Not as engaging as the first half of this saga, it's not like these two books are bad, but Citadel of the Autarch just didn't engage me the way the other books did. Severian, you are forever a little freak to me.
Not as engaging as the first half of this saga, it's not like these two books are bad, but Citadel of the Autarch just didn't engage me the way the other books did. Severian, you are forever a little freak to me.
106/150 This books was such an amazing surprise, far exceeding my expectations. In a future devastated by weapons of mass destruction, all disputes and wars were settled in single combat. The Lyceum was established to created the greatest warriors, the Grievar Knights. The author is a martial arts teacher, so the fights were very authentic and realistic. I loved the characters and the action, but also the mystery behind the mc's past.
"I can tell the women I've fucked apart, I promise."
Severian, you absolute freak, the book is nearly over and also, since you feel you have to state it, I'm not sure I believe you
This series casually dropping things like vivimancers, the opposite of necromancers (dead people who can summon the living who are, in turn, capable of summoning the dead back to life), is why it's cool.
I switched to some 80s SF, with Casey‘s able assistance. One chapter in and I already like FIVE-TWELFTHS OF HEAVEN a lot more than both the reread I just bailed on and the last Melissa Scott novel I read. It‘s got a strong human element alongside its SFnal worldbuilding.
I was gonna take it easy today, but my favourite used bookstore is so much closer to Daisy‘s house than it is to mine. I had to cycle on over there.
I came away with two Melissa Scott novels and a bit of ElfQuest I haven‘t read. I also found a great jacket pattern at the nearby Value Village and two more X-Men Funko pins at Dollarama. All in all, it was a successful outing.
I read it, it was good, & I enjoyed it as I did the first half but just like the first book, this one warrants a reread in order to appreciate the nuance & really “get it.” I suppose that may sound off putting but I actually don‘t mind, I appreciate a book that is richer & even more rewarding with subsequent rereads. The writing is fantastic, the main character unreliable & all the more awesome for it, & the world complex & intriguing.
Starting March with more Gene Wolfe and the second half of The Book of the New Sun…
A truly epic journey. I can hardly overstate my admiration for Gene Wolfe. This vast novel is so imaginative, expansive, and intriguing. Silk is a great protagonist, but the whole ensemble receives careful attention. Wolfe might be the best world builder ever. As satisfying, thought-provoking, and worth revisiting as a book can be.