Where are you in Fantasyland? December, 2012

In the Winter Court with Harry Dresden - Cold Days by Jim Butcher. And about to enter Mirkwood with The Hobbit.

In The House trying to get away from Garth Nix's Mister Monday.

Deciding between visiting Valdemar in Redoubt (Mercedes Lackey), Ancient China of Bridge of Birds (Barry Hughart) or The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.

I'm heading back to ancient Greece and going on The Odyssey.

Just finished The Night Circus, and have started Daughter of the Empire. I'm about seventy pages in, and I can tell already that this is not going to be one of my fast reads. It is very dense with detail in a masterful display of world-building. But a slow, open-eyed stroll through this world will, I think, prove highly rewarding.

Another spot on my rotation also came open recently, and the book I chose for it couldn't be more different from Daughter of the Empire: Lord of the Fading Lands, by C.L. Wilson. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Wilson at DragonCon this past year, and she was so nice to me that I vowed to check out her work, even though books shelved under "Paranormal Romance" normally aren't my thing. It does have a traditional-fantasy rather than a contemporary setting, which for me is a good thing, and it has grabbed me. I like it that Wilson is careful to point out that recognizing someone as your "truemate" and feeling that instinctive sexual desire for that someone is not the same as actually being in love with him/her. That alone places it a good many floors above Twilight and its imitators.

Reading World War Z byMax Brooks...

Back in Tortall with Beka in Mastiff.

#4 I really enjoyed Daughter of the Empire when I read it years ago. The world and characters were engrossing and the story was good. Now I am reading In a High and Lonely Place by Steven Voien about a trip through the mountains in Nepal. I think there is going to be some excitement soon. I am trying to follow the characters using Google Earth but this is a novel and some places must not be real. I can see the rivers and the suspension bridges and many of the ridges and mountains while I'm following the story.

First, I'll be finishing Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan, I'm almost halfway through since starting last Sunday.

Next up will be The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi, about the infamous serial murder killer who was active for 17 years from the late 60's to mid-80s and still who hasn't been apprehended.

Close to the end of the month, I'll start Knife of Dreams to continue my first read through of The Wheel of Time series.

#4 I read Lord of the Fading Lands (actually all 5 books in the series) a couple of years ago because I was thoroughly drawn in. I did have a turnaround after I'd finished because I was then able to critique the novels. So, in my opinion, they are engrossing but kind of problematic in the themes they promote -- which seems to be a facet of Paranormal Romance in general. The author sounds cool though!

#7 In a High and Lonely Place sounds really cool. It is set in one of my favourite places in the world! I'll check it out and see if the author handles the non-white characters with grace and empathy (they sound somewhat melodramatic from the amazon read through). What is your opinion?

I just finished reading Jack of Kinrowan. It was a fun and satisfying re-read. :)

Currently experiencing Endless Nights via The Absolute Sandman Volume 5 while also partaking of the company of Nine Princes in Amber. And because both volumes are too big to take into the bath I've also made a brief start on Vamped.

I've decided to get current with Steven Erikson and co-world creator Ian C. Esslemont, so I've started re-reading his first couple of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach (and Emancipor Reese, of course) books, with the intention of then reading the next three that I haven't read (and before anyone writes anything, I do know they're best read out of publication order). Next, I'll re-read the entire series through book 8 by Erikson, plus re-read the first three of Esslemont books where appropriate for the storyline, which will leave me 3 unread Eriksons (counting the new series) and two unread Esslemonts. I figure by the time I'm done, there'll be a new book out by Erikson and/or Esslemont :)

>4 kceccato:,9 That reminds me, I do need to get back and finish Crown of Crystal Flame someday. I agree with your assessment of engrossing but problematic, anatwork.k- I rather enjoyed them as a virtuous people vs prejudice and evil story, but I really had to suspend my irritation* at the "Fey men are traumatized warriors, Fey women are gentle healers" trope, among other things.

*It's like suspending your disbelief, but when you can totally believe the author went there.

