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Cardiac posted:Doesn't the big showdown in DoD start in the last 100 pages or so? Yes. Im not normally one to appreciate being strung along for so long by an author, but...yeah. Worth it.
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Sep 1, 2017 20:02
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I'm struggling with Midnight Tides. Does it ever catch up to the rest of the timeline, or is it 1000 pages of bronze age gray elves?
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Sep 1, 2017 20:04
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Ben Nerevarine posted:I'm struggling with Midnight Tides. Does it ever catch up to the rest of the timeline, or is it 1000 pages of bronze age gray elves? It's the latter. I hated it on first read but it's one of the best books in the series if you're not anxious yo find out what happens next. Try 2 slow down and love the sad grey elves
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Sep 1, 2017 20:08
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Ben Nerevarine posted:I'm struggling with Midnight Tides. Does it ever catch up to the rest of the timeline, or is it 1000 pages of bronze age gray elves? It's 1000 pages of grey elves, but they do catch up to the rest of the timeline.
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Sep 1, 2017 20:51
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Re the climax in DoD, the first time I read it I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Only on the re read did it click that those were the same lizards in sky keeps we saw exactly one time eight books earlier, and they showed up at that second because they are the Errant s allies and he nudged them in the way of Tavore. I have no idea how anyone puts that together the first time. The second time though it was awesome.
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Sep 1, 2017 20:55
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Ben Nerevarine posted:I'm struggling with Midnight Tides. Does it ever catch up to the rest of the timeline, or is it 1000 pages of bronze age gray elves?
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Sep 1, 2017 20:57
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The bit that still niggles me about Midnight Tides is when Bugg/Mael says that the Forkrul Assail are interpreted in the Cedance as the Errant. Errastas is the Errant, that's all clear. But none of what he says about the Assail lines up with anything else that we know. And they never seem to have anything to do with the Errant.
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Sep 1, 2017 22:10
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Lunchmeat Larry posted:It's the latter. I hated it on first read but it's one of the best books in the series if you're not anxious yo find out what happens next. Try 2 slow down and love the sad grey elves but I don't-- anilEhilated posted:It's actually 1000 pages of bronze age gray elves and dick jokes. ok I'm back in
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Sep 1, 2017 22:59
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Strom Cuzewon posted:The stirrup stuff is doubly hilarious. Some theories in anthropology and history of technology say that as the development of massed cavalry was so dependent on the stirrup that we can credit the develop of knights and hence the entire system of feudalism to the introduction of the stirrup. I think at one point the Bluerose guys who gave the Letherii the stirrup are loling that they gave it to them wrong.
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Sep 2, 2017 00:50
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Ben Nerevarine posted:but I don't-- I just laughed so hard i think I ruptured something, brb going to the hospital
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Sep 2, 2017 18:09
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Strom Cuzewon posted:The bit that still niggles me about Midnight Tides is when Bugg/Mael says that the Forkrul Assail are interpreted in the Cedance as the Errant. I don't have a firm answer but: (I don't remember which books these spoilers are from) -Not everything people say is true, even Gods -The Errant IS a Forkrul Assail -The Forkrul Assail don't have/worship a God because they drove him out/killed him -I assume the Cedance is like the Deck of Dragons where reading are affected by multiple things... the Errant could be represented by the Forkrul Assail in a specific reading without indicating anything about the rest of them
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Sep 2, 2017 19:35
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Strom Cuzewon posted:The bit that still niggles me about Midnight Tides is when Bugg/Mael says that the Forkrul Assail are interpreted in the Cedance as the Errant. Given how the Forkul Assail try to kill everything they meet, that is a 100% correct interpretation. The Forkul embody Nietzsche's mantra of "what does not kill you makes you stronger".
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Sep 2, 2017 21:49
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Snowman_McK posted:Don't know if this is covered anywhere in there, but, in Midnight Tides, there's a battle scene described in retrospect, between the Letherii and one of the tribes they subjugated. The guy who masterminded it is now a broken down drunk. Does anyone remember roughly where this happens in the book? I skimmed through a couple of times but couldn't find the relevant passage. You're thinking of the Trell battle that Mappo remembers in The Bonehunters. Some warlord had beaten a lot of other tribes and then came for the Trell. The normal warleaders all got sick drinking some poisoned wine and that left some old Trell who never said a word and was considered a bit of a loser. He devised a battle plan and smashed the invaders, then beat them in a bunch more battles and saved the Trell. The kicker is that Mappo remembers he became a drunk and started talking rubbish like a drunk, before eventually dying drunk in an alley. I guess he should have stayed quiet.
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Sep 5, 2017 20:52
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Cardiac posted:Doesn't the big showdown in DoD start in the last 100 pages or so? Ohhhhhkayyyy. I take it all back. I finally read through the last 200 pages and couldn't put it down. Crazy. If you are like me, and struggling, push through. It is worth it! I really wish they had fleshed out some of the fight scenes, Tavore with her swords when she started to 'dance'. Quickie B when he was unleashing hell. I remember in previous books he would go into glorious detail about every drop of sweat, you actually felt like you were there.
