Where are you in Fantasyland? December 2023

I enjoyed my return to Welce with Whispering Wood and I'm gearing up for Unquenchable Fire.

With the year end approaching, how has your year in reading turned out? Any highlights?

I finished a read through of LE Modesitt Jr's Saga of Recluce and read the entire 12 book Imager Portfolio. I like Modesitt a lot and will be trying another of his series next year. I learned that early reviewer/ARCs are hit or miss and I am almost giving up on reading them. I got my Kindle library uploaded to LT and realized I need to check my LT library as I have acquired books without cataloging them.

I just visited Cerretour which was haunted by a Greyhowler; received via LT Early Readers.

>1 Kanarthi: Wait - there are more Elemental Blessings books? I've bought the first three but the fourth only seems to be an e-book.

>2 elorin: I'm currently reshelving my books and just came across my Recluce set but I only ever got a couple of books book as well as one from the Spellsong Cycle.

I'm in Urras and Anarres, home of The Dispossessed - not impressed so far, there's a whole lot of telling vs. showing....

>3 humouress: I read the Spelling novels but didn't like them too much. I've been reading Recluce since they were first published.

In Ninetha where literacy is forbidden, but there's A stranger in the citadel.

>3 humouress: I have the fourth Elemental Blessings book, Unquiet land, in hardcover, but there was never a paperback edition and the final novel is from a different publisher completely.

I'm visiting The golden enclaves with El and companions after the fall of the Scholomance.

>7 Sakerfalcon: Thanks. That being the case, I wonder if they'll bring it out in paperback now to complete the series?

I'm on the island of Tserenets with Colmar and Valdira who have found The Eye of Ksera (another LT ER book; yes, I'm behind on my reviews and trying to catch up).

I haven't caught the location name, but spending some time with phoenixes in Crown of Feathers. It started out a bit bland/generic, but has gotten more interesting in the back half.

This is my final bingo square for the year. I got through bingo really quick this year... probably because I've been reading shorter books this year, in general. Regarding end of year reflections, these are the ones that stand out as most memorable:

The True Queen - Zen Cho
I was absolutely delighted by Sorcerer to the Crown, and this was a great return to that setting. Checking out Zen Cho's other work is high on my list for next year.

Point of Sighs - Melissa Scott
I loved this series *so* much. I'm not really a Patreon person, but I signed up for Melissa Scott's patreon just to keep getting to spend time in this world.

The Deed of Paksenarrion - Elizabeth Moon
This and Remnant Population are the only things I've read by Elizabeth Moon, and I've found both of them really fit my tastes. She's another that's high on my list to READ MORE.

Anubis Gates - Tim Powers
Re-read of a book I first read decades ago and didn't remember much about it. My vague "this is really good" memory was correct. The best of the best when it comes to time-travel twistiness, and the audiobook was great.

>9 Niko: I LOVE the Astreiant books! It really is a great world.

>9 Niko:. Everything I've read by Moon has been good, glad you enjoyed Paks.

I'm back in Estcarp reading Web of the Witch World

>8 humouress: / >3 humouress: I got all the books as ebooks so I shouldn't comment on the fourth, but I do know that for the most recent fifth book there is a paperback edition.

I'm also curious what others think but even though the fifth book marks a "full" set of the elements, the increasing emphasis on geopolitical conflicts and the younger characters introduced make me feel as if she's not at all done with the world, although of course I suppose the financial aspect of publishing will play a role in whether future books come out.

>4 ScarletBea: interesting that you're not enjoying the Dispossessed because I think it's my favorite Le Guin. I found it remarkably subtle and accurate in the way that it depicted the power currents and anxieties of academia. You can tell that she grew up around professors. Unfortunately its depiction of sexism is not at all subtle and in fact quite horrifying.

Somewhere near Glastonbury with Alice Ravenwood and her ward Tom.

I'm in a harbor of the Starless Sea with Zachary and Mirabel.

I too am starting my visit to The Golden Enclaves. Or more likely starting to build them...

>15 Narilka: I've just left The golden enclaves! I found El's narrative voice a bit too chatty and info-dumpy for my preference all through the series, but the worldbuilding was very creative.

Now I'm at Basgiath War College with the Fourth Wing which is ridiculously addictive so far.