I finished Mouse and Dragon, and am drafting a full review, but to sum up, I think I've pinpointed my problem with the novel as that it was too much a prequel to Fledgling and not enough a sequel to Scout's Progress; the focus was completely on what Daav lost rather than what Aelliana gained. I started Conflict of Honors, but decided to put it down and take a break from the Liaden universe for a little while because the pattern of troubled woman, uber-competent Korval man had become grating after three books. I'd love to read a novel about an ultra-competent Korval woman who's a Master Pilot, Master Trader, Captain of her ship beloved by her crew, Healer, and highly placed in her Clan taking in a troubled yet likable man struggling with his emotional baggage, but somehow I don't see the gender roles being flipped any time soon (much less thrown out with a book that actually focused on a same-gender couple saving the world- I appreciate the inclusion of diverse relationships among the minor characters, but it's almost more frustrating to have side character representation than no representation at all when all of the POV/main characters actually saving the world are in fate-ordained heterosexual lifemate relationships).

In any case, speaking of engrossing but problematic, I'm currently re-reading Jean Lorrah and Jacqueline Lichtenberg's Sime~Gen novel First Channel, since I recently stumbled upon its sequel Channel's Destiny which I haven't read yet. If you're not familiar with Sime~Gen, I can best sum it up as "angsty postapocalyptic psychic tentacle vampires and the psychic-energy-battery prey that alternately love and fear them." Yes, really!

These books are flawed, deeply flawed what with the blatantly homophobic bits like "channels (ie non-killing tentacle vampires) can only be vigorously heterosexual," most of the female characters being rather cardboard, and the way sympathy of the narrative usually lies with the poor vampiric Simes who feel so bad and conflicted about killing a Gen every month rather than the Gens who are the ones being slaughtered- but I forgive a lot because of the way that the narrative never forgets that the characters are not human as we know humanity, that they have different physiology and different senses and different needs, and their lives and story conflict are built around this. The concept never feels tacked on or part of an RPG campaign setting the way that magic or scientific speculation can in a lot of SFF stories, and I must admit that I find all of the invented terminology and different levels interactions between simes and gens rather fascinating.

(Okay, I also find the covers hilarious, because I can be terribly shallow- but really, look at the cover for the paperback version of Channel's Destiny that appears to feature two tentacled Victorian child mimes, a dog, and a dead butler!)

9, 12: My favorite part of Lord of the Fading Lands so far has actually nothing to do with the love story. It's the moment where Ellysetta stands up to the Queen, who is trying to make her feel inferior by making fun of her height. "I'm afraid I am still growing. Either that, or you are shrinking." After that I decided to give this heroine the benefit of the doubt even if she's going to have moments of weakness.

However, I can already sense the problems brewing, the gender divisions in Fey as well as in mortal culture. I'm also afraid the main way Elly is going to end up "saving" the magical races is by being the Bearer of the Fertile Womb, rather than through any talents or accomplishments of her own. I need to wait and see.

Another one I started just last night: Kate Forsyth's The Tower of Ravens. Now my rotation is full, the only hold-over from last month being Bujold's splendid Cordelia's Honor, which I'm loving without reservation, even though I absolutely hate the misogynistic culture in which the heroine is trapped and applaud her efforts to stand up to it any way she can.

I'm rereading The Hobbit--need I say why?

12> Hey! I think you pinpointed the problem with Mouse and Dragon exactly. I too am working on a review but very sporadically. And it will be of ALL the Liaden books at once. :)

12, 14> I have remembered that I really enjoyed Lord of the Fading Lands since the first book was quite fun, the plot was well executed, you felt you were right there with the characters and were bemoaning all their bad choices and how they were being manipulated. I think plot always was a strong point of the series as a whole. The setting was interesting but nothing out of the ordinary. It was the characters that got insane. The series became somewhat more ridiculous and Ellysetta horribly Mary Sue-ish from book 2 onwards. Which is when she single-handedly heals many (is it Elves...can't remember) males of their darkness and everyone basically falls in love with her. I still read them all though. So... :)

And some of the fertile womb stuff does happen... in a slightly unexpected form. You will find out. It is hilarious, unintentionally so, I am afraid. :)

EDIT: I am currently in (on?) Elfhome doing my third read of Wen Spencer's Elfhome. It is a favourite read of mine and even though I have a plane to catch in 24 hours I can't put it down!

>8 by @mattries37315, The Monster of Florence was a fascinating, and infuriating, book!

Fell in with a magical lot in The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

>15 anatwork.k: I eagerly await your Liaden review!

Elysetta becomes very much a Mary Sue type character, but that really didn't bother me so much because Rain was one as well- for me, it evened the playing field more than paranormal/fantasy romances normally do between their leads. Thoroughly agreed on the Fey males and females though, there are few romance tropes that irritate me more than referring to men and women as "males" and "females," though.