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Sep 6, 2017 15:57
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diapermeat posted:Ohhhhhkayyyy. I take it all back. I finally read through the last 200 pages and couldn't put it down. Crazy. The most impressive example is the finale of Bonehunters, which is a 100 page or so karate fight, and is amazing and somehow super tense.
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Sep 8, 2017 02:08
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Does Return of the Crimson Guard pick up at all? I'm about a third of the way in and my overall feeling is "ehhhhhhhhhh". The plot is jumping around all over the place, and none of the different pieces seem to relate to each other at all. It's like sifting through gravel. Silk almost incinerating all the not-Bridgeburners was pretty great though, the Liosan's are gently caress-ups of Kilavan proportions. Edit: Oh and the random city that buried the Guards underground for decades, only for them to escape with shields they chiseled from the rock. That's extremely my poo poo. Strom Cuzewon fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Sep 11, 2017 |
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Sep 11, 2017 00:23
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The end of the book is good (although that is debatable). It's better after reading his prequel book about Li Hang or whatever the city is called.
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Sep 11, 2017 04:35
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Strom Cuzewon posted:Does Return of the Crimson Guard pick up at all? I'm about a third of the way in and my overall feeling is "ehhhhhhhhhh". The plot is jumping around all over the place, and none of the different pieces seem to relate to each other at all. It's like sifting through gravel.
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Sep 11, 2017 09:03
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Meet the Crimson Guard, the protagonists you're apparently supposed to like. Hell, I don't even remember who Silk was, although that might be because I assosiate that name with Wolfe more than ICE.
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Sep 11, 2017 15:39
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Also they don't even return ffs, they just get bored and gently caress off
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Sep 11, 2017 15:47
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I finished book 1 and wow was that Jaghut Tyrant a really lame macguffin that turned out to be of no consequence to the story
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Sep 11, 2017 23:33
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He is a pretty mellow guy at the end of things, the dude likes cats.
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Sep 12, 2017 01:20
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That's a drat shame. Are the other ICE books better? I got them all in a bundle and they're just not up to scratch with Erikson.blue squares posted:I finished book 1 and wow was that Jaghut Tyrant a really lame macguffin that turned out to be of no consequence to the story That's kind of how the books work. What's "inportant" is rarely what you or the characters think is important. He does continue the bait and switch of epic warriors with gleeful abandon, but the later ones are much more enjoyable than GotM's "oh gosh, good thing I brought a spare city destroying monster"
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Sep 12, 2017 01:21
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ICE gets better as a writer beyond ROTCG but imo the stories don't drastically improve. They are still worth reading provided you approach them as Malazan tourism adventures where you get to see parts of the world Erikson didn't have time to visit. With that said I do think Dancer's Lament was a big step up for ICE.
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Sep 12, 2017 01:26
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blue squares posted:I finished book 1 and wow was that Jaghut Tyrant a really lame macguffin that turned out to be of no consequence to the story it is intentional but it's definitely a bit weird pacing-wise. I like the first book but it has huge first novel syndrome.
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Sep 12, 2017 10:11
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blue squares posted:I finished book 1 and wow was that Jaghut Tyrant a really lame macguffin that turned out to be of no consequence to the story It also introduces one of the themes that he loves to explore, namely what is old and powerful ain't necessarily poo poo no more, as power creep has made many other characters outpace the threat. Also any random mook can have a lucky day and take out world-ending threats pretty much accidentally. It's a subversion of the "ancient evil" trope that appears everywhere that he does much better later.
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Sep 12, 2017 12:29
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Reading through the books again--weirdly I didn't finish them before I started the re-read--and I've got a minor complaint. There is a scene in Memories of Ice where they find tiste edur body that Quick Ben declares "was obviously crushed to depth under great water pressure." Here is the thing, the human body (and I assume the Tiste body) is made of water. I could use godlike powers to transfer you two miles underwater, say on the deck of Titanic, and this is what will happen... You have two air pockets in your body--your lungs and sinuses. So simultaneously the pressure would force the it out of your lungs, and water would jet into your sinuses. Both would be unpleasant, but after that you'd be at equilibrium and totally fine, although a bit cold. At least for a minute or two until your lack of air causes you to try to inhale water and you drown to death. The moral of the story unless you are inside something that implodes (like a submarine) your body would have no visible "crushing damage" after being at great depth and floating to the top when you died.
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Sep 12, 2017 14:31
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blue squares posted:I finished book 1 and wow was that Jaghut Tyrant a really lame macguffin that turned out to be of no consequence to the story
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Sep 12, 2017 14:43
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ZombieLenin posted:Reading through the books again--weirdly I didn't finish them before I started the re-read--and I've got a minor complaint. edit: I know absolutely nothing about this but this article says your rib cage and lungs would be crushed?
