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maderrSome of these I've mentioned before, but I thought I'd put them altogether and give something a bit more than a fangirly squee.
Series
The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
~Verra cool series. The first two, The Outstretched Shadow and To Light A Candle are out now and the final volume, When Darkness Falls, comes out July 25. So if you prefer not to wait book by book, you're pretty good to go with this series.
Synop:Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the waythe world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Councilof Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of theBells. Young Mages in training-all men, for women were unfit topractice magic-memorized the intricate details of High Magic andaspired to seats on the council.
Then he found the forbiddenBooks of Wild Magic-or did they find him? Their Magic felt like aliving thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced itand benefited from it.
Questioning everything he has known, Kellendiscovers too many of the City's dark secrets. Banished, with theOutlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic-and finds himselfrunning for his life with a unicorn at his side.
Rescued by aunicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen thananyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elvenwarriors, and plunged into a world full of magical beings-Kellen bothrevels in and fears his new freedom.
The one thing all the Magesof the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage.Turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen's fate?
Deep inObsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in thelast great War, they've been biding their time, sowing the seeds ofdistrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Verysoon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliancebetween High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And then all theworld will belong to the Endarkened.
~It's slow moving, as most high fantasy series tend to be. Which I like, but not everyone does. The authors do an awesome job with the characters, which means more to me than even the story reall. Kellen, the main guy, is really cool. He's sweet, badass, and something of a major dork. Plus he hangs with a smartass unicorn. His sister is cool. I'm completely in love with a character who doesn't really enter until the second book. A sort of snotty, sort of sweet, will become badass Mage. They also do an awesome job with the world itself, and the races. Even the elves, whom I tried hard to hate but could not. And there is always dragon love <3
~Except the demons. I think the demons are dumb as fuck. But they play the role of Obligatory Bad Guy well and if you like to see Completely Evil Creatures seduce and then torture creatures then you may like them. They make me laugh.
I want the third book like burning, yeeeesssss.
The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
(I can't seem to find a good synop for this one, merg)
Another trilogy, and the last doesn't come out until December, so if you prefer to have your series finished you've got some waiting to do. I've only actually read the second book (by mistake, I thought I had the first until I actually started reading), but I really liked it. A solid magic system, which I always adore (since my own are generally sort of half-assed), and the chars are fun. I think it gets a bit over the top at moments, but I've seen worse and rarely do I hold that against a fantasy novel/series. Definitely looking forward to the third one.
The three books are The Furies of Calderon, Academ's Fury and Cursor's Fury.
Though, this series is heavy heavy on the politics. It's got combat, wars, assassins, all of that, but the focus is on intrigue. I did like that the main guy is being trained to be a spy -- you don't see that terribly often. Herald Mages aren't really the same thing, and I can't recall another story offhand where it was done so well.
And the second book definitely offers brotherslash potential. That scene was totally *_*
The Dragonback Adventure by Timothy Zahn
I love this series to death. I've read the first two and have bought three and four (waiting for them to ship) and am dying for more to come out. I keep thinking the series is six books long and I don't know why b/c I don't think it says that anywhere. It's a YA series, which in my book is never a bad thing.
Synop: Draycos, a golden-scaled draconic K'da poet-warrior, was on a scoutfleet ship when it was attacked, with him the lone survivor. Forced tofind a new symbiotic humanoid host, he found Jack Morgan. Jack has beenon his own, making his way by shipping interstellar cargo on the shiphe's inherited from his Uncle Virgil, a con-man and thief who met witha fatal accident. Draycos has vowed to uncover those behind a vastconspiracy to wipe out his people, while Jack is determined to find outwho framed him for a crime he didn't commit. Virgil, who survives as"Uncle Virge" in the ship's computer, is against their plan. ButDraycos once saved Jack's life, so Jack feels an obligation to thisstrange creature who can slip onto the boy's skin, pressing against itlike a living tattoo.
Like I said, I'm loving this series. It's cute, fun and easy to read. Everything is kept pretty simple, which no doubt leaves holes but also keeps the sci-fi setting fromm become tedious. The characters are cool, and you've got to love a badass dragon who is dead serious about his cheezy poems. If you want to kick back with something light, this is the way to go -- but the seris isn't finish, fair warning.
