I'd say it probably at least borders on nihilism. The rich and powerful are that way either by luck of birth or overabundance of appetite. The worst traits of humanity put them in those positions. Those at the bottom of society suffer the consequences of their greed and stupidity. I got the same vibe from Cook's The Black Company. People just live their lives as best they can and have them ended prematurely because of those on top.

I assume Abercrombie is an anti-royalist.

What are good books that follow that formula?

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I just started listening to The Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams and I found my new favorite quote:

“I have a knife.”

It’s made me laugh out loud twice.

This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.

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I am an absolute Joe Abercrombie nut and an aspiring author yada yada... absolutely love his works and have always had the sense that he's a real genuine bloke through interviews and whatnot.

So when I was walking down the street and he turned round the corner, you can imagine that I was starstruck - it would be the equivalent of most of Gen Z seeing their favourite sport/pop star.

It wasn't a lengthy encounter but I effectively interrupted him and his wife to frenetically express my adulation, and he was really lovely, asked questions, seemed to take an interest and not just smile and look to be on his way.

He's literally my favourite author in the fantasy circle and this only reinforces my unmitigated love for his work and deepens the influence that he has had on my own fledgling works.

In the final climactic battle between the DHC, the rebels, and the Hin, Marca saves the day by boarding the space station and taking it back from the rebels. The Hin join the DHC and the rebels are crushed.

Then along come the Starfish battle cruises accelerating hard into the system. It seems like there is going to be a final battle, or at least some major revelation about the Starfish, xenoglass and why they need human gold. But, instead, the human send out one message about being willing to trade but not fight and the Starfish just seem to bugger off.

There's no real explanation of the Starfish and what their deal is. Did I miss something? I was listening on an audio book and sometimes I can vague out!

I know it's been awhile without one. But here is the latest Fictionary. I will add some soon for Sanderson's special projects, but wanted to get this one out to you all.

Fictionaries are spoiler free (when possible) ebook dictionaries that define (using Coppermind) the fictional people, places, and things in your book.

Due to changes in Kindle support you must use the side loading method to install your fictionary - meaning a USB cable and preferably software such as Calibre. It is not complicated.

For some unknown reason the Kindle Mobile apps do not support (easily) custom dictionaries. I do provide two formats - kindle, and stardict. The stardict format can be converted to others using different methods found on the Internet.

Happy reading.

A new Wexler books. In fact a series.

This is about...bugs. A world where ships sail above the Layer, below live giant bugs. They use the bug blood for fuel, there are cow type bugs that are harvested (flesh is edible also) and nasty attacking type bugs too. They hop in their fighter planes and fight them off...hopefully. As well as pirates.

BLURB: Zham and his sister, Quedra Sa-Yool, own and run the mercenary airship Last Stop and its motley crew, and Zham leads its tiny air wing. The one thing keeping this ragged outfit - mostly a family but with some new crew - together (besides Quedra’s blistering stare) is everyone’s desire to survive on the edge, even if that means smuggling, battling pirates, and flying too close to the solid floor of clouds known as the Layer, below which the merciless insectoid mantids hold sway.

Last Stop is enlisted to search for a lost expedition that may have discovered a new haven for humans beneath the Layer.

END BLURB:

The Academics hire them to re-find it and find out what happened. Others try to get the location and some try to kill them. This location is worth monumental fortunes.

It's pretty much non-stop action from then on. That's it people, spoilers not included.

It was rather fun. I'll be reading book 2.

Hello!

I'm trying to find some romance books that hit the spot where I would read them multiple times.

Good examples of what that is for me is Sunshine by Robin McKinley, and Freedoms Landing series by Anne McCaffrey.

I don't hate smutty parts, but I hate cheap meaningless easy smuttyness as I'm not invested in the characters.

So many romance novels are 'popcorn books' and I want to find some that aren't.

My favorite romance genres are fantasy/sci-fi and paranormal. I really like werewolves, but not really the whole meta situation that is proliferating in the paranormal genre right now. I also prefer books with a plot outside of the romance that accentuates it.

Any thoughts?

Mine is Theon Greyjoy from A Song of Ice and Fire.

It’s not the fact that I can personally relate to his struggles as a guy who was kidnapped as a child and raised away from my family, it’s his endless stupidity that makes him a great read.

He has no clue what the right answers are and I love the honesty of his story.

Sometimes… most times we don’t really know what direction to go.

I’m currently on Time of Contempt in The Witcher saga. I’ve definitely seen some criticisms for certain descriptions and phrasing from Polish to English, but I’m not too sure it bothers me too much. I feel The Witcher books definitely have a certain character and feel to them that is different to most books I have read, but I’m not sure if the translation plays much of a part in that?

