Eden Prosper’s Reviews > The Book of M > Status Update

How is this book so far? I'm struggling to find something that is clicking, and this one looks interesting. Also, do you have any other recommendations for must reads? A few suggestions would be awesome! I have some family asking me for present ideas for Christmas, but all I have are LitRPGs to ask for, I think I need to broaden my literary horizons!

Being honest, the book started out strong but lost its momentum for me. I still have around 100 pages to go, and the ending could be amazing, but at this point I wouldn’t say it’s at the top of my list.

As for my favorites of all time: The Vorrh Trilogy by Brian Catling, Gormenghast series by Mervyn Peake, The Magus by John Fowles, Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. A lot of these are weird lit and magical realism. What are your favorite genres or interests? I read just about everything, so maybe I could narrow it down.

It's a bit of a bummer that it's losing momentum. I find i lose interest a lot when characters i like are killed. Let me know your final thoughts if you're cool with it.

Those are great recommendations. I'll definitely check them out. Im kind of a big kid at 40, so they will be going on my list!

I am mostly into Fantasy, more of the litrpg sub-genre, but I m trying to read more adult books, lol. I really like magic systems that make sense in a way that I can understand where the magic comes from (i.e., mistborn: metals). Really though, I think I need to just find something that is outside of my normal wheelhouse but isn't too cerebral, im a bit of a dunce! Dark settings, epics, etc. are great; I like Fantasy politics too!

Okay… soooo. The recommendations I gave may not be to your liking. In fact, you’d probably hate them lol! They’re pretty much the exact opposite of what litRPG offers. I’ve never read the litRPG genre myself but the books I recommended are considered quite difficult reads, especially for someone who does not typically read dense speculative or heavy literary fiction. They prioritize atmosphere, intricate prose, complex structure, and deep thematic or historical commentary over fast pacing, not to mention are behemoth-sized. They can be very cerebrally demanding.

I’ve tried to think over some dark fantasy books I’ve read in the past and all I can come up with is Clive Barker’s Weaveworld or Imajica and Neil Gaimen’s Neverwhere or American Gods.

I hope I won't hate them! Im certainly not opposed to magical realism, focus on atmosphere, and a slower pace; regardless of my existing preferences. I really enjoyed Hobbs Farseer Trilogy, which may be a good in between? I think your recommendations are exactly what I am looking for! I looked a bit into the Vorrh Trilogy just now (as much as I can while im in a 3 hour meeting), and it sounds intriguing. I did recently receive Neil Gaimen's Good Omens, so I'll have to read that and look into your recommendations as well!

I really appreciate you taking time to make such thoughtful recommendations!