/lit/ - Literature

>>23314259
First for Catcher

You may only pick one.

>>23314259
>order gibson's sprawl tetralogy on amazon
>takes way longer than expected
>amazon support tells me it got lost in postage, sends me another
>replacement set arrives, then a week later (today) original set arrives anyway
/sffg/ we are so fucking back

>>23314507
Be more patient?

kino

>>23314424
>I have surpassed you, Father.

>>23312669
>Maybe vernor Vinges 'Tatja Grimms World'
thanks. i read about half of this at work today. the first quarter was really comfy and had interesting world building. the scene where she wears the ribbon armor on the cover was really hot. unfortunately it seems it's a one time outfit. the direction the book takes in the latter half was uninteresting to me. also unfortunate that there are big time skips. apparently the author wrote this first as a series of short stories

>>23312209
>The Hel trilogy by Asa Drake aka C. Dean Andersson.
thanks. i'll check this out next

>Also, Jirel of Joiry was recommended in the last thread if you missed it.
i sampled the first 30 pages of this after the recommendation, but the writing style was too old fashioned for my liking (written in 1920 or something)

>>23312440
i know what you mean. but luckily for us a ton of content was produced by boomers unaffected by wokeisms

The Deluge - Stephen Markley (2023)

Although it'll be some time for me to really know, at this time I can say that The Deluge is one of the books I've most enjoyed. I don't mean for that to be taken as a recommendation, as these are my personal thoughts and nothing more. In terms of entertainment, how emotionally engaged I am is usually the greatest determinant of my enjoyment. The Deluge was such an emotional experience that early on I hoped it would be less. What I was feeling was so intense that I didn't know if I'd be able to finish. Reading this was an unusual experience, an awesome one in the sense that it was terrifyingly beautiful. The kind where someone is terrified and has tears streaming down their face in joy. I don't believe any of this matters unless you to do the same though.

This has one of the greatest cast of characters of anything I've ever read, though I don't know how much of that's due to how engaged I was with it and personal preferences. They all felt so real and alive, to the point where it read more this was a historical text about actual people than something fictional. There's not really a leading character so much as simply who has the most influence over what happens in the world, as it is in life. This isn't an ensemble either, as they're not in any way of equal importance. If anything, this is a curation of lives that presents a narrative to explain what happened and why.

Each viewpoint character is presented from a different perspective, which is a blend of stylistic and functional purpose. All of it is intentional and explained by the end when the metanarrative is revealed. It's not anything deep or complex, though I did appreciate the extra layer it provided. Each period of time goes through the the same six viewpoint characters with one exception. Although the year and sometimes the date are given, it's more common that that's when it ends rather than starts. The chapters aren't necessarily linear, meaning that one comes directly after the other. Some completely overlap, start afterwards, or begin before the prior chapters for that time period. There are often passing references to other characters and the same events from different perspectives.

When there are several viewpoints one of my first questions always is, "Do they ever meet up?". The answer to that is that most of them meet up with most of the others in person at some point, even if it's only in passing. That's how I prefer it to be, rather than several entirely disparate characters whose stories never converge in any meaningful way. None of them are more than a few degrees of separation from any other. It's a rather complicated web of relationships that I considered trying to make a visual explainer for. I don't believe you need to keep all of that in mind though.

>>23313932
That is true, I bet a lot of it has just been lost to time. Especially since Rumo is what, over a decade old? Close to 2? Oh well.
That's some neat (and not so neat, what is that even supposed to be??) fanart. That rala especially is a really good imitation of his style damn.
And I'm halfway tempted to look into the rule 34. It sounds gross enough to make me morbidly curious, I cannot lie...
I'm hoping it's just tame Rumo stuff, if I see smyke's maggot cock I might actually vomit

>>23314382
Hoooooooh boy

>>23314723
The narrative covers from 2013-2043. The future, 2025, begins with Book II, at 12%, which means 88% of this is speculation about the future. The most evident break from our timeline is that neither Trump nor Biden won the 2024 election. They both exist but it's never explain what happened. Whether it's science fiction is arguable. There's a lot of science exposition, the breadth of research involved is impressive and admirable, but that's more for the education of the reader than as an exploration of the technology. I'd describe the scientific advancements as important, yet unexciting.

What The Deluge is most about is drama. There's climate, political, relationship, and family drama. Fortunately there's rarely what I'd consider melodrama. Some of the climate and political events seemed improbable, though that may only be because I wouldn't want them to happen and it's likely that I don't know what's probable. However, much of it is that which has happened before, only worse. Expect ruinous events, from the personal to the global. If one were to be uncharitable and reductive, much of the story could be described as doomerism in the form of disaster and misery porn, much like the news industry itself, though I believe that misses the point.

In terms of politics it's very cynical and there's vitriol for the entire political spectrum. There's something to upset about anyone. Both major political parties are considered evil. However, none of the viewpoint characters could reasonably be considered as social conservatives or even right-wing by current US standards. It's more complicated than that, as people tend to be, especially when their actions don't align with their professed beliefs. There's also considerable concern given towards how dangerous religious demagogue can be, especially when fused with modern conspiratorial thinking.

This is not about a pre-established dystopia where the reader accepts that as a premise. This is a death by a thousand cuts dystopia realized despite and because of the characters' efforts as well that which is out of their control. This is not an uplifting story about the heroic efforts of a few. This is the story of many very flawed people, as we all are, who tried to do what believed what was the best they could do at the time given their circumstances and what they knew.

Rating: 5/5

>>23314728
This is a list of people who are mentioned and/or appear in the book. I may have missed a few. How many do you recognize? (You don't need to actually count them). None of them have more than a minor role, as the fictional characters are plentiful and are the focus.

>there are too many lines
>field too long, cannot post
As to be expected. So as not to make multiple more posts, here's a pastebin: https://pastebin.com/NPi7fb6f

>>23314727
>soul catcher
>lady knight
pick one

Currently halfway through PR, can any Old Kingdom anons tell me if the new short story in the 25th anniversary edition of Sabriel is worth it? I'm not shelling out 20 bucks for a fresh copy and I can't find a ripped PDF of it anywhere online. Once I finish this one I'll have read all of the Old Kingdom books (besides the aforementioned short story). It's been an interesting and fun ride and I hope Nix writes more of them in the future.
Not sure what i'm going to pick up next. Maybe Herland or some early Tad Williams.

>>23314695
I'm glad you liked atleast some of it, I've only read the story where the scientists get captured by the natives. Rip Vinge.

>>23314951
Did you read the other short fiction in that setting?
https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?4066+None

>PDF
>couldn't find
Is this your first time in the thread or on /lit/ for that matter? I found it in seconds on the first site to look at, in PDF even, which I don't know why you'd want that.

>>23315046
Post a link

>>23315384
Step 1. Go to Anna's Archive
Step 2. Search for Sabriel 25th Anniversary Edition
Step 3. Download
Step 4. Read it
Step 5. Use this knowledge in the future

Are there any really big, like 600+ page, sword and sorcery anthologies? Or similar

Thought this was interesting
From "Swords Against Darkness" forward

>>23314723
>>23314728
your """reviews""" are SHIT. fuck off

>>23314259
Read The Shadow Of The Gods

>>23315046
>>23315453
I'm not sure why you have such a snobby attitude but fuck you. I'll just go to Barnes and Nobles when I'm in the area and read the short story there. I forgot how baby-ish pie rat pukes act like snobby little man-children in toddler world where they demand everything spoon fed to them.

