Help me spend my credits - Page 2

pdurrant · 01-05-2016, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

It's a classic so you've probably already read it, but I've recently been thinking back on books I'd like to re-read and the top of my list is Stand on Zanzibar, by John Brunner. I just checked and it's a pretty good bargain at $4.99 from Amazon in the US.

http://www.amazon.com/Stand-Zanzibar-John-Brunner-ebook/dp/B004VMV3U4/

I don't remember reading it, but I may well have done. Definitely one I'll be waiting for a special offer on - it's £5.99 in the UK!

Apache · 01-07-2016, 09:57 AM

Have you read 1635: A Parcel of Rogues yet?
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2878-163...of-rogues.aspx
Apache

pdurrant · 01-07-2016, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Have you read 1635: A Parcel of Rogues yet?
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2878-163...of-rogues.aspx

I have bought it (even though it's over £5!) and it's near the top of my TBR list. I couldn't bear to wait a year for the paperback for this one.

Apache · 01-07-2016, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I have bought it (even though it's over £5!) and it's near the top of my TBR list. I couldn't bear to wait a year for the paperback for this one.

It was released early and I picked it up then. I also finished it in December. I did enjoy it and hope you do too.
Apache

Mort1997 · 01-13-2016, 11:09 AM

Have you read any Benedict Jacka or Kevin Hearne? I quite like these

pdurrant · 01-13-2016, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mort1997

Have you read any Benedict Jacka or Kevin Hearne? I quite like these

I don't recognise the names. I'll take a look. Thanks.

Witty Username · 01-13-2016, 12:56 PM

I glanced at your reading lists for 2014 & 2015 - a lot of your choices are similar to my tastes. Are you aware of Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's? I love those and they are well within your price limit.

pdurrant · 01-13-2016, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Witty Username

I glanced at your reading lists for 2014 & 2015 - a lot of your choices are similar to my tastes. Are you aware of Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's? I love those and they are well within your price limit.

A very good suggestion, thank you. So good, I've already done it - I had the first as a freebie, and finished reading it a day or two ago and have now bought the next three. First post updated.

I still have about £80 of credits left!

Apache · 01-13-2016, 06:19 PM

Christopher G Nuttall's Ark Royal Series, Angel in the Whirlwind series and Empire's Corps Series are very good. And all of his books are DRM free.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/...opher-nuttall/
Apache

pdurrant · 01-14-2016, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mort1997

Have you read any Benedict Jacka or Kevin Hearne? I quite like these

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Christopher G Nuttall's Ark Royal Series, Angel in the Whirlwind series and Empire's Corps Series are very good. And all of his books are DRM free.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/...opher-nuttall/
Apache

There are a considerable number of unfavourable reviews of the Benedict Jacka and Kevin Heane books. I may get the first in each series at the end of the month, just to see if I agree with the poor reviews or not.

Christopher Nuttall seems to have produced a novel every couple of months for the past few years! I'm afraid that I can't believe they had sufficient quality.

But thanks, both, for the suggestions!

Apache · 01-14-2016, 03:08 PM

I agree that he seems to release books every few months, but the ones I suggested are the ones I have read and are surprisingly good. I have read the Ark Royal Series and found it a very good series. The Oncoming Storm is the first book in the Angel in the Whirlwind series and I enjoyed it enough to get the next book in the series when it is released next week. I have not read all of the Empire's Corps series, but the ones I have read I have enjoyed.
Apache

pdurrant · 01-15-2016, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

I have read the Ark Royal Series and found it a very good series.

Thank you. With a personal recommendation, I'll probably give the Ark Royal series a go.

Katsunami · 01-16-2016, 12:28 PM

Jean M. Auel Earth's Children series.

Also, some stuff by Sarah Douglass. The Axis Trilogy, The Wayfarer Redemption, Darkglass Mountain (in that order), The Hanging Wall and Threshold (these last two ended up being prequels to Darkglass Mountain).

One warning: you have to not care about some things, especially with the Axis Trilogy:
- Deus Ex Machina... used liberally. (How TF are they going to solve th... *stuff*... solved. Oh. Right.)
- The story starts out with a protagonist (obviously), and another main character. When getting further into the story, that other main character is almost written out of the story. Then this character was basically discarded and replaced by a different character... and those two become very good friends. (Huh? WTF?)
- Then, the replacement character rises to power so fast and in such an extreme measure, that the entire story comes to depend on that character (who is a big part of the Deus Ex Machina's), outshining the protagonist. In the end, the protagonist is shown to be even more powerful, but it's the side character actually driving the story. It's as if the author has suddenly decided that this character should be the protagonist... which leads to the last point of critique.
- And oh, the protagonist has to do some final stuff to close off the story. He must do the thing the entire story was written for. Because said protagonist has almost become irrelevant, he does it within 10 pages or so. It would have been better if Douglass had killed the protagonist off, making readers think that the cause was lost, and then use another Deus Ex Machina to get the side character to actually fix it.

