Recomended books continued

Mr_piechee · Post by **Mr_piechee** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:49 pm

A long long time ago I read through this thread, and bought Elric Of Melnibone.

This was an awesome book, and i was wondering if any other books in the series are as good?

[babble]I'm currently reading the black library Darkbalde book, and although i hated the beginning I'm really getting into it now. (i think it was about 100 pages in where i thought "what is this rubbish, and who writes a book like this" but then it got much better a few chapters on). I pretty much only read fantasy stuff, and i don't read much (i manage to get through about one book a year, although i might beat that this year if i finish Darkblade anytime soon!). I loved some of the disk world novels when i was younger too, and recently(ish) read soul music, which i think is my favourite of the series so far.
I realised about a year ago that I don't read anything not on the internet that isn't work related, and have tried to make an effort to start reading more books while at uni - i'm not doing great at it but I'm doing better![/babble]

Red... · Post by **Red...** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:27 am

Corum by Michael Moorcock is excellent, one of my all time favourites

You can't really enjoy warhammer chaos and its rich background unless you've read it.

Belial · Post by **Belial** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:58 am

I am very much into Neil Gaiman currently. I had read his "Sandman" comics previously, and a year ago, I got my hands on "American Gods", a great, though slightly... unfinished book, that tells the tale of ex-con Shadow. He is released from prison, to discover that his wife is dead. On the plane to her funeral, he meets the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday, and with nothing left in his life, he agrees to work for him, a decission that take Shadow on quite a journey.

I can heartily recommend "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Fragile Things", two collections of short fictions by him. The former even has a short story connected to Elric of Melnibone. They are dark, romantic, funny.

"The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie is one of my all time favourite books. I tried reading "Shalimar the Clown", but it didn't really reel me in. The Satanic Verses is about two intertwined destinies. Two indians whose lives takes a sudden turn when they both end up on the same crashing airplane. Occasional "flashbacks" to different points in history that are, in essence, the history of Islam, mingle with the actual plot, to tell a tale that is as symbolical as it is important.

"One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night" by Christopher Brookmyre is an ourageously funny little gem. If you like action movies, then you are gonna love this. Just to quote from the backcover: "...the touching story of what unfolds when the former pupils of an ordinary Glasgow high school are reunited after fifteen long years; reminiscense, reconcilliation, old secrets, rekindled passions, joy, laughter, hijackers, murder, vengeance, machine-guns, rocket-launchers... that sort of things."

Venkh · Post by **Venkh** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:59 am

You should also read Hawkmoon. Definately a few influences there especially near the end

I would agree on Corum very light reading, lots of action.

On a non Fantasy note I would recommend the Flashman novels. You get the Victorian world warts and all, all through the eyes of a mysoginist, racist, coward and bully. Watch out kids! Be prepared for some seriously shocking language!

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:50 am

If Moorcock's name is on it it's worth reading.

Mr_piechee · Post by **Mr_piechee** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:39 am

Does anyone know where to get corum from? Both waterstones and amazon only have used copies... It seems the beginning of the series is out of print.

In the previous topic the "A Song of Ice and Fire" was mentioned allot - is it of similar style, and as good?

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:37 pm

Get the Fantasy Masterworks publication of it, there's three books in one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corum-Prince-Sc ... 233&sr=8-1

Mr_piechee · Post by **Mr_piechee** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:12 pm

i guess thats the same as this one. Amazon arn't selling either though, only used copies, and one new one for almost £18! i think i got Elric Of Melnibone for £6 or £7

Venkh · Post by **Venkh** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:01 pm

That the one I've got. There is a second trilogy as well. Had em for years and they are both excellent.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:03 pm

If you want to take a trip over here I can aim you at shops that have it in stock right now ;p

Mr_piechee · Post by **Mr_piechee** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:28 pm

are there many shops in the deepest pits in a hell of your own making? I suppose that if its a hell of your own making then the stereotype of hell being on fire may not be the case, so books might survive... But shops in hell kinda hints that hell isn't all that bad...

A little off topic there

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:30 am

Too many books, sooooo very cheap.

And yet my wallet is empty....

Belial · Post by **Belial** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:55 am

I just picked up "A Game of Thrones" today. I look forward to going on the can later, to get started on the book.

