Where are You in Fantasyland? : January 2010

These days I'm lingering about Lynn Hall in its various guises, having just finished Patricia A. McKillip's Winter Rose and begun her Solstice Wood. Will also have to find my way back to Middle-Earth and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings at some point.

Just finished Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion and found it exceptional - moving on to the second book...

I'm still in the Cursed Shores with Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb. It's been great so far.

Taking a short intermission from fantasy to read Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

After that I'll be starting up Red Seas Under Red Skies, the second book in Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard Sequence. I just finished up The Lies of Locke Lamora tonight and boy oh boy, what a treat. The novel is highly recommended, it is the very definition of a page turner and easily the best novel I read in 2009.

I've just started Cinda Williams Chima's The Dragon Heir, the third book in the series. I'm not a huge fan so far but I hate leaving series unfinished sooo I'll read it. After I finish this one I'm planning on finishing rereading The Return of the King. I started rereading the trilogy last January.... I got a bit distracted, as you can see.

Alternating between Camp Half-Blood and its world with Percy Jackson in The Sea of Monsters and the islands of Namorn with Daja in Cold Fire. Yeah, I'm on a bit of a YA kick right now, though the Pierce is a re-read and the Riordan is a new read.

Two places, actually:

- The Westlands, 983 (year is always important to mention in the Deverry cycle), where a obsidian pyramid was just found (The Spirit Stone).
- Alternative London, magical capital of the world, with Nathaniel, 10 years old, who just offended a powerful magician (The Amulet of Samarkand).

Rereading the Deverry cycle in bed again. Got the Amulet of Samarkand from Santa and enjoying it on the sofa.

I'm just starting off on the road between Ankar and Lysia in Scarlet and the White Wolf by Kirby Crow.

About 100 pages into Scholes Lamentation to be followed by Scholes Canticle

Slowly exploring Mervyn Peak's Gormenghast novels.

Just finished The Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy, a re-read but probably the first time in 20 years. I had basically forgotten everything but the beginning and the ending. Such a wonderful read!!

ronincats, I read Riddle-Master for the first time last year and it is easily one of my favorite fantasy reads ever. Amazing stuff.

I just finished "Furies of Calderon" and am about to start Odd and the Frost Giants!"

Having left Morgon and the isle of Hed, I am now at Caer Dallben with an Assistant Pig-Keeper.

I'm in NYC. Just started reading {The Better to Hold You}

Just started Black Powder War.

I'm currently trying to mob the evil queens mansion but have to get past the magic protections surrounding it in David Drake's Queen Of Demons.

I'm also ridding a werewolf leading a troop of elven soldiers, giant Senasarab spiders, and a group of animals to the rescue of the High Lord Tuorlin above the Vale of Mists in Luthiel's Song, The War of Mists by Robert Marston Fannèy.

Just read The Princess and the Goblin. Absolutely charming, I adore George MacDonald; can't go wrong with the forefathers of the genre. :)

Finished The Curse of Chalion (good) and Paladin of Souls (very good) and am now into The Hallowed Hunt...

(edit - wish there was a spell checker...)

I just paused outside of Innail in The Gift, Alison Croggon so I can actually get some work done. I wanted to re-read some fantasy series this year that I haven't read in a long while so the Pellinor books and His Dark Materials are the first to go although I'll probably spread the 7 books out over a few months

I'm currently in East Carmine in Jasper Ffordes Shades of Grey. So far its like a mix of 1984 and Brave New World written in crayon.

The first book I finished in 2010 was In Great Waters by Kit Whitfield. This book explores what 1600s Europe might have been like had Deepsmen (Mermaid/men) existed. Combined 2 genres I enjoy - fantasy and historical fiction!

>22 cavylovers: I have an ARC copy that I mooched in my TBR pile and also on my 1010 Challenge. I'm looking forward to it!

I'm splitting my time between the Imperial Wing in Adrihlanka and Castle Black as Vlad tries to figure out what is going on in Iorich. But Shades of Grey arrived at the same time, Octane, so it's next.

I raced my way through the Study series at the end of December and absolutely adored it. I'm now starting on Interview with the Vampire, a Christmas gift from my boyfriend.

Have just finished Hounds of Avalon which I enjoyed but I feel I need a break from the series now.
Am hoping to read The Magician's Apprentice next.
Am envious of johnnyapollo for just discovering Curse of Chalion - such a great book.

Finished The Hallow Hunt and am now reading The Sharing Knife: Beguilement to be followed by The Sharing Knife: Legacy...

infjsarah - if you haven't yet, read Feist's Magician: Apprentice/Magician: Master or as a combined volume - it's one of my favs...

I recently finished The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel, which was a romping good time. I loved the intrigue and characterization in this twist on dragons set in 17th Century Paris.

I also read Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn. Another good addition to the Kitty series.

Right now I'm in a New Jersey prison having just started Bleak History by John Shirley. This was a total impulse borrow from the library, the kind of thing I try to resist, but sometimes really can't.

I'm in Valdemar (again), reading Foundation by Mercedes Lackey.

I've been dashing about the galaxy on the USS Merrimack, with Strength and Honor by R M Meluch, (with the occasional break for tea and biscuits). The Merrimack books are just so hard to put down...

#32 puddleshark - my favorite fun reads, the past 3 years. Have you read her more serious work? Awesome!

I'm in The Ruins of Ambrai by Melanie Rawn and there's a battle brewing!

#33 Jerusalem Fire and The Queen's Squadron used to be favourites of mine, back when they were first published, but it's been a few years since I went back and re-read them.

