The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 5:34 a.m. PST |
I want to recomend Foundling by D.M. Cornish. A wierd, sometimes morbid, take on fantasy set in an 18th century world, but not Ours. link It's a world filled with Alchemy instead of magic, black powder armed armies, monsters and the usual orphen hero. There's all sorts of game possibilities with the various classes introduced in the book. |
John the OFM | 30 Nov 2007 6:14 a.m. PST |
Well, is it a GOOD book? The Wiki you link to reads like a bright 9th Grader's book review, who types as much of the plot as he can remember. That says little, so I stopped reading lest it give away the WHOLE story. It sounds interesting, but like I said, is it well written, believeable characters, not too many holes in the narrative, etc. |
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 6:48 a.m. PST |
Well it is written for 9th graders but it's still a good book. Like most trilogies the first book is the set up the real story will be in 2 and 3. It has a good overview of the world Rossamund, pronounced ross a mund, lives in. Other than He's the standard orphan destined for greatness it reads quit well. In My opinion the best thing about book 1 is the back story and at 8.99 US for a pd edition it's well worth picking up just for that. No if only I can find some figures to convert to some of the oddier characters. |
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 6:50 a.m. PST |
>>8.99 US for a pd edition<< Sorry make that pb edition |
alien BLOODY HELL surfer | 30 Nov 2007 6:53 a.m. PST |
So what age group are 9th graders for those who have no idea what that means? Arethey 10-12, teenagers or pre-10yr old? |
andygamer | 30 Nov 2007 7:28 a.m. PST |
Around 15, alien surfer. (It's the first year of secondary school in North America.) |
Cyrus the Great | 30 Nov 2007 8:29 a.m. PST |
I'm intrigued enough to read this series. Thanks for the post The Gray Ghost.I have several friends I know who will be interested as well. |
abdul666lw | 30 Nov 2007 8:55 a.m. PST |
<Pedantic mode on>: For me its sounds far more 'Fantasy' than 'Sci-Fi'. Do we have balloons, submarines, steam-propelled carriages or boats, Puckle's machine guns, Babbage's computers? Black powder indeed, but used in 'advanced' (Ferguson rifles at least) weapon or in 'historical' 18th C. (or even a little earlier) pistols, muskets ans guns? The working alchemy (*not* chemistry), the 'monsters', satyrs (horrified memories of the satyrs in a *awful*'Conan' pastiche), gremlins
are more evocative of a typical 'Fantasy' background, even if set in some 'H&M' gunpowder-era? </pedantic mode off>. As far as I remember I (boringly) developped more than enough where I think the border between Sci-Fi & Fantasy lays.. TMP link Regards, Jean-Louis P/S/: Gray Ghost, what about taking the plunge and launching your blog? Did you yake photos of the siege of Vechta? Cheers!
|
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 12:21 p.m. PST |
>>Do we have balloons, submarines, steam-propelled carriages or boats<< No ballons or submarines or steam, boats are powered by gastrines, great muscle like organs that are grown in boxes and attached to rowing machines, this is some of the morbid parts. |
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 12:24 p.m. PST |
>>Babbage's computers?<< No they have people trained to act as human computers |
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 12:28 p.m. PST |
>>Black powder indeed, but used in 'advanced' (Ferguson rifles at least) weapon or in 'historical' 18th C.<< Historical they look about 1700 to 1740 they wear heavy wool and leather coats that have been Gaulded, treated with chemicals to make them resistint to cutting or stabing or bullets for that matter. For that reason some soldiers carry clubs and maces for the smashing effect. It is mentioned that some soldiers still wear plate and mail. |
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 12:37 p.m. PST |
>>>The working alchemy (*not* chemistry), <<< Both called Habilists these include Dispensurists (Drugists) Skolds or Zaumablaists (soup throwers) who battle monsters, Physicians, Surgeons, Viscautorist (Gut Growers)darker characters include Necrologists, Morbidists and Therospeusia ( who grow monsters from organic material. |
The Gray Ghost | 30 Nov 2007 12:39 p.m. PST |
the 'monsters' Not your standard D & D types, so far. |
abdul666lw | 30 Nov 2007 12:45 p.m. PST |
Basically very 'advanced' biology rather than mechanical engineering, then. Sci-Fi indeed from this viewpoint, then and very original and very different from the 'smoky / noisy / greasy' Steampunk genre. Though not issimilar to the 'Goongans' (?) [Jar-Jar-binks people]
Thanks for the info, Jean-Louis |
Arteis | 30 Nov 2007 1:39 p.m. PST |
The official site for the book: link |
anvil1 | 30 Nov 2007 7:15 p.m. PST |
and here it is in all its very interesting glory,, for sale link
anvil |