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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31799 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  07:06:06  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by Tyrant

quote:
Originally posted by Dennis


Hmm. That's an interesting tidbit about Loki. Is the ending based on the comics? If so, would Loki survive? And how?


I take it you didn't stay until after the credits?
Loki is still alive and is now apparently controlling Stellan Skarsgard's character who is lead to Nick Fury who is apparently in posession of the Cosmic Cube

Yeah. Aside from it's obvious lead-in to Captain America: The First Avenger, I'm thinking also that, basically, it looks like Loki's being set up as the BBEG for The Avengers film in 2012.

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-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)

"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader

USA
3750 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  07:10:14  Show Profile Send Alystra Illianniis a Private Message
Heh, I DID!! And I must say, I'm intrigued by what took place. And yeah, that nod on the billboard was great. So was Stan's obligatory cameo. Also, did anyone else notice who was up on the sniper platform? LOL, a nice touch! And I'm SURE that big guy he got into the beat-down with at the crater site was Cage....

The Goddess is alive, and magic is afoot.

"Where Science ends, Magic begins" -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491

"You idiots! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -Spaceballs

Lothir's character background/stats: http://forum.candlekeep.com/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=5469

My stories:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Mickeys_Comic_Tavern/index.php?showforum=188

Lothir, courtesy of Sylinde (Deviant Art)/Luaxena (Chosen of Eilistraee)
http://sylinde.deviantart.com/#/d2z6e4u
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  07:30:21  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by Tyrant

quote:
Originally posted by Dennis


Hmm. That's an interesting tidbit about Loki. Is the ending based on the comics? If so, would Loki survive? And how?


I take it you didn't stay until after the credits?
Loki is still alive and is now apparently controlling Stellan Skarsgard's character who is lead to Nick Fury who is apparently in posession of the Cosmic Cube



Nope.

Looks like I have to watch it again...

Every beginning has an end.
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3290 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  09:08:34  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message
I will see Thor when I get the time and money.

Loki was the threat that caused the Avengers to form in 1963.

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  11:06:50  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message

Interestingly, around 2000, the film was going to be a made-for-TV special to be produced by UPN, and Tyler Mane was approached to play Thor. I'm glad they made it for the big screen; and although I'm not sure if Mane would make a better Thor [don't know his acting career, unless I consider wrestling acting], I think Hemsworth is more than good enough.

----

I'm trying---really trying---to get back to reading Midnight's Mask by Paul S. Kemp. The first time, I thought Vhostym would be enough to keep me going...Obviously, there's too much Cale scenes. Which I know is just to be expected. [In the first place, the series is entitled The Erevis Cale trilogy, not The Vhostym trilogy] But...

Every beginning has an end.
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe

USA
586 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  15:22:51  Show Profile  Visit Tyrant's Homepage Send Tyrant a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Tyrant

quote:
Originally posted by Dennis


Hmm. That's an interesting tidbit about Loki. Is the ending based on the comics? If so, would Loki survive? And how?


I take it you didn't stay until after the credits?
Loki is still alive and is now apparently controlling Stellan Skarsgard's character who is lead to Nick Fury who is apparently in posession of the Cosmic Cube

Yeah. Aside from it's obvious lead-in to Captain America: The First Avenger, I'm thinking also that, basically, it looks like Loki's being set up as the BBEG for The Avengers film in 2012.


Yeah Sage I had wondered about that after I saw the scene because I know that the Red Skull has had the Cosmic Cube at least once and he is the villain in the Captain America movie but I have been trying to avoid any major spoilers for that movie so I wasn't sure if it was confirmed somewhere that that particular object was part of the plot. Also, apparently the Infinity Guantlet was there in Odin's armory that the Destroyer was guarding. I didn't see it but there are pics floating around of it.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code

Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31799 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  15:56:12  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message
Huh. I missed seeing the Infinity Gauntlet. Confound it!