>>23315631
gwynne's writing is kind of mundane and boring
I tried reading faithful and the fallen and it's mega generic
he also dumps a shit ton of characters right at the start that you barely care about

>>23315631
>2 of the 3 mcs are woman
No

TWI 10.11 H
I'm gonna go ahead and consider this the proper start of the volume, pretty fun and I'm honestly quite excited about what's gonna be happening in Chandrar for once

I'm just so tired of the Erin getting people killed to mopey chapters arcs, we've tread this path way too many times already

First chapters at the inn with everyone else and the box were pretty good too but feels like forever ago with the recent double Erin chapters which I honestly can't get myself to care much about (as much as I like some of the characters involved) until they get to civilization proper and do consequential shit, at this point of the story "low" stakes survival narratives don't matter a single bit

Quite unfortutate that the Pisces and Jecaina ship is gonna go nowhere as usual, I found their interactions quite cute

Also, shoutouts to my wife for being a slut

>start reading joe abercrombie
>first law is 10/10, amazing characters, female one is on the weaker side but whatever
>stand alone trilogy has more girlbossing but still kept balanced, still great
>new trilogy has even more female povs and they're not only girlbossing now they're constantly shitting on male characters, balance is gone and generally the whole trilogy feels like a filler
every fucking time, i swear everything written after 2010 sucks ass, even from authors that were decent once

>>23315822
Weird response.

>>23314424
Pick one to what? Call the cops on? I choose Bakker. That man has skeletons in his closet.

Does Kellhus have a fondness for those he cannot possess? I know there's some predestination going on in how he spares Cnauir, but he doesn't have a good reason to let Achamian live except to prove the honesty of his intentions in stopping the Second Apocalypse.

Read Tenebroum

Traditional medieval fantasy with humans, gods, ghosts, dvarves, goblins and others.
No cultivation, no xanxia and no litrpg nonsense.

>>23316328
Pick the most handsome man.

>>23315822
>demand everything spoonfed
You were doing the very same thing you're seething about? The guy gave you an answer on how to find what you wanted and you're assmad about what?

What's the consensus on A E Vogt's works? Reading pic related it's quite fun so far but it definitely shows its age in several areas.

>>23315822
Meds

Just finished all four of this. The first one was great, albeit not a great standalone as it was always meant to be paired with the second book. But book 3 and 4 were really... average? Simmons writing, apart from being overly wordy at times, is still pretty good, but the structure and the character development of the main characters was just abysmal. Aenea, not even as a character, but as a plot device, is incredibly boring. I know that the theme of the entire series is literally a deus ex machina, but the way it was done just felt completely empty and meaningless. All those philosophy references felt preachy and really cringey, but I could have overlooked that, if the basic plot and character development was good, but it just... wasn't, sadly.

>>23316691
Yeah, I agree, and wrote similarly.

>>23314259
a western fan/sci fi where a daughter is fiercely loyal to her father and doesn't try to undermine him over every little thing like a modern teenage girlboss?

>>23316951
what is she trying to show here?

>First Law World Series
is it worth getting into it? 11 books seems like an overkill.

>>23317191
read the first, if you like it read the next two
they're a self contained story.

>>23317191
First trilogy and the next three books are great. Personally i didnt like the 2nd trilogy at all

>>23317191
>11
How'd you arrive at that number?

>>23317227
Im guessing he saw the 2 short story compilations and though there were 11 instead of 9

>>23316961
That you're entirely insecure and everything that could potentially be interpreted as "tiny" is you thinking it's about your penis. The artist is intentionally trying to humiliate you.

>>23317227
>https://www.goodreads.com/series/150214-first-law-world

>>23317245
You consider something that's 77 pages to be a book? Ok.

Just saw that Matt Dinniman, author of Dungeon Crawler Carl, has signed with PenguinRandomHouse, one of the largest publishers in the world. Good for him. He's sold the print rights to them for the first three books, their editions will have additional content, and he will write a new series for them.

>>23314382
she was good in europe, but kind of retarded after they traveled to india

We readin’ good tonight

>>23317631
forgot pic

>>23314259
Would you read book with this premise?:
>A newly found kingdom long burdened by disputes with its bloodthirsty foes threatens to be succumbed by internal conflict when its monarch mysteriously dies. The all-but-disinherited firstborn of the King finds himself entangled in the tricks of the corrupt nobility as he travels to the Capital to arbiter the election of a new king. If he fails to prevent the eruption of authority, the realm might find itself divided and falling into the hands of its former overlords.

>>23317661
>the election of a new king
negro please

>>23314726
I don't believe the reproductive cycle of the shark grub has been talked about much in the books. perhaps the world isn't ready yet

>>23317667
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elective_monarchy

Monarchies are all elective or semi-elective

>>23317661
Sure.

>>23316636

Unfathomably based.

A E Van Vogt is like a proto-Philip K Dick (and Dick spoke highly of him). But whereas Dick's stories are often nightmarish and full of paranoia, Van Vogt's are dreamlike and driven by dream logic.

Van Vogt is master of the short story. Exemplars include The Village, The Monster, A Can of Paint, Process, Cataaa! and others.

He didn't write many novels, and some of his novels are actually other short stories and novellas smooshed together with filler material (possibly added by his wife). Try Weapon Shops of Usher, Weapon Makers of Isher, The Winged Man or the Clane (I, Claudius) collection

But really just read his short stories, The Best of A E Van Vogt is a great place to start.

This redpilled me on Middle-earth

>>23317981
>Dimitra

>>23314728
>There's also considerable concern given towards how dangerous religious demagogue can be, especially when fused with modern conspiratorial thinking
let me guess, the "climate change" crisis in the book is not considered dangerous religious demagogue.

>>23315565
it's only 522 pages though sorry

>>23318089
No, because there's really quite a lot of climate disasters regularly occuring. As I wrote, some certainly seems improbable for how quickly the climate catastrophe occurs. This isn't real life and I didn't claim it was. It's dramatized fiction and I said as much. I even noted about the disaster porn.

>>23318135
no shit it's fiction. the fuck

>>23315631
>>23315988
>1 of the 3 mcs is a hot barbarian milf
picked up

>>23315595
I wish I hadn't read more of that
what's wrong with men these days

Going through the 1st Gotrek & Felix book; pretty gud so far.

>>23318223
I explained how and why it differed from the real world since you didn't seem to understand.

>>23314723
thanks for the rec, based autist

>>23318416
Explicitly stated not to be a rec.

>>23318428
don't care, taking it as a rec anyway

>>23318433
based

>>23317191
The first trilogy is very fun. The next three are standalones of which I've only read The Heroes (I enjoyed this one maybe even more than the trilogy). Haven't read the new Age of Madness trilogy

>>23315825
I found the same thing when I tried reading that series. Also the gratuitous gore in the first fight scenes. I've got nothing against it normally but does every kill have to have an extra sentence tacked on to explain how the dying mook shat himself and spilt his entrails

>>23317191
each one is worse than the last

>>23318314
Hell yeah, good shit, manling.

Are the black company books well received here? I'm almost done with the first and it's okay. It doesn't seem terribly impressive considering it's influence. Are the other books better or are they all pretty similar to the first?

Is everyone in agreement that Ian Malcolm is a retard?

>>23318896
Filtered by superior boomer prose

>4 new cosmere novels
>no mistborn part 3
>no fixed stormlight
fuck you brandon

>>23318941
if you want "Jurassic Park, but good" try Relic by Preston and Child

>>23318896
Not every impactful work is a standalone masterwork titan like LOTR, sometimes they're just above average books that happen to be particularly creative.

>>23318896
i thought it was good, at least until they get to india, but yeah it's just neat little stories (even though they do save the world), it's not groundbreaking or anything

I just remembered some book I've heard about and maybe someone of you knows what it was.
>it's fantasy world
>thoughts create things in the real world
>everyone is afraid of literal insane people because of that

>>23319353
is it like the movie? I really liked the movie.

>>23319117
mistborn is cosmere

>>23319598
Frieren?

>>23319603
did i say it wasnt?

Reading The Will of the Many and I think I'm just fed up with the formulas a lot of modern fantasy uses.
Unless it reveals something later there's nothing interesting going on with this book.

