I enjoyed the second Age of Madness book more than the first. A lot of surprising events for those new characters. I was expecting some of them to happen at the end of the trilogy, but certainly not at the end of the second book. You need to get a kindle so you can read it before July.
You mentioning that there doesn’t seem to be much of a plot is interesting. I’d say that carries over into the second book and may actually be what Abercrombie is trying to convey. These characters can plot and scheme, but in the end are simply caught up in a tide out of their control.
I will recommend you give Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels a look. I’ve read the first two and they are very good. The first one is called Slow Horses:
London, England: Slough House is where the washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what’s left of their failed careers. The “slow horses,” as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated here. Maybe they messed up an op badly and can’t be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle—not unusual in this line of work. One thing they all have in common, though, is they all want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there─even if it means having to collaborate with one another.
As you might imagine, there’s something a bit more interesting headed their way.
Thanks for refreshing my memory of the Slough House series, Mark. I read the first couple of books a while back and enjoyed them greatly, and now there are some more out. I will have to remember which I’ve read and move on to the new stuff.
Or maybe it’s long enough to re-read the first few…
Anyhow, these are good quasi-espionage books, similar in some ways to LeCarre, but much more “down-at-heel” with a very vicious sense of dry humor. Highly recommended.
You knew that someone would eventually find out, almost from the start, and it was certainly something to look forward to. I can also see several things at the end play out in a way Bayaz could restart things at the end of the third book if Abercrombie wanted it so.
Yeah, I tracked both down and read them as well. Great little short stories. I’d recommend reading them either right before people read Network Effect or right after. Either way works.
Has anyone ever read Lonesome Dove? I never read or watched the TV mini series and recently I have read some writers & reviewers stating that it is one of the best books ever written.
Thinking maybe giving either the book or the TV mini series a try though leaning more to reading the book once I catch up a little on my reading backlog.
I read Lonesome Dove, as well as Streets of Laredo. I think there may have been one or more other sequels as well, but I don’t believe I ever read them. It was a couple decades ago, but I do remember really enjoying those books.
Well, I finally got the Baroque Cycle off my reading list. Neal Stephenson does historical fiction, with the emphasis on both parts - lots of real people and places for the history, and plenty of behind-the-scenes additions for the fiction. I really enjoyed it, though as with all of Stephenson’s work it’s so long that you have to really preserve to make it through. The characters are mostly great - particularly Eliza - and the climax of each part of the story is interesting and exciting - even when it’s a result of intrigue and there’s not much actual action happening. Definitely worth reading for fans of historical fiction, just make sure you set aside plenty of time for it.
I got about 1/3 of the way through KSR’s Ministry for the Future and gave up. I really really like KSR sometimes, and others he’s an insufferable bore. This is the latter. I don’t mind philosophizing conversations between characters–I think it’s part of what he does that is interesting. But here you have characters make a point and then address it again and then again and then again and again. Dear god, we get it. We know what terrorism is. And I am still having trouble stomaching your justifications for it, even when you’re arguing both sides.
The novel is also somewhat epistolary, which is the sort of thing I have to gear myself up for and has more trouble retaining my interest. I prefer a straight narrative most of the time. Anyway, I’m also in the process of working through Robert Jackson Bennet’s City trilogy (City of Stairs, City of Blade, etc.) It’s quite good and I’m enjoying it, though now I’ve read enough fantasies of this sort that I can see how the plots are structured and once you see the bones of something, it’s hard to unsee it and just enjoy the story.
Holy shit you guys. How did you Cradle fans know this series was going to get so good later in yet-to-be-released novels? You guys are seers, that’s how.
Spoiler comments on the very ending of Wintersteel.
It always felt like a series that would have to go on for much longer. I had no idea that in the space of one book that perceived distance would be shortened so drastically. Or that it could be.
I just had a discussion with malkav about Morrowind about how feeling like you broke the game mechanics and cheated can be a thrilling feeling until you realize it means the rest of the game is no longer a challenge. Well, I had no such compunction in a book. When Yerin did what she did at the end of her last round, it was that feeling of excitement. Certainly a feeling I’ve never felt before in this series.
And then at the end, bringing back Jai Fucking Long, so all the hours I spent trying to get through his chapters weren’t a waste after all? Chef’s kiss. That’s just perfect for an ending.
I can’t wait for Bloodline, any announced timeframe for that yet?
As I understand it, Will has taken time off from writing, at least until March. He had some health issues due to working too many hours. Bloodline is supposed to be pretty far along, so hopefully when he starts writing again it won’t take too long.
On the recommendation of @inactive_user, I had read the Red Rising trilogy a couple of years back, give or take. I enjoyed it a lot. But even though Book 4 was out, and Book 5 was about to come out, I felt that Book 3 was a good ending to the story, so I left it there.
Amazon recently gave me $6 discounts that I could spend only on this series, weirdly enough, so I said fine and I bought book 4 and 5.
I’m starting Book 4 (Iron Gold) and I have no idea who any of these various characters are anymore. I liked the series, but not enough that I’m ever going to reread it. So after one chapter I’m just hoping that Darrow leaves behind these old characters and the book introduces new characters instead, since it can’t be bothered to refresh my memory about the old ones.
I would think there is probably a summary of the story somewhere like cliff notes? As I get older that would be wonderful to have when trying to get back into a series.
You are reading the original trilogy, which is complete. There is a new trilogy that takes place after the original first 3 books but is only two books complete. I am waiting on the last one before starting in, I was a big fan of the first three.
