Kireth
A short but effective story set in a new Cosmere world. Silence Montaine is different to other Sanderson protagonists purely based on demographics (older woman taking care of young ones), but she shares the witty and capable traits that are known in his writing. This is definitely a physically darker setting than the worlds we know, but doesn't become full-blown horror - just high personal stakes.
I love how Sanderson still finds a way to introduce a twist at the end, and how it usually revolves around character relationships. Silver is going to be really important in the Cosmere isn't it?
What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.
From the "10 Years On" Introduction:
Why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people? Because, once we have overcome the defeats - and we always do - we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence.
Spoilers in quotes below.
From One:
"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."
"We have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he was grateful for the jacket's weight and warmth. The jacket had a purpose, and so did the boy."
"What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised.
"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."
All things are one. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
There was also the merchant's daughter, but she wasn't as important as his flock, because she didn't depend on him. Maybe she didn't even remember him. He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognise the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.
"That's the way it always is," said the old man. "It's called the principle of favourability. When you play cards for the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck."
"Why is that?"
"Because there is a force that wants you to realise your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success."
"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you," said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."
It's too bad that he's quickly going to forget my name, he thought. I should have repeated it for him. Then when he spoke about me he would say that I am “Melchizedek, the king of Salem.He looked to the skies, feeling a bit abashed, and said, “I know it’s the vanity of vanities, as you said, my Lord. But an old king sometimes has to take some pride in himself.”
The sale of his sheep had left him with enough money in his pouch, and the boy knew that in money there was magic; whoever has money is never really alone.
He recalled that when the sun had risen that morning, he was on another continent, still a shepherd with sixty sheep, and looking forward to meeting with a girl. That morning he had known everything that was going to happen to him as he walked through the familiar fields. But now, as the sun began to set, he was in a different country, a stranger in a strange land, where he couldn’t even speak the language. He was no longer a shepherd, and he had nothing, not even the money to return and start everything over.
But now I’m sad and alone. I’m going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I’m going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine. And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.
“I’m like everyone else—I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure.
There must be a language that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought. I've already had that experience with my sheep, and now it's happening with people.
From Two:
“Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.”
There had been a time when he thought that his sheep could teach him everything he needed to know about the world. But they could never have taught him Arabic.
“Maktub,” the merchant said, finally.
“What does that mean?”
“You would have to have been born an Arab to understand,” he answered. “But in your language it would be something like ‘It is written.”
But the sheep had taught him something even more important: that there was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired. Tangier was no longer a strange city, and he felt that, just as he had conquered this place, he could conquer the world.
He suddenly felt tremendously happy. He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn’t happen to just anyone!
He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.
“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
Although the vision of the date palms would someday be just a memory, right now it signified shade, water, and a refuge from the war. Yesterday, the camel’s groan signaled danger, and now a row of date palms could herald a miracle.
The world speaks many languages, the boy thought.
At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke—the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen—the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.
And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.
He felt sleepy. In his heart, he wanted to remain awake, but he also wanted to sleep. “I am learning the Language of the World, and everything in the world is beginning to make sense to me…even the flight of the hawks,” he said to himself. And, in that mood, he was grateful to be in love. When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought.
“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love…the love that speaks the Language of the World.”
“There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more.”
“The desert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don’t even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.”
“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
“And his heart told him something else that the boy had never noticed: it told the boy of dangers that had threatened him, but that he had never perceived.”
In the silence, the boy understood that the desert, the wind, and the sun were also trying to understand the signs written by the hand, and were seeking to follow their paths, and to understand what had been written on a single emerald. He saw that omens were scattered throughout the earth and in space, and that there was no reason or significance attached to their appearance; he could see that not the deserts, nor the winds, nor the sun, nor people knew why they had been created. But that the hand had a reason for all of this, and that only the hand could perform miracles, or transform the sea into a desert…or a man into the wind. Because only the hand understood that it was a larger design that had moved the universe to the point at which six days of creation had evolved into a Master Work.The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.