>current
Call of the Cradle.
This is the funniest story in the Horror's Call series (and perhaps the first story I've read where the main protag is a baby) because well, the main protag is a fucking baby. Imagining baby Pete navigating through needle-ridden Chicago alleyways (of which the author is aware of its sheer incredulity) has been downright hilarious.
>very beginning of book
>baby accidentally gets into another dimension, where the machine elves live and run reality
>good elf finds him then drops an /x/ infodump for at least 3 pages
>"why did I do that? you're a baby. you can't understand this"
For some reason, this is one of the longer novels too, and it's mainly Baby Pete + his mom and their wacky shenanigans.

Uhhhhh.
Read Sword of Bayne.

>>23320170
Do you want a spoiler?

>>23320170
I genuinely groaned when they were like "oh btw the school has an underground shifting labyrinth, couple people die a year but this teaches you important skills somehow"

>>23320293
its almost like the labyrinth teaching you important skills is an excuse.

>>23320303
I don't even care, man. You can't have an academy setting nowadays without an obvious deathtrap being involved somehow.

>>23320293
>>23320312
lol
the plot to Mage Errant 1: Into the Labyrinth

>>23320320
Honestly, when JKR did it, it was at least the idea that the kids wouldn't go into the deliberate deathtrap. I'm not one of those reddit wackjobs that complains about OSHA compliance but it bores me at this point to see the hero "trapped" in some dark corner of the labyrinth or whatever that he's spent the entire year working up the skills to conquer. Switch it up even a little bit, goddamn.

I believe I have found my next read, degozaimasu.

>>23320342
Read this for the first time a few weeks ago, quickly became one of my new all time favorites. Shikata ga nai, neh?

>>23320331
>switch it up even a little bit
lol, lmao. which part are you at?

>>23320170
>>23320225
>>23320293
How pozzed? I looked at the goodreads reviews and many are comparing it to the name of the wind.

>>23320370
Not even remotely pozzed. The comparison to fart in the wind is because the protagonist is overedicated. That's literally it.

>>23320370
Sorry, overeducated and spends a lot of time on the lamb after his family is killed. That's the comparison.

>>23320376
>>23320382
I'll give it a go.

>>23320385
I honestly reccomend his first series the licanius trilogy instead, just because its already finished. Well that and because its magic time traveling.

>>23320370
It's Rome-ish, but not quite as historically gay.

>>23320342
>Why does he need to be so abusive? Oh, because he's japanese
Yes

>>23320401
I will say this. Of the last seven sffg book I've read, seven have had roman-esque world building elementd.

>>23320369
I finished it like a year ago.

>>23320444
So then you are aware that it does switch up.

>>23320376
>>23320382
>>23320401
Is the MC black? There seems to be an awful lot of 'dark skinned' people already in chapter 2

>>23320583
what a tedious way to live your life

>>23316495
he has feelings for serwe on the tree, and he shows mercy and honesty with proyas near the end

>>23320607
Is that a yes or a no?

>>23320583
dark means tanned, maybe olive skinned. there are no african analogues in the story. no joke, literally zero black people.

Worth checking out or is this pure slop?

>>23320713
The latter

>>23320713
The former

>>23320713
neither

>>23320713
Both at once

>>23320713
>they trained her for a war. She intends to end it.

>>23320342
"Melanie" needs to ween off the HRT.

>>23320713
R.F. Kuang is a SJW who sperged out about being "erased" as a female gook in the literary scene and wrote a book, "Yellowface," to cope.

Just finished Demon in white earlier, love seeing an author get better with each book, much better pacing which was always my biggest issue with Ruocchio, and has a little bit of everything I like in stories like this (action, bit of court politics, lore reveals etc)
Happy to give it a 5/5 this time around with how close The Howling Dark was to getting one. Anyone read the short stories set in between the main novels? I'd like to read them all eventually but I'm curious how "essential" others would consider them to be.

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/monogatari-returns-again-kodansha-books?hmb_source=humble_home&hmb_medium=product_tile&hmb_campaign=mosaic_section_4_layout_index_4_layout_type_threes_tile_index_3_c_monogatarireturnsagainkodansha_bookbundle

Dunno where else to post this. Is this a good light novel set? None of it is Isekai bullshit is it

>>23320810
Lmao isn't like 95% of Asimov award winners women or minorities now

>>23320194
>Months ago, all he could do was crawl. Now Baby Pete was bipedal and adventurous
The character development of all time.

Any sf or f with an autistic, loser, friendless, virgin protagonist who never leaves his room all day?

>>23320928

>>23320964
>overweight rebellious young man from a dysfunctional single-parent family
Sounds very familiar.

>>23320831
theyre not essential in the slightest. anon get ready, youre not ready for the next book...

>>23320928
Isekai was made for you

>>23320713
the poopy war

>>23320831
damn, you passed me
just got to the Imperial Library on Colchis

>>23321005
in that case I think I might try and spread them out to span the gap between Disquiet Gods and book 7 when I get there. And I can't wait I've heard good things about Kingdoms of Death (no actual plot related things thankfully just positive towards the book) and frankly I'm ready for Ruocchio to hurt me lol

>>23321062
that part is a highlight of the novel in my opinion enjoy anon you should make a post when you're done with the book

>>23320879
Yes. They're also in the Hugos, Nebula, and all other sff awards. It's widely known that most of the winners' books are shit, but the all screeching from SJWs about "white men winning awards for books with white characters" rattled award organizers, many of whom are SJWs themselves.

>>23321176
I got banned from r/printsf for pointing this out, and I even said "it isn't a good or bad thing, but it should be allowed to be discussed for the sake of being honest" but they literally cannot fathom it being questioned. Cult shit. Very weird and scary to see, and to know many people are like this and allowed to vote

>>23320713
That tag line sounds like a newspaper article title.

>>23316307
it's incredibly embarrassing but I understand why they're doing it: women buy more books so writers are pandering to the female ego for sales

>>23320858
>57 volumes
bruh
I watched the first series back when it aired and I found it very obnoxious, but no, it's not isekai.

Just finished reading the sword in the storm, shit is pretty good, hope the rest of the series doesnt disappoint

>>23321200
Yeah, im sure woman are frothing at the mouth for more gritty epic fantasy
This is what happens when you start listening to reddit

>>23321200
>women buy more books
in the ROMANCE genre, yes.

>>23321200
Yeah but realistically all they buy is romantasy tripe they see on tiktok

>>23321210
>>23321213
Come on guys it's not the 1980s where only nerdy white guys buy fantasy books, women have most of the marketshare now

>>23321215
Not in this genre you muppet, they read shit like forth wing or whatever ya trash is currently popular.

>>23321215
Yes, and none of it is good literature. I would say barely any, but I have not seen one example of a competently written or interesting book.

>>23321215
>ummmm it's not the 1980s SO I'M FUCKING RIGHT
kill yourself nigger

>>23321220
>>23321224
more women buy fantasy books than men, I dunno you can't accept it

>>23321229
oh fuck off you baiting retard

>>23321182
Wish there was a /r/printsf alternative or chat where faggots don't clutch their pearls at people voicing the opinion that women and minorities can't write good sff books.

>>23321232
Now you're acting like a redditor who can't stand his delusions being challenged

>another psychotic presenting his personal opinion as veritable fact
Nothing but reruns on TV nowadays.

>>23321239
where do you think he came from lmao

>>23321241
Do you honestly believe that in 2024 men are buying more fantasy books than women?

>>23315595
Absolutely based.

>>23315565
Neither Beg nor Yield is a big S&S anthology that came out earlier this year.
Not every story is a winner of course, but almost all of them are good to great.

>>23321205
>hope the rest of the series doesnt disappoint
The first book is the best one in the series IMO. And there's a massive time skip starting with book 3 with a whole new cast of characters. But all the novels are good.

This guy seems to be finding a lot of success. Are his books good?

>>23321311
Ryan Cahill is a shitlib.

Do you listen to music while reading fantasy?

