Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been experiencing a drought of sorts. It's been ages since I encountered a true page turner. Like the drop-everything-including-the-important-stuff-because-I-have-to-know-what-happens-next level of page turner. Well, the drought is over. Starsight isn't a perfect book, but it is fantastic compared to most of the other stuff I've read this year. It almost makes me think I should just give up on all the books I try to read and just cycle through the collected works of Brandon Sanderson instead.

There isn't much I can say without spoiling the whole book... so I guess this is your SPOILER ALERT. Stop reading if that kind of thing bothers you. Spoilers, that is.

I only have one major beef with this one. Delvers are immensely powerful creatures from another realm that can invade Spensa's realm and go around turning everyone to dust, right? So how come you can literally fly into a Delver in a ship and not get disintegrated? And when you do fly into one and not get disintegrated, why does this immensely powerful, other-worldly being resort to hucking rocks at your ship? I feel like I missed something there. I am confident that if I asked Sanderson this question he would have an answer. I attended the release party for this book, and after a short speech he took questions. It was less a serious Q&A and more of a game called lets-try-to-stump-Brandon-about-the-worlds-he-has-in-his-head. Yeah, B-Sand won hands down. He knew every detail about everything.

In case you want to know, if a Mistborn tried to burn a piece of a shard blade, it would work, since shard blades are theoretically allomantically active. Yeah. I know. Trippy.

So that Delver issue was my one big complaint. The rest of the book flowed well. The characters faced conflict and had to grow and change to overcome it. The plot and world building for this series both took steps forward. The pace was good, and the cliff hanger at the end is as frustrating as it is calculated. I will admit that this space setting isn't my fave (I'd rather be on Roshar), but I can live with it, considering what I'm getting as part of the package.

Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson

Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I'm always looking out it for Sanderson material I haven't read, and I saw this in a picture on one of his Instagram posts. Weird that I hadn't heard of it before.

The concept of snapshots was a little hard to grasp at first. I don't know if he didn't explain it well, or if I just wasn't ready for it. I was halfway through the book before I really grasped the concept and the implications, and then it was over really quickly. I almost want to go back and re-read it with the understanding I have now, but now that I know the ending I doubt it would be worth it.

So in the end, I liked it, but it's not my favorite Sanderson story. By the time he got the story spun up, it was over. He had more bones, not enough meat. I often feel like I want his novels to last longer, but this was different. It felt incomplete somehow. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it just wasn't great.

A final thought: I'm trying to avoid any spoilers here, but I'll state what the twist ISN'T. I was waiting the whole time for one of the main characters to meet themselves in the snapshot and had theories about what that would mean. Didn't happen. Well played, Sanderson, well played. I hope it was intentional misdirection, or else you might have missed an opportunity in my opinion...

Fun fact, I finished this one in the bottom of the Grand Canyon as I waited out the hottest part of a July day at Phantom Ranch. Great way to kick back and let my legs recover from the hike down!

Legion by Brandon Sanderson

Legion by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm always on the lookout for any Sanderson book that I've somehow missed. Legion was one of those.

The premise of this book at first glance seemed very unique. Schizophrenia as a superpower? Who does that? It turns out that Marvel did. With a guy named Legion. I want to ask Mr. Sanderson what happened there. Luckily the two characters/ stories diverge drastically, but still, a pretty sketchy similarity.

This magic system is very tricky, and I'm pretty sure I can identify a number of mistakes in this book. But in the end, as I've said a hundred times, it's about the characters. I viewed all the characters as real characters, even the imaginary ones, and their interactions are the meat of this book. They are genuine and real. You get to know them and want them to succeed, even when you don't know exactly what their goals really are. That is enough to overcome the quirks in this book.

White Sand, Volume 2 by Brandon Sanderson

White Sand, Volume 2 by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I said a lot in my review of White Sand, Volume 1, and most of that still applies. I don't prefer the graphic novel presentation, but it is still a Sanderson story. It has all of the depth and character development I look forward to, but I feel like I'm not getting the full effect. I was also under the impression for some reason that this book was going to wrap up the story, making it more of an extended short story. I was wrong on that count as well. Now I guess I have to wait for the next one to come out to know what happens next, and I have again broken my personal pledge to not start series that are not complete. Now the waiting begins...

White Sand, Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson

White Sand, Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My son got these graphic novels by Brandon Sanderson for Christmas, so it was my turn to take the first one for a spin. I don't usually pick up graphic novels. I read a few comic books as a kid, and the drama levels were usually too high for me, but given my fanboy status for Sanderson products I decided to put that aside and give this graphic novel a chance. I pulled on the beanie I got for Christmas with a shash mark on the forehead, and sat there in my new t-shirt featuring Kaladin and Sil, and dug in. Sanderson is a prolific novelist, so his stuff had to read different than a pictorial soap opera, right?