Still chilling out-territory with the simes and the gens in First Channel- nooo, not poor Billy! I think the religious community that views establishing as sime as a curse from God is about to show up. I am enjoying myself quite a bit.

>16 .Monkey.:, thanks for the insight, I've been looking forward to reading this book for a few years and it's finally come to the top of my to-read pile.

I'm in Still Life with Shape Shifter by Sharon Shinn.

#5 is World War Z any good? I read the 'survival guide' book which I think was also by max brooks(?), was a bit over it by the time I'd finished so never bothered with WWZ. Would be good to know if it's worth bothering.

RE WWZ: So far it's interesting, it's put together as a linked set of interviews of people by someone investigating the events that lead to what's basically a zombie apocalypse. The narrative of the storyteller is that he was part of a commission (by the government) to document the event, which created many more artifacts than could be presented as part of the report. The book is an attempt to string those unused interviews together into a novel. Overall, I like the effect - each segment is told in a different voice and is in the perspective of the one experiencing the events. The interviewer is there to ask simple questions to direct the line of questioning and put things in context time-wise. I'm about halfway through the book - I haven't had as much time lately to do my typical reading...

Still in Discworld land with The Last Continent but wonder if I have time to re-read The Hobbit by the 14th? I think I know the answer. :-)

Recently finished Cold Days. I liked it, but not as much as everyone else seemed to.

Finished reading The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. Annabeth finally gets her own POV's! It was characteristically fast paced. Quite a good read. The authors take on greek (and now roman) mythology is always inventive.

Re-reading The Hobbit now! I am at the Last Homely House. :)

Now in Lyremouth searching for a chalice in The Traitor and the Chalice by Jane Fletcher

I was in Civitas Eremiae in Devices and desires by K. J. Parker. Crapsack characters in relatively ordinary worlds seem to be that author's signature.

Then I moved to Cutter's Hollow, Miln, Krasia and assorted places in The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett, soon beginning the sequel The Desert Spear.

I've been dividing my time between the postapocalyptic religious settlement Fort Freedom where our anti-killing sime and gen protagonists are feeling increasingly uncomfortable about religion being used to make the simes comfortable with their monthly kill in First Channel and being trapped with Roca Skolia on an isolated, low-technology world Skyfall in the Skolian Imperiate, where she has not only just missed casting her votes against interstellar war, but has also discovered her love interest has epilepsy and she has none of the advanced medical technology that could treat him.

The minor background details running through Skyfall about Roca being objectified by men all the time in her society, for example having to be young and beautiful and large-chested for the crowd in her career as a dancer, seem odd to me, though, since the Skolian Imperiate is supposed to be a matriarchy founded a few hundred years ago story time in the tradition of several thousand years of matriarchal society before that- I would expect a wider range of beauty for women to be acceptable in such a society, and the objectification to be more focused on men, much in the way that one often sees older or not "traditionally handsome" male actors, singers, and so on in eg Hollywood movies in the historically patriarchal US.

>26 Morigue: How are you liking the Lyremouth books? I picked them up expecting a somewhat light, fluffy romance (as fantasy romances often are), and was pleasantly surprised by the twisty mystery, magic system based around extra senses, and the way she plays with some of the genre conventions, like magic being pretty much random instead of hereditary (and restricted to the Most Important Families) and the matriarchy Tevi comes from being neither sunshine and light because women are "naturally benevolent", and the way that affects marginalized women like Tevi as well as the men.

>28 sandstone78: I am really liking them. I wasn't sure what to expect and I'm delighted to find that they're not fluffy romances. I enjoy her take on fantasy.

I'm in Aurenen with Alec, Seregil and Sebrahn, following The white road.

I'm in Scranton, PA. Reading Hard Spell

my dog! there's a book set in Scranton? Next you'll be telling me there's one set in Wilkes-Barre....

A small part of it takes place in Wilkes-Barre

I really enjoyed Hard Spell. I've got the second book on my kindle but haven't gotten to it yet. Still in the 15 realms with Avry in Scent of Magic, which is very good so far.

I was born in W-B and my family was from there so I'll have to read that!

Finally slogged through The Hobbit. I can understand why people seem to like it but, quite frankly, there are much better writers and storytellers out there. Still picking my way through The Silmarillion. Thinking about starting Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines.

