Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Mar 10th.

Cool - ready to roll.

Me too:)

same here. :)

In

In

Hi All,

In Australia it's the 10th now - I'm starting chapter 1 "Slave."

In India it's the 10th too. :)

I'm wrapping up Queen of Fire and starting this also.

I’ll probably be a few days late.

I am starting it tonight!

I'm reading it together with To Ride Hell's Chasm and 2 other books so I'll go slow.

If you guys didn't read To Ride Hell's Chasm you deffinitely should. I absolutely love it!
The MC is fabulous. Just my kind of hero! Broken and shunned by most but honourable and caring and absolutely deadly when pissed.
I'm halfway through that book and can't really get myself to put it down. But I want to start (and finish) the other BRs on time also so I must...

This is a biggie, so I will be jumping in slightly late. I have read a lot of Wurts - all the Wars of Light and Shadow as well as Hell's Chasm, and so far this book has shown off her better features - awesome characterisation and intrigue and is absent of her more negative features - overly florid language and melodrama.

@Arkadeb, I agree with you, this series compares well with Curse of the Mistwraith - neat summary.

It's nice to be with Mara again 😀

I think this and the 3rd books are the best in the series.

Did Kevin play a part in the Magician? It's been so long since I read that series that I don't remember.

Laura wrote: "Did Kevin play a part in the Magician? It's been so long since I read that series that I don't remember."

I was going to ask the same question - I read the Magician series, but I can't remember for some reason... I like him:) The slapstick comedy in Ch. 2 was pretty hilarious:)

I found it hilarious also.:)

And regarding characters from Magician, Pug and Laurie pass by at one time.

I'm close to halfway through it right now and can't seem to be able to put it down.

Kevin is great!

@Choko - The Kay Squad is coming together for the Wars of Light and Shadow BR and even Iain got recruited.
Will you answer the call at arms and join us too?

Laura wrote: "I found it hilarious also.:)

And regarding characters from Magician, Pug and Laurie pass by at one time.

I'm close to halfway through it right now and can't seem to be able to put it down.

Kevi..."

Yeah, that was in Ch,. 5:) I loved it!!!

In Ch, 6 Mara got her groove back:) I thought that was one of the better sex scenes in Fantasy I have read, actually. And her infatuation is very cute, knowing how strong and how abused she had been before...

I am up to Ch. 10 and loving every second of it!!! Several times I found myself exclaiming - wow! Now this is what I call good Fantasy!!! It is smart, entertaining, and engaging. What more could a girl want?:) I am so happy we are reading this series!!!

Laura wrote: "@Choko - The Kay Squad is coming together for the Wars of Light and Shadow BR and even Iain got recruited.
Will you answer the call at arms and join us too?"

Absolutely! Just let me know when and I will be there:)

15th of this month! 😁

Laura wrote: "15th of this month! 😁"

Cool!

Ch. 12... The gambit during the battle was very good! It is amazing Kevin has not been put to death yet! He gets away with everything...

yes he does! I loved the way he handled the merchant who sold them bad wood for their work. (view spoiler)[hanging him by his toes on his own wood above the moat to see if he'll get a dunking was pretty ingenious! :D (hide spoiler)]

And I love the wishes lord Chipino has for Desio (view spoiler)[Lord Desio, may he and his cousins die choking, shall be made to regret this day! is a pretty good answer to "Are you well?" if you ask me. (hide spoiler)]
Oh, and saving your bacon is a pretty good thing to do in a war! 😁

I love this book even more than the first!

Me too! I love it! And what about the wishes of Kevin for the six legged animal - bad constipation and thorns in every of its six 🐾! Haha! I burst out laughing when I read that😀.

Up to Ch. 13 and I feel very bad for Kevin, being torn between his feelings for Mara and his slave mates. I don't blame them for wanting to get out from under their situation at all! Being a slave sucks! And I hope someday they change the slavery culture in this world 😑

The feeling is mutual! That being told with a glare! :D I burst out laughing at that point. :)

And yes, I felt sorry for him also! Caught like that in between. The return was like an ice water bucket dumped on his head. :(

I am only at the beginning of chapter 15. Didn't get time to read at all today. Spent a lovely day with my hubby and kids in Wonderla and then shopping for all sorts of nice stuff includind a couple of new books of course. (between us, if it weren't for that overflowing bookshelf challenge I would have picked up more than 4!)

I also have a bad feeling about those grey men. (view spoiler)[Those to whom Kevin's mates escaped. So close to the Acoma home and on Acoma lands!? How can that be!? They stink of Minwanabi (hide spoiler)]

Oooo, Pug sure rained on their parade/blood games! I love Pug so much! This is how you throw a tantrum 😈! Be afraid, the Barbarians are also human!

Ooo, you had fun with the 👪! I am happy for all of you 😊😇! And I know what you mean with the overflowing shelves challenge. I have bought only six new books since the beginning of the year because of it... But we must stay strong!

Ooo! Only 6 this whole year! That is so great! You are so strong! I cave in and buy 5 to 7 every month!!! But before I was buying up to 20 so I'm patting myself on the back. I'm trying though! Really, I am! It just doesn't help that we have sales almost every month here and prices slashed in half!!!

I agree with the tantrum! A perfect one! :D

And I love Pug too!

Laura wrote: "Ooo! Only 6 this whole year! That is so great! You are so strong! I cave in and buy 5 to 7 every month!!! But before I was buying up to 20 so I'm patting myself on the back. I'm trying though! Real..."

