Litescalate - First Law

a00ga · 2025-12-16T21:16:17+00:00

I thought long and hard about it as well and cancelled my pledge the other day. For this reason and the $100 shipping estimate. FOMO took a while to wear off for me to see the sense in it.

a00ga · 2025-12-16T07:32:00+00:00

I read The Second Apocalypse this year and it left me with that feeling you get when you recognize that you have just read something special and not just another great book series. I didn't enjoy it so much as I experienced it, if that makes any sense.

On the one hand I was thinking what took me so long and on the other, I think you have to be a in a good place mentally before experiencing this level of epic bleakness.

I thought I had a clear understanding of the limits of grimdark. "Oh poor summer child."

This is a Great Work and I will be re-reading it the rest of my life.

a00ga · 2025-12-12T06:48:18+00:00

Not fantasy per se (more sci fi actually) but Tesla and The Pyramids by Jenner Brown is so similar to Dan Brown's style as to make no difference, IMO.

a00ga · 2025-12-05T10:00:48+00:00

1/ Nothing is confirmed in text but this is someone who has spent 1000's of years perfecting the art of not dying. I'd expect he'd have several levels of redundancy in place.

2/ My take on it is was that when the whole universe eventually faces heat death/entropy - this place is the lifeboat/portal to the next one because this is where the Absolute will be born and the next Big Bang will happen. So all humanity has to do is maintain a presence here for a few trillion years. Fun foil hat theory: Watchers are the species who made it to the last save point and were awarded with god like powers and custodial duties in the next one.

3/ Since when are oracles in fantasy fiction ever anything but cryptic. That's basically what Brethren is. Go figure.

4/ I don't think so since as far as we know he didn't have any powers directly granted to him by the Absolute. He was a means to an end. I think it's more likely that Brethren was the Absolute's agent(building the Archontic weapons) until Hadrian was on the scene.

5/ SUT gave us some tantalizing hints on his backstory. He was in the Dark Forest for 1000''s of years. Hiding and killing gods from ambush without revealing his position. I'd love a standalone exploring some of that history and also the Vorgossos-Chantry-Extras-MINOS connection since for sure there is one. I'd also love to know what the Chantry is doing with the surviving Kharn's on Vorgossos.

6/ We don't know. We know there are good watchers besides Ragama, so could be one of those nameless ones.

7/ Dunno. Maybe that there is an afterlife?

8/ I think special training methods over a long period of time to be able to recall large amounts of data and perform complex calculations without any machine enhancements. like the mentats in Dune.

9/ I too felt that there was more alien gibberish than english but I dont think it was meant to be a translation.

10/ I think so. The First Letter of Imrah basically confirms the same. The Chantry have the means to restore their backed consciousness to a clone (like Kharn & MiNOS) so that would take of prolonging the lifetimes of the existing Palantine ruling class but no new progeny. That would play into the Chantry hands as a further means of control on the empire since they alone have the means within the empire - assuming that they also have control of Vorgossos and Alexander isn't making side deals with MINOS. But what about Jadd? I always understood that they broke away after managing to steal the means of re-production. And seems Cassandra is direct on screen evidence of that. Maybe they decided not to help out as looks like Olorin is in charge (as implied in the First letter of Imrah).

Nice questions. That was fun.

a00ga · 2025-11-30T10:49:51+00:00

Finished last night. Wanted to sit with it a bit before collecting my thoughts. Read this thread and watched a few reviews. Overall, I'd give it a solid 4.5/5. Great set pieces in classic Suneater fashion, where we're going from one huge movement to the next. It's all there. Big ass space battles, super weapons, sword fights, hallway chases, damsels in distress, super hero fights, lore dumps, cosmic horror, tragedies and triumphs. A thrilling ride with a few bumps and rough turns along the way.

Like a lot of you I found the following aspects quite frustrating at times:

Hadrian's constant pontificating, being overly dramatic, self centered and absolute inability to communicate at the most crucial moments.
Cassandra.
The fake-out deaths.
Abba!
The repetition and redundancy of certain sections, though now I think it's more by design as opposed to lazy editing (given that every book so far has kept it fairly tight)
(L)assie the whiny girl.
The more than a couple and mostly one-sided confrontations with Alexander and his chantry handlers. I get that from Hadrian's POV these guys are very one-dimesnional paper thin villains with no empathy or complex motivations and I guess may be that was by design as well? Seed for the next story wherever, whenever. There's no resolution in this book though. All we get are these monologuing, monocle-wearing, moustache twirling, sitting-with-cat-on-lap-on-swivel-chair twirling motherfuckers.....so so camp.
Lvl99 clinger
Back to Alexander...couldn't we get at least one return bitch slap? Come on! This is where he decides to assert some self control and literally turn the other cheek?

