Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Dates for the first trilogy read below. Note due to the size of this series we're going to try a thread per trilogy to start, however do let us mods know if this isn't working as it isn't a problem to do a thread per book.

Homeland - Jan 6th
Exile - Jan 24th
Sojourn- Feb 12th

Yeah I'll try to join but my January will be booked so we shall see

Yaaaaaaay to this topic!

Can't wait ...

I might join this. I've got the whole War of the Spider Queen series that someone gave me years ago that I never read. I'm not sure where that series fits in with this though.

I've had war of the spider queen for ages. It's a spinoff of the dark elf home (which I'm going to attempt to spell from memory: Menzoberanzan) in the underdark. It's one of the few side series I think I might get to eventually haha.

I'm confused. why doesn't Icewind Dale Start till March?

Because I think the books are schedules every 18 days... and February is a short month... 18 days from the 12th is March 2nd instead of February 30th...

MorteTorment(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "I'm confused. why doesn't Icewind Dale Start till March?"

Like Iain said, February is a short month, the schedule isn't fixed, so may change slightly.

I've put a note in the thread for Icewind for you guys reading this series to let us mods know after you are progressing through this first trilogy if you want to bring the start date forward.

awesome, good to know.

Yeah I just scheduled 18 days for each book as a random compromise between a trilogy ever six weeks and a month. Some of the dates might look a bit wonky, but we cover 30+ books in just over a year and a half, so I'm happy with that! If we want to change the schedule and shorten things down a bit as we're reading, that'll be easy enough to do.

Thanks to the mods for getting the threads up and organised! This is going to be a hell of a ride :)

I'm starting now! Anyone else?

I said I would rip out but I'm really interested to read this series so maybe tonight if I feel like it since stone of farewell kind of took a lot out of me so I haven't been in a reading mood since

In couple of days I will try to join in... If I can... So many books so little time... 😐

I'll start it too Shaitarn. :)

I'm starting it today

Starting it tonight.

Whoelse feeling pity for Drizzt already?

me! :(

Hate Briza!

I'll get this started in the next couple of days - my pesky wife is hogging the Kindle...

My goodness, the beginning of this sounds so ominous for the Underdog!!!!

Choko wrote: "My goodness, the beginning of this sounds so ominous for the Underdog!!!!"

Another dark, epic book. The break of Sookie #2 can't come soon enough. ;-)

Does anyone else think Briza doesn't sound that smart? And is a bully :(.

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Choko wrote: "My goodness, the beginning of this sounds so ominous for the Underdog!!!!"

Another dark, epic book. The break of Sookie #2 can't come soon enough. ;-)"

Hahah! I know, right? I am completely new to this series, but I have the whole thing and have been wanting to have some company while reading it, so this is perfect.

Duergar, kuo-toa and the Drow are the bad guys in the Underground, with Drow the rulers.... I will be making notes like that just so I keep everything in order in my head:):):) And the Spider Queen is a Chaos Deity who likes to encourage bad things to happen... Got it!

Shaitarn wrote: "Does anyone else think Briza doesn't sound that smart? And is a bully :(."

Haven't gotten there yet... Will check with you later:):):)

Shaitarn wrote: "Does anyone else think Briza doesn't sound that smart? And is a bully :(."

So, about Briza... Yeahhhhhh.... I kind of feel for her since she is such a giant compared to the rest of the family... I can kind of relate to that:((( Also, just by the fact that she is a high priestess of Lolth we should know she is not a good lady... I do like that this world is matriarchal though:)

I'm with Shaitarn here regarding Briza. She is a bully and also seems to suffer of an inferiority complex and an overpowering desire to prove she is the best regardless of the consequences. But then everybody there wants to be the best (or worst) ruthless competition being urged and appreciated from a very early age.

Yes, I agree. She is a total bitch 😠...

Ch. 3... Those drow sure have no scruples or morals... Alton and the acid is a very vivid example. Now that is a dedication to playing up a disguise...

Poor Drizzd... I also feel sorry for the sister who took care of him, since she obviously had some good feelings for him, but the society tries to root anything gentle and kind out of them... Up to part 2...

I wonder if Drizzt would've turned out like a 'normal' drow if another one of his sisters had been ordered to take care of him ('give me a child until he is 5, and I will give you the man' sort of thing).

And I think that line in chapter 6 (view spoiler)[ 'She was his mother-for whatever that was worth-but Dizzt did not doubt that she would enjoy sticking needles in his eyes' (hide spoiler)] really tells us all we know to know about dark elf society.

Shaitarn wrote: "I wonder if Drizzt would've turned out like a 'normal' drow if another one of his sisters had been ordered to take care of him ('give me a child until he is 5, and I will give you the man' sort of ..."

You are right... ANd I wish he could just stay with Zak, since at least he is an anomaly for that society which follows the cult of evil and chaos... I feel fro both males, but I feel sorry for the whole of them, since there have to be individuals among them who are tender hearted and still trained to be just another evil drone...

Ch. 11 .... (view spoiler)[ "... "I am a fighter;' he declared. "A drow warrior!"

"You are a dancer!" Zak shot back in a derisive tone. He slammed his sword onto Drizzt's blocking scimitar so savagely that the young drow's arm tingled.

" An imposter!" Zak cried. " A pretender to a title you can. not begin to understand!" .... "Do you know the emotions of murder?" he spat. "Have you reconciled yourself to the act you committed?" .... "Ah, the pleasure of plunging your sword into the bosom of a high priestess;' Zak taunted. "To see the light of warmth leave her body while her lips utter silent curses in your face! Or have you ever heard the screams of dying children?" ... "How loud, those screams;' Zak continued. "They echo over the centuries in your mind; they chase you down the paths of your entire life?' ... "You have never heard them, have you, dancer?"..."

