Holy crap, David Mack is awesome.

Who came up with

Spoiler: IF YOU HAVE NOT RED THE FIRST 3 VANGAURD DO NOT CLICK

Lurqal working for T'Prynn?

That was probably one of the biggest shocks I've gotten from a story outside of Lost or 24.

 

Yeah, that was a good one. I'm also thinking about the last like 3 pages of Precipice. When I finished that book I actually jumped up out of my chair and made a "WHHAAOAOOOO!!" sound. Seriously freaked out my cat.

 

Oh yeah, that was a doozy. If there's one thing we can count on from Vanguard it's the big twists.

 

The relationship was my idea, but the full reveal of their connection was left to Dayton and Kevin. I can't recall if they thought it up, or if we concocted that twist together in consultation with Marco Palmieri.

ETA: Actually, I just found a series bible addendum I wrote that specified the professional relationship, as well. So it might all be my fault.

 

^ I sure as hell blame you.

 

You know, I just finished the latest Dresden Files novel today, and I realized something - I feel just as satisfied after a David Mack novel as I do after a Jim Butcher or David Weber one.

Mack, you snuck in there somehow. I don't know how...

(p.s. - The other part of the reaction I have to books by all three of those writers is that by the end of the book, I'm usually going "Holy shit, did that just happen?", and wish the next book was in my hands. Immediately.)

 

Cigarette?

 

You know, I feel the same way. He fits in perfectly in this group.

 

Don't mind if I do.

 

I haven't read Butcher, but I think Mack is way better than Weber. Weber gets way too lost in the nitty gritty military explanations for me, and loses the emotional oompf. I know he's fabulously successful, so many others disagree with me, but if nothing else I agree that Mack is certainly in the same league.

 

You really ought to remedy that.

 

Well, given how much I enjoy your writing, and how we've often had similar opinions on other sci-fi discussed here, I believe you. Plus it's all available on Kindle, so there seems to be no reason not to.

I assume the best way to go about it is to start at the first book and proceed from there? Is the first book up to the quality of the rest (ie, if I don't like the first one, should I keep reading because it gets better or should I stop?)

 

^Well, I assume we're talking about The Dresden Files here (Butcher's also written the Codex Alera series, which I haven't read, and a Spider-Man novel which I have read and liked). Dresden is pretty consistent, but it definitely gets stronger as it goes (so far as I've read; I just got the newest book from the library but haven't started it yet). Here's my review from the early days of my blog:

http://christopherlbennett.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/the-dresden-files/

 

Cool, sounds good.

I've been meaning to check out your Spiderman novel and Mack's Wolverine novel for a while anyway. I might add Butcher's Spiderman novel to the list and start there.

 

^KRAD did a Spider-Man novel too, if you want to complete the set. (All three of our Spidey novels are standalones, but I made brief allusions to the other two in mine.)

 

David Mack's Road of Bones is top-notch. I'm not much of a Wolverine fan, and I really enjoyed it.

 

I don't know if you're an X-Men fan, but if you Christopher also wrote an X-Men novel, which I thought was pretty good.
I also read Mack's Wolverine novel, Road of Bones, and really enjoyed it.