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I remember they had a big ghost battle with somebody, I figured it was Mavra because she's the only undead character I remember in the series.
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Oct 21, 2020 22:52
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Gologle posted:I remember they had a big ghost battle with somebody, I figured it was Mavra because she's the only undead character I remember in the series. Nah, you're thinking of Corpsetaker. She's the one doing all the work on the spooky side of the street in Ghost Story. She's trying to get everything arranged so she can get a new body (Mort) to hop into. It makes perfect sense for her to have an army of ghosts since she's always been a top notch necromancer.
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Oct 21, 2020 23:15
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No it wasn't Mavra. You're thinking of Corpsetaker. One of the rival Necromancers from Dead Beat. Dies in that book, but becomes evil spirit, because Necromancer.
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Oct 21, 2020 23:17
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Also, they have a ghost battle because Harry is dumb and brings all the murder-ghosts Mort was keeping busy at his house and Corpsetaker eats them to gain the power/madness to manifest.
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Oct 22, 2020 10:19
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Ghost Story was my favorite. I wish he'd stayed dead, though.
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Oct 24, 2020 18:10
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I thought they were pretty clear on the "Mort's an ectomancer, not a necromancer" thing because necromancers get killed on sight, dudes who talk to ghosts just get hassled by the wizard cops. He is the most powerful person on earth in regards to talking to and controlling ghosts, but that's a pretty niche thing.
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Oct 25, 2020 18:44
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Is there anywhere I can look to get a sort of feel for what happens in the Revanche cycle? I'm at the point where I think some references to it are popping up in Harmony Black and Daniel Faust, but GoT, and WoT broke any patience i had for epic fantasy about a decade ago and haven't been able to find any since.
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Oct 27, 2020 13:56
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Just loving read the Revanche cycle. It is far better a read than the series you mention.
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Oct 27, 2020 15:39
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Dreqqus posted:Is there anywhere I can look to get a sort of feel for what happens in the Revanche cycle? I'm at the point where I think some references to it are popping up in Harmony Black and Daniel Faust, but GoT, and WoT broke any patience i had for epic fantasy about a decade ago and haven't been able to find any since. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Oct 27, 2020 |
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Oct 27, 2020 16:20
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I dunno, in the end don't they attack and dethrone god? It was pretty interesting IMO.
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Oct 27, 2020 17:32
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Darkrenown posted:I dunno, in the end don't they attack and dethrone god? It was pretty interesting IMO. Honestly, I found Wisdom's Grave pretty underwhelming as well apart from a couple of action scenes (like the book 2 finale). I still like Faust, but it feels Schaefer isn't as good at stories with greater scope. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Oct 27, 2020 |
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Oct 27, 2020 18:00
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I had planned on reading Wisdom's Grave when I get to it. I'm on Castle Doctrine right now so the archetypes just started being referenced. I did read the first revanche cycle book about 2 years ago and just wasn't interested enough to continue
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Oct 28, 2020 02:49
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Gnoman posted:Is it established how much time passes between Harry's bout with He-Who-Walks-Behind and when he kills Justin? I got the impression that the two events were on the same day, and Harry had barely mastered Fuego when he used it to blow up a gas station and banish the Walker. So he was probably super early in the training at that point. We know he did some work with shields, but they probably hadn't gotten to attack spells yet. Probably not the same day. In-between the gas station and his confrontation with DuMorne he makes a deal with the Leanansidhe for power and she whisks him away somewhere to bleed him (and not actually give me any power beyond moral support). Elsewhere in Ghost Story (where the gas station story is related), a chapter begins with: quote:When I faced my old master, I did it with newly made staff and blasting rod in hand, with the ancient forces of the universe at my call, and with words of power upon my tongue So the time between the gas station (which is the same day that DuMorne tried to enthrall him) and him killing DuMorne is at least long enough for him to have created a rod and staff. I wouldn't be surprised if Harry did this while being sheltered by the Leanansidhe (possibly in the Nevernever), since she was the only one who could have kept Justin from finding him in the meantime (since Justin never introduced Harry to any other wizards).
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Oct 28, 2020 05:18
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Never never also has time shenanigans whenever Butcher feels like it.
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Oct 28, 2020 14:59
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Thread heads-up. New Charles Stross Laundry Files book Dead Lies Dreaming is out now.
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Oct 29, 2020 11:02
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Finished A Time for Witches, the sequel to Ghosts of Gotham, and while I like the Faust books I'd be fine with Schaefer focusing entirely on his weird-as-gently caress New York stories. Like before the book is even halfway done we've got a bum spouting prophecy, a brief argument with a dead villain or possibly a hallucination, a language comprised of codes hidden in bathroom graffiti, and ancient Greek war-monsters on a motel killing spree. Between this and The Hungry Dreaming, I'm not sure what NYC did to The Machine That Writes' brain, but I'm all for it.
