What I am reading

[mllelaurel]

It's been a good month for book intake. So far, I've finished eight books. Unfortunately, I may be hitting a slump now. I'm currently at Athyra in the Dragaera series, and people Were Not Kidding when they said it was the most godawful boring thing to ever fall off the shelf. Outside of a series, I would have abandoned it a long time ago, but it's got books I'm much more likely to enjoy following it, like Dzur or Issola. I got through Phoenix (which I found more of a chore, personally, than Teckla). I can do this.

Another book I'm reading at the moment is Eat, Pray, Love - which is good, but badly timed on my part, as I'm currently not in the mood for nonfiction. So that's going slowly.

I just finished Melissa Marr's Ink Exchange, which I liked well enough, but I'm unlikely to pick up other book in the Wicked Lovely series, since the main reason I liked IE is due to the protagonist, Leslie, who doesn't seem to be appearing much in the other books.

Man, I want the sequel to The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms to be out already. Or my library chain to pick up Shades of Grey (sequel to Black and White), which is out. Or the next book by, say, Jacqueline Carey or Jim C. Hines. Who've just had books come out this summer. What? I didn't say I was being reasonable.

Comments

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I'm rereading the Dragaera series, and I just flat out skipped Athyra this time around. Orca really explains all you need to know about the plot, but if you want, you can skip to the end of Athyra and see what all the tragedy is about, then move on.

Oddly enough, I like Phoenix more than Teckla.

Still, Vlad's a jerk. Loiosh is vastly more personable -- too bad no one but Vlad can hear him.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. I was hoping I could skip the bloody thing. I'll come back to it when I'm feeling masochistic.

I honestly have no problem with Vlad being an ass on occasion. It's intentional on the author's part, and he's funny, which makes up for a multitude of sins. Really, I'd have more of a problem with a similar character from that setting who was nice. For one thing, I wouldn't buy it.

[darkoni]

If you haven't read it before, try The Pheonix Guards and the other books in that series. It's the same world, set before the Interregnum, done in more of a Three Musketeers style. Mica, the servant of the girls' school in School for Young Women, was pulled from that book. He's a Teckla.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

Alas, I've already read all the Khaavren Romances. And now there aren't anymore. :(

I know! I squeed when I saw Mica on the potential characters list. Yay obscure (is Dragaera that obscure?) fandoms!

[nevacaruso.livejournal.com]

I've got several books going right now, including Red Hood's Revenge, which is awesome, and which I look forward to finishing so we can talk about it!

Or my library chain to pick up Shades of Grey (sequel to Black and White), which is out.

I have been checking for that book with embarrassing regularity. I am very close to actually buying it.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

Red Hood's Revenge was quite awesome. Sadly, I've long since finished it and won't have the next book till next year.

Shades of Grey is exactly what I need right now. Hardly great literature, but fast-paced, and with good characters.

[nevacaruso.livejournal.com]

The next book looks amazing, though. Damn them for teasing us!

[captainecchi.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall Athyra picks up when Vlad gets stabbed in the lung and obnoxious-Teckla-boy-whose-name-I-don't-recall has to figure out how to save his life. Still, I dislike the change of viewpoint character--Vlad's awesomeness is why I read these books.

But important stuff that happens in Athyra? Um. Is that where we figure out that Aliera spend 500 years hanging around in a stick? I can't remember.

But definitely don't miss Orca--big spoilers there. Oh, and Khaavren's in it. Sorta.

And I'm going to break ranks with the comments above and say that I enjoy the Vlad books a helluva lot more than the Khaavren Romances. They're just infinitely more readable. I still haven't read Sethra Lavode, because I just can't stand more Paarfi-speak. It certainly has its moments (Adron's demise; Zerika's trip through the Paths of the Dead, young Morrolan thinking he's an Easterner, etc), but overall I'd much prefer Vlad's jerkiness, I guess. At least he has an inner monologue.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

I think the revelation of where Aliera's been is in Taltos. Or possibly somewhere in the Khaavren books. Or maybe I've just been spoilered and forgot.

Good to know that it picks up!

Yeah, I've definitely heard good things about Orca.

In terms of voice, I'm with you. However, the plot of the Khaavren Romances has been consistently good to the end, whereas the Vlad books are either awesome or tedious - they don't seem to have a middle ground.