SM Stirling - Dies the Fire series

[jbcohen]

What do you think of the Dies the Fire series from SM Stirling?

[DiapDealer]

I think you've drastically altered the entire meaning of the series title with the addition of two tiny little letters.

[jgaiser]

Doh... At the top of the forum, some of the titles of threads are partials and all I saw was "SM Stirling dies in the..." and I'm thinking, Oh Crap... Another author dies...

[jbcohen]

What do you all think of the Dies the Fire series?

[Apache]

The Change Series is three linked series.
I liked all three of the first set.

The Nantucket Series:
Islands in the Sea of Time.
Against the Tide of Years.
On the Oceans of Eternity.

I also liked the second series Dies the Fire.
Dies the Fire
The Protector's War
A Meeting at Corvalis

The third set is 5 books with number 6 due out September 5. There is a seventh listed as possible in 2013.
To me the third series seems to get weaker with the release of each new books. I have not made up my mind as to whether I am going to get it yet. I May wait for some here to give an opinion of the book.
The Sunrise Lands
The Scourge of God
The Sword of the Lady
The High King of Montival
The Tears of the Sun
The Lord of Mountains
The Given Sacrifice

[jbcohen]

I think the Nantucket series is really a separate series from the Dies the Fire series. However, I am rather new to SM Stiriling books.

[Apache]

The Nantucket Series is part of the Change Series and basically starts with the same Incident, electricity, guns, explosives, internal combustion engines, and steam power no longer work. The island of Nantucket and the Coast Guard Training Ship Eagle are transported back to the Bronze Age.
The Emberverse Series is also part of the Change Series, but tells what happens to those left behind.
Apache

[jbcohen]

I'm glad I had this discussion, so I can understand things like this. Only trouble is that Striling went with a different publisher for these books, if he had gone with baen my bill would be $4 instead my bill will be $8. Rats, I'm grousing here.

Looking at what books I can get cheaper I had get the City and the Ship that consists of The City Who Fought and the Ship Avenged. What are these books like? How about the Houses of the Kzinti?

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by Apache

The Change Series is three linked series.
The third set is 5 books with number 6 due out September 5. There is a seventh listed as possible in 2013.
To me the third series seems to get weaker with the release of each new books. I have not made up my mind as to whether I am going to get it yet. I May wait for some here to give an opinion of the book.
The Sunrise Lands
The Scourge of God
The Sword of the Lady
The High King of Montival
The Tears of the Sun
The Lord of Mountains
The Given Sacrifice

I agree that this part of the series is weaker than the first two groups. IMO, it borders on some sort of mystical religious tract at times. I'm not willing to stop reading at this point, but I find the selection of Rudy as the protagonist to be somewhat surprising, and at first, uninteresting. Though he gets more interesting as the series wears on.

I've read as far as "The High King of Montival", (maybe "The Sword of the Lady", I've found the big series tend to get confusing.) At this point, I plan on reading the rest of the books, but I will not pay Hard Cover prices. I'm waiting till they are paperback prices or less.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I think you've drastically altered the entire meaning of the series title with the addition of two tiny little letters.

I've fixed it for the thread title to prevent confusion.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

I agree that this part of the series is weaker than the first two groups. IMO, it borders on some sort of mystical religious tract at times. I'm not willing to stop reading at this point, but I find the selection of Rudy as the protagonist to be somewhat surprising, and at first, uninteresting. Though he gets more interesting as the series wears on.

I've read as far as "The High King of Montival", (maybe "The Sword of the Lady", I've found the big series tend to get confusing.) At this point, I plan on reading the rest of the books, but I will not pay Hard Cover prices. I'm waiting till they are paperback prices or less.

I haven't gotten into the series yet, but it seems to me that the basic premise of the series is such as to almost require a mystical world to work. I mean if the physical laws of the Universe were to change enough that you couldn't even have steam power, I have a hard time believing that life as we know it could exist either.

--
Bill

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

I haven't gotten into the series yet, but it seems to me that the basic premise of the series is such as to almost require a mystical world to work. I mean if the physical laws of the Universe were to change enough that you couldn't even have steam power, I have a hard time believing that life as we know it could exist either.

--
Bill

Well, I have problems with any attempt to explain the unexplainable and the use of 'a higher power' as a way to further the plot. I think visions from the higher power to move things along as opposed to the open question of "are the visions a form of insanity, and should we follow this guy?" is a type of cheating. IMO it's the acceptance or rejection of faith that is interesting; not God saying "Go Here and Do This".

Where I am in the series, the explanations and plot reveals aren't fully developed yet, but the events so far, don't don't lend themselves to how I think the thing should go.

[ametzler]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

I agree that this part of the series is weaker than the first two groups. IMO, it borders on some sort of mystical religious tract at times. [...].

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

I haven't gotten into the series yet, but it seems to me that the basic premise of the series is such as to almost require a mystical world to work. I mean if the physical laws of the Universe were to change enough that you couldn't even have steam power, I have a hard time believing that life as we know it could exist either.

The former part of the series is written in the spirit of alternate history. One thing is changed (in this case a pretty major one, suddenly changing some physical laws, basically disabling enhanced technology.), and the point of the book is to take this premise and look what might happen. No further unexplained "magic" happens and changes the outcome.

The second series is completely different in spirit, not science fiction, but fantasy. A super-bad villain with magic powers is introduced, and OTOH you get a messias-like character on the quest for a saving magic sword.

For me the second series failed at the basic level, it is just not very entertaining. Aiming for epic grandness but reaching only very much drawn out repetitions of frugal meals and wandering around. (I personally pulled the plug at The High King of Montival.)

[DianNC]

Originally Posted by Apache

I also liked the second series Dies the Fire.
Dies the Fire
The Protector's War
A Meeting at Corvalis

I read those a few months back and liked them a lot, so went on to...

The third set is 5 books with number 6 due out September 5. There is a seventh listed as possible in 2013.
To me the third series seems to get weaker with the release of each new books. I have not made up my mind as to whether I am going to get it yet. I May wait for some here to give an opinion of the book.
The Sunrise Lands
The Scourge of God
The Sword of the Lady
The High King of Montival
The Tears of the Sun
The Lord of Mountains
The Given Sacrifice

Got through The High King of Montival and decided to take a break. Haven't returned...they just keep coming lol.

[FizzyWater]

So far, I've only read "Dies the Fire". I generally enjoy post-apocalyptic stories, and I mostly enjoyed this. I was surprised at the combination of the "sci-fi" portion and the magical in this, as others have mentioned.