Just began The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller. So far, so good. :)

Finished The Queen of Attolia bu Megan Whalen Turner yesterday. That was fabulous!

36> I've never been able to get all the way through The Hobbit.

I'm currently aboard the Leviathan with Behemoth.

In an alternate land in Green by Jay Lake. It is slow going. I genuinely love the heroine. The peripheral characters are one-dimensional---that's the point in the story----but it makes for slow reading. So I toggle back and forth with the 3rd and final installment of The Vampire Empire: The Kingmakers. It's getting juicy!

Considering rediscovering Nine Princes in Amber

Setting off to explore Red country with Shy and Lamb.

I've always loved the original Zelazny Amber series - I recall reading those and Farmer's World of Tiers series around the same time - every different storylines but similar feel.

Visited The City of Ember, and am now leaving Valdemar of Redoubt.

@42 Always enjoyed Random :)

I'm wondering through all kinds of places in The Essential Ellison.

@43Always remembered any panels Ellison was on at conventions:)

Visiting Tirakhalod in The Empress and the Acolyte by Jane Fletcher

Just got finished circumnavigating Fairyland with September and gave it 3*** review.

Finally finished The Hobbit a few days ago. I actually love the book because of its spot-on tone of wry put-uponness that I always associate with Bilbo. I always read it very much as a child though and this time around I felt very annoyed that the Elf king (ie Legolas' dad) got any of the dwarf treasure at all. I think Thorin's position was quite valid.

Finishing up the audio version of Dance with Dragons. GRRM needs to get on the stick because everybody is in a state of peril, i.e. being led into a trap, stranded, stabbed, in hiding under an assumed identity, living with cannibals, living underground with a tree, hiding with monks, engaging in coup d'etats, in prison, freezing to death, starving, etc. I don't think I can wait another 7 years for the next one.

Finished re-reading The Hobbit; enjoyed its simplicity and now need to get out and see the movie. Also absolutely loved the Amber chronicles!

Reading Bridge of Birds, so far it's brilliant!

I keep putting off Bridge of Birds. One of these days.

Bridge of Birds is wonderful. One of my favourite novels EVER. I am fond of the sequels, also, but they're not as good.

Started The Hunter and the Hunted by Kelley Armstrong. Finished the first story about werewolves and was completely unimpressed.

I've got Bridge of Birds staring at me from my TBR pile. I almost started it a couple of weeks ago.

I'm back in the House, fighting Grim Tuesday.

> 53
I keep putting off Bridge of Birds too. Maybe it's because I like having a book on my TBR shelf to really look forward to, I'm not sure. I think I'll make it my first read of 2013.

Re: The Hobbit:
I read this for the first time when I was a senior in college, of all things. (I discovered fantasy somewhat later in my reading life than people often do.) Around that same time, I was crazy for Charles Dickens. Tolkien's style struck me as light-hearted Dickensian, so I responded to it. I still like it. I've reread it a couple of times since then. But I can certainly understand why others might not get into it. I'm glad I read it when I did, because if I encountered it for the first time now, I might be inclined to ignore it. The absence of a heroine tends to be a deal-breaker with me these days.

Speaking of which, I'm now over halfway through Daughter of the Empire, and the book is getting more and more involving. I'm used to the world by now and can navigate it with greater comfort and ease. Mara is a complex, intriguing individual and I'm always anxious to see what she does next. My only issue with it -- and this is slight -- is that it suffers a bit from "Highlander syndrome" (thanks for the new term, sandstone78), as in, when it comes to strong, smart heroines, "there can be only one." Mara is surrounded almost exclusively by men. The only woman she interacts with on a regular basis is her elderly nurse, who is something of a scolding old biddy; the only woman near Mara's own age who is given a name and developed in any kind of detail is her bad-news enemy. Do none of Mara's male allies have wives or daughters whom they value? Just where ARE the other women of this world? Are they so subservient as to be utterly invisible? I hope that sometime in the sequels, Mara will meet with a woman who's an ally and an equal.

Since my last post here, I've started two new books. The first is Tara Harper's Wolfwalker. I'm enjoying it, but it races at break-neck speed from one action scene to the next, at the expense of complex character development. I can't help wishing Harper would take a page from Feist/Wurts' playbook and slow down a little, taking some time to develop those characters and the world they live in. My favorite thing about the book is Hishn. I love Hishn. My eagerness to see more of her keeps me reading.

