Narilka redacts her reading in 2026 - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2, 2026 edition!

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Highly enjoyable, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! The book may not be perfect but it was perfect for me. Possibly a new favorite.

A star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Currently Reading


Listening To

Books Read in 2026
1. Magic & Murder by Annabel Chase
2. Witchlight by Susan Dennard
3. Vainqueur the Dragon by Maxime J. Durand
4. The Phoenix Unchained by Lackey & Mallory
5. God's Junk Drawer by Peter Clines
6. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
7. Twelve Months by Jim Butcher
8. Vainqueur the Dragon 2 by Maxime J. Durand
9. Born Different by V Nator
10. Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
11. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
12. Vainqueur the Dragon 3 by Maxime J. Durand
13. The Phoenix Endangered by Lackey & Mallory
14. Predator One by Jonathan Maberry
15. Vainqueur 4 by Maxime J. Durand
16. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
17. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
18. Kill Switch by Jonathan Maberry
19. Magic & Mystery by Annabel Chase
20. You Are Summoned by Dean Henegar
21. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
22. Joust by Mercedes Lackey
23. A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
24. The Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell
25. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
26. Dogs of War by Jonathan Maberry
27. The Phoenix Transformed by Lackey & Mallory
28. Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
29. Deep Silence by Jonathan Maberry
30. The Wizard's Cat by Nathan Lowell
31. Thud! by Terry Pratchett
32. Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase
33. The Baker's Boy by JV Jones - DNF
34. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

Fun Stats
Books Read: 34
Total Pages Read: 6944
Audio Book Hours: 236h 46m
Rereads: 9
TBR Challenge: N/A

2026 Series Stats
Started: 6
In progress: 16
Up to date: 18
Undecided: 8
Completed: 5
Abandoned: 2

Mount TBR
Start 2026: 268
End 2026: ?

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
Keeping my never-ending series list going for yet another year.

Series Stats Summary
Started: 6
In progress: 16
Up to date: 18
Undecided: 8
Completed: 4
Abandoned: 2

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 7/8
Discworld: City Watch - 7/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 3/5
Discworld: Overall - 33/41
Temeraire - 2/9
World of the Five Gods - 2/3
Space Team* - 5/11
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 2/5
Of Cats and Dragons* - 1/5
Spells, Swords and Stealth* - 4/5
Beaufort Scales Mysteries - 4/8
The Magical Mystery Book Club - 1/9
Nine Lives Magic - 1/13
World of Chains* - 1/5
Starry Hollow Witches* - 3/19
Dragon Jousters - 1/4

Up to date and waiting
5-minute Sherlock* - 3/3 - #4 TBD
World of the Others - 3/3 - #4 TBD
Mystwick* - 3/3 - #4 TBD
The Locked Tomb - 3/3 - #4 TBD
Aurelia Ryder - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Innkeeper Chronicles - 5/5 - #6 TBD
Kate Daniels Wilmington Years - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Dresden Files - 18/18 - #19 TBD
The Iron Covenant - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Bobiverse - 5/5 - #6 TBD
Dungeon Crawler Carl* - 8/8 - #9 TBD
Stormlight Archives - 5/5 - #6 expected 2033ish
DI Adams - 4/4 - #5 expected 2026
Orlando People* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
Breach Wars - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Beware of Chicken* - 5/5 - #6 TBD
Maggie the Undying - 1/1 - #2 TBD
The Wizard's Butler* - 2/2 - #3 TBD

Undecided/On Hold
Spellslinger - 1/6
Heretical Fishing* - 3/5
The Band - 2/2 - #3 TBD forever, I'm losing interest
Legends & Lattes - 1.5/2
You Are Summoned* - 1/6
Murderbot - 7/8 - Waiting for the book to go on sale
Tear Down Heaven - 1/5
Miss Percy Guide - 1/3

Completed in 2026
Witchlands - 5/5
Vainqueur the Dragon* - 4/4
The Enduring Flame - 3/3
Joe Ledger* - 10/10
Robert Langdon - 6/6

Abandoned in 2026
The Siege - 1/3
Valkerye Collections - 1/2

*Indicates series on audio

I just wrapped up Going Postal and The Wizard's Butler over in my first thread. Next on audio it's back to Joe Ledger with Dogs of War. In print, I'm going to try and finish The Phoenix Transformed.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thead!

