We're currently reading The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez for November's book of the month, and this discussion will be on the book's second half.

This discussion includes the entire book, so if you haven't finished it yet, please avoid this topic. The comments below will contain spoilers.

I'll post some questions to go along with the reading but feel free to comment about anything else or start your own comment thread on anything you found interesting or any questions that you had.

• Did you have a favorite part? What about a favorite character?
• What did you think of Keema and Jun having the powers of the moon goddess? How did it differ from the emperors' and Terrors' use of their god-like powers?
• What were your thoughts on the Third Terror and Keema and Jun's interactions with him?
• What did you think of the time travel scene where the focus flips to 'you' and Keema is given the spear back and is forced to make a decision?
• How would you rate this book? Would you recommend it to others?

The December 2024 book will be We are the Dead by Mike Shackle

Nomination and Voting: See here

Goodreads Link: See here

Storygraph Link: See here

The war is over. The enemy won. Now it's time to fight back.

For generations, the people of Jia - a land where magic has long since faded from the world, clinging on in only a few rare individuals - have been protected from the northern Egril hordes by their warrior caste, but their enemy has not been idle. They have rediscovered magic and use it to launch an overwhelming surprise attack. An invasion has begun.

And in moments, the war is over. Resistance is quashed. Kings and city leaders are barricaded in their homes awaiting banishment and execution, the warriors are massacred, and a helpless people submit to the brutality of Egril rule.

Jia's heroes have failed it. They are all gone. And yet... there is still hope. Soon the fate of the kingdom will fall into the hands of a schoolboy terrorist, a crippled Shulka warrior and his wheelchair bound son, a single mother desperate enough to do anything she can to protect her baby... and Tinnstra, disgraced daughter of the Shulka's greatest leader, who now lies dead by Egril hands.

A brand new epic fantasy: gritty and modern featuring a unique ensemble of characters who will lead a revolution against their overlords.

Bookfinder Link: See here

Thriftbooks Link: See here

The first discussion for this book will be posted on November 15th covering the first half of the book. The final discussion will be posted on November 30th covering the entire book.

I've never really dug in deep when it came to fantasy, tried LOTR when I was a kid and it went in one ear and out the other. But I want to give the fantasy genre another shot. The closest thing to fantasy that I have loved is Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe and I'm looking for something with a similar writing/prose style.

I've been reading a lot of sci-fi such as PKD, Ursula K Leguin, Gene Wolfe, Jeff Vandermeer and literature such as Cormac McCarthy, Haruki Murakami, David Foster Wallace. Could anyone recommend me the Absolute prose master of the fantasy genre?

I started reading fantasy this year and have read 33 books so far, not all fantasy but most. I am wrapping up the cradle series right now which I absolutely love and have no idea what I should read next.

My favorite books/series so far are the Stormlight Archive, Will of the Many, and Cradle.

I read and listen to books so if you any books with really good narration that would be great too.

I’m trying to find the perfect next read for my fiance. He LOVED Game of Thrones and he liked books by Ken Follett. Does anyone have suggestions? He loves world building and the politics/detail of the family dynamics of Game of Thrones.

TIA! <3

Please use the comments to nominate books for December's book of the month. You can then upvote any of the book(s) that you would like to read. The comment with the most upvotes will be the selected book. The post will start in contest mode so that submitted entries are randomized and the upvotes are hidden.

You can make your nomination using the following format in top-level comments:

Book by Author

A short explanation explaining why the book is being nominated and why it is worth reading.

A link to Goodreads, Storygraph, LibraryThing, or the author's website with a description of the book can also be helpful but is not mandatory to nominate a book.

Voting will be closed on the 25th of this month to allow everyone a chance to get the book.

Nominations are open to anything, as we seem to be getting a good mix of different books, styles, and authors. Also if you are nominating a book in a series, please stick to only the first book in the series (maybe in the future we will do a series read though). Thanks!

Edit: Sorry I thought I had to post this on the 20th of the month...completely forgot that's when I normally close it so let's try to get 5 days of nominations I'll leave this open until the 25th (maybe slightly longer if voting is tied)!

Reddit friends and book lovers, Can you help or point me in the direction of where I can find a good list of discussion questions for my book club?

We have just read When The Moon Hatched by Sarah Parker.

I need to lead the discussion but haven’t had a chance to finish the book. Help!

Ready to read The Gate by: Brandi Schonberg Follow along with me!

We're currently reading The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez for November's book of the month, and this discussion will be on the first half of the book.

Please only discuss the first half of the book. This will be everything up to the end of the second day. This is page 278 in the hardcover edition. Please try to avoid any discussion of the third day forward.

Anything in the second half of the book will be considered spoilers and must be tagged as such.

Remember that even saying something like "you'll find that out soon enough" is considered a spoiler, so if you aren't sure if it's a spoiler - use spoiler tags to be safe!

I'll post some questions to go along with the reading but feel free to comment about anything else or start your own comment thread on anything you found interesting or any questions that you had.

