/lit/ - Literature

Bakker - KING

Good books with a focus on infiltration/double agent shenanigans?

read it

>>21267490
>Bakker - KING

About to start the Judging Eye. What am I in for?

Someone spoil me on the lost metal

>>21267710
There's no eye
>>21267733
You find metal

>>21267490

>>>/wsg/4834000

>>21267733
>>21267749
There are metalfags? with black metal and that stuff?

>>21267783
Finnish black metal is sublime
Best music since the dawn of time
Finnish black metal is supreme
Especially the riff and scream

>>21267605
it sucks and the author is one of those progressive anti-white minorities with wet genocidal fantasies

>>21267811
ywnbarw

>>21267605
>female
no, I don't think I will.

>>21267788
Post an example

>>21267487
Post the
>last book you read
>current book you're reading
>next book you plan to read

>Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication while I completed the Xeelee: Resplendent short story collection
>in the last 30% of Xeelee: Redemption now
>Maybe The Lost Metal

we have americans to blame for Zlib dying?

>>21267859
How was the Souls book? I read a couple of brief reviews that trashed it.
>last book I read
Titus Groan
>currently reading
Gormenghast + You Died (a light deconstruction of the first Dark Souls game by a couple of Irishmen)
>next
Not sure yet. Think I might read a classic, maybe The Faerie Queen or something by MacDonald or Dunsany

>>21267826
Supreme finnish black metal puts pop music to shame

youtube.com/watch?v=jidsAamhwo4

>>21267870
yes, specifically tiktok

>>21267904
Based guy with a black sun tattoo, this real music, not the r*ddit and twitter music like grimes

>>21267859
Maske
Nothing
Tossing up between Night's Master and Viriconium

>>21267895
It was fine. Mostly an original story with some Souls themes but the writing was well done, evocative.

>>21267870
I thought zlib was back already

>>21267823
what's your problem with the femme

>>21267937
I've simply no interest in the female experience, the world seen through their eyes is not one that interests me

i mean its alright

>>21267783
>>21267788
not finnish but my Bakker soundtrack was either a lot of Ruins of Beverast (and a little bit of Summoning)

music for the Battle of Dagliash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70d7Cu5sUE0

>>21267968
ok and this one IS mine..

>>21267968
Battle fuel, I can picture limbs being torn apart as the battle rages on.

youtube.com/watch?v=fh2jlZ1m4V0

>mc creates his own small mercenary group to save the world or whatever
Any books like this? I like stories where the protagonist is the leader of something

>>21268084
Berserk

>>21268103
I've already read it

>>21267859
recently finished Oathbringer, of the 3 Stormlight Archive books I've read it's definitely the best, although still has plenty of sanderson's annoying qualities in it and is way too long.
Just started on The Judging Eye, it's nice to continue the series.
After that, I dunno. Maybe Gormenghast or Thomas Covenant.

>>21267811
> author is one of those progressive anti-white minorities with wet genocidal fantasies
Which would explain booktubers worshipping the very ground she walks on.

20 pages into 1984 and boy is it a boring intro. Hope it picks up

>>21268254
Reverend Insanity chads will rule supreme over her

>>21268262
Is 1984 supreme or is it a rage and scream? because I remember reading it in high school but I didn't had a supreme radar back then.

>>21267788
>>21267904
>>21267913
>unironically enjoying edgy atheist school shooter music
Lmao
I base my music taste on how many bitches the musician has
Which is why I listen exclusively to hip hop and country

listening to caladan brood right now lads

>malazan black metal
For me? It's good old tolkien

>>21267957
> As close as you'll get to a Hollywood blockbuster in book form
There is an absolute art which literary reviewers practice, which is giving what, at first glance, appears to be a positive review.

>>21268623
based summoning enjoyer

https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-indicts-two-russians-for-running-the-z-library-piracy-ring221117/
So shit-tok got two men who was making the world a better place arrested because they thought it was cool to post pirated books link on a social media platform.

Reading Urth of the New Sun. Then I’m starting the rest of the solar cycle books.

>making the world a better place
Retard thief logic

>>21268751
>good boi
>buy those books
>let the system use you
>pay for shit
You sound like a snitch, neck yourself.

Any like Chaucer but sf or f?

>>21268784

Hyperion how new are you to /sffg/? It's literal Canterbury Tales in Space

>>21268798
But gayer and only three stories are worth it at best.

>>21268807
Whole book is good you’re an idiot

>>21268717
While I wholeheartedly support pirating, these guys only got to blame themselves if they got caught. That’s the game you play. If you brake the law, you should know the risks

>>21268576
hiphop is not supreme
it has no scream
hiphop is not sublime
all they do is crime

>>21267605
>Early life and Education
>Moved from China to the United States aged 4.
>The only ones capable of affording a move from China to the United States in this period are card-carrying members of the communist party
>She gets an undergraduate in History, then goes to Cambridge to get Masters Degrees in China Studies- basically spending two years at Cambridge doing nothing at all since she's a full blown PRC plant
>Gets into Yale, once again to do China studies, because why learn something else?
>Every single book written during this period is anti-West, Pro-China
>All while living under the lavishness provided by the corrupt PRC

No I don't think I will consume this chink slop.

>>21268254
>>21268863
SUCKY SUCKY
FUCKY FUCKY

>>21268717
Onion link still works, itsn't? Might just keep downloading shit till the feds burn the library down.

>>21268855
I am honestly more enraged towards the "circle of authors" that put the demand in the first place. Everyone knows piracy doesn't do shit to actual winnings. Everyone knows in many cases piracy actually popularizes books. They are just petty rich idiots who believe their crappy erotica novels deserve the money coomers are willing to give.

/sffg/'s thoughts on Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser?

>>21268084
Traitor Son Cycle. Story starts with the MC as the leader of a mercenary company. 5 books that build up to a save-de-wurld final battle.