The alchemist said, “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
Pleasantly surprised by this one. A lot of online chatter placed the Frugal Wizard at the bottom of Sanderson's four (soon to be five) Secret Projects. Perhaps these low expectations aided me, as I found myself on the disappointed end of Tress after all the online praise. In Frugal Wizard I found a character with a somewhat relatable voice, a world with a fun history to unpack, and most importantly themes around the cumulative effect of an individual's wins or losses in life. This last part directly feeds into a lot of the self-development and psychological content I enjoy reading on the non-fiction side of things.
Coming back to the world and story, this is Jason Bourne meets Medieval England but with some futuristic high tech gear. The unravelling of our lead character's past at times became a bit farcical, but overall placed him in a good position to build meaningful relationships in his present situation with the boastful skop Sefawynn and thegn Ealstan. The artwork was fun, the chapter headings and blue text within chapters were genuinely cool, and the interludes regarding the actual handbook were entertaining whilst accomplishing smart worldbuilding.
Perhaps I really enjoyed this because it was so separate to the Cosmere, and felt like Sanderson just having fun as a writer.
A whimsical adventure that surprisingly carries a lot of character heart. I finally dive into the Secret Projects from Brandon Sanderson over 2 years since their announcement, and over a year since they were released. A few things stand out to me from this first project: this is a much lighter Sanderson novel than I am accustomed to. Compared to Mistborn and especially the Stormlight Archive, I feel that this world was very much designed for a one-off novel and story.
This doesn't discredit the worldbuilding at all! Lumar is a wonderful location, with a truly otherwordly feel due to the oceans of spores dropping from twelve moons. Sanderson's cited inspiration of a proactive female twist upon The Princess Bride can be felt, and TotES has all the trappings of a classic fantasy adventure novel. There's a prince, sorceress, talking rats and even a dragon. Alongside Sanderson's trademark magic that is treated like a science, in the form of Sprouters and spores.
The narration was hilarious, as Hoid goes from cameo to full-blown storyteller in this story. This means there's fun references to the rest of the Cosmere. Some of the magic of Lumar is lost by this interconnectivity, and the modern technological references sprinkled throughout. It also however means there's an element of meta-fiction, which surprisingly adds to the emotional depth of the novel. Whilst Hoid is trapped in a comical state during the novel, Tress undergoes deep character growth and I found myself really going through the journey with her in a surprisingly emotional manner. This is really her novel (with the Dougs), but Hoid drops gems in his narration, some of which are in the quotes below.
There's also an unexpected link to Dawnshard, in that this mostly becomes a novel set on the seas. The story felt light and plot points seemed to whizz by, but this was also a result of shorter chapters and Parts 1-4 being much shorter than Parts 5 and 6. I will say my interest grew greatly after the first act, and the ending was a typical Sanderlanche with some "smack your face" reveals that had me smiling. I loved the simple Chapter titles, and the artwork was fantastic with the cover and endpapers in particular being stunning. Yet I can't help but feel that this was a fun interlude for Sanderson, not the meat of his more developed stories, and it's not just due to the pagecount. With how he was able to write these novels in secret, I am expecting similar depths from the coming 3 novels (plus 1 that was completed after the others, and is yet to be released).
Sanderson said he wrote this for his wife, and I feel now that Hoid is the closest character to the author himself - a worldly and well-traveled thinker, humorous but deeply empathetic, and with a perchant for telling captivating stories. It also made me think of Thom the gleeman from the Wheel of Time series. I look forward to seeing where the next Secret Projects take me, and the stunning visuals they provide.
A stirring collection of short stories. Thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club for recommending this one. So it turns out The Moth is actually a verbal storytelling institute, started in America but travels globally. Because we were reading this book, the AMS ABC went as a group to the Mezrab in Amsterdam which was one of the best experiences of the city for me. Opened me up to a whole new group of people and socialising that I didn't know existed beforehand.
Back to All These Wonders, I enjoyed pretty much every single story. There's a lot to cover but I'll briefly say this: the human condition is vast but relatable, and with the right framing anyone can empathise and understand your story.