Happy New Thread! :)

Happy new thread! I hope you'll have some great books to tell us about!

>5 haydninvienna:, >6 quondame:, >7 Alexandra_book_life:, >8 Sakerfalcon: Thanks!

Happy New Thread!

Starred!

Happy new thread!

>10 clamairy:, >11 fuzzi:, >12 Karlstar: Thanks!

Dogs of War The author opens the book with an Author's Note stating that all the technologies in the book, no matter how fantastical seeming, are either in development or currently in use in our world. What a heck of a way to start before the story! The book was published in 2017 so I can only imagine how many iterations and improvements have happened since then. While I'm not far enough in to get an idea of what they are yet, I went and actually read the book's blurb so it looks like robots and nano tech. This is one where I almost wish I had a regular copy to go along with because I'd go look up some of the tech :D I have a feeling it's going to make the things Boston Robotics are doing look almost quaint lol

One of the items rattled off in I think ch 6 or 7 was insect drones. I did a search. Check this out: https://www.livescience.com/technology/robotics/mit-builds-swarms-of-tiny-roboti...

Anyway, half way through Ch 8 I'm 1000000% OK with Joe and Violin going "old testament" on these guys. They are beyond awful.

So that girl back in chapter one was a victim of the nanobot tech then? At first, before reading the book blurb, I wondered if we were seeing another resurgence of the zombie plague but if she didn't get her "serum" and the bots went to her brain...

A friend of mine sent this pic and I had to share.

>15 Narilka: Oh, that's marvelous!! *snort* Happy new thread!!!

Is it just me, or does that dragon's facial expression bear a remarkable resemblance to Rowan Atkinson?

>15 Narilka: I would hang that in my loo for sure.

The Phoenix Transformed When the authors write things happening, it's quite engaging. The party's "infiltration" and discovery in the camp was actually great. I loved Harrier cutting the crap and finally saying "f this, take us to Bisochim" lol Plus Shaiara's grandma is pretty feisty.

Through Ch 7 I think I've hit the spot reviews mentioned - wandering the desert. The boys have split the party. Terciel is now wandering the desert with Bisochim and Saravasse after the dragon has been badly injured and can't be healed because of a magic booby trap. While Harrier is trying to get the rest of the tribes safely out of the deep desert and being attacked by goblins. The reviews I scanned says this gets repetitive at this point so looks like I'll find out quickly and may start skimming depending on how repetitive it is. I think Harrier has the worst situation since he has to deal with all those people, poor guy. Maybe I'll count how many times he has to go "F it" with these people lol

I might need a STTM score at the end ;)

Dogs of War Through Ch 24. AI is basically what is being referenced regarding the "tech singularity." If you watched/listened to any of our modern world talks on the subject, it is when AI goes what is being called AGI, Artificial General Intelligence. Will it ever happen? Who knows! I'm doubtful but that's just me.

Unfortunately I have a bad feeling that if you were to internet search all those data breach/hacking events mentioned in that congressional hearing, they'd also be mostly or all factual. I think I remembered hearing about a couple of them though since it's been years my memory is fuzzy.

I'm sad that Top and Bunny are struggling after the last book. It makes 100% sense but... sad :(

Interesting that we'll get to see more of Joe's family in this one. I wonder if his brother will end up hired into the DMS.

Because this book is tech heavy and I haven't looked up anything robotics in a while, i went down a video rabbit hole of the current state of robots. Wow, we have really come a long way! Robots from Boston Dynamics and Tesla's Optimus 3 are looking great. But what really impressed me is what China is doing. Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl6YUJKssG8

Dogs of War through Ch 59 This is a weirdly slow story for a Joe Ledger book.

I'm glad his brother is finally seeing just what Joe deals with. Perhaps he'll be a bit more understanding now. I wonder if they end up recruiting him. Not sure he'd want that though.

