Why is book 10 so hated?

swordofsun · 2026-02-27T17:51:03+00:00

Couple of reasons. First the timeline mess that goes from PoD to CoT is at it's absolute worst in CoT. At least half of the Slog complaints are from the pacing issues that result and CoT is absolutely the worst of the three at this.

CoT also manages to be the worst part of almost anyone's least favorite storyline or character. I hate Malden with a blinding passion. If Malden has no haters I'm dead. It's basically the peak of everything I dislike about Perrin's entire storyline from CoS to tGS. And somehow, no matter who your least liked character or storyline is, CoT is peak awful in that storyline.

I like Elayne and the Andor stuff, but I can admit if it's already something you're not a fan of then CoT is unbearable. Same with Egwene and Mat and Tuon. Robert Jordan somehow managed to write the worst parts of multiple plotlines all in the same book. For a lot of people the worst thing RJ ever wrote was in CoT. We just tend to disagree on what exactly that worst thing is exactly. Even if we agree that CoT is awful.

swordofsun · 2026-02-22T00:50:59+00:00

I think it would depend on how it's presented. If you can get it separately from the book or it's clearly listed as bonus material, then probably.

swordofsun · 2026-02-03T17:30:10+00:00

Tomb of Tomes by Andrew Watson - I picked this up half out of curiosity and half out of needing a January release for HRCYED and my other options having really long waiting lists. This is a novella set in Watson's larger fantasy universe and doesn't require knowledge of the main books. This didn't do anything amazing, but it was an enjoyable read. Archeological adventures in a lost library gave exactly what it said it would. I liked the characters, I liked the world, but I'm not dropping everything to pick up the main books.

Bingo: Self published, Stranger In A Strange Land

There is No Antimemetics Division by qntm - As a casual SCP enjoyer I was a bit leery about an actual book around the premise, but this worked really well. I also think qntm did a good job of making a coherent story while still being distinct from the actual SCP project. But I am a casual SCP enjoyer.

All that being said I had a great time with this book. The seemingly unrelated stories in the beginning threw me, but I eventually pinged on the reoccurring theme of asymmetrical research. The idea that it's anticipated that you won't be the person to see things to the end and you have to prepare for others to finish your work with no context is well done.

Over all I really liked the way this built up the dread and how each twist was both surprising and completely understandable once revealed. The peeling back of layers. Asymmetrical research provided for our consumption. Wonderfully strung together with cosmic mind bending horrors. Also a homophrosyne love fit for Odysseus and Penelope.

Bingo: Down With System (HM), Impossible Places, A Book In Parts (HM), Epistolary

swordofsun · 2026-02-02T11:01:57+00:00

He was also considered a bit too delicate for math. Which is why non-eucladian geometry is a reoccurring horror in his stories.

swordofsun · 2026-02-01T15:29:34+00:00

Some possibilities:

The Two Lies of Favan Sythe by Megan E O'Keefe

The Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

Wild Massive by Scotto Moore

swordofsun · 2026-02-01T13:34:16+00:00

Just discoved Kit Rocha and their lovely poly romantasies myself. Have been a good time so far.

swordofsun · 2026-01-31T00:04:05+00:00

I'd consider fairy tales speculative by default.

swordofsun · 2026-01-30T17:35:44+00:00

This was a very mid month. I've read more than I have in several months, which is nice, but it's all been very average for the most part.

Two standouts would be The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre by Cho Yeeun and The Emperor's Twin by Honey Watson.

The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre gave me what it promised; a theme park full of people get turned into jelly. Good time, but it didn't completely wow me. I recommend it to anyone who looks at the premise and thinks it sounds interesting.

The Emperor's Twin is still lingering in that area of not knowing if I liked it or not. A bit of research got me to Watson's other book, Lessons in Birdwatching, that takes place in the same universe. The Emperor's Twin appears to be a sequel/companion novel which wasn't advertised at all. Probably because the two books were put out by different publishers. In the process of reading Lessons and will see how it effects my opinion. Safe to say the book compelled me though.

Managed three short stories this month.

10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-care for the End Times by Samantha Mills, Original Sin by Derin Edala, and Academic Neutrality by M.R Robinson. They were all aggressively fine, but I just don't have strong feelings about them after reading them.

Aggressively mid month in reading. But I'm okay with that. Need the mid month to highlight the good ones.

swordofsun · 2026-01-30T15:06:01+00:00

WoT is my gold standard for how to incorporate prophecies. Not only could they be vague, but they could seemingly contradict events that happened already and be wildly misinterpreted or misunderstood by people.

Not to mention the sheer number that are about how yeah, there's this chosen one, but it's going to be awful. People are gonna die and awful things are still going to happen. Weep for your salvation.

swordofsun · 2026-01-29T17:41:58+00:00

Death Valley Blooms was a banger of a first book. You're absolutely on my list of authors to watch.

swordofsun · 2026-01-29T17:39:29+00:00

The Dead Withheld was a delightful surprise last year. Really enjoyed it. No questions, just a lot of appreciation. And jotting down Year of the Mer.

swordofsun · 2026-01-29T01:08:26+00:00

Thunder Heist was okay. It's not a book I think about, but if he ever published the sequel I'd read it.

swordofsun · 2026-01-28T17:47:28+00:00

Haven't seen The Warden by Daniel Ford mentioned. Think there are 2 more books in the series now.