Favourite stories TBC
Sparse in its prose, unrelenting in its personal depth. No quotation marks was initially frustrating but quickly lent itself to a smooth reading process. Years pass as each chapter announces a shift in weeks and months, and readers are carried through the thoughts of our two leads and many of the romance-related events in their lives.
I found myself deeply moved by passages, with lines and moments touching my own personal experiences, even though a large portion of the novel remains faded and toneless. The settings, background people and even the way the characters themselves look aren't Rooney's concern. Instead, she covers facets of being in a deep relationship - social signals, the intermingling and sometimes indistinguishableness between submission and vulnerability, growth, change, worthiness, darkness, care, obliviousness and confusion.
I was taken aback by the starkness in the depiction of more adult subjects, but it was fitting for the book's visually unvaried language. The inner dialogue reveals potent ties to mental health from broken homes and single mothers, depression, anxiety, and self-worth. This is all intermingled with discussions on class, 2010s youth social media and typical European university student experiences such as dinners, parties and exchanges.
A personally profound read and one where I became rapidly attached to these two characters circling each other throughout their changing adolescent lives.
Far future of the Cosmere and we get some interesting clues as to what is happening on the other "main" worlds. Dusk is a great protagonist, it is nice to have a more quiet one compared to the talkative others Sanderson is accustomed to giving us. There's a lot in here despite the page count, maintenance of cultures and traditions, passing down skills and preparing for a technological future. Interesting aviary characters too...
SANDERSOOOOOONNN HOW DO YA DO IT?! Warbreaker was a fantastic standalone addition to Brandon Sanderson’s growing list of published works.
Read the rest of the review (with artwork and quotes) at my website in the link below.
Originally posted at kirethwritesabout.com.
Lessons in Chemistry is lighthearted in its tone, but sharp in its critiquing of the treatment of women in 1960s America. Initially I found myself off-put by the manner in which author Garmus seemed to be inserting herself into the book's setting and time period; I believed her to be a modern young feminist asserting her own experiences onto another space. However, I was amazed to realise that the author is in her 60s, and this is her debut novel to boot!
The reason I thought Garmus was so young is due to the aloof and youthful voice of Zott. Our protagonist is clearly an intelligent person, yet remains muddled in some social situations. I thought every scene involving a pencil was brilliant, and the way she was unafraid to take the fight to every level of an institution, whether university or commercial television.
Another fun read that I may not have picked out of a bookshelf, all thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club.
Not necessarily my typical book, but that's what I love about book clubs and recommendations from others. Lucy by the Sea is an elliptical novel seated firmly in the mind of a just-past-middle-aged white female writer.
This had some surprising white people perspectives - the privilege of being able to tune out of troubling current affairs and having multiple spouses and extended family through multiple marriages. Despite these, Lucy did come from poverty and spends much of the novel connecting with, labelling and trying to understand others.
The time period of being set during the pandemic in Maine, USA allows for an interesting dissection of relatively recent events. There's COVID itself and all the anxiety, masks, lethargy and vaccinations surrounding it; the US presidential struggles and increasing political divide in the country; and human connection in a world of distancing and zooms.
I did enjoy this read, particularly the range of insights offered through the perspective being so close to Lucy and her memories. Will continue to venture outside my typical reading content.
A kind of return to the classic quests and mostly historical setting of the series following the dark third entry. Whereas the last book was quite focused in its plot, this one had a few storylines running concurrently, diverging and converging whenever appropriate. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, Nico, Clarisse, the other campers and supporting Gods each have their own journeys. However instead of a mess, Riordan weaves a mesmerising story that's all about an individual's deeds and the impacts created by them. In a way that reminds me of the Avengers movies, there's something satisfying about seeing these characters after short periods of time and witnessing their interactions and growth, especially now the reader is really attached to them. Teenage romance was also a theme of this book, but didn't overtake the story and development which I appreciated. As usual, the humour was great, and the mystery really led to a “smack-yourself-in-the-forehead” kind of revelation which was entertaining. And I will never forget that cliffhanger ending for the finale.
