tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post5586649995161884957..comments2023-09-01T10:14:30.179+01:00Comments on Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: ‘The Company’ – K.J. Parker (Orbit Books)Graeme Floryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15411505049326440010noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-52958094394502900242010-10-01T17:17:30.353+01:002010-10-01T17:17:30.353+01:00The Engineering trilogy was spectacular IMHO. I am...The Engineering trilogy was spectacular IMHO. I am similarly loving The Company.<br /><br />I enjoy Parkers writing style, she hides stuff in the dryness so that when she reveals more details on a plot you have this "OMG" moment.<br /><br />I'm becoming a big fan of hers.Michael Mullinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362233707710696785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-10926027962603696592008-06-21T11:50:00.000+01:002008-06-21T11:50:00.000+01:00I picked up a copy of Devices and Desires to read ...I picked up a copy of Devices and Desires to read on the plane en route to the US - and didn't want to get off at the other end!! Now I've got the complete set of three trilogies and all nine books are getting worn out from over-reading. It's the technical detail, the character studies and the humour that I particularly enjoy and, having read each one several times, I'm constantly amazed that I see the story from a different angle on each re-read.<BR/><BR/>Although in a different genre, I'm also a big fan of LeCarre; and, whilst I thought that his plots were convoluted, KJ Parker's beats them in spades.<BR/><BR/>So, if you haven't read the books, my advice is to stick with them - they WILL grow on you. I would however, add a couple of warnings: 1. don't read while commuting on public transport - you WILL miss your stop on numerous occasions.<BR/>2. Don't read the Engineer Trilogy more than once a year - you WILL end up buying a lathe, a milling machine and a small forge. You'll also buy tools and stacks of metal, takeover the garage and set it up as a small workshop and spend all weekend repairing all of the broken stuff in the house and making "useful" things out of steel, brass and anything else that takes your fancy.<BR/><BR/>Can't wait for "The Company" to arrive on the bookshelf. But I might have to extend it for the extra space. Still, now I've got the workshop...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-1715725749106917872008-06-09T23:23:00.000+01:002008-06-09T23:23:00.000+01:00I haven't read anything by Parker yet (nobody seem...I haven't read anything by Parker yet (nobody seems to know if Parker is a she or a he :)), but my friend liked her engineer trilogy quite a bit (he wrote the review for Escapement on our blog) and I usually consider his opinion well worth taking into account. I'm sending him a link to your review. I believe he will be glad to hear that the new KJ Parker book is out :).ThRiNiDiRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11235487104345529619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-41891563069701090892008-06-09T20:59:00.000+01:002008-06-09T20:59:00.000+01:00LOL! I suppose they have their reasons, but I thi...LOL! I suppose they have their reasons, but I think the odds are a lot lower than 50% that Parker's a man.<BR/><BR/>Except in romance, do male authors (or publishers thereof) ever go to these lengths to obscure their gender? IMHO the gender-hiding alone implies Parker's a woman.<BR/><BR/>But I just Googled and found (via Wikipedia) a link to Parker's French publisher's site. Whoops, they're not part of the conspiracy; they obscure who she is, but they use "elle" (she") and have a photo of a silhouette of what sure looks like a women. ;-) I think the cat's out of the bag....Kendallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09127409362906807882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-84224296805425894842008-06-09T19:29:00.000+01:002008-06-09T19:29:00.000+01:00It is definitely one to look out for if you like p...It is definitely one to look out for if you like psychological tension and the whole 'stand alone' thing means it is a good way to check out whether you like K.J. Parker's work or not.<BR/><BR/>I've been bugging Orbit to tell whether K.J. Parker is a man or a woman. Funnily enough, they're not telling :o) I figured I'd take a 50/50 shot and go for 'his'...Graeme Floryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15411505049326440010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-1828140548370486992008-06-09T17:41:00.000+01:002008-06-09T17:41:00.000+01:00I'm intrigued, despite the dryness. It sounds lik...I'm intrigued, despite the dryness. It sounds like a great setup for some psychological tension.<BR/><BR/>I own Parker's <I>Shadow</I> but haven't read it yet. The Engineer series sounded interesting based on an excerpt I read a few years ago (though I remember it was a little dry). Anyway, there aren't enough stand-alone fantasy novels, IMHO; this might be a good way for me to try Parker's work, instead of starting with book one of a trilogy.<BR/><BR/>> <I>his ability</I><BR/><BR/>I <EM>believe</EM> (but am not certain) that K.J. Parker's a woman.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com