Tag: sanderson

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Book Reviews Book Series Books

Sanderson’s Secret Projects: Why These Experimental Stories Feel Like Controlled World-Building Labs

Estimated Reading Time: 12min

Sanderson churns out books like nobody else, but they are so interconnected with each other sometimes that it’s difficult to just pick one up. Enter the secret projects. Linked in a very small way (not enough to stop you from understanding and enjoying). All different, but all connected in a small way – new worlds, new adventures.

Tress of the Emerald Sea

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one. With the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. Her father takes her on a voyage to find himself a bride and disaster strikes. Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. She finds herself amid the spore oceans and on adventures where pirates abound. Can Tress leave her simple life behind? Can she make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

Grab the book Here

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun Violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Confinement
Minor: Vomit, Slavery, Body Horror

My Review

This book was funny, interesting, and thoroughly engaging. The way the world worked with moon particles rather than water, was really fun to explore. The way these different types of particles worked, was really very interesting. The way they could be manipulated and used, was also really cool. The characters were really very interesting, they had a really nice Growth arc.
I liked how it poked fun at a lot of common themes and issues with stories like the fact that the main character seems to have a hidden talent that will ultimately help them. The story was essentially about a normal person. With a normal life. It was very self-aware, and very funny. The narrator voice was really fun to follow. I don’t know enough about the Cosmere to have gotten some of the references I am aware that were made, but I still enjoyed the book regardless.
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I have very limited things I didn’t like about this book, and it was pretty solid all around.

The Sunlit Man

Years ago he had comrades in arms and a cause to believe in, but now the man who calls himself Nomad knows only a life on the run. Forced to hop from world to world in the Cosmere whenever the relentless Night Brigade gets too close, Nomad lands on a new planet and is instantly caught up in the struggle between a tyrant and the rebels who want only to escape being turned into mindless slaves–all under the constant threat of a sunrise whose heat will melt the very stones. Unable to understand the language, can he navigate the conflict and gain enough power to leap off world before his mind or body pay the ultimate price?

Grab the book Here

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire
Moderate: Body Horror, Grief, Slavery
Minor: Injury, Suicidal Thoughts, Death of a Parent

My Review

I haven’t really read much of the Cosmere, but I really enjoyed this book despite that. You can read this without having really done too much inside the Cosmere, which is really nice. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect, but the premise sounded really good. There were some parts I had to gloss over, because they were referring to other things that were explored in other books, but it wasn’t so bad that I took me too far out of the story.

I really enjoyed this world and the characters, it was really very interesting.It was predominantly a character study to me, with a lot of what does it mean to be “this” or how should I feel now that I’m experiencing “that”. There was still a lot of world building, plot and interesting things happening, but there were a lot of times where we stopped and introspected. It was done really well, but I’m not a huge character driven reader, so some of that was harder to make my way through than other parts.

I love how Brandon exposes you to different worlds and magic systems, he is a master at this! This was a really cool world, and some really interesting differences in the way that the sun and world worked. I thought it was fascinating, and I had a lot of fun exploring how this looked for an outsider who also comes into this world with not really much knowledge on how anything works.

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook For Surviving Medieval England

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A man awakens in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?

Grab the book Here

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gun Violence, Blood
Moderate: Injury, Death, War
Minor: Suicide Attempt/Thoughts, Murder

My Review

I  wasn’t going to read this book, but when I started it just to check it out briefly I couldn’t stop.

It was funny, interesting and kept me engaged the whole way through. This was a prime example of the amnesia storyline done well. I’m not usually a fan of mediaeval timelines, or anything to do with wizardry, but there was honestly not really any magic in that way. I also enjoyed the mediaeval time, mostly because it had people from a little further in our time technology wise.

I enjoyed discovering our main character as he kept going through the series, and how he interacted with everyone as he went through it.

Would I Recommend This Book?

Yes, the secret/hidden projects are a great way to jump into Sanderson with low commitment levels if you don’t want to be introduced to a giant connected web of worlds just yet.

Similar Books You Might Like

If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:

  • Steelheart (Sanderson)
  • Mistborn (Sanderson)

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Book Reviews Book Series Books

The Reckoners Series: Superpowers Without Heroes, Only Consequences

Estimated Reading Time: 7min

Super powers that only the worst of the worst are given… what happens to the world after an event like that, and how do the regular people live? Can anyone be stopped, or is life just a wasteland?

Steelheart

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Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man, you must crush his will.
Now, in what was once Chicago, an astonishingly powerful Epic named Steelheart has installed himself as emperor. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said that no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, and no fire can burn him. He is invincible. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in.
When Steelheart came to Chicago, he killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He has seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Grab the book Here

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun Violence, Death of a Parent, Death
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Child Death
Minor: Cursing, Car Accident, Suicide

My Review

I really enjoyed this one!