The second is Jim C. Hines' The Stepsister Scheme. I'm very close to the beginning of this one, so I don't have as much to say. I'm looking forward to getting a feel for the characters and their situation. I have to give Hines major props for giving us THREE interesting heroines; no "Highlander syndrome" here.

>58 kceccato:: Ooh, I just got The stepsister scheme and am about to start it too! I've heard loads of good things about the series, plus the author seems like a pretty awesome guy. I had the same issue with Daughter of the Empire as you, but as I haven't read the sequels I can't help answer your question. It was great to see Mara learn and grow into such a competent leader though.

I'm still travelling in the Red country to rescue some stolen children. Lots of mud and blood along the way.

And I'm also in Berlin visiting The autumn castle and an artists' colony.

Lots of mud and blood along the way.

Sounds like Red Country is a typical Joe Abercrombie kind of book. I still need to pick up and read The Heroes as well so thanks for the reminder.

Just finished traveling all over the place in The Fire Chronicle and posted a 4**** review.

Just starting the last of Jane Fletcher's Lyremouth Chronicles, The High Priest and the Idol.

Work has kept me more than busy, sadly, so I am still in Catherine Asaro's Skyfall and Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah's First Channel. Oddly enough, at the point in the stories that I'm at, all of the main female characters in both books are pregnant. Hmm.

>58 kceccato: Any time :) I'll make my further comments on this topic over in your new thread!

I really enjoy the Wolfwalker books and have them in the queue to re-read; I read an interview with the author once where she said that the ideas for many of her books came from recurring nightmares, and I can see that a bit when I read them. I would not recommend reading them in publication order, though; Grayheart follows Dion's granddaughter and has spoilers for Wolf's Bane and Silver Moons, Black Steel. It's a shame that Harper seems to have disappeared- Wolf in Night following Dion's daughter was supposed to be the first in the trilogy and leaves several loose ends hanging, but the other two books have unfortunately never materialized.

>62 Morigue: I'm still hoping for more Lyremouth books, but unfortunately Fletcher's website hasn't been updated since 2010, just after Wolfsbane Winter came out (which is another secondary world fantasy, not an urban fantasy as it sounds), and nothing from her is listed as forthcoming on Bold Strokes' website either. I haven't gotten to Wolfsbane Winter yet, but I enjoyed the Celaeno books a lot, so I would recommend those too.

Just finished Scent of Magic by Maria Snyder. Great story! Now I have to wait for the third book to come out!

I am in the carpet with Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People -- the revised version which is a NEW Pratchett for me! :)

Even though it is for little kids, I am enjoying it.

Just finished Among Others by Jo Walton, an LT find. I enjoyed it but it did seem as if the storyline was superfluous, with the real 'business' of the book being to pay homage to SF and (to a lesser extent) fantasy.

Odd way around, now I think of it, given that it was very definitely a fantasy story.

I now also have a huge pile of titles TBR. Although, not sure if I can trust the taste of a character that loves Heinlen who I loathe.

Have others here read Among Others? I've seen it raved about, am I the only one who found it ok but a little meh?

ps. Bother, I also now want to read The Stepsister Scheme, Mt TBR grows longer...

>63 sandstone78: Glad to hear you enjoyed the Celaeno books. I'll definitely check those out next. I've been delighted with the Lyremouth Chronicles.

>67 Morigue: I would definitely recommend them- I think they're a little bit more action/character-driven than mystery-driven, but the characterization is still there. The focus is on different characters in each book- Rangers at Roadsend, The Temple at Landfall, and The Walls of Westernfort take place in sequence, The Shadow of the Knife about twenty years earlier, and Dynasty of Rogues about ten or so later than those three; there are a lot of recurring characters between books though.

Unless you're a stickler for chronological order, I'd recommend reading in publication order, because I think it shows the development of the setting better and I didn't find that there was enough detail in later chronological books to spoil what happened in earlier books. Fair warning, also, one of the books does not have a happily-ever-after ending.

Have you had much luck with other Bold Strokes fantasy titles? I enjoyed Sword of the Guardian well enough, but seem to remember a relatively big plot hole at the end (vague spoilers- um, sure, so and so was defeated, but wasn't there also a whole enemy army nearby they should have had to worry about?), and I had mixed feelings about Broken Wings because I just couldn't quite buy the romance (it would have helped to have POV from both characters). I was looking forward to Nightshade, until I read that it ended unresolved and the sequel still has no publication date; now considering The Pyramid Waltz.