Now this lived up to the hype of the Stormlight Archives. Beyond it's epic scope, Words of Radiance had powerful character moments and ticked along at a far better pace than its predecessor. In fact, this book felt like the exciting second half of one large story.
Read my full review with beautiful artwork and my favourite moments at my website here.
3/5
Hmm, did not anticipate my rating being this low for a Brandon Sanderson novel. I think this one suffered from being less of a Mistborn sequel and more of a Cosmere expansion. Another factor in my rating was definitely the time gap between novels, both in my own reading and in real life - six years have passed since Mistborn #6 Bands of Mourning was released, and this timing is also reflected in the novel's characters.
We pick up with Wayne and Marasi as a constable duo with a solid track record, and Wax and Steris sitting well-established in Elendel's politics. Our entire cast is still working towards uncovering the plans of shadowy organisation The Set, and their strange other-worldly God Trell. Harmony and the Kandra aren't doing the best job, and no progress has been made on finding The Survivor.
It took me a while to get into this one, as the Part 1 really takes it's time in showing us where the characters and world are. The emotional maturity of our cast and discovery of the Southern Continent has meant a lot of off-page development between the books, but rest assured Sanderson sets our quartet up with satisfying and impactful arcs over the course of the story. By the end of Part 1 I was fully hooked into the story and its threat, with Sanderson taking smart cues from human history (especially photography and WWII).
However, I found myself losing interest during Act 2. Firstly, I felt there was a bit too much monologuing and questioning by our cast. Secondly, this book definitely opened the Cosmere up. Having only read Mistborn, Elantris and Emperor's Soul at this stage, I found myself overwhelmed with information that didn't exactly excite me. On a different note, I was pleasantly surprised at how in-depth and scientific the magic systems were, especially when Sanderson compared real-world science and other Cosmere magic against each other. The Cosmere as a whole is definitely a rigorous, if less interesting, science system.
As expected, the Sanderlanche was fantastic. All of the action in Act 3 was awesome, even if the emotional moments were not as impactful for me personally. When I can follow what is happening and the stakes are clear, our characters become superhuman beings of power and destruction.
I look back on Mistborn Era 2 with fondness. You didn't blow me away the same way Era 1 did, but I appreciated your lighter approach and inventive action. Thank you to Wax and Wayne for your adventures these past years, and I need to give full credit for Sanderson actually developing his fantasy world realistically by steadily adding technology into the mix.
I will be catching up on the rest of the Cosmere before the real big-scale battles begin in Era 3.
3.5/5
Robert Stratton is an up-and-coming automaton developer in a world where scientists have discovered the Kabbalistic (ancient Jewish religious thinking in Hebrew language) names of objects, and animated automatons and health jewellery with them. The steampunk, pre-industrial English setting is a perfect backdrop as Stratton becomes involved in a secret society to prevent the extinction of the human race within the next few generations due to reproduction issues.
Following the recursive, almost programming-like relationship between ova name-injection and rapid large foetus growth, Stratton is blind to the motivations of others leading to moments of tense conflict. Clay sculptors, aristocrats and kabbalists assist him in seeing the letters needed to save humanity and continue personal, procreative agency.
Merged review:
3.5/5
Robert Stratton is an up-and-coming automaton developer in a world where scientists have discovered the Kabbalistic (ancient Jewish religious thinking in Hebrew language) names of objects, and animated automatons and health jewellery with them. The steampunk, pre-industrial English setting is a perfect backdrop as Stratton becomes involved in a secret society to prevent the extinction of the human race within the next few generations due to reproduction issues.
Following the recursive, almost programming-like relationship between ova name-injection and rapid large foetus growth, Stratton is blind to the motivations of others leading to moments of tense conflict. Clay sculptors, aristocrats and kabbalists assist him in seeing the letters needed to save humanity and continue personal, procreative agency.
14 books (and a novella), 11,000 pages, 4.4 million words, 15 months. And it's finally over.
Reading A Memory of Light was an emotional rollercoaster, a final rally of light against dark with some brilliant battle tactics and a lot of casualties.
Despite bringing me to tears, it doesn't quite reach the heights of previous moments in the series and at times seems to tick off large moments in a massive list. But this was truly momentous and I loved so many parts of it.