The books out so far are: Dragon and Thief, Dragon and Soldier, Dragon and Slave, and Dragon and Herdsman
One shots
Nightlife by Rob Thurman.
Synop:In New York, there's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side. Of course, most humans are oblivious to this, but Cal Leandros is only half-human. His father's dark lineage is the stuff o fnightmares-and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal.
He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him...
I picked this book up in the bookstore and started laughing, then handed it to S because I knew she'd buy. Then I got bored one night and read it.
It's pretty damn good, especially for an urban supernaturals story. I like the main char, though he's not actually in it for most of the story, sort of kind of...I love and adore his brother to bits, and Robin Goodfellow wins the day. I mean it's nothing ZOMGWOW but it was good. I would have not regretted putting money down if I'd been the one to pay for it ^_~ Plus, it only has one vampire and she's not even a major player. If you like this sort of thing, you should read this.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Werewolves in modern day. I think this new fashion of supernaturals "coming out" is full on lame, but of the different books I've read on the matter, this one does it the best (as in, it does it well, the others didn't). Plus, werewolves well-handled. Much to love there. Some cheeziness, but that comes with the genre, yeah?
My Gomi-chan made me read this, and I'm glad she did. I think the actual story is a bit lacking, but the characters and world more than make up for it. Definitely worth a read.
And that's all I got.
Series
The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
~Verra cool series. The first two, The Outstretched Shadow and To Light A Candle are out now and the final volume, When Darkness Falls, comes out July 25. So if you prefer not to wait book by book, you're pretty good to go with this series.
Synop:Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the waythe world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Councilof Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of theBells. Young Mages in training-all men, for women were unfit topractice magic-memorized the intricate details of High Magic andaspired to seats on the council.
Then he found the forbiddenBooks of Wild Magic-or did they find him? Their Magic felt like aliving thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced itand benefited from it.
Questioning everything he has known, Kellendiscovers too many of the City's dark secrets. Banished, with theOutlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic-and finds himselfrunning for his life with a unicorn at his side.
Rescued by aunicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen thananyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elvenwarriors, and plunged into a world full of magical beings-Kellen bothrevels in and fears his new freedom.
The one thing all the Magesof the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage.Turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen's fate?
Deep inObsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in thelast great War, they've been biding their time, sowing the seeds ofdistrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Verysoon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliancebetween High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And then all theworld will belong to the Endarkened.
~It's slow moving, as most high fantasy series tend to be. Which I like, but not everyone does. The authors do an awesome job with the characters, which means more to me than even the story reall. Kellen, the main guy, is really cool. He's sweet, badass, and something of a major dork. Plus he hangs with a smartass unicorn. His sister is cool. I'm completely in love with a character who doesn't really enter until the second book. A sort of snotty, sort of sweet, will become badass Mage. They also do an awesome job with the world itself, and the races. Even the elves, whom I tried hard to hate but could not. And there is always dragon love <3
~Except the demons. I think the demons are dumb as fuck. But they play the role of Obligatory Bad Guy well and if you like to see Completely Evil Creatures seduce and then torture creatures then you may like them. They make me laugh.
I want the third book like burning, yeeeesssss.
The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
(I can't seem to find a good synop for this one, merg)
Another trilogy, and the last doesn't come out until December, so if you prefer to have your series finished you've got some waiting to do. I've only actually read the second book (by mistake, I thought I had the first until I actually started reading), but I really liked it. A solid magic system, which I always adore (since my own are generally sort of half-assed), and the chars are fun. I think it gets a bit over the top at moments, but I've seen worse and rarely do I hold that against a fantasy novel/series. Definitely looking forward to the third one.
The three books are The Furies of Calderon, Academ's Fury and Cursor's Fury.
Though, this series is heavy heavy on the politics. It's got combat, wars, assassins, all of that, but the focus is on intrigue. I did like that the main guy is being trained to be a spy -- you don't see that terribly often. Herald Mages aren't really the same thing, and I can't recall another story offhand where it was done so well.
