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PaperclipPerfector  7d ago (text post)   1534 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for December 12, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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The series as a whole has issues with uneven pacing. The first book in particular is almost entirely setup.

I'd recommend grabbing the book of short stories called Tales of the Sun Eater. It should let you find out if you like the broader setting and writing style without quite so much investment.

I have very rarely finished supplemental anthologies even for my favorite media, maybe never, so while I'm grateful for the advice, I don't think it's a route for me. Can you tell me if the broader setting stops feeling like a surface-level Dune replica later on?

It rapidly moves away from Dune. It feels more like CS Lewis than Frank Herbert by the third book, with a little cyberpunk thrown in.

Interesting. I liked the first 2/3 of the first book, but the big plot twist… just felt obvious, and played out — of course the religious authorities are hiding important truths!!! Maybe it didn’t help that the audiobook version I was listening to gave the (linguist? archaeologist? I can’t remember) crush this blistering Scottish accent that wasn’t the least bit feminine, which combined with her standoffishness made it hard to see what Hadrian saw in her. I felt bad for the other girl.

I guess the elements I liked were the parts where the protagonist had to navigate court politics. Once he ends up stranded, the intrigue felt less interesting.

blistering Scottish accent

What the hell? Tavrosi is supposed to be something like a Thai/Swedish creole.

I guess the elements I liked were the parts where the protagonist had to navigate court politics.

This kind of subplot gets much more pronounced as the series progresses.

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