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danip97's review against another edition
4.25
Political turmoil, religious battles, light romance, and a splash of mysterious magic.
ale's review against another edition
3.75
this book was a very fast read despite its size, it's very very readable.
it does, however, have its faults.
i know Sanderson wrote this a long time ago and i have seen the improvement he's made in other novels, but i was still bothered by some things:
- the political problems were resolved too easily
- actually, it seemed there was no buildup to a lot of things that happened, that they just came out of nowhere
- the way he writes women and Sarene's pov was making me cringe so much. i understand this books was written in 2005 but oh god
- the dialogues never felt realistic. like the storytelling was great but then they started talking and i went like: "no living being would ever talk like that" and it took me out of the book a bit
- also, i think Sanderson should just avoid writing any type of romance lmao. this is one thing in which he has not improved AT ALL. just let people be single pls
- the ending was the worst part. i could ignore the little plot holes before, but the ending just felt rushed and kinda nonsensical honestly
now what did i like?
- first of, Sanderson's writing is very compelling. it makes you want to keep reading forever. i had a rally hard time putting this book down when i needed to, which is already enough to make me love the book even if i had a lot of problems with it
- the magic systems and worldbuilding were wonderful. i had a great time with it. it was delightful
- i did like the characters, though i think they weren't as fleshed out as they could be
all in all, i had a great time with this book. the ending was what brought it down a little for me.
it does, however, have its faults.
i know Sanderson wrote this a long time ago and i have seen the improvement he's made in other novels, but i was still bothered by some things:
- the political problems were resolved too easily
- actually, it seemed there was no buildup to a lot of things that happened, that they just came out of nowhere
- the way he writes women and Sarene's pov was making me cringe so much. i understand this books was written in 2005 but oh god
- the dialogues never felt realistic. like the storytelling was great but then they started talking and i went like: "no living being would ever talk like that" and it took me out of the book a bit
- also, i think Sanderson should just avoid writing any type of romance lmao. this is one thing in which he has not improved AT ALL. just let people be single pls
- the ending was the worst part. i could ignore the little plot holes before, but the ending just felt rushed and kinda nonsensical honestly
now what did i like?
- first of, Sanderson's writing is very compelling. it makes you want to keep reading forever. i had a rally hard time putting this book down when i needed to, which is already enough to make me love the book even if i had a lot of problems with it
- the magic systems and worldbuilding were wonderful. i had a great time with it. it was delightful
- i did like the characters, though i think they weren't as fleshed out as they could be
all in all, i had a great time with this book. the ending was what brought it down a little for me.
pchap101's review against another edition
5.0
This took me a long time to read. I took my time with it and listened on audio. I am still dipping my toe into fantasy, and this is very high fantasy. However, I loved this. It is my first Brandon Sanderson and I can already see why he is so loved. The characters were so fleshed out and the plot was so smart! I will definitely be picking up more from him.
amandalyn's review against another edition
4.0
This book feels a little slow compared to Mistborn, a lot more talking and studying and less action, but man, once those threads Sanderson had laid from the very beginning started to come together, it was just so amazing.
logecatt's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
picklesworth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jexa101's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ssmart213's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
miss_majuu's review against another edition
4.0
“Nothing I do is just for show.”
I really like a lot of things about this book; the characters, the setting, the politics and the mystery of the past but the ending did kind of fall apart, was very rushed and full of writing choices I didn’t like. (Just because they talked and are of opposite genders doesn’t mean they’re in love Brandon)
But now to the important part: my current favorite cosmere character Hrathen.
He is such an iconic menace having a mental breakdown for 70% of this book.
Reading his chapter caused me to have physical stress reactions. Every minute of every day he made the most unhinged choice possible, truly a perfect character.
His introduction is literally “None of Arelon’s people greeted their savior when he arrived”
Also wtf is Hoid doing being a beggar on every planet?! I don’t trust him
I really like a lot of things about this book; the characters, the setting, the politics and the mystery of the past but the ending did kind of fall apart, was very rushed and full of writing choices I didn’t like. (Just because they talked and are of opposite genders doesn’t mean they’re in love Brandon)
But now to the important part: my current favorite cosmere character Hrathen.
He is such an iconic menace having a mental breakdown for 70% of this book.
Reading his chapter caused me to have physical stress reactions. Every minute of every day he made the most unhinged choice possible, truly a perfect character.
His introduction is literally “None of Arelon’s people greeted their savior when he arrived”
Also wtf is Hoid doing being a beggar on every planet?! I don’t trust him
neonsonight's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0