Read Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks.

Up to my eyes and beyond in Snow ( Adam Roberts), but not overly impressed, think I will have a quick trip to Middle Earth to revisit the Hobbit before the year ends...

#9 I didn't find them melodramatic, most were interesting, self-reliant, just what you might wish them to be which means maybe they wouldn't be quite like that in real life. But my sister trekked through those mountains with a guide who sounded much like these people. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the story but I really liked the descriptions of the guides and the trip. Google Earth direct X is very useful. I just finished Among the Islands by Tim Flannery (South Pacific) and I used it for that too.

I was in the Netherlands in Jesse Bullington's latest, The Folly of the World. Good book, but for most of it I didn't know where the story was going. Even now, a few days later, I still feel I missed something. The title is supposed to be taken from an alleged name for the painting, The Netherlandish Proverbs. I'm sure the author was playing with the ideas of the proverbs, but something just didn't come through for me.

> #66, no, I know how you feel about Among Others. I liked it and I liked the book references, but I didn't love it. I felt that there just wasn't enough story for the novel. And I wasn't too impressed with some of the plot tricks used by the author because I've seen it done better by others.

I'm in the Weald as I got around to reading the third book in the Chalion trilogy, The Hallowed Hunt, loving so far though I don't think I'll end up finding it as awesome as Paladin of souls.

>68 sandstone78: I thought Sword of the Guardian was decent, though I may have enjoyed it more had I not read it on the heels of Shannon's pirate book, Branded Ann.

I haven't really explored the other fantasy titles from BSB to date because I'd rather have a solid fantasy story than a fluffy romance. Not that books from BSB are automatically classified as fluffy romance....

I'm beginning to despair that Air Logic by Laurie J Marks will ever be finished/published.

I am currently reading the Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger and am finding them to be not as gratingly annoying as I remembered them to be. They are still rather too forcedly ironic but they are engaging reading.

Finally finished Catherine Asaro's Skyfall and posted a review. (My new year's reading resolution is going to be to write more reviews- maybe I'll even get around to that Mouse and Dragon one I've been drafting.)

Skyfall was well-paced and character-driven enough to be a decent read, but there was a lot of telling rather than showing- such and such is a great dancer and a great public speaker, but we never see her do either on-screen, just other characters' "wow, that was great" after the fact, similar for another character who's supposed to be a respected leader among his people, but we never see him do anything, and the government is supposed to be so controlling of the poor rich ruling characters' lives, but instead we see them doing whatever they want with absolutely no involvement from said government. Not everything can happen on-screen, of course, and I certainly don't want characters like eg the fisherman who has a fishing metaphor for every situation, but if you want me to believe your characters are experts at X and have been doing X for decades, I expect to at least see them do X at least once and see them behave as if X is a part of their life.

I picked up The Exile and the Sorcerer a few nights ago and read nearly half of the book in one sitting- had to stop as it had somehow become 4 AM. I'd forgotten how much I like that book. I'm looking forward to getting back to it as soon as I finish the backlog of other work that's been interfering with my reading time...

>66 Nemorth:, 72 I've seen the glowing reviews for Among Others as well, but I've also seen that it's supposed to be very "is it or isn't it real" about the fantasy elements, which puts me off. I don't know about others, but in general that kind of tactic just irritates me in a book (or TV/film, where I've seen it used perhaps more often- usually by the type of writer who takes "fantasy" or "supernatural" element to mean "make up whatever you like, internal consistency be damned"). I do enjoy reading Walton's reviews of older and more obscure books on tor.com, though, so I may still give it a try if a copy turns up at my local library.

Also, I'm convinced that Mount TBR is actually one of those volcanic islands that slowly grows larger whenever you're not looking.

>74 Morigue: Hmm, I'll have to try Branded Ann one of these days. I know what you mean about BSB, though, I often get that fluffy-romance-novel vibe when reading blurbs of their books (especially anything with a contemporary setting, fantasy/paranormal or not).