I liked the world that was created, and the POV of David was really great. I loved his funny character, and his interactions with the others. I really liked Brandon’s writing style too.

I found myself wanting to know more about Steelheart himself, and I look forward to the other books in the series to hopefully fill in more of the blanks about the world created – particularly the things that are still a question mark 😀

Firefight

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Fire, Gun Violence
Moderate: Murder, Injury, Medical Content
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Blood

My Review

I loved this one as much as the first.

The final 20 pages or so seemed to squash a lot into a small space of time, and some of the story in that section felt rushed and/or a little contrived BUT overall it was great, the new location and Epics were awesome. I’m excited to read the final book!

Calamity

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun Violence, Death, Gore
Moderate: Injury, Violence, Fire
Minor: Child Death, Sexual Content, Death of a Parent

My Review

Finally reached the end, and BOY was it worth it!
I really enjoyed the whole series, and this final battle book was a fabulous ending. The characters (as always) were so full and authentic to the voices that began in the first book. I loved them, and I loved the development that this final book forced a few of them into!
This book was utterly littered with adventure and twists that had me tearing my hair out. And I loved every moment of it.

The only reason for the 4 star rating was some of the plot ‘revelations’ felt a little cliched and that was a tad irritating.. otherwise, it was a fantastic ride!

Would I Recommend This Book?

Yes, this was a great series and if you want to dip your toe into Sanderson without committing to the entire cosmere, this is where I started and I would recommend.

Similar Books You Might Like

If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:

  • Tress of the Emerald Sea (Sanderson)
  • The Sunlit Man (Sanderson)
  • Mistborn (Sanderson)

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Book Reviews Books

Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson: A Concept That Turns Reality Into a Controlled Mystery

Estimated Reading Time: 4min

A novella has never gripped me the way this one did. To the point where I WISH there was a full length book for this! But Sanderson just keeps pumping out projects and most of them are in the cosmere, so I will not get my wish, and I’ll just have to survive on this one alone.

Snapshot

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Anthony Davis and his partner Chaz are the only real people in a city of 20 million, sent there by court order to find out what happened in the real world 10 days ago so that hidden evidence can be brought to light and located in the real city today.

Within the re-created Snapshot of May 1st, Davis and Chaz are the ultimate authorities. Flashing their badges will get them past any obstruction and overrule any civil right of the dupes around them. But the crimes the detectives are sent to investigate seem like drudgery – until they stumble upon the grisly results of a mass killing that the precinct headquarters orders them not to investigate. That’s one order they have to refuse. The hunt is on. And though the dupes in the replica city have no future once the Snapshot is turned off, that doesn’t mean that both Davis and Chaz will walk out of it alive tonight.

Grab the book Here

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Gun Violence
Moderate: Blood, Infidelity, Violence
Minor: Domestic Abuse, Child Death, Drug Use

My Review

Didn’t see any of it coming, loved every minute.
Loved this concept of solving crimes through an inception level method. The characters were really interesting to follow and those dynamic was fun to watch.
I wish it were longer, or that there were more of them!

Would I Recommend This Book?

Yes! Every day, it is such a great little read.

Similar Books You Might Like

If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:

  • Altered Carbon (Richard K Morgan)
  • Dark Matter (Blake Crouch)
  • Minority Report (Philip K Dick)

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Book Reviews Books Genre Reading

Fantasy Book Reviews | They Have TWO Different Storylines… Why?

Estimated Reading Time: 6min

I’ve been on a fantasy reading kick lately, and have thrown myself into tackling some very long and complex books. This means that I have also discovered a trend that I didn’t notice until now…

Something I have picked up over the past few years of reading, is that fantasy – particularly high fantasy or those with a lot of books or characters – seem to have two separate plots. They usually link together, but the first half of the book has a plot/storyline that seems to get thrown away in the middle, and a brand new story is taken up instead with the same characters.

Don’t believe me? Let me prove it:

The Final Empire (Mistborn Book 1) by Brandon Sanderson

This one seems to start as a dystopian and magical heist, but ends up being an “overthrow the government/system” war book. The goal of the characters was the second half the whole time, but it was quite jarring to sign up for one thing and get another.

Grab the book Here

Fellowship of the Rings (Lord of the Rings Book 1) by J. R. Tolkien

First half is a journey of hobbits that don’t really know what they’re doing with a magical ring, but it ends up being lots of different beings with complete understanding of their goal and what’s going on around them. Pretty much just a growth/continuation of the story but once the others join the team, the vibes are completely different.

Grab the book Here

Throne of Glass by Sara J Maas

Okay this was was disappointing for me, I’m not going to lie. I have also heard that the first book is pretty much super different to the rest of the series… so yeah.

First half is an assassin who was destined to die a slave gets called up to the elite’s world to compete against others – and if she wins, she’s free, but it ends up being magical fae type monster situations happening that was really intense and amazingly creepy – that was when I stopped reading.