>>23320831
youtube thumbnails did this guy so dirty

https://www.elysian.press/p/no-one-buys-books
A very long overview from legal proceedings that I can't be bothered to excerpt at this time. I found it to be rather interesting though.

got a neat book

>>23321405
no. reading in anything but silence is irritating

>>23321412
brendan fraser if he author

>>23321405
Oh yes. Futuristic/medieval ambient music depending on what specific setting I'm reading

>>23321256
nta as I fully agree with you, but you're also missing the point. It's 100% true women buy more books and it's also 100% true that they aren't buying the books he's interested in. As in, what women do have no relevance to him. Indeed, most anyone doesn't have relavance. You're arguing about different things that only seem to be the same thing.

>>23321311
It's a matter of relative to whom and in what way. Successful compared to the average author certainly, but successful in any meaningful way, including financially, I think not.

>>23321237
Would you be okay sharing a space with those who believe that white men are the worst and most overrated writers of sff and are hostile to any male authors in general?

>>23321414
>book publisher merger was denied for fear of monopoly
>yet microsoft and disney are given free reign to buy up all the shit they want
wild

>>23321465
There are plenty of places for that: Tumblr, Reddit, Instagram, Goodreads, 4chan

>>23321402
i don't care about that. is it actually good?
>>23321458
that's still very successful.

>>23321492
It's not good.

>>23321405
No, I find it too distracting unfortunately. Sometimes I do have some sort of music in my head, but the real deal won't let me focus on what I'm reading.

>>23321492
Even accounting for that "good" and "will you like it" may have nothing to do with each other, probably not.

It's funny when separatists complain about about being ejected from public spaces. Being exclusively with your own kind is the entire point of separatism. Why begrudge those who want the same thing, to be separated from you?

I am 22 chapters in. Prose is better than average, dialog is bad, story is quite boring, plot is nonsensical and does not follow any logic. It gets points for not having any woke shit.
I am not sure this is even fantasy. MC has no powers or magic, he does not want any powers, the academy he is going to prohibit any use of powers by students on academy grounds. It feels like it's some political drama with a few fantasy elements thrown in (like floating trains/ships), one of the worst issues is MC supposedly a very intelligent person and strong fighter (who had his entire family murdered) doesn't want to fight, doesn't want revenge, doesn't want magic, I am not sure what he wants or if he even has any motivations of his own. They should made his adoptive father a main character instead (a much more interesting character).

>>23321465
Yes
Opposing opinions don't scare me, I'm an adult

>>23321569
Who are you being passive-aggressive toward in particular? Your unremarkable attempt at inciting a flame war is currently treading water within the Newfag Book Club pond.

>>23314723
>>23314728
I've been meaning to read this. Been pretty depressed for consuming all things "collapse" as of late.

>>23321586
>It gets points for not having any woke shit.
the author said one of his current regrets is not including enough diverse characters in his book and plans to remedy that in this series. get ready.

>>23321848
I hope this is a joke but in current year +9 I'd believe anything

>>23321215
Most of the market is in chinese webnovels, including the western one.
The kind of shit publishers label as fantasy now is anything but.

>>23321873
Nothing to be surprised about. Already happened with Raven's Shadow series.

>>23321873
Not a joke.

>>23321215
this isn't even accurate lmao, there where tons of women writers and readers back then.

>>23315822
The only way he could have been more accommodating (and he WAS accommodating is if he, himself, posted the link.

>>23315595
>remale chauvinist sows who thought they had him pegged

>>23316961
Fear, uncertainty, or doubt about her (the weird handed character's) place in the situation. It's as much a visual shorthand in media as *stutters when lying so it's obvious/evident* is a audio shorthand (in media).

>>23317239
Found the south korean

>>23321586
ending is a weird dogshit asspull

Just finished Moorcock's Legends from the End of Time and I really want to jump right into picrel, since I already have it on hand, but apparently there's a whole book about Miss Ming in between that I'm not sure if I want to read at all. Should I just skip it? Is it worth coming back later
Legends from the End of Time was great btw, some of his most entertaining aside from the more eternal champion driven stuff

>>23322258
>Should I just skip it? Is it worth coming back later
Yes to both, Elric at the End of Time is Moorcock parodying himself and none of the book's events are relevant to Elric or the End of Time series. i've seen people compared it to Doctor Who's comedy episodes personally i have never watched Dr who so idk but the book has a lot of british humour in it.

>>23322286
Coincidentally, Moorcock wrote a Who book.

>>23322246
It was a wolf not a dog!

>>23321586
>plot is nonsensical and does not follow any logic
this is just false

>>23322246
Dropped it at chapter 33. It's genuine garbage. It was my mistake though, I should have known after reading some of the 5/5 goodreads reviews of this book.

>>23322422
Not false, plot is completely unrealistic. From how he was found by quints guy, how it was the plan devised by the resistance to make this quints guy come to some town on the outskirts of empire and make him find mc and adopt it lol but he does it on his own, to the train crash, to the death of the leader of the resistance. All asspulls that just magically happen

>>23321415
hell yeah. reading it right now

>>23321569
because "public spaces" by definition belong to everyone, you fuckwit

>>23322429
>>23322447
sounds like you didn't get to the worst part, where his new stepmom is revealed to be the female resistance leader

>>23322447
>its bad
>why
>it doesnt make sense
>how
>its bad
>why
>it doesnt make sense
>how
>its bad
>why
>it doesnt make sense

Your opinion is not serious. Don't use words like logic or sense when your take is based purely on your emotional reaction to the book.

>>23322467
"The events could not occur as described because no-one would commit to a plan which relied on so many extreme fluke events occurring one after the other exactly as necessary" is a perfectly serious and correct criticism.

>>23322476
not to mention that the "plan" relies on everyone else reacting in the most irrational manner possible

>>23322461
lol

>>23322467
It is serious, my emotional reaction is based on the plot of the book. Plot is nonsensical, it's illogical, it is frankly stupid, there is no other way to describe it.

>>23322458
Yes, which why those who offend the public sensibility are removed from the public.

>>23322476
>>23322477
this is just bullshit. the plan makes sense, you can say "no it doesnt" but that doesnt change the fact that it does.

>>23322482
how is it illogical, how is it nonsensical. where are the logical breakdowns and violatiojs of sense.

>>23314951
>some early Tad Williams
Recommend Tailchaser's Song or MST.

I want to write a woman warrior character, and have male characters frequently like "whoa how are you a woman and can do that" but not like in a feminist way, but in a "she's genuinely built different" way. Any advice how to go about that in a way that isn't annoying? I was thinking of making her a humanoid alien to explain her higher ceiling but maybe that's too cheap.

>>23316307
The problem is that the girl bossing is so fucking blatant. At least back then they made it tolerable or a natural part of there character AT LEAST. But no, they just straight up make them into smug cunts that have no flaw or sympathy whatsoever.

I haven't even read the new triology, btw, but it's so predictable nowadays I understand you 100%

>>23321569
>public spaces
>separatism
>???
Nigga at least proofread before you post

>>23322612
It's this simple: Make it so that she is actually a he (trans). Boom, now you've got a chance at being successful.

>>23322612
Make her a not-jedi/newtype.

>>23321848
kek, I have a feeling that MCs obsession with his male classmate (the one who is always reading books) will turn into some gay shit in the second book, screencap this

>>23321848
>>23321873
>>23321906
>>23322079
>not including enough diverse characters in his book and plans to remedy that in this series
Why anons? Why? Are they all put into a room and beat into submission? How does this happen to almost all current decent writers?

>>23322647
unironically yes

>>23322647
the publishati knock on their door late at night

>>23322647
They are not decent authors. They put in effort to refrain from writing woke shit in the first book in order market it to wider audience and to trick normal people into reading their book and getting invested into the story. Once that's done they go into full woke mode with the rest of the series.

>>23322682
This isn't his first book.

Reddit has fallen out of love with sandersoy, is it finally over?