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Oct 29, 2020 12:01
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Deptfordx posted:Thread heads-up. Stross has tried to be super super super clear that it isn't a Laundry book, just a Laundry Universe book which his publishers insist on marketing as a Laundry book. I'm still super excited to read it, of course. Just it won't include any of the characters we know and love, and is more fleshing out the world rather than continuing the plot.
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Oct 29, 2020 13:50
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StonecutterJoe posted:Finished A Time for Witches, the sequel to Ghosts of Gotham, and while I like the Faust books I'd be fine with Schaefer focusing entirely on his weird-as-gently caress New York stories. Like before the book is even halfway done we've got a bum spouting prophecy, a brief argument with a dead villain or possibly a hallucination, a language comprised of codes hidden in bathroom graffiti, and ancient Greek war-monsters on a motel killing spree. Between this and The Hungry Dreaming, I'm not sure what NYC did to The Machine That Writes' brain, but I'm all for it. I really like that book.
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Oct 29, 2020 14:19
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StonecutterJoe posted:Finished A Time for Witches, the sequel to Ghosts of Gotham, and while I like the Faust books I'd be fine with Schaefer focusing entirely on his weird-as-gently caress New York stories. Like before the book is even halfway done we've got a bum spouting prophecy, a brief argument with a dead villain or possibly a hallucination, a language comprised of codes hidden in bathroom graffiti, and ancient Greek war-monsters on a motel killing spree. Between this and The Hungry Dreaming, I'm not sure what NYC did to The Machine That Writes' brain, but I'm all for it. Yeah, I'll toss another recommendation onto the pile for this one. For those that weren't nuts about Faust, try Ghosts of Gotham, because the setting is really cool and he seems to enjoy writing in it. A Time for Witches was awesome enough that I read the whole thing in a single rainy day off, and The Hungry Dreaming on his Patreon has started to finally really take off. It's just enjoyable in a way that's entirely different from the Faustverse, and that's from someone that likes those books.
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Oct 29, 2020 14:52
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Masonity posted:Stross has tried to be super super super clear that it isn't a Laundry book, just a Laundry Universe book which his publishers insist on marketing as a Laundry book. While I don't hate Bob and Mo, this is rather appealing.
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Oct 29, 2020 22:51
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Masonity posted:Stross has tried to be super super super clear that it isn't a Laundry book, just a Laundry Universe book which his publishers insist on marketing as a Laundry book. that makes it a lot more likely I'll read it thanks
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Oct 29, 2020 23:06
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OmniBeer posted:Yeah, I'll toss another recommendation onto the pile for this one. For those that weren't nuts about Faust, try Ghosts of Gotham, because the setting is really cool and he seems to enjoy writing in it. The book left we feeling warm and happy. It was something that I needed, like a warm blanket. Also, the witch stories on the Faust series are good. 
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Oct 30, 2020 03:19
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SystemLogoff posted:The book left we feeling warm and happy. It was something that I needed, like a warm blanket. No, no, no, they are! Trust me, I loved Revanche and Wisdom's Grave. I enjoyed the hell out of them. I just mean that these -feel- different, and I know that some folks in the thread have said they didn't like the main Faust series, so I wanted to encourage others to try them even if they were unsure.
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Oct 30, 2020 11:54
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OmniBeer posted:No, no, no, they are! Trust me, I loved Revanche and Wisdom's Grave. I enjoyed the hell out of them. That's useful for me so cheers! I don't *dislike* Faust but sometimes it just bugs I guess so a different style is good to know
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Oct 30, 2020 12:01
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OmniBeer posted:No, no, no, they are! Trust me, I loved Revanche and Wisdom's Grave. I enjoyed the hell out of them.
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Oct 30, 2020 15:12
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Well those Verus books were narcotic. Been going through them one after one. 90% through Fallen now, possibly the book with most oomph so far. Still got some exciting stuff in store yet though.
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Nov 2, 2020 09:02
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His Divine Shadow posted:Well those Verus books were narcotic. Been going through them one after one. 90% through Fallen now, possibly the book with most oomph so far. Still got some exciting stuff in store yet though. Narcotic? They made you sleepy?
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Nov 2, 2020 09:23
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Addictive
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Nov 2, 2020 09:30
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I read all the Dresden and Verus books this year for the first time and I thought the Verus books are better written and a lot more cohesive than Dresden overall. It probably helped that Verus contained far fewer descriptions of women's bodies as well. I looked at some other Urban Fantasy series on Good Reads and the ~best~ rated one seems to be Kate Daniels. Any reason it's not listed in the op, besides the absolutely atrocious book covers? I haven't really read anything in the genre before and there seem to be a thousand series, so I'm not entirely sure what I should start next.
