Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Sufficiently Advanced Magic

YES!!!

Just a warning, do not attempt "Insufficiently Advanced Magic," at home. That stuff can just blow up....

Looks like a good book, one for the TBR list.

The series is not finished, is it? I have it on TBR but I think I will wait until it's out.

I loved this! Happy reading, it's a series and I read it's going to be long.

Mayim wrote: "The series is not finished, is it? I have it on TBR but I think I will wait until it's out."

Book one came out July last year and book two May of this year. I'm not sure if it's a duology or trilogy but given the author is pumping them out I'm willing to start it but also get your sentiment.

Gelisvb wrote: "I loved this! Happy reading, it's a series and I read it's going to be long."

Good to know. I'm still in.

There's always a risk with reading an unfinished series.

However this one has a lot of ratings and must be selling. Unless the author ends up in an accident, they will probably finish it.

It's the wait I hate. If there is only one book left, then it's quite OK. Otherwise, my policy is to wait. I hate when each year I have to reread the whole thing once again to get into the spirit. Also, more and more series change from nice trilogies into blatantly long money grabs.

Mayim wrote: "It's the wait I hate. If there is only one book left, then it's quite OK. Otherwise, my policy is to wait. I hate when each year I have to reread the whole thing once again to get into the spirit. ..."

I definitely agree with the money grab. Greatcoats and Shadow Campaigns definitely fell victim to this. If the next to last book for each was 40 pages longer with no last book they would have been so much better.

Mayim, Scott, perfectly valid observations.

Scott wrote: "Mayim wrote: "It's the wait I hate. If there is only one book left, then it's quite OK. Otherwise, my policy is to wait. I hate when each year I have to reread the whole thing once again to get int..."

I am pushing my way through Gratcoats #3 and suffering every single redundant page.

Mayim wrote: "I am pushing my way through Gratcoats #3 and suffering every single redundant page. "

Then you are really going to hate book #4. The first hundred pages I almost quit. If that hadn't been the final book I would have. Then it redeems itself and the middle is decent setting up........a mediocre at best ending.

Don't scare me Scott. Luckily I have Bill who is very patient and respond to my rants about Falcio :D

This book is a reread for me before I read book two. I loved it the first time and was glad I got it on a whim. I like supporting self published authors that are putting out good stuff.

Mayim wrote: "Don't scare me Scott. Luckily I have Bill who is very patient and respond to my rants about Falcio :D"

He really is an idiot, Falcio that is, Bill is a righteous dude. :)

I'm in. For a change

Dropped it halfway through. I knew it was litrpg, but GOD, do u have to explain EVERY little detail of your depressingly boring magic system? My head hurt from all the different kinds of crystals. Who gives a shit, it's a plot device not a textbook.
And did you have to make your protagonist (view spoiler)[not care about girls at all (hide spoiler)]?
I love magic schools, but here there was no magic feel, very techy and dry.

idiffer wrote: "Dropped it halfway through. I knew it was litrpg, but GOD, do u have to explain EVERY little detail of your depressingly boring magic system? My head hurt from all the different kinds of crystals. ..."

Sorry you didn't like it. Starting this morning.

@Scott

Not as sorry as I am, lol. It's been ages since I read a good book.

idiffer wrote: "@Scott

Not as sorry as I am, lol. It's been ages since I read a good book."

Looking at your read shelf and ratings, read Beyond Redemption

@Scott
Yeah, I had that in mind. Thanks for reminding me.

Through chapter one. UGGGG.........first person narration is always a struggle for me. It's always a story telling not a story showing with first person. I did like (view spoiler)[the shadow thing. (hide spoiler)]

I just picked this up. I've been picking lots of stuff up and not committing lately. Hopefully a reread of something I liked will get me out of the rut.
@idiffer I'm curious (view spoiler)[why do you think the protagonist should care about girls? (hide spoiler)]

@Yan-yan
Honestly, because I care about (view spoiler)[ girls (hide spoiler)]. So I want to identify with the main character. Of course, the author is free to write whatever characters he wishes, (view spoiler)[asexual (hide spoiler)] people exist out there, so it's fine (it's not like I came up with some logical reason for him not to be the way he is).

idiffer wrote: "@Yan-yan
Honestly, because I care about [spoilers removed]. So I want to identify with the main character. Of course, the author is free to write whatever characters he wishes, [spoilers removed] p..."

LOL!!! That nickname is definitely a new one.

I was curious because that part of his character is definitely something that I enjoyed about him. I love when characters represent the real variety of personalities, sexualities etc that are out there. I also love when you have young adults (view spoiler)[who are aware of what's actually going on and focus on that instead of some random teenage relationship. I feel like 90% of YA fantasy is really just romance in disguise. (hide spoiler)]

Yanique wrote: "idiffer wrote: "@Yan-yan
Honestly, because I care about [spoilers removed]. So I want to identify with the main character. Of course, the author is free to write whatever characters he wishes, [spo..."

^ This. I like to read books that represent a variety of characters, because the real world is all about variety (also why I love BranSan). In the Fantasy genre it's easy enough to fall into tropes. Interesting characters are a great way to stand out.

I will probably be late in starting this one as I'm drowning in the buddy reads I'm already behind on. Hopefully will start in the next couple of days.

So I finished it! I loved it as much as I did the first time. I love our protagonist in this story and find him so relatable and human. I like the way Rowe gradually built up the world and society, and how he handled topics like sexuality, religion, and prejudice.