>>21267968
>>21267974
>>21268002
You are like little babies, listen to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GPFduVKuEg

>>21269022
I wish I was into black metal, I truly do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUlvIq-TDGI

>>21268863
>Cute, hard working nationalist girl
You people are all for le tradfem nationalist until the person happens to be Chinese, holy fuck. And you think you're impervious to propaganda.

>>21269036
>You people

You should read pic related.

>>21269036
Of course I will be the antithesis to a nation which is fundamentally different to mine in every plausible way other than that we are both human. Why should I swoon over a nationalist 'trad-fem' when she's a soulless PRC daughter of a Tiger-Mom and a Paper-Dragon father?

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLc1gstZ66k
The boundaries between him, the ground, and the black tree crumbled. Something filled him, swept him forward, unleashed his corded arms. And he howled, the very mouth of the Steppe, his sword raping the air between …
One. Two. Three … Blows that could have halved bulls.
Sarcellus faltered, stumbled—saved himself with an inhuman leap. Back, pirouetting through the air. Landing in a crouch.
The smile was gone.
His black mane ribboned by sweat, his chest heaving over the hollow of his belly, Cnaiür raised his arms to the tumultuous mobs.
“Who?” he screamed. “Who will take the knife to my heart?”
Again he fell upon the Shrial Knight, battered him back from the shadows of Umiaki, from the leaves curled about palmed water. But even as the man’s style crumbled beneath his frothing attack, it revealed something beautiful in its precision—as beautiful as it was unconquerable. Suddenly, Sarcellus was swatting his blade as though it were a game. The man’s longsword became a glittering wind, scoring his cheek, clipping his shin …
Cnaiür fell back, wailed rabid frustration, bellowed defiance.
A sword tip sheared through his thigh. He skidded in blood, fell forward, bare throat exposed … Stone bruised his bones. Grit gouged his skin.
No …
A powerful voice pierced the roar of the Holy War.
“Sarcellus!”
It was Gotian. He’d broken with Eleäzaras, and was warily approaching his zealous Knight-Commander. The crowds abruptly grew subdued.
“Sarcellus …” The Grandmaster’s eyes were slack with disbelief. “Where …”—a hesitant swallow—“where did you learn to fight so?”
The Knight of the Tusk whirled, his face the very mask of reverent subservience.
“My lord, I’ve—”
Sarcellus suddenly convulsed, coughed blood through gritted teeth. Cnaiür guided his thrashing body to the ground with his sword. Then, within reach of the dumbstruck Grandmaster, he hacked off its head with a single stroke. He gathered the thick maul of black hair in his hand, raised the severed head high. Like bowels from a split belly, its face relaxed, opened like a harem of limbs. Gotian fell to his knees. Eleäzaras stumbled back into his slaves. The mob’s thunder—horror, exultation—broke across the Scylvendi. The riot of revelation.

>>21269033
Too low test for my tastes. If I'm reading military fantasy, malazan doesn't cut it.

>>21269118
woah..... he's tough!

>>21269118
Finnish BM is high test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BPtrMnCX_I

>>21268927
it good

>>21269127
m-masaka!

>>21269133
>Finnish BM is high test
More like Finished BMI

>>21268190
>literally anything interesting happens
>shallan or interlude time

Bros I can't be bothered to finish Tigana. I read part 2 about the concubine in the court and thought it was great, and then when I saw part 3 returned to the main party I just lost all motivation even though part 1 with the conspiracy was good. I just don't care about the mc.
>>21269033
I'm not into black metal either, and I never grew out of the Tony Hawk soundtracks.
https://youtu.be/wOw1a5PTu7E
most of the other tracks on this album are Lovecraft-inspired

>>21268190
It kills me there's so little standalone fantasy. Everything has to be a trilogy or series. I just don't want to commit to a series or stop halfway and then forget what I read months later.

>>21269317
>standalone fantasy
Your favorites?

>>21268281
Based
I rereading it, it is just good.

>>21269412
Absolute king.

>>21269455
What a Chad.

>>21269022
>>21269033
checked and based, I love both Bolt Thrower and Caladan Brood. never read Malazan and don't think I ever will - though.

>>21269033
Not really something I'm into but I love that they are Caladan Brood enjoyers

Just finished for the 3rd time (in 20 years) one of my favourite Discworld books. Switching from the road trip epic of Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic to this more personal tale of a girl accidentally inheriting a magic staff, and the crotchety old witch that guides her must have been a risky decision, but it set the tone that all Discworld books should stand on their own merits.

>>21269651
For being the book that introduced Weatherwax, I'm surprised how little I remember of Equal Rites. I guess it sort of stems from a similar place as a lot of the really early ones, where the characters aren't quite established yet so they're not as fully memorable. Carrot isn't quite Carrot in Guards! Guards!, etc. Rincewind is probably the only one who sort of came in fully formed and stayed that way of the early book characters.

>>21269672
Yeah it's a light book compared to the previous two, yet it kind of works like a splat book for an rpg, giving just enough content to fill in a region, add a character or two etc.

The huge concepts are still there (nature of the Disc, DEATH) but glossed over making it much comfier.

Also the first to name The Shades, and introduce the phrase 'Million to one chances crop up nine times out of ten'

>>21269718
Oh yeah it's definitely the book where Discworld really comes into its own identity, but it's not quite solidified until Mort, I'd say. Weatherwax is also just nowhere near as great in that as she is in every other appearance.

>>21269412
can't believe people read this shit

>>21269722
Well I got to Interesting Times last reading spree, but to my shame I never read Mort, so that's next!

>>21267924
no

>>21267487
I'm a big fan of the Dark Sun setting so I decided to give these a read. Pretty good so far, just got done reading the third one. The books was written by one of the creators of the Dark Sun setting is I think it works more like a lore/setting guide contained in a story but that's what I wanted so I'm happy.