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Nov 4, 2020 10:24
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Eezee posted:I read all the Dresden and Verus books this year for the first time and I thought the Verus books are better written and a lot more cohesive than Dresden overall. It probably helped that Verus contained far fewer descriptions of women's bodies as well. Kate Daniels is heavy on the fantasy part of urban fantasy. Dresden, Verus and The Rivers of London series are kind of anchored in the real world more than KD is. 'Nerd Wizards in 90s Chicago' and 'Nerd Wizards in 00's Uk' Vs 'poo poo going DOWN in Post Apocalypse Atlanta' you know? Also, 'lots of girl characters' might have been off-putting to a cohort of the male nerd audience back when this topic was founded. Basically, if you want more of 'real world' Wizardry: Rivers of London series, London Falling series, Faust series, Felix Castor maybe. If you are up for stuff set in a bit less of a normal world, you have The Hollows, Kate Daniels, Anita Blake (straddles both a bit), October Daye, Jill Kismet and Dante Valentine Sloth Life fucked around with this message at 11:51 on Nov 4, 2020 |
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Nov 4, 2020 11:45
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I'd also rec Kate Griffin's (aka Catherine Webb, aka Claire North) novels. They're more magic focused while still being set in a modern London, they have some of my favourite world-building in urban fantasy.
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Nov 4, 2020 13:20
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Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm gonna start with Rivers of London, since there are already a bunch out and I really like the real world aspect of it (which may be another reason why I prefered Verus to Dresden).
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Nov 4, 2020 18:25
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Queer Salutations posted:I'd also rec Kate Griffin's (aka Catherine Webb, aka Claire North) novels. They're more magic focused while still being set in a modern London, they have some of my favourite world-building in urban fantasy. Rereading them now. The matthew swift world is one of my favorite takes on magic.
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Nov 4, 2020 18:52
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torgeaux posted:Rereading them now. The matthew swift world is one of my favorite takes on magic. Yeah it may be my favourite magic "system". I was super sad she stopped writing them, but her novels as Claire North are also fantastic.
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Nov 4, 2020 18:59
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Just finished reading Battle Grounds. Whoof, that was a draining read. I mean that in a good way, I'm not too proud to admit that I'm fairly emotionally invested, so yeah, it took a good bit out of me to read. I loving hate that he killed Murphy. Especially the way that he did. I was holding out hope that she'd be fast tracked to Valkyrie at least. I'm going to be interested in how things go between him and the White Council now, since it seems like they're trying to put a way tighter leash on him than the last time he was on Double Secret Wizard Probation, considering last time he was still at least allowed to call himself a member. I agree that he definitely needs to get back to learning, in light of all the other wizards who are able to just clown him in technique. I mean, I get it, with the exception of the Red War, the other wizards get to actually sit around and study and trade notes with each other and whatnot. Harry is/was usually too busy doing detective work or getting thrown into successive series of clusterfucks. Hell, it's something he mentioned really early on in the series, most wizards spend their time holed up studying, not getting wrapped up in urban fantasy adventures, so it makes sense that even Carlos is better on a technical level.
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Nov 10, 2020 02:32
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the_steve posted:Just finished reading Battle Grounds. Well, whatever his other flaws as a writer, Butcher is pretty much Chekov's Gun Nut. He will pay things off even if it might take a while. Consider that Thorned N's coin was noted to be missing back at the end of Book 10 and we learned that Marcone has had it here in Book 17. We might be Murphyless for a couple-three books but figure that some weird beastie or weird spell will happen that removes the mortal memory of Murphy and then she'll come back for the final trilogy at the latest.
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Nov 10, 2020 15:50
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Ive been pretty out of the whole urban fantasy thing since lockdown started, but I've just finished all my other big books and I'm looking for something as a bit of a change of pace, so I wanted to ask about the current state of urban fantasy. I know Dresden got a new book out, was that any good? I also know the next Rivers of London book is either out or coming soon. Aside from that I know nothing beyond whats a few years out of date.
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Nov 17, 2020 23:23
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OscarDiggs posted:Ive been pretty out of the whole urban fantasy thing since lockdown started, but I've just finished all my other big books and I'm looking for something as a bit of a change of pace, so I wanted to ask about the current state of urban fantasy. I can't recommend Dresden largely because Butcher is a COVID denier and you don't want to give that kind of person money. I'd recommend the Alex Verus series if you're looking for something that.
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Nov 17, 2020 23:30
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ImpAtom posted:I can't recommend Dresden largely because Butcher is a COVID denier and you don't want to give that kind of person money. There are ways and means to keep him from my money  And I did read some Alex Verus (I think? Thats the procognitive, white mage society black mage society one if I recall correctly) but I bounced off it in the... third book?
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Nov 17, 2020 23:33
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ImpAtom posted:I can't recommend Dresden largely because Butcher is a COVID denier and you don't want to give that kind of person money. eh, it's a little more complicated than that; he's not an outright "FAKE NEWS" denier and seems to have re-canted / backed down from some of his statements. here's the source I believe: https://www.facebook.com/thetawnygirl/posts/10223466243109080. There's other stuff posted up-thread I believe if people want to search for it. He also has cancelled some public appearances due to the outbreak and done virtual events rather than in-person. Posting that to pre-empt a "jim butcher = covid denier, is he or isn't he?" derail That said Alex Verus is a tighter series overall and probably better written.
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Nov 17, 2020 23:58
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