• How do you feel about the narrative style that the author has chosen? What about all the different perspective changes and the framing of the story?
• What do you think of the worldbuilding of the story so far?
• Do you think that Keema will have a bigger purpose? What about the spear?
• Any thoughts on the dynamic between The Moon Godess, The Emperor, his sons (The Terrors) and grandsons? What about the empire as a whole? Any predictions?
• Are you liking the book so far? Do you plan on finishing it?

Hi guys,

I just finished The will of the many, Fourth Wing and Of blood and fire.

What I want to read next is, the prophesied hero, like Percy Jackson. I can also accept if the hero was guided by false prophecy. Or maybe someone like Anakin Skywalker who was prophesied to bring balance to the Force but not in the way the Jedi expected.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions

Here is Mental food, a neatly curated playlist regularly updated with gems of chill electronica, IDM and downtempo music. Deep vibes for concentration and relaxation. The ideal musical backdrop for my reading sessions.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/52bUff1hDnsN5UJpXyGLSC?si=yBHpxA7xRp28ugYPnl6IPA

H-Music

I currently have at least 6 unread books and I’m thinking of reading more than one… I currently have 100 pages left from Iron Flame but I really want to start Serpent and the Wig of Night, Deal with the Elf King, The Cruel Prince and Fire Falling(Air Awakens 2) Do you guys think it’s morally legal to start at least one of them while Iron Flame is still unfinished for me? (reddit spoilerd the end of Iron Flame so I don’t really have the spirit to finish the last 100 pages yet, and Onyx Storm is still 3 months away)

I'm looking for epic fantasy/urban fantasy with adventure and the usual good stuff, good versus evil, found family, strong family stuff, great friendships, sprinkles of romance novels and no PDA or stuff like that. Feel good vibes, overcoming hardships, action with trials and epic battles and journeys. Male or female protagonists is fine, no 3 or more love because that's too much for me 😅

Hi! I’m looking for some books to read that are either fantasy, sci fi or even horror. I like most forms of fantasy but have had my fill a bit of dragons, so need a breather from them. I’m not overly fond of romance, or specifically young romance that takes over the story (think fourth wing, acotar) either. I would prefer a more mature mc as well but it’s not a deal breaker for me.

Books I’ve loved: One dark window - Rachel Gillig A pinch of magic Most Stephen king horrors The passage - Justin Cronin Adventures of amina al sirafi- sa chakraborty Book of lost things - John Connolly Most Neil gaimen books

Books I’ve read but wasn’t keen on: Fourth wing - Rebecca yarros Babel - rf kuang City of last chances - Adrian Tchaikovsky

I don’t really want to jump into a 5 part series l, but two or three is ok. I’m on my way to a bookstore soon so need some inspiration please!

Thank you!

I’m looking for recommendations for a book or series that’s on the level of excellence of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George RR Martin.

I’m almost done finishing the first book in the series and bought the second. I love his writing. He’s so excellent with plot and descriptions and intrigue and surprises and relationships and communities. He has an incredible imagination. The problem is I’ve seen most of the series on television and I’ve seen a lot of clips online, so I recognize almost everything happening and know the outcome. This takes some of the enjoyment out of the reading.

Are there other books or series you think are in the same league? I like fantasy, but not if it goes too far. I don’t like lots of magic and flying around and talking horses and whirlwinds and things appeared out of nowhere, if you know what I mean. I don’t like supermen with unique powers. I don’t like Marvel movies— just not my thing. My favorite genre is hard sci-fi, but now I’d like to explore more fantasy. Maybe semi-hard fantasy, if there is such a thing. What I like about Martin is he has elements of fantasy, but doesn’t take them too far, but just enough— dragons, wight walkers, a 700 foot wall of ice, direwolves, etc. The people come first and foremost. Nobody gets off easy.

Yes, I’ve read Lord of the Rings and other books by Tolkien. Just as excellent. Would love to dive into somebody else similarly good. Any recommendations? Thanks.

We're currently reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab for October's book of the month, and this discussion will be on the book's second half.

This discussion includes the entire book, so if you haven't finished it yet, please avoid this topic. The comments below will contain spoilers.

I'll post some questions to go along with the reading but feel free to comment about anything else or start your own comment thread on anything you found interesting or any questions that you had.

• How did you feel about the final battle sequence and the ending with the black magic stone?
• What do you think of Lila's contributions to the story and interactions with Kell? Did you expect them to stay together at the end? What about her potential magic abilities?
• What do you think happened to Holland in the end, is he really dead?
• How would you rate this book? Would you recommend it to others? Do you think that you'll read the rest of the series?

I've recently gotten back in to reading after reading when the moon hatched, I then read forth wing and iron flame, then the spell shop and I've just finished of by the orchid and the owl.

And now I'm struggling on what to read next. I can be picky/particular

I'm looking for something that has nature/forest/mushroom themes or fae/folklore

Does not need to be a romance although I know that is all I've read so far.

