It’s hard knowing where to begin with a Sanderson book. His name on a cover means that whatever you are about to commit to reading is going to be sweeping and epic. Even writing a summary would probably put me at a 2000 word count. Since I have no idea where to begin, I’m just going to jot down my thoughts in some bullet points. I can’t stand the Alethi. I know that to have a plot, there must be conflict and for the Alethi, […]
It sounded scary at first
I had only heard of Brandon Sanderson a few times prior to fall 2017, mostly in relation to his having finished the Wheel of Time series. I never paid very much attention to him, because I haven’t read that series and I kind of felt like I have had enough of white Mormon men and their novels for one lifetime (O.S.C. – I’m looking at you, FOREVER). However, when friends whose taste in books I trust started to get excited about the third in Sanderson’s […]
Crying, waiting, hoping
The world is ending, as worlds in novels are wont to do. Which is fair; that’s pretty good motivation to get the action rolling. But what has consistently struck me about the Stormlight Archives series setting is that it feels like a world, meticulously crafted with distinct regions, cultures, and creatures. In the first two books, Sanderson has used a handful of individuals to lay out a fantastical setting with warring factions, lost histories, well-defined magic, and personal entanglements. Oathbringer picks up right where Words […]
The Right Words Can Change the World
This book is about taking the broken pieces of yourself and arranging them into something resembling a thinking and feeling person again. It’s about facing your deepest, most painful secrets and being able to exist with them and because of them. It’s about owning and honoring all the parts of you that scare you; whether those parts are wretched or wonderful. And it’s also about people with magical abilities who can defy gravity, change their appearance, heal instantly and fight with long, magical swords. Brandon […]