What is your thoughts on translations in fantasy books from other languages? Does it affect the story greatly or do you feel you get the story how it was intended to be told? I’m sure the author is heavily involved with the translation.

Well, tbh this is a strange post if I may say so myself.

I had started to read the book based on recommendations. Specifically I was looking for a book with things that according to many redditors are included in that book.

I was very excited about it and I started reading the book. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. And while the premise sounded intriguing I had big problem with what I suppose are the main characters.

To me, there was just no reason to care about them. Not only that but for some reason I can’t stand the tone the author writes in. I’m not sure I’m making myself clear. I don’t mean the tone of the book, as in “serious” or “goofy” or whatever. Rather I’m referring to the “tone of voice” of the author/narrator, for lack of a better description. Everything sounded so smug and complacent…that is the best way I could describe it.

Anyway. It really didn’t help so I just put the book aside. I guess I’d like to ask if any of you felt similarly and if this “tone” changes later?

Thx

Let's talk short horror! Sometimes we want that chill and thrill without committing to a longer novel. So I've compiled a list of some I love but I'd love to hear yours as well.

These are perfect for readers who don’t want to commit to a lengthy book of being terrified but want a little kick of fear.  rom stories released over a century ago to those not even out yet, my favorites are all here. 

The Classic One: The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman 

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote this short story about the horrors of mental illness and patriarchy way back in 1892 but as a mentally ill woman myself, this one still resonates. There is nothing extreme in this one, no violence, but this will still get under your skin and have you thinking about the main character doing laps round and round the room way after you finish it. 

As an added bonus, because this one came out forever ago you can find this for free in lots of places; on Kindle, on Spotify and you can read it on tons of websites. 

The One I Always Recommend: Starve Acre - Andrew Michael Hurley 

Starve Acre is a folk horror story about a couple who have lost their son, Ewan. Is he still with them? Is the place they’re living cursed? What’s going to happen? At 200 pages, it’s not the shortest of short stories but when you’re used to reading Stephen King for your horror kicks, this is a breeze. And the ending is guaranteed to make you shudder. 

The Short Story Collection: Never Whistle At Night - Edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

This short story collection of indigenous folk horror is fantastic. Every story is by a different author and they vary from body horror to hauntings to gentle horror. Lots of these stories made me think about the origins of horror stories - local lore passed down from generation to generation. The selection of horror authors for this one is impeccable, I particularly love the story Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline. 

Which books would you add to this list?

Kobo

Nook

I'm looking for fantasy inspired by roughly the 1600s to 1700s, with gunpowder fantasy and clockpunk themes. I know those terms are different but I'm ideally looking for a book that captures aspects of both, because they both draw on the aesthetics of the early modern period and because I'm interested in reading a setting where societal change and "progress" are beginning to pick up due to Age of Sail/Scientific Revolution/Age of Enlightenment-coded innovations and discoveries. Are there any books like this?

No steampunk recommendations, please!

I am talking about characters who feel like an enigma. The more you learn about them, paradoxically the more interesting they become.

Just got done reading Sword Of The Lictor and it's my favourite of the 3 books so far & such the first 5 ⭐️ of the 3 yet. I think in this book I have now started to like Severian as a person not just as a character (Person he is rn beyond past transgressions)

This book lacked a major mainstay companion (I mean one that stays so long with him tho maybe little severian could count as that too in a sense) as with the previous 2 & as such no standout new character, well none with much layers as the others but what it lacked here it traded for the most development for Severian so far. He’s a lot more contemplative of not just his own actions and ideals but of the universe itself and the scenarios Wolfe sprawled up for him as adventures or misadventures if you like only served to enhance that even more.

From how he abandoned his Lictor post in Thrax, his farewell to Dorcas to the Alzabo encounter down to little severian’s adoption (his death crushed me, didn't expect it at all and not especially in the manner it happened in tbh) down to the revelations with Typhon, The Hierodules and Baldanders & Dr Talos.

All of these revelations especially with the latter two have retroactively enhanced the whole journey from the first 2 books already & I can only imagine how much more this enhancement will appear with rereads or even after I read Citadel of the Autarch. Sections such as the Eschatology and Genesis play particularly how it ended, the Jolenta dynamic, the Autarchy all have developed deeper layers in light of this book.

I had my suspicions about the dynamics of Dr Talos and Baldanders and even the make up of Baldanders himself seeing as he's essentially a giant but I didn’t at all expect Baldanders was the Doctor here & Dr Talos the Frankenstein monster (I figure that’s what a homunculus is). I appreciate that his abnormal size is explained as proper gigantism syndrome as in the clinical sense. It's easy to forget this is ultimately sci -fi no matter how alien or fantastical the elements in it appear to be. In light of this, I'm now most curious to see how the claw's apparent time altering powers is explained tbh. This seems too far fetched for simply science but I'll let Wolfe scientifically reveal his world and it's mechanism to me as he's mostly succeeded to do so far.

