FREE/BARGAIN — Fiction (everything else)

[GlennD]

Originally Posted by tch65721

Tai-Pan by James Clavell - $1.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HB94TBJ

All Clavell's books are worth a read and IMO this one is second only to Shogun.

I second that on both counts. I enjoy his historical work much more than his modern (at least when they were written) work.

[ReadingManiac]

Funny enough, I've read Tai-Pan which I majorly enjoyed, but I haven't read Shogun! I need to remedy that.

[GlennD]

Another Clavell book on sale - King Rat this time, for $3.99. It's part of his "Asian Saga" but I'm not sure how it fits in with the other books.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The sixth book in Bernard Cornwall's "The Last Kingdom" series is currently just £0.99 at Amazon UK.

The Death of Kings.

The first five book in the series are on sale for 99p at Amazon UK as their Daily Deal today.

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by GlennD

Another Clavell book on sale - King Rat this time, for $3.99. It's part of his "Asian Saga" but I'm not sure how it fits in with the other books.

I think it's 3rd in the series.

[BetterRead]

Originally Posted by GlennD

Another Clavell book on sale - King Rat this time, for $3.99. It's part of his "Asian Saga" but I'm not sure how it fits in with the other books.

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

I think it's 3rd in the series.

King Rat is fourth chronologically, but it is actually Clavell's first novel. Two of the main characters show up later in Noble House, although you don't need to have read King Rat prior to Noble House.

Tai-Pan, on the other hand, provides much-needed background to Noble House, as it involves the founding of Struan's trading company, the "Noble House" of the title. Noble House, set 120 years later, is a more-or-less direct sequel to Tai-Pan, featuring descendants and plot threads from the earlier book. (I have not read Clavell's last book, Gai-Jin, which is set 20 years after Tai-Pan and 100 years before Noble House and features yet another descendant of the Struan clan.)

Tai-Pan is currently on sale for $1.99 at Amazon. I highly recommend it.

[Dr. Drib]

"Tai-Pan" was a HUGE hit when it came out.

Regarding page length alone (in considering another Clavell title), "King Rat" is anemic. As mentioned, though this was his first published book.

"Tai-Pan," however, is a wonderful read.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by BetterRead

Tai-Pan is currently on sale for $1.99 at Amazon. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for the reminder. I picked it up.

I see that Whirlwind is back in 'print' as well.

[Tarana]

I didn't see this listed. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is on sale for $1.99. If it's any consolation for you, it's the same length as War and Peace. I listened to this years ago. Great story.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth...kbubemail20-20
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...1ElanypuXoBbSg
Nook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...1ElanypuXoBbSg

[Little.Egret]

Amazon UK Deal of the Day


Captain Hornblower R.N.: Hornblower and the 'Atropos', The Happy Return, A Ship of the Line (A Horatio Hornblower Tale of the Sea) by C. S. Forester


99p

Another excellent and excellent value omnibus

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002TJLEXM/

Also 99p and recommended

The Captain from Connecticut by C. S. Forester

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RKVGPRP/

The African Queen by C. S. Forester

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EORACOE/

The Sky and the Forest C. S. Forester

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RFP6KDW/

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by BetterRead

King Rat is fourth chronologically, but it is actually Clavell's first novel. Two of the main characters show up later in Noble House, although you don't need to have read King Rat prior to Noble House.

Tai-Pan, on the other hand, provides much-needed background to Noble House, as it involves the founding of Struan's trading company, the "Noble House" of the title. Noble House, set 120 years later, is a more-or-less direct sequel to Tai-Pan, featuring descendants and plot threads from the earlier book. (I have not read Clavell's last book, Gai-Jin, which is set 20 years after Tai-Pan and 100 years before Noble House and features yet another descendant of the Struan clan.)

Tai-Pan is currently on sale for $1.99 at Amazon. I highly recommend it.

How very convoluted! I'll just get them all as they go on sale.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

How very convoluted! I'll just get them all as they go on sale.

As far as I know, though the books are labelled as the Asian Saga, the books can each be read as a stand-alone. Shogun takes place hundreds of years before the rest and King Rat was his first published book and was likely not written with the intention of being part of a series. Likely the same with Tai-Pan that was published between King Rat and Shogun.

I think the Asian Saga thing is more like Stephen King's 'universe' where maybe he'll mention towns and characters from other books, but more as an Easter egg than something you have to investigate and follow to understand the current book.

The fact that none of the books were published in the order in which they take place within the series tells you that they should all be somewhat independent.

One book I really wish Clavell had survived to write is Nippon, which would have taken place in 1970's Japan. That would have been a fascinating book.

[ZodWallop]

Still on Clavell: there's this odd thing about Whirlwind where he pulled a small section out and published it as Escape. Both books are now available as e-books.

But is there anything in Escape that isn't also in Whirlwind? I thought Escape was basically the Reader's Digest Condensed Books version of Whirlwind?

[WillAdams]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Still on Clavell: there's this odd thing about Whirlwind where he pulled a small section out and published it as Escape. Both books are now available as e-books.

But is there anything in Escape that isn't also in Whirlwind? I thought Escape was basically the Reader's Digest Condensed Books version of Whirlwind?

Sort of.

Apparently, _Escape_ was an attempt to re-work _Whirlwind_ so as to create a story amenable to showing on television as a mini-series (per the top review at Amazon.com), so much of it is a repeat of the latter, but apparently the ending is different?

[sufue]

Another rare price drop for one of Simon Scarrow's Cato/Macro/Legions of the Empire titles in the US - Britannia is the fourteenth in the series, and has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US. I started reading and really enjoying this series years ago when I used to go to the UK on business trips from time to time, and picked them up in DTB. So it's nice to see a price drop on an ebook here in the US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014E0EB92
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bri...he-empire-14-1

Spoiler:

IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME!

A Sunday Times bestseller. Shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.

Simon Scarrow's veteran Roman soldier heroes face a cunning and relentless enemy in BRITANNIA, the unforgettable fourteenth novel in the bestselling Eagles of the Empire series.

Roman Britain, AD 52. The western tribes prepare to make a stand. But can they match the discipline and courage of the legionaries?

Wounded Centurion Macro remains behind in charge of the fort as Prefect Cato leads an invasion deep into the hills. Cato's mission: to cement Rome's triumph over the natives by crushing the Druid stronghold. But with winter drawing in, the terrain is barely passable through icy rain and snowstorms.

When Macro's patrols report that the natives in the vicinity of the garrison are thinning out, a terrible suspicion takes shape in the battle-scarred soldier's mind. Has the acting Governor, Legate Quintatus, underestimated the enemy? If there is a sophisticated and deadly plan afoot, it's Cato and his men who will pay the price...

Includes maps, chart and author Q&A.

And another somewhat recent price drop, to $0.99, on the tenth title in the series, The Legion, is still good. Links and info on that, as well as some other random info are in this previous post: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=3883350