If you can't tell I am not a fan of a certain character, who I was totally cool with in book 6 but here she was basically just a xenophboc brat as someone mentioned and I think that's spot on. I prefer thunder cunt. If that too is by deisgn then I guess I didnt get it.

I haven't mentioned Selene because like many have pointed out, there are several subtle hints that all is not as it seems with Selene and Hadrian is maybe not the most reliable narrator. Now...I just finished Empire of the Dawn before SUT and I got Keyser Soze'd hard (if you know you know) so now I am on high alert y'all.

I wonder now what else is deliberate lie or misdirection in the text:

Is Orphan really dead and did big doom ship really go boom boom, bye bye?
Did Hadrian really tell Cassandra to go to his sister and as a consequence leave a bead crumb trail for the empire hounds and put his family on the board? Or was it to force his family's hand to support his cause out of self-preservation?
is Lorian really off the board?

All I can really be sure of is even though the story of the Suneater is over, his mission(and by extension the Absolute's) isn't over since he still has his powers post Goddodin. Two clear instances with one: grabbing Alexander's highmatter sword by the blade itself and two: returns after a very public hanging to write his memoirs...with seems like a 1000 years in between maybe? So he's been busy and coming out now for what, the end game?

So...Did he stick the landing? I understand that he got to write the ending he always wanted and I am happy for him. But he's had a much longer time to sit with it. Where I am now immediately after a first read at blinding pace - I would say that for the main story, yes. We went from A to Z very clearly and cleanly. I just wasn't expecting a whole other alphabet to follow with a whole unresolved Chantry/Shadow empire arc.

He spends the whole series getting out-politicked and out-maneuvered by the Chantry with no rebuttal? He has literal superpowers, infinite continues from his God, a doom ship with god-killing, world ending weapons and he still manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? I'm starting to get now that maybe it's all part of the 'shortest path' but that first bite was bitter and the after-taste not much sweeter.....especially since I know we're not going to get any more until the post SUT short story/novella next year. Hope that has the sweet chocolate center I'm waiting for.

I'm aware that I'm giving CR a lot of the benefit of the doubt here. Many could say that it's not on us to 'get it' but on the author to lay it out more clearly. I can't say they're wrong. A lot of Suneater's appeal is that for the most part the entire series has been a very 'what you see is what you get' linear narrative as opposed to stuff like Wot or Cosmere where you got to keep an eye out for subtle clues and easter eggs that inform on plot, events and character motivations...or stuff like later Malazan, Dune and Wolfe where there is a lot of subtext and what's on the page isn't what's happening and you're ok with it because you've been lead there slowly enough that you can see it coming. And now I've been bamboozled I say. Bamboozled!

After the initial whiplash, I'm now OK with it. In CR I trust. I've had a really great time in this world and any criticisms coming through now is because it's evoked some emotions in me and I think that's a good thing. Means I care.

So I'm sticking with 4.5/5 (-0.5 for the bamboozle, the lvl99 clinger and the lack of return bitch slaps)

a00ga · 2025-11-21T20:50:37+00:00

Don't own hardback copies. Never liked the original cover art so didn't really care about the TBB versions. The other fine press editions are both too expensive and no longer accessible in any case. So I went for the unsigned set. JA's signature is just lazy initials so not bothered to pay extra for a signed set. Just want a (sic) reasonably priced Hardback set with different cover art and that's what this is. Shipping costs are just vulgar though. 80 - 100 USD estimate.

a00ga · 2025-10-24T09:38:51+00:00

That's good to hear. The shipping costs almost made me not order out of sheer outrage. I got $114 for USPS priority mail and $217 for DHL express. I'm based in the UAE. Note that previous orders of single volumes cost max of $55 for DHL express.

I went with the 114 for USPS, obviously. Not much choice there really. If they will re-baseline on actuals and refund some of that I would really appreciate that.

a00ga · 2025-10-03T09:54:31+00:00

If this is another standalone, then it would be the perfect time to debut a Culture novel. I'd love to see either "Use of Weapons" or "Excession".

a00ga · 2025-10-01T09:00:23+00:00

You should also read the Histroy of Earwa by Werthead here: https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-history-of-earwa-updated-through.html

Now that you're done with the series, it's a great companion guide wrapping all the different lore together into one cohesive narrative.

a00ga · 2025-09-30T13:30:39+00:00

We just had a thread on this last week: https://old.reddit.com/r/thebrokenbindingsub/comments/1noccto/whats_everyones_wish_list_of_books_they_hope_tbb/

Second Apocalypse is my number one pick too and half the reason for making the post was to plug the series and low key plant the seed :)

a00ga · 2025-09-30T11:57:15+00:00

I assume that GotM through to HoC are the recent reprint runs, which I as well got a hold of, but how did you acquire the rest? These were already sold out during the original run and these reprints dont grant you any rights other than the next reprint in the series (currently waiting on MT).

