On behalf of...

[akk]

...giving reviews

I have received a couple of emails regarding the fact that I endorse and love receiving long & detailed reviews for my fics, yet seldom or never "take the time" or "bother" to review other works in return (not even briefly). For that I was named -among other things- arrogant and egotistic.
And maybe I am that. However, the reason why I currently write next to no reviews is that I practically stop reading fanfics in a fandom in which I'm writing a long, complex epos like 36° or Family Matters. There are two reasons for this:
1. I can either write the epos or read other works in what little free time I have, and
2. If I read other works, they tend to influence me (as happened with a snippet from solo____ in chapter 11; and I told her about the risk beforehand!).
So please accept that I'm not likely to return the reviewing effort in the near future.



...book recommendations
The recent hype about the finish of a world-renowned seven book fantasy epos I was never tempted to read made me wonder, which multiple books series in this specific genre I'd actually recommend in stead. The answer is two (in no specific order):
a) Sergej Lukianenko's "Watch"-Series [Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch), Dnevnoi Dozor (Day Watch),...] (dark contemporary magic, bordering on horror sometimes) [I actually read the German translations and can't type the Russian title, sorry]
and
b) C. J. Cherryh's "Fortress"-Series [Fortress in the Eye of Time, Fortress of Owls,...] (high complex fantasy with rich, believably developing characters, drama and history)



...receiving reviews & recommendations
Finally, an act of shameless self-presentation:
I recently came across the Fanworks Finder page, which looks like a really promising idea. I listed my completed fanfic "36°" and its sequel "Family Matters" and am quite curious if they will be recced:
36°: - & - Family Matters:

Comments

[akk]

The Fortress series is actually best when read continuously - as I did by now - so that the subtle changes (and growing) of the characters becomes visible. I actually enjoyed all of the books so far, though I haven't gotten through Fortress of Ice yet - haven't had time to read it properly.

Another book of her's that I truly enjoyed is "The Dreamtree", which influenced a lot my take on fey (and Sidhe in specific; though I also like Laurell K Hamilton's take on them. It's sad that her plot lines always deteriorate into porn after the second volume. She creates fascinating worlds - and then trashes them.), but since I was giving a review for multi-book series... :)

I once read a scifi book by Kate Elliot, but it didn't leave a lasting impression aside from horribly violated science. I don't even remember its title, actually.

[corbeaun.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll check out the later Fortress books and try again. Her writing is a bit dense, so it's likely I missed parts when I first read it. At least, I've found it to be so from rereading Fortress in the Eye of Time. I fell in love with the first book because of Tristen's guilelessness, but upon rereading was utterly captured by the politicking.

I wasn't aware Kate Elliot wrote sci-fi, but if she did, I'm glad she's turned to the less science-intensive fantasy. Her medieval world making is not bad at all, though she does tend have multiple storylines so that sometimes I feel as if I'm reading four books instead of one.

Haven't heard of Dreamtree before - it sounds interesting (thanks for the rec!). Actually, when I read the first Fortress book, I was so enthralled with it and its author that I checked the local library for her other books. I vaguely remember reading a sci-fi book about a cat-person...? Fortress was definitely preferable.

Your mention of the Sidhe and LK Hamilton reminds me of Judith Tarr and her take on the subject. She also wrote a series, included in it a novel called "Alamut" which, as the title probably suggests, deals Jerusalem during the Crusades. Maybe a little unusual in the setting, but an enjoyable read.

[akk]

Yes, Cherryh writes a complex and detail-loving style - one of the things I love in her writing - and I believe (or maybe I hope so) that her writings influenced me in that regard. I certainly like it, though her books need attention. If you aren't in the mood for attentive reading, they certainly aren't the ones to grab (which is why Fortress of Ice is still on the "to read"-stack).

She writes a hard-faced, very technically oriented scifi that might not be everyone's taste. However, she's one of the few authors who manages to create believable (as in scientifically logical) science in scifi. If that's your cup of tea, I recommend her Pell series - and probably the novel "Yeager" as being one of her strongest in that genre.

Dreamtree is old, originally published in the 80s, but it has seen reprints since then, so good luck. It's certainly worth the effort. :)
I know Tarr's work - and love them - though I'd wish her descriptions to just go a tad deeper, be more palpable. She's got a terrific plot and background story set up (I certainly like Morgiana!); I just keep asking... and what was that like? How did they feel? What happened then? And how did that look? she stayed a tad too close to the surface for my tastes.