Maaannnn, this was intense!!!!


"..."Do you not understand?" Zak yelled back at him. "To lose is to die! You may win a thousand fights, but you can only lose one!"...

(hide spoiler)] I am afraid for Drizzt...

Ch. 12 - now this is the power of propaganda!!! They sure know how to do it in the academy...

(view spoiler)[ " ... "Do you know of the surface?" Master Hatch'net snarled.

Drizzt recoiled and shook his head.

"An awful place;' Hatch'net continued, turning back to the whole of the group. "Each day, as the glow begins its rise in Narbondel, a great ball of fire rises into the open sky above, bringing hours of a light greater than the punishing spells of the priestesses of Lloth!" He held his arms outstretched, with his eyes turned upward, and an unbelievable grimace spread across his face.

Students' gasps rose up all about him.

"Even in the night, when the ball of fire has gone below the far rim of the world;' Hatch'net continued, weaving his words as if he were telling a horror tale, "one cannot escape the uncounted terrors of the surface. Reminders of what the next day will bring, dots of light-and sometimes a lesser ball of silvery fire-mar the sky's blessed darkness.... " (hide spoiler)]

Just started, really loving it so far! I read the war of the spider queen series 10 years ago, so glad I'm finally getting to this series.

Charlie wrote: "Just started, really loving it so far! I read the war of the spider queen series 10 years ago, so glad I'm finally getting to this series."

Glad you are here. The more the merrier:)

Up to CH. 20... boy, the surface life is sooo scary!!! It must be a horrible place... Ooo, wait, it is not that bad:)

Just finished... This was fun! I hated his people, but I did like Drizzt and am going to love to continue with the series!! Thank you guys for the buddy read:):):)

I'm on chapter 8. Can't wait to start opening some of those spoilers.

I just finished my spur-of-the-moment Sookie Stackhouse read and started this one...

Not knowing what to expect, I was seriously confused by the opening chapter... I thought Drizzt was being pronounced Dinan until I did some Googling to figure out what was going on... too many new words to assimilate at the moment to listen at any more than 1.25x speed...

Iain wrote: "I just finished my spur-of-the-moment Sookie Stackhouse read and started this one...

Not knowing what to expect, I was seriously confused by the opening chapter... I thought Drizzt was pronounced ..."

Hohoho did the same googling here :) I was confused with Zaknafein and Nalfein

Hating Vierna now.

After some side distractions, I read the Vierna training chapter... (view spoiler)[ It really showed me how much what an author chooses to focus on can shape your perceptions of of a society... I find the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight Mountains of Despair in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains in the Dragon Kin series hilarious... another matriarchal society that views males as mostly useless slaves (except for impregnation and child-rearing)... mostly because we don't get much insight into the inner workings of their society (outside of a handful of scenes)... they're mostly used to comedic effect as fish out of water in the stories... not so much here...

Having Vierna show momentary remorse doesn't do much to change that... (hide spoiler)]

Iain wrote: "After some side distractions, I read the Vierna training chapter... It really showed me how much what an author chooses to focus on can shape your perceptions of of a society... I find the Black B..."

(view spoiler)[Don't worry that was the end of her remorse. (hide spoiler)] There is a rational touch on the matriarchal society. Women are not just simply better in magic but they share the same sex with their god like creature (the spider mother). So if you don't obey the mother punish you. You will see the punishment right before Drizzts graduation. I haven't finished yet but I couldn't find a point that is out of place.

I'm just starting Part 3: Academy:

I suppose it is just extreme negative reinforcement... like next level slapping a kid that is going to stick a fork in a socket... but (view spoiler)[the way they constantly put Drizzt into situations just so they can punish him for actions he was forced to take is quite annoying... but it is how you break someone to only perform the actions you want them to take I suppose, and men are glorified slaves for the most part... even as characters like Zak struggle to defy that norm... (and the male-centric areas of the Sorcere and the Academy, I assume... I only have the short Alton chapters to go by here...) (hide spoiler)]

Just started the audiobook for this, not sure what to think of it yet. I didn't realize it was more or less a prequel to the longer Drizzt series.

Beste wrote: "Iain wrote: "I just finished my spur-of-the-moment Sookie Stackhouse read and started this one...

Not knowing what to expect, I was seriously confused by the opening chapter... I thought Drizzt wa..."

I actually felt sorry for Vierna, since I think she also has something good in her, only it has been beaten out of her...

Iain wrote: "After some side distractions, I read the Vierna training chapter... It really showed me how much what an author chooses to focus on can shape your perceptions of of a society... I find the Black B..."

OMG! I loooove the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight Mountains of Despair in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains!!!! Well, I love to hate them, that is! I love this series - it is hilarious and bloodthirsty at the same time and I like to read it as a comic relief when things get too serious around me:):):)

Choko wrote: "Beste wrote: "Iain wrote: "I just finished my spur-of-the-moment Sookie Stackhouse read and started this one...

Not knowing what to expect, I was seriously confused by the opening chapter... I tho..."

But the graduation. :/

Iain wrote: "I'm just starting Part 3: Academy:

I suppose it is just extreme negative reinforcement... like next level slapping a kid that is going to stick a fork in a socket... but [spoilers removed]"

Completely agree with you... The way we reinforce what we think of as positive traits, they obviously do the same for negative in our eyes ones... It is disturbing, because it feels so wrong to us, while it is the way of their life...

Veronica wrote: "Just started the audiobook for this, not sure what to think of it yet. I didn't realize it was more or less a prequel to the longer Drizzt series."

I am actually looking forward to reading the whole thing:):):)