>>21269733
>can't believe
not sure why when large number of people read womens fiction and sjw hugo/nebulas.

Nothing beats the Poultrymeister

>>21268863
>In October 2021, Kuang announced that her fifth novel, Yellowface, will be published in 2023. William Morrow and Company said Yellowface follows "a white author who steals an unpublished manuscript, written by a more successful Asian American novelist who died in a freak accident, and publishes it as her own.

kek

>>21269412
>>21269733
Why should we even try to write when shit like this floats to the top?

>>21269915
You shouldn't.

>>21269915
RI isn't as popular as you think
Even LotM have only 7k fans in the fan discord

>>21269915
because you have to write

Ruler supreme.

Now that the dust has settled... What did /sffg/ think of it?

>>21270094
Like it.

>>21269915
>>21269915
Don't worry about other people. YOu write for yourself, because you want to, because it helps you in some way, or because you are trying to make a name for yourself, though I think that last one is most difficult. I started writing and have been loving every minute of it. Even going home and pouring a drink and proofreading is a ton of fun. Very cathartic. It is a joy in this clown world. And, even better, my own son is now looking to write his own book, which he also wants to make into a video game. I, of course, would never discourage that kind of creativity, even though his ideas sound insane. I cannot wait to help him write it.

Does anyone know who did the art for these covers?

>>21270285
isfdb

>>21270335
Thank you.

>>21270285
No but if you figure it out please post it

>>21270382
David McCall Johnston

>>21270386
Yeah I’m looking him up now. His work is beautiful. Realizing I have a copy of The Knight of Swords with a cover by him I haven’t read yet

Oh hey, a 15k word chapter
>several minutes later
oh fuck, a 15k word chapter

>>21270690
My latest chapter is about to hit 15k words. The last two books were both right at 180,000 words.

I feel as if I should be giving a person their money's worth if they choose to buy my book. And by they I mean my mom and dad and a couple of my friends that bought my book. I don't think any of them will ever read it.

>>21270738
But here's a very important question.
How much of those words are actually necessary?

>>21270690
I enjoy Discworld's approach to chapters. It doesn't have them outside of the more kid-audience books (and the Moist books where they're parodically long titles basically synopsising the entire chapter).

>>21270742
Not all of them. I do proofread it and tidy it up. Still, they are long books, and they flow well enough.

I will say that I have only been on /lit/ a few times, but I've already seen the posts about necessary words and prose. Lit has a complex, and it revolves around the necessity of words in a book.

Nah, I'm just fucking with you, m8. I am a new author. The books might very well suck. So what? I am doing it for me, and I will continue.

>>21269317
Same here. Something to recommend? I can only think about Library At Mount Char and The Buried Giant, both pretty good.

Also someone know another series in the vain of 40k, Dune, etc.? Some anon asked about it in the last thread and got picrel as reply, I already know Suneater saga, is pretty good.

>>21267605
more like poopy war

I will never feel the awe I felt reading Lord of the Rings again.

Why read prose anymore.

>>21270939
how did anyone get the past first book of this series, nevermind FIVE? to be quite honest

>>21271068
The first one is the weakest and most derivative, after that the author finds his voice and becomes its own thing. I like how the writer knows what he's doing with is "gonna make my own space opera with everything I love, including Dune's personal shields and lightsabers". It's fun for me, but I can totally understand if someone see as pure garbage.

>>21270985
Have you tried Lord Dunsany?, his works gave me a really good LOTR feel, specially The King of Elfland's Daughter.

Other books that felt like Tolkien to me were The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson and The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison (Tolkien was a fan of this one apparently).

Why did you guys hide this from me for so long?

>>21269778
They're not BAD novels, but they completely fuck up the Dark Sun setting itself.

>>21271109
>the author finds his voice
I hate how this has become a common defense for bad writing. No. If your book, if your series wasn't good from the start, then why the fuck did you publish it?

TWI 8.11E

>The day was January 22nd, 2021 when she shook hands with the President of the United States.
>President Jeb Bush.

I'm so glad there's finally some Erin I missed her so much

>>21271154
Tell us about it

>>21271154
Never heard of it.
>>21271238
Seconded. I want to know more.

>>21271178
The first book already has:
>Lesbian mother with a harem
>Girl he has a crush on is a member of his mother's harem so he's cucked
>Evil religion
>Evil tyrannical xenophobic society
>Homos are ok though, in fact every scene has at least 1 gay POC
>Runs away on a transport vessel that steals his lunch money and leaves him stranded as a gutter rat
>Girl he falls in love with dies so he's double cucked
>After becoming a gladiator he gets noticed by the gaybaron and his husband and they pay him to tutor their kids
>Meets a sassy POC scientist lady, has a crush on her
>Walks in on her getting fucked for the cuck hattrick

>>21270939
>recommended by Kevin J Anderson
HUGE red flag

>>21271298
And it's all narrated by Kvothe who is retelling his past after he's become Sephiroth Vash the Stampede The Hedgehog many years in the futur

>>21271308
What's wrong with him, other than writing stories with way too much shit going on?

Guys. It just hit me suddenly that Waybound will be the final Cradle book. Like that shit finally sank in, and now I'm sad. It's too soon!

>>21271298
sounds unreadable

>>21271238
>>21271260
game of thrones + the iron giant (tranny edition)

>>21270939
>Library At Mount Char
Stop recommending that edgelord garbage.

>>21271338
What makes it the tranny edition?

>>21271326
I still haven't read Dreadgods.

>>21271349
the being that falls from the sky that has no memory is neither male nor female

>>21271351
is he cute

>>21271358
yes, in lost puppy way

>>21271178
Yeah, Finding their Voice used to mean they found what made them unique. The writing should still be good. If it's not then your voice is shit too.

>>21271351
The can't be a tranny since it has no gender in the first place, right?