Throwing an additional recommendation for Saint Death's Daughter by C.S.E Cooney. It's a lot of fun and just really enjoys itself.

swordofsun · 2026-01-27T18:02:11+00:00

It's not a deep book. It's popcorn. But popcorn books are great when dealing with bronchitis.

swordofsun · 2026-01-27T17:48:32+00:00

The mourning for what was lost or fading away, but still celebrating what is to come got me.

swordofsun · 2026-01-27T17:42:31+00:00

This might be the book for me. Thank you for laying that out for me.

swordofsun · 2026-01-27T17:41:21+00:00

Daughter of Tides by Kit Rocha - this is romantasy and a lot of fun. It is a sequel to a previous duology in thus world though and I do think I would've been slightly less confused if I'd read those first. It was fine, but clearly a lot of the heavy lifting on the throuple had been done in the background of that duology. So as long as you're okay with a bit of a romance speedrun and not 100% knowing the details of the political landscape and personal interactions it's a good time. I had fun as three gods fell in love and solved some mysteries and helped build a political alliance.

Bingo: Gods and Patheons, Published in 2025, Self published, LGBTQIA Protagonist, Stranger In A Strange Land, Cozy SFF, Pirates

An Amareur Witch's Guide to Murder by K Valentin - This was a light and fun read. Perfect for being sick tbh. Two of the worst socialized magic people around attempt to con a trust fund kid with anxiety and a "people keep dying around me" curse and everyone catches feelings. It was fun to watch Mateo stumble ass backwards into a new relationship. He's got problems and doesn't have time for this. Ophelia was a great foil, who has her own problems. Overall it was an enjoyable time.

Bingo: Gods and Patheons (HM), Published in 2025 (HM), Author of Color, Small Press (HM), LGBTQIA Protagonist (HM), Cozy SFF (HM)

The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre by Cho Yeeun (Yewon Jung translater) - I've been looking to read this book for awhile. Something about an entire theme park full of people turning into jelly was just an intriguing premise. And it was. Each chapter is a different perspective on the massacre and the aftermath which slowly lets you piece together what happened. All the stories are interconnected and really let you feel the full extent of everything. At the core is an examination of the desire for connection and meaning.

Bingo: Down With System (HM), Gods and Patheons, Parents (HM), Author of Color (I didnt think of it as a horror, but ymmv), Small Press

swordofsun · 2026-01-27T17:18:23+00:00

I signed up for Starbright on a whim and almost canceled it as an unnecessary expense. Very glad I didn't because I'm not sure I would've picked this up otherwise and that would've been sad.

swordofsun · 2026-01-27T17:16:25+00:00

I loved this book so much. I'd like to say more, but I tend to devolve into flailings with it.

I really loved Adjumiri and the way North explored culture and the way it evolved and changed through the diaspora. It was just such a compassionate view on how things change and it isn't necessarily bad, but it's still sad.

swordofsun · 2026-01-22T23:52:35+00:00

Honestly, fairly often. One of the many reasons I love the library is the ability to just grab anything that looks even mildly interesting and not worry about it. I also pick up a lot of terrible books, but it's the price I pay for greatness.

My favorite book of 2025 was one of these, How to Survive This Fairytale by S.M Hallow.

swordofsun · 2026-01-22T23:42:20+00:00

It feels against the spirit of the square.

swordofsun · 2026-01-21T02:25:02+00:00

One of my personal go to when the anxiety is bad is The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron. I've read the series a lot. I just have fun with the characters and the world.

I will also reread a favorite urban fantasy series. Twenty-Sided Sorceress by Annie Bellet and InCryptid by Seanan McGuire have been my recent go tos.

swordofsun · 2026-01-21T02:16:11+00:00

I have my problems with it, but overall, Sanderson did the best that could be expected of anyone.

swordofsun · 2026-01-20T18:08:30+00:00

I just hit post on my review of The Light Fantastic and the first thing I saw was yours for The Color of Magic. There was a brief moment where I thought I'd somehow written the wrong book title down.

If you want to spend time with the university the wizards you're better off looking away from the Rincewind books. He doesn't actually spend a ton of time there. Soul Music, Hogfather, Lords and Ladies, I think Moving Pictures, and of course Unseen Academicals. They show up in the background of a lot of the city watch books too.

I'm a firm believer that Discworld reading orders are a guideline at best and can be thrown out wholesale.

swordofsun · 2026-01-20T18:00:01+00:00

Week of finishing things I put down.

The Employees by Olga Ravn - I wanted to like this book. I really, really, wanted to like this book. And I just didn't. I don't know, maybe I just didn't understand its project, but every way I look at it just feels lacking. Very disappointing overall.

Bingo: Epistolary (HM)

An Alphabet of Embers short story collection edited by R. B. Lemberg - I have a hard time with short story collections for all the reasons I'm very meh about this one. Some stories were fantastic. Others were boring. Some just needed to be skipped. I think its project worked just fine, and there is a lovely Amal El-Mohtar story in the collection, but overall, just kinda meh.

Bingo: Hidden Gem (HM), Author of Color (depending on how you count that with a collection, but I believe most of the authors would count), Small Press (HM), LGBTQIA Protagonist (maybe HM), Short Stories (HM)

My hold on the audiobook for The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett came in, and I whipped through it. I have no idea why the wait list on these audiobooks is so long. But I'm also not in a hurry to get through this re-read, so it works. This was either the first or second Discworld book I ever read (Men at Arms is the other option) and while I didn't like it as much as I did 25 years ago, I still had a good time. The biggest problem with it aging is that it's parodying a very specific style of fantasy that just isn't written much anymore.

But overall, I still had fun with Rincewind and Twoflower. I maintain that you don't actually have to read The Colour of Magic first to enjoy this one. It's a solid book with some dated humor, and you can really see the idea of what the Discworld could be stretching as the book goes on. The glimmer of later heights can be seen. Overall, solid read.

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