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)

"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3290 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  16:13:35  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message
The Infinity Guantlet?!?!

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  16:19:41  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by Tyrant

Also, apparently the Infinity Guantlet was there in Odin's armory that the Destroyer was guarding. I didn't see it but there are pics floating around of it.



You mean this? I wasn't really familiar with it and its importance, so I thought it's just one of their 'common' props.

Every beginning has an end.

Edited by - Dennis on 09 May 2011 16:22:41
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3290 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  16:23:34  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message
Yeah it's trash!

Thanos erased every third being in the Marvel Universe with that "prop"...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep

Edited by - Brimstone on 09 May 2011 16:24:51
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Thente Thunderspells
Seeker

USA
65 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  17:07:58  Show Profile Send Thente Thunderspells a Private Message
I really enjoyed Thor... but totally missed that prop in the armory, dang it. Guess I'll have to watch it again :)

I thought Chris Hemsworth was perfect for the role of Thor... and I guess unlike others I never really get tired of seeing Natalie Portman :) It does stretch credulity a bit that she is an astrophysicist, but in the comics all the characters are good looking unless they're supposed to be ugly for a reason these days, so she fits right in!

As to reading: Brunelleschi's Dome history of the raising of the Duomo in Florence, Let the Right One in the original book of the vampire story, & my annual re-read of The Lord of the Rings

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
- Shakespeare
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader

USA
3750 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  19:36:07  Show Profile Send Alystra Illianniis a Private Message
The Infinity Gauntlet?! Dang!! I missed that! So that was the Cosmic Cube eh? I was wondering what it was.....

The Goddess is alive, and magic is afoot.

"Where Science ends, Magic begins" -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491

"You idiots! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -Spaceballs

Lothir's character background/stats: http://forum.candlekeep.com/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=5469

My stories:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Mickeys_Comic_Tavern/index.php?showforum=188

Lothir, courtesy of Sylinde (Deviant Art)/Luaxena (Chosen of Eilistraee)
http://sylinde.deviantart.com/#/d2z6e4u
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe

USA
586 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  20:11:22  Show Profile  Visit Tyrant's Homepage Send Tyrant a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis

The Infinity Gauntlet?! Dang!! I missed that! So that was the Cosmic Cube eh? I was wondering what it was.....


That seems to be the consensus opinion and it makes sense given that it is possibly a tie in to the Captain America movie since the Red Skull has been known to have it on at least one occasion . Of course I don't think Sam Jackson needs to ask that guy if the Cube posses Unlimited Power or not. He's gotten a face full of it from Palpatine before so he should know how to spot it.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code

Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader

USA
3750 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  20:56:15  Show Profile Send Alystra Illianniis a Private Message
LOL! Red Scull seems like just a normal villain in the Cap trailer, though. If he had the cube, I'd expect to see him using it or something.

The Goddess is alive, and magic is afoot.

"Where Science ends, Magic begins" -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491

"You idiots! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -Spaceballs

Lothir's character background/stats: http://forum.candlekeep.com/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=5469

My stories:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Mickeys_Comic_Tavern/index.php?showforum=188

Lothir, courtesy of Sylinde (Deviant Art)/Luaxena (Chosen of Eilistraee)
http://sylinde.deviantart.com/#/d2z6e4u
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3290 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  21:23:07  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message
The Red Skull is not a "normal" villain...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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Kuje
Great Reader

USA
7915 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2011 :  23:04:13  Show Profile Send Kuje a Private Message
Hey, wasn't this thread about what you are reading? Not what you are watching?! :)

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31799 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  01:13:58  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message
For which I'm partly to blame.

Aye. We really should return to the topic of what we're reading in 2011.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)

"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader

USA
3750 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  01:56:24  Show Profile Send Alystra Illianniis a Private Message
I'm reading my e-mails from the last month. Man, I really need to clean them out more often, lol!