And the second book definitely offers brotherslash potential. That scene was totally *_*
The Dragonback Adventure by Timothy Zahn
I love this series to death. I've read the first two and have bought three and four (waiting for them to ship) and am dying for more to come out. I keep thinking the series is six books long and I don't know why b/c I don't think it says that anywhere. It's a YA series, which in my book is never a bad thing.
Synop: Draycos, a golden-scaled draconic K'da poet-warrior, was on a scoutfleet ship when it was attacked, with him the lone survivor. Forced tofind a new symbiotic humanoid host, he found Jack Morgan. Jack has beenon his own, making his way by shipping interstellar cargo on the shiphe's inherited from his Uncle Virgil, a con-man and thief who met witha fatal accident. Draycos has vowed to uncover those behind a vastconspiracy to wipe out his people, while Jack is determined to find outwho framed him for a crime he didn't commit. Virgil, who survives as"Uncle Virge" in the ship's computer, is against their plan. ButDraycos once saved Jack's life, so Jack feels an obligation to thisstrange creature who can slip onto the boy's skin, pressing against itlike a living tattoo.
Like I said, I'm loving this series. It's cute, fun and easy to read. Everything is kept pretty simple, which no doubt leaves holes but also keeps the sci-fi setting fromm become tedious. The characters are cool, and you've got to love a badass dragon who is dead serious about his cheezy poems. If you want to kick back with something light, this is the way to go -- but the seris isn't finish, fair warning.
The books out so far are: Dragon and Thief, Dragon and Soldier, Dragon and Slave, and Dragon and Herdsman
One shots
Nightlife by Rob Thurman.
Synop:In New York, there's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side. Of course, most humans are oblivious to this, but Cal Leandros is only half-human. His father's dark lineage is the stuff o fnightmares-and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal.
He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him...
I picked this book up in the bookstore and started laughing, then handed it to S because I knew she'd buy. Then I got bored one night and read it.
It's pretty damn good, especially for an urban supernaturals story. I like the main char, though he's not actually in it for most of the story, sort of kind of...I love and adore his brother to bits, and Robin Goodfellow wins the day. I mean it's nothing ZOMGWOW but it was good. I would have not regretted putting money down if I'd been the one to pay for it ^_~ Plus, it only has one vampire and she's not even a major player. If you like this sort of thing, you should read this.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Werewolves in modern day. I think this new fashion of supernaturals "coming out" is full on lame, but of the different books I've read on the matter, this one does it the best (as in, it does it well, the others didn't). Plus, werewolves well-handled. Much to love there. Some cheeziness, but that comes with the genre, yeah?
My Gomi-chan made me read this, and I'm glad she did. I think the actual story is a bit lacking, but the characters and world more than make up for it. Definitely worth a read.
And that's all I got.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 06:24 pm (UTC)>.> You also make me want to go fish To Light A Candle off the bookshelf and finally read it. It suffered from that terrible syndrome known as 'Kitty drops $200 on books all at once and only makes it through half of them before her brain explodes.' ^^;;
no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 06:28 pm (UTC)Lol. That's never happened to me; I'd imagine it woudl be weird.
YES READ IT. That book ROCKS HARDCORE. It's loads better than the first, and I adored the first one.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 06:45 pm (UTC)Yes'm. ^^ *salutes* .... >.> I may need to read the first one again. I have only uber-fuzzy memories of WTF that book was about...
no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 06:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 06:28 pm (UTC)You've totally made me want to read the Codex Alera now. I've seen it before, but wasn't that interested.
=D Soyeah.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 06:30 pm (UTC)Def worth a read. I remember looking at it in the bookstore, putting it back b/c it didn't really grab me, but I saw it in the library and figured it couldn't hurt and wound up liking it. Good high fantasy is so hard to find.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-27 08:54 pm (UTC)Spies
Date: 2006-05-28 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-28 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-28 04:30 am (UTC)I WANT BOOK THREE OF THE OBSIDIAN TRILOGY AND BOOKS TWO AND THREE OF THE CODEX ALERA! T__________T
The Dragonback Adventure is on it's way (hopefully) and I need to get Nightlife, damnit. >_________>
no subject
Date: 2006-05-28 05:07 am (UTC)<3 That is why we get along so well ^______^
no subject
Date: 2006-05-28 07:01 am (UTC)