>>23322556
From what I remember her plan is something like: Resistance lady knew her husband wanted to visit a specific prisoner and so had him moved to another prison (with her inexplicably untraceable prisoner relocation powers) where she knew the small island prince mc was working (she alone somehow figured his identity out and we're constantly reminded that if basically anyone else knew this he would have been killed), she knew that her husband would notice how exceptional he was while visiting the prison (unlikely) would be interested in adopting him for his retarded academy infiltration plan that he never directly told her about, and would follow him to the fight arena on the same night (unlikely), observe him winning against an opponent he was meant to lose against (unlikely), follow him home and adopt him the next morning (unlikely). Then by happenstance their transport gets taken down the next day by the resistance and she happens to be there. She tries to sabotage her own plan by letting her husband die and taking the mc with her, but instead lets him go with plans to meet at the terrorist attack later.

Husband leaves mc to be trained for a summer at his villa where the mc's upbringing as the prince of a small island + two months of intensive training catches him up to the level of the very best of the most elite children in the entire world (unlikely). He is given a last minute excuse to attend the terrorist attack festival (ass pull). Resistance figurehead turns out to be from mc's island (coincidence but inconsequential), mc refuses to help so resistance lady injects him with anti-terrorist magic vaccine because she knows instead of escaping the terrorist attack when given the chance, he will single handedly end it and become a hero (unlikely). Then through a series of asspulls the MC rises through the ranks at the academy (his island prince training makes him a better rockem sockem swordsman than the best young swordsman in the empire, his island prince training makes him a better notchess player than the best young notchess player in the empire). He also saves a baby wolf's life who becomes one of the hugest asspulls of all time later. Resistance lady uses her magic government meeting relocation powers to make a secret meeting occur at the mc's island just in time for him to be important enough to be invited (unlikely). She knows that because he was the island prince there he will know about the secret unguarded tunnels which enable him to spy on the most super secret meeting of all time (unlikely) and also that his bedroom will have direct access to said tunnels (unlikely).

The book is completely filled with coincidence and asspulls. Many of them could be explained by something like "well the government is corrupt and incompetent" or "the mc is just one of many plans and is disposable, so no one cares if he if asked to do things which would be nearly impossible" but they have a compounding negative effect on the plot.

>>23322715
He can bounce back. I mean I totally echo those exact sentiments but no one is consistently great. Interesting to learn about the Editor, and not at all surprising.

Can anyone here recommend any book/series where power is associated with philosophical or ideological leanings or beliefs, and the more you either buy into the power-broker (whether it's a God or an organization) or individually draw on the power, the more you're likely to succumb to or be amenable to these beliefs/leanings?

I know there are xianxia out there but I am not reading terribly-written or -translated garbage. I am currently reading a Western xianxia web-novel that follows these ideas, but would like something more professionally-produced.

>>23317848
I didn't jive with a lot of my dad's old Golden- and Silver-Age sci-fi stuff, but for some reason I just cooked the entire Voyage of the Space Beagle compilation between Fantasy books, and I don't even like the wacky dream-like anything-goes bullshit kind of writing. I just remember his writing being kinda cool in almost a comfy way?

>>23322716
Congratulations, you forgot so much.
>she alone somehow figured his identity out
the other resistance leader is the one who knew him
>she knew that her husband would notice how exceptional he was while visiting the prison (unlikely)
how is that unlikely, he was looking for someone young and intelligent. he's a fucking prince tutored from childhood to be a foreign diplomat.
>for his retarded academy infiltration plan
it is constantly pointed out that its a bad plan motivated by grief and revenge
>that he never directly told her about
the entire family was aware of his intent in adopting a child, which is why they tried to talk him out of it
>and would follow him to the fight arena on the same night (unlikely)
HOW IS IT UNLIKELY
>observe him winning against an opponent he was meant to lose against (unlikely)
it is quite literally explained in detail how it was likely for him to win.
>Then by happenstance their transport gets taken down the next day by the resistance
woah, happenstance in a plot? get the fuck outa here, no way!
>and she happens to be there
its literally explained why she was there, once again this is not a problem with the story its a problem with you not realizing your own memory is bad
>She tries to sabotage her own plan by letting her husband die and taking the mc with her, but instead lets him go with plans to meet at the terrorist attack later.
this is literally, in no uncertain terms, not true. your memory is actually awful
>catches him up to the level of the very best of the most elite children in the entire world (unlikely)
yes, what you said is unlikely. IT ALSO DIDNT FUCKING HAPPEN. he is behind the top few classes in the academy and this is pointed out time and time again.
>He is given a last minute excuse to attend the terrorist attack festival (ass pull).
whaaaat, a contrivance in a story? parish the very thought!
>Resistance figurehead turns out to be from mc's island (coincidence but inconsequential)
its not a coincidence its literally the entire reason the resistance finds him and uses him in their plans. it is LITERALLY the impetus for the entire fucking plot, that the guy is a leader of the resistance.
>resistance lady injects him with anti-terrorist magic vaccine because she knows instead of escaping the terrorist attack when given the chance, he will single handedly end it and become a hero (unlikely)
its... unlikely that the scenario they set up to make him look like a hero would make him look like a hero? are you just fucking with me now?

>>23322716
>Then through a series of asspulls the MC rises through the ranks at the academy (his island prince training makes him a better rockem sockem swordsman than the best young swordsman in the empire, his island prince training makes him a better notchess.player than the best young notchess player in the empire)
this is all, again literally, completely fucking false. nothing you just wrote happens in the book.

the book is by no means well written, it has many things wrong with it. your fucking speed reading dumbass is not going to help anyone by maling shit up and relying on your dogshit memory

>>23322716
He found some ancient magical technology in some old ruins, at night, on his very first excursion outside the academy grounds literally two minutes away from the academy walls. He managed to leave his room inside academy, go to the stables, steal some rope, climb over the wall, explore the grounds outside find the ruins, explore the ruins, find the old magical technology, explore a little, then come back to the academy, to his room, all this happened within a time frame of 20 minutes.

>>23322732
Dresden

>>23322716
>unlikely
is not a synonym for
>I don't like how it happened

>>23322754
>literally two minutes away from the academy walls
once again, this did not fucking happen
> all this happened within a time frame of 20 minutes
WHT DO YOU KEEP MAKING SHIT UP, IT TOOK HIM NEARLY ALL NIGHT

>>23322728
At least for me, TWOK was well paced (for Sanderson) with great worldbuilding and story, WOR was similar but with slightly more filler, Oathbringer dragged on far too long in the hyperspace namek part (dismissed this as a mid series thing and gave him another chance) and then ROW was the nail in the coffin with hundreds of pages on fictional physics analysis and a siege with video game esque sneaking around to nodes
Sanderson needs someone to take a hacksaw to his scripts, I felt physically exhausted after the last one and not in a good way

>>23322750
>unlikely that the scenario they set up to make him look like a hero would make him look like a hero? are you just fucking with me now?
The entire scenario is unlikely. The guy kills a bunch of people then waits for MC to come and kill him with the knife he gave to MC, by the way he wants MC to join his cause and he is actually his old mentor (or something), but he then waits for MC to kill him, MC does not join his cause (obviously) and also kills him (the leader) likely greatly damaging their organisation(also everyone at the resistance is fine with what happened), all in order to make MC more popular so he could become top student at the academy. MC is also the enemy of the empire and any one of the thousands of people he just saved would report him to the authorities.

>>23322612
Make her freakishly strong and tall, I don't think that's cheating. Kind of cliche but whatever.Or, I don't know, say she went through some training that helps her break through her mental barriers.