>>21271451
ya sure its an IT gender

>>21271451
you know all about trannies lol

>>21269672
Even Rincewind was introduced as a man of science at odds with his illogical world of magic, but that got dropped pretty quickly.

>>21269672
What about Twoflower?

>>21271199
>TWI 8.11E
The entire fake dream sequence was a trip. Later madness, even more so. Loved the chapter, especially Dragonboi and Necroboi.

>>21271350
Well what are you waiting for? You already made it that far. Might as well see it through to the end.

>>21271326
On one hand, I want more. On the other, I appreciate that Wight isn't going to milk it endlessly. Twelve books sounds like a lot, but all of them combined probably have a lower page count than Stormlight Archive's 3.

>>21271687
I'm sad that as soon as Lindon reaches power, the story is going to end. And sure, it will probably have a big battle to display all the mega powers. And sure, it might even have an epilogue. But I just want 1 book where Lindon is on par with all the big dogs, and he takes care of an issue that wraps the story back to the beginning somehow. I don't know. Maybe there really is nothing left to write about. But I feel like there should be something.

>>21271580
I think you're confusing the scientific method with just being incredibly sensible in a world where anything can happen.

That's probably as close to a scientist the Disc gets.

>>21271718
That's basically what the previous book was. Earlier in the series, Eithan tells Shen that the rank and file Abidan would lick his boots if he ascended with a Dreadgod weapon, which is precisely what Lindon is making. Lindon has already moved beyond the power level of basically everyone else.

>>21271727
Yeah, but no. The Abidan storyline isn't the real storyline. Or at least, it shouldn't be. It's just something for Lindon to do when he become godlike. But I feel like the real story is in cradle itself. In the attitudes that the people have. All the wars and strife, and everyone's honor getting in the way of good sense. I feel like Lindon's roll as some mega god like thing meant to save the universe, is less important than reforming or healing the broken systems of cradle.

What if Lindon sucked so much power from the way, that everyone, even the Abidan, were reduced to Jades?

>>21271770
>obtain godlike powers
>save the universe and reform or heal the broken systems of cradle.
become a god but then just continue whiteknighting for others? What a retarded ideal.

>>21271818
I feel like the pieces are there.
Eithan's obsession with developing a true team that actually care about each other.
Yerin's obsession with loyalty for her friends.
Orthos's obsession with honor.
Mercy's unwavering compassion.
Little Blue's natural inclination to heal and return things to balance.
Dross's... uh. Dross is there.
I feel like all of these parts are supposed to form something more significant than just defeating the big bad space pirates and returning everything back to the status quo.

>>21271154
Good shit dude.

>>21271838

In Russia we have cool series of sf books from non English writers. We have lads from Italy, France, Chez but mostly from Poland.
And there is this guy Dukai Jacek. He is incredible. Absolute legend and legit mastermind. Only some books from Greg Egan come close in scope and intelligence to him. You missing out a lot friends. Why on Earth Poland of all places have so many good sf writers?

>>21267487
READ XIANXIA.

>>21271880
>In Russia we have cool series of sf books from non English writers. We have lads from Italy, France, Chez but mostly from Poland.
>And there is this guy Dukai Jacek. He is incredible. Absolute legend and legit mastermind. Only some books from Greg Egan come close in scope and intelligence to him. You missing out a lot friends. Why on Earth Poland of all places have so many good sf writers?
Dukaj is weird as fuck, I think I read one book of his short stories and were like 'Nah.' Current polish writers in general are pathetic. It's mostly boomer stories about badass middle-age men fighting and fucking, but in the most cringe way possible. Not to mention boomer conservatism, I guess it would the equivalent of American rednecks.
It's been like that for years. The fascination with old slavic stories is the worst, even Sapkowski, The Witcher's author, wrote an essay on how weird those people are.

But now that you mention it, I might actually consider looking into fantasy from local slavic countries, although I guess not many of that would be easy to find on the internet. Annoying. Russia is mostly known for Litrpgs these days, with The Way of the Shaman and similar. All about yougn struggling men and corrupted officials. Meh.

In the meantime, I'm going to check that old Dystopia 'We.'

>>21271880
Isn't there a russian military scifi novel series that's exactly like Gate Jieitai etc?

>>21271880
Jacek Dukaj is an actual autist.

requesting severian freedom ain't free meme please thank you

>>21272102

>>21270939
Red Rising
Or learn enough W40k lore to read the good books

>>21269033
>>21269601
Tranny jannie deleted my post, despite it having exactly the same amount to do with books as the caladan brood anon. Fucking kek. Here it is again,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GPFduVKuEg
And an excerpt to stop the fag from deleting it again:

“The God!” Saubon roared as he barrelled into the pursuing Coyauri. “The God wills it!” His black crashed against the mount of the heathen before him. The smaller charger stumbled, and Saubon punched his swordpoint clear through its astonished rider’s neck. He wheeled and parried a heavy blow from a Kianene garbed in flowing crimson. His black stumbled sideways and screamed, throwing him thigh to thigh with the man—though Saubon towered higher. Saubon smashed down with his pommel and the man tumbled backward from his saddle, his face bloody ruin. From somewhere, a blade nicked Saubon’s helm. He slashed the now riderless charger’s hindquarters and it went dancing into the heathen dogs before him, then he swept his broadsword in a great backward arc, shearing off the jaw of his assailant’s mount. The horse reared; its rider went down. Saubon reined his black to the left and trampled the shrieking blasphemer.
>“The God!” he cried, hacking at another man, cracking the wood of his shield.
>“Wills!” His second blow shattered the warding arm beneath.
>“It!” The third cracked his silvered helm, halved his dark face.
The Coyauri beyond the slumping man hesitated. Those behind Saubon, however, did not. A lance scraped along his back, snagged his hauberk, almost throwing him from his saddle. Standing in his stirrups, he hacked again, snapping the lance. When his opponent reached back for his curved blade, Saubon plunged his sword into the joints of the man’s harness. Another down. The heathen milled around him, bewildered.