And I didn't mean that he was a cheap or boring villain or anything like that- just that Red Skull's brief clips in the trailer did not seem to indicate having anything as powerful as the Gauntlet or the Cube in his possession....

The Goddess is alive, and magic is afoot.

"Where Science ends, Magic begins" -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491

"You idiots! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -Spaceballs

Lothir's character background/stats: http://forum.candlekeep.com/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=5469

My stories:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Mickeys_Comic_Tavern/index.php?showforum=188

Lothir, courtesy of Sylinde (Deviant Art)/Luaxena (Chosen of Eilistraee)
http://sylinde.deviantart.com/#/d2z6e4u
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  04:23:31  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage
I read HEAT WAVE, the Nikki Heat novel ostensibly written by Richard Castle, the central character on the TV series "Castle." As promotional gimicks go, a novel written by a fictional character is interesting, but IMO it really doesn't support Rick Castle's portrayal as a rockstar mystery writer.

YMMV
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  07:30:49  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message

I finished rereading The Novice yesterday, and I thought I should write a short review...

-----

The Novice is the second book of The Black Magician Trilogy by the International Bestselling Author Trudi Canavan. It chronicles the trials and triumphs of Sonea, a former slum thief, as she enters the University of magicians whose novices are all members of the wealthy Houses of Kyralia. Regin, a typical bully, unable to accept the fact that a mere slum girl is able to attend the prestigious Guild, makes it his life's mission to turn Sonea's stay in the University a complete hell. Meanwhile, Dannyl, who is appointed as Second Ambassador, undertakes the task to resume the High Lord's abandoned research into ancient magic. So the story is told in two alternating views: inside the Guild with Sonea, and into the wider world of the Allied Lands and Sachaka with Dannyl.

The first chapter alone draws me in, and I can hardly put the book down. Canavan immediately builds up the tension between Sonea and the rest of the novices, and scatters clues to shed some light on the mystery that is the High Lord himself.

The theme is your usual good versus evil, with some hints of “shadiness” that is only partly revealed towards the end.

The pacing is handled very well. I don't feel it to be too fast, nor excruciatingly slow. However, there are definitely some scenes that are irrelevant and would have made the pace favorably fast had they been deleted.

Canavan's style is easy to read. So this book will most likely appeal to many. The dialogs don't feel rushed, nor needlessly awkward---they are very real, as real as the bodily expressions of the characters that deliver them.

While the setting has potential to be great, I believe Canavan still has to harness her skills in “world-building.” Her descriptions of Kyralia are well enough that the country could almost literally jump off the pages. However, her meager descriptions of the other countries, most notably Lonmar, make me feel as though she got bored writing them.

As usual, I can be very forgiving so long as the characters are fleshed out nicely. And in this regard, Canavan succeeds admirably. I feel for Sonea as she struggles to cope with her growing powers, all the while trying to dodge Regin's bullying and keeping a “safe” distance from the High Lord Akkarin. Her venture into the uncharted territory of romance provides a lighter tone to the book. And Canavan renders it with precision and minimalism that it doesn't teeter on the verge of mawkishness.

To those of you who disliked the two-dimensional portrayal of Akkarin in the first book, fret not, for he is as three-dimensional as Sonea and Regin are in this book.

A word of caution, though, to those who feel uncomfortable reading about homosexuality... there is a little of that here. But Canavan weaves it with careful subtlety. No kissing; no any form of amorous physical contact---just a simple declara­tion that one man loves another man...

Canavan presents a lot of “opposites” that better make me understand and appreciate the lands and their people. The conservative Kyralia and Lonmar and the decadent Elyne. Even how one race views what is right/appropriate and what's not makes each of them real. Canavan speaks truth, and she lets that show in her characters' fallibility.

The last chapter is ---not surprisingly--- satisfying. There's no better way to end the conflict than that. Sonea shines in that very moment not because she is far stronger than nearly everyone else, but primarily because she recognizes her weakness and her strength, and works her best to turn every opportunity to her advantage. And I'd like to note that her last “gesture” of parting at Regin only proves how noble she really is.

