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polythenesam's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zhengmaxwell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
worldofbookcraft's review against another edition
5.0
Weeb Sanderson = god tier fantasy apparently
So much better than tress omg even tho I hate corny ass Hoid, he could not detract from this!!
About to be 4.5 then Brando gave us the happy ending
It’s so easy
Give the people what they want
Annoyed bc now I have the buy the fancy version
So much better than tress omg even tho I hate corny ass Hoid, he could not detract from this!!
About to be 4.5 then Brando gave us the happy ending
It’s so easy
Give the people what they want
Annoyed bc now I have the buy the fancy version
mads_and_meow_meow's review against another edition
5.0
Wow what a unique magic system! I loved the unique characters! And wow the ending had me in the first half, bawling my eyes out omg... so good such a perfect ending.
rachelhelmer's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
brianv's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
quinn_cvy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Super interesting premise and had so much potential. The main characters just rubbed me the wrong way and the lessons/themes too explicitly stated. The first Brandon Sanderson miss for me, didn’t think it was possible.
beckahh_i's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
I have been putting this off for months and finally picked it up - definitely shouldn't have waited! As per usual, the writing is wonderful, the story immersive and beautiful, and the characters well thought out and written. I absolutely loved that we got Hoid as a narrator, I love him 🤣 Also the last like 30-40 pages of this hadme crying 😭😭
tiger_moth23's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nicktommasini's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
What I liked: As usual for Sanderson, the world-building is super unique and draws from a mix of great inspirations (ancient Korea, modern Japan, FFX, etc.). The magic system here feels fairly organic, rather than grafted onto a fantasy world the way I felt with Mistborn. Similarly, I enjoyed the characters of Yumi and Painter, who both felt distinct and realistic - and flawed - without getting on my nerve. The romance likewise was sweet and not overwhelming or in your face, and didn’t have the expected trough late in the second act that I usually dread in stories like that. Finally, Hoid was an enjoyable narrative voice and I appreciate the fairy tale style and tone that he approaches this story with. Pacing was generally well done and built over the course of the book effectively with a strong mystery through most of the book. Also - some surprisingly poignant and great quotes from narrator Hoid.
What I didn’t like: Still feels like Brandon’s prose and dialogue is a bit unfinished or unrefined at parts. His humor misses for me more than it hits but not in a groanworthy way, so it’s pretty easy to forgive (and also subjective). Pacing was generally good but felt a bit info-dumpy at the end with the explanation of how the world works — I think there was probably a more organic way to introduce all of that. Finally, most of the cosmere connections and references went way over my head and didn’t have the same degree of handholding for a relative newcomer like Tress, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this as someone’s first Sanderson like I would that book — won’t necessarily hold it against the book from a quality perspective but it made it slightly less accessible to someone like me.
What I didn’t like: Still feels like Brandon’s prose and dialogue is a bit unfinished or unrefined at parts. His humor misses for me more than it hits but not in a groanworthy way, so it’s pretty easy to forgive (and also subjective). Pacing was generally good but felt a bit info-dumpy at the end with the explanation of how the world works — I think there was probably a more organic way to introduce all of that. Finally, most of the cosmere connections and references went way over my head and didn’t have the same degree of handholding for a relative newcomer like Tress, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this as someone’s first Sanderson like I would that book — won’t necessarily hold it against the book from a quality perspective but it made it slightly less accessible to someone like me.