>>23322750
I read it months ago, so I'm definitely willing to accept forgetting things:

>the other resistance leader is who knew him
She found him at the fight arena I thought. I don't really think it makes that big of a difference.
>how is that unlikely?
Well for one thing he was specifically trying to not be discovered. So he was doing everything to not flaunt that he was a tutored prince, hinging the entire plan on him being noticed there seems like a big leap to me.
>bad plan motivated by grief
I agree, but isn't he still at least trying to keep it secret? It seems a given that the wife knows the plan transparently enough to exploit it from the start.
>intent in adopting a child.
I don't remember that, I thought it was just mentioned that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for someone in his position, not that he was actively looking.
>How is it unlikely?
He has to both notice that the mc is exceptional and then immediately drop any other plans to follow him the same night, and the mc doesn't even fight every night so its at least a coincidence that following him lead to the fight arena.
>Explained in detail how it was likely for him to win.
How do you mean? He beat someone with the strength of 11 men because he was especially vicious, The fight was arranged so he would lose.
>Happenstance in a plot.
Its not about there being none, its about if the level is reasonable.
>Explained why she was there.
Could be, I don't remember if it was.
>Not true.
What I remember is there are 3 stoogies who blow the thing up, Husband explodes one's head and then the resistance lady shoots him with a magic sleep arrow. She tells the mc to come with her and he refuses and then she is pissed off but says "okay then meet me at the festival"
>Didn't fucking happen.
He advances just from being smarter than everyone except for in the two cases where the teacher is randomly evil. He isn't the top student by the end, but he isn't out of place in class 3.
>coincidence
one of many.
>impetus of the plot.
I think its inconsequential, the mc refuses to join.
>set up to make him look like a hero
Depends on him doubling back instead of just escaping, which I feel like is a big ask, even though he suspected he was immune to the terrorism magic.

I didn't even hate the book, I don't have any agenda to make it out to be worse than it was. I think it was full of coincidences which weigh down the plot. By all means disagree.

>>23322753
I made those up? How did he advance from class 6 to 5 or class 4 to 3 then?

>>23322775
>then waits for MC to come and kill him
youre making shit up again
>by the way he wants MC to join his cause and he is actually his old mentor (or something)
he was his fathers advisor, not his mentor. you once again show you dont know what youre talking about. and the point of allowing him to kill him is to impress upon the child the lengths he should go to achieve his goals.
>and also kills him (the leader)
HAHAHAHAHAHAH
STOP
YOU SIMPLY DO NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT THE BOOK!
>all in order to make MC more popular so he could become top student at the academy
which he doesnt become, contradicting your earlier point, cunt.
>MC is also the enemy of the empire and any one of the thousands of people he just saved would report him to the authorities
this is also explicitly explored as an internal conflict of the MC. jesus christ you are a piece of shit.

>>23322612
I have a woman in my story who has something like 1/8 elven heritage. They naturally have much denser muscle mass than humans, so she inherited just enough elf blood to be a bit stronger and faster than pretty much any human.
Maybe you can find something from that?

>>23322809
i'm glad youre willing to accept forgetting things. because holy shit dude.
>She found him at the fight arena I thought. I don't really think it makes that big of a difference.
it makes a huge difference. how would she know who he was?
it was the advisor dude that sent people out in secret with the description of him and his sister.
>Well for one thing he was specifically trying to not be discovered. So he was doing everything to not flaunt that he was a tutored prince, hinging the entire plan on him being noticed there seems like a big leap to me.
yes it is a big leap, its explaining that leap that takes up the entire first few chapters. he makes mistakes, the quintus is smarter than him and traps him multiple times.
>I agree, but isn't he still at least trying to keep it secret?
im paraphrasing, but there is literally a line where he says "he will know why you are there"
hes trying to keep up appearances, everyone fucking knows why he sent the kid.
>I don't remember that
you dont say. it was mentioned in relation to the senate, not the academy. he was saying the senate would approve the adoption.
>then immediately drop any other plans
THE MC IS ONE OF HIS PLANS, potential plan. he was constantly looking for a candidate, a new kid shows up you think he isnt going to follow up on it?
and he wasnt alone, he had his people follow the mc.
>its about if the level is reasonable
its not about if the level is reasonable, its about if your memory of the events is even fucking accurate to behin with.
>He advances just from being smarter than everyone except for in the two cases where the teacher is randomly evil. He isn't the top student by the end, but he isn't out of place in class 3.
so what youre saying is that he isnt smarter than every other kid and that he doesnt ascend to the top of the academy? yeah thats whats i fucking said.
>I think its inconsequential, the mc refuses to join
it is explicitly stated that the contingency for if he doesnt want to join is to blackmail him.
>Depends on him doubling back instead of just escaping, which I feel like is a big ask, even though he suspected he was immune to the terrorism magic.
wrong, the goal was to cripple pyramids, which they did. the mc doubling back was. a possibility, for which they gave him the stylus. it was the whole plan, it wasnt even part of the plan for the event. it was the cherry on top.

>How did he advance from class 6 to 5
competance
>or class 4 to 3 then
cheating

>I didn't even hate the book
well i fucking did, so when some dumbass spouts off nonsense that has nothing to do with why the book is bad, im gonna say something.

>>23320170
I thought Will of the Many had a cool setting, but I hated how literally every single conflict in the novel was resolved by "and then the protagonist won because he was just better at everything than everyone else"

>>23322950
Name three

>>23322873

>Huge difference
She finds him with just a description, and the fact that him and his sister were deemed important enough to seek out seems retarded to me as well, especially considering that he immediately declines the offer to join. But sure.
>Big leap
The entire plot depends on him making those mistakes though, and If the old man he worked with wasn't having an episode of senility he wouldn't have been in close enough contact with the Quintus to be discovered.
>everyone fucking knows.
After he adopts his plan is obvious because everyone knows he is singleminded regarding his brother, but that doesn't mean its a given that he is actively seeking a boy to adopt beforehand, or would jump at the first talented random boy he finds working at a prison.
>senate would approve
I said before, the context seemed to just be that powerful people without children sometimes adopt, not that it was common knowledge that he was looking to adopt. His retarded infiltration plan was just between him and the daredevil bitch.
>MC IS ONE OF HIS PLANS
Sure, after he discovers him, but it wasn't as if he came there to seek a random talented boy. One just fell in his lap and he happened to be ready to move on in less than 24 hours.
>memory is accurate
Whatever dog, I don't feel like I've actually misremembered anything that drastically.
>isn't smarter?
No, he is definitely smarter than basically everyone, there are arguably 3 students as smart or smarter than him, the only reason he is locked into the bottom of class 3 is because he wasn't given enough time before the ranks were set, but that doesn't matter anyways because final rankings are based on the capture the flag shit. And it isn't even about him being the number 1 student, its that having tutors until he was like 9, and studying hard for one summer puts him right near he top despite missing the first trimester of class and being an orphan for years, which makes the super duper elite academy look like a joke. The fact that there is a retard class that you can't fail out of furthers that.
>contingency
plans A and B are both retarded and amount to the same thing, but sure.
>goal to cripple pyramids
right, but the mc's place in the plan was to take it upon himself be a hero, which is why they gave him the stylus. I'd agree that the main goal is just the attack, but that the mc would double back at all is contrived and unrealistic.

>competence
he beats the robot duelist champion after 1 night of practice because he was such an exceptional traditional fencer, because he had tutors which is how everything is explained away throughout the book.
>cheating
he doesn't cheat, he hustles the girl into playing him at chess, tells her he will throw the game if she returns blackmail material, then lies and doesn't. Him beating her didn't involve any cheating at all.

>Well I fucking did
What did you hate about it then, dumbass?

This is more continuous discussion of a single book than /sffg/ has had in many years! Probably near the top all time already.

>>23322954
When he beats the Sextus in a fistfight
When he beats Ianix in a duel.
When he beats Belli at foundation.