>>21271350
Same but I'm looking forward to posting the amount of "apologies" instances in Waybound when it leaks.
>12 books
>MC doesn't change
lmao

>>21267924
>>21269740
Works on my device

Only recently got back into reading in the last year after a late teens hiatus. BotNS is what drew me back in and I was wondering if there were many works in a similar vein. I'm thinking about starting Long Sun soon.

>>21272143
What's the app? Some bait for us to install an insidious russian virus and steal our previous drafts and nudes?

>>21269892
gotta check that out. thanx for the tip

>>21267859
>last book I read
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
>current book you're reading
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
>next book you plan to read
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Why did you fools trick me into reading rendezvous with rama

>>21272335
What’s wrong with it. Use your words like a big boy

>>21267487
>Last Battalion Edition
what book is this OP

>>21272352
nothing happens: the book

>>21272335
Clarke? More like Carnte write characters for shit

>>21271593
What ABOUT Twoflower? He just kind of stops existing after The Light Fantastic.

>>21272134
very based, luv bolt thrower and nerdy shit like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBfkDH3F1GA

>>21267859
>>last book you read
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson

>>current book you're reading
I'm finishing the New Jedi Order series. Almost done with Destiny's Way so 5 books and change to go.

>>next book you plan to read
I'm gonna read Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolf and then decide if I want to read that or more Thomas Covenant.

>>Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication while I completed the Xeelee: Resplendent short story collection
>>in the last 30% of Xeelee: Redemption now
>>Maybe The Lost Metal

>>21270094
I just finished it. Steris really improved as a character. It's amazing how just giving dick to a girl makes her a better person.
They really do lose to dick.

>>21272386
Ohhhhh ok I get it. You’re stupid.

>>21271322
If I read a KJA book and an AI generated sff book I'm confident that I would either prefer the AI book or wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

>>21272483
>Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
I'm planning to read this next. I've seen a lot of people say it's bad because the protagonist is unlikable. Is he a poorly written character, or is he simply just unlikable?

>>21267605
It’s a fun work to read but i’m not impressed with the direct stand-ins to China, Japan and literal Europe. Also, I’m not fond of the whole “muh dark skin” fem mc that seems to center around discussions of the book. Could’ve been a greater work if it was less obsessed with trying to be so deliberately nihilistic in every damn page.
>”European religion is just a social construct”
Top-tier CCP programming right there.

>>21271867
What do you mean by it's all so tiresome?

>>21272570
He is simply unlikable, very intentionally.

>>21267859
>A Storm of Swords
>A Feast for Crows
>A Dance With Dragons
I can't wait to be blue balled.

Best fantasy magic system?

>>21272740
LotR

>elusive advanced-above-all-others species that any other spacefaring race steals tech from and interacts with in some way
>nobody has ever had direct communication with them
>30 years of hard sci-fi novels and short stories
How would you feel if the alium made an on-screen appearance after all this time and you get a direct description of exactly how they appear? To be fair, we knew their evolutionary details 20 years ago and this was a conclusive hole left.

>>21270094
Cover kind of looks like the guys from Supernatural.

>>21272740
Jack Vance's The Dying Earth

Am I retarded for enjoying Warhammer 40000 novels

Rank the Foundation novels from best to worst

>>21272942
No you are a happy person. Get out of here before we kill your soul.

>>21272798
don't associate dying earth with trash like book of the reddit sun

Does this style of cover really end at The Judging Eye?
I gotta say the ones with faces look horrendous.

>>21271595
Yeah , vol 8 was great , fuck-huge though.

>>21270094
lol the plot for this book was basically Guy Fawkes blowing up the parliament. Is that why Sandy released this in November?

>>21273259
It was released on the last day of eligibility for this year's Goodreads Choice Awards. This isn't the first time that's happened.

>>21272947
>best
Anything with the mule
>bad
Everything else
>worst
The one with the living planet and the Mass Effect 3 ending choice.

>>21267859
>Cugel's Saga
>Rhialto the Marvellous
>?

>>21272481
Dungeon Synth/Black Metal does have its moments, 100%. Its very good reading music for a lot of older fantasy.

Probably my favorite Summoning album. Even if this is only the demo, I find it more enjoyable to listen to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ByvmHVIw0
Really captures the "journey through a darkly fantastical world" which I think is Dungeon Synths main strength.

>>21272740
Non-autistic:
>LotR
Autistic:
>Traitor Son Cycle

>>21273397
>Traitor Son Cycle
I should really try that series out.

Where to start with Clark Ashton Smith? Is Zothique a good introduction?

>>21273456
I got pic related and it is a good sampler of his work. But Zothique is probably the most focused.

>>21273397
>Shit of the rings
When will this meme die?

>>21270094
>stand out like pink shoes on a pallbearer
Where does sanderson get these shit from?

>>21273474
Post your favorite fantasy book, NOW!

>>21273516
Eragon

>>21273518
>Not The Last Ringbearer
Weak bait

>>21270094
Which Harry Dresden book is this?

>>21273516
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

>>21271867
>Eithan's obsession with developing a true team that actually care about each other.
>Yerin's obsession with loyalty for her friends.
>Orthos's obsession with honor.
>Mercy's unwavering compassion.
>Little Blue's natural inclination to heal and return things to balance.

>>21272639
see >>21273560

>>21273560
Uhhh... you're tired of those tropes? Is that it? It's too cliched for your liking?
Anon, please, I'm not a mind reader. I would like to understand.

>>21271326
Dreadgods was weak, gonna read waybound but my expectations died

im more curious about eithan than anyone

>>21272740
Harry potter

What's the best fairy tale retelling?

