My friend gave me this as a joke for Christmas, since he thought the description on the back sounded silly. But Moorcock apparently likes it and I guess Sanderson was trusted with finishing Wheel of Time, so maybe it's good?
What am I in for Veeky Forums?
Everything by Sanderson is amazing.
Okay plot, some good ideas to steal for your setting
This. Sanderson is the best fantasy author around at the moment
Sanderson is pretty damn cool. At least, if you like well thought out magic systems that stick to their rules don't cheat with bullshit "spesshul cases".
Technically it's part of his massive universe spanning epic, if you like this you should read Stormlight Archives and Mistborn series, especially mistborn era 2.
> amazing
character named Kaladin that behaves like a Paladin.
Did he also create character Mighter the Fighter?
Oh wow that was really clever where did you copy paste that from?
Have you even read the books?
Did Kaladin get the opportunity to stick it into his fairy familiar? She sounded like a hottie.
>doesn't know about Saladin.
makes sense. He is darkeyes that hates lighteyes.
He does magic systems very well, but despite how well he did that in Mistborn the rest of the series came off as young adult writing trying to pass itself off as epic fantasy. Just couldn't get into it.
Saladin was technically a paladin of his god too (Salaah ud Deen = righteousness of the faith)
Era 2 is far better.
>Sanderson was trusted with finishing Wheel of Time
Wheel of Time is extremely bad though.
Mighter the Fighter doesn't pop up until later in the series, when he appears with Tleric the Cleric and Vief the Thief.
Not as good as Mistborn, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
The magic system is kinda weird, even for Sanderson, but it is a fun novel to read. The setting is interesting, the characters are fun enough to follow, and the plot isn't too bad.
Again, it's no Mistborn, but I enjoyed it.
It was good until the ending of the third book, when Jordan realized he could string the series along forever and make shitloads of money. So basically yeah, you're right. Fuck.
Stormlight Archives > Mistborn Era 2 > Emperor's Soul > Warbreaker > Era 1 > Elantris
It's alright. His Mormonism is extremely blatant in his writing though.
Pleb, it is 100 times better than the garbage you enjoy
How?
Currently big on his Stormlight Archive series.
>fairly unique magic system. Very low magic except for specific individuals who have to be worthy of bonding a physical representation of a human idea.
>the humans were the badguys to start, but its been so long now, that no one is really sure what to do with that information
>as a result of centuries and millenia of torture, the greatest champions-demigods really- of humans are all insane to a degree and some are not very nice anymore
>class-based conflicts of many different types
>HERESY
>strong main cast, all flawed to a degree, but otherwise relatable.
>swords that cut through anything.
also, his books have supporting illustrations done so they feel they are done by one of the main characters in the book who is an artist. pretty cool idea.
I actually liked most of the series.
What I really disliked is how women are subtly shown as being so goddamned smart, capable, and powerful. And yet every decision a woman makes in the book just seems to make shit worse. Or they do blatantly asinine shit and then get mad when a guy shows up and keeps them from dying.
The way Matt was treated in the mid to later books made me almost stop reading.
The books that focused more on characters like Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne were a nightmare to read through.
>I misspelled Joe Abercrombie
First Law > Cosmere
Also, rithmatist, even for a kids book, was so goddamned fucking stupid.
Ignore this guy. Wax and Wayne are fun, but the books are pretty much terrible. Stormlight is where its at.
New and interesting magic systems are this guy's gimmick, though.
I would say he's one of the better ones currently. I wouldn't call any of his works "amazing," but they are decent at least. Maybe that's what amazing is nowadays.
Aviendha is hot and sexy and i wanna fug her
>magic systems
>magic systems
>hey he does interesting magic systems
>unique magic systems
motherfuckers i'm reading a novel, not a spellbook. is the book good?
The first few posts say the plot is okay and the writer's great, are you retarded?
The book is good
the book is average, but most fantasy books are shit, so...
The characters are extremely asexual and wear magical undergarment.
Dont forget power armour
Perrin and Mat best boys, Rand is shit
Great book. The sisters are good characters. The elder sister got on my nerves sometimes but her arc makes that okay, there was a reason. The younger sister is a cute. Also Vasher is a really cool character, in any other book he would be the main character & be charismatic, but in the story he is kinda a dick, & people just don't like him. It's relatable.
Stormlight is my favorite though I hate the girl PoV she reminds me of the shitty little girl in Elantris who is just great at everything & smug & i really want to punch the kid
>Wheel of Time is better than Jorge Luis Borges, Alice Sheldon and/or Gene Wolfe
This is incorrect.
