What 📔book are you reading right now?

[Deimos]

The author, Morgan Rice, apparently a best-selling author who has been cranking book series out. The book I named is the first of a six-book series *shudder*

It's often said how hard it is to become a successful author but reading this book I have to wonder how hard could it be; or, if they're publishing stuff like this, what are they rejecting?

Looking at this author's bibliography, it's clear Rice is a big fan of A Song of Ice and Fire with titles like "A March of Kings" and "A Feast of Dragons" 🙄 But there is zero indication that she is otherwise influenced by George R. R. Martin, at least as far as writing style and quality are concerned. There are derivative elements such as the main character having a pet wolf and there being a giant wall that keeps out hostile forces.

Edit: I've since learned she self-publishes, which explains a lot. But good on her, I guess. I don't quite get why she's a best-seller, though.

Edit II: Here's a sample:

Whenever I come across something that reads like it was written by a high school sophomore in Creative Writing class, it is invariably "self-published"; which does, indeed, (as you say) "explain a lot." ,

 

[Tyelkormo the Fair]

I know another author who also has works in high fantasy genre but hers is quite unique imo
I don't think if she had translated her works in English but I guess she will in the near future,I have read her works before she published (she wrote fanfiction at first be the idea was hers she just used some kpop idols as characters to get people to read them),and they're pretty good
Her name is Sayeh Salehi and her publication's name is black shadow(Sayeh Siah) after her own name

The author, Morgan Rice, apparently a best-selling author who has been cranking book series out. The book I named is the first of a six-book series *shudder*

It's often said how hard it is to become a successful author but reading this book I have to wonder how hard could it be; or, if they're publishing stuff like this, what are they rejecting?

Looking at this author's bibliography, it's clear Rice is a big fan of A Song of Ice and Fire with titles like "A March of Kings" and "A Feast of Dragons" 🙄 But there is zero indication that she is otherwise influenced by George R. R. Martin, at least as far as writing style and quality are concerned. There are derivative elements such as the main character having a pet wolf and there being a giant wall that keeps out hostile forces.

Edit: I've since learned she self-publishes, which explains a lot. But good on her, I guess. I don't quite get why she's a best-seller, though.

Edit II: Here's a sample:

 

[Vorondil]

Just started The Hound of Ulster by Rosemary Sutcliff.

 

[Olorgando]

"Morgoth's Ring", the 1993 volume 10 of HoMe, a 1994 paperback reprint, skipping the four LotR volumes. I wonder if I'll get a rash at some parts again.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Have you read the LOTR volumes previously? I have to confess they're my favorites -- to read, and to research.

 

[OfMarinersMostRenowned]

I just bought a cheap paperback of the Silmarillion so I can highlight and take notes. This will be my 3rd (and a half, I started over in the middle last year so I could read chapter by chapter with the Prancing Pony Podcast) read and I'm prepping for the Andy Serkis audiobook coming out on the 22nd of this month! So excited!

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

I just bought a cheap paperback of the Silmarillion so I can highlight and take notes. This will be my 3rd (and a half, I started over in the middle last year so I could read chapter by chapter with the Prancing Pony Podcast) read and I'm prepping for the Andy Serkis audiobook coming out on the 22nd of this month! So excited!

The Andy Serkis narration for The Silmarillion is coming out this month?! That is good news, indeed!

 

[Elbereth Vala Varda]

I'm prepping for the Andy Serkis audiobook coming out on the 22nd of this month! So excited!

Didn't know this! It's almost worth a thread in itself!

 

[Olorgando]

"Morgoth's Ring", the 1993 volume 10 of HoMe, a 1994 paperback reprint, skipping the four LotR volumes.

Have you read the LOTR volumes previously? I have to confess they're my favorites -- to read, and to research.

Yes, I did, whenever it was that I managed to get hold of them. Certainly after I had read LotR several times. They were interesting in illuminating one major reason why it took JRRT 12 years to complete his magnum opus - the other major reason of course being that fantasy writing was not his day job. But as we here do have the author-published canon, they are, like vol 3 "The Lays of Beleriand", in the best shape of the 11 paperbacks of HoMe that I own (vol 12 PoMe, a hardcover, is in much worse shape). They might be instructive to aspiring authors - terrifying, even - but that I never was nor will be.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I find following Tolkien's mind at work fascinating. We can do that with the other volumes too, of course, but here we have a completed, published-in-his-lifetime text to compare it to.

 

[OfMarinersMostRenowned]

The Andy Serkis narration for The Silmarillion is coming out this month?! That is good news, indeed!

Yessir! My wife just ran through the LOTR audiobook series for the first time and it has been such a joy seeing her fall in love with the books over the PJ movies (no hate towards them, but you know what I mean). I can't wait to see her jaw drop at certain points during the Silmarillion.

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

Yessir! My wife just ran through the LOTR audiobook series for the first time and it has been such a joy seeing her fall in love with the books over the PJ movies (no hate towards them, but you know what I mean). I can't wait to see her jaw drop at certain points during the Silmarillion.

Oh, I know! The movies are great, and it’s been many years since I’ve read the books. I’m currently listening to the BBC radio drama of LOTR, and it’s so good!! Brings back a lot of memories I’d forgotten, and the quality is top-notch! I intend to listen to Andy Serkis’ LOTR next, to get the full picture. I can’t wait for The Silmarillion’s audiobook, though! I’m currently reading it, more than halfway through, and it’s one of my favorites! I had tried listening to an audiobook of it early on, but the narrator was rather boring to listen to. I’m sure Andy will do a phenomenal job with it!

 

[Olorgando]

I find following Tolkien's mind at work fascinating. We can do that with the other volumes too, of course, but here we have a completed, published-in-his-lifetime text to compare it to.

Agreed. But my reactions to various sections can be summarized as follows:

🤔😟😳🥶🤯😱😬🙄🥴🤬🥴🤒🤕☠️😒🤨🧐😵🤧😷😖😣 etc.

I don't need a repeat of that! 🥵

 

[Amon Rudh]

I'll soon(ish) be reading the lovely copy of Beowulf while drinking my coffee from the ace mug, both of which my beautiful daughters bought me for Father's Day.

 

[Amon Rudh]

Ps the book I am reading currently is The Shaping of Middle-earth Earth vol. 4 in the HoME series. It's part way along my mega Tolkien reading marathon (attempting to read full volumes in approximate order of the timeline). This involves around 40 books so may take me a while, especially as I'm interspersing non-Tolkien books as palate cleansers inbetween each volume.

 

[Ent]

Working more on "The Road Goes Ever On and On" by our own @1stvermont, interspersing with "The Science of Middle-earth".

 

[Radaghast]

 

[Olorgando]

View attachment 22842

Ah, the guy who assisted Christopher Tolkien in editing The Silmarillion for a while in the mid-1970's.

 

[Starbrow]

View attachment 22842

I read that years ago and enjoyed it.

 

[HALETH✒🗡]

I've been given this list of British authors at university to choose one of them and read a book in the English language during the next term. What would you recommend? I'd be grateful for a piece of advice.