Is "John" really Nicodemus? Kind of seems like it. I am slightly annoyed that there is still a tie to the Seven Kings with Uncle Hugo and Zephyr but, eh. I'm ready to cycle in some new bad guys.

I'm glad Bunny and Top seem to be back in the game. Now they just need to rejoin Alpha Team.

Also, green cockroaches. I wonder if that's a nod to Peter Clines at all. I think I spotted some other nods like Chess Team in this one too.

Ch 61 Did I figure something out? I think the mystery "person" that has been texting Joe is the AI that Zephyr created.

The Phoenix Transformed Almost finished Ch 11. The pacing in these books is atrocious. I'm starting to dislike Tyr. Being in his head is so very whiny. He's mad at Harrier because Harrier stepped up into his role and is doing his best to save these people? Really? I hope this kid grows up soon. Being in the head of someone with such a defeatist attitude is getting old.

I find it interesting just how much this book echos the format of the Obsidian Trilogy's book 3. Sending all the pregnant women and very young children into the protected city in the deep desert (vs the keep in the mountains) and then a long slog across inhospitable terrain while the forces of dark attack constantly.

Time to skim a bit and move this along.

Dogs of War Through Ch 70 My guess about John in my Ch 59 spoiler was just proven right :D Thanks Hugo for that validation! And another frustrating tease at what Nicodemus and Church might be.

I feel bad for Joe's brother. Joe too but his brother just got dropped in the deep end of the pool that life can be even scarier than he thought. Poor kids are going to need therapy after all that, assuming the brother survives. I think he will.

The Frenchman was dumb. He just gave Joe permission to go full on predator on his ass. Go Joe go! I wonder if Zephyr knows. Not that she's long for this world with her latest cancer.

Bug needs to turn on the quantum computing version of Mind Reader already.

The Phoenix Transformed Through ch 15. Skimming is helping. I did NOT expect them to find some displaced Armethalians in the middle of Shamblers roaming the desert and definitely didn't expect Harrier's brother in the mix. Also, what a bunch of self righteous, ungrateful assholes. They survive a horror and turn into entitled 5 year-olds the instant they're rescued. I'm with the Isvaieni on this, the ones who went into the desert should be let go. They are a literal drag on the other 8000+ people in the camp.

It was nice seeing Harrier briefly engage with some of the unique Knight Mage skills. This has been an odd series in how much the magic has been sidelined, unlike the first series where it was given in detail. That goes for all 3 magics - Wild Magery, High Magery and Knight Magery. I'm guessing it could be because our plucky group hasn't had any trainers? Bisochim's Dragon Magery got the most page time in the books and he didn't really have a trainer other than his dragon. Perhaps it's the personalities involved?

I finished Dogs of War. I was wondering if Bug was going to have Calpernia copy itself over into Mind Reader QC and she sort of did? If Bug got all her base code and not just the Havoc stuff then that could make for some interesting upgrades to Mind Reader in the future if they wanted.

I REALLY wish we'd gotten Church's showdown with the current iteration of Nicodemus on the page. So frustrating! And of course that chaos cockroach will be back soon. Calpernia says he can die but.... ugh. I guess he is vampire like if he stole life force from Zephyr to come back to health.

Seems there is even more foreshadowing of the second series. The team mentions how shit is going bad world wide and that they just can't handle it all so have help from the other writer's teams, like Chess Team by Jeremy Robinson ;)

I have a podcast I want to finish today/tomorrow and then I'll be starting book 10 and completing the series.

Edited to attach my review.

>15 Narilka: Oh my! That sign is awesome!

I finally finished The Phoenix Transformed! The demon taking over that one person and encouraging the others to act like their worst selves, ok I get it. I wasn't sad that most of them ended up dead. Just frustrated that Harrier spent so many lives attempting to rescue them a second time.

I had to give the whole thing the side eye when they ended up right back where they started and could have avoided all that death and hardship. I'm glad one of the characters mentioned this too.

I liked the ending though it was really odd that dealing with the demon took just a couple pages and it was all a mental battle. I feel bad for Saravasse. She got the short end of the stick in all this.

