Now Reeding or Just Reeded...

It was bound to happen. You can't have a proper forum without a Now Reading thread, right? Wait...do real metalheads read?

Anyway, I do, but I'm an emo wigger, so here goes:



I'm a relative noob when it comes to fantasy, though growing up I was a video game RPG freak! I loved it. Never played D&D or anything, but you'd think I'd have taken the leap to fantasy novels once I started really reading for enjoyment and not class assignments. But nope, I became a huge Dean Koontz fan and read those kinds of books for ages, until I read some Clive Barker books—The Great and Secret Show, Everville, Imajica, Weaveworld—and was pretty much blown away. Epic fantasy became my new obsession after that.

Anyway, I've been hearing a lot about this series for the past few years now. I read through all the Terry Brooks novels, then did most of R. A. Salvatore's, and then read some from other authors, but George R. R. Martin's name kept being thrown at me, particularly his A Song of Ice and Fire series. So I took the plunge recently and bought all four in the series so far.

All I can say is, "Wow!" I don't think I've ever been so confused and shocked so often while reading a book. The intersecting stories here are massive, and they run deep. I feel like I never know what's going on, but it's still interesting. And just being half way through book two I've already been shocked at things that have happened many times. The story is simply too complex to grasp the big picture; you think you know what's going to happen, and then WHAM! (not the band), a twist you never saw coming. Also, while the characters are all very well written, I don't think I've ever read a book before where you simply can't pin down any sort of hero. I distrust so many of them, and loathe even more. Haha! And then those few I do like, thinking they're doing something good, they turn around and do something totally shady! Pffft! And main character are plentiful, thus they're killed all the time! Haha. It's a damn stressful series! And if this appendix gets any longer in the back of the book it's going to need its own book! It doubled in size from book one to two. Crazy.

Anyway, anyone else read these? What are you reading now?

(By the way, I'm working on my own fantasy series now—yes, I'm a writer!—and I think metal fans should dig it (even if you don't read). Book one is called Eternal Solitude. I'm going to be hitting it hard in the next couple of months...once fishing season is over! Haha.)

Bought Darkvsion last night. I don't play D&D, but I'm a sucker for Forgotten Realms books.

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Also, while the characters are all very well written,

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And main character are plentiful, thus they're killed all the time!

This series is simply outstanding!!! Yes, you are hooked...I can't wait for the new one.

I respect Martin big time for investing 1000's upon 1000's of words in a character and then

Tyrion is my favorite so far as well as the Beauty of Tarth...but they are all so well written


I'm into The Dragon Riders of Pern (book two I think) and The Chronicle Of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever. Two fairly decent series in the fantasy realm.

Concerning my assumptions with A Song of Ice and Fire I'm with you....the twists are amazing....and it just keeps getting better!!!! Of course, I'll be pushing or beyond 40 by the time this thing wraps up!! Hope Martin doesn't have a heart attack before he finishes!

An issue of Metal Maniacs.

i don't have a picture of it, but i'm reading the novel by Robert Marasco called Burnt Offerings.

Pretty scary so far.

I'm currently reading A Very Short Introduction to Social & Cultural Anthropology. Interesting stuff!

scottmitchell74 wrote:

This series is simply outstanding!!! Yes, you are hooked...I can't wait for the new one.

I respect Martin big time for investing 1000's upon 1000's of words in a character and then

It's a tough thing for an author to do, just look at Salvatore, who finally kills off a main character and because of fan anger and publisher pressure, he was forced to bring him back from the dead. Haha. I like that Martin just let's the hammer fall! Haha. I remember in the first book there's that scene where the chapter ends with someone appearing to have been murdered. I was shocked that they'd killed that character, only to find out it was just clever wording and the character wasn't dead. So finally a few chapters later the character is back in the story, and then he's beheaded immediately. Hahaha. He got me TWICE! I was pissed. Great story, though.

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Concerning my assumptions with A Song of Ice and Fire I'm with you....the twists are amazing....and it just keeps getting better!!!! Of course, I'll be pushing or beyond 40 by the time this thing wraps up!! Hope Martin doesn't have a heart attack before he finishes!

I noticed he was a big dude. Haha. I'm always wondering how authors deal with age. Dean Koontz is getting up there, and he's now putting out like two books a year, and the stories are suffering. It makes me wonder if he's just banging them out because he knows he'll be dying soon! Haha. Terry Brooks is fairly old, too, and he's signed on to do a 9-book series, with a few one-off books, too. He just released book two of the 9-book series. And he only puts out one a year...so he needs about 10 years to finish these books. Not saying he's unhealthy, but anything can happen. It's a big project to commit to when you're old. Hehe.

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let's the hammer fall!

Let the hammer fall!!!

Currently reading The Apocalypse:In the Teachings of Ancient Christianity by Archbishop Averky Taushev. It's a verse by verse look at the Book of Revelation as interpreted by the early Church Fathers (3rd-5th centuries). Real cool to see the depth of their interpretations vs. the charismaniacs of today.

currently:

Damn you Shiney for getting a leg up on us for the impending Undead War!

Not reading anything right now. I have just begun to write my second novel so I don't have a whole lot of time for pleasure reading.

the sentinel wrote:

Not reading anything right now. I have just begun to write my second novel so I don't have a whole lot of time for pleasure reading.

Info. Let's have it. Second, you say? Tells us about the first and this new one. Come on, out with it!

I am currently reading while writing:



(test cover)

Nothing currently - I'll wait for the "last read" thread to post my last read

thejokeriv wrote:

Nothing currently - I'll wait for the "last read" thread to post my last read

I think you can post that here. I'll change the subject for you!

HECK YES, EYESORE! GREAT THREAD BRO! Now I'm going to go out and get
some Tad Williams just so I can post! Love fantasy. Not reading
anything currently, but this thread has inspired me.

MC666...that is one of my favorite novels...and favorite horror films of all time!!!!

T-Roy wrote:

HECK YES, EYESORE! GREAT THREAD BRO! Now I'm going to go out and get
some Tad Williams just so I can post! Love fantasy. Not reading
anything currently, but this thread has inspired me.

Don't buy anything by Robert Jordan! He just died today. He was in the process of writing book 12 of his epic series. Man, that sucks, huh?

I just picked up The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx and the graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. I started on the Dark Knight as soon as I got home. I probably won't get to The Heroin Diaries till the weekend. Just skimming through it, there are some great pics of Nikki and the Crue from back in the day.

Eyesore wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

Nothing currently - I'll wait for the "last read" thread to post my last read

I think you can post that here. I'll change the subject for you!

LOL - ok, good, last book I read was Harry Potter and the deathly hallows

Shiney wrote:

MC666...that is one of my favorite novels...and favorite horror films of all time!!!!

yeah i saw the film first years ago & loved it.

thejokeriv wrote:

LOL - ok, good, last book I read was Harry Potter and the deathly hallows

Read that a while back. Solid book. Great series overall.

Eyesore wrote:

Don't buy anything by Robert Jordan! He just died today. He was in the process of writing book 12 of his epic series. Man, that sucks, huh?

Why wouldn't you buy anything from Robert Jordan? He is a fantastic author and the Wheel of Time series is a great fantasy epic. RIP Robert Jordan.

thrashmetalhead wrote:

Pretty scary so far.

I love this book, whether it is real or not, it's a good read.