Since I’ve been away for a while, has QT3 discussed either All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries) or Kings of the Wyld? I read both recently and thought both were fantastic.
All Systems Red is by Martha Wells (who wrote the well-regarded fantasy Death of the Necromancer back in the 90s) and is a change of pace for her, with sci-fi, robots, etc. Basically a security bot in humanoid form slips its programming leashes and… well that would be telling. It was short but very good fun IMO.
Kings of the Wyld is the most fun I’ve had with a book in years. It starts out with “Slowhand” Clay Cooper, who is working as a town guard in a small town in a medieval fantasy world where the monsters are only kept in check by bands of mercenaries (adventurers). Slowhand is retired now but he was in one of the greatest bands of the day, “Saga”. Things kick off when the band’s also-retired frontman “Golden Gabe” shows up, in pretty bad straits as his daughter is stuck in a city besieged by monsters on the far side of the continent. So of course, Gabe and Slowhand have to get the band back together… Along the way they will have to deal with jealous younger bands, treacherous agents, old resentments, a thousand miles of monster-infested forest, an invincible monster Horde, and a pissed-off dragon. It’s just as cheesy as it sounds and also just as much fun. A pure mashup of D&D fantasy and 70s era Rock Mythology. I loved it.