This book needed another pass at edits. It could probably have been 100 pages less and still told the same story or been restructured into a duology. I'll be unhauling my physical copies as I have no intention to ever read these again. I'm not sure I want to read the third series either. I'm keeping my 3 star rating because the first 100 pages and last 50 were genuinely enjoyable.

Next up, Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter.

I've thought about it more. I'm going with 2 stars. The trilogy was basically a lot of meaningless hardship, suffering and introspection given that ending. At the end, Harrier being a Knight Mage didn't really matter. Neither did Tiercel being a High Mage. If Elves, non-magical, can bond to become a mage then it really doesn't matter what kind of human bonds with a dragon either. Then Harrier goes and pokes fun at Saravasse, who is grieving the death of her beloved human. It's really inappropriate. Plus that romance kind of came out of no where, no build up or even hint it was happening, and really didn't go anywhere either. The more I think about the book the less satisfying the ending.

And my review. Perhaps I'll update it with some more details but probably not.

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter I had to share this quote from chapter 1:

"What sort of charity do you run? I don't need specifics, just a general idea. I've got it - you knit sweaters for orphans, hein?"

Here was the moment. I steeled myself and said, "It's an animal charity."

"Ah!" he said. "You raise money for elephants or some such? I've heard elephants are having a time of it these days."

I had the sense that he had not given much thought to elephants before now. "Not elephants, no. Cats."

#theresalwaysanelephant

>29 Narilka: Thanks, I won't bother to read the last one in the series. I don't really recall them at all, but my reviews aren't far off from yours for book one and two.

>32 Karlstar: Glad it was helpful :)

Deep Silence Through Ch 6. It's not much of a spoiler, which is good since you can't spoiler tag images. It has nods back to the relevant books already by chapter 2 :D

>34 Narilka: 😄

I love that meme lol

Deep Silence Through Ch 45 The scenes with Aunt Sally are making me sad. I really hope she makes it to the end of the book but I have a bad feeling.

Got to love that the DMS has their own equivalent of Q lol Those tricked out cars are pretty sweet.

And the aliens are revealed. I wonder if they're here to retrieve stuff left behind (like that crystal gun) or what.

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter I am loving this book. Through Ch 19 The cats are charming and I like Agnes a lot. Her heart and her priorities are in the right place :D I think at least one of the cats might me magical, as in true magic more than just cat magic ;)

Havelock seems weird but not that bad. Which is probably a compliment for a magician. He's pretty obsessed with magic and figuring out how it works/additional uses, but he's not malicious like others we've heard about.

I think Agens is going to basically force Havelock to organize all his stuff lol I can't see her NOT doing that. I'm also betting that Havelock will be the romantic interest, assuming this book goes that route. It's very understated right now, which I like.

Deep Silence Through ch 54 I didn't expect the tragedy with Aunt Sally to play out so quickly but shouldn't have been surprised. It was well foreshadowed. It made me teary eyed. If the DMS can get medical treatment to her NOW, she could make a recovery. I have a bad feeling though. The city is just too messed up in the aftermath of that quake.

I wonder if the DMS has the tools to pinpoint where the source of the earth quake is or if that's where the aliens will step in.

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter Through Ch 26 Well that's one way to make a magical cat - enchant them! It's nice they put some beneficial enchantments on the cats. It has definitely driven up adoptions :)

hahaha Agnes has Yannick's help in organizing all of Havelock's magical stuff. She's definitely liking magic the more she's around it. It doesn't have to be used for destruction - that's just shitty humans being shitty.

Deep Silence Through ch 88 Joe and the DMS have been burned on coast to coast tv and now Joe is off to Russia. Yep, there's the Rogue Team International foundation ;)

Man, Junie's "we need to talk" could go either way - a break up or wanting to marry him. Unfortunately I'm leaning towards a break up :(

I like the replacement for Hu. Doc Holiday is pretty great.

Finished Deep Silence! Yes, that was a perfect ending. Mighty fine speech Church gave at the very end. Very uplifting.