>>21273642
The Witcher

>>21273627
>whoops I've introduced fucking time travel into my setting without thinking the implications through
>I'd better never mention it again, other than blowing up the one shelf where all the time travel devices are conveniently located
Genius magic system creator.

Is this any good or normie trash. My friend who never reads told me it’s amazing and I need to read it.

>>21273665
check the archives

>>21273665
That would take fuckin forever

If Eithan was Cradle's MC the story would be better. Eithan is simply the superior character.

Lindon had 8 books to grow and he still came back to the valley and almost died to trash.

>>21273665
A lot of anons here say it's good. I'm in the minority that thinks it's for normies. But still not *bad*. Just hugely overrate. Lower your expectations.

It's mostly just westerners being fascinating at reading a story from China's perspective. Makes them feel culture, like they're watching a foreign film. But the book isn't all that smart. Just got a few interesting concepts, divided by lengths of communism fucking people over.

>>21273690
Doesn’t sound like it’s for me. Thanks.

>>21273665
It's shit. Anybody that raves about it are normies that don't read. People in here included.

where can I download cradle now that Zlib is dead

>>21273687
After Lindon became a doormat when he went back home, I stopped reading Cradle. Author's Western sensibilities were peaking through.
>killed and robbed a bunch of people for points
>oh boy, I better don't kill the people who hurt my mother, maimed my father and hunted my sister like a dog
>let me also roll over so they can slap me to their heart's content

>>21273743
>hi guys, I'm an FBI glow in the dark agent
>please tell me where you get your stuff now so I can shut it down for our traditional publishing house overlords
>I'm your friend I swear, buying books is good for you and the economy
>you wouldn't download a car, right?

>>21273753
What kind of retarded FBI agent comes here to ask? There are whole subreddits with long lists of pirate sites in the sticky.

two thousand more words and i'll have my first chapter ready

>>21273577
Yes

>>21273687
>>21273744
From the very beginning, the story has emphasized how important it is for people of greater power to show benevolence to those below them. I'm sorry you smooth brains didn't catch that, even though it's exemplified multiple times in every book.

>>21273763
rebbit was a mistake

>>21273687
The entire joke of Eithan is that he basically WAS a standard xianxia protagonist as Ozriel.

>>21273743
Irc

>>21273744
Didn't he basically just tank hits to show how useless it was?

>>21273799
He and yerin almost died goyslop

Fuck benevolence and fuck you

>>21273799
You forgot that the sword saint was going to wipe out the poisonous fucks, but he got to weak?
Stop covering for the author's shit writing you gnome dick riding cunt.

New to Dune. Read Dune, and now reading Messiah for the first time. How bad are Brian's books really?

>>21271880
Dragon heart by klevanski was pretty good in the beginning but later his books turned into sjw progressive coomer garbage. Not sure how was this even allowed in russia.

>>21273818
All the problems in Cradle were caused by the sword saint being too weak. Sad!

>>21273818
This.

Sword Saint went benevolence and died, he knew they were trying to poison him everyday, still did nothing. When he finally had enough he died bc had no power left

>>21273809
nope, he was getting fucked and after they used that chain yerin almost died

>>21273826
All the problems in cradle was caused by yerin, if yerrin was't there maybe Lindon would have turned out better

>>21273839
Lindon would have still been unsouled if he didn't meet Yerrin.

>>21273818
YOU forgot, that they attempted to kill him a dozen times prior, and he knew it. The entire time, he was secure in his power, so he didn't treat them too harshly. He only decided to get serious when his and Yerin's life was in serious danger. But not before that point. Before that point, he was willing to just sleep off his exhaustion.

>>21273830
That's always a risk. You can never have complete safety and benevolence. But normally in Cradle, you're supposed to be so powerful that it doesn't matter if some Jades try something stupid. He didn't realize just how badly the drain was while inside the labyrinth. And it was that unexpected variable that caused his downfall.

If Cradle had a chink author instead of Fatty mcdonaldsman, Lindon would had killed everyone inside that valley the momment they said one wrong word.

Thats why xianxia is better, chinks have no problem writing MC that will kill, while burgers need to throw this ''Stay good no matter what'' bullshit every book.

>>21273830
It wasn't benevolence, it was arrogance. He didn't think they'd be able to so much as inconvenience him, even with the poison and the weakening, and then they actually got him with an ambush.

>>21273856
>It wasn't benevolence, it was arrogance
bullshit and you know that, book 8 was piece of shit and author was a fucking retard for even going that way.

>>21273854
I doubt that, even most righteous chink protags (with few exceptions) don't kill innocents indiscriminately

>>21273870
The flashback narration clearly paints the Sword Saint in the light of not even considering the Jades worth his time. He only registers them as being a potential issue the moment they start stabbing him.

>>21273821
>BasedBooru
Amazing.
Anyway, I've only gotten as far as God Emperor, which is a bit overrated in that chart. But everyone and their mother says the Brian/Anderson books are terrible.

>>21273879
>innocents
The clan that was hunting his sister and held his mom hostage needed to me murked.
Heck, Lindon went out his way to save them, and they still tried to backstab him, and he didn't do shit.

>>21273887
He fought back, he threatened them and made it clear his family was under his protection. He's strong enough that it doesn't matter if they live or not, and he's not the kind of guy to just kill people like that.

>>21273882
You know the author OPENLY admitted he had to do that to cover up how Jades could have killed a Saint?
His gremlins, I mean fans were harrassing him about it at every chance to explain how the fuck that would work. The author wrote himself into a corner and had to retcon shit to fix it.

>>21273896
Yes, and? It still works. It doesn't blatantly contradict anything about the Sword Saint's character that we know of, because apart from Yerin talking about him that's the most we've SEEN of his personality.

