#The): Brandon Sanderson: 9780765326362: Amazon.com: Books

[fic-dreamin]

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, to live long enough!

5.0 out of 5 stars Brandon Sanderson has crafted another edition of what is becoming one of the best fictional epics in history. You read a book. It is highly diverting, incredibly entertaining. And then you move on... Not with this book. It gets inside of you! Roshar is one of the most original, unique, alien, and compelling fantasy worlds every created. And the characters that inhabit it are full-bodied, vibrant, and dynamic. Just when you think you've got someone figured out... Wham! another piece of the puzzle emerges, and everything you thought you knew shifts, realigns and refocuses. Then you see a bigger picture, and begin to grasp what you think these people and their world really look like. Then something else emerges, the puzzles changes, and new pieces fall into place. You would feel almost betrayed, if it wasn't so much fun! And then he does it again, and Again, and AGAIN!Brandon's fiction is not just superb entertainment, it is great literature. It is an art form that teaches about love, hope, honor, betrayal, fear, anger, revenge, mercy, and justice. People might wonder about the many side-stories, interludes, and seemingly random snippets woven throughout Words of Radiance. Just you wait. The vague puzzle pieces from Way of Kings (Stormlight #1) are now (mostly) clearer, and those that are not, well, this is a 10-book epic. There are plot lines running the entire course of this series that are only just getting started.I was there when Brandon released his first novel, Elantris. I remember walking up to him at a signing table in the BYU Bookstore, an author no one had ever heard of, and asking him what his book was about, His answer, not surprisingly, was read and find out. I devoured Elantris, and have since attended many of his release events and read every book he has ever published (and one or two that he hasn't). I have read more fantasy books than I care to count, and Brandon Sanderson is the real deal. Your grandkids are going to be reading these books, and I for one cannot wait to see where Mr. Sanderson takes us! Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Surpasses the hype in every way It's safe to say that Words of Radiance has the most pre-release hype of any of Brandon's solo works to-date. And it makes sense. The Way of Kings was Brandon's best work at the time, and so everyone is wondering, will Words of Radiance live up to the high bar set by book one? This is a sequel that has a ton riding on it. After all, despite the first book's length, there's still so much more of Roshar to explore. There's so many places that The Stormlight Archive can go from here, that it has been hard to predict what would happen in this book, much less a few books down the line. Words of Radiance could fall on its face. So, does it live up to the hype?Storms yes it does."Of course you'd like the book," you immediately say. "You're a 17th Sharder, you'll love anything Brandon writes." I'd say this is somewhat true. None of us would be here if we didn't like what Brandon's done, but when you are a hyper fan, you set these books up to a high standard. You can see flaws that no one else sees, simply because you are so invested.For a while, I worried that Words of Radiance would end up like The Well of Ascension, which I have some problems with to say the least. I loved Well's ending (which made it entirely worthwhile), but rereading it is a slog for me. Well of Ascensionwas Brandon's first true sequel, and it shows a bit. Obviously, Brandon has grown a vast deal from almost a decade ago when that book came out, but it was still a worry. Sequels are not easy, to say the least, but it looks like finishing up The Wheel of Time really honed Brandon’s sequel chops.I also worried because--and this may sound like absolute heresy to many of you--I didn't immediately love The Way of Kingswhen it came out.Read more › Go to Amazon

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid Epic Fantasy Sanderson clearly has a legion of fans who adore his work, and while I don't count myself among them, I do seem to keep reading, in part out of loyalty to the guy for finishing the Wheel of Time. Words of Radiance is good, and it certainly improves on Way of Kings in many ways (some of which involve spoilers, which I will not provide here), but it is not a five star book and I'm not sure it is even meant to be; the series is an homage to the wonderful era of American epic fantasy of the late 1980s/1990s (Jordan's WoT is cited in particular, but he really just kicked things off) that really isn't written anymore as the mainstream of the genre has moved on to a more gritty tone (post Martin). My disappointment with the book have nothing really to do with Sanderson's attempt to write a great epic fantasy (I am a sucker for that genre), and have more to do with what I perceive to be Sanderson's limitations as a writer (limitations that have been apparent since Elantris) and with how he chose to plot book two of a ten part series.Things I like about the book are probably extensively documented in the five star reviews, but I will just say that the world building (usually a strong suit of his), which I actually thought was poor in Way of Kings was much improved here. The biggest issue here is that peripheral nations remain basically stereotypes thus far, as no real depth has been provided to any culture except the Alethi (and it's not particularly interesting). The Horneaters are perhaps the best example of this, essentially reduced to the equivalent of redneck jokes. If he is going to imitate the genre, the next volumes are going to require characters to travel across the world, visiting all of the lands and peoples. My bet is this will happen, and hopefully this complaint will disappear.Read more › Go to Amazon

[fic-dreamin]

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, to live long enough!