How does anyone over a certain age NOT know about the super volcano in Yellowstone??? Good grief. That was one way to show the current president as an utter buffoon. Pretty sure this is Maberry's commentary on President Trump. I hate when authors mix in real day politics into stories.

I'm sad that Aunt Sally is out even if she recovers :( Maybe she can take a desk job?? Seems unlikely but you never know.

I think Joe might have actually traveled to that other world when the god machine started. Vallen (spelling?) definitely did since he was returned to the present day as aged. I think the aliens did some timey wimey stuff there to get both men back and prevent the volcano from blowing. Since it was nicely ambiguous I can imagine it however I want :D

I am looking forward to Rogue Team International. In the mean time, my next audio book is The Wizard's Cat.

I finished Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter earlier in the week and have been trying to figure out how to review it. I absolutely loved it. It's going on my favorites shelf as a reread candidate. I still hope to hash out a review this weekend. We'll see.

I started Thud! next. At around 15% The Colon-Nobbs Brains Trust is cracking me up lol Colon describing Nobby's poledancer girlfriend as wearing two sequins and some string plus the old lady who wanted to give it a try was pure hilarity.

Looks like it's at least two mysteries to solve in this one - the stolen painting and the murdered dwarf. Plus general mayhem.

Thud! @ 55% I'm still waiting to get back with Colon and Nobby on the art theft.

Interesting seeing the werewolf/vampire thing. Seems like it might be more mental than anything? I bet these two ladies can get over it.

@ 73% This has more dark undertones than I was expecting. I feel like there's a concept here I'm almost grasping but just missing. I'll have to go look it up after finishing the book.

And looks like we aren't getting any more Nobby/Colon action since the dwarf told them who stole the art.

I really hope that Angua and Sally didn't just wreck Nobby's relationship with Tawneee. It was quite sweet.

I loved how Sybil and Willikins defended themselves, the manor and everyone kept little Sam safe.

The Wizard's Cat Through ch 3 I have to admit, the narrator giving Delia a faint British accent she didn't have before was throwing me off slightly. So is that Mulligan keeps calling her "Mum" when it was "Ma'am" and "Miss Neckit" all the first book. That might not be the narrator's fault if the author wrote "mum" in though I'm not curious enough to go find an ebook to check.

I'm guessing the cat is hunting the fairies, leading to the problems Mulligan noticed. I should find out soon. This is a fairly short book.

I finished both my books yesterday :D

Thud! I liked this more than I thought I would. I wasn't expecting the darkness to be something actually paranormal but there you have it :) And it's scared of Vimes now lol

The vampire being a spy I didn't get at all until Vimes revealed it. It just didn't seem to matter that much.

I missed the humor. I wish there'd been a little more.

I did like the little side quest that turned the auditor into a watchman. Hope he shows up in the last Watch book.

Trolls and dwarfs being friends would absolutely be worst case scenario for those leaders. It's hard to keep your people in line without the fear/hatred of the other. Something that's been playing out in our world a lot these last few years.

The Wizard's Cat This was an ultra low stakes cozy slice of life, which I appreciated this past week since I had a sick cat (he's on the mend). The story seemed like a transition piece more than anything, setting up for whatever is next. Hopefully the things with the running neighbor (and talent in general), the cat and the imps are explored more in the next book. Especially the cat and his relationship with Mulligan. They never went into how a non-talented person has a familiar, unless it ends up related to the amulet somehow. I'm glad that Shackleford and Delia are back so the third book should have the full gang together. Writing of book 3 is in progress according to the author's blog. I'm looking forward to it.

I have no idea what I want to read next for either format. I think I'll take a day or two with some podcasts while I figure it out.

I started book 3 of Starry Hollow Witches on audio, Magic & Mischief. Through Ch 3 So Ember can OBE! Very interesting. That could be quite useful, especially to investigate places a person normally can't go. I hope the skill is used well during whatever investigation happens. No crime so far, though I'm sure it won't be long.