I am definitely not re reading this series however :'-)
3.5/5
A lot happening, and mostly set-up for The Final Battle. There are a few gems in the opening chapters, then a lot of trudging. This is mostly due to Sanderson having to wrap the less interesting characters and storylines after the awesome story of TGS. The ending is strong, but I'm way more excited for the next book now that all the pieces are finally in place. 13 books (and a novella)! 13 months baby. Will finish The Wheel of Time by the end of November hopefully.
Wise Buddhist teachings. Will revisit this one
"We awaken this bodhichitta, this tenderness for life, when we can no longer shield ourselves from the vulnerability of our condition, from the basic fragility of existence. In the words of the sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa, "You take it all in. You let the pain of the world touch your heart and you turn it into compassion."
"The poet Jalaluddin Rumi writes of night travelers who search the darkness instead of running from it, a companionship of people willing to know their own fear. Whether it's in the small fears of a job interview or the unnameable terrors imposed by war, prejudice, and hatred; whether it's in the loneliness of a widow or the horrors of children shamed or abused by a parent, in the tenderness of the pain itself, night travelers discover the light of bodhichitta."
"The path is uncharted. It comes into existence moment by moment and at the same time drops away behind us. It's like riding in a train sitting backwards. We can't see where we're headed, only where we've been."
"In what do we take refuge? Do we take refuge in small, self-satisfied actions, speech, and mind? Or do we take refuge in warriorship, in taking a leap, in going beyond our usual safety zones?"
"Do everything as if it were the only thing in the world that mattered, while all the time knowing that it doesn't matter at all"
5/5
Honestly, what is peak fantasy if not this? Sanderson kills it from page 1 and takes the reader on an emotional journey with a beloved core cast of characters. However, this couldn't have been achieved without Jordan's imaginative thinking, thorough planning and detailed world building. This is not wholly Sanderson's novel, but a combined attempt to satisfy fans and the world-maker's intention.
But there's no denial that Sanderson brings an increased pace, a well guided criteria of what is and isn't important to the story, and just a clear sense of purpose to every viewpoint and chapter. I found The Gathering Storm extremely difficult to put down, and am amazed that this is only the first third of payoff for this series's well-awaited conclusion. For those fans who had been reading for years, I truly hope this novel was everything you wanted and then some. Personally, I have crossed the 1 year mark of reading this series (completing about 1 book a month) and am bittersweet as I charge towards its ending.
Yes, there are moments of clunky writing and at some points the characterisation seems odd. There is one ridiculous and unfortunately accurately in-world spanking scene. But these are minor blemishes compared to the achievement that Sanderson, McDougal and the editing team were able to produce under the unfortunate circumstances of Jordan's passing. At times characters leap from nation to nation, and events occur without the narrative hesitancy we have witnessed in previous novels. This is all built off of the back of Jordan's setting development, and the strong sense of urgency in Sanderson's plotting all but hurtles us to the Wheel of Time's conclusion. Yet most importantly, Sanderson has both evolved character arcs and teed up individuals perfectly for the end. Every main character gets a moment, and a clear questioning or through-line of their development. Like earlier Jordan books, when a character ponders other events still occur around them and they themselves only provide new information to the reader. There are a few direct references to character histories, which I'm sure is beneficial for readers who read previous entries years before. I let it also pass in the massive scope of story, and because I'm hoping for payoff here. Stand-outs for this book? Egwene Al'Vere, Rand Al'Thor, Gawyn Trakand, Masema (briefly), and one more that's a spoiler...
The Gathering Storm was emotionally beautiful, astonishingly epic and still just a penultimate setup for Tarmon Gai'don, The Final Battle. I look forward to seeing everyone there, when the storm breaks.
4/5
The last lines of The Fires of Heaven had me excited for the sixth chapter in the Wheel of Time series. Whilst the promise of more male channelers definitely delivers in Lord of Chaos, there's other glaring issues in pacing, gendered writing and repetition that I have unfortunately come to accept in these books.
Read my full review on Life of Karrot.