I recommend this to all readers of fantasy. And make sure that when you do read this novel, you have the third book beside you. Trust me on this: the ending would make you desperately want to grab the sequel.


Rating: 9/10

Every beginning has an end.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31799 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  08:03:20  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

I read HEAT WAVE, the Nikki Heat novel ostensibly written by Richard Castle, the central character on the TV series "Castle." As promotional gimicks go, a novel written by a fictional character is interesting, but IMO it really doesn't support Rick Castle's portrayal as a rockstar mystery writer.

YMMV

That's news to me. I actually didn't know of the real-world novels.

I think I'll take a look-see.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)

"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage
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Andrekan
Seeker

65 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  17:33:42  Show Profile Send Andrekan a Private Message
Finished Gauntlgrym and Elminster Must Die between November and December. Decided to read R.A. Salvatore's earlier works Spearwielder's Tales and The Chronicles of Ynis Aielle to get an idea of his style development. Thought it was interesting with his use of Charon before. This made me reread sections of H4 The Throne of Bloodstone. Presently, I have gone back to reread The Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Winter Night, and Springs Dawn, to revisit those old characters after twenty years has been interesting, but also to get an idea of how a game world feels after a Cataclysm to give my Spellplagued Realms games a fresh feel in areas of detail concerning communication between places and myths/legend/rumors. Also gave me some ideas on how to introduce some old Realms players to Returned Abeir.

"Those two talk only of drink, riches, women, brawling, and magic, so ye've a one in five chance..." Quote from "Elminster in Hell"
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe

USA
586 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2011 :  21:34:07  Show Profile  Visit Tyrant's Homepage Send Tyrant a Private Message
I finished Blood of the Mantis today. The Shadows of the Apt series has an interesting world overall. I still think it's a little odd that they have considerably advanced machinery yet no guns (though they do have an air powered equivalent that is being improved upon and widely distributed at this point in the series). That despite one comment that was clearly meant to remind the reader of nuclear weapons (weapons too powerful to seriously consider using without dire consequences). Overall I like it and I will get back to it but I have read three of them in a row now and my FR backlog continues to grow as I buy more older books off of Ebay.

So, now it's on to Dawnbringer since the sample chapter caught my interest and I picked up the book the other day.

Edit: Finished Dawnbringer. I enjoyed it and I hope there is a follow up.

Now I am starting to read Azure Bonds as I work my way through my pile of older Realms books.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code

Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest

Edited by - Tyrant on 13 May 2011 20:11:45
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GMWestermeyer
Learned Scribe

USA
215 Posts

Posted - 14 May 2011 :  03:03:34  Show Profile  Visit GMWestermeyer's Homepage Send GMWestermeyer a Private Message
quote:

quote:

Now, I am moving on to City of Splendors: A Waterdeep Novel by Ed Greenwood and Elaine Cunningham. This one has quite varied reviews, hopefully I will enjoy it.


I am enjoying it, though it is a bit odd. It really gives a glimpse of life inside Waterdeep for the non-adventurers.



Well, I finished it! Very odd. Halfway through I was seriously considering it for my review column, but since I try to only review works I can recommend, I can't use it for that. Much of it is very, very good but it has some problems. One, is it is clearly written solely for FR fans. If you are not already a fan of and knowledgable about Waterdeep, this novel will confuse the hell out of you. There are many extremely well conceived and executed characters, which I would expect from two writers known for that, but after a promising start the villains get a real short shrift. They are very Lovecraftrian, several aspects of the novel remind me of his short story "The Thing on the Doorstep" but ultimately the villains are left extremely vague and queesy.

Waterdahvian politics have a large role but are glossed over and 'unearned,' the novel (and recall, it is written for FR fans who know the city well to start with) requires the reader to accept a sudden shift in Waterdeep's politics that has no antecedent or hint in any previous (or subsequent, as far as I can tell) tales of the city.