Grab the book Here

A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker

dekker

We start out with an Arabian princess style adventure, trying to avenge her child and take back her kingdom, but we end up discovering Yeshua (Jesus) as he is alive on earth and preaching a different way of life. Not mad about this one, I actually loved the two elements and interacting with JESUS, heck yes! But, it was very much two different stories that were packaged as one. Again, not mad at it.

Grab the book Here

I’m sure there are others that seem to go one way, but in the same book turn around and take you somewhere else. I’m trying to decide how I feel about it. Whether it feels like a trick, or a seamless transition, and I think it’s going to have to be a case by case basis.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Book Challenges Book Reviews Books Genre Reading Movie/Pop Culture

Reading My First Mistborn Book (Brandon Sanderson)

Estimated Read Time: 6min

This is officially my first experience in the cosmere, and I was of two minds!

So this is not my first Brandon Sanderson book, and I have watched all the fantasy writing classes that he ran and were posted to Youtube. So I know a bit about his writing, and what he brings to the party. So I was excited to read The Final Empire.

Why I Was Excited for Mistborn

The first book/series of Brandon’s that I read was Steelheart from The Reckoners series. I read all three books, and LOVED them. It goes down as one of my favourite fantasy series – who wouldn’t want to see how people with no superpowers attempt to defeat the only people with powers.. essentially the bad guys. I will admit though, it was a pretty different “vibe”.

sanderson

What The Final Empire Is Actually About

If you don’t know what the Mistborn series, or The Final Empire is about let me share. It essentially has two main plot lines. First is a thieving/heist story, and secondly an overthrowing the government story. Yeah, it kind of flipped halfway through the middle of the very long book. I will admit that this is a trend I’ve noticed recently in fantasy (particularly longer fantasy) books. We sign up for one story, and end up changing half way to another one with the same characters. The way this dystopian style world works is that the “Skaa” are the lowly section of society, and some people have the ability to do amazing things buy using different metals to do different things (like controlling emotions in others and various other things).

It can be a bit complicated, so if you want to understand fully what this book is about and all the ins and outs of the magic, check out the better descriptions than mine. Ultimately let’s get into what I thought about the characters, plot and the world that Brandon created – and if I’m planning on reading more!

The Characters & Worldbuilding

While I did like the characters, it was really hard to keep track of all of them, and who they all were (particularly with an audiobook format). I think there were just a bit too many for my personal preferences. The names are quite unusual, and this made it even more of a challenge to remember who was doing what, and which team they were on etc.

The Length & Info Dumping

The length of this book was pretty weighty, but it was also a story that took place over quite a fair amount of time with time jumps. I’m not used to books that take place over such long periods of time but that are still interesting and flow well. I appreciated that this book DID do this (it was also my first “high fantasy” that I made all the way through and I liked it quite a bit actually).

There was a huge amount of info dumping at times, but something about it didn’t feel that annoying like it can with other books. I was fully aware of it, and yet I didn’t mind. The world was so interesting, and the way the information was being presented had enough relation to the characters and plot that it didn’t take away or take me out, it added.

The Religion Discussion

The theme of discussing religion throughout was an unusual choice. While it doesn’t favour any one in particular, and seemingly makes some up (although who knows because more keep being presented all the time), it was kind of….. odd. It felt strange that these people are talking about that in the middle of all the craziness that was happening around them. I love a good Christian fiction book, so religion in books is not something I don’t like, it was more so that this seemed to acknowledge that religion exists but also that it doesn’t much matter which one you believe… and that’s something I disagree with so perhaps that’s why it felt so disjointed for me. I also didn’t understand the point of this, as the story isn’t really about religion and how it can be good or bad. Interesting to think about, but maybe better placed in another type of story.

Why I’m Not Continuing the Series

In terms of the series as a whole, I did end up looking up the spoilers for the other “main books”. What makes the Mistborn or Cosmere books complex to read is that there are so many of them and they seem to relate and intersect in some way. So if you want to commit, you have to really commit to reading quite a few – some are part of the main or original series, and others were added later on. With where the story is headed after book one, I think the continuing of this one will not be something I’m interested in. I was REALLY excited to read about a magical heist…. this book didn’t really end up being that and shifted focus to something else entirely.

Final Thoughts

The way the magic system works was very well thought out and explained. Though there was a lot to understand and explain, because we are going on a journey with our main character, we are learning about it all alongside her. Rules fly out of my memory simply because there are so many of them, and the way things work sometimes ended up being skimmed over by my brain… but ultimately it was impressive how everything was linked and presented to make sense.

Grab the book Here

The ultimate result was a book that I liked but didn’t love. It was good, but I didn’t care to continue. Maybe another part of the cosmere would hold better luck for me, or maybe I’m better to stick with the superhero side of Brandon’s writing.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace