wherein Liz reads stuff

[edenfalling]

There are a lot of books that I sort of vaguely intend to read at some point. Like, A LOT a lot. Most of them I never do get around to, because other things come up and a vague intention is easily forgotten or set aside, but now and then I do actually make good on things.

Which is a long way of saying that I checked out Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief and The Queen of Attolia yesterday (sadly, my local library does not own the next two books), took them home in the evening, and made the terrible life choice to start reading them at 10pm.

...

I put hold requests on The King of Attolia and A Conspiracy of Kings this afternoon. Hopefully they will arrive on Friday.

*attempts not to die of anticipation*

Comments

[marycontrary]

There isn't much of a fandom, but there are a few gems out there.

This is my favorite, but don't read it until you've finished the books.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/144033

[edenfalling]

*makes note of rec*

...I should confess, though, that it is much too late to shield me from spoilers. (Actually, it was too late to shield me from spoilers as far back as five to ten years ago. And that's okay! I care more about how a book does [surprising twist] than about actually being surprised by [surprising twist]. In fact, I am one of those terrible people who often flip to read the last chapter once I'm about a third of the way into a story, specifically so I won't wring myself dry with sympathetic tension.)

[transposable_element]

Hahaha! Was this my recommendation?

As it happens, there is a brand new Queen's Thief gift exchange (called Hamiathes Gift Exchange, natch) that just went live on AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/collections/HamiathesGift2016

I was going to point you toward On the Desk of Simon Illyan, but I see you have already it, so I will simply suggest that you reread it now that you have more context.

[edenfalling]

It was a lot of people's recs over a lot of years, and also some fanfic for which I had no context whatsoever but which was cool and intriguing anyway. (In addition to being one of the terrible people who read the last chapter when I'm only a third of the way through the book, I also often like to read fic for canons I am completely unfamiliar with and try to piece the canon together from the fragments. This is an interesting exercise both for the recreating a broken puzzle aspect and for the sociology aspect, because what people fic about and what the canon itself is about are often wildly different.)

A gift exchange! Oooh. *dashes off to read*

[wistfulmemory.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed those books when I was younger. It's been a while since I've read them. I should hunt them down for a reread...

[edenfalling]

I can report that the first two work excellently when read as an adult, even without any fond childhood memories to potentially bias the experience. :)

[wistfulmemory.livejournal.com]

I just got the first book from the library and have the other 3 on hold. :)

[wistfulmemory.livejournal.com]

And random question, but now that you've read them, will you be willing to include this fandom in your list of acceptable requests for fanfic prompts?

[edenfalling]

Oh, yikes! I'm not sure; it might end up being one of those things, like the Vorkosigan saga, where I don't feel at all confident in my ability to adequately recreate the intricate conversational layers and plans-within-plans. Then again, challenges are good for the soul...

Ask me again after I read books 3 and 4 and I'll be able to give a more informed answer.

[wistfulmemory.livejournal.com]

Hee. :) No worries. It would be fun if you do end up being able to write it, but I understand the reasons why you're hesitating. I do feel like you'd do an amazing job in writing a modern AU of it.