It's nice having the vampire's attraction out in the open now. We will see how long their restraint lasts hah

An all dolled up yeti *snort* that made for a funny visual image :)

For my regular reading I started The Secret of Secrets. Bought it for my husband last year and he keeps bugging me to read it so I finally am. So far so good. It's a thriller so lots of short chapters, which I quite like as I feel like I'm making progress in fewer pages :D Through Ch 22 Seems like this one is going metaphysical. I find consciousness studies fascinating so I like the subject. We'll see what he does with it. The, um, crime happened quite quickly though there's still a lot of mystery around the why. I like the history mixed in though I'm not familiar with at all Prague other than from movies. It is one of those cities that I always thought would be neat to visit. It sounds odd though, if the whole thing about lots of cosplay is real and not just for the novel. I also have no idea how to pronounce most of the names/places/words in Czech.

Magic & Mischief through Ch 9 That's an interesting idea for a curse, something that brings your worst nightmare to life. I wonder if it was cast on Ember or on something that she keeps on her person since it seems to be following her around. I also wonder if they all are actually happening or if sometimes it's just an illusion.

It's sweet that her coworker didn't end up with a yeti after all ;) And very cool that Ember was able to use her OBE ability to help out almost immediately.

Now to see how her personality does pairing with the deputy sheriff lol

The Secret of Secrets through ch 31. This is an odd thriller in that there are a lot of POVs. We've spent a surprisingly small amount of time with Robert in the first 150 pages because of it. There are POVs from Robert in Prague, his editor in NY, some random in London that either wasn't revealed the connection or I skimmed over it, the inspector in Prague, the inspector's assistant/nephew, the American embassy rep in Prague, the embassy guy's coworker/jealous lover and the current "bad guy" or whatever the person calling himself the Golem ends up being. I'm surprised we don't have a POV for the woman Robert is with, it would make more sense, though she's currently missing and I guess we need that tension still. I'm sure the author has a reason for it so I'm trying not to get too annoyed. I got burned out on the million POVs and obvious story bloat when I read Stormlight Archives and apparently still haven't recovered. It's not my favorite storytelling device right now especially when it seems like at least two of those could be cut without hurting the story.

That said, I wasn't expecting so little time with the inspector or that he was such a liar. I probably shouldn't have been surprised about the lying as he seems to be trying to make a name for himself. I guess I'll find out soon if he survives that fall but it's not looking good. It could be one POV less very soon!

The lab that Robert ended up in and that device for extending life is interesting. Too bad it didn't work for its creator. Or it wasn't meant for someone healthy to be placed inside? Not enough info yet.

>46 Narilka: Glad you enjoyed this! I am looking forward to it

I finished Magic & Mischief. I did NOT expect the solution to be a parasite that infected non-witches! It's also nice seeing Ember and Marley are settling into their new life, with Ember making friends and really leaning into her investigative journalist job. I also like that she hasn't picked a suitor yet between the vamp or the werewolf though it looks like the vampire might be off the table. Well will see!

The bonus short story was cute. Ember now has a raccoon as a familiar lol

I started An Unexpected Hero, which I'd picked up in an Audible sale. Jeff Hays is the primary narrator with a lot of additions for specific characters based on the book intro and I've already forgotten who most of them will be other than Andrea Parsneau :) There are also sound effects. It's an isekai'd litRPG though not hit by a truck! Seems like he came out the worst in a bar fight. Or did he? It's kind of vague if the MC died in our reality or not before waking up in fantasy land. Anyway, there's a very snarky AI and some interesting locals so far. I'm only in ch 9. Our MC is a singer in our world so the game makes him a bard and he's terrible at it. So bad that the audience breaks his instrument after his second attempt at a song. Which might be OK if he can find an instrument he can actually play to replace it. The book's page makes it look like a stand alone but I think it could start a series.

The Secret of Secrets The book starts to take off around page 200 when Langdon is finally in the thick of things and on the run. Through Ch 87 This is still an odd one in that there hasn't been much for Langdon to solve. Lots of interesting things happening but he seems to be almost the side kick in his own story. It's an unexpected choice.

