Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Broken Blade by Kelly McCullough starting April 10, 2023.

Spot.

Spot!

Hoopla has this one too. Graphic Audio and regular. Any recs?

I have no idea, because it is completely new for me. I am very excited to find out:)

Hmm... I'm torn... I know Iain really hates Graphic Audio, but I loved the Demon Cycle adaptations... still, I know it edits things down so it can have more smooth dialogue, so it might be better to try the straight unabridged version for a first read...

I’m in

I read the first one as a traditional printed novel years ago and enjoyed it enough to buy the others in the series with a promise to myself to read them all.

I just started it and am only a few pages in but the world seems interesting so far.

I just started and want to know more about The Goddess, The Son of Heaven and the priests, and The Blades, to which Aral the Jack and his (view spoiler)[ shadow dragon Tris used to belong to... Much more questions so far, than any answers... (hide spoiler)] ... I am intrigued...

End of Ch. 6... (view spoiler)[ Well, I guess there are more players in the game than appearance suggests, even beyond his old brother in blades, Devin... D is working for the current Baroness, M is attempting to work with Aral against them, but there is a third party, somehow connected with the priesthood, who wants to take down D and think Aral is working with him... And they noticed him while on the Baroness' land, so it is probably someone who is undercover on her staff... Also, how did M know how to find Aral when he was being tortured? And how did D know to find her in return just at that moment and capture her??? Way too many coincidences if you ask me... (hide spoiler)]

End of Ch. 9... (view spoiler)[ I like the Librarian! He is 611 years old:) The little history of the kingdom and Maylien was very informative. I bet her sister killed their mother and of course, blamed it on M... (hide spoiler)]

Soooo, I might have just finished the book... It was a very easy, fast read, a bit of a linear and a tad predictable story. Couple of twists at the end, to keep it interesting. I will continue with the series, but I do hope it gets better...

I just got to chapter 6 and am really enjoying it so far. I hope to learn more about Maylien. She seems like an interesting character.

Going to be late on this one, but looking forward to joining in!

Started today! Only in Chapter 1, but already thinking--(view spoiler)[Being a Jack sounds like it'd be very easy to be set up as a fall guy--they don't ask questions, they aren't affiliated with anything... oh, this person from a big gang is bothering me, have a Jack kill them off then they get all the heat for it... but maybe that's just part of the job.

I like that we seem to be getting the endgame for the series right away. So there's a asshat of an Emperor who killed our protagonist's goddess? Okay, let's take him out!

Also the title "Son of Heaven" is a very Chinese way of referring to the Emperor--fingers crossed for more Chinese influence. Though elemental dragons are Chinese.

Having a creature live in your shadow makes me think of Dragonback books. ^^ (hide spoiler)]

I am glad you are joining us, Nirkatze:)

I decided to go for eyebook instead of audio. Enjoying so far, but having trouble focusing...

Chapter 2--just this quote caught me: (view spoiler)[I was so distracted by thoughts of Maylien as mage and wondering what her real game was that the words just flowed through my head without leaving any real imprint. Heh, I relate to that, very much. More with audiobook than physical, but this is definitely a phenomenon I'm very well versed with... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3--(view spoiler)[Just as I was starting to think that the letter was blank, and the real purpose was just to show him that things aren't as it seems... maybe Maylien was part of some rebel group or something that wanted to open his eyes... text shows up on the letter, and it's for Aral! Nicely done. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, that was good:) I like Maylien...

Through Chapter 9--I'm enjoying the world and characters. I like have an MC who is an alcoholic--I think the author does a good job of showing someone who isn't even on the step-ladder let... but is maybe thinking about it...

The world is interesting, and I like how little bits of the politics and magic are slowly being revealed. There was one more tidbit somewhere that made me think of China again but I can't remember it now...

re: Chapter 6--ha! Coincidences abound for sure... (view spoiler)[for that matter, how did Maylien know to set Aral up in the first place? He must not be as good at hiding as he thinks... (hide spoiler)]

End of Chapter 9--(view spoiler)[I like the whole "oath to the dead" thing, and how it is more challenging to fulfill than an oath to the living... you can't negotiate with what the dead need. (hide spoiler)]

re: Chapter 9--(view spoiler)[I loved the librarian too! And such a nice scene, of young Aral being caught flatfooted in the library... LOL (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10-11--Efik--on the tail of the alcoholic thought... (view spoiler)[it seems like Aral has a tendency toward addiction... Efik seems a bit like coffee with the whole tea rivalry... also beans. The chemical effects are different but while coffee has caffeine, it seems efik is like a downer? Similar effect to alcohol?

Aral's predicament also reminds me of a lot of soldiers... the stories of how the military used to test drugs on soldiers, or used speed to keep them awake on long missions... though Aral didn't leave a war as much as be tossed out of his brotherhood--but the end result is the same. Nothing is the way it was anymore, nothing makes sense, no where to return to, and only oblivion to take the thoughts away.

