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Bozimus

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Everything posted by Bozimus

  1. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Baen has a really nice free e-book page run by 1632's author Eric Flint... There are many good books to be found, including "Doc Sidhe" by Aaron Allston. http://www.baen.com/library/
  2. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I agree with your golden age assessment. When I started to read fantasy seriously, we had slim pickings (Eddings, Brooks, Anthony). Now we have a wide range of excellent authors from which to choose.
  3. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished "Midnight Tides" by Steven Erikson. This is book 5 of "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" series. It took me nearly 5 months to finish it. This book is hard for me to judge...sometimes I wanted to hurl it against yonder wall. At other times, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This is the first book of this series that has afflicted me in such a manner. Why did it take me 5 months to finish this book? The problem revolves around two central characters Tehol Beddict and his manservant Bugg. I do not like it when scenes of absurd humor are frequently interlaced throughout a story of dark fiction. It is rather like having syrup-laden muzak stick its unwanted voice into my favorite Tool song. It doesn't belong (IMHO) and it ruins the mood. I found myself wishing that someone (ANYONE) would kill these characters (and all their attendant silly retainers) and remove them with extreme prejudice. In summary, this was my least favorite book (of this series) thus far. Don't get me wrong, this book had some awesome fights with some spectacular sorcery battles thrown in for good measure, but the frequent comic relief made me enjoy it less than the other books in this series. I still recommend this series for those that appreciate dark fantasy. Although I may change my mind in the future, I still rank this series as in the top 5 of fantasy series I have read to this point.
  4. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I didn't know Orson Scott Card was in NAMBLA!!!! (just kidding)
  5. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Sorry, my google-fu is weak...I failed to find your book.
  6. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished C. J. Cherryh's "Downbelow Station". This is the first "foundational" novel of her "Alliance-Union" space opera series. This is NOT the first book in the series (that would be "Heavy Time"). According to the author, these books (with a couple of exceptions) can be read in any order. From her website... "The novels in this universe, except Hellburner and Heavy Time, and Cyteen and Regenesis, can be read completely out of order...just like real history." Having enjoyed her "Chanur" series and (more recently) her "Foreigner" series, I was well-acquainted with Cherryh's style of writing. As some of you know, I am a chronology nut. I prefer to read books in their proper order. But "Heavy Time" and "Hellburner" (the two books set chronologically before "Downbelow Station", are set many years prior. I felt that DS would be the proper litmus test that would determine if I should invest in the other books. After all, DS won the Hugo award, and is considered one of Cherryh's finest books. If it failed to impress me, odds were good I would abandon the "Alliance-Union" series. With this in mind, I started with "Downbelow Station". It started a little slow (which lead me to stop reading on several separate occasions over the years) but I made a promise to myself to finish it. Before long, a vicious three-part conflict erupted that kept me riveted for the rest of the book. The ending was a little too neat/tidy for my tastes, but this is a very minor quibble. Cheryyh has a writing style that is hard to explain, but frequently succeeds. Her "Foreigner" series exhibits the most fully developed alien culture I have encountered in Science Fiction. I am glad to have started another of her series. This really scratched the space opera itch I had developed. I will probably read "Merchanter's Luck" in the near future (but not before I read another of her "Foreigner" books).
  7. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished "Devil's Cape" by our own Rob C. Rogers. This is a book set in a fictional Louisiana town that serves as a battleground between super heroes and super villains. It is hard to believe that this is Rob's first book. "Devil's Cape" was a very fun read with well-rounded protagonists and believable villains. The pacing was "spot on"...Rob seemed to spend just the right amount of time on characterization/setting before tossing in a little action to appease the action junkies (like me). Bonus for HERO fans...as the fight scenes progressed, I kept thinking about various HERO powers that were being displayed by the combatants. I could see how this might have been a long-running FTF Champs' game. In short, I devoured this book to the point where I neglected two other books so I could read more "Devil's Cape". Good job, Rob! I have only one minor quibble.... WHERE IS THE DANG SEQUEL? BOZI WANTS SOME MORE DEVIL'S CAPE! I want to thank Enforcer84 for suggesting this excellent book. Without your recommendation, I might have passed up reading this fine book. Thanks!
  8. Re: What Fiction Book (other than Science Fiction or Fantasy) have you recently finis Sounds like a fun book...
  9. Re: What Fiction Book (other than Science Fiction or Fantasy) have you recently finis Is this historical fiction or fiction set during WW2 not based on actual events/people?
  10. Re: What Fiction Book (other than Science Fiction or Fantasy) have you recently finis I recently finished "The Pale Horseman" by Bernard Cornwell. This is the second book in his "Saxon Tales" series. The first book, "The Last Kingdom" begins the tale of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a saxon boy adopted by Danes during the time of Alfred the Great. These books are the first Bernard Cornwell books I have read...they will not be the last. The author is a natural storyteller and these books are compulsively readable. The action (of which there is plenty) alternates nicely with the characterization. Rarely was I bored and never did I feel like I was trudging through pointless blather to get to the juicy parts. The protagonist is well-rounded, with flaws and far from perfect. Uhtred is a believable character. I have always been fascinated by the Viking culture and these books shed some light on their beliefs and motivations. My goal was to be entertained while learning some of the history of early England. My goal was fully accomplished. Now if I can force myself not to pick up the next book...