I've got Fire Logic and Earth Logic in my TBR pile, but I've been afraid to start in case the series doesn't get finished- I saw there was an update from July on Small Beer Press' site basically just saying there was no update. Have you read any of Marks' older work? I think it's all out of print, unfortunately, but I really liked The Watcher's Mask (a standalone) and Delan the Mislaid (first in a trilogy about a world with no humans). Her story How the Ocean Loved Margie is available free online here too. I found Elizabeth Lynn's work in Watchtower and her collection The Woman Who Loved The Moon similar with its thoughtful treatment of gender and sexuality and lyrical writing style. I still need to get back and read the two sequels to Watchtower- there's about a hundred years between books, so each one should stand alone fairly well.

I'm about a hundred pages into Spellwright. I found it hard to get into. I'm enjoying it more now, but it still doesn't have that can't put down quality. It's about a world where magic is cast through written language. The main character is a cacographer, which seems to mean that he is a magic user who is basically dyslexic in regards to the magical languages.

I'm alternating between reading Spellwright and a non-fiction on the early history of textile manufacturing and women's involvement in it, Woman's Work. Whenever I read about history, I can see the potential for the creation of a fantasy world.

I've entered the world of Celaeno in The Temple at Landfall by Jane Fletcher.

>76 sandstone78: Don't be afraid to start Marks' Elemental Logic series. They are wonderful stories and, even though I was just lamenting that the series hasn't been finished yet, I'm also glad there's still something to look forward to. I haven't read her other works yet, but plan to, and I'll be adding Elizabeth Lynn to my list.

>76 sandstone78: I like the volcanic island theory.
I actually have 2 Mt TBRs (twin peaks?), one virtual (thank you LT wishlist) and one physical, a portion of my shelving.
What beats me is the amount of times I look at either and find books I'd swear I've never seen or heard of before.

Read Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, which was fantastic. Strongly recommended.

77> Yes that is the social aspect of fantasy that I love (and my favourite part of studying history too -- how the people lived.)

I am still reading Changeless and I have got to say the standout character for me was Lord Akeldama.

I am just posting today since it is the last day of 2012 which has been rather a mixed year but fun for books and engaging in thoughtful discussions about them. :)

I've been working my way through The Belgariad since Christmas. It's a nostalgic reread, one I still enjoy from childhood, that I pickup now and then when the mood strikes. I'm on book 3, Magician's Gambit.

I've been in Merona gazing through The soul mirror. This was a terrific read, with detailed worldbuilding, intriguing characters, and a twisty plot where our narrator doesn't know who she can trust to help her through the maze of politics and magic. I've just ordered the final volume in the trilogy.

Also still crossing Red country; I left the book at work over Christmas and hope to finish it this week.

I loved The Soul Mirror, in fact the whole trilogy. I enjoy the reverses and strikign character depth that Carol Berg works into her stories, and wish there were more authors who write books with that sort of depth. I am always seeking that quality - I place Berg with Guy Gavriel Kay and C. J. Cherryh on my must buy list. Recommendations?

I'll be ringing in the New Year with heretics & spies behind The Walls of Westernfort.

I'm in the seaside town of Cytheriae, where disquiet rises as some people are strangely murdered, more deadly creatures than usual are seen, and famine and disease threaten making people look for scapegoats.

Athmospheric, some kinks in the writing and editing but liking it so far.

Trying to finish my trip to Sime territory with Rimon Farris, the First Channel, before the new year so I can up my rather paltry books finished count for 2012.

>77 pwaites:,81 On the flip side, reading history also sheds light on some of the social simplifications authors sometimes make in their created worlds too, for example political intrigue/war-based fantasies where diplomats and women seem to be absent. My favorite fantasy and SF books

>78 Morigue: I do know the feeling of not wanting a series to end! I'll have to dig out my copies in the new year.

>80 beniowa: I've heard good things about that, but the setup with the young, lone male superhacker with a troubled love life against the government trying to censor him sets off warning bells for me- are there any major female characters who aren't love interests or background motivation for the male main character?

>84 JannyWurts: The couple of Robin Hobb books I read, Assassin's Apprentice and Assassin's Quest, reminded me strongly of Carol Berg for the way both of them really put their characters through an emotional wringer. I can't think of anyone else similar to Berg I've personally read offhand, but from what I've heard maybeMartha Wells' Ile-Rien books or Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion books would be along the same lines?