I just finished reading A Game of Thrones Book 1 by George RR Martin which I found totally overrated. It took me forever to finish it and I did so only on will power. Now I'm in the Six Duchies with Fitz in the Assassins's Apprentice and it's not consuming me, but I am enjoying it.

I'm on Darkover, reading Stormqueen! by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I'm not sure if I would call it science fiction or fantasy, so I'm going with science fantasy. I started this series when I first moved out on my own and never continued because I wasn't all that impressed with Darkover Landfall. Now I wish I had either stuck to it or had been more fortunate in choosing my first Darkover book.

I'm still reading my Xmas presents, so far this has allowed me to complete the fourth book of Pellinor and the Study trilogy. I have 'The Silver Mage' next but thought it best to refresh myself by re-reading 'The Shadow Isle'.

I'm revisiting a childhood favorite that I had forgotten I still owned, The Dragons of North Chittendon.

I've just returned from the Florentine countryside in The Decameron. (It has magic in one of the tales! It totally counts!)

Beyond that I'm still travelling alongside A Wizard of Earthsea and exploring the islands.

I been reading fantasy off and on lately. I just finished the Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jenks. But lately, I have been reading murder mysteries, specifically Robert B. Parker and Robert Crais.

most excellent, I pick it back up every once in a wile

try going back to the start, MZB wrote a fair amount of Darkover stories. Try starting Bloody Sun -Spell Sword - Star of Danger- World Wreckers. These are not SiFi nor Fantancy they are another world.

I'm on the other old children's book I stumbled upon lately, The Seal Child by Sylvia Peck.

I'm now in Pittsburgh, PA with Ukiah Oregon in Alien Taste.

I'm reading Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe. It's a great story, i'm already bought the the second half of the book of the new sun.

I have just finished Ella Enchanted what a sweet read.

Still in Randland, but almost done. A little less than halfway through The Gathering Storm. I picked up the first Runelords book from the library, and I think that'll be next. Does anyone here have any opinions on that series?

I have read all the Darkover novels and enjoyed them all despite the difficulties in establishing a chronological order for them. This is probably because they were not written in a chronological order but more as stand alone novels with a common background. The size of each novel varies also depending of when it was written. My personal favourites were Stormqueen & Hawkmistress.

Just finished Sister Light, Sister Dark, which I adored and discovered too late (on a Friday night!) is the first in a trilogy. Anxiously awaiting the other two...

#49 - I read The Sum of All Men fairly recently, and while the novel undoubtedly has some unusual and interesting ideas, I found the execution somewhat lacklustre, both the characters as well as the narrative coming across as rather bland.

I've had a lot more luck with Janny Wurts' Curse of the Mistwraith and the two subsequent volumes in her War of Light and Shadow series. Some people apparently hate those, but while they do have their flaws, I at least was very impressed with the character treatment, and even more so with the author's (mostly succesful, in my opinion) attempt to find an adequate language for the larger-than-life events she depicts.

#49 - I read and enjoyed the Runelords. I liked the world's magic concept. Its quite different from other books I've read. I stopped with the first four and have not read the latest books yet even though I own them.

Finished Ship of Destiny last week and had planned to start on Wyrd Sisters. Unfortunately life got in the way and I didn't get a chance to read more than two pages. Then today I picked up Wings of Wrath so Wyrd Sisters is going to wait a bit.

I'm in East Carmine in Shades of Grey.

That's where I am, too. Estelle. Maybe I'll see you there.

I read the 1st book in the Mistborn trilogy towards the end of last year. I've now found the time to get to the 2nd, The Well of Ascension.

Just paid a flying visit to 1980's LA with Joanna Sheraton and Antryg Windrose in 'Firemaggot', the new short story by Barbara Hambly.

I just traveled from Toronto (Blood Price by Tanya Huff) to Dallas (Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey).

Trying to get Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon read before class & work gets busy. It seems I always pick this book up and end up putting it down about six chapters into it. Maybe I'll finish it this time - heard a lot of good things about it.

I just finished The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, which was very interesting, and then started Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear. Enjoying it so far!

Finished Wings of Wrath so it's back to Discworld and Wyrd Sisters for me.

I just left the subway in Moscow. I must say that I really enjoyed Metro 2033.

I seemed to have missed this thread all month.

I read Dead Eye :Pennies for the Ferryman, by Jim Bernheimer. I saw it on LT. Modern day setting a vet wounded in Iraq comes home and can see ghosts. He is a Ferryman, who helps those the get stuck to cross, also he prevents evil ghosts from doing bad things when he can. Story works in the Civil war and the Poe brothers. Very enjoyable,

I was flitting around in Smoke and Mirrors and am now in Wall in Stardust.

I'm in Foggy Bottom along with Rosie and Katriona in Spindle's End by Robin McKinley.

I'm in Hell with Inspector Chen and Zhu Irzh in Precious Dragon.

ETA correct spelling.

I'm in Asgard with Odd, a Frost Giant, and an assortment of Norse gods in Odd and the Frost Giants.

The evil overlords at Amazon.co.uk have finally sent me my copy of The spirit lens, and I am at the Collegia. Cracking mystery - halfway through and I haven't a clue whodunnit - and a librarian hero as a bonus!

68> I'm in the middle of The Spirit Lens too! I got it from the library, though. Really enjoying it.

I'm in Dover, with Captain Laurence en his dragon, Temeraire in His Majesty's Dragon. Liking it, even though I didn't really expect that.

I'm with William, exploring The Castle in the Attic.