Druchii77 · Post by **Druchii77** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:18 am

Have any of you read the E.E. Knight "Vampire Earth" series or the Black Company books by Glen Cook? These both look interesting, but I haven't heard much about them.

Post by **Loki** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:43 am

I got 2 books for Christmas. Stephen Colbert's I am American and So Can You, which is funny and a good read, if you enjoy his show. And I got Stuff White People Like, which is also a good humorus read.

Mr_piechee · Post by **Mr_piechee** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:35 pm

Well, between me and my dad we've now got the first 4 A Song of Ice and Fire books, so i'll power though them and report my thoughts back. Dads starting first so i'll have to wait untill i get back home before i start.

I'll have a look into the Vampire Earth earth stuff. Before twillight i loved pretty much every vampire film i'd ever seen - Never read and books about them though... (slightly off topic, day breakerslooks like it might be good!)

Siby · Post by **Siby** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:24 am

The Song of Fire and Ice books are amazing. Truely epic reading. You just get sucked into the world. But they are not light and there is a lot of commitment to reading them in terms of remembering who is who etc.

On a lighter note, I recently read the Black Library 'Blackhearts' omnibus and it was surprisingly good. I didn't have my hopes high after other B.L. novels but the characters in this had some actual character and the plots twisted gently but nicely.

Mazrim taim · Post by **Mazrim taim** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:46 pm

Has anybody ever read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan? That series is just a work of art. I haven't read a book that compares.

Asikari · Post by **Asikari** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:30 pm

Of people I've talked to, there have been two schools of thought on the Wheel of Time series - it's either good or really, really bad. I actually generally satisfied with the author they pulled to finish the series. The editing needs a little work.

Song of Fire and Ice: It took me a while to wrap my head around it. I enjoyed the first three books more on the 2nd read-through.

Jaqueline Cary's Scions of Kushiel series is very interesting - a different take on a fantasy setting. I've enjoyed the writing style a lot. The content can get kind of racy.

If you want something to twist your brain, begin reading Steven Erikson's Malazan: Book of the Fallen series. A friend of mine severely dislikes it. It's taken until Book 9 (I think that's where I'm at) to finally understand some of the world mechanics.

Jack Whyte wrote a Artherian cycle beginning two generations before King Arther. The first two books were great. The next three good, and it kind of went downhill from there as Jack Whyte lost the focus and direction he intended from the beginning.

Anything by David Eddings is "classic" fantasy. Unfortunately, once you've read one of his series, you've read them all.

Those are some of the fantasy series I'm slowly working through.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:55 pm

Mazrim Taim wrote:Has anybody ever read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan? That series is just a work of art. I haven't read a book that compares.

Eh... if you get to the point where you need an entire book to fill the role of the prologue chapter in any other fantasy series you've done something wrong.

Belial · Post by **Belial** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:24 pm

Belial wrote:I just picked up "A Game of Thrones" today. I look forward to going on the can later, to get started on the book.

Holy c***, George RR Martins series is crack in words-on-paper form.... I just bought the fourth(third, technically) book today in the series.
THANK YOU to Mr_PieChee for mentioning it, which was what piqued my curiosity.

Mr_piechee · Post by **Mr_piechee** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:46 pm

no problem! stupidly i let my dad read them first so i haven't got into any of them yet! going home at the end of the week though so i'll pick them up then!

van Awful · Post by **van Awful** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:39 pm

I thought Joe Abercrombies first law triology was pretty good.
His new book "best served cold" was just awesome!

I heard Martins mentioned before, i think i might just look in to it!

Archangel · Post by **Archangel** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:15 am

one writer i have read since i was 13 was a bloke by the name of Raymond Fiest and the book Magician and its series, ive continued to read all his books since and only now have they started to decline just a bit with the storylines but since its been going for a damn long time i sure as hell dont mind and they are still a great book.

another name that came to mind is Tony Shillitoe and the Ashuak chronicles (im sure thats how its spelled), maybe a bit thick for light readers but deffinatly awesome reading

van Awful · Post by **van Awful** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:17 pm

Feist rules,
i'm waiting for his latest book to come out in the right edition to continue my collection!