>First Law > Cosmere
...It really isn't.
I'd put The Heroes over everything but Stormlight Archive, but Cosmere > First Law, and if Abercrombie has one inn First Law that can match the Stormlight Archive books out of Cosmere, I haven't read it.
I love reading his stuff, I started reading his newest, "Oathbringer", the day it got out. His main strengths lie in world building, magic systems and endings. You just know he has a plan for the stuff he writes and there will be twists and hints throughout, so it's really fun reading. That said, he's not that good of a writer, though he is getting better and better. His prose is extremely bland and his dialogue is cringeworthy. Furthermore, it sometimes irks me that people hate Name of the Wind for its "Mary Sue" protagonist but love the characters in Sanderson's books. Imo Kaladin, Kelsier, Vin, Shallan, Hoid, etc. are all way bigger Sues than Kvothe. I actually don't mind Sues, they're not necessarily bad, but a lot of moments, especially involving Shallan (as 'Veil') in Oathbringer have me rolling my eyes.
Can't say I've read all of the books, but I don't understand how Hoid is enough of a character to be a sue. AFAIK he's basically just an easter egg character that appears briefly in every book.
Also not sure how Kaladin "Everyone I touch dies" Stormblessed is a sue. The first book is him being powerful, narrow-minded and immature and getting fucked over repeatedly because of it.
Kelsier I'll give you.
When Renarin ends up fucking a tribe of forest ninja women, and then basically fucks every bard maid he sees on the way home, I'll admit that's about as bad.
I really liked Elantris and would love to see it as a mini-series on Netflix or something. I think it could use a few tweaks but that's just because it's his first book or whatever.
So Sanderson was literally a virgin until he wrote the book in OP's pic. He mentions it in the annotations and that's why it's the first book with a "sex scene." Which is literally just the main chick jumping on a bed making sex noises so that the people in the next room think she and her husband are banging when they're not. It's actually adorable.
In Elantris the main characters like.. fall in love or whatever but the most they do is hold hands and maybe a kiss on the cheek? Which is fine if he doesn't want a sex scene but there really needed to be a bit of chemistry. Mistborn had a similar problem with the main couple. They had a little in the beginning but once they announce their True Love or whatever they just get so G-rated about it and act like siblings or something. It's a little weird.
>>swords that cut through anything.
I prefer my swords chatty and sarcastic, as in Warbreaker.
So you basically want Syl?
He'd just freak out and make distressed autistic noises/scream internally/weep throughout the whole ordeal while his spirit familiar makes one or two deranged vaguely on-topic statements in matching panic
>tHeY aRe GoInG tO rApE uS!
>I know, Glys.
Huh. I don't think that was actually shit-posting.
I thought the whole point of Kelsier was to essentially be a non-character, far off and vague enough to sell his martyrdom/messiah status after he dies, so he couldn't really be characterized too deeply otherwise the illusion wouldn't hold up.
>not Keef the Thief
Honestly first law is great until you get to the lasy book and Abercrombie basically goes "I never planned on fufulling any of the major promises of the first book and don't have half of this shit planned out. Here's a contrite plot twist instead."
He doesn't write about them fugging and that's a problem?
>that stick to their rules don't cheat with bullshit "spesshul cases".
Nigga I read Mistborn, the entire first book ending is "well, actually" on its lore. It's just as bad as Harry Potter's endings.
He could easily be characterized well to those he held close, but to the public at large another face entirely. The problem is that Kelsier is the epitome of a teenager's favorite OC anime protagonist. Individually his traits aren't necessarily bad, but the accumulation makes one wary. He's too perfect. He's cocky, got the most special powers, he's got a dark past and a vengeance burning inside, despite being skaa he somehow comes into a situation of knowing way too much, being far too experienced in espionage and planning.
He circumvents a religious uprising by enacting himself as a messiah. Even him dying can't be taken as a negative, since it was all according to plan. The only time he fails is on the same job, twice. He's the hero, yet he obviously is willing to use Allomancy to gain converts to the cause and has the audacity to tell Breeze not to try and Soothe him. The only heroic thing about him is his fight for the lower class, which is not exactly a big point in his favor when his enemy is Hitler made Sauron. It takes the protagonist status for granted to have your villain literally named the Lord Ruler.
The guy sits backwards in chairs, for fuck's sake.
I haven't read anything but his completion of the wheel of time. hung out with him a little at a con and figured he's a cool guy so I should read his stuff. Where should I start?