The description of the goddess--with six arms--makes me think of Shiva--though I think Shiva has four?--and Guanyin (Bodhisattva of Mercy) who has 100+ arms... destruction + mercy sounds kind of like Namara...

Ah! I remember! The stone dogs! Stone dogs, or stone lions, or Foo Dogs are a common decoration outside of temples in China... that's what I think of with the Elite's "stone dogs." Also, Mouse in Dresden is one of these... (hide spoiler)]

The memory trail is a little awkwardly done, but still interesting... I have a bit of a disorientation at the start of each chapter of are we here or there? But not too long.

Finished. I like it. I found the world a little odd in that it felt like it had a lot of Asian touches (the clothes and food, a sect of pious assassins) but the main character felt very 'western' (at least to me). By which I mean, his thoughts and feelings seemed perhaps to have evolved from a standard western viewpoint. But then as I'm from the west myself I could well be talking out of turn here...

I loved Triss. I'm generally a sucker for familiars (by which I generally mean animal or non-humanoid sidekicks), and he was/is a good one.

I'll be continuing the series; looking forward to see where it goes.

I was thinking more like opium, for the Efik, at least in my head... And yes, Aral definitely exhibits a predisposition to addiction...

Mouse!!!! The best Stone/Foo dog ever!!!!

I agree with Shaitarn, very Western feeling characters in a very Asian seeming world... I had similar feelings when I read the first Jay Kristoff's trilogy, The Lotus Wars... I have no problem whatsoever with non-native authors writing culturally influenced works, but it feels off when they come off incongruent... Not too bad here though...

Oooh! I'm glad I wasn't the only one with the feeling of little-Asian touches in a Western world! I love reading with y'all, seriously.

I finished the book yesterday. I enjoyed it, but I think I'll switch to audio for the rest... I had a hard time dragging myself through the print. Then again, it's crunch time of the year right now and I'm not getting a lot of sleep... it's getting harder and harder to focus on text, or having actual thoughts while reading...

I really like the world building and magic systems. Characters I'm a bit meh on--likeable, but not fascinated. Plot is pretty predictable but I'm fine with that. (view spoiler)[Librarian dude better come back though! He was my favorite part of the book!!!! Also excited that there're signs that Namara still has some foothold in the world. I was hoping there might be resurrection in the future... (hide spoiler)]

Is the series done or ongoing, do folks know?

There are six books in the series. A couple of reviews referred to the sixth book as the final, so I guess it is finished, although I don’t know that for sure.

Oh shiny! I'm game for continuing--I want to see how this plays out. ^^

Hey, we never decided on a continuation date for these--anyone else interested in lining these up for one-a-monthers?

Yes, I am! I was wondering where the threads were, but I guess they were never created...

The latter half of the month is looking more open for me, would putting in requests around 17-22 work for you? (And anyone else joining us?)

Sure!

I'd like to join if that's okay; I want to finish the series this year!

Would love to have you join us Shaitarn!!

Coolbeans, I'll set up some threads for mid-month, starting in July. ^_^

Okay! I set up BRs for the 19th of July through November! Whoo!

Nirkatze wrote: "Okay! I set up BRs for the 19th of July through November! Whoo!"

Thanks, Nirkatze!

I am way late but I finished this last night and it was good, very enjoyable. (view spoiler)[I want Aral to get his swords back! I loved Triss and I thought the way that they worked together was such an interesting twist to magic use. I loved all the action and I hope that some of Aral's wallowing will be done with now that he seems to have regained his focus on justice. (hide spoiler)]

I listened to the traditional audio and I liked it quite a lot but I swear I have listened to a book performed by him before but I have nothing. He sounds like the male narrator for Wanderers, does anyone know if this is the same guy, different names?

Glad you're joining us Ann-Marie! And your comments are like a good little refresher to prep for book 2 this month...

I wish there were traditional audio available for the other books (at least on library)--though I'm not against Graphic Audio, I just don't want heavily edited versions. I read print for the first one.

Nirkatze wrote: "Glad you're joining us Ann-Marie! And your comments are like a good little refresher to prep for book 2 this month...

I wish there were traditional audio available for the other books (at least o..."

Hmmm I just checked and Hoopla has both versions for book 1 but just the dramatized for the rest of the books. I wish I would have noticed that before I listened to the mystery man narrator for book 1 lol

My Hoopla is the same. Full Graphic Audio versions, but only book 1 in the unabridged... I have the ebooks, which was fun, but it was slow reading for a short book, so I was hoping to do audio for the rest...

Nirkatze wrote: "My Hoopla is the same. Full Graphic Audio versions, but only book 1 in the unabridged... I have the ebooks, which was fun, but it was slow reading for a short book, so I was hoping to do audio for ..."

The dramatic versions are abridged? Ugh that is disappointing!