5.0 out of 5 stars Brandon Sanderson has crafted another edition of what is becoming one of the best fictional epics in history. You read a book. It is highly diverting, incredibly entertaining. And then you move on... Not with this book. It gets inside of you! Roshar is one of the most original, unique, alien, and compelling fantasy worlds every created. And the characters that inhabit it are full-bodied, vibrant, and dynamic. Just when you think you've got someone figured out... Wham! another piece of the puzzle emerges, and everything you thought you knew shifts, realigns and refocuses. Then you see a bigger picture, and begin to grasp what you think these people and their world really look like. Then something else emerges, the puzzles changes, and new pieces fall into place. You would feel almost betrayed, if it wasn't so much fun! And then he does it again, and Again, and AGAIN!Brandon's fiction is not just superb entertainment, it is great literature. It is an art form that teaches about love, hope, honor, betrayal, fear, anger, revenge, mercy, and justice. People might wonder about the many side-stories, interludes, and seemingly random snippets woven throughout Words of Radiance. Just you wait. The vague puzzle pieces from Way of Kings (Stormlight #1) are now (mostly) clearer, and those that are not, well, this is a 10-book epic. There are plot lines running the entire course of this series that are only just getting started.I was there when Brandon released his first novel, Elantris. I remember walking up to him at a signing table in the BYU Bookstore, an author no one had ever heard of, and asking him what his book was about, His answer, not surprisingly, was read and find out. I devoured Elantris, and have since attended many of his release events and read every book he has ever published (and one or two that he hasn't). I have read more fantasy books than I care to count, and Brandon Sanderson is the real deal. Your grandkids are going to be reading these books, and I for one cannot wait to see where Mr. Sanderson takes us! Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Surpasses the hype in every way It's safe to say that Words of Radiance has the most pre-release hype of any of Brandon's solo works to-date. And it makes sense. The Way of Kings was Brandon's best work at the time, and so everyone is wondering, will Words of Radiance live up to the high bar set by book one? This is a sequel that has a ton riding on it. After all, despite the first book's length, there's still so much more of Roshar to explore. There's so many places that The Stormlight Archive can go from here, that it has been hard to predict what would happen in this book, much less a few books down the line. Words of Radiance could fall on its face. So, does it live up to the hype?Storms yes it does."Of course you'd like the book," you immediately say. "You're a 17th Sharder, you'll love anything Brandon writes." I'd say this is somewhat true. None of us would be here if we didn't like what Brandon's done, but when you are a hyper fan, you set these books up to a high standard. You can see flaws that no one else sees, simply because you are so invested.For a while, I worried that Words of Radiance would end up like The Well of Ascension, which I have some problems with to say the least. I loved Well's ending (which made it entirely worthwhile), but rereading it is a slog for me. Well of Ascensionwas Brandon's first true sequel, and it shows a bit. Obviously, Brandon has grown a vast deal from almost a decade ago when that book came out, but it was still a worry. Sequels are not easy, to say the least, but it looks like finishing up The Wheel of Time really honed Brandon’s sequel chops.I also worried because--and this may sound like absolute heresy to many of you--I didn't immediately love The Way of Kingswhen it came out.Read more › Go to Amazon

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid Epic Fantasy Sanderson clearly has a legion of fans who adore his work, and while I don't count myself among them, I do seem to keep reading, in part out of loyalty to the guy for finishing the Wheel of Time. Words of Radiance is good, and it certainly improves on Way of Kings in many ways (some of which involve spoilers, which I will not provide here), but it is not a five star book and I'm not sure it is even meant to be; the series is an homage to the wonderful era of American epic fantasy of the late 1980s/1990s (Jordan's WoT is cited in particular, but he really just kicked things off) that really isn't written anymore as the mainstream of the genre has moved on to a more gritty tone (post Martin). My disappointment with the book have nothing really to do with Sanderson's attempt to write a great epic fantasy (I am a sucker for that genre), and have more to do with what I perceive to be Sanderson's limitations as a writer (limitations that have been apparent since Elantris) and with how he chose to plot book two of a ten part series.Things I like about the book are probably extensively documented in the five star reviews, but I will just say that the world building (usually a strong suit of his), which I actually thought was poor in Way of Kings was much improved here. The biggest issue here is that peripheral nations remain basically stereotypes thus far, as no real depth has been provided to any culture except the Alethi (and it's not particularly interesting). The Horneaters are perhaps the best example of this, essentially reduced to the equivalent of redneck jokes. If he is going to imitate the genre, the next volumes are going to require characters to travel across the world, visiting all of the lands and peoples. My bet is this will happen, and hopefully this complaint will disappear.Read more › Go to Amazon