Ooo, I know! I just have no space left in the house and now I try to stay away from any and all bookstores. However, it is not so easy to stay away from Amazon....

tell me about it! :D

I've just completed ch7.

I love how the authors can pitch a poignant memory, (Mara in the garden remembering her father), and then how she equates his strong, protective hands with Kevin's.

That was a great scene b/w Mara and Kevin in the Kikali (roses?) garden. Heart thumping stuff.

The thing about Mara is she has great people around her - she has a great team, and that is one of the keys to her success.

I also love her relationship with Lujan and the banter between them.

I often find myself just quietly smiling as I read this book.

Choko wrote: "In Ch, 6 Mara got her groove back:) I thought that was one of the better sex scenes in Fantasy I have read, actually. And her infatuation is very cute, knowing how strong and how abused she had been before... ..."

It was beautifully written, lot's of layers going on in that scene.

Choko wrote: "Oooo, Pug sure rained on their parade/blood games! I love Pug so much! This is how you throw a tantrum 😈! Be afraid, the Barbarians are also human!"

That's a real bad-ass scene, and one of my favorites.

Oh... Arakasi is one of my favorite characters.

Graeme wrote: "I've just completed ch7.

I love how the authors can pitch a poignant memory, (Mara in the garden remembering her father), and then how she equates his strong, protective hands with Kevin's.

That ..."

Me too!!! I think this whole series has been beautifully crafted so far. It is not awe inspiring, but it is very good, quality Fantasy!!! I love all the political intrigue and I love the fights as well. As I said earlier, I think this is one of the better romances I have read in a strictly Fantasy book ever, maybe... And I just read Ch. 18 and was on edge throughout!!! WOw!!! What an extraordinary fight!!!

Graeme wrote: "Oh... Arakasi is one of my favorite characters."

He is a bad-ass dude!!! But I like the old Fight Leader best, with the lady adviser - they always make me go "oooooohhhh!!!" I love old grizzled and wise characters!!!

Graeme wrote: "Choko wrote: "Oooo, Pug sure rained on their parade/blood games! I love Pug so much! This is how you throw a tantrum 😈! Be afraid, the Barbarians are also human!"

That's a real bad-ass scene, and ..."

That was so exciting!!! But maaaan, the scene in Ch. 18..... I got goosebumps and all my muscles were ready to fight until the end!!! The man knows how to make you feel like you are right in the middle of the fight!!!

I must get my skates on and catch up...

c18 - intrigues, more intrigues and blood upon the flagstones.

Keyoke and Nacoma - real sweet characters.

The characterization is a key strength in the writing.

Graeme wrote: "Keyoke and Nacoma - real sweet characters.

The characterization is a key strength in the writing."

I think so too. And the attention to detail with no info or description dumps. It makes the whole thing work!

Choko wrote: "Graeme wrote: "I've just completed ch7.

Me too!!! I think this whole series has been beautifully crafted so far. It is not awe inspiring, but it is very good, quality Fantasy!!! I love all the political intrigue and I love the fights as well. As I said earlier, I think this is one of the better romances I have read in a strictly Fantasy book ever, maybe...

I completely agree!!!

It seems to have something for all types of readers which in itself is an amazing thing! Straight forward action and war scenes for the reader who loves action, gentle romance for the romance lover and intrigue, suspense and even a bit drama for those who love them. And everything is topped with a touch of amazingly written humour.

Take the desert fight for instance. It was brutal and so many died! But what stuck with me was the first encounter of Lord Chipino with Mara, Kevin's reaction to the 6 legged beast and Lujan's reluctance to hurt the feelings of Mox'l or to not degrade him and the amusement of Mox'l.

I loved the scene in the garden also but speaking about love, the scene with the priest calling back the old warrior made goosebumps rise on my skin. In a culture based on honour the answer was LOVE!

And speaking of characters, I loved Mara in the first book, but here she doesn't seem to hold such an important place in my affections. The people who surround her make her who she is. Her talent seems to be that of taking the best of everyone else' ideas and make them her own. For instance, she would have lost that battle if she hadn't deferred to her barbarian and she sets too much trust in Arakasis' network.
I love Kevin and his plight of being in between (Mara or his countrymen)
I love Lujan and Keyoke, Arakasis and the old mother and the interactions between them always bring a smile to my lips. This story would be very poor without them.
I resent a little the way Mara behaves with Kevin. Underneath it all, she would easily slash his throat or hang him if he threatened the Acoma honour. Again love or honour? I wonder which will prevail?

OK, so I am finally crying... Ch. 23 just broke my ♥! This is some good storytelling! Kuddos to the author!

Keyoke - a heart weeps. The battle within the Minwanabi trap.

Ah, I'll be with you soon. Damn, Tad Williams, Wurts' big series, this, Mad Ship, help, send food and more hours! I'll catch up soon, hopefully.

Graeme wrote: "Keyoke - a heart weeps. The battle within the Minwanabi trap."

Another amazing moment!!! Yes, this was just.... ghhhrrrr! I hate the Minwanabi bastards!!!

Olivia wrote: "Ah, I'll be with you soon. Damn, Tad Williams, Wurts' big series, this, Mad Ship, help, send food and more hours! I'll catch up soon, hopefully."

Hahaha! I know! I am behind on everything too! I think I bit more than I can chew this month:)

Olivia wrote: "Ah, I'll be with you soon. Damn, Tad Williams, Wurts' big series, this, Mad Ship, help, send food and more hours! I'll catch up soon, hopefully."

There you go lovely:



and lastly so you can even read while munching, peach and blueberry cake the way we make at home:


Can't help with the hours though. :(
:D