>>23322956
>and his sister were deemed important enough to seek out seems retarded to me as well
are you fucking insane?
>The entire plot depends on him making those mistakes though, and If the old man he worked with wasn't having an episode of senility he wouldn't have been in close enough contact with the Quintus to be discovered.
thank you for explaining why it isnt unlikely
>but that doesn't mean its a given that he is actively seeking a boy to adopt beforehand
yes it does, because he was, everyone knew he was, and everyone knew why he was.
>I said before, the context seemed to just be that powerful people without children sometimes adopt, not that it was common knowledge that he was looking to adopt. His retarded infiltration plan was just between him and the daredevil bitch
THE FUCKING CONTEXT OF HIM SAYING ITS NORMAL FOR ADOPTION WAS TO EXPLAIN THAT THE SENATE WOULD RATIFY THE ADOPTION WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLAN BEYOND THAT
>Sure, after he discovers him, but it wasn't as if he came there to seek a random talented boy. One just fell in his lap and he happened to be ready to move on in less than 24 hours.
yes, this is how reality works...
>Whatever dog, I don't feel like I've actually misremembered anything that drastically.
oh so youre not actually open to accepting that you dont remember? what a disingenuous little cunt you are. fucking disgisting piece of shit.
>No, he is definitely smarter than basically everyone
no he is literally not and is outmaneuvered seleveral times by other students no less. stop making shit up
>plans A and B are both retarded and amount to the same thing, but sure.
plan a was to cripple the pyramids to fascilitate raids across the nation. how is that retarted, explain yourself dipshit.
>but that the mc would double back at all is contrived and unrealistic
WHICH IS WHY NOTHING WAS CONTINGENT ON HIM DOUBLING BACK, FUCK!

>after one night of practise
>he was a traditional fencer
you are so slimey its fucking sick
>he doesnt cheat
he literally cheats

>What did you hate about it then, dumbass?
the entire god damn book except for the last two chapters is just a prologue. the licanius trilogy had a similar problem but at least shit was happening in the meantime.

>>23322966
yes
no
no

Consider the following: The Will of the Many is not a serious book. It's a fun book. That it's ridiculous, unbelievable, contrived, and doesn't make any sense is what makes it so fun. For those who aren't able to have fun with that, that's too bad for them. For those who think it's anything more than dumb fun, that's too bad for them.

It's nice to see the shitflinging be about a book, keep fighting anons.

>>23322977
even if we give it that, it doesnt excuse the entire book being setup

>>2332298
The Modern Trilogy
Book 1: Setup
Book 2: Rising Action
Book 3: Climax & Resolution

>>23322988
Book 1: something happens
Book 2: nothing happens
Book 3: something new is introduced as if it were always important and is resolved quickly and pretty poorly

Book 1: stuff happens
Book 2: stuff entirely unrelated to the first book happens
Book 3: stuff entirely unrelated to either previous book happens

I wish for
book one: something happens
book two: everything goes wrong
book three: victory is clawed from the jaws of defeat

Book one: nothing happens
Book two: oh shit slow down what the fuck

>>23322968
>are you insane.
does having access to educated brown children make a meaningful difference in taking down society? The only advantage over anyone else is they are blackmail-able.
>Isn't unlikely
I think it's completely unlikely, it depends on the old fucker having an episode, mc understanding the dead language the Quintus speaks, and the mc slipping and touching a sapper and being immune to it. None of those is particularly assured.
>Everyone knew he was
I don't think they did, I think it was just obvious why he would once he did.
>how reality works.
This dudes plan that he has 1 shot at to expose his brothers killer involves finding a talented youth and training him over the course of 2 months in both the curriculum of the academy and at how to run the alien technology labyrinth that he has recreated at home (completely retarded). But instead of actively seeking out prime candidates for this to ensure he has the best chance of success he is impressed by some random kid he met in a prison while doing something else and within 8 hours or so has fully committed to him?
>disgusting piece of shit
I wouldn't claim to have a perfect memory but I don't think you've shown me anything major that I've forgotten which excuses any of the many contrived plot points in the book. I'm sure there is tons I don't remember, but "WOW YOU DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING" by itself isn't compelling to me.
>outmaneuvered
Stop accusing me of making shit up and give examples of him being outmaneuvered then. From what I recall he has exactly 2 resistance points in advancing, both of them are caused by the teacher being an asshole and having nothing to do with his performance. Whenever its just up to how smart he is he rises naturally.
>how is that retarded
You misunderstood what I said. Plan A was have a prince working for us, Plan B is have a prince working for us unwillingly. The terrorist attack is fine and makes some sense.
>NOTHING WAS CONTINGENT
They wanted the mc to double back to become a hero which is what he did. The attack works without him doing that, but I'd say it was unrealistic to even incorporate him doing that into their plan. It's not something you could ever assume someone would do.
>so slimey
I'm really not, idk what you're heated about. He was trained as a traditional fencer as a boy, some other kid is literally the robot fencing champion of the empire, which is something the mc has never done. Assuming the skill is entirely transferable from regular fencing + he would get good enough at it in one night of practice is retarded. It's like if he was challenged to a handball match against the greatest young handball player in the empire, but he won because he used to be tutored in tennis.
>he literally cheats
How? He literally just straight up beats her, he even goes down a piece, he is just that much better than her. The only dishonest thing he does is double cross her on forfeiting.
>Just a prologue
that's funny cus the ending sucked.

Book 1: Sneed
Book 2: Seed
Book 3: & Feed

>>23323022
anon the guy you're arguing with hasn't even read the book. it's obvious from the way he says things like "winning at rockem sockem robots literally did not happen, winning at chess literally did not happen." I mean those two literally 100% unequivocally happened. There's no other explanation besides "he's trolling". That's why he claims to hate the book despite defending it so vehemently, so he can't be dismissed as a fanboy

>>23323022
>does having access to educated brown children make a meaningful difference in taking down society? The only advantage over anyone else is they are blackmail-able.
the prince and princess' bodies are never found why the fuck wouldnt the advisor to the king look for them? jesus....
>I think it's completely unlikely, it depends on the old fucker having an episode, mc understanding the dead language the Quintus speaks, and the mc slipping and touching a sapper and being immune to it. None of those is particularly assured
this is by definition a nitpick, grow the fuck up
>I don't think they did, I think it was just obvious why he would once he did.
nobody cares what you think, its explicitly stated that everyone knows he was looking to adopt and everyone assumed the reason was the academy
>This dudes plan that he has 1 shot at to expose his brothers killer involves finding a talented youth and training him over the course of 2 months in both the curriculum of the academy and at how to run the alien technology labyrinth that he has recreated at home (completely retarded). But instead of actively seeking out prime candidates for this to ensure he has the best chance of success he is impressed by some random kid he met in a prison while doing something else and within 8 hours or so has fully committed to him?
ITS ALMOST LIKE IT WAS A BAD PLAN THAT WAS LIKELY TO GET THE CANDIDATE FUCKING KILLED
> wouldn't claim to have a perfect memory but I don't think you've shown me anything major that I've forgotten which excuses any of the many contrived plot points in the book. I'm sure there is tons I don't remember, but "WOW YOU DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING" by itself isn't compelling to me.
i have, you just refuse to accept that it explains the contrivances. absolute fucking nigger.
>Stop accusing me of making shit up and give examples of him being outmaneuvered then
LITERALLY TWO OF THE THINGS YOU MADE UP WERE IN FACT EXAMPLES OF HIM BEING BEAT
>They wanted the mc to double back to become a hero which is what he did. The attack works without him doing that, but I'd say it was unrealistic to even incorporate him doing that into their plan. It's not something you could ever assume someone would do.
nothing they did was presumptive of him running back. it was just a possibility.
>I'm really not
you are SO fucking slimey. you have been factually refuted multiple times and your cope is "well i still dont think im wrong" WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT YOU DONT FUCKING THINK.
>How?
oh what? you dont remember? what a fucking surprised. duplicitous cretin, kill yourself.
>that's funny cus the ending sucked
thats not even a response to what i said, you dont have anything to say. all you have is feigned ignorance.

>>23323026
>winning at rockem sockem robots literally did not happen, winning at chess literally did not happen.
i DID NOT say that, what the fuck is wrong with you

>>23323035
Looks like you're too mad to discuss it anymore, that's cool I guess.

>>23323026
Yeah idk, he seems to know the plot mostly. The constant "THAT NEVER HAPPENED" shit is weird though.