The final confrontation is extremely confusing in the beginning, only great good will for the authors will convince a reader to plow through it when they haven't been bothered to make it clear what is happening. The end is tragic and bitter-sweet, and the excellent character work allows the reader to enjoy that despite the novel's other flaws. An ambitious but flawed work that might have been much, much better.

I can't recommend it to others, especially non-FR fans as I said, but in the end, I did enjoy it and I am glad I read it. :)

quote:

I'm now reading Sea of Death, Gygax was really bad at writing romance, and at writing the dialogue of demons, devils, ect. The plot is incoherent BUT the description of adventuring in the infamous Sea of Dust is superb. As a source for Greyhawk lore the novel is worth reading, even if it fails as a story.



Of course, compared to Sea of Death, City of Splendors was Shakespearan. As he gets further from published Greyhawk and, I firmly believe, further from his original home GH campaign, the story gets much less interesting. But I'm determined to get the books I'm missing, Night Arrant, Come Endless Darkness, and Sea of Death. I am far more excited about the short story collection, Night Arrant, then I am the other two.

It will be a while, though, before I get them. I look forward to it, I do want to integrate many of the events from the novels into 'my' Greyhawk timeline.

With both those AD&D novels finished I felt I needed a new AD&D novel, and decided to reread my Forgotten Realms short story anthologies. I started with the first one, Realms of Valor. I enjoyed the first story, Douglas Niles "The Lord of Lowhill," nice to see a halfling character acting so very like a halfling/hobbit and being the main character rather than a mere sidekick. Ed Greenwood's "Elminster at the Magefair" was less fun, I wish TSR had done more with the Magefair concept but like so many good ideas it died on the vine. And even in this story it is quickly left behind. Also, Storm doesn't match her later characterizations at all. But looking at the TOC I see I have some of my favorites to look forward to, I think deciding to read FR anthologies for a bit was a smart idea.

I also just read Lord Dunsany's The Gods of Pegâna. I was a touched siappointed, primarily because I was hoping for a mythology I could drop whole cloth onto Mars for my Space:1889 campaign and it just didn't work for that. It was very interesting, and I can see how it inspired Lovecraft but I prefer Lovecraft's mythology to Dunsany's, which is missing a truly threatening demonic figure. But I think most of my disappointment comes from reading this for a purpose other than mere enjoyment, and I plan to give it another try later, perhaps as an audiobook since I think it might work better read aloud. It is pretty short, and available for free at Project Gutenberg so there is very little to lose giving this foundation of fantasy a try.

quote:

I'm now into Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Such great audiobooks, very relaxing on my train ride home each night! I discovered this series the year this one came out, I actually won my hard copy via a radio call in show. I love the way you get a nice, long look at wizarding life outside Hogwarts, and as a mystery it's quite well done.



Getting close to the end and still love this book. Jim Dale reading Harry Potter is one of the best matches of reader and source there is... It's especially fun to read knowing what is coming, since you can see how cleverly rowlings earned her plot twists by leaving tons of clues at each key point in the book. People who dismiss her as a mere children's author are simply fools.

"Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true."
Homer Simpson, _The Simspons_

Edited by - GMWestermeyer on 14 May 2011 03:05:57
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NecroZombie
Acolyte

4 Posts

Posted - 17 May 2011 :  20:50:44  Show Profile  Visit NecroZombie's Homepage Send NecroZombie a Private Message
Starting The Cleric Quintet, Canticle by Bob Salvatore now. I have the collector's edition (all five books in one) so it's rather intimidating to look at (1,036 pages!!) but I'll get through it. I have enjoyed Bob's books so I'm sure this will be great as well.
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3746 Posts

Posted - 18 May 2011 :  05:52:17  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message
-In the middle of re-reading Depths of Madness.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerűn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerűn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 18 May 2011 :  06:16:20  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message
I just finished rereading The High Lord. Here are my thoughts...


