KJ Parker

[urchin]

I can't seem to find any references to KJ Parker, am I really her only fan?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Tell us what you love about her books, and perhaps you'll gain her some new fans.

 

[urchin]

Her writing is fantasy with hardly any cliches of the genre, her characters have strange names and live in strange places, but they feel like **** when they wake up in the morning, do jobs they hate, want to be other people and kill their nephews to make them into bows.
If you tire of dragons, honest villagers and people trying to take over the world check out KJ Parker.
If I haven't convinced you, it's your loss not mine!

xx

 

[Rane Longfox]

Devices and Desires, right? I was gonna buy that a while ago, but I went for Abercrombie's The Blade Itself instead. It is tempting though.

 

[urchin]

Devices and Desires is part of her new and as yet unfinished story. Completed works are The Fencer Trilogy and The Scavenger Trilogy. Both are very dark and about as far from fantasy as you can go without leaving the genre completely. Well worth the effort, but don't expect handsome farmboys and loveable orphans here...

 

[GOLLUM]

I've read Parker's work and didn't like it very much, sorry.... I couldn't actually finish the Fencer trilogy it was that bad! I found the prose to be pretty ordinary and the storyline unispiring......

 

[urchin]

I've read Parker's work and didn't like it very much, sorry.... I couldn't actually finish the Fencer trilogy it was that bad! I found the prose to be pretty ordinary and the storyline unispiring......

I'm very surprised that you don't like her work, Gollum, as I know you like Bakker and although their actual writing styles are a million miles apart, they are both taking the sort of liberties with the genre that other writers should be taking.

What I like about Parker is what I like about Bakker - the sheer confidence to go one's own way, not just sticking in a dragon and identikit hero to make a fast buck.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm very surprised that you don't like her work, Gollum, as I know you like Bakker and although their actual writing styles are a million miles apart, they are both taking the sort of liberties with the genre that other writers should be taking.

What I like about Parker is what I like about Bakker - the sheer confidence to go one's own way, not just sticking in a dragon and identikit hero to make a fast buck.

Well I've only read parts of the Fencer trilogy, so maybe the other series are better? AH so you know about my like for Bakker hey? Hae you checked out Steven Erikson yet?

 

[urchin]

Well I've only read parts of the Fencer trilogy, so maybe the other series are better? AH so you know about my like for Bakker hey? Hae you checked out Steven Erikson yet?

Erikson is God...

....Even if he is giving the series beautiful new covers that make the ones on my bookshelf look ugly and old.

 

[GOLLUM]

Erikson is God...

....Even if he is giving the series beautiful new covers that make the ones on my bookshelf look ugly and old.

Heh! looks like our tastes don't vary that much. Have you checked out the author Paul Kearney? He writes good military fantasy, set largely at Sea. JV Jnors current series is another standout.

 

[urchin]

Haven't read anything by Kearney, but I'll look out for his stuff now.
Only a fool ignores a tip from an Erikson fan....

 

[GOLLUM]

Haven't read anything by Kearney, but I'll look out for his stuff now.
Only a fool ignores a tip from an Erikson fan....

Well Erikson is a big fan of Kearney, in fact he rates him in the top 3 fantasy authors going around today. His current series is called the Sea Beggars, Book 1 is called Mark Of Ran. You should probably also check out Glenn Cook's Black Company series, only because it's one of the major influences on Erikson himself.

 

[urchin]

What did you think of Night of Knives, I have it, but haven't got around to reading it yet. I daren't even look at my TBR shelf....

 

[GOLLUM]

What did you think of Night of Knives, I have it, but haven't got around to reading it yet. I daren't even look at my TBR shelf....

Ditto friend but I've heard Esslemont isn't in the same league as the Master....
I actually just purchased a 3 book novella/omnibus of Erikson novellas for less than $50 Aus, pretty good value considering each novella is about that price.

 

[Gav]

Heh! looks like our tastes don't vary that much. Have you checked out the author Paul Kearney? He writes good military fantasy, set largely at Sea. JV Jnors current series is another standout.

Read the Monarchies of God (which is excellent up til the last book...) but don't bother with the Mark of Ran - which I found quite derivative.

 

[GOLLUM]

Read the Monarchies of God (which is excellent up til the last book...) but don't bother with the Mark of Ran - which I found quite derivative.

Interesting thoughts there. Actually I've read Monarchies Of God and it was a pretty solid series. I just felt that MOR was superior but I'm thinking more in terms of the prose rather than plot or charatcers perhaps. Having said that I still felt there was enough there to keep my interest. Kearney is not a widely read author which I think is a shame as he deserves a wider readership.

 

[Gav]

I've read all of the KJ Parker books.

I think what puts most people off is the straight - slightly cynical (I am talking character attitudes) - approach that the characters take to their environment.

I am actually a fencer and (funnily enough) that's why I picked up the Fencer trilogy.

Of the 3 I think the first 2 are excellent reads. I think the third book ended badly and felt more than a little rushed. She also appeared to tie off the loose ends a little too ruthlessly for my liking. I shan't say more than that in case anyone picks the books up.

I loved the first book in the scavenger series but felt the others were basically dire. Though I liked the fact that the characters felt quite real at the start (and I thought the premise was good) they became so unlovable that there seemed little point in reading about them.

I like her ideas. I like her unromantic approach to warfare. There is none of the misty eyed stuff that seems to infest so much of the fantasy genre. I think her characters feel quite real - while she reins in her excesses. As soon as she lets herself go ... well, the characters have a tendency to become more than a little unsympathetic.

And there are no elves, dwarves, dragons, magic (in the traditional fantasy sense) or other faux Tolkein devices that I've become very tired of reading.

 

[Gav]

Interesting thoughts there. Actually I've read Monarchies Of God and it was a pretty solid series. I just felt that MOR was superior but I'm thinking more in terms of the prose rather than plot or charatcers perhaps. Having said that I still felt there was enough there to keep my interest. Kearney is not a widely read author which I think is a shame as he deserves a wider readership.

RE: MOR

I felt that the characters lacked... I can't put my finger on it at present... depth. And there was more than a little cliche becoming apparent. Not only that but on the cover of the edition I have it goes on about the realistic portrayal of sea life - complete tosh. There are far far far far far better portrayals of the Age-of-Sail (MOR is set in a fantasy analogue).

In other words it got a 5/10 from me.

I thought he was dropped from his publisher now?

Monarchies would get a 8/10: it lost a mark because I felt that the books were so slim that they could've been put in a single volume. And the last novel is not very well executed so it lost another mark

But I agree. Kearney is a man with talent and should be read more. I think he should give up the MOR stuff and write something else.

 

[GOLLUM]

But I agree. Kearney is a man with talent and should be read more. I think he should give up the MOR stuff and write something else.

I thought the scenes at sea were excellent but then I'm not a seamen so I wouldn't really know how accurate it is. You may be happy to know that after the second book of this series Kearney's publisher has dropped publication of these books so things are still a little in limbo as far as I know.

 

[Gav]

I thought the scenes at sea were excellent but then I'm not a seamen so I wouldn't really know how accurate it is. You may be happy to know that after the second book of this series Kearney's publisher has dropped publication of these books so things are still a little in limbo as far as I know.

I'm not happy to hear that an author has been dropped.

However I would suggest that you should read some different naval books? Having read the likes of Patrick O'Brian, Conrad and Forrester then the Kearney portrayal of sailing seems a little flat in comparison.