Fraser 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Gardens of the Moon took me a few goes the first time. Also had a big pause part of the way through book2. Memories of Ice I devoured and from that point I didn’t stop until the whole series was done.

Hope you are enjoying book 5 - the change of scene can cause whiplash but it’s so worth it!

Was it a low-cal calzone?

That A Complete Unknown post-credit scene where George Harrison and Tom Petty show up to tease the Travelling Wilburys Cinematic Universe was fucking wild.

Great name! Aliens reference?

That’s awesome, and I hope you enjoy it, but posting a photo with such a cute cat and not telling us its name is a crime!

Definitely agree - Player of Games has the benefit of following one character and being in chronological order. Use of Weapons, on the other hand….

Every new book invited re-reads of past ones because of the way they unfolded how the Culture worked. One of the many brilliant things about them.

Some amazing twists, but also payoffs for 9000-odd pages of foreshadowing. Enjoy the finish line!

It’s 90%what happened in the books, 10% repeating Parshendi dialogue to get the accent right, and I’m here for it.

If you enjoyed Mistborn, have you tried Stormlight Archive yet? It’s linked via Sanderson’s Cosmere, but also a great read even if you aren’t looking for the connections. Four chunky, but easy to read books and the fifth is out in two weeks.

Also, Robin Hobbs is great.

Can’t go wrong with chronological. Mort and Reaper Man are a great start for the Death series. Feet of Clay is brilliant but I’d defiantly rely recommend trying to get Guards Guards and Men-At-Arms first to start the Watch (my favourite) series. All of these are great though.

The good news is that Sanderson is very easy to read, especially compared to many other epic fantasy writers. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of 24 books, just start with either a standalone (Warbreaker would be my rec) or maybe the first Mistborn trilogy.

Excession is the only Culture novel I bounced off during my first read - was still a teenager and it was far more complex than anything else I’d read by that point. Once I went back to it a few years later I realised how brilliant it was, especially for the insights into the ships’ minds. Love it.

Thank you - great update to read. I really enjoyed book 1 of Kharkanas and The God is Not Willing so really good to know both will be getting resolved in the not too distant future.

Great stuff! Of all the epic fantasy I’ve read, it remains the best. You may find moments frustrating, but it is all worth it.

It just gets bigger and better. Are you planning on starting book 2 straight away? Momentum helps get through the series, but it is a proper marathon.

I enjoyed Kharkanas 1 but learning that 3 was on hold put me off reading 2.

For sci-fi, have you read Iain M Banks? If not give Player of Games a look.

If you liked Malazan, have you read The God is Not Willing? It’s part of a new series set after Book of the Fallen.

I love this - hope the full impact of the art comes across well enough on the e-reader.

Have you gone back to the other Watch books since? I love them all, but this one is definitely my favourite.

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As a fellow Expanse fan, I’d highly recommend it. Player of Games and/or Use of Weapons are probably the best ones to check out first

Have you tried Iain M. Banks’ Culture series?

Agreed - so many of my mates, that have read Silmarllion, WoT etc bounced off Gardens of the Moon. Such a shame, since so many of them love epic fantasy but never even get to read about the Chain of Dogs or meet Coltaine.

Good shout. In my view, the first three books are amazing, after that they mostly remain good, but never quite reach the highs of the earlier ones. Early Serpentwar books (Erik and Roo) were great though.

I’ve been helping my kid out with her gemstone/dropper art (not sure exactly what it’s called, seen different versions) and it’s surprisingly meditative. If a grown-up set with Lord of the Rings/Malazan/Stormlight style fantasy art doesn’t exist then it’d a real gap in the market!

Thank you!

Time to expand my algorithm beyond books to games. Here are some I’ve platinumed and enjoyed on PS5:

Dark Souls, Demon Souls, Bloodborne & Elden Ring

Nioh 2, Lords of the Fallen & Black Myth Wukong

Nier: Automota & Stellar Blade

Horizon Zero Dawn & Forbidden West

Destiny 2

The Spiderman games

By the end, probably the double act of Stormy and Gesler. They are all so good though.

I’m going to follow you and look forward to you continuing to comment on this once you begin the next book!

Thanks for highlighting Robert - are you aware of any similar message re the Guildford anniversary last month?