>16 Sakerfalcon: I took a while to warm up to it and now enjoy it. Listening on audio feels like sitting with someone as they tell me their story which I think enhances the experience.

I'm in ancient Troy with the historians of St. Mary's in A Second Chance.

Just leaving the mist-wrapped kingdom of Blunder where I looked through One Dark Window.

Hoping to head for Aloria soon, to visit Polgara the Sorceress.

>18 Jim53: I'm about halfway through Just One Damned Thing After Another, here. I'm... not really enjoying it much, to be honest.

Do the next books continue with similar tone/approach as this first one?

>15 Narilka: "Or more likely starting to build them..."

Hahaha! This is great. Nowhere to go yet. ;) I love that series for its world building, though I am also glad not to live there.

I am mostly hanging out in the kingdom of Goredd following Seraphina around. I'm not sure how I had never heard of this book until recently.

>20 Niko: Yes, the the books in the series are similar, or at least the first few are. I liked them, but I got tired of the violence and character deaths.

I just started A crown so cursed, the third in the trilogy about a modern Alice's adventures (which include sword fights, not just cake and potions).

I'm in an alternative Middle Eastern desert following The Stardust Thief.

Heading on some sort of quest related to curses and with Arthurian connections in Silver in the Bone.

I'm in Ohio for Uncanny Collateral.

In Bassa with Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa. For some reason I didn't read it when it came out, so I'm giving it a go now.

>25 Narilka: That takes place near where I live, so it was fun seeing some local geography name-checked. :)

I'm splitting time between Thornchapel and London. The first three books were adult romance with a smattering of fantasy, but reading the final book I decided this definitely counts as fantasy. (No objection on my part.) Door of Bruises by Sierra Simone

>29 vwinsloe: I've seen the word "Romantasy" used to describe that subgenre. I think it's useful.

I'm heading to the Discworld to join The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.

I'm still meandering around the kingdoms of the west with Polgara the Sorceress; currently we're in Arendia with Ontrose.

Took a long break from SF and Fantasy, as I was reading a long non-SFF book, Pillars of the Earth. I mention it here, because it reads like low fantasy in places (and even has some suspected witchcraft/prophesies which aren't dismissed as impossible). After thinking about it a bit, it reads a lot like A Song of Ice and Fire from the POV of the "little people." Life in 12th century England was extremely harsh and grim, and most commoners were happy to get through Winter without starving. They were treated as pawns by the wealthier barons and kings/queens/bishops and discarded when they were no longer useful.

I thought it was an excellent book, with only a few stylistic quibbles (Ken Follett wrote some cringey sex scenes). It was such a solidly-constructed work, with near-perfect pacing for a story that encompassed several decades.

Despite my glowing review, I will probably wait to read the sequels until later. To his credit, Follett wrapped up the story so well, I wasn't itching to find out more. (Other than reading about the actual historical events covered by the book).

I’ve started The Harem of Aman Akbar by Elizabeth Scarborough. At first I thought it was going to be kind of dumb but then I realized it was funny. It came out in the early 80s I believe, before the culture wars squashed the joy out of everything, when sex was still fun and western perceptions of middle eastern cultures was okay. A mischievous genie arranges a marriage and chaos ensues. Amusing so far.

>33 varielle: Oh, that's an author I need to put more on my reading list. I loved Song of Sorcery and The Unicorn Creed when I was young, and enjoyed them still on a more recent re-read. I always think of these as "YA Fantasy" before the "YA Fantasy" genre was really a thing. (Her and Patricia Wrede's works from around the same time period). Thanks for bringing her to mind again.

My current read: Visiting Kithamar in Blade of Dream.

I picked up Equal Rites and got an early start on the Discworld Witches group (re)read. So I am in Bad Ass with Granny and Esk.

I'm re-reading the Discworld books in publication order (mostly) so I expect to be on the Discworld for a while. Currently reading Mort in paperback.

But at the same time, I started Legends and Lattes to have something to work on daily on the Kindle, so I am chillin' at Viv's place in Thune I believe.

I did visit Good Neighbours (country unknown) but am now in Sacoridia about to search for The High King's Tomb.

The new January thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/356654#n8359584

🤭 Oops, sorry.

New month, new thread and new year.

>2 elorin: Modesitt's Imager series is my favorite, though I have read a number of the Recluse series and enjoyed those as well.

>20 Niko: Yep!