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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Don’t let the tragic backstory in the beginning fool you—this book was such fun! All of the supporting cast had great personalities that added to the story. The fact that this book was written in a universe for a card game that I don’t play did not impede my enjoyment in the least! Not sure what was MTG and what was Sanderson but I don’t really care either haha. Just a good time all around. And a short Sanderson book? Lovely!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I am generally a fan of Brandon Sanderson's work, but the MTG books are very hit or miss.
This is a hit.
I am generally a fan of Brandon Sanderson's work, but the MTG books are very hit or miss.
This is a hit.
The beginning of this story felt too rushed. Brandon tends to open up his stories with something dark but since he only had a 124 pages to work with he had to get the tragic backstory out quick. So it was hard to relate to Tacenda. However the story really god started when the best character of them all showed up:
“‘Miss Highwater!” the Man called over his shoulder. ‘There is a peasant girl in my washroom!’
‘What does she want?’ a feminine voice called from the other room.
‘She has stabbed me with what appears to be an ice pick!’ The man shoved Tacenda back into the washroom, then yanked the pick out. The length glistened with his blood. ‘A rusty ice pick!’
‘Nice!’ the voice called. ‘Ask her how much I owe her!’”—Page 13
I relate to this character on a spiritual level. He and his relationship to his demons are the best part about this book. He made this story and was clearly the character that Sanderson really cared about.
I kind of rushed through the ending because it was getting weird but it was a pretty cool story. Sorry, Brandon you didn’t get me into MTG but this was a cool story. YOU BETTER NOT DO ANY MORE SECRET PROJECTS OR SO HELP ME!
“‘Miss Highwater!” the Man called over his shoulder. ‘There is a peasant girl in my washroom!’
‘What does she want?’ a feminine voice called from the other room.
‘She has stabbed me with what appears to be an ice pick!’ The man shoved Tacenda back into the washroom, then yanked the pick out. The length glistened with his blood. ‘A rusty ice pick!’
‘Nice!’ the voice called. ‘Ask her how much I owe her!’”—Page 13
I relate to this character on a spiritual level. He and his relationship to his demons are the best part about this book. He made this story and was clearly the character that Sanderson really cared about.
I kind of rushed through the ending because it was getting weird but it was a pretty cool story. Sorry, Brandon you didn’t get me into MTG but this was a cool story. YOU BETTER NOT DO ANY MORE SECRET PROJECTS OR SO HELP ME!
This was awesomely well written. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite new authors!
I liked it, some of it was too abstract to my taste, characters were so unrelatable and I felt that maybe I needed to know more about 'Magic'.
Brandon Sanderson's writing still prevails though, making the book enjoyable with twists being unpredictable, fight scenes still thrilling, and the world-building masterfully-written.
Brandon Sanderson's writing still prevails though, making the book enjoyable with twists being unpredictable, fight scenes still thrilling, and the world-building masterfully-written.
Spoiler
Davriel being a good guy in the end kind of contradicted his character, especially since all the events happened overnight.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Magic: The Gathering story written by Brandon Sanderson. I am not really a fan of Magic, having never had a friend group that was into it so I came in essentially blind. This ended up not being a problem since the story itself feels very contained. Themed as a mystery, I had an enjoyable time trying to figure it out. The twist was not the best in the world but also not terrible. I thought it was a good story and had a good time reading but not a mandatory read by any stretch.
My rating system
1 - Did not enjoy
2 - Not irredeemable but has too many flaws to say I enjoyed
3 - Enjoyed it
4 - Great book but didn't love it
5 - Amazing book
My rating system
1 - Did not enjoy
2 - Not irredeemable but has too many flaws to say I enjoyed
3 - Enjoyed it
4 - Great book but didn't love it
5 - Amazing book
First things first: If you don't know a thing about Magic: The Gathering, it won't matter. I've played the game enough to be familiar with a lot of its elements, but I knew nothing about the world Sanderson used to write this novella. It didn't make one bit of difference in what I thought of the story.