Now that he's reunited with Katherine, the discussions about consciousness and research into it is very interesting. Some of this I have heard of and I even have one of the books Katherine mentioned. I might have to look up others later. Pretty sure the author is giving us insight into his own research for this book lol Which is also an unusual choice.

>54 Narilka: Um, you might look at your touchstone: The Secret of Secrets.

>55 haydninvienna: Fixed it. Thank you.

I finished The Secret of Secrets on Friday. I was wrong above. The true thriller/heart racing run against the clock part of the story really took off around page 450. Anyway... This was not a good Robert Langdon novel. He barely had any puzzles to solve and seemed more like a side character in his own story with the constant pov switching.

That said, it made for an interesting story. Anyone interested in the study of consciousness should read this as it mixes in real world theories and studies with interesting speculation. Brown has a really well done character with dissociative identity disorder that made the story more interesting.

I think that a couple of the POVs could have been cut without hurting the plot at all. They could've been referenced in conversation instead or left out entirely.

I'm starting to think that Brown's ideas for stories might be better if he retired Robert Landgon and started a new main character. Or go back to giving Landon actual symbology to follow and solve if he wants to write another in this series.

I've currently 3 starred it though could go to 3.5.

Next up, Fortress in the Eye of Time.

I think I have Fortress in the Eye of Time in a Kindle edition, but I don't think I have read it. I will look forward to your assessment of it. I currently have her book, Hammerfell on the Kindle but haven't started that yet either. I do enjoy her work once I get into it.

>57 Narilka:, >58 jillmwo: I loved Fortress in the eye of time when I read it a few years ago. It's a real slow burn, building up the world and the characters in detail; you feel as though you are living alongside them. The prose is gorgeous and the whole book is rich in every way. It's not for readers who want a lot of action, but if you want total immersion in a world then this is a masterclass. I look forward to your reactions, @Narilka!

Fortress in the Eye of Time through ch 7. Like >59 Sakerfalcon: said, this is quite the slow burn. I find myself enjoying it. It's very character and world focused. This feels like a real, lived in place with a history we've barely scratched the surface of.

I am frustrated with Mauryl's treatment of Tristen. He's a newborn, literally! Just in an older looking body. I actually thought he was brought forth in a teen or early 20s body and realized that he was younger when they mentioned him sort of hitting puberty (beard growth). I laughed when Tristen did the very child-like action of stripping off his clothes to go play in the rain. I wish Mauryl would just sit with the kid and teach him already. Too bad that doesn't get any chance to happen.

It took me a while but I get now that the book Mauryl wants him to read is a magic book. A spell book perhaps? Was this the most poorly imagined wizard training of all time or is Tristen supposed to have a different goal??

I feel bad about Tristen being forced out on his own. He has no idea about anything :( The poor kid. I keep bracing for something awful to happen. He's so innocent. I do wonder if Owl was sort of Mauryl? Or just a magic Owl helping him on the initial road? We are almost like Tristen - there is so much we the reader don't know. I hope the kid's ignorance doesn't get him in too much trouble.

An Unexpected Hero half way through ch 13 Ran into another narrator, a woman blacksmith. She was awful. I kind of wish I'd paid better attention at the beginning so I knew who this was to avoid them as a future narrator. Or at least to listen to other samples before purchasing anything with them as narrator. Perhaps it was really good voice acting.

Anyway, Danny (MC) is really whiny. I hope he matures as he gets used to this world. He has learned that no, he's not dead but not sure if he isn't in a coma back in his original world. The AI has also told him that he is the only person with an AI and stats and things. So that's interesting. Assuming the AI is being honest.

>59 Sakerfalcon: I agree with your assessment. CJ Cherryh starts slow, but then her stories take off, and you can't just exit. I've compared reading her works to riding a rollercoaster...slow build, then WHOOSH!

>60 Narilka: I probably need to reread Fortress in the Eye of Time.

>62 fuzzi: This is odd for me since I'm such an action fanatic but I think I could've spent more time with Tristan and Mauryl exploring the tower :)

>57 Narilka: >60 Narilka: I think I need to add that one to my wish list! Add one to your BB score.