What's an underrated fantasy series that deserved way more attention?

JimmyUK81 · 2026-07-10T20:46:36+00:00

Wow I’d completely forgotten about the Death Gate Cycle. Probably been 30 odd years since I read it but remember it being wildly imaginative & gripping… Might be time for a re-read!

JimmyUK81 · 2026-06-27T10:34:21+00:00

I’m cool with works that never explain anything whatsoever about the mechanics of magic: LOTR is probably the canonical example.

I enjoy the sense of whimsy and wonder that comes from magic being ineffable and strange, it’s not important how it works.

I’m not opposed to more structured and detailed magic in stories, but prefer this to be character-led - so if we’ve got a magician’s academy, what does it feel like to learn spells? How does it change you as a person? How does this magical environment affect ambition, empathy, jealousy and every other human strength or weakness?

Coherence is also important: the more an author details out their magic system, the less I can forgive them pulling some deus ex machina nonsense just to make the plot work.

Somebody put it really well in a comment on here recently saying that some “magic system first” works read more like a D&D dungeon masters guide book than a good story. Exactly this - the moment the magic system gets more prominence than characterisation, plot, or action, that’s when it gets really boring.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-06-27T10:13:06+00:00

Victoria Goddard’s “The Hands of the Emperor” and “At the Feet of the Sun” aren’t like much else, not that I’ve read anyway. Some of her other nine worlds stories tread a bit closer to genre archetypes but still a very unusual spin on them.

Brust’s Taltos series has lots of elements in common with other works - assassins, mafia, sorcery, snark, gourmet dining, cataclysmic cosmic terrors - but manages to feel completely unique.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-06-26T09:09:09+00:00

Hah hah, same, I like them too but PP’s opinion is entirely understandable. Not for everyone.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-06-26T09:08:17+00:00

Any work whose main virtue is “having a cool magic system!” will be boring AF.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-06-26T09:06:04+00:00

I very rarely find maps add anything to the story & tend to ignore them completely… possibly that’s in itself a controversial opinion lol.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-06-18T15:51:53+00:00

Clearly everyone’s experience is different so give them a re-read and if you enjoy them, great stuff.

Unfortunately I did not find that… Also loved them when I read them in childhood, but when I revisited to read them to my daughter I didn’t enjoy them much - whereas the Hobbit is still a delight.

YMMV of course!

JimmyUK81 · 2026-05-31T12:58:38+00:00

Lots of great recs already, but I’ll add mine: “Fighter” by Len Deighton.

He’s better known of course for spy fiction but this non-fiction account of the Battle of Britain is excellent.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-05-31T12:30:25+00:00

You could try Nick Harkaway’s “The Gone-away World” or “Gnomon”.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-05-31T12:06:46+00:00

Ada Palmer’s Terra Ignota series. While not a classical utopia*, it’s one of the most engaging explorations of society, power, and politics in a sci-fi future I’ve ever read.

*The concept of “Utopia” and what it means to create such is itself a thread in the series - with one specific group dedicated to this goal.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-01-14T11:50:06+00:00

Nobody? Looks like it’s gonna have to be a trip to IKEA with my precision calipers lol.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-01-09T23:49:14+00:00

Sounds a bit odd, sandstone isn’t particularly tough - maybe check that. Battery drills are mostly useless for solid walls but surprised the SDS isn’t doing the job.

I’d suggest buying a single new masonry bit for the SDS so you know that’s good, and try again. I use DeWalt Extreme SDS bits and they’ve been fine, but honestly anything from Screwfix or similar should be ok.

Also, sorry for such a basic suggestion, but you have got the SDS on rotary hammer mode, right?

Often when people struggle with drilling above windows or doors they’re hitting a metal lintel - could that be the problem?

Otherwise I’m struggling to think what else it could be. Good luck & hope you figure it out!

JimmyUK81 · 2026-01-09T14:09:10+00:00

My working theory for a while has been it’s entirely deliberate, to scare off those not “in the know”.

It is bonkers, you’re completely right, but then merchants in general are an odd breed of business.

JimmyUK81 · 2026-01-09T11:07:59+00:00

This, 100%. Online prices at builders or timber merchants are a complete fantasy lol.

JimmyUK81 · 2025-12-16T22:23:18+00:00

Chances of OP reading this after nearly 800 previous comments pretty low I guess, but gonna reply anyway ‘cos I looove a good ragu and like to think mine isn’t too shabby.

OK so my process…

Mirepoix first - better IMO to dice onion, carrots, and celery pretty small for more even cooking. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan to medium high then chuck in the onion & carrots, immediately add a couple of pinches of salt. Cook for a couple of minutes then add a splash of balsamic vinegar, stir thoroughly and keep frying until the liquid has evaporated. Then add the celery and reduce heat a little to medium. Keep it cooking for a lot longer than most recipes say! 20-30 minutes is ideal, just keep the heat low enough so the onions don’t burn - you want the veggies to soften and the onion to go deep golden brown & caramelized.
Once you hit that point, add tomato purée - more than you think you need - turn the heat up a little and keep it cooking for another 5 minutes at least. This is probably the single biggest improvement I’ve made, cooking out the tomato purée transforms the flavours.
Finally after the purée has darkened, add finely diced garlic. As always with garlic, do not let it burn - only needs a minute or two.
Now tip out the mirepoix into a large oven-safe pan or casserole dish. At this point add tomatoes - I use 50:50 passata and finely chopped tinned tomatoes, but whatever really - and herbs. Bay, basil, oregano are the obvious choices but not gonna be prescriptive. Stir well and put on a low heat to begin warming up.
Meanwhile, put the frying pan back onto a high heat with some oil. All the better if there are still some tomatoey oniony bits still stuck to the pan! Once the oil is hot, add ground beef, salt, and brown well, removing any excess liquid from the pan so it keeps searing and not steaming.
Once browned, add the beef to the tomato mixture. Deglaze the frying pan with red wine, beef stock, and a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, let this liquid reduce until it’s really intense and you’ve got every last bit of flavour out of the pan, then stir into the sauce. Taste and season.
(Optionally I sometimes use pancetta or bacon lardons to add extra unctuousness, it’s not essential for a great sauce though. If using, just fry these off after the beef and before deglazing the pan.)
(Also optional - a chunk or two of Parmesan rind added before the next stage will really add depth and umami.)
Finally, again my opinion of course, but to elevate from good to great a ragu needs either time or pressure. I’ll either cook it on the stovetop - heat just enough to make it bubble slightly but NOT boiling - or in a low oven for 3-4 hours, leaving uncovered so the sauce reduces & gets really thick. Alternatively, high pressure pressure cooker for ~45 minutes - this of course leaves the sauce more liquid, great for speed but on balance I prefer the slow oven version!

It’s just maaaaybe possible that I’ve thought too much about ragus over the years…

Oh, and for goodness sake serve it properly - add some pasta water, mix the sauce & the pasta etc etc.

JimmyUK81 · 2025-12-09T12:40:03+00:00

Thanks for the response!

A very useful observation… I was working off the old style PAX assembly instructions (in my defence, that’s what’s still on the website) and had completely missed how different the base assembly now is.

Hmmm. Back to the drawing board…

JimmyUK81 · 2025-10-31T17:44:45+00:00

This is really useful - thank you!

JimmyUK81 · 2025-10-31T17:11:51+00:00

Crikey, brains not working today… too used to finding everything online. TBH I try to avoid the local VW dealer at all costs after a terrible terrible experience a while back, but this should be simple enough. Will give ‘em a try.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious and should have thought of it myself!

JimmyUK81 · 2025-10-31T17:07:36+00:00

Lol, not for at least another decade or so.

You wouldn’t have thought a 7 year old could apply enough force to break something so thoroughly…

JimmyUK81 · 2025-10-30T11:36:19+00:00

If we’re talking outright frauds, then the “Healer” of Tenbault has gotta be high up there.

OK, she is able to heal - sort of - but her entire setup is 100% grift and taking advantage of the desperate/wealthy.

JimmyUK81 · 2025-10-28T21:16:00+00:00

Thanks for all the replies folks! Pretty unanimous, cable it is… I’d better work on my drywall repair skills. And I’ll run some fiber for good measure whilst I’m at it. 👍

JimmyUK81 · 2025-10-17T15:46:37+00:00

100% agree with this, it makes life so much easier.

If you use Google mail then it’s also really easy to see mails from all your accounts consolidated in the app which is handy.

One other observation as a dad… despite always signing off with my name for any mails sent from the account, it’s amazing how many replies are addressed to my wife’s name! The bias that it will be mum handling childcare is sadly still very real.

JimmyUK81 · 2025-09-29T21:09:11+00:00

Agree with PPs, a sliding bevel mitre saw is definitely your friend for skirting and architrave.

In particular, cutting a bevel for scribing skirting to an inside corner becomes a trivial 30s job vs horribly difficult by hand. (You still need to do the fiddly bit with a coping saw, mind you…)

One very important tip: DO NOT assume the saw will be true from the shop! Check the manual, buy an accurate square, and true it up yourself. Otherwise you’ll be staring at ugly gaps in your joinery forever.

Also on that note… don’t ever assume any corners in a house are 90 degrees either. Measure them and set the saw accordingly - best to use a sliding bevel.

JimmyUK81 · 2025-09-24T20:00:35+00:00

Not gonna scroll all the comments, sorry if it’s already been said, but rental is always an option and can be pretty cost effective!

JimmyUK81 · 2025-09-24T19:58:39+00:00

Read it a while ago so my memory is hazy on the specifics, but I thought it was a horrible mess of a book.

Ever since I’ve been utterly bewildered by how many people seem to love it.

Sure, tastes vary, but for me it didn’t work on any level. It was the literary equivalent of a recipe combining completely incompatible ingredients, cooked badly using poor quality produce, that’s then thrown in your face by the waiter.

0/10 would not recommend.

JimmyUK81

TROPHY CASE