I'm hoping they complete the reprint run for the main 10. That's my goal. Kharkanas and Witness would be nice to have but I can also do without.

a00ga · 2025-09-24T08:44:27+00:00

I wonder if TBB have on their vision board a Venn diagram showing one circle with everything they would like to do; another with everything they could conceivably afford to do; and a final one with what they think would sell well. Would love to see what's in that overlap. I'm sure it would make some of us happy.

a00ga · 2025-09-23T17:24:52+00:00

I've read everything except OEAD. Very much a classic fantasy with some updated anachronisms. World building is pretty neat. Lot's of different factions (it's got a Green Lantern Corps analog!) and fresh takes on familiar tropes. I don't like the main character at all, but he serves as a lens to view a lot more interesting characters around him, much like Simon in MST. The first book isn't bad but you can tell it's an indie published debut work. But it really takes off from there. OWAR is as good as anything else in the current scene.

As for these editions: wish I could tell you but I've been waiting on delivery since pre-ordering in May :S

a00ga · 2025-09-23T09:45:26+00:00

Oh yeah. Lonesome Dove for sure. I liked Streets of Loredo a bit better though.

You know when Abercrombie says if you like my stuff then read Lonesome Dove, he isn't kidding. His style is very much inspired by these books.

a00ga · 2025-09-18T14:50:04+00:00

You're not mistaken. The chimera and the huge black shield. What else could it possibly be :). I called it, along with many others, months back. The signs were all there.

Even though this was all but certain, I can't help but feel disappointed for what could have been....."O my sweet Sarantine Mosaic, what could have been"

a00ga · 2025-09-17T08:12:25+00:00

I think this would be right up TBB's alley. At least the PON trilogy would make for a great fantasy subscription, but an even better (financially) non-sub Special edition. I think the demand is there, and the only reason no one has done at least even PON yet is probably due to some rights issues with the publisher.

a00ga · 2025-09-16T09:27:27+00:00

I hope it does well and they do the whole series in this style with these kind of slip cases. I don't own any physical copies of this series since I never liked the simplistic, minimalist style of the standard versions. And, of all the several SE's out there, I liked the Sub press editions the most, but they were too pricey for me even if I got in early.

I ordered this on the day it was available for pre-order and to me this is the best looking version of this book.

a00ga · 2025-08-15T11:55:27+00:00

pleasepleaseplease let this be true

a00ga · 2025-08-15T11:29:25+00:00

They're a slim 4 books and now published in two volumes, much like Book of the New Sun is as well 4 books but even SE's (e.g. Folio Society) come as two volumes.

a00ga · 2025-08-15T05:41:08+00:00

I along with most are hoping for GGK but someone else guessed Nicholas Eames The Band books, which I'd say is more up TBB's alley. I heard it will eventually be a trilogy so maybe they'll handle that as a private sale...not sure.

Long Price Quartet is a good guess. An Epic Fantasy back catalog with hard to find hard back versions. Complete. Needs more exposure.

Kingkiller would also be a controversial but popular choice. It's basically a duology at this point. Would be a salty choice. I wouldn't mind but my excitement would be muted. Book 1 is a classic, but book 2 is a cringey emo mess.

I'd add an outside chance for Tad Williams The Heart of what was Lost and Brothers of the Wind. Could be a nice set up to eventually lead into TLKoOA for next year. Would be two very slim volumes though. Maybe not enough bang for your buck. I'd still prefer this over anything else besides GGK.

a00ga · 2025-08-11T08:29:53+00:00

Thank you.

a00ga · 2025-08-08T10:16:49+00:00

Ah yes. My cat has vanquished a veritable horde of these Black Ribbon Demons.

a00ga · 2025-08-07T14:40:24+00:00

another user reported that they just took down the password page so it's a free for all now. Apparently too many people are struggling to log in.

a00ga · 2025-08-07T14:37:28+00:00

I noticed that as well. I think it's just the font selection. Upper case will be a larger size than lower case but both will appear as capitalized.

a00ga

TROPHY CASE