The other thing was that I noticed a couple of very minor typos.
The typos in that book have always bothered me. This time, I had three different editors (a developmental, copy, and line editor). In addition, a friend I went to journalism school with is teaching now, and has an honors level editing course. She thought it was a good opportunity to give them practice, so she gave three of her students the manuscript, and told them for every five typos / grammatical errors / misspellings they could fine, they would get extra credit points. I also threw in a fifty dollar Visa gift card for who found the most.
I highly suggest this approach. Those kids absolutely dissected this book. Apparently my friend is a tough professor.
That is awesome.
Starting Harrow the Ninth, really enjoyed the first in the series
Starting Harrow the Ninth, really enjoyed the first in the series
Strap in. You have to just go with it. It'll make sense in the end.
Just finished the last Murderbot book. Yep, that's a good series. Has some surprisingly powerful emotional moments along the way. Recommend.
Next one due Nov 14. 
I'm reading the one of the author's other books Witch King and I'm enjoying it
Also try out the Raksura books if you like her style.
I believe she was thinking of quitting writing, as the work that went into did not yield predictable results. She was afraid to write what she really wanted to, and I think was being pushed to keep it mainstream, so she tried writing one story that really resonated with her, and pinned her career on the results.
And people loved it. And now she writes what she wants to.
That's my recollection, anyway.
So I've recommended the absolutely outstanding Orconomics and Son of a Liche by J Zachary Pike before. They're fantasy satire about a world inspired heavily by D&D, in which an entire market has risen up to invest in quests, developing a stock market, investment funds, pensions, and more, all anchored by the potential yield of bands of professional heroes raiding dragon hordes and such. Pike is an indie author that might be the next Terry Pratchett. I know that's high praise, but his books are hilarious, thoughtful, and occasionally hit you like a thunderbolt with emotion.
So he launched a Kickstarter a few months back for the third and final book in his Dark Profit Saga, Dragonfired, and as a backer I got the digital copy, and... Holy crap. The other two are excellent. This is a masterpiece. It's just as well done as the others, but pays off a lot of threads I didn't even realize he was weaving into the story, and has thoughtful moments on racism, privilege, greed, and the power of a simple act of decency. It's incredible, and I cannot recommend this trilogy highly enough.
If you want to get a taste of Pike's writing, he has two wonderful short stories as well. The Cabal of Thotash is about an evil, elder-god worshiping cult that ends up run by suburban families who argue about who's bringing gluten-free pastries to the next human sacrifice. A Song of Three Spirits is Pike's take on A Christmas Carol, in which the three ghosts visit a pair of surly market speculators, and it does not go as expected. Both are free to read on Kindle.
OMG someone else has heard of these books! They're amazing!
Just finished the Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. I picked it up because it had enthusiastic blurbs from two of my favourite authors, Charles Stross and NK Jemisin, and I wasn't disappointed.
There are thousands of alternate worlds in the multiverse, scattered between the poles of Order and Chaos. Dragons control the Order-oriented worlds, while the Chaos worlds are ruled by the Fae. The many human worlds, where neither Order nor Chaos dominate, are caught in the crossfire of a permanent state of low level war between the two. The Library, built in a hidden timeline at the centre of the multiverse, tries to keep the peace and stabilise the many worlds. Protagonist Irene Winters is a junior Librarian, who works with an assortment of characters from all three factions as they reluctantly cooperate to tackle various plots.
There are 8 books so far, which form a coherent story with a satisfying ending, but the author notes in the introduction to the 8th book that this is only intended to be "the end of season 1", and more adventures are planned.
Sounds like something I should put on my list. Also reminds me I need to finish the Nine Princes of Amber again.
I can second the recommendation for The Invisible Library series. It's a little weak in a couple of spots, but there are some interesting narrative directions throughout the story.
So guy at work introduced me to a new RPGlit series called Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. It's a fun series with a handful of giggle moments. The latest in the series conveniently just released last week and i went through it over the long weekend, and omg there were moments where i was crying from laughing so hard. It's a fun ride in typical RPG fashion with well thought out systems and doesn't get overly tied down repeating the same thing over and over again.
Highly recommend it
Hey, wanna preorder a pretty good book? It'd be super cool if you did.
Just finished up N.K.Jemisin's The Killing Moon, and of course it's brilliant.
It will come too soon, really.
Hey, wanna preorder a pretty good book? It'd be super cool if you did.
YAY!
LOVE that cover.
The book is okay, too.
Just finished up N.K.Jemisin's The Killing Moon, and of course it's brilliant.
Unwillingly mine?
So guy at work introduced me to a new RPGlit series called Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. It's a fun series with a handful of giggle moments. The latest in the series conveniently just released last week and i went through it over the long weekend, and omg there were moments where i was crying from laughing so hard. It's a fun ride in typical RPG fashion with well thought out systems and doesn't get overly tied down repeating the same thing over and over again.
Highly recommend it
Yes that is a good one. I didn't know a new book came out, I just re-read the series a couple of months ago so it is still fresh enough for me to pick up the new one. Thanks!
Hey, wanna preorder a pretty good book? It'd be super cool if you did.
I never pre-order ebooks, or any digital good, because I don't see much point with instant delivery. But for you I made an exception!
Looks like Bast's novella The Narrow Road Between Desires is coming out to tide us over another 10 years for Kingkiller Chronicles Book 3.
I actually don't care how many novellas he releases before book 3. I love Slow Regard for Silent Things.
Well, fate was up against will, Badken...
Up in your arms
to late to beg you
or cancel it though I know
it must the killing time
unwillingly mine
I never pre-order ebooks, or any digital good, because I don't see much point with instant delivery. But for you I made an exception! :)
I do pre-order ebooks, because based on past experience, I'm pretty sure that, by the time it comes out, I'll have forgotten why I wanted to read that one
I've seen authors say that ebook preorders are important to them because publishers use them to decide how many physical books to print. If it's something you're 100% sure you're going to get it might be worth it for that reason.
I've seen authors say that ebook preorders are important to them because publishers use them to decide how many physical books to print. If it's something you're 100% sure you're going to get it might be worth it for that reason.
Counterpoint - how often do you go to buy a book and find that there are no copies left? I can't think of a single occurrence of that happening that wasn't either a textbook, or a very old book, for which there were endless used copies for sale (and more often than not, numerous republishing).
Second counterpoint, how much do you care about the success or not of a publisher? Which of the five massive faceless corporations who dominate US publishing are you stanning for, that you feel the need to pay them ahead of time for their product?
Hah, I'm not arguing for any sympathy for the publishers, but it makes a difference to the author and the success of their book if you pre-order it early, or at least that's what they've said. As you say, it doesn't make any difference to whether you can get the book or not, but I'm always willing to help out the smaller authors since it's no skin off my nose.
Sanderson doesn't care, but I've got books by Martha Wells, Travis Baldree and Tamsyn Muir pre-ordered since they aren't sitting on stacks of wonga and if me pre-ordering helps them out at all I'm willing to do it.
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