in the Cosmere collection? /:)

I'm currently reading The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers and so far it's good. I know it's supposed to be a reflection/discussion about God by comparison to writers and the act of creation in writing, but I must confess I've been a bit more focused on what it illuminates about authors and how a story is created. ;))

Not sure yet what else I'll be reading. I looked into a local library reading program and was shocked to discover you only had to read 4 books to complete the adult level. o_O My mom reminded me that that's a good challenge for a lot of adults :ymblushing: but I can't help comparing it against the children/teen reading programs I did growing up, where you didn't get entered into prize drawings until you'd read at least 5-10 hours (or 500-1000 pages, depending on which way they were tracking that year) and you only completed a program when it was finished. ;)) I signed up anyway and have challenged myself to: only count new books, only count adult (no YA or children's) books, and to only count books I started after I signed up (so, The Mind of the Maker is out because I read the preface before I started, and so is WoR because I started a day or two before the program did). We'll see how it goes. ;))
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby daughter of the King » Jun 08, 2017 10:44 am

Valia wrote:SO, a question now for anyone who knows: Can I read the collection of Cosmere short stories without having read the other series (besides the two Mistborn series)? And is Mistborn: The Secret History a short story collection or something else (I would think one of the three libraries/library systems I have access to would have it!)?
Edit: Or is Secret History in the Cosmere collection?

Out of all the short stories in the Cosmere Collection I think the only you shouldn't read is The Hope of Elantris (unless you've read Elantris?). Secret History is in the Cosmere. I think it might have been released online by itself before the book was published??? Loved your thoughts on WoR. The Kaladin-Shallan team-up was definitely one of my favorite things. And Adolin and Dalinar are easily my least favorites. :p

Finished Snuff last night. It was good (as everything featuring Sam Vimes is), but I made myself sad because I finished the last Night Watch novel. :( :p
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Re: Books: 2nd Edition

Postby ValiantArcher » Jun 08, 2017 8:14 pm

Dot, thanks for the answer! :) I haven't read Elantris (or Warbreaker - anything else in Cosmere?), so I'll skip The Hope of Elantris for now. It looks like all three libraries/library systems have hard copies of Arcanum Unbounded, so chances are good of me being able to find a copy soon! :D Chances are best at the uni library - provided someone actually shelves it properly. :P (Words of Radiance has supposedly been shelved for months and yet it is never on the shelf, nor on the to-be-shelved shelf, nor even on the overflow shelves (I don't technically know if you're allowed in that area, but there's no keep-out sign and no door on the hinges, and as long as no one is in there, I'll brave it for search of books...)).
And I'm glad to know we've had similar thoughts on characters/bits in WoR. ;)) Pleased also that my thoughts were amusing and/or interesting or something. ;))

Is Snuff the last Pratchett book? :(

Still reading The Mind of the Maker - Sayers' commentary on trying to force characters to a plot and plot to characters is hilarious. ;))
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