Sanderson brings his usual writing skills to the story, creating interesting, relatable characters and putting them into a world of magic that's not going according to plan. He also brings some additional skills to bear, notably in how he infuses the story with an irreverent sense of humor. At first, it clashed with the tone of the story, but Sanderson never let one interfere with the other, and by the quarter mark of the story, they felt natural together.
It actually reminded me a lot of Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky, not just because the humor and the seriousness of the story went together so well, but also because of the way both authors were attempting to flip the script on traditional fantasy tropes. It shouldn't surprise me that Sanderson did this so well (he did it in The Last Empire, too), but I was surprised to find the similarities.
I also liked that Sanderson was able to bring a sardonic, irreverent sense of humor to the story without it coming across as snarky. I remember thinking that John Scalzi could take some lessons from a story like this to make his characters a little more likable.
I had some trepidation going in to the book, because it didn't strike me as that original, but once the main plot started, I was hooked. By the end, I was neglecting chores to finish the story. Anyone who likes good fantasy would enjoy this book, and since it's free for download, there's no reason you shouldn't start reading it right now.
Sanderson brings his usual writing skills to the story, creating interesting, relatable characters and putting them into a world of magic that's not going according to plan. He also brings some additional skills to bear, notably in how he infuses the story with an irreverent sense of humor. At first, it clashed with the tone of the story, but Sanderson never let one interfere with the other, and by the quarter mark of the story, they felt natural together.
It actually reminded me a lot of Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky, not just because the humor and the seriousness of the story went together so well, but also because of the way both authors were attempting to flip the script on traditional fantasy tropes. It shouldn't surprise me that Sanderson did this so well (he did it in The Last Empire, too), but I was surprised to find the similarities.
I also liked that Sanderson was able to bring a sardonic, irreverent sense of humor to the story without it coming across as snarky. I remember thinking that John Scalzi could take some lessons from a story like this to make his characters a little more likable.
I had some trepidation going in to the book, because it didn't strike me as that original, but once the main plot started, I was hooked. By the end, I was neglecting chores to finish the story. Anyone who likes good fantasy would enjoy this book, and since it's free for download, there's no reason you shouldn't start reading it right now.
I am a longtime MTG fan. And while I no longer play the card game, I still try to keep up to date in the lore. And Innistrad is by far my favorite plane. A plane of Gothic horror? Sign me up.
This novella is both "I needed it to be longer" and "it's perfect the way it is". By being a novella, it is a nonstop progression of story, action and character growth; chapter after chapter. Which I thoroughly appreciate. And yet, I love this cast more than I thought possible. I want to see more of Tacenda. Witness more Davriel's and Ms Highwater's banter. I adored Davriel the moment he entered stage right.
"Miss Highwater!" the Man called over his shoulder. "There is a peasant girl in my washroom!"
Even if you aren't a Magic The Gathering fan, you'll find something to enjoy with Children of the Nameless. Perfectly readable without needing to know MTG Lore.
So now, I want to see Brandon Sanderson write a proper Gothic horror/fantasy novel.
It was so hard to find warmth in the darkness. But when the night grew cold and the darkness came for you, that was when you needed to light a fire.
And make your own light.
This novella is both "I needed it to be longer" and "it's perfect the way it is". By being a novella, it is a nonstop progression of story, action and character growth; chapter after chapter. Which I thoroughly appreciate. And yet, I love this cast more than I thought possible. I want to see more of Tacenda. Witness more Davriel's and Ms Highwater's banter. I adored Davriel the moment he entered stage right.
"Miss Highwater!" the Man called over his shoulder. "There is a peasant girl in my washroom!"
Even if you aren't a Magic The Gathering fan, you'll find something to enjoy with Children of the Nameless. Perfectly readable without needing to know MTG Lore.
So now, I want to see Brandon Sanderson write a proper Gothic horror/fantasy novel.
It was so hard to find warmth in the darkness. But when the night grew cold and the darkness came for you, that was when you needed to light a fire.
And make your own light.