So... while the Axis Trilogy is very good, the use of Deus Ex Machina, the discarding of a person I *liked* to replace her with a pet character that becomes too powerful too fast, and the anti-climactic end leads me to giving it a 7 out of 10 instead of 10/10.

edit: This is one of the reasons why The Axis Trilogy, and some other of Sarah Douglass' work has only average reviews. There seem to be two camps: the ones who don't care about the above and give the works a 10/10, and they ones who are highly annoyed, giving it 1/10 ratings. I'm one of the few who sits somewhere in the middle.

pdurrant · 01-16-2016, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Jean M. Auel Earth's Children series.

Also, some stuff by Sarah Douglass.

I actually bought the first Clan of the Cave Bear back in 2010. Perhaps I ought to give it a go!

I think I might be in the annoyed category fro Sarah Souglass. I really don't like Deus ex Machina.

pdurrant · 01-23-2016, 12:59 PM

Thank, everyone for your suggestions.

With the purchases I've made so far, I only have another £7 to spend before the end of January, so I'm going to see what daily deals come up in the rest of January, and then make a purchase or two on the 31st. But then I have £62 to spend by February 16th, so I expect to make more use of your suggestions then.

01-16-2016, 12:28 PM	#28
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	Jean M. Auel Earth's Children series. Also, some stuff by Sarah Douglass. The Axis Trilogy, The Wayfarer Redemption, Darkglass Mountain (in that order), The Hanging Wall and Threshold (these last two ended up being prequels to Darkglass Mountain). One warning: you have to not care about some things, especially with the Axis Trilogy: - Deus Ex Machina... used liberally. (How TF are they going to solve th... stuff... solved. Oh. Right.) - The story starts out with a protagonist (obviously), and another main character. When getting further into the story, that other main character is almost written out of the story. Then this character was basically discarded and replaced by a different character... and those two become very good friends. (Huh? WTF?) - Then, the replacement character rises to power so fast and in such an extreme measure, that the entire story comes to depend on that character (who is a big part of the Deus Ex Machina's), outshining the protagonist. In the end, the protagonist is shown to be even more powerful, but it's the side character actually driving the story. It's as if the author has suddenly decided that this character should be the protagonist... which leads to the last point of critique. - And oh, the protagonist has to do some final stuff to close off the story. He must do the thing the entire story was written for. Because said protagonist has almost become irrelevant, he does it within 10 pages or so. It would have been better if Douglass had killed the protagonist off, making readers think that the cause was lost, and then use another Deus Ex Machina to get the side character to actually fix it. So... while the Axis Trilogy is very good, the use of Deus Ex Machina, the discarding of a person I liked to replace her with a pet character that becomes too powerful too fast, and the anti-climactic end leads me to giving it a 7 out of 10 instead of 10/10. edit: This is one of the reasons why The Axis Trilogy, and some other of Sarah Douglass' work has only average reviews. There seem to be two camps: the ones who don't care about the above and give the works a 10/10, and they ones who are highly annoyed, giving it 1/10 ratings. I'm one of the few who sits somewhere in the middle. Last edited by Katsunami; 01-16-2016 at 01:14 PM.

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01-07-2016, 09:57 AM	#17
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,280 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Have you read 1635: A Parcel of Rogues yet? http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2878-163...of-rogues.aspx Apache

01-13-2016, 11:09 AM	#20
Mort1997 Wizard Posts: 1,050 Karma: 15288073 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony various , Voyage, Oasis, K3, K4T,Nook Glow+Kobo Aura/H2O/One	Have you read any Benedict Jacka or Kevin Hearne? I quite like these

01-13-2016, 12:56 PM	#22
Witty Username Addict Posts: 335 Karma: 4702571 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Somerset, England Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Touch, Kobo Libra H2O	I glanced at your reading lists for 2014 & 2015 - a lot of your choices are similar to my tastes. Are you aware of Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's? I love those and they are well within your price limit.

01-13-2016, 06:19 PM	#24
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,280 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Christopher G Nuttall's Ark Royal Series, Angel in the Whirlwind series and Empire's Corps Series are very good. And all of his books are DRM free. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/...opher-nuttall/ Apache

01-14-2016, 03:08 PM	#26
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,280 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	I agree that he seems to release books every few months, but the ones I suggested are the ones I have read and are surprisingly good. I have read the Ark Royal Series and found it a very good series. The Oncoming Storm is the first book in the Angel in the Whirlwind series and I enjoyed it enough to get the next book in the series when it is released next week. I have not read all of the Empire's Corps series, but the ones I have read I have enjoyed. Apache

01-23-2016, 12:59 PM	#30
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,053 Karma: 315160596 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	Thank, everyone for your suggestions. With the purchases I've made so far, I only have another £7 to spend before the end of January, so I'm going to see what daily deals come up in the rest of January, and then make a purchase or two on the 31st. But then I have £62 to spend by February 16th, so I expect to make more use of your suggestions then.

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