  11. This is a companion thread to the other "What Science Fiction/Fantasy Book...." thread but focused on fiction that doesn't fit into those other two categories. The purpose of this thread is to give opinions on recently finished fiction books so that readers can investigate those books posters like and possibly save money/time/frustration by avoiding books posters don't like. However, beauty (or ugliness) is in the eye of the beholder. One poster's "all-time-favorite" book may be another poster's "piece of wretched crap". So please keep in mind the subjective nature of the topic. Also, please use the [ spoiler ] [ /spoiler] tags as a courtesy to potential readers.
  12. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished "Boneshaker" by Cherie Priest, the first book in the "Clockwork Century" series. This book takes place in an alternate Seattle set in the 1880's...roughly 16 years after a subterranean bank robber released the Blight, a gas that turns people into very aggressive zombies. This resulted in downtown Seattle being walled up and virtually abandoned. The bank robber's teenaged son decides to enter the hellish center of the city, looking for clues that will redeem his father. Hours later, the boy's mother discovers where he has gone and pursues him. I don't want to say anything more specific, for fear of spoiling the enjoyment of future readers. This book has lots of steampunk elements. The author does a nice job of depicting the suffocating atmosphere and the desperate plight of those who remain within the walls of downtown Seattle. The characters are fully realized and the action is believable/satisfying. As I was nearing the end, I was eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next. I recommend it. I will definitely buy the novella "Clementine" and (assuming I like reading Clementine) the novel "Dreadnought".
  13. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Thanks for sharing your opinion! I think I will try to scrounge up "Howling Mad" instead. It sounds like it may be more up my alley than the Sir Apropos books...
  14. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Speaking of Peter David...has anyone read the "Sir Apropos of Nothing" series? A friend recommended it years ago, but I never found the time to pursue this series.
  15. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished reading Jim Butcher's "Changes", the 12th book in the Harry Dresden series. For those of you who haven't read the book and do not want to view spoilers... Overall, I enjoyed the book. I found it to be an average installment to a series I have enjoyed greatly over the years. It is not the best book in the series, but not the worst either. It was a fun, quick read. For those that do not want spoilers, don't click on the section below...
  16. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ranxerox, I apologize! I am completely in error... No excuse, I should have checked my facts.
  17. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... No, I don't think it is necessary, but it may prove more enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed PoG when I read it even though I had not previously read CP beforehand (to be fair, I didn't know that CP existed, much less that it was book 1, when I first read PoG in the early 1990's). However, I am considered a "completist" in the sense that I very much prefer to read series in chronological order. I have been that way since I started Stephan Donaldson's second Thomas Covenant series BEFORE reading any of the previous books. I merely wanted to point out that Horza is the protagonist of both books for others like me, who value reading series in a strictly chronological order.
  18. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ranxerox, Years ago I read and very much enjoyed "The Player of Games" (book 2 of The Culture series). Recently, I decided to re-read it but decided to start with "Consider Phlebas" (book 1 of the Culture series) instead for continuity's sake. "Consider Phlebas" has the same protagonist as "The Player of Games" and depicts events that happen before PoG. To be perfectly honest, I haven't finished "CP" just yet (stalled out during long, seemingly never ending scene with overly talkative cannibal) but I intend to return to it soon. My question is this...do you still stand behind your advice to read the Culture series in any order?
  19. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... No, the book you are talking about is probably "Forests of the Night" by S. Andrew Swann (or one of its sequels). I really enjoyed the first two books of that Swann series. "Emerald Eyes" is a book set in the near future where the UN has conquered the United States. I don't want to say much more for fear of spoiling it...
  20. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished "Emerald Eyes" by Daniel Keyes Moran, book 1 of his Continuing Time Series. I originally read this book when I was in Dallas, sometime during 1988-1990. Funny thing is...I don't remember enjoying it as much the first time I read it. Sure, I liked it well enough to read the two sequels ("The Long Run" and "The Last Dancer") but this time I mainly re-read it because I wanted to read book 2..."The Long Run"...a book I remember as being non-stop action. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself unable to switch books while I was reading "Emerald Eyes" (I normally bounced back and forth between 2-3 books). In fact, it only took me a week and a half to finish it (pretty darn fast for me, as my average is finishing 1 book per month). If you like early cyberpunk with telepathy/thievery, give the first two books of this series a shot. Avoid "The Last Dancer" as it sucks IMHO. I remember being mightily disappointed in that book... EE and LR can be hard to find in paperback, so I was pleased to find them at the fsand.com in EBook format.
  21. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... ************************************************************************************************ Today, gentle fantasy readers, George R. R. Martin announced a HARD publishing date for the long awaited fifth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series---A Dance with Dragons. That date is 7-12-2011. Check this link! http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html *************************************************************************************************
  22. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I think he is in another "lost decade"...
  23. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Academ's Fury...by Jim Butcher. I enjoyed the first book in this series (Codex Alera) and I am pleased to say that the second book does not disappoint. My friend EvilLuke once said, "This is the first fantasy series that I feel could be successfully translated into Hero without compromising too much." Having read the first two books, I must agree...in part. I do think it could be converted into Hero without a lot of compromise. I do not agree that it is the first fantasy series that this could be said. Martin's perpetually unfinished "A Song of Ice and Fire" series could be adapted, IMO. Zelazny's "Amber" series would also qualify. But I digress...in short, this book was a fun read that built up steam and roared to a satisfying conclusion. Butcher once again delivered the goods.
  24. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ah...thanks for clearing up my misconception. I just moved "Cloud Warrior" into my "soon (relatively) to be reads" pile.
  25. Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Bozimus is confused. I thought this series was unfinished? I had decided not to read the first book in this series because of that rumor...
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