The High Lord is truly a stunning conclusion to Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician trilogy. The Ichani, powerful Sachakan magicians, have finally learned the Guild's weakness: they no longer practice “higher magic,” which they call black magic. They unite to exploit such weakness, to conquer Kyralia. Sonea learnes it the hard way, and now realizes that the High Lord Akkarin, the black magician, is Kyralia's only hope. Knowing that it is against the law to practice black magic, but understanding that it is the only way to defeat the Ichani, she begs Akkarin to teach her the forbidden magic... But, will it be enough?

The evolution of Akkarin's character is well done. The hints that Canavan provided in the second book are finally made clear in this novel. Akkarin has become one of my favorites because of how complex he's turned out to be.

Sonea has never run out of surprises. How she decides what's right or wrong, how she cares for her family and friends, and how she wields her power all make her a quite endearing protagonist.

I don't like it when the fantasy series I read transforms from a gripping plot-driven story to a sloppy romance. Thankfully, this series does not suffer from that. Canavan handles the love angle quite well. It is slow and believable, and it does not take up a lot of screen time. It's one of the many surprises I'm happy about.

With all the magicians involved, and with how much power they possess and the screen time they take, it looks quite impossible to put in the common folks in the thick of the battle. But Canavan deftly manages to introduce the Thieves and their minions. Though I still find it difficult to believe that certain achievement by a gang of thieves against the invading Ichani. I will not spoil you what that is, but when you read it, just think that the powerful sometimes become carelessly overconfident.

I did miss Ceryni in book two, and I am glad he's given enough exposure here, with a complicated love interest.

The development of Dannyl and Tayend's relationship at times appears uninteresting. However, I like how Canavan resolves their quandary. Kyralia has been a conservative nation for centuries, and it would look impossible to believe that they would change their view on homosexuality in a blink of an eye. If Dannyl's friends are any indication, at least the Guild are taking small but sure steps towards embracing it...

There are deaths here that though may seem necessary, I do not particularly like. Well, it's hard to accept the death of a character you've grown to like, isn't it?

The numerous battle scenes are depicted in varying degrees of importance and make me not to put the book down no matter what. I just wish that Canavan has provided more variation in attack and protective spells. The word strike is used somewhat overly.

I only get to see the background of the villains through Akkarin's point of view, his memories, which are very limited. The Ichani would have been more interesting had Canavan given us some glimpses on how exactly they live in Sachaka, and how the non-outcast Sachakans, specially the king, think of them.

The story flows so well that I did not mind a few grammatical errors. The introduction of new characters, the manner in which the tension is built and sustained, the layers upon layers of mystery, and the excellent development of the old characters make this final book in the series so engrossing and a must-have for all fantasy readers.


Rating: 9/10

Every beginning has an end.
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 18 May 2011 :  10:30:25  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message

I'm now on Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Fun so far. Not so much like Twilight---the hero is a bad guy.

Every beginning has an end.
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Quale
Master of Realmslore

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Posted - 18 May 2011 :  12:09:53  Show Profile Send Quale a Private Message
Just read Blood of Elves by Sapkowski (cause of the game), it's decent.
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 18 May 2011 :  12:38:49  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message
Oh, my, Hush, Hush becomes boring from the third chapter onwards...Kinda sick of there's-something-dark-and-mysterious-about-him-that-draws-me-in explanation for a female protagonist's attraction to the hero. Nora, this book's heroine, should form a club with Bella [Twilight]. I'm now thinking of giving away this book. Not sure if I'd ever have the slightest inclination to finish it.

----

Right now I'm reading Crown of Shadows, (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 3) by C.S. Friedman. So far so good. A goodly priest and an evil sorcerer team-up sounds unlikely, but I'll see where this alliance goes...

Every beginning has an end.

Edited by - Dennis on 18 May 2011 12:49:49
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