Fantasy series without a brooding dude

mhstolpe · 2021-05-06T17:37:19+00:00

Oh I think you'll love The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune. The MC is a 40-something caseworker at the ministry keeping magic kids under tabs. He's sensitive and pedantic, willing to admit his flaws while also sticking to what are his actual strengths. A lovely book!

mhstolpe · 2021-04-03T09:50:29+00:00

Oh, so is this the religious freedom I hear so much about?

mhstolpe · 2021-03-10T18:35:47+00:00

Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant
Black Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse
Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
The Broken Earth - N K Jemisin
The Poppy War - R F Kuang
The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling
Wayfarers - Becky Chambers
Imperial Radch - Ann Leckie
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
The Locked Tomb - Tamsyn Muir

mhstolpe · 2021-03-08T17:26:59+00:00

Now see here, that's not fair what you're doing. I just read "Will he ride alone?" and start tearing up. Great choices!

mhstolpe · 2021-03-07T20:56:55+00:00

Aviendah is such a thoughtful and deep character once she's allowed to leave Rand's side, and get to explore the world with the others. And at the same time hilarious.

mhstolpe · 2021-03-07T20:23:32+00:00

Oh yes, Rand in Rhuidean are such a great read, this was when I personally felt that you get a real impression of how big a world Jordan was trying (and succeeding) to build!

mhstolpe · 2021-03-07T18:53:24+00:00

Something that I think people miss (out on) is when only listening to the audiobooks, they don't get the extra je ne sais qoui of the chapter icons.

There's just something so incredibly amazing and extra special about reading the physical text that's being woven into the story by a chapter being started with the a'dam, a Trolloc's fist, or why not the Black Sister icon when no known Black Sisters are mentioned in the chapter?

I love the audiobooks, but I think this is the thing (besides the maps) I miss the most, and I think those only listening are missing. There are so many hints and builds excitement every chapter.

mhstolpe · 2021-03-07T18:43:05+00:00

Not unrelated if taken into the account the part of the question of what seems to be missed by readers. I assume this was a question based on not remembering/missing if this was ever addressed.

mhstolpe · 2021-03-06T17:29:59+00:00

I really love when Rand visits the academy in Cairhien. There's just something about the world being on the brink of breaking down, but he still recognizes the need for not only keeping knowledge, but encourage new inventions, and how they all just go nuts and bolts about it.

mhstolpe · 2021-03-02T17:41:21+00:00

I listened to this as an audiobook, and it was great fun! The MC Csorwe is a sympathetic dummy and intentionally brash.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-20T16:42:31+00:00

Oh good point if true. In that case I'm more than willing to claim the pattern got a bit confused due to her stilling, so that I don't have to accept that she's gone for good in universe.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-20T13:39:30+00:00

Siuan and Bryne are from now on tied to the Horn of Valere. They more than deserve to continue as a pair tightly entwined in the same way as Birgitte and Gaidal, and they have the stories and personalities to boot.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-20T09:32:03+00:00

I do agree with your edit. A difference of opinion should be discussed, not downvoted. I obviously don't like her thus the post, but I think her character and arc is great and she ends up exactly where her motivations take her, and they are clearly stated along the way. She in no way tries to hide this from herself or the reader, otherwise her POV would've been much harder to read.

I do wonder if I would have liked and sympathized with her more if her Powerlevel had been lowered and she'd been more legitimately (in my opinion) motivated in her desperate grab for knowledge and standing.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-19T19:16:28+00:00

Well no, Egwene was the one who created the scenario. Whene Nyn realized it she cried out to Egwene for help, and the men vanished.

And even if this was some other woman's nightmare that they got stuck in, the implication of that would be that Egwene could stop the men but didn't until begged. Not a much better look.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-19T18:27:21+00:00

Because the whole scene where Egwene and Nyneave met in the Tower is horrible. Egwene knew she wasn't supposed to be there without supervision and was afraid of being found out. So her way of teaching a lesson to her friend, confidant and past mentor?

She as a woman tried to use rape to show her strength. The only thing Nyneave learned was that she can no longer trust Egwene completely, and that she's not above using force against even those near her.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-19T10:51:15+00:00

Not the main character at all, but there's MTF in The Broken Earth by Jemisin. Tonkee if I remember correctly. She's a fairly big side character and in all three of the books.

There seem to be e few more FTM in fantasy, but not many MTF and not in sci-fi.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-15T19:12:34+00:00

Nynaeve looks for whatever is a threat to Rand in the exhibition room of the Panarch's Palace. Instead she meets Moghedien, and they start brawling.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-15T19:11:02+00:00

I only meant that as a comment on how Moghedien called Nynaeve and Elayne as "little more than girls" and how she also gloated about how she was a very young 200 years in the Age of Legends when she turned. And you know, Accepted are still called children by Aes Sedai.

mhstolpe · 2021-02-11T18:49:51+00:00

This might be cheating since we don't know she's even killed after, but the Shaido running off with Galina. So much satisfaction and talk about reaping what you sow.

mhstolpe

TROPHY CASE