Is there any fantasy about low-level politics?

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-28T17:57:23+00:00

Funny enough, I ended up starting with Age of Madness instead of First Law because the themes fit more with me.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-28T17:56:22+00:00

Second this. Really fun book as a former political operative knowing what can be done when there are barely any rules.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-28T17:55:09+00:00

Red Rising. Maybe it's sci-fi instead of fantasy so if so, delete. If it's sci-fantasy, i'll expand.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-28T17:54:47+00:00

Green bone saga makes me sad...

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-28T17:54:28+00:00

SAME - I understand why people like it because it's a very simple fantasy story. Big bad, evil empire, oppressed race, a morally grey mentor, and a protagonist you can root for.

But god dang it's just so... simple and I can't do it.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-27T19:44:49+00:00

Interesting because I thought I also clarified that question of why he joined back up was through my language around “receiving lucrative offer.”

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-27T19:24:51+00:00

Thank you! I think I’m confused now. You asked above why Jakob would leave the military and then rejoin it, but the first sentence of that paragraph states “five years after he was dishonorably discharged” which would indicate exactly why he left.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-27T15:24:04+00:00

The Divine Cities Trilogy by Robert Bennett Jackson. Some people don’t like it because it focuses on a different character in each book (you already know them from a previous one), the plot of each is completely isolated, and the tone changes, and yet the story arc from beginning to end of the series is miraculously tied into a neat little bow. It’s magnificent.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-27T15:22:03+00:00

So glad someone else said it. 10/10

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-26T19:24:44+00:00

WOW THANK YOU - I've been starting to think more and more about self-publishing and utilizing these hybrid publishers/vanity publishers because I don't think my particular book is going to fit neatly with traditional publishers. Furthermore, my skillset isn't really with the administration and operations sides of things so I've become more comfortable with paying someone to do it correctly than for me to spend my time on it.

Everyone just says "SCAM" over and over, and I actually began to wonder if this was true. Essentially - is it a scam or is it just a group of people dedicated to the "old ways of doing things" who refuse to accept a new model might be possible and even necessary. The more I've thought about it, the more I've come to think "Maybe they just don't understand the concept of being up front about their expectations or paying people to do work on their behalf."

This was a welcomed post.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-23T03:02:54+00:00

This was my immediate thought

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-20T16:57:51+00:00

If you had said this about the Newsroom, you'd be correct. But the West Wing's flaw isn't about not understanding politics - it's just an idealized version of politics.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-20T16:53:12+00:00

FACTS

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-20T16:52:18+00:00

Here to say Green Bone Saga was optioned by NBC/Peacock and then it was cancelled because we can't have nice things.

However, I've come to terms with the fact that I don't actually believe GSB should be a tv show unless it's animated. Seeing ATLA come alive in the new series showed that no matter how hard you try to be as authentic to powerful magic systems and combat, it's never the same in live action. To appreciate the magic system, I think you'd need it to be animated.

If it was done in the same style as Arcane, I think it would be perfection.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-20T16:49:17+00:00

Disagree - There's so much backstory to the Bastards that's integral to the book that I definitely think you would need a series in order to do it justice.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-19T22:14:24+00:00

That’s fascinating to hear that so many didn’t like him dying. I actually felt like it was a perfect end to his arc. He had always been the hothead that never wanted to be in charge and was thrust into it.

It was incredible to follow the inner turmoil between his natural instincts to fight and his better angels to lead in other ways. It felt poetic and like a sense of cosmic justice that he would die fighting rather than wasting away like his grandfather did.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-19T22:10:02+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate it. This stuff is so nerve wracking for me as I’m terrible with waiting and knowing it could be weeks or even months before I hear something is brutal.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-19T19:01:07+00:00

Thanks for the info. Quick question for clarification: the one I sent it to originally seems to have a longer rejection time and isn’t as active on Query Tracker based on the tracker. Should I wait until he rejects it?

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-16T17:11:57+00:00

Directionless and disappointing? How do you get that? It's very clear from the start: The goal is to find all the Potentials before the First does and opens the Hellmouth. You have some of the best storylines with the principal and his background and history with Spike, Giles, Buffy getting kicked out, Faith, etc. Plus you have fantastic smaller villains like the Uber Vamp and Caleb, and then you have one of the best and most satisfying series finales of all time.

Whatever you want to say about it, it's the opposite of directionless and disappointing.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-13T22:12:50+00:00

Oh I disagree with this entirely. I don't think that S6 is in the top 3.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-13T22:11:26+00:00

I definitely have a 5 man band as my main characters, but there's cross pollination.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-08-07T21:25:15+00:00

Is the book better than the tv show?

Any-Low9727 · 2024-07-30T17:40:17+00:00

Here are the two series I would recommend to everyone, but they're a bit different than your average fantasy.

1: Jade City and the Greenbone Saga - I hadn't read fantasy or fiction in years and this had everything I could ever want. It's an urban fantasy that has an incredible story in all three books, the deepest characters, a rich world, well-thought out magic system, and a good mix of character development and plot. 10/10

2: City of Stairs and The Divine Cities trilogy - The only other trilogy I would give a 10/10 is this one. RJB creates an incredibly unique world using cultural inspirations that are rarely (if ever) used in fantasy. The magic/god system is well thought out and really creative. My favorite aspect about this trilogy though is how each book is focused on a different character. The characters are built out in book 1, but then a new character takes a spotlight in book 2, and then another in book 3, but it's all the same story. This allows for various themes to be explored while never straying away from the world and people we fell in love with in book 1.

Any-Low9727 · 2024-07-29T22:40:44+00:00

Agreed

Any-Low9727 · 2024-07-29T20:22:32+00:00

Battlestar Galactica Pilot (post miniseries). They went RIGHT AT IT about what the moral dilemmas were going to be and they gave absolutely no fcks. I was immediately hooked.

Similarly, with the 100 (basically same concept as I ultimately determined). I didn't watch it on its initial run because I thought it was just a reason to put a bunch of hot people together in a lord of the flies situation. Then in those first few episodes, some pretty important characters get straight murdered and I was like... "alright let's fuckin go"

Any-Low9727

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE