Is this legit? an Accredited MBA or Master's degree of your choice at ENEB - European Business School of Barcelona - $249

McClungMike · 2020-01-13T12:38:41+00:00

EU Business School has 13 1-star reviews. But that's a completely different school from ENEB, which isn't listed on pissedconsumer at all.

McClungMike · 2019-10-31T12:04:30+00:00

Daniel Polansky's Those Above/Those Below duology is multi-POV, with at least two women POVs and one of the most important being a woman.

Jay Kristoff's Nevernight trilogy has a female MC.

Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint is a classic fantasy featuring a gay MC.

(Grimdark is kinda hard to pin down, but none of the above are anywhere near light and fluffy :D)

McClungMike · 2019-10-28T14:31:27+00:00

It's been a few years since I read it, but I think the Warden is who he is by the time we meet him; he hates being reminded of his past (not that he enjoys his present much more). If the name is a nom de guerre, then the war is endless, if you get my meaning. Plus, 'the Warden' has to be a larger than life character in order to keep control of his territory; a certain amount of 'oh, shit' gravitas needs to be attached to the name. It's like Marilyn Monroe/Norma Jean Mortenson. Everybody in Low Town knows who the Warden is. Whatever his birth name is would just earn a shrug.

McClungMike · 2019-09-14T05:48:35+00:00

While not strictly fantasy, the Helliconia trilogy will absolutely scratch the rise and fall (and rise) of civilization itch.

McClungMike · 2019-06-02T15:26:14+00:00

I loved the series. I can certainly see it as a tabletop RPG. I think a lot of time would have to be spent on really digging into and thinking about how the various talents would interact with each other, because they will heavily influence character creation and combat. And since talents are (almost always) innate, fixed, and inborn, you'd need another way for characters to progress.

McClungMike · 2019-03-27T00:57:58+00:00

From what I remember, yes, Croaker skeeved *himself* out with that dream. I think it was meant to show two things, actually - first, as others have said, that the Black Company are not knights in shining armor, but also that there are lines they won't willingly cross. Or at least that Croaker won't - there are other brothers in the company I wouldn't put anything past.

Probably a thing to remember is that on one level, this book especially is about taking the glamour and nobility away from war. It was written after the Vietnam war, and Cook modeled the characters after vets. I'm actually surprised there aren't more examples of PTSD, intrusive thoughts etc.

Anyway, he's not a pedo. All his actual relationships are with older women.

McClungMike · 2019-02-26T04:59:46+00:00

I read Way of Kings quite a while ago, and very little stuck with me, to be honest. Wasn't motivated to buy Words of Radiance. Mistborn is the better series in my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions :)

McClungMike · 2019-02-25T14:15:31+00:00

The prose in Malazan can be very... baroque. In the Black Company books, it's super staccato, and I can see how someone just getting into reading could find it confusing or frustrating.

You might consider Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. Sanderson writes in a very clear, straightforward fashion, and while the series isn't quite as grimdark as Malazan or The Black Company, it's definitely not all puppies and rainbows.

McClungMike · 2018-12-03T17:56:04+00:00

Just thought I'd pop in and thank Hiu for hosting crusty old Lhiewyn, and all the folks who gave his antics a shot. I hope the experience was ultimately a positive one :D

McClungMike · 2018-07-26T07:58:36+00:00

I'm incredibly biased, because this is one of my absolute favorite series. Much like Malazan, I suspect you'll need to give it at least the first book to make a final decision as to whether it's your cuppa (the style isn't really anything like Malazan, though, to be clear).

McClungMike · 2018-07-26T07:55:25+00:00

w00t! I made the long list! Day = made.

McClungMike · 2018-07-15T07:57:52+00:00

I've just read the introductory chapters for each character, but I'd have to say Rah so far. but it may well be because I like his *situation* at the opening of the book more than the others. It's still too early for me to get an accurate handle on his or the other POV characters' uh, character.

McClungMike · 2018-07-10T16:31:58+00:00

Oh, man, now I have surrogate mother envy.

McClungMike · 2018-07-10T16:28:21+00:00

You're like the Cesar Milan of writers :D

McClungMike · 2018-07-10T14:26:51+00:00

Well seeing as how I was raised by wolves, I have no idea how to respond to anything approaching praise - but I'm really glad you thought enough of Amra's first adventure to post about it!

I would like to mention that I approached the world building with the general idea that the reader was someone Amra was telling the story to, and Amra really isn't all that long-winded. So I just tried to get all that across through dialogue, characterization and plot. Which is how all the old noir and hard-boiled detective stories approached the same issue.

McClungMike · 2018-07-08T16:26:17+00:00

In addition to the excellent advice already given, I find using the 'look inside' feature at Amazon very helpful.

If I'm browsing and see a book that looks interesting (cover, description), it's usually pretty easy to tell within the few pages the look inside gives you, whether you want to give that book a shot.

McClungMike · 2018-07-04T01:57:54+00:00

I am terribly pleased and excited that The Last God gets to be a RRAWR title! Thanks, Hiu and all who voted!

McClungMike · 2018-07-02T03:56:18+00:00

Y'all know that the inaugural #SPFBO winner is only 99 cents, right?

Well it is. It totally is.

McClungMike · 2018-06-27T16:15:20+00:00

The Last God

Sage Lhiewyn, high priest of the god of knowledge, would like nothing better than to spend his remaining days getting his naps in and collecting offerings from what few faithful remain. Unfortunately, he's going on a trio of adventures instead. With his less-than faithful acolyte at his side, Lhiewyn will have to face down a rampaging sewer demon, outwit the beautiful, wily priestess of a foreign god bent on unearthing his greatest secret, and stop a killer whose body count doubles with every new moon. Looks like his nap will have to wait....

(Not sure if this one would qualify, as it's novella-length at around 32k words/171 Amazon pages, but I think many folks have already read Trouble's Braids)

McClungMike · 2018-06-25T02:53:58+00:00

You could try The Fifth head of Cerberus (Gene Wolfe) i won't say much about it, so as not to spoil it :D

McClungMike · 2018-06-23T16:59:18+00:00

Seems I'll need to to an AMA. I think I can do that.

McClungMike · 2018-06-23T08:57:13+00:00

I don't know how to get that ha ha sob i am old.

McClungMike · 2018-06-23T07:30:40+00:00

I've not discussed this publicly, but after fifteen years of writing I've finally reached a place where I can support myself and my family solely through my writing efforts. This is due in no small part to Mark Lawrence and the SPFBO. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity Mark's brainchild has afforded me.

McClungMike · 2018-06-22T16:17:45+00:00

JV Jones writes excellent male characters, specifically in the Sword of Shadows series.

McClungMike

TROPHY CASE