What are you reading Wednesday

[jazzfish]

What are you reading?

Godslayer by Jacqueline Carey, because it was a gift from semilocal J--. Second in a duology. I've also (still) got a bookmark in N.K. Jemisin's The Shadowed Sun where I stalled out.

What did you recently finish reading?

Banewreaker by Jacqueline Carey, first in the duology. I am not a huge fan of these books; they read like the author wanted to rewrite Lord of the Rings with the mythic gravitas of the Silmarillion, only from Sauron/Morgoth's point of view. Which is an interesting enough idea if the author can pull it off, but without decades of worldbuilding and a grounding in the epics that epic fantasy comes from, I don't think it's doable. Carey is no Tolkien, nor even Guy "ghostwrote the Silmarillion" Kay. On the other hand I am genuinely curious how far she'll carry the genre-twisting "bad guy's perspective" thing, and the characters are decent.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Good question. Probably not Tolkien. Likely either Princes of the Air by JMF, or something off the To Be Read shelf. Perhaps the Jemisin.

Comments

[shanaqui]

A lot of people really don't like Banewreaker/Godslayer, but I really appreciated what she was trying to do. I'm actually partway through a reread of those books! There's another book that tries to do the same that I want to read sometime soon: Kirill Yeskov's The Last Ringbearer, if you're interested. I think it's only a free download, tho', because the Tolkien estate wasn't so pleased.

[jazzfish]

I am definitely intrigued by the idea. And I was actually a lot more interested when it seemed like she was just retelling the Silmarillion, because nobody does that! Then at the start of this book the LotR scene-stealing parallels started thumping me over the head and I was a lot less amused. I can't tell if less blatant Tolkienising would have helped, or if it's even possible to write epic fantasy in the mold she's reversing without looking like you're ripping off Tolkien.

[shanaqui]

I think it really is meant to be a direct response to Tolkien, rather than something-in-the-same-mold-as. At least, I see it that way. In my Tolkien module, nobody believed me that someone could at all believably make 'Sauron' sympathetic. (Although for me it was mostly about Tanaros and Ushashin.) I'm not sure if I like those books as such or find them interesting, if the distinction makes any sense?

[jazzfish]

Hm, I would believe that. And yeah, it is all about Tanaros and Ushahin (though I'm also grooving on the bits & pieces we get of Meara).

That distinction makes perfect sense! Although I don't often reread books that are more 'interesting' than 'good.'

[shanaqui]

I think with my academic work, my definition of 'entertaining' has shifted to include 'interesting' as well as 'likeable' to a greater extent than for a lot of people. *grin*

[skreidle.livejournal.com]

I, ah, no change since last time you shared this questionnaire, inasmuch as I've started no new books -- but I did acquire four more for free at 2nd & Charles, including The Children's War (http://www.amazon.com/The-Childrens-War-J-N-Stroyar/dp/0743407407/), which looks interesting. :)

[elf.livejournal.com]

What are you reading?
House of Sand and Fog, by Andre Dubus III. So far I find it rather compelling, and hope it'll deliver on its promise.

What did you recently finish reading?
Watership Down. Not sure how I'd gotten this far in life without reading it yet.

In January I've also read a terrible 'leadership book' for a training I'm enrolled in (Emotional Intelligence 2.0), Seaward (again), the last of Abercombie's "First Law" trilogy, and the Hobbit. Being sick does have some upsides! Seaward remains quietly beautiful (and reminds me of childhood), and I'm amazed at how much I remember of the Hobbit in terms of events, dialogue and poetry - and yet had forgotten so much about the narrative tone.

Abercombie's work was rahter over-billed and not as "OMG AMAZINGZ" as I had been told.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Hopefully something from my own rather large TBR pile. I'm thinking Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood or perhaps the Summer Tree by Guy Kay (thought I'd give him another chance; I'm told I'm not picking up his *good* books).

[jazzfish]

<3 Watership Down muchly. Also Seaward. I should reread that; it's fast and gorgeous.

The Abercrombie, argh. I read them on the advice of a friend and I can see where she liked them: the narrative voices are excellent and his twist on the save-the-world trope is well done. But the viciousness and pettiness and general Crapsack World ground me down, and for several personal reasons I have no use whatsoever for Glotka's arc.

I have not read Guy Kay (well, except for the Silmarillion). E rather enjoyed his latest, Under Heaven. She was unimpressed by the Fionavar books: it sounds like they're early work, and not of the "I really respect his early work" kind either.

(miss you.)