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Sep 12, 2017 15:25
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Lunchmeat Larry posted:it was magic water, which is heavier Your lungs, yes... all the air would immediately be forced out of them; however, your ribs? The expulsion of air from your lungs might, I suppose, cause some ribs to break. After all you can break ribs be coughing. I'm not sure this would rise to level of "crushed." Like I said, the pressure itself would do no damage to your body. But you might be onto something here... for me to be correct the pressurized medium has to be water. Nothing else (it has to do with the properties and "compressability" of water by water.)
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Sep 12, 2017 15:39
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I sort of understand the mechanics of equalizing pressures in this situation - sort of - but would it not effect your bones at all? And would the same thing hold true for a body laying on the ocean floor vs being surrounded by water? Would the salinity of the water make any difference? I mean, all that salt weighs something, doesn't it? 
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Sep 12, 2017 18:02
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Let's hope no poor soul on our world ever has to find out the hard way.
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Sep 12, 2017 18:14
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Habibi posted:I sort of understand the mechanics of equalizing pressures in this situation - sort of - but would it not effect your bones at all? And would the same thing hold true for a body laying on the ocean floor vs being surrounded by water? Would the salinity of the water make any difference? I mean, all that salt weighs something, doesn't it? Well, a body submerged in water would absolutely look like a body that's been submerged in water. The thing is depth wouldn't matter. Maybe you could tell by the rate of predation on the flesh.
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Sep 12, 2017 19:57
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Not a physiologist - wouldn't the peripheral soft tissue get crushed at stupid high pressure? Obviously the core vasculature is gonna be resistant, but aren't your capillary beds way more fragile?
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Sep 12, 2017 20:04
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I like that this thread has disclosed a water pressure damage/drowning expert, whom I am sure has no experience whatsoever in weighing down bodies and/or drowning people in real life. No sir, no experience at killing people at all. Nothing to see here.  I really wish more Bauchelain and Korbal Broach stories existed. Stories like... -Iskaral Pust meets the friendly travellers lost in the desert. -The Eel tracks down the fellow eating up all the fine pastries in Darujhistan before he can eat them. - Bauchelain, Korbal Broach and Emancipor Reese solve the T'lan Imass crisis. quantumfoam fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Sep 12, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 20:15
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Nothing in the series sticks in my craw like B&KB. They're hilarious, I love em, but why the gently caress are they juxtaposed against a massive epic siege from inherently self destructive cannibals? Edit: oh and Ublubla. I think I've said this before, but Eriksons humour is loving weird. And like halleys comet it's amazing when it comes close to me, and then buggers off to Pluto and leaves me cold. Strom Cuzewon fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Sep 12, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 20:25
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To some people epic looming destruction is just a massive opportunity, or free learning experience, or they just get off watching destruction porn in real time (the GBS Hurricane Harvey & Hurricane Irma threads for example). B&KB fit all three categories and at least for me, kept Memories of Ice from being a 100& unironic Warhammer Fantasy knockoff book. Ublubla wasn't too bad for me, I overdosed on Wooster & Jeeves short stories/tv episodes, so
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Sep 12, 2017 20:53
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Strom Cuzewon posted:Edit: oh and Ublubla. I think I've said this before, but Eriksons humour is loving weird. And like halleys comet it's amazing when it comes close to me, and then buggers off to Pluto and leaves me cold. I know he's said that the Kharkanas books were influenced by Dickens so I figure guy's not above sticking some classics into fantasy; probably wouldn't be able to defend it in an argument, but MT just feels... Shakespearean. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Sep 12, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 20:57
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Ah for me, MoI is the Shakespearean one (and Kharkanas is Austin, the transformation of Anomander from D'rizzt to Mr Darcey is genuinely clever), and I remember when I first read it complaining about all the constant Guildensterning,when he cuts to some random dickhead in the crowd reacting to other events. Sometimes it works - the nameless marines guarding the Mhybe - and sometimes it doesn't - the Bridgeburners complaining that Itkovians treatment of Rath'Fener doesn't make a blind bit of sense (because it doesn't make a blind bit of sense, and, like Resident Evil pointing out how stupid it is to lock a door with three statues of dog heads, drawing my attention to your plot being nonsense does not actually endear me to it) Tehol and Bugg always felt like Withnail and I to me - two grandiloquent outsiders subsisting on trash while poking fun at society.Just replace the "drinking white spirit" with "eating boot soles". Like, what even was the point of that? What is so important about the smartest man in the city and
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Sep 12, 2017 21:36
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Strom Cuzewon posted:Like, what even was the point of that? What is so important about the smartest man in the city and Because it was hilarious and the best part of the book by far.
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Sep 12, 2017 22:02
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