Hmmm

[flemmings]

I like the Vlad Taltos books well enough, but I'm not sure I'm up for the marathon reread, in chronological not published order, that I've set myself. Still, a refresher on who did what when is useful, as I discover on rereading Taltos itself, which clearly sets up half the later spoilers of the series. (Remains to be seen whether Jhereg, written five years earlier, does too; I rather doubt it.) But I need to bookmark with post-it notes every time there's an unexplained something, because actually finding any passage, in what I recall as a triple-stranded narrative, is impossible. And Dragon is not much better.

Shall maybe bog down in the later lacklustre Cawti Conspiracy books, but that's for then.

Comments

[nekonexus.livejournal.com]

I've always felt like I missed... everything, maybe, when I read the Taltos books in high school, judging by what fandom says about them. Alas, I traded away the entire series for a bunch of FF7 doujinshi, and can't be arsed to rebuy them all. Also, I think by the time I got to Orca, the fourth-wall breaking narrative just pissed me off.

But still. The way people talk about them, I keep thinking maybe I should try again...

Your post-it idea sounds like the way to go.

But in the meantime, I have other NEW things to read. :p (And your commentary on the ... whatever that series is called ... magical mayor of london dude, made me curious about them, too.)

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

My hook in the Taltos thing is the Grand Conspiracy Backstory Whatever that's gradually unfolding. Otherwise I'd have given up after the third or fourth and only kept the Dumas pastiche backstories for their Dumas pastiche. What I like about the Dragaerans is that women are generals and soldiers, no second thoughts. It's more natural even than in the Points series.

Never noticed fourth-wall breaking (am not an observant reader), but just discovered that Vlad is actually supposed to be talking into whatever the equivalent of a tape recorder is. Which explains some of the style, except in the (forgettable) 3rd person book(s). I hope Brust didn't try that more than once.

The quirk about the Matthew Price books is-- well, I was looking at the front page for some reason and saw '2012 copyright Catherine Webb' and was all Pratchettish 'but why has he copyrighted his books to this woman?' thing-- happily ignoring the 'Kate Griffin' on the cover. I knew the author was a woman, but reading three in a row left me feeling it was a guy. Which is a neat trick.

But do start with A Madness of Angels. It explains many many things.

[nekonexus.livejournal.com]

That - the recording device thing - was what drove me up the wall in Orca. I didn't notice it in previous books so much.

That is a neat trick. I shall add it to the list. (Which reminds me, I need to actually read Degrees of Freedom since it is physically sitting on the coffee table.)

[petronia.livejournal.com]

Same here. Enjoy them, but can't remember any continuity/mythology to carry over from one to the other. XD;