Probably you already know this, but Tchaikivsky has written Warhammer novels too.
Two books and some shorts, none of which I've read. One is about one of the few factions/half-factions that I actively do not care about and don't enjoy reading about; Genestealers. The other novel I actually really want to read quite a lot. The shorts I actually don't know anything about, just that he did a few.
I liked Children of Time a lot. Definitely my fave of the trilogy, but that whole series sits squarely in my sphere of interest. There's a fourth coming next year, Children of Strife.
He's doing another one? Man, I'm already two behind. Gotta get on that. There's also definitely some other stuff of his I'd like to read, but as I've said many times - there's only so much time in a day that I can devote to reading for pleasure.
@Damien Feeling the same about John Gwynne's stuff. It's funny, I don't think he's a brilliant, takes your breath away storyteller, but he's not trying to be - he's fuckin' EFFICIENT. That's what I like about it. He tells a story like a craftsman and not an academic. He knows the parts of the story need to fit together and work like carpentry. I feel like a lot of epic fantasy writers huff their own sauce too much these days.
John Gwynne writes like I imagine saga-tellers 1000 years ago spoke. Just enough fluff and pomp and flower to heighten the story, but the STORY is the star. I devoured all three books and loved every second. That series, along with the Lawless series I'm currently reading, are in the list of the VERY few stories I unironically call 'true page-turners.'
No joke, Rage of Dragons was in my cart WITH Shadow of the Gods and was going to be my next pickup if I hadn't decided to read the full trilogy by Gwynne first. I'll grab that next. (Only about a third into book 2 as of today.)
Yes, do it. And then come tell me about how awesome it is while you're ordering the second book.
Does anyone here read urban fantasy stuff?
No? But not by design or anything. I don't dislike it, I just haven't come across very much to begin with, and then sifting through to find something that got my interest just never happened. I'm sure I've read some that I liked in various short story compilations, but never enough to send me out looking for more. Dresden is the most popular urban fantasy right now, I imagine, and I fucking hate those books.
But I'm an old school Shadowrun fan, so I'm not opposed to mixing genres. I just don't know of anyone doing it well right now.
I'd be curious to know which three you read. I didn't like Warbreaker or Mistborn.
Way of Kings, Firstborn, and Final Empire, I believe?
I was both blown away and bored to tears by Children of Time. As much as I appreciated the first book—the ending was beautiful—I won't read the others. I read enough serious stuff between my job and the news. When I read at the end of the day, I need escapism. I bounce off the hard sci-fi stuff. I gave up on Asimov for the same reason. It's just too dry.
Totally get that. I kind of get being bored during the book, but also I was bored while wanting to know what will happen next? It's weird. But I loved the psychological/body horror of things like the AI/Human thing (avoiding any spoilers, but it is fucking CREEPY, depressing, and horrifying and I loved it).
I see the LOGIC behind changing names, but look at it this way: Stephen King and JK Rowling (may she rot for what she's done in the years since) sold better once people found out who was writing the books they did under a pseudonym. In modern publishing, your name is your brand and it has value. People will voraciously ONLY read books by two or three authors, so I'd rather befuddle a few readers by changing genres than lose readers by starting from scratch (esp. because unless you are a top five author - not top five percent, like literally one of the top five sellers for a publisher) the publisher will put zero dollars into marketing your new persona, so you'll be building from the ground up all over again.
NO ONE bought Fever Dream without George Martin's name on the book. It's just fact. The idea that you should change your name to write in a different genre is stupid as fuck and was NEVER intended to benefit the author.
Not sure if it's the same as "urban fantasy", but what I call "low fantasy" is usually a huge pet peeve of mine. I basically hate the tropes of magic and monsters existing in some kind of analogue of the real modern world.
Definitely not something I've ever heard the term 'low fantasy' for. Low fantasy is like.. Conan. Fantasy worlds where most normal people will live their entire lives without encountering magic or magical/monstrous creatures in any significant form.
from a Blind Guardian song
Nice.
The whole thing fascinated me, it's directly up my street. But I actually am a big fan of the harder sort of sci-fi, especially when it takes the biology and evolution of its aliens more seriously. And Tchaikovsky's at his best (to me) when he's trying to write from the perspective of non-human intelligences. I'd say the hardest I've ever read is Greg Egan, who you should definitely avoid if you don't want like equations and stuff in your novels. 