Well, the story and the world are well done. In Arcanum Unbounded earlier this year I had gotten a glimpse of this world, and the extension in this book did not disappoint. However, I did not find the graphic format helpful. Sanderson does a great job of creating his worlds with words, and I've never felt like I was missing anything. Here, I had detailed color graphical representations of his world and characters, and I felt like I had less. The characters looked too similar, and I ended up relying on the dialogue to figure out who was who. While you can get immediate details on scenery, and a feel for the environment, I just didn't get the feel of an arid desert, the way I would have had he described the characters experience.

In creative writing there is the maxim to "show, don't tell" which is good advice. As a writer your primary medium is words, and you want to tell the reader everything you want them to know. Instead you are supposed to hold back and show them what is happening in a scene, and let the reader learn what they need to know. While not a frequent reader of graphic novels, I think the opposite might be true here, to a degree. The primary medium seems to be the art, where you are showing everything rather than telling, and the pendulum might be swinging the other way. I felt starved for description and detail, even though I had more concrete images to help me visualize what was happening.

Again, I'm out on a limb here, not being a frequent consumer of this format, but I'm just sharing my opinion. It is still a solid story, but if I had a choice, I'd ask for the full text version.

Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson

Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, my friends, this is what is known as a slippery slope. A while back I read few novellas and decided they were beefy enough to be counted as books. In the same light I am here after finishing Mitosis, which is shorter than those other novellas book, but it was offered through the library as a standalone book, so it's getting counted. Slippery slope. A life lesson.

Did I enjoy it? Yes! It took me back to the Reckoners series (Books 1, 2, 3), which was quite a while ago. It was a great concept then, and I still liked it now. If anything, it was just over too quickly. So for that, 4 stars is the best I can do.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I get why this is fantasy, but honestly, it is probably the coolest scifi book I've read in a long time. There is enough technology in this book to satisfy the scifi crowd, and enough world building and politics to satisfy us fantasy geeks. All in all, another great Sanderson read.

I did feel like it took a little while to get going, but I didn't mind all that much. The plot did move along, and by the end I couldn't put it down. I would understand that casual fantasy/ scifi readers might draw a lot of parallels or offer criticism, on potential parallels with Ender's Game, but there was enough that was unique that none of that bothered me at all. Sanderson books are also always heavy on physics, so expect physics puzzles in this one as well.

The biggest challenge for me, might have been the exceptional mechanical skills of a teenage kid with a single wrench, but I suppose I've suppose I've read worse. Looking forward to the next installment.

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection by Brandon Sanderson

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Arcanum Unbounded (which I will call AU from here on) has been moldering on my to-read list for a long time waiting its turn. As a collection of short stories, it just didn't have the appeal that other full length works did. Short fiction reminds me of English classes where you spend more time discussing the story than you do reading it. After AU, I've decided that Brandon's experience in English class must have been wildly different than mine, because his version of short fiction is wildly different. For one, it isn't actually short. As I mentioned in my last post for the Emperors Soul, it was a full length, satisfying story that was the introductory piece for this book. I struggle to see that as short, especially with the full benefit of an existing world to build on.

In any case, my fears of unengaging and unsatisfying stories and characters was unfounded. This is a great read, but I do recommend leaving it until you have a good handle on other Cosmere books. This content isn't needed to understand or appreciate those stories, but there is extra value in this book if you have the background, and emotional investment, from the other Cosmere works, especially Mistborn and the Stormlight Archives.

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found this book unexpectedly on a random trip to the library. I thought I had covered Sanderson's published works fairly well by this point, so I was surprised to encounter this one.

I'm not sure I have a lot to say about it. It was everything I have come to expect from Brandon Sanderson. Intriguing, inventive, and enjoyable. I do think that he is too close to soul casting with this magic system, from an originality standpoint, but that bothers me ... not at all.

The most notable thing is that shortly after I picked up this book at the library, I started Arcanum Unbounded as an audiobook. Arcanum Unbounded is a collection of short stories by Sanderson with interesting introductions and post scripts relating them to the Cosmere, Brandon's fictional universe. The whole concept is amazing. Anyway, what is the first story in that collection? The Emperors Soul. So I'm double dipping a bit here, which also bothers me ... not at all.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a novella, but it was a rich story with its own world in the Cosmere. This book managed to be gruesome without being terrifying. It was full of unspeakable violence perpetrated by the most unlikely of characters, yet in a way that felt totally justified and reasonable. As with all Sanderson stories, the ending was both foreshadowed, but unexpected. And totally satisfying.

