Where are you in Fantasyland? March 2019

Still reading The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction May/June 2018.

I’m still in Andor following the Wheel of Time.

I have started Tigana.

In Mongolia now in A hero born, I am enjoying it.
Hey, hang on to your hard copies. Some of the kobo prices are rising alarmingly. I'm going to have to rely more on the secondhand shop. Or get a kindle.

I've started Black Leopard, Red Wolf. First two chapters were unusual, but by the third the story was becoming more clear. I've a better sense now of the world Marlon James has created, and it feels as African as anyone can imagine.

I'm currently around Gravesend, England in 1984 following Holly Sykes in The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.

Finished The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction May/June 2018 edited by C. C. Finlay. Enjoyed it overall.

Taking a short trip into Awaken Online for a side quest in Retribution.

I'm just entering the City of Brass.

Still in Andor, but also on the Three Worlds, discovering The Cloud Roads and the Raksura.

Just arriving in the kingdom of Esdragon for another visit with a warhorse and The True Knight.

>11 Niko: I love the Calandra/ Esdragon stories! I wish she’d write some more.

I'm in an alternate Aztec empire watching for the Harbinger of the storm.

>13 Sakerfalcon:, I love the idea of a fantasy novel based on Aztec culture; does it do it justice?

>12 humouress: I reallllly liked The Wind-Witch a lot, so I've been looking forward to this one. :) It's good to know that the Calandra series is good, too. I'll definitely be continuing to check out the rest of her work.

As I've gotten older, I really value finding these sorts of authors... ones who were writing all this good stuff back in the 80's/90's, but that I missed the first time because I was young and overly focused on the big bestsellers (plus, lack of internet, so a lot of it was relying on bookstores to "tell" me what books were important.

>15 Niko:, exactly how I missed Paul O. Williams' The Breaking of Northwall and the rest of the Pelbar Cycle. Not an overlooked classic by any stretch, but it had the magic mix of familiar 1980s feel and of being new to me, and a pretty good story.

>14 Cecrow: The worldbuilding is amazing - it feels very well researched but avoids info-dumping, and doesn't pull any punches for 21st century sensitivities. There is bloody sacrifice galore - not dwelt upon but it is a large part of everyday life in this setting and the characters take it for granted. In the first book, Servant of the underworld, the plot is really a whodunit, with Acatl, Priest of the Dead, having to find out who (or what) committed a seemingly impossible murder. Of course the gods and various supernatural creatures are involved, lending the fantasy element to the story. I quite liked Acatl's calm, dispassionate narrative voice but other reviewers have found it cold and unengaging and also not enjoyed his reluctance to embrace his position of power and the responsibility it entails. If the setting interests you I'd definitely give it a go if I were you.

Reading The Effigy Engine by Scott Lynch.

>17 Sakerfalcon: That description sounds so interesting! Just set a library hold for the first book.

It's time for one final trip with the Greatcoats in Tyrant's Throne.

I love Dexter's books. I should read The Wandering Duke soon.

Jin Yong/Louis Cha works for me. I am onto book 2,
A Bond Undone: Legends of the Condor Heroes Vol. 2

Finished The Effigy Engine by Scott Lynch and reading his In the Stacks next.

Finished In the Stacks by Scott Lynch.

Started The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark.

Finished The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark and about to start his The Black God's Drums.

I've read The Haunting of Tram Car 015 since the last time I was on LT, too.

>27 Unreachableshelf: I liked it The Haunting of Tram Car 015. The Black God's Drums looks like it's going to another good read.

Fininshed The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark. Liked it.

Heading to the Discworld for Going Postal.

Paying a visit to the Gaslit Empire in The Custodian of Marvels. I've really enjoyed this series.

I'm in the alternative Regency world of Paradise making A rational arrangement.

I'm still in Abeth following Nona's adventures, in Mark Lawrence's Holy Sister.

I'm at the university with Elda and friends in Year of the Griffin.

Adding The Harp of Imach Thyssel by Patricia C. Wrede to my reading rotation.

>35 seitherin: Fun! :)

Those early Patricia C. Wrede Lyra books were borderline formative for me back when I was in the "YA" target audience range. (Though stuff we label as "YA Fantasy" nowadays was just shelved in with adult stuff back then.)

>36 Niko: I have three of the Lyra books on my ereader. I decided I needed something not "grown-up" to read. They sounded like just what I needed.

>37 seitherin: Yeah, I reread Harp of Imach Thyssel myself a while back for similar reasons. :)

My current read: Heading home to Marlova with Inda in King's Shield.

Finished Black Leopard, Red Wolf, which I think is part of yet another new generation of the fantasy genre we're moving towards. Marlon James brings all the skills to bear that won him the Booker Prize, but proves he knows his way around genre fiction too. It's a complete story, but sets us up to hear it told from another perspective in the sequel. He's keeping it a mystery around how he plans to end his trilogy.

I'm in Medieval Russia with The girl in the tower.

Arpil thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/305455