The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books Thread Book • Page 59

And like, you're not going to go wrong reading all the cosmere books either, so if it were me, I'd start with Elantris and just work through them in publication order. But yeah, if you want to just dive into The Way of Kings, that'd be fine.

 

Starting from the beginning seems so daunting. I feel like I'd fall off way before getting to WoK

 

My first (non-WoT) Sanderson was Way of Kings; I don't think you lose anything as long as you start at the beginning of *something*. I think I read the majority of the Cosmere between 2015-2018.

 

Sure, though I'd point out that with Stormlight you're still getting into a 10-book series with massive volumes and interspersed novellas, haha. But I hear you. I'll point out that a lot of the different worlds in the cosmere are different enough in tone/characters that you might not be burned out. But this

is also a fair point for sure. Ultimately, just go with the start of whatever series excites you more, I think.

In a semi-related note, although I love bingeing through a series as much as the next guy, I've really been enjoying lately giving myself some time between books in a series, the way I'm forced to if I'm caught up and have to wait a couple years for the next one to be published. That natural buffer is nice for keeping my interest without feeling overwhelmed in a given world, and I think I'm able to appreciate the next cosmere book, for example, if in between I've read a variety of other stories with other things going on.

 

My advice: read way of kings, if you love it then pause Stormlight and read Warbreaker. It's a fairly short, easy read comparatively and it will make a couple parts of Words of Radiance hit a little harder.

I don't think you need to read Elantris or any Mistborn before reading the way of kings.

 

Just finished Babel and, wow. What an incredible literary work. This is definitely going to be on college curriculums in the future. I'm in awe of the linguistic excellence exhibited. The story too. Superb all around.

Edit: I highly suggest the audiobook. The narrator is incredible.

 

Been a little while since I've said hi to you guys, so hi! How's everyone doing? What are you all reading? What's coming up in the next few months that you're excited for?

Right now I'm reading The Shining, as well as an HP Lovecraft collection. I'll do Laird Barron's The Imago Sequence next, probably some Edgar Allan Poe to round out the month. I've got Terry Brooks's Daughter of Darkness arriving today, and next month is The Lost Metal by Sanderson. I've also got a couple of books in my queue to get to through the end of November (Hunger of the Gods, Fracture in the Qwisdeep, Soulsmith, Riders of the Sidhe, Rise of the Mages). And then December will be Dawnshard and Rhythm of War, the final The Dark Is Rising book for Christmas, and probably something cool between Christmas and New Year's too.

There are a handful of books from 2022 that I'll still need to get to in early 2021. On my anticipated releases list for 2023 so far are James Rollins's The Cradle of Ice in February and Greg Keyes's The Basilisk Throne in April, as well as the Sanderson secret projects, but that's it so far. Need to do a deep dive into release dates and start filling out that list.

 

Still plugging through the Gentleman Bastards, currently nearing the end of book 2. I actually am thoroughly enjoying it even though the whole heist thing has never really been my cup of scotch.

Peer pressure and FOMO might force me into reading Fire & Blood, just so that thread becomes a little more bearable lol

 

I just finished the Jade trilogy, which is amazing, and I am now listening to the second Rook & Rose book, which I find hard to follow because I don’t remember enough details from the first one despite reading summaries (it’s still good though).

I’m looking forward to the third Rooks and Ruin book this winter.

 

I'm a slow reader but currently on book 4 of WoT. Things are progressing faster than they have at other times in the series, but it still is such a slow burn for me.

 

Finally getting caught up on Skyward. Just finished the first two novellas and started Cytonic today. Kinda overwhelmed with options that I bought myself for what to do next, but The Lost Metal will definitely start day of release.

 

I have some thoughts on the Riftwar Cycle 12 books in. I'm at the Serpentwar Saga which is basically what everything so far has been leading to, so that's been great. I'm basically of two minds when it comes to this series. The books have two aspects, familiar to fantasy fans but I think the dichotomy between the two is greater, there's the what the mortal people are doing, with their little wars and their little problems, and then there's the cosmic god drama (a la Cosmere). The mortal stuff has a wide range, best when he's writing with a co author, but his solo stuff can get pretty boring. Every book needs to introduce new young characters that have to go through their cliche YA coming of age stories before they can get to the good stuff. I've been over that shit for a long time. David Gemmell and Stephen Erickson also consistently introduce new main characters but I think that it works for them because their characters are on their "second stages." They've already done the things that made them heroes, now we show how they become legends.

Where the series truly shines is in the big cosmic stuff. Creation of the Universe, Gods, Magic...every chapter that reveals more information about the universe is just absolutely mindblowing and some of the best creation stories I've read. He almost takes a Sanderson technological approach with the Gods, making them sound more like science than magic. And generally once the mortals get over their origins stories, the wars do end up getting pretty damn good.

The other thing I started reading was Horus Rising, from the Warhammer 40k universe. I know absolutely nothing about the Warhammer universe, other than its like sci fi mixed with fantasy, but I'd been in the mood for military sci fi and it seemed like it might be fun to dip my toe in. Ends up, I'm kind of in love with this first book and it's a million times better than I expected it to be, being an licensed product. It's possible that it's just because Dan Abnett is a good writer (I loved his Guardians of the Galaxy), I'll have to see if I like the next one since it's a different author. I'd be really happy if I dug this series, since there's like a zillion books.

 

I like to hear that since I've put off reading it because I'm not a heist fan.

 

I love heists and had no desire to keep reading after Lies of Locke Lamora, oddly enough.

 

I started reading The Eye of the World again, and I love the slow burn. I keep putting off The Two Towers because I want that cozy, lived-in fantasy feeling to last longer. I think a 14-book series should be enough?

 

what made you stop?

 

Nothing really grabbed me enough in the characters or world to continue. It's been a couple years and honestly, I remember very little about it. And reading the summary doesn't bring any of the little things I do remember back.

 

I’m around halfway through Empire of the Vampire and listening to the Iron Crown!

 

How’s empire of the vampire??

 

I went in with no expectations and surprisingly enjoying it! Very detailed but full of twists and turns. About half way through now.

 

Have you read any of Jay Kristoff's other books?

 

I read the Illuminae trilogy that he co-wrote with Amie Kaufman.

 

I have not! Finished EotV and I really enjoyed it.

 

I’m halfway through words of radiance and love it so far, here to recommend shadow/hunger of the gods because that shit rules

 

John Gwynne is one of favourite writers and if nobody here has read Faithful and the Fallen then you're missing out!