My only complaint is that there is no commitment for a further story in this world or with these characters, at least not that I have heard.

The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn 6) by Brandon Sanderson

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again I am amazed at the economy of Brandon Sanderson's writing.  He packs so much story into one book. In this book he could have drawn out endless descriptions of the setting, or spent unneeded pages inside the heads of his characters, and then ended it after the first initial conflict was overcome.  But he kept his writing focused and moved the story along constantly as he grew his setting and his characters in our minds.  So when the initial conflict was overcome, his sister was rescued, and more light was shed on the Set's plans, we were ready to keep going and get to an even bigger conflict, and an even bigger revelation.  It was very well done.

In my first reading of this, I really enjoyed the character of Wayne, and whats not to like?  Comic relief mixed with tragic back story all piled on top of a healthy serving of an unfailingly effective sidekick.  Yet, on this second time through, I found Marasi to be worthy of attention as well.  She could have been a weak, bitter, spurned love interest.  Instead she is taking action in her life from page one, proving herself professionally, and then challenging tough questions internally of who she is, and who she wants to be.  In terms of character development she is right there with Wax himself, which is interesting given that one of her issues is how she is always in his shadow.  It makes a much better story to have multiple protagonists and antagonists to deal with.

Excellent book.  I'm just frustrated that so many of Sanderson's other projects have stepped in front of the wrap up of this story line.  Grr.

Shadows of Self (Mistborn 5) by Brandon Sanderson

Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Previous comments here.

This book is different than other Sanderson books for some reason. He stays true to the magic system and world he built, and I still love the references back to the first Mistborn trilogy, but it feels like this is where it gets a little far afield. I think I recognize the problem: he has to create an antagonist for the overarching protagonist (Sazed). Wax and Wayne do their thing, and their story line is fine, but to make this series' story arc work, the conflict can't be just about them. So in this book we learn about Trell. I think the issue might be that Trell was not really a legitimate character/force in the first trilogy, but rather just mentioned in passing. So this feels very "bolted-on." Where Sanderson's stories usually give you these huge "ah-ha!" moments when you look at the story through the rear view mirror (the Lessie revelation for example), for me the Trell thing is more of an "uh-huh?" moment.

That aside, I once again loved the book and can't wait to pick up the next one. Of course I have 3 other books in the works I need to finish as well, but I'm pushing on all fronts since we are staring down that last quarter of the year and I'm behind on my goal again...

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Previous Comments here.

Ok, so while I really enjoy fantasy series such as Mistborn, they do slow down my overall book consumption. So I planned on taking a break after the first Mistborn trilogy and clear out a stack of business books I've been meaning to read. But then we went on a bit of a longer drive and my wife announced she had just started the Alloy of Law, and was willing to start it over so we could listen to it together. And 4 days later (thanks to a plane ride over the Pacific) it is done and I'm fully engaged in the next trilogy, like it or not.

I'm a Sanderson fan boy on here enough that I don't need to parrot my appreciation for his craft again. But I kinda will anyway.

This book kicks off the follow on series to Mistborn and is an awesome extension of what was established in that first series. Superb characters, dialogue, and action. If I had a gripe it would be that like an action movie, some of the fight scenes stretch what is believable given the rules of the book. But those details are easy to disregard in the moment. A better gripe would be: how do people have Koloss blood? They don't reproduce, so how can they have interbred?

I'm looking forward to Shadows of Self to continue the story, although I hope to finish at least a couple of those business books on this trip.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book had both an exhaustive treatment of the characters at the end of the story AND at the same time it was too short. Weird. From the wrap up of detailed explanations at the end, to the path that was laid so carefully throughout the first books, all of it was carefully crafted. This was my 2nd reading, and the details were really apparent on this trip through the Final Empire. I wanted it to go on and on, as I found it so immersive that I should have taken notes as I read.

Did I find a few holes in the story? Yes, I think I did (usually around laws of physics), but they don't matter compared to the larger work. One or two brush strokes out of place does not ruin a masterpiece.

Well done and thank you.

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn 2) by Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn 2) by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm short on time, so I'll keep my thoughts from my 2nd reading short. I didn't like the Zane story line the first time I read this book, and I didn't like it this time either. Yes, I suppose he helped Vin grow, and he provided key opposition, but he is just so annoying. But any angst I had for Zane is countered by my appreciation for Sazed. He is a great character. A man of special abilities, but humble and unassuming. His people are kept in slavery and yet maintain a resistance and rise above it. He is likable, and yet still surprising when he takes the lead to be a hero.