Can't wait to hear what you guys think when you're done.

I finally started it tonight. You're basically just flung into the action. Usually I hate that but I got into it faster than I thought. Still only in chapter 6 I believe so lots still to go.

I've been super busy and haven't picked this up since chapter one. I hope to get back to it this weekend.

38% in. This book has become slow moving for me. It feels like it is more technical magic system explanation than plot. The school system keeps taking me out of the story. I found myself skimming a lot during the lessons.

Started this at work this morning... thrown in with little knowledge to go on... got a real Cube movies vibe for awhile... then the whole thing changed (view spoiler)[ when he left the tower and went to magic school... it seems like one minute he's knowledgeable and prepared, the next he's not... and sometimes the internal monologuing is a little much... and others he keeps quite about (Cecily) (hide spoiler)]

I just made it to his first elective class...

@Diana
I'm not aloooooone...

I thought it was about a boy on a mission to find his brother. But since leaving the tower it doesn't seem like he's tried finding his brother even once.

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "38% in. This book has become slow moving for me. It feels like it is more technical magic system explanation than plot. The school system keeps taking me out of the story. I found myself skimming a..."

Ya through chapter two I'm feeling the same.

Starting this later tonight. Love the cover😀

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "I thought it was about a boy on a mission to find his brother. But since leaving the tower it doesn't seem like he's tried finding his brother even once."

It seems like your expectations for the plot are ruining the story for you, I hate when that happens. I didn't know anything about this when I picked it up, and I liked how practical the protagonist was (view spoiler)[ he barely made it through the tower the first time so he is not equipped to be finding/rescuing any one and he realized that. So he's made the plan into more of a longterm goal. (hide spoiler)]. I personally thought the progression of the story made logical sense based on how he engages with the events of the plot.

Iain wrote: "Started this at work this morning... thrown in with little knowledge to go on... got a real Cube movies vibe for awhile... then the whole thing changed [spoilers removed]

I just made it to his fir..."

I got the feeling that (view spoiler)[our protagonist was confident until he faced real magic, then he realised how ignorant he had been. I also think that his social anxiety was presented well and consistently with the inner monologue. That's just how I saw it. (hide spoiler)]

Yanique wrote: "Diana Stormblessed wrote: "I thought it was about a boy on a mission to find his brother. But since leaving the tower it doesn't seem like he's tried finding his brother even once."

It seems like ..."

I actually didn't have any expectations going into this. I didn't even read the blurb. All the expectations I had I got from his time in the tower at the beginning of the book.

Yea... I didn't remember the blurb, either... I went back and read it once the school started...

Through chapter 4. I decided this reads like an RPG video game quest. Once I made that declaration in my mind I started to enjoy it a lot more. All of these crystals, ruins and monsters are just easter eggs, fellow combatants and enemies. I know the school part is coming and that will change a bit but I'm going to try and treat that as just a different leve.

What an ass daddy is.

The magic system is a lot like a video game as well... very numeric, with power levels and the like... and the MC visits the vendor throughout the story for supplies/gear...

I found myself enjoying the premise more than the execution, at times, but I was engaged enough to want to read the 2nd book, I think... I didn't see that last page reveal coming, or some of the other developments, either... altho maybe I should have...

Starting late as usual.

In my defense, Augusr has been a bitch. I'm one chapter in and it looks interesting so far.

Sha wrote: "Starting late as usual.

In my defense, Augusr has been a bitch. I'm one chapter in and it looks interesting so far."

I'm behind on almost every BR too so I understand. These past few months I was job hunting and interviewing, then apartment hunting, now I'm moving in 2 weeks... August will not be productive.

I'm still reading this one so you're in good company.

Halfway through chapter 9. I'm liking the story more and more but I do find there's some inconsistencies in the plot. (view spoiler)[How would an influential family fail in their training of their children where they didn't know half the concepts and yet that same youth takes on a dueling expert and at least partially twarts him? Then twarts the assassin professor? It's kind of hard to buy. There's been other things like that was well but those are the glaring two. (hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "Halfway through chapter 9. I'm liking the story more and more but I do find there's some inconsistencies in the plot. [spoilers removed]"

Yea... that was one of my big questions... (view spoiler)[if his father took him out of school to be home-schooled better, how does he not KNOW anything?... it's like all his father did was combat training... skipped the foundations of magic... (hide spoiler)]

On another front... R&D (view spoiler)[ I feel like this world would have some sort of think-tank Research and Development groups finding new ways to use magic... but instead, Corin adds a new item to his list of things to invent every other chapter...

Seems like the entire world is too focused on combat... (hide spoiler)]

Iain wrote: "Scott wrote: "Halfway through chapter 9. I'm liking the story more and more but I do find there's some inconsistencies in the plot. [spoilers removed]"

Yea... that was one of my big questions... [..."

I agree with you on both counts.

I agree with both of you. Side note: I've been stuck at 45ish % for a week now. I'll try to finish it this week but the inconsistencies really pull me out of the story and make it hard for me to want to pick it back up. I feel like it had a lot of potential but it's lacking in key areas.

I'm through the first practice challenge and what I thought the author was going to do which would have been awesome was (view spoiler)[ Have the team fighting each other in disguises created by the magic. So Sera could have been the monster and Corin the dragon and if they figured it out by swapping back and forth they win. I thought that would have been really clever. (hide spoiler)]


I keep on pecking away at this. While not in love with it I am enjoying it.