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[Reading Group] Nominations are OPEN!

GeekDavid

Auror
If you're not familiar with the Mythic Scribes Reading Group, it's an idea I introduced in this thread. The basic idea is that the group nominates books within a certain theme (dark fantasy, steampunk, etc), then we vote to see which of the nominated books we'll read... then we get together to discuss it.

Looking at the calendar, and bearing in mind the holiday season, I'm gonna suggest this time frame... we'll accept nominations until the end of the year, then we'll take the first couple of weeks of January to vote. The book discussion will start February 1st, so you'll have a little over a month to read it. After the January vote is over we'll also open up new nominations for books be discussed during March.

The theme for the first set of nominations is... stories that mix magic and technology. Those of us who have limited means and who have e-readers would like to ask everyone to consider price, general availability in libraries, and availability in e-book format when making your nominations.

:Smile:
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I'm not sure how available this would be in a library, but I'd like to nominate Jay Kristoff's first book in his Lotus War series Stormdancer.

Here's the cover art:

13538816.jpg


Here's a blurb written by Patrick Rothfuss:

“What’s that? You say you’ve got a Japanese steampunk novel with mythic creatures, civil unrest, and a strong female protagonist? I’m afraid I missed everything you said after ‘Japanese steampunk.’ That’s all I really needed to hear.”

So magic, check, technology, check.

If you're interested in the book, you can read a more detailed synopsis here:

Amazon.com: Stormdancer: The Lotus War Book One eBook: Jay Kristoff: Kindle Store

Also, can we nominate more than one book? If so, I'd like to offer up another one, but I'll wait for others to chime in first.
 

GeekDavid

Auror
I don't see any problem with offering more than one nomination as long as you're not offering 20 when everyone is doing 2... if ya know what I mean. :D
 

JRFLynn

Sage
I have this book, haven't gotten around to it yet :rolleyes:

41SKx1cJ3gL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


Clockwork Angels

Blurb:
A remarkable collaboration that is unprecedented in its scope and realization, this exquisitely wrought novel represents an artistic project between the bestselling science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson and the multiplatinum rock band Rush. The newest album by Rush, Clockwork Angels, sets forth a story in Neil Peart’s lyrics that has been expanded by him and Anderson into this epic novel. In a young man’s quest to follow his dreams, he is caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos. He travels across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life.

Available on kindle, amazon, etc.
Clockwork Angels: The Novel: Kevin J. Anderson, Neil Peart: 9781770411210: Amazon.com: Books
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I've been wanting to read Abnett for a while. There is a mention of "something supernatural" in one of the reviews, so that may fit the magic theme. It bums me out that most of the Warhammer collection is only available through the Black Library website, but I guess that is both a pro and con for them.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
I've been wanting to read Abnett for a while. There is a mention of "something supernatural" in one of the reviews, so that may fit the magic theme. It bums me out that most of the Warhammer collection is only available through the Black Library website, but I guess that is both a pro and con for them.

Abnett is great. WH40K has a lot of magical/supernatural elements generally. Depends on the book as to how much of that you're going to get. I've never read anything by Abnett that wasn't good. The world has orcs, elves, and other races and comes down to a fight against chaos cults. Tech is controlled largely by tech priests. It's a pretty solid fusion of magic and tech in a bleak universe.

I haven't read the book above, so how much of the magic site figures in I don't know.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
Abnett is great. WH40K has a lot of magical/supernatural elements generally. Depends on the book as to how much of that you're going to get. I've never read anything by Abnett that wasn't good. The world has orcs, elves, and other races and comes down to a fight against chaos cults. Tech is controlled largely by tech priests. It's a pretty solid fusion of magic and tech in a bleak universe.

I haven't read the book above, so how much of the magic site figures in I don't know.

If you're thinking Abnett, I'll put a word in for the Eisenhorn books.
 

GeekDavid

Auror
Abnett is great. WH40K has a lot of magical/supernatural elements generally. Depends on the book as to how much of that you're going to get. I've never read anything by Abnett that wasn't good. The world has orcs, elves, and other races and comes down to a fight against chaos cults. Tech is controlled largely by tech priests. It's a pretty solid fusion of magic and tech in a bleak universe.

I haven't read the book above, so how much of the magic site figures in I don't know.

Now that does sound kinda interesting...
 

Ankari

Hero Breaker
Moderator
If we're suggesting books I've not read, I'd like to try:

9781937007683_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG


If we're suggesting books we've read, then I'd suggest:

9780765319234_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
Ah, Prince of Thorns is already in my stack of "half-read" books so I wouldn't mind having an incentive to finish it. I liked what I read, but I just got distracted by other things (which tends to be the case) I've since organized my Kindle so I'm more apt to finish things I start reading.

I'm at the very end of The Black Company. Another great one. I wonder, does Garrett P.I. have magic in it?
 

Quillstine

Troubadour
The DARKOVER series is what immediately jumped into my mind, but then I have read them so figured there was no point nominating them! Although I would always read them again :wink:
Instead I pulled out my leather bound journal labelled "books I want to read" and sifted through the endless pages of titles for some to nominate!

I'll offer

Into the Darkness

Which a lot of you might have read as I know it was very popular, I as yet have not so I'm putting it up

into-darkness-harry-turtledove-paperback-cover-art.jpg


The Iron Dragon's Daughter

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AND FINALLY..... (forgive the cover!)

Empire of the East

NO IMAGE AS I WAS OVER THE LIMIT!

Now these are not on Kindle, but can be bought used for very very little, so I thought I would place them anyway.

Just for fun, seeing as it is in the theme, I'll also share (Yet not nominate) one of my little sisters favorite fantasy books.

Duel of Dragons

The blurb for this book is "Why would a land of dragons about to be attacked by twentieth-century weapons need a UCLA teacher to guard it?". That folks is the million dollar questions! :D
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I would be remiss not to mention Frank Herbert's Dune one of the best examples of fantasy and SF blended together, old magic and technology working together. It has the Bene Gesserit witches, space guilds, sand worms, the Weirding Way, a "Chosen One" (probably the best one I've ever seen.)

dune-cover-by-john-schoenherr.jpg
 
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