For glory lit, and life alive, for goals unreached and aims to strive. All men must try, the wind did see. It is the test, it is the dream.
-Wit (Words of Radiance)
Brandon Sanderson. I mentioned him in an earlier post.
I don't care if you hate him, I like his works and I'm going to spaz about them because I apparently don't do that enough with my friends.
Four (maybe five?) years ago, I didn't have a clue who Brandon Sanderson was.
It was a blissful time...
Who am I kidding?
I was road tripping to the OYAN summer workshop and reunion (I really do not remember what year it was) with my best friend and she read Alcatraz Smedry vs. the Scrivner's Bones (Alcatraz book 2) aloud to the car.
Yeah, yeah, I know we started in the middle I'M SORRY IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY MY FAULT OKAY.
While Alcatraz is possibly not the best introduction to Brandon Sanderson (as Alcatraz is possibly one of the most ridiculous series I've ever read (but it's AWESOME okay)), it was a good introduction.
My sister and I were quick to finish the series (as it stood. Book 5 FINALLY came out two years ago).
By then, one of our friends had started reading Sanderson's other books and was praising them (and also nagging us to read them).
It took a while for us to get around to it. (I made the mistake of trying to read Elantris -- my sister read it and enjoyed it, but was surprised by how long it took to get anywhere and on the whole we were not overly impressed)
We finally picked up Sanderson's Reckoner's Trilogy. That was the beginning of the end.
We sped read that thing.
It was on to the Rithmatist.
Also a good read (because geez it's Brandon Sanderson get with the program).
I lose track of what exactly my sister read after that. I was much slower, more interested in Terry Pratchett (and also SCHOOL).
Plus, I tried to start Way of Kings twice and never got very far with it.
I thought it was the most boring thing I'd ever attempted to read.
I was left wondering why do people even like these books?
I did finally get around to reading Elantris. That helped, since it's a bit shorter but also takes forever to pick up (like Way of Kings does).
I also finally read Mistborn, but that starts out much faster and with more intensity than Way of Kings.
Yeah, I really didn't like that book.
At first.
Anyway, so fast forward to this year, when my closest friends are like: OH MY GOSH STORMLIGHT THREE IS COMING OUT *SPAZ* and I'm just in the corner like um, great guys, happy for you??
I wasn't necessarily impressed.
And then Oathbringer came out in October and my nagging friend bought it and everyone spazzed some more. My sister reread the series and I read bits over her shoulder (because that's just what I do, okay?).
I realized that the series was actually interesting.
That Way of Kings got more action-y. That I could actually care about the characters.
So around Thanksgiving, I picked up my phone and tried again (okay, but seriously have you seen how thick the book is, it's a freaking les mis and it's terrifying).
It took me three weeks to finish it (that's balancing it with school).
What most impresses me about that is that I remembered the characters.
I'm a quick reader, which is good because my mind doesn't retain names well. If a plot point or character isn't interesting, I will forget it. Not purposefully, it just doesn't stick.
I remember most of what happened in Way of Kings.
Obviously, it's a good book.
But I remember it. That makes it an excellent book (in my opinion).
And then I sped-read Words of Radiance (#2), Edgedancer (#2.5), and Oathbringer (#3) (because I'm a terrible person like that and don't care about my emotional well-being, apparently). (Also Warbreaker while I was waiting for Oathbringer, but that's not related to Stormlight)
I finished Oathbringer on Christmas Day.
I won't spoil anything, but it's really good. While Words of Radiance is probably my favorite out of Stormlight so far, I love the end to Oathbringer.
There are no words for it.
I suspect this is one of the rare series that I will enjoy rereading.
20/10 would recommend Brandon Sanderson in general. Would highly recommend Stormlight (but maybe not as an introduction to him, unless you make it a habit to read high fantasy novels not found in the YA section)
I'm off to finish the Mistborn Trilogy (and then finish the next one).
P. S. Did you see what I did?
*runs away cackling like a maniac*
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