Tyler
4.25 Stars = An essential part of the Cosmere
I don't think this beats Emperor's Soul by any means, but I do think this is the most relevant novella to the Stormlight Archives and the Cosmere as a whole.
Great story that ties in very well following Oathbringer. Fantastic new characters and some of the most beloved returning side-characters. Just overall very well done.
3.5 Stars = Free samples are nice, but this one might be stale.
This wasn't a bad novella, but it won't rank among Sanderson's best, of which there are many. The world, or at least the island where this story takes place, is just Pandora without blue monkey people. Everything is trying to end you.
Apparently this is a section directly out of Isles of Emberdark, so I'll save my real opinions for after I read the completed work. Dusk seems like an interesting MC, but we don't have a lot to go on. And the only other character, unfortunately, was completely forgettable. I really hope we get a lot of world and character building in the full book.
3 Stars = Meh. Nothing special.
I want to start by saying that the introduction to this book was one of the best descriptions of fiction writing I've ever seen. I strongly believe everyone should read that intro, even if they never intend to read the book.
The book itself however was easily forgettable. It suffered from a lot of the same issues I've had with other 70s sci-fi like Future War. Hyper-sexualized and fascinated with non-straight, non-binary relationships as the most terrifying future imaginable. It wasn't nearly as “phobic “ as others, but still felt like a completely unnecessary focus on the wrong things. It was interesting at first until it became the central theme of nearly every chapter.
The remaining 10% of the story that wasn't about androgynous sex practices was alright, but not all that interesting. The whole thing is basically colonialism, trying to bring this new world into the MCs doctrine. shrug I'm sure this is someone's jam. Not mine.
4.75 Stars = Just a tad below perfect.
This was a heavy book. So much happened, I actually went back and read a recap when I was done and thought, “oh wow, ALL of that was this book???” Very dark, but very rewar... It was very dark.
After the events of Iron Gold we had this new direction with a few new faces and we got to see a bit of what comes after a rebellion. But, Dark Age takes it a step further as everything devolves into chaos and an uncertain future.
This was the funniest of the series so far. It was the wittiest. Some of my favorite scenes for all of my favorite characters are within these pages. It's also the most heartbreaking and hard to swallow. It's almost Grimdark in it's unforgiving brutality. Multiple chapters left dumbfounded and numb. (In the best way possible)
5 Stars = 10/10 Wouldn't recommend to a member of the clergy.
Wow. I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. I honestly just thought, “meh, Grimdark Vampires” but almost 800 pages later I'm ready to binge the whole trilogy!
This starts out kind of like the Sun Eater series where you know the ending right up front (not sure what that trope is called). We then get a story told in a non-linear fashion, that creatively leaves out important information to bring back at a more critical time. I love De Leon's storytelling more than his character, but that's all part of it and his growth through the story he tells.
It's sexy and provocative. It's dark and horrific. It's heartbreaking and heart stopping. There are so many moments that had me on the edge of my seat, as well as brutal “WTF” parts.
Best read of the year so far. Will finish the series. Will read again. Will recommend to anyone who likes a little blood on their pages.
I love Lift so much! Her Interlude in Words of Radiance was one of my favorites, so I was super pleased to see Edgedancer was about her and her little Voidbringer!
While this wasn't my absolute favorite from the Arcanum Unbounded collection, I enjoyed it immensely and definitely think it was a necessary piece to the Cosmere puzzle. Many of his short stories are just fun little side quests that expose minor secrets or lore. But, this one in particular, I feel needs to be read.
This short story also delves into Szeth and his new master a bit, and gives depth to both characters that is needed at this point in the Stormlight Archive. It shows us how the Assassin in White is dealing with the changes he met in Words of Radiance, and I believe sets the tone for him going forward. Couple more hints toward the nature of his Shardblade as well, for those who are paying attention. 😉
This near-future dystopian, written in the 70s, glares with the bigotry of it's time. Homophobia, thinly veiled with forced acceptance left me cringing throughout it's entirety. The pervasive hyper-sexualized misogynistic viewpoints were very distracting as well, though more subtle.
The story itself, of a future where soldiers are strung along the centuries by way of time-dilation and the cultural and societal changes over such great time, was entertaining enough. The premise is a fantastic thought experiment, and the author's ability to express hard science in layman's terms was expertly delivered. I do find myself considering these challenges: how would humanity deal with overpopulation, resource management, and never ending war?
I believe this one warrants a 4 star rating, minus points for it's outdated and offensive tone. I do think it was an important stepping stone for modern science fiction, so it should be enjoyed through that lense, for what it was meant to be, rather than how it is perceived today. As is the point of this work, times change.
This book left me in a cold sweat. Storms, what an amazing piece of art! Never in my life could I imagine reading 1000+ pages and wanting to immediately start the next 1000.
Reading the entire Cosmere in a logical order paid off immensely with this one. The surprise connections that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Huge, universe-affecting connections! (Some to one of my favorite Cosmere works no less)
As with The Way of Kings, I never felt like this absolute dumptruck of a book was too much. The pacing is on point and engaging all throughout, without being overwhelming or tedious. Sanderson is THE master of epic fantasy, and I now fully understand how this became the highest rated book on Goodreads. Masterpiece.
Perfection
I simply have no words great enough to adequately praise this fine story. So, so wonderfully whimsical. I imagined it as a Ghibli movie playing in my head, complete with all the beautiful art and music and characters. I found myself smiling ear to ear, right from the very first page, and I never stopped. I will read this again. I will read it to my children. It is absolute perfection!
My only wish is that I knew more of the Cosmere before reading. While I saw the few references I know sprinkled here or there, I'm sure there were many I missed as well. I'll be revisiting this once I have a few more series under my belt.
I'd give this a 3.5 on any modern site, but since we're stuck here in 2013, I'll upgrade it to a 4.
This may be the most unsure I've ever been about a book. I could have given it a 5 star rating, or a 2. It was wonderful, and boring, and exciting, and long. I described it elsewhere as an “uneventful drive along a beautiful path”. The storytelling is obscenely descriptive, almost Tolkien in its long winded way. It took more than 400 pages to get to the beginnings of a plot, but I don't feel cheated of that time spent reading. It was a long and winding road that ultimately lead to a tense climax that set up the series for what I expect to be an epic fantasy. And, the ending was perfect.
Some call it more of a prequel. I don't disagree. But despite all its faults, I couldn't help but fall in love. The first person perspective with the main character's hindsight foreshadowing the ultimate finale could be a turn off for some, but I think it gave just a touch of suspense, and only rarely spoiled the moment.
Final thoughts: whispersync made this read-through possible. The audiobook is very well done, and the quality of voice acting only enhances the experience. The book itself is worth a read, if only to help give some preface to the following volumes in the series.
