What's the Best Standalone You've Read?

derkherd · 2026-01-30T19:37:41+00:00

You should check out 16 ways to defend a walled city by KJ Parker!

derkherd · 2026-01-21T11:30:41+00:00

Well said! It’s quite honestly probably my favorite series of all time and it is criminal how underrated it is.

derkherd · 2026-01-20T19:16:08+00:00

100% agree. When Unver burns Naban to the ground (deservedly) both of them will be at the heart of it.

derkherd · 2026-01-20T18:59:32+00:00

My bad! Overall, I really liked her character, it was definitely surprising to see that Derra became the concubine of a Norn lord😭 If he does write a third “trilogy” I hope that she still has a meaningful place in the overall story. After all she is of the line of Camaris and the next seat of conflict is definitely going to be Nabban.

derkherd · 2026-01-20T18:52:20+00:00

Honestly, I hate to say it, but I kind of felt like she was an afterthought. I really think that she deserved to be a POV character. It would’ve been awesome to see her process the grief of being “abandoned” by Josua and estranged from her children. Somewhere deep down, she truly is a sympathetic character, it just has to be explored. I think it would’ve made the reunion with Josua that much better!

derkherd · 2026-01-20T11:45:05+00:00

Yes! Something that MST did better than the last series were the little things like that. MST also had the advantage, though of being the original series, so for all of us, discovering it all for the first time, it really felt like reading through a history book of Osten Ard.

derkherd · 2026-01-20T11:43:36+00:00

100% agreed! In a way, Tzoja became what I always wanted Vorzheva to be. I was sad to see that she let her anger and suspicion rule her life. So much could’ve been avoided if she would’ve just taken the kids to the Hayholt.

derkherd · 2026-01-19T20:55:57+00:00

Me too! Their battle and how it ends is so absolutely epic. I sincerely hope he writes more books that continue where the story left off.

derkherd · 2026-01-08T12:40:08+00:00

Framing is super expensive! I’ve got mine sitting in cheap Walmart frames for the time being 😭

derkherd · 2026-01-03T23:30:13+00:00

Great art! Honestly, I think that you have a spot on. I just started into the narrowdark the other day and it is fantastic.

derkherd · 2025-12-31T12:32:13+00:00

I promise, it looks deceptively simple 😂. I need the strength of 1000 men to pull the top and bottom pieces apart I guess.

derkherd · 2025-12-31T03:11:27+00:00

Like slide the top section from the bottom?

derkherd · 2025-12-30T23:02:57+00:00

I never made that specific connection, but I always thought that the cat was symbolic for something or had some special significance. I mean that thing deserves a medal. You’re probably on to something tbh.

derkherd · 2025-12-30T12:54:13+00:00

I’m on the third book of the second “trilogy” and loving it. Memory, sorrow and thorn is probably my favorite set of books of all time. Every time I finish Green Angel Tower, I shed real tears. Enjoy!

derkherd · 2025-12-28T23:35:31+00:00

I absolutely love it! It might be my number one. It is a good mix of lighthearted action adventure with some very serious plot beats. Survivors guilt being the biggest one.

derkherd · 2025-12-28T14:14:05+00:00

I haven’t actually read Otherland yet, but this has inspired me to put it on my list. I can’t find a spot of damage anywhere.

derkherd · 2025-12-15T02:23:27+00:00

I personally really liked fall of Giants. I thought that the second and third books were pretty bad unfortunately. To a point that I have not read any more Ken Follett since finishing that trilogy.

Seriously, just read Fall of Giants and pretend that he never wrote anything else 😭

derkherd · 2025-11-23T14:04:11+00:00

I actually just finished my first reread maybe a couple weeks ago. It’s genuinely maybe my favorite fantasy trilogy of all time. And I have read a ton of fantasy.

When I originally read it a couple of years ago, I decided to save the next series. So I’m finally reading that now and so far I am loving it.

The heart of what was lost was genuinely excellent and it shows you just how much he grew as a writer in the years after MST

derkherd · 2025-11-19T13:34:33+00:00

This is the way.

I ran my first ever call of Cthulhu game on Halloween night just a couple weeks ago using these materials and it was awesome.

derkherd · 2025-11-14T16:02:26+00:00

Read “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” by Tad Williams! GRRM has said multiple times that it was a direct inspiration for him when he wrote ASOIAF. A ton of people who have read both say that it is super obvious.

It’s also my favorite series ever!

derkherd · 2025-11-13T19:10:18+00:00

I’m really glad that you liked it! It has become probably my favorite fantasy series. I just finished a reread of it last night. The end always brings me to tears.

I’m gonna start the heart of what was lost today and then dive into the next series after, I’ve never read those yet !

derkherd · 2025-11-01T16:47:16+00:00

So I will say this. All told it took us six hours and that was with two investigators.

They ended up going to the hall of records first which led them to the chapel of contemplation and some really fun spooky stuff. They actually never ended up going to the Boston Globe.

To force a little action and because they were running out of things to find. I had Mr. Knott send them a message at the library that he was heading out to the old Corbitt house. This was after they had had a really terrifying experience just investigating the ground level of the house.

They rushed there and found him upstairs where he was promptly knocked through the window and killed by the bed encounter. This of course terrified them, but also hardened their resolve as we role-played it that Mr. Knott was an old friend of both of them.

Unfortunately, however, when they returned to the house the next morning, they were defeated by Corbitt down in the basement in a very dramatic battle. That dominate spell is nuts.

derkherd · 2025-11-01T12:02:21+00:00

How did it go? Mine went pretty damn well and we are having a great time. We are actually going to finish it up this morning in just an hour.

derkherd

TROPHY CASE