What are you reading?

[Carnifex]

The Diary of Anne Boleyn was really good, I enjoyed how her daughter, Elizabeth, received the diary while in the midst of some of her own trials and tribulations. The backstory on Anne dates back to when she was a young lass and the issues she had with domineering males in her life, up to the point where her head parted from her body. This is a book I can easily see myself re-reading again.

 

[Carnifex]

I finished a trash Amazon novel and then decided I needed good reading again, so dipped back into the Elizabethan era with the Queen's Bastard, which seems to be a follow-up to the Diary book cited above. So far so great!

 

[SveNitoR]

I started reading a sword and sorvery short-story collection a few days back. I have to say I enjoy it. I especially liked one by Fritz Leiber about a wizard character called Gray Mouser, so I'm going to look up if I can find something more by him to read.

 

[Carnifex]

Those Leiber books are the stuff of legends, I really must find and obtain that entire set again.

I finished Queen's Bastard this morning and it was an intriguing take on Arthur Dudley's life, a man we all know existed yet his pedigree was never truly known. This is an author that has a savvy mind on how to entwine her fiction with historical fact, making for a most riveting read.

Next up for me is the most recent Pickett volume, Battle Mountain. I suspect Nate will be on his way for revenge after what happened in the previous book!

 

[SveNitoR]

Those Leiber books are the stuff of legends, I really must find and obtain that entire set again.

I finished Queen's Bastard this morning and it was an intriguing take on Arthur Dudley's life, a man we all know existed yet his pedigree was never truly known. This is an author that has a savvy mind on how to entwine her fiction with historical fact, making for a most riveting read.

Next up for me is the most recent Pickett volume, Battle Mountain. I suspect Nate will be on his way for revenge after what happened in the previous book!

If you find ebooks ok, Amazon has the first four books in a bundle for just a few bucks. That's what I bought and will read after I finish the collection I'm reading.

Edit: Forgot to press buy and today it's almost full price again. Typical...

 

[Carnifex]

Nice, I've bookmarked them and will wait until they hit a discount again. Thank you!

 

[Carnifex]

Battle Mountain was good, yet all too brief. We get introduced to some new folks and a classic villain is dispatched along the way. At least I think he was, this guy keeps turning up like a cockroach so I guess time will tell.

And with no further delays, it's on to the Belgariad! Book one, Pawn of Prophecy is already ten percent done and I'm loving it all over again, for the first time in decades.

 

[Carnifex]

I concluded Pawn of Prophecy earlier today, and it was a stellar re-read. Perhaps it's not quite as strong as I recall from forty years ago, yet it's still fun and the characters drew me right back in.

Next up, book two, Queen of Sorcery.

 

[Carnifex]

I finished with Queen of Sorcery this morning, this volume gets the tale moving and gives some backround on what's gone before, a bit more than each prologue tends to give. You get an idea of Garion's family history and his overall potential. And Belgarath/Polgara are pretty much out in the open.

Book three, Magician's Gambit starts off with a point of view change, which is always nice as the first two are strictly from one perspective.

 

[Carnifex]

Magician's Gambit is now concluded, lots of story progression and yet another fatality for the bad guy squad. We get one more reluctant party member and perhaps a potential to be added later on, just to keep things interesting. The story wraps up with most of the group running for their lives with a avalanche coming down around them, leading straight into book four, Castle of Wizardry.

 

[Carnifex]

I finished Castle of Wizardry this morning, which sees new tasks being explored since the quest for the Orb ended with the prior book. Garion decides to go off with two companions and meet his destiny. I was quite ready for book five today yet Court of Frost and Starlight winged onto my kindle so that will come first. It will allow me to savor book five even more!

 

[Carnifex]

Court of Frost and Starlight was a quick read, it seemed somewhat smaller than the previous books. This was more of the gang catching up with each other, no epic battles in this volume.

Now I'm staring Enchanters' End Game, book five of the Belgariad.

 

[Carnifex]

Enchanters' End Game was excellent and a fine end to the five book series. Is the entire work as good as I remembered it being? No. I still had a great time revisiting this world and characters, and will likely get the next five books at some point.

Now I've started It Ends With Us.

 

[Carnifex]

I finished It Ends With Us, and it was a two volume set, the second being It Starts With Us. Maybe backwards-sounding yet it works, I found the first book much stronger than the second. Still worth checking out, but be warned, much of the focus is on domestic violence and such, it can be disturbing.

Now I've started We Used to Live Here.

 

[Carnifex]

We Used to Live Here was a wild and strange read. Part thriller, some horror and, at the end, a touch of Lovecraft. Truly disturbing and dealing with mental illness along the way, this one is not for the faint of heart nor mind.

Next one that I'll be starting will be book four of the Court series, A Court of Silver Flames. After the way the prior book ended I'm truly curious to see what happens next.

 

[Shagnak]

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Came out last week.
Set in an alternate historical earth, in the crusades era. As grimdark and darkly humorous as ever.

 

[Carnifex]

Man, I do enjoy Abercrombie's works, I'll have to work on catching up!

 

[Carnifex]

Court of Silver Flames was similar to the previous book, more backround on the gang and only a few battles. I think I might be done with that series.

I was all eager to dive back into the world of Amber yet a book flew onto the kindle, Staircase in the Woods, so I'm reading that now. Four friends went into some woods twenty years ago and only three came out, so you've a back story and what's currently going on.

 

[Carnifex]

Staircase in the Woods was an absorbing read, and the end....well, it almost felt like perhaps it was going into a sequel. I found the author to be one I enjoyed and will look for other books of his to read.

Now I'm bouncing between the first book of Amber and first book in a series called Vengeance Man.

 

[Carnifex]

I'm chugging through the Amber books rather steadily, already up to Hand of Oberon. This series is way more than nostalgia for me, the author writes in a manner that I enjoy and has me enthralled all over again.