Beyond Reality discussion

Please let us know if you've read or are planning to read Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone.

Please, **NO SPOILERS!!**

I plan on reading--but I am sampling first because some bookstores/sites have it listed as steampunk. I don't usually care for steampunk. Friends sure do recommend this one.

D.A. - I've just finished it, and while there are some hallmarks that may line up with steampunk, it's not steampunk. It doesn't take place in Victorian England (or anywhere Victorian-esque...or Earthly, for that matter,) it doesn't have the twee morality, customs, styles, or trends of steampunk or the Victorian age.

It's gritty, dark, funny, and often weird. (That's a complement from me, but it might be an complaint from another reader.) The only thing that I feel really lines up at all with "steampunk" is that the city where much of the book is set happens to have a lot of steam power, because the entity that provides energy to said city is of the fire domain.

Those shelving it "steampunk" are largely doing it out of convenience (or possibly laziness!)

Candiss wrote: "...Those shelving it "steampunk" are largely doing it out of convenience (or possibly laziness!) ..."

Or they are reading on the nook and Barnes and Noble has it categorized as steampunk.

ETA: I just read another book nook had categorized as steampunk. And it was set in the year 1763.

I plan to read it later this month, when I finally get my copy from the local library. I'm curious of this book - I don't think I would have picked it up on my own, but now that I've learned more about it, it looks quite interesting.

will probably read at some point

D.A.—just a reader wrote: "Candiss wrote: "...Those shelving it "steampunk" are largely doing it out of convenience (or possibly laziness!) ..."

Or they are reading on the nook and Barnes and Noble has it categorized as ste..."

Just in case I came across as nasty in some way: I was referring to the bookstores/sites who filed it as such, as per your first post. I wasn't chastising Goodreaders who file it any certain way. (I didnt' even think to clarify who I was accusing of convenient shelving, because you specified in your own post.)

Sorry if I caused any confusion!

Oh, I didn't take it as nasty. And on sites I shelve I am lazy enough I have a shelf called "shelved" that I may or may not sort out later.

I've got it and I'm going to read it!

Read it, bought the hardcover. One of the more enjoyable books I read that year. Definitely not 'steampunk.' There is a blend of magic and technology.

I've got it, will read it soon.

Planning to read it, still have to obtain a copy as the copy my library had was lost.

Just picked up a copy from my library. Looking forward.

I'm definitely going to read it! :) I have it queued up on my ereader. I haven't decided whether to read this one or the other BOTM first.

I really enjoyed the beginning - starting to feel kind of overwhelmed by the vast amount of "stuff" going on here. I'm wondering if this is all sort of meant to be tongue-in-cheek?

I enjoyed the book a lot more after the halfway point. Things came together for me better and the action picked up.

I've been wanting to read this for a while ad I finally got a copy from the library. I need to finish a few other books first, but I'm excited to finally get to it!