>>21273854
>father blind
>mother fucked
>sister hunted like a dog
>attacked lindon and yerin while they were trying to help

yeah innocents lmao

>>21273893
>and he's not the kind of guy to just kill people like that.
DID YOU FORGET THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT WHEN LINDON WAS KILLING PEOPLE TO STEAL POINTS?
ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF?

>>21273903
>author openly admitted he had to cover shit up
>Yes, and?

fucking braindead

>>21273909
In a warzone against Dreadgod cultists who were on a much higher threat level, yes.

>>21273915
So Cradle wasn't a Warzone?
With people looking to get some fresh cunny from his sister, and make 1000 year old turtle soup from his turtle?

>>21273924
The "much higher threat level" part is relevant, that and he went there specifically to SAVE the people of Sacred Valley. He knew there'd be pushback, but he wasn't about to kill them if he could help it, regardless of what they did. They weren't threatening enough for him to be forced to kill anybody when they fought, so he didn't.

Cradle Wintersteel was kino

Cradle Bloodline and the whole save the trash was shit horrible author should was so dumb here i couldnt believe what i was reading

Cradle Reaper was Kino

Then we had Cradle Dreadgods with offscreen fights, fights starting and ending in 1 page, jai long dying the most pathetic way, red saint dying the most random death, pacing was horrible, whole book felt weird.

I listened to The Prince of Nothing trilogy on audible and I thought it was very well done.

David Devries does a fantastic job as narrator. I have read that the next books in the series do not have him as the reader and suffer greatly from this. Anyone with experience? Is The Judging Eye worth listening to a lackluster narrator?

>>21273930
I literally started laughing with Jai Long dead, was so funny i couldnt believe what was happening.

Author lost his touch, Waybound will be horrible.

>>21273926
>They weren't threatening enough for him to be forced to kill anybody when they fought, so he didn't.
He. Nearly. Died.
I have no problem with him going to help, but when they turned around and stabbed him the back, he should have killed.
You do not turn your other butt cheek after someone shot you in the left one. That is the problem I have. He turned into a doormat and had people walking over him. Helping is one thing, but if someone tries to harm you CONTINUOUSLY when you are helping you walk away once, if they come after you again, you kill them.
Lindon killed people for less a few books ago (tournament points), yet he is okay with nearly dying multiple times to help backstabbers.

Just admit that the author fucked up with his Western sensibilities. He tried to make Lindon seem more human by sparing the fuckers, but he just fucked up in the end.

How to save Cradle Final book:

Make the whole book about Eithan, have the Monarch/dreadgods fight offscreen so we have more Eithan screentime. Finish the book with Eithan. Have a new spin off book with Eithan origins.

>>21273988
We're not unlikely to see more Ozriel cameos in the future of Wight's work, but I doubt we'll get a series of him.

>>21273990
>>21273988
If there is no another series with Lindon and the team after Cradle series is over, then it would be a massive disappointment and waste of everyone's time to show so much Abidan plot. What's the point if all of this exposition and set-up for the great cosmic war goes nowhere? Such a big universe, myriad of realms and planets, entire galaxies, powers and technology that would make inhabitans of Cradle shit themselves.

On the other hand, the author might simply not be good enough to write a plot that isn't quick power-upping. Not a great flaw, but that would we are getting another Progression Fantasy series from zero. Knowing the audience, he might try with a Litrpg this time.

I'm looking forward to his future works, either way.

>>21273821
With Dune when you are left wanting more, that is a good place to stop.

>>21274013
There won't be another series.

>>21273854
How can you say something so fucking stupid, while posting Raine Sage?
It's like you learned nothing from Tales of Symphonia and Lloyd.

>>21274013
should have seen this comming if you've played The Last Sovereign

On the Nature of Amazing Characters. (ch 431)

This is why Lindon will always be garbage.

>>21272731
allow me to illumine you with regard to the ASOIAF vicious circle
>drop ASOIAF for some time
>forget how great the books are
>buy into the nonsense "akshually Gurm SUCKS" rhetoric
>for whatever reason pick the books up again
>remember how fucking great they are
>STILL no Winds out
>blue balls of enormous proportions
>PAIN
>repeat
enjoy

>>21274013
>>21274079
There 100% will be. Traveller's Gate is a series about world hoppers, and Ozriel appears in Elder Empire. Lindon just won't be the main character anymore desu.

>>21274334
I mean, he's gonna make another series in that same verse, but it's unclear if it's gonna be directly related or just as related as Traveler's Gate and Elder Empire are to Cradle. It might even just be a Traveler's Gate follow-up, apparently he expressed interest in going back to that series.

>>21274230
they do suck

>>21268084
Prince of Thorns, more or less.

Thoughts?

>>21274230
The first three are great, but you can feel the hard derail at book 4. First three came out one a year, book four was five years later, declared to be "part one" of book four, opened new random storylines instead of advancing the ones you cared about and part two of book four didn't come out for another five years. I bought in hc the day it came out and dnf. Fuck that fat fuck.

*btfos bakkerfags eternally*

>>21274435
Who is he?

>>21273553
Literally who?

I know nobody got to that point in Gene Wolfe's Solar Cycle, but I need to ask about a character in the book of the Short Sun: what does Babbie look like? I imagine he's some kind of lobster with personality of a really clever dog. How wrong am I?

>>21273456
Zothique is a good place to start if you’re into the classic sword and sorcery stories that DnD later copied. Also, Zothique is a good start if you’re into the Dying Earth subgenre.

Any shorter standalone reccs? I’d like to get back into reading. I’ve become a zoomer lately. Idc if it’s fantasy or scifi

>>21267859
War master's path
Introduction to game theory
Dune messiah

>>21274435
for me it's Merphy Napier

>>21267859
>last book you read
Vinland Saga
>current book you're reading
The Poppy War
>next book you plan to read
The Shadow of the Gods

>>21274553
Read novellas.

>>21274603
Recommend me one please

>>21274606
The Darkness that Comes Before.