>>23323047
step one: feign ignorance to the point of retardation
step two: claim the moral highground when you inevitably anger someone
step three: kill yourself

every single i said did not happen, did not happen. you made so much shit up its fucking insane, the other anon appears to not remember the book either bevause he doesnt realize your incorrect recollection of events is in fact fucking incorrect.

>>23323039
right here >>23322753

>>23323052
Explain the duel and the chess match then. You literally can't.
>HE CHEATED
how?
>HE WAS TRAINED AT FENCING
literally something he hadn't done in years + not rockem sockem robots

I need to escape into a fantasy world.

>>23323054
>his island prince training makes him a better rockem sockem swordsman than the best young swordsman in the empire, his island prince training makes him a better notchess.player than the best young notchess player in the empire
this is what was said, this is what did not happen

>>23323056
>how?
READ THE BOOK!
do you want me to fucking write the entire story for you so you remember how it was literally the entire fucking point of the scenes that he cant win straight up and has to win by other means?

>>23323068
>>23323071
LOL! How is that not exactly what happens? You literally can't say.

>write the entire story
no just tell me either how he cheats at notchess or tell me how he beat the rockem sockem robots champion with a single night's practice (you seem forgetful, so as a reminder: it's because of his special tutoring as an island prince)

>>23323085
>You literally can't say.
he barely manages to win using dirty tactics after getting his ass beat.
now you explain how that equates to
>better rockem sockem swordsman than the best young swordsman in the empire

>>23323068

>>23323090
>no argument
concession not accepted, try again bitch.

>>23323089
Actually he wins fairly twice, but the professor is cheating for the other kid, so when he tackles the other kid's robot no one watching cares because they are ashamed by the obvious cheating. Maybe you should reread the book, your memory is a little spotty there, faggot.

>>23323100
Now's the part where you cry and cope because I didn't forget you pulled
>the best young swordsman in the empire
straight out of your fucking ass

>>23323107
He is literally THE youth champion of rockem sockem robots. That's his only trait in the book.

>>23323063
Be careful what you wish for

>>23323108
>making shit up again
shameless, actually fucking shameless

>>23323113
Thanks for playing.

>>23323119
>in the empire
oof, you played yourself

>>23323123
That's funny ngl.

>>23323125
no but seriously
>side character X gases up fodder character Y
>this means fodder character Y is now the best swordsman in the empire!
its so fucking stupid. he wasnt reading tbe book, he was hate reading it. every little angle he could take to complain in his head, he took it. theres something to be said about being your own worst enemy.

>>23323128
He's literally the dueling champion numb nuts. There's absolutely nothing to suggest he is anything less than that. Side character x is literally one of the mc's only friends, why would he lie?

no but seriously, stick to your "Umm actually it's a republic, not an empire" shit, it's the best you have.
>was hate reading it.

>>23323137
of... the empire?
>b- but side character Y said all da best duelists were there!
youre such a sniveling little rat.

>side character x is either the arbitor of truth or he is a liar
you are nothing, you are less than nothing

>um actually
thats not what im doing, correct yourself post haste twat. im saying he was not the best in the [political zone] and that a fucking side characters exposition does not count more than the fact that the mc beat him evidently showing his praises (warnings) were misplaced.

its almost like you dont understand the concept of a narrative. are you autistic?

>>23323141
You're trolling. I'm sorry for insulting your favorite book, but it has some major problems. The MC being a gary stu that succeeds at everything can't be explained sufficiently by "he had tutors when he was a boy" or "well this character is the rockem sockem champion of the whole world but that doesn't necessarily mean he is very talented, you can't just take another character's word for that in universe! Him being beaten by the MC with one night of practice is completely reasonable, after all: he had tutors!"

>>23323158
I'm not trolling, but you are.
>your favorite book, but it has some major problems.
not only did i say i hated the book, i detailed a very big problem with it. actually kill yourset rat.
>The MC being a gary stu
yes
>that succeeds at everything
NO! FUCK!
this is what im talking about. you cant just be accurate you have to make shit up, youre fucking delusion what the actual fuck.

>>23323161
Shut up bitch, lol.

>>23323195
ggnore

Is Ray Bradbury any good?
Thinking about buying the Library of America collection used for cheap (about 50% off current amazon price)

What are some book series like The Second Apocalypse where the MC has a grand plan but ultimately fails and loses in the end?

>>23316307
damn i really enjoyed the first two trilogies is the third one really that bad?

>>23323332
I wouldnt call it bad. It really depends how much you enjoy the new characters, i personally disliked most of them fuck savine though, hated that cunt. The new setting is almost completely devoid of magic and its all industrialization which i didnt care for. Also, hope you werent invested in the whole khalul vs bayaz, and the shit going down in Styria, because thats mostly brushed aside.

>>23323302
I've only read The October Country and loved it.

>ctrl+f "great post"
>0 results

>>23323348
what about it?

>>23323420
God willing, he finally killed himself

>>23323438
Read it.

>>23323482
why?

>>23323469
But enough about Bakkerfag

>>23323483
It's Chinese dragon ball z infinite powerlevel slop. If that sounds fun to you by all means try it. The guy who posts it has severe autism so don't take his word to mean anything.

>>23323161
>>23323195
Kek I don't care who's right here but absolutely fucking obliterated. How buttblasted can you be?

>>23323483
It's good.

>>23323509
It has zero similarities to dragon ball

>>23322612
Jane Carver of Waar handles it in a pretty good way imo

>tall strong human woman
>transported from earth to waar where gravitational pull is less
>as a result she’s much stronger than the locals

>>23322637
Trannies aren’t hot tho. So there goes the entire sex appeal of having a supposedly female character as mc

>>23323536
le funni

>>23322715
No. Now all the fags on TikTok will glom on to the books.

>>23322612
It's easy. Make her thick about the waist and stocky.
Unless you need her to be "conventionally beautiful" for the plot, have her occupy the space of the top 10% or so of modern female strength athletes, which, while not up to par with male athletes of our time, would put her at a serious advantage over the rank-and-file.
In sci-fi, she wears power armor and shoots guns. If she's strong enough to haul her kit around then she's on even footing with her peers.
In a medieval-type setting, training, fitness and nutrition are poorly understood by the masses, so if she was trained by someone who knew that eating a roast chicken every day with their lentil and cabbage slop, then she would be stronger and more athletic than anyone would reasonably suspect.
There's a lot of cope back and forth either way. Just fucking dispense with it. She trains and eats like a warrior, ergo she fights like one. The main difference between girlboss women warriors and "built-different"-type bitches is that girlbosses don't take anything seriously. It's all a game to them because the limp-wristed author has never actually been in a fight and thinks their characters can stand around quipping all fucking day.
There are biological factors that she must take into account when fighting foes who are bigger and stronger than she is, so use that to make your story more interesting.

I wish authors were well informed about the world without being peabrained ideologues

>>23323578
I've never heard of this. Is it a John Carter ripoff?

Is he incapable or writing good female characters?
God, between him and Jordan, I'm starting to actually hate women.

All right which one of you faggots are behind this blog? It's actually pretty good

>>23324311
*is
*IS
God I hate my brain sometimes

>>23324171
Imagine being this easily influenced because your only interaction is through fiction.

>>23324406
Wow, an actual female? Greetings.

>>23324311
Why would you think it's anyone here? The reviewer uses the Bechdel test as part of their rating.
https://letsreadtsr.com/index/

>>23324418
You're right, it must be someone from /tg/

>>23322451
What do you think? I've only read a few pages because I'm finding it hard to focus and do things other than sleep lately

>>23324486
>>23324486
>>23324486

NEW THREAD IS UP

k... kino

>>23324691
I don't remember the writing in this series being so cringe.

>>23324691
why read shit like this

>>23324762
the emotional distress it causes feels so good

>>23324734
this was written 10 years ago, maybe you've grown or read something much better

>>23321415
Lovely.

>>23324033
Yeah it’s pretty much a roll reversal of John Carter. But it’s written by a straight white guy who’s not afraid to have his mc gut dirtied, beat up and humiliated