Canadian eReader

[challenge-progress for=”Realm of the Elderlings” bg=”black” font=”white”] [book-info] Progress: Fool’s Fate 50% complete. OK, confession time.  I was disappointed that Brilliance Audio isn’t releasing Fool’s Fate in audiobook format in Canada until later this month so I used an iTunes UK gift voucher from my parents to pick up the book from iTunes UK.  The narrator is different – Nick Taylor rather than James Langton – and I would have preferred to have had them all the same.  Still it does mean if I don’t quite finish in time I’ll be able to finish the book during my coach trip on Friday. I may still pick up the North American one just so I have the set. This was another hard slog of a section, mirroring the hard journey our intrepid hero undergoes to reach the dragon Icefyre’s icy lair.  Lots of being cold, miserable, and hiking through treacherous snow and ice.  We’ve finally arrived at our destination, so hopefully things will start to happen soon. Only a couple of things to note: we still don’t know who our antagonist is yet.  We’re half way through the final book of the series!  It’s becoming more strongly implied that it’s the…

[challenge-progress for=”Realm of the Elderlings” bg=”black” font=”white”] [book-info title=”Ship of Destiny” author=”robin-hobb-2″] Progress: Ship of Destiny 76% complete. I made good progress today on Ship of Destiny.  In the section I read today, Amber all but stood up waving her arms and shouting “look at me, I’m Fitz’s Fool!”  At one point she says “I’ve been called a Fool and a prophet,” which is pretty clear.  Now, it’s been a while since I read the Realm of the Elderlings for the first time, but I seem to remember not picking up Amber’s true identity at this point.  I can’t remember when I did first pick up on it, but I do remember it coming as a complete shock. The subject of rape is also dealt with in this section, specifically Kennit’s rape of Althea.  The whole question of the victim’s not being believed, as well as the rapist having been raped himself.  It certainly wasn’t a comfortable passage to read. More tomorrow!

[challenge-overview showempty=”yes”] As you may have seen from my reading roundup this week, I have set myself a significant reading challenge for the next three weeks. Before I set off on vacation on August 15th I hope to have reread part of Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series. I hope to finish: Assassin’s Quest (848 pages/ 37 hrs and 39 mins audiobook) – I’m currently around a third of the way through this – Ship of Destiny (912 pages/33 hrs and 38 mins audiobook), Fool’s Errand (672 pages/24 hrs and 47 mins audiobook), Golden Fool (712 pages) and Fool’s Fate (936 pages). I will be mixing reading with listening to the audiobook, where one is available. I am attempting to read all this to be ready for the release of Fool’s Assassin. This is a significant challenge, and in order to complete it I’m going to hold myself responsible to you, dear readers of my blog. Instead of my usual twice or three times weekly blog posts, I will attempt to do short, daily posts with an update on where I’m at and a few quick thoughts on what I’ve read that day. There will almost certainly be spoilers…

This week I have been continuing to work my way through Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series.  I am just over a third of the way through Assassin’s Quest, the third book in the Farseer Trilogy.  I hope to follow that with Ship of Destiny, the final book in the Liveship Traders trilogy before starting on the three books of The Tawny Man trilogy.  My aim is to have these all completed by August 12th when Fool’s Assassin is released – or at least by the following Friday when I leave for vacation.  Fool’s Assassin is the latest book in Fitz’s story after a publication gap of 13 years.  I really can’t wait to see what Hobb has in store next! To read all that in that period of time is a tiny bit of a challenge – they are huge tomes – but I’m aiming for it.  I have the Farseer trilogy and Liveship Traders in audiobook format as well, and I see the Tawny Man trilogy is making its way to Audible this month too, so that will help.   I find mixing listening with reading is an excellent way to enjoy books.  I have read all…