>>21272759
*blocks ur fusion*
Nothin personnel, baryonicfags

>>21274435
why is she so orange

>>21273821
I'm reading Messiah now too and I find Edric and the navigators pretty interesting. I know Brian and KJA have written a book on the navigators, but everyone says all their books are trash and that talk of them using Frank's notes is... fishy.

>>21274656
fucking kek very imageboard-only highly specific injoke, love you anon

>>21274675
You're in for a disappointment if you expect the following books to contain any info on the Guild. There will be something about them in Heretics, but very minor. I think the problem is Frank realized navigators were cool while working on the David Lynch film and by that time he had time only to write two more books before his death.
At least there'll be some wacky fellows named Ixians to amuse you. Bene Tleilax also continue appearing later in the series and don't let me get started on the Bene Ge/ss/erit...

>>21271199
>>21271595
this is what i was hinting at last time. glad you liked it.

Scott R Bakker

>>21274635
I’ve already read it. And it’s not a standalone or short so fuck right off

>>21274776
Rude.

>>21274553

>>21274724
I was afraid of that being the case, but I'm sure God Emperor will scratch that itch to read about losing or perhaps transcending humanity.

>>21274553
"Understand" by Ted Chiang (the guy who did the novella the film Arrival was based on). It's a short story so even less work.

>>21268855
cuck mentality

>>21274230
GRRM's not a bad writer because he can't find a plot or write a setting, GRRM's a bad writer because he apparently has a crippling phobia of writing endings and a bad habit of writing himself into corners.

>>21273456
Not exact answer but have your heard of HorrorBabble? It's a youtube channel that narrates old pulp stories, mostly horror. They have a ton of Clark Ashton Smith recordings, if you like audiobooks is a good place to go.

>>21273821
>How bad are Brian's books really?
About the worst thing I've ever read. They are not writers, just two guys with zero good ideas trying to get a lot of money from an IP that they got for zero. Imagine if Christopher Tolkien was half retarted and tried to write a hundred of sequels to Lord of the Rings with the help from his stoner friend, that's what they did to Frank Herbert's legacy.

>>21273821
Terrible. I read Paul of Dune when I was young and ignorant and I still thought it was barely worth my time

>>21274791
>>21274827
Thank you I’ll look into these

>>21274553
The Dragon Masters. 150 pages, all killer no filler

When does it get good?
I am at the part where they met the wolf guy.
It has been very boring, yawned until my nose stuffed.

>>21274435

>>21267605
I read this as the poopy war.

>>21267487
What would people recommend as their favorite Soloman Kane story?
Cant remember the specific names but I read:
>The one where he trackes down a frenchmen who killed a girl all the way to africa
>The one where he attacks Arabic slavers and the slavers open a dark tomb
>Finds Himself in a swamp and figured out a cursed being wants the blood of the old hermit that doomed him
>Short poetical about him and Francis drake and his supposed execution.

>>21275176
Is that women a hobbit?

Also, how is the prose?

>>21275176
> When does it get good?
Book 2

EotW is essentially one very long prologue.

>>21274575
>Merphy Napier
You noticed how fucking thick her arms are? It doesn't really come across in pictures as much as in motion. Is she lifting?

Just finished The Fortunate Fall by Raphael Carter. Absolutely marvelous. Anything else like it?

>>21275389
She lifts my pp in her mouth

>>21275200
>*shivers*
omega cringe

>>21273821
>be me
>turn 10
>I'm old enough to read the books from me old man's bookshelf
>dad is a working man, not the sharpest guy but has a love of simple genre fiction
>lots of Stephen King, Tolkien, Herbert, Donaldson, KS Robinson
>first thing I read is Dune
>love it even if i miss a bit due to my age
>dad has all the Frank novels
>love them too
>dad would get me a new Dune book for most of my birthdays
>reading popcorn sci-fi and horror brings us together
>don't have the heart to tell him that all the nu-Dune books he got me were pure shit
>current year and dad wants to borrow a lot of the new books after seeing the new movie
>he reads them and even he knows they are total anus

>>21275393
Check the Chart in the OP

>>21275340
>Also, how is the prose?
Read it and find out.

>>21275716
based dad

>>21275389
Thick arms are complimentary to an overall soft and plush figure.

>>21275743
this

Is Tom Shipped right that GRRM scifi is better than his fantasy (and the reason he switched to writing it is because he's a sellout)?

>>21275914
That sounds like something you should read on your own and form an opinion about it.

>>21275925
No it doesn't.

>>21275943
Then I don't know why you ask.

>>21275964
It's faster to ask than to read 10 1000 page books.

>>21274553
GRRM Nightflyers

>>21275914
don't know why he switched but it's good.
read Tuf Voyaging and his Thousand Worlds stuff

The situation with single-line posts hasnn't been so bad until the bot spam few days ago. I'm half of a mind to say these are in 80% made by a bot, because usually people had a little SOME self-restraint from shitting up the thread. Now it's downright disgusting, people throw lines at each other as if this was Discord. Why is janny not intervining? Most of these comments are barely on topic anyway.

I just want to discuss books, for fuck's sake. Not see barely human retards throw shit at each other.

>>21276084
Just report them, that’s how you get rid of them instead of whining about it, you dumb fuck.

>>21276084
>Why is janny not intervining?
It's almost like you have to do something for them to take notice.

>>21274495
The picture in my mind was a crustacean-thing with short legs and long mandibles.
Cover art is just a dog.

>>21275339
>What would people recommend as their favorite Soloman Kane story?
either the one with the african jungle city ruled by the mullato negress queen or the one in the haunted black forest inn

New thread
>>21276234

New thread
>>21276239

>>21276176
Lol they even made Horn hairy instead of balding. Things artists do to make books more accessible...
I like imagining him same as Hugh Farnham from Farnham's Freehold since I alway imagine characters being played by actors on a stage.