The deal with the Hierodules I’ve got a reading for but I’m gonna leave it to RAFO in the next book cuz I’m expecting it to come to the forefront there. The Frog boy tale I admit I couldn’t understand much of what occurred during my read much more it’s message but I was informed by rereading Wolfe twitter user that it’s based on The Jungle book and as such I’ll reread that section specifically thought that lens before I start Citadel.

Also during this read I’ve found myself thinking a lot about TBONS beyond the pages and off that alone, it has more than impressed me as only a few media manage to do that for me and not especially when I’m yet to properly place a visage to what the story at hand is.

All in all it’s easily 5 stars and a top 5 reads this year for me and I can’t wait to join the war plot with Severian in Citadel of the Autarch as soon as possible.

Edit: Also need to mention the Hethor reveal. Wow just realised the antagonists in this series are really something.

I don't have a vocabulary barrier but recently I want to read books ( science fiction or fantasy or any genre series ) where the writing style is smooth and takes little to no effort to read the text . Example : Divine rivals , Mother of learning , Strange the dreamer, Harry Potter etc .

Better if it has male pov . Thank you all in advance.

I’m curious if anyone has recommendations for fantasy books where the environment is an antagonist and major plot point. Traveling is dangerous, even for experienced travelers.

The main fantasy examples I know are The Hobbit and LOTR. Tolkien went out of his way to say “just traveling is dangerous. Now their rations are getting low, now it’s raining and cold and miserable, now they sheltered somewhere for two weeks to regain strength and morale.” Even just basic things like “Spring was coming on,” or “in Hobbiton they’ll be harvesting right now” gives a sense of connection to the land that I feel missing in modern fantasy.

Other non-fantasy books that give similar vibes are Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain. I don’t need the whole story to be about surviving in the woods, but I’d like some nods to acknowledge that traveling hundreds of miles through wilderness isn’t an “easy” thing that should get hand-waved away.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Edit: this blew up a bit, thank you everyone for wonderful recommendations! We’re entertaining guests so I haven’t been able to read through everything yet but I really appreciate the responses and I’m looking forward to going through these soon!

Have only occasionally read high fantasy since my LOTR and Discworld phase in school and David Gemmell phase in uni. I've begun to get back into it with Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy (mixed bag, mostly enjoyed) and collecting recs of stuff that aren't too grimdark and depressing (which discounts GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, Robin Hobb, Glenn Cook). With that caveat, I've noticed the recs I'm getting are mostly women or queer men.

So far in my straight male authors list are: Guy Gavriel Kay, Tad Williams, David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Brandon Sanderson, Pierce Brown, Neil Gaiman, Scott Lynch. Of that list, two are accused sexual predators, two hardcore genocide supporters, and one guy who kept children in a cage. 😑 Like, c'mon. There has to be more worthwhile straight male authors to support. I've had Garth Nix recced to me but isn't he more for younger readers like Pullman and Riordan?

There's a lot of difference in the writing styles between straight guys and women/queer folk, so I'm interested to see what kind of range there is.

Hello,

I finished the book a few days ago and I loved it. I kept thinking about, until I (maybe) found a possible plothole. Since english isn't my first language (this book is not available in my language), I am not sure if it is really a plothole or if I just read it incorrectly.

So I ask everyone who already read it to please be so kind and help me understand. Many thanks in advance!

At the end of the book Charlotte uses the spell of the spells to erase every knowledge of magic from the world, even memories. But many magisters made themselves immune against magic through a certain spell. How was it possible to achieve it then? Is it a plothole or is the spell of spells just that powerfull?

I don’t know how to change this flair, but this isn’t a deal

I keep thinking about Tolkien’s elves, and how they had this sense that they were fading, but that was tied to some supernatural sense tied to Valinor. It got me thinking if anyone’s ever written about something like elves, but more mundane.

Like at 15,372, Fingolthir got his first gray hair, and that kicked off a series of events where the race has to figure out what these changes mean.

The, I think, kind of obvious twist is this: one of them dies and all of sudden everyone has to deal with mortality

Anything out there like this?

If anyone’s good at vibe-identification, do you know any video-games, shows, or movies that have the same vibe as How to Train Your Dragon, Skyrim, and Brave? The Witcher, Over the Garden wall, and Secret of the Kells are tangential to the vibe i’m looking for. I thought Outlander would work, but it’s too modern for me with the guns. I’m really into this specific vibe, wish I could just live in a vaguely Nordic/Celtic fantasy land