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire (Mistborn 1) by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A quick glance at my reading list would tell you I'm a Brandon Sanderson fan. The Final Empire was the first book I read of his, and after multiple books and recommendations later I decided I needed to go back to this initial book and see if it held up after some time had passed. It did. I caught more in the 2nd time through that I missed the first time. It is like staring at a painting from a master of the art. After a while you can see the brush strokes and appreciate the vision and ability of the master, not just the pretty picture. I look forward to reading the rest of the series again, which is really all one story.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. So the depth of this series is amazing. It reminds me of the Wheel of Time as far as scope, but seems to be better contained. Sure, there are subplots happening elsewhere at the end, but the main wrap-up is, well, wrapped up. It is like one conflict ended, and then a new one started. He keeps the characters growing and keeps them at the heart of the story. Even with political or religious intrigue (or hints about the cosmic connections), the characters are center stage.

Things that I'm glad about:
- A resolution [for now] to the Adolin - Shallon - Kaladin love triangle. Is it really the end of that issue? I don't know and I don't care. It is wrapped up enough that I don't feel an ongoing conflict for now, which I think would detract from the conflicts that are continuing on. I generally prefer to wrap up interpersonal conflicts at the end of the book, and let the overall plot conflict carry the series from book to book. Does that make sense?
-More explanation on how soul casting works. This came mostly at the end, some in the epilogue I think, but it is a major part of the book, and not very well explained. As long as there is action and the characters keep growing, I can be patient, but I appreciate the explanation when it comes.
-Queen Jasnah. Yes.

Things that I'm not excited about:
Taravangian's diagram. I'd just like to have a better idea of where it came from. I felt like I'm supposed to know more about it, as if the hints were there, but I missed them. The whole negotiation between Taravangian and Odium at the end confused me. I thought Odium was already behind the diagram? So confused.

Long endings. There was a final battle and then the book went on and on. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the wrap up, but it just felt like it took too long. It is like a really exciting party or event, and then a long ride home afterwards. The excitement wears off and you just want to get home and go to bed.

Finally, I can't not say it again: Brandon Sanderson is a genius. He has such an amazing natural talent, and then he adds dedication and effort on top of it, and shares it with us. Thank you, sir.

The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson

The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well, I went into this thinking that it was the last book in the series, and that I had made it through a decent, although somewhat annoying series. Well, just so you know, it isn't the last book. The last book hasn't been written yet.

This book ends on a cliff hanger, which is incredibly frustrating for several reasons. The first is obvious: cliff hangers are often frustrating. The second, the expectation set did not match the reality. Perhaps after reading the actual last book I'll feel differently, but this does feel like unmet expectations. Third, one of the things that Sanderson does best is provide closure at the end of each of the books in his series'. Minor story arcs inside of big ones. A small victory for the good guys, even though the world is in even more trouble. He totally whiffed this one. No closure, no minor win, just disappointment. Maybe it'll all get fixed after the last book, but this was not appreciated.

If I am to give him any credit, it does say something that I care enough to be this disappointed by a juvenile fiction book. It is a sign that despite other failures, he created strong characters, setting and plot, which is classic Sanderson. Unsatisfying endings are not.

Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While this was another step forward in the Alcatraz series, I feel like I have said it all already. Once again my comments are meta-comments about the writing rather than the actual story.

This was a good story, with good characters, written in an unfortunate style that hides the genius of the story. Some of the funniest stuff is in those awkward sections where the narrator butts in, but as I have pointed out previously, the voice of that writing is pure Brandon Sanderson. Now, I'd pay for a whole book of that content from Sanderson, and he obviously has it in him wanting to get out, but it is unfortunate the way it got embedded in this book. In some ways, it reminds me of Wayne in the Alloy of Law series, but Wayne has a setting and other characters to be true to. The narrator interjections here are really free from most of that since they are out of the timeline and in an unknown setting, so Sanderson can just let himself go. Enjoyable, but misplaced.

I still can't believe I'm reading this series. At this point it looks like I will just finish it out...

Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The first Alcatraz books were sorely disappointing. Book 2 was a second chance that piqued my interest enough to get me reading the series, although I was still disillusioned with the style of writing that constantly broke into the action. This 3rd book was more of the same. The plot, characters, and setting all got better, sure. But the annoying breaks in the story annoyed me that much more.

I feel like Sanderson is giving in to the concept of sunk costs here. He committed to this style for the series and feels like he has to follow through for consistency. But instead, he should just throw consistency out the window in favor of creating a much better product. He is capable of switching it up and making it work. His fan base will forgive him as long as he keeps the story and characters going. Just do it. Please.

But for all my criticism, I'm still reading, so he has me along for the ride, whining and complaining all the way. If you ignore the breaks in the action for chit chat, you end up with a 3 or 4 star read.