I tried the north wind and I couldn't finish it 😅

Bonus points if its on kindle unlimited ot is a completed series!

The November 2024 book will be The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

Nomination and Voting: See here

Goodreads Link: See here

Storygraph Link: See here

Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.

The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.

But that god cannot be contained forever.

With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom—and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.

Bookfinder Link: See here

Thriftbooks Link: See here

The first discussion for this book will be posted on November 15th covering the first half of the book. The final discussion will be posted on November 30th covering the entire book.

I can’t remember a lot about this book but please help me remember the name! I do remember that anyone who looks at the tapestry also goes insane, and the King who was responsible became a beggar. Any help remembering would be helpful!!

Has anyone read this series before?! I am starting the second book in the series called “War”, I don’t want to spoil too much, so I don’t wanna say too much.

My opinion: The books were not what I expected , but I really enjoyed book 1. I couldn’t put it down. So I’m hoping the rest are the same way. I also like how the author has 4 separate stories combined into one story! They don’t coincide but they do make sense.

Edited for clarity.

Hi, I need good, solid recommendations for epic fantasy. I have read Tolkien, Sanderson, Eddings, Cook, Abercrombie, Erickson, Rothfuss, Briggs, LeGuinn, Pratchett, Gamaine, Brooks, McCaffrey, Bardugo, Wurts, McGuire, Lackey, Feist, Martin, Okorafor, Hobb, Williams, Wexler, Weis, Hickman, Salvatore, and Maas (about half bc bored, tho she's a bit too romantasy/ya for me), etc.

Recently, I've read: Song, Linde, Buehlman (great!), Kristoff, Dinniman (all). I've read Baldree, and such, too.

What I don't want is YA, and romantasy masquerading as epic fantasy. I am tired of searching Libby, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc and getting fed books that end up being disappointing bc they are marketed as something they are not. I am not seeking a romance set in a fantastical setting, nor am I seeking a formulatic ya book.

Complexity, well written, fleshed out & character driven, with good world building, is more along the lines of what I am looking for.

Please, HELP!

Someone gave me a rec of Mistborn Trilogy and im about to read it. While searching up about it, one of those google questions said "do u have to read it in order?". Do you?

Someone told me if I want recs to join a book club and here I am. Im constantly seeing people talking about random books and I don't know if they're good or not. Thnx for the help.

A long time ago I stopped reading books with a female main character, just due to the fact that there’s always some type of touchy-feely love interest that the author always winds up going on a tangent about. Think about the whole, hunger games situation with Peter and Gail. That entire part of the story was completely unnecessary imo. anyway, I was wondering if there is any stand outs that I’ve missed out on due to my decision. I would hate to miss out on a book like the black prism or the way of Kings because of something like this.

We're currently reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab for October's book of the month, and this discussion will be on the first half of the book.

Please only discuss the first half of the book. This will be everything up to the end of Chapter 8 (An Arranagement), which is page 210 in the hardcover edition. Please try to avoid talking about anything in Chapter 9 or beyond.

Anything in the second half of the book will be considered spoilers and must be tagged as such.

Remember that even saying something like "you'll find that out soon enough" is considered a spoiler, so if you aren't sure if it's a spoiler - use spoiler tags to be safe!

I'll post some questions to go along with the reading but feel free to comment about anything else or start your own comment thread on anything you found interesting or any questions that you had.

• What do you think of three (four?) London's and the way they interact or don't interact with each other?
• What are your thoughts on the magic system so far?
• Any opinions on the Danes and White London? What about Holland?
• How do you think Lila will tie into the story going forward and do you think she'll continue on with Kell?
• Do you like the book so far? Do you plan on finishing it?

Please use the comments to nominate books for November's book of the month. You can then upvote any of the book(s) that you would like to read. The comment with the most upvotes will be the selected book. The post will start in contest mode so that submitted entries are randomized and the upvotes are hidden.

You can make your nomination using the following format in top-level comments:

Book by Author

A short explanation explaining why the book is being nominated and why it is worth reading.

A link to Goodreads, Storygraph, LibraryThing, or the author's website with a description of the book can also be helpful but is not mandatory to nominate a book.

Voting will be closed on the 20th of the month to allow everyone a chance to get the book.

Nominations are open to anything, as we seem to be getting a good mix of different books, styles, and authors. Also if you are nominating a book in a series, please stick to only the first book in the series (maybe in the future we will do a series read though). Thanks!

Edit: It also seems that I forgot to turn on contest mode again when I scheduled this post, so please ignore post order and current upvotes to the best of your ability - just vote for your favorites!

I’m about to start this book. Anyone have a link to a good series recap before jumping in? I finished Oath bringer so long ago I feel like I need a refresher.

Hi everyone. I am in dire need of a book similar to nettle & bone, T. Kingfisher & And I Darken, Kiersten White. I am not much of a reader so I don’t know much ahaha but I want to get someone dear to me a gift.

Also, any tips on how to annotate such books?? Planning to annotate one just to make it more special aha. Really need some help aha. Cheers!