I've always preferred Cherryh's sci fi to her fantasy, at least to The Paladin, the Ealdwood duology, and the Morgaine books- haven't tried the Fortress series yet)... For similar sci fi, try Sarah Zettel's Fool's War and Melissa Scott's Mighty Good Road or Dreamships for well-constructed worlds with a focus on middle/working-class characters and some interesting thoughts on the nature of humanity, Melisa Michaels' Skyrider books or Helen S. Wright's A Matter of Oaths for conflict between different groups of humanity a little similar to Alliance/Union, Margaret Davis' Mind Light and Minds Apart (which was left open for a sequel that never seems to have arrived!) for a down on his luck guy who gets taken in by a family merchant ship and caught up in events over his head involving alien contact and the way that changes him psychologically.

Maybe Tara K. Harper's Lightwing for something similar to the Chanur universe with its weird aliens, plot driven by interpersonal conflict, and similarly immersive third-person style. Jane Fancher's prose style seems close to Cherryh's as well, I know they have worked closely, but I haven't read any of her work yet; it seems a bit more toward science-fantasy than Cherryh's work. I have works by Valerie J. Freireich and Maureen F. McHugh on my shelf as well that reminded me of Cherryh when I picked them up to browse, but haven't read them yet.

87> Yes, reading history does make me notice issues with world building. The absence of diplomats is especially noticeable - many wars seem to start too easily. As for women, maybe the authors are leaving the readers to assume the presence of female characters. After all, the male characters must come from somewhere?

Learning history is similar to the that way that learning geography makes one wonder about all those fantasy maps - there seems to be no logic to the placement of some of the deserts. Many are by the sea, which should be bringing some moisture into the area. I suppose you can write it off with wind patterns, but I've never yet read a world where the author bothered to do so.

8> I finished Knife of Dreams before the end of the year which I didn't expect to accomplish when the month began.

For the year I've read 28 books (finishing 1 started in 2011 and 27 compete) for a total of 14,978 pages. Both are personal bests, especially since the highest totals previously were 11 (2005) and 5207 (2011).

>88 pwaites: I don't know, I do wonder sometimes if fantasy heroes in some works aren't the parthenogenetic offspring of Male Heroic Destiny, or just spawned in peasant villages or castles like monsters in online RPGs. It's a little suspicious when all of their parents are dead, isn't it?

With maps, I will also note the suspiciously bracket-shaped mountains around Modor on the map of Middle-Earth- or, hmm, is that a little part in the middle? Perhaps it's a capital E, for "EVIL." National boundaries also seem to be pretty random, if other countries are acknowledged as existing at all- often they aren't when only one kingdom is at stake.

Just finished Warhost of Vastmark by Janny Wurts which was awesome.

#87 - Sandstone 78 - thank you for the rec. list. I had read (and loved) most of the authors on it already. I've taken note of the following: Melissa Michaels,Helen S. Wright, Margaret Davis, Tarak Harper, Valerie J. Freirich and Maureen F. McHugh as they are new to me. I'll let you know how I fare with them.

#90 - I believe (if I recall correctly) the 'manufactured' look of the mountains surrounding Mordor was actually because they WERE manufactured....any experts about to confirm this, I read Tolkien so long ago.

#91 :)

92 - Not that I am an expert, but I think you are right about the mountains around Mordor having been manufactured (for Sauron to work his evil in secret...) so that's alright.

Also, on the subject of maps, Stephen Briggs was making the Discworld Mapp and had issues of geography pointed out to him by TP. So some authors do worry about this. But yeah, the generic epic fantasy usually fails at a whole host of things students of anthropology, history, geography, economics, etc could point out. I guess that is where the interests of world building come up against just getting on with telling and developing the story -- not everyone wants to spend 27 years building their world and has the expertise of a chair in dead languages at Oxford (with the resulting IQ). But how awesome would that be? :)

>92 JannyWurts:,93 Interesting! I had always wondered- it seemed a strange oversight given the detail Tolkien put into other things. I admit to a general Middle Earth ignorance other than a couple of attempts to read through The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as a child and then again in college that mostly ended in skimming. Tolkien's work unfortunately doesn't seem have the resonance with me that it does with many other readers, though I respect the influence it's had on the genre and many authors whose work I enjoy.

You're very welcome for the recs, Janny, I hope you enjoy them! Unfortunately, I think most of them are out of print, but I did see recently that Helen S. Wright has re-released A Matter of Oaths as an e-book free for download on her website.