George D

I'd made it this far in life without reading much DFW, I didn't appreciate his ability to display recursive thought at its most extreme, I was blown away.

My bandana is in the mail.

It's Sanderson, you know why you're here and you get what you wanted - an excellently plotted thrill ride in a completely original world with it's own freshly unique magic system.

Having said that and I don't know if it's because I'd already read his later stuff, but this felt like an author still honing the skillset that's on full display in later series.

A book that will make you want to read everything by both Orwell and Hitchens.

The writing is clear and concise but the surprisingly childish view of history is genuinely insulting.

This is the first thing I've read of theirs so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in their wider work. I assume they have produced some great bits of writing on specific areas of history where they're safe from making the mistake of naively broad generalisations justified via highly selective cherry picking.

But this book? It's a disgrace to the study of history.

Can't believe this is how such a great series has closed off.

I hate a forced ending, the kind where you can almost hear the writer over your shoulder saying “You get it? You see what I did? Shock value is mature, right?”

Saga deserved better.

An example of how Saga can also do a looser collection of stories perfectly, compared with the single long arc of the previous volume.

Significantly more upbeat than the last one, with still some beautifully bittersweet moments mixed in.

Merged review:

An example of how Saga can also do a looser collection of stories perfectly, compared with the single long arc of the previous volume.

Significantly more upbeat than the last one, with still some beautifully bittersweet moments mixed in.

Probably the best one yet.

Saga shines when it spends time letting the situations breathe rather than just rushing things along. This chapter gave the characters and world the time to draw you in while building up to some brutally powerful moments.

Seriously, that ending.

The most in-between feeling volume so far, felt like it was clearing things up from previous storylines and lining things up for the next batch.

Still fun, and if it was any other graphic novel I'd be very impressed, but thats the curse of raising the bar for yourselves.

A classic Sanderson read, he can't write funny and I can't put the damn book down.

There's a few things I could complain about but, ultimately, anything better than “fine” for the finale to a 14 book fantasy epic is automatically 5 stars - and this was definitely better than fine.

Shoutout to David Suchet, who read the audiobook, for showing me what true commitment to reading a story out loud sounds like.

Always fun seeing data confirm cliches, though it's worth reading some of the reviews on here to make sure you add a grain of salt to what you've just read.

The part on race hits hard.

Short and sweet. You ain't gonna learn how to meditate, or anything concrete at all, but you get to see David Lynch's brain in action as it meanders around thinking about stuff in a very distinct tone.

Plus you might appreciate some previously unexamined details of life, like the perfect soundtrack for a scene or the granularity of rotten flesh.

A great read that tears apart simplistic definitions of “hunter-gatherers” vs “agriculturalist”.

There's some contention about accuracy - it does feel a little like Bruce might be overstretching himself trying to build a farming narrative - but separate to that it at leasts helps readers appreciate how Aboriginals treated the whole of Australia as their farm, cultivating it in simple-yet-complex ways on a scale larger and looser than we might imagine.

A fascinating reevaluation of our history, and one that provides a basis for further developing our own uniquely Australian identity.

Personally found it the weakest so far but also it includes an unnecessarily detailed image of a dragon engaged in some auto-fellation so it's still four stars.

Murder! Revolution! Actors!

Possibly my favourite one yet. Pushing the beautiful relationship to extremes and leaving you with no choice but to read the next edition.

Brilliant! It's style of slowly teaching you about genetics as it guides you through the history of the discoveries of genetics helps understand the gene better.

There are so many characters along the way, each one toiling for years on some tiny area of expertise they couldn't even be sure was a good idea or worth collecting data on. Like Thomas Morgan, meticulously cross breeding fruit flies and recording results for five years just to see if he can learn anything. If that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.

And also, find someone who talks about you the way Siddhartha Mukherjee writes about the DNA double helix.

Slightly slower paced, still great.

I just keep getting blown away by the character and world design, between the giant scrotum and world-egg it's completely out there and so much fun.

This is the kind of high concept sci-fi/fantasy I have so much time for.

It's the classic ‘star crossed lovers trying to start a life away from the man' story, but when the man is a human shaped robot with a TV for a head and the lovers are a remixed angel and demon it all becomes so much more engaging.

3.5

Nothing is more annoying than 3 chapters in a row of various characters doing their best Jon Snow “I do not want it” impressions. So over it, just accept your destiny that you're clearly skilled at and made for and eventually going to do anyway you idiots! Luckily that part short lived and things keep moving along nicely.

Perrin was the star of the show, finally getting back to being fun. Matrim continues his brutal suffering at the hands of Sanderson with a couple of multiple book plotlines tied off in a weirdly short time.

As far as I can see without having done book 14, this book also has one of the most unnecessary “you thought they died but they're actually alive” plot threads I've ever seen in my life.

It took me so long to read but I regret nothing. The original self help/build better habits book. Aristotle bringing the reality to the idealised concepts of Plato.

Aristotle really understands the need to cultivate the habits of a good person before you can even become a good person, which is the kind of deep understanding of human nature I thoroughly appreciate. People aren't innately good or bad but they do have a gut that has the capacity to become good, you want to spend your life cultivating your gut feeling to be the right feeling.

He also has a nice ongoing thread on the need for unity within oneself, how each part of you is reflected in even the smallest actions you take, so you need to strive to achieve consistency across all your own selves. If you want to be whole you need to make sure every part of you lines up and if it doesn't then build the habits to hopefully learn to get there.

In summary:
Aristotle = a united gut

There are truly brilliant moments in these short stories, others might be a little dated.

Tim has a great eye for some universally specific parts of the human condition.

What Brandon Sanderson did to Mat Cauthon is a sin - single handedly destroying the best character in the series - but damn if he doesn't know how to write one hell of a thrill ride.

Such a cute and easy read (or listen, in my case). You love all the characters and you can see what's coming but still enjoy the journey there.

I also surprisingly loved having an Aussie audiobook narrator for once.

There is no chance you are finishing this book and not finding it god damn adorable.