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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
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
A worthy addition to the Reckoners world. I generally despise audio-only books, as I enjoy having physical copies. But the story is definitely worth a listen if you enjoyed the original series.
Just be sure you’ve read the entire original series first. There’s some spoilers.
Just be sure you’ve read the entire original series first. There’s some spoilers.
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this book's greatest flaw is that it is audio-only. There were so many times that I was so intently focused on it, then found I'd missed something and couldn't follow anymore... Regardless, the characters were very well written and I enjoyed Hershall and Wade the most.
I was disappointed with the ending a bit. It was unclear and anti-climactic, but the rest of the story was great.
I was disappointed with the ending a bit. It was unclear and anti-climactic, but the rest of the story was great.
Although not a complete misfire, this YA spinoff prequel -- currently only available on audio, with print and ebook editions eventually to follow -- comes up decidedly short when weighed against the original Reckoners trilogy and author Brandon Sanderson's other work, which I assume is due to the contributions of his first-time cowriter Steven Michael Bohls. I'd be very curious to learn what the division of labor on this project was, because while the setting and the overall shape of the plot feel pretty Sandersonian, there's a hollowness to many of the individual scenes and character moments. By the end of the story I still don't really know who these people are or what they mean to one another beyond their one-line introductions, and most of the crew members seem generically interchangeable. Both they and the antagonists demonstrate some occasional weird sexism too, which Sanderson is typically better about. (I raised an eyebrow at the hero being a Civil War buff as well.)
The idea behind the novel is sound enough; since the Reckoners were already established to operate multiple resistance cells across the supervillain-dominated landscape, hopping from the Chicago team to a new group in Texas is a good way to continue the series. We don't get much additional worldbuilding or larger narrative development, but the Epic powers and derivative technology allow for the usual fun action. It's just hard to care with no clear heart like David's anchoring the tale. I'd probably be more generous if this were a standalone title without a favorite name attached, but I wouldn't say that returning fans need to bother.
[Content warning for domestic abuse, gun violence, torture, gore, and amputation.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
The idea behind the novel is sound enough; since the Reckoners were already established to operate multiple resistance cells across the supervillain-dominated landscape, hopping from the Chicago team to a new group in Texas is a good way to continue the series. We don't get much additional worldbuilding or larger narrative development, but the Epic powers and derivative technology allow for the usual fun action. It's just hard to care with no clear heart like David's anchoring the tale. I'd probably be more generous if this were a standalone title without a favorite name attached, but I wouldn't say that returning fans need to bother.
[Content warning for domestic abuse, gun violence, torture, gore, and amputation.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-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
Sorry, but this book is Brandon's Aladdin 2 moment: the first sign that an industry leader is willing to cut corners and trade on their reputation.
I would encourage Brandon to never co-author anything ever again.
I don't know for sure but I get the impression that Brandon wrote a rough outline for the book and let the co-author flesh it out. That's what James Patterson does. The result is some good plot points but very unconvincing writing.
The prose is very tell-don't-show. In my memory, I was simply told what happened much like a newspaper report limited to the MC's senses, but I didn't get the feeling of experiencing it through the MC's senses. Notably, instead of giving me physical cues for how the MC is feeling, the co-author often just had the MC tell me, in first person narration. One particularly unconvincing section had him giving a long monologue about his feelings about another character.
Also some very implausible moments, and I only listened to the first sixth or so. I particularly wondered about someone coming to a fairly small building (or set of buildings? IIRC it was just one barn) in which multiple people are shooting guns and fighting, for hours, and not remarking on the noise. I also wonder about someone dropping a metal grating from a fifteen-foot ceiling, then climbing "carefully" through air ducts, without making enough noise for someone else in the same building to hear. The MC fights multiple people at once using actual swords as part of TRAINING, always ending up bloody and defeated, but ... not dead? Or even seriously hurt? What kind of surgical techniques do a handful (barnful?) of rebels have to heal from massive sword wounds? The MC thinks he hid something that no reasonable person would think they could hide, yet apparently does hide some other things that seem equally unhideable.
I can't be sure if these weaknesses were Brandon's fault or not, but I don't remember anything like them in any of the many Brandon-only books I've read.
Sorry, again, but I think there's probably a reason this co-author hasn't shown up again in the Brandonverse. I would encourage Brandon not to go full Patterson, releasing bookshelves full of "co-authored" brand dilution. I won't be getting any more co-authored books after this, from Brandon or anyone else.
I have to admit though, the narrator did a GREAT job with middling-poor material. He was perfect in every way, and I might actually get into audio novels after this -- just not co-authored ones.
I would encourage Brandon to never co-author anything ever again.
I don't know for sure but I get the impression that Brandon wrote a rough outline for the book and let the co-author flesh it out. That's what James Patterson does. The result is some good plot points but very unconvincing writing.
The prose is very tell-don't-show. In my memory, I was simply told what happened much like a newspaper report limited to the MC's senses, but I didn't get the feeling of experiencing it through the MC's senses. Notably, instead of giving me physical cues for how the MC is feeling, the co-author often just had the MC tell me, in first person narration. One particularly unconvincing section had him giving a long monologue about his feelings about another character.
Also some very implausible moments, and I only listened to the first sixth or so. I particularly wondered about someone coming to a fairly small building (or set of buildings? IIRC it was just one barn) in which multiple people are shooting guns and fighting, for hours, and not remarking on the noise. I also wonder about someone dropping a metal grating from a fifteen-foot ceiling, then climbing "carefully" through air ducts, without making enough noise for someone else in the same building to hear. The MC fights multiple people at once using actual swords as part of TRAINING, always ending up bloody and defeated, but ... not dead? Or even seriously hurt? What kind of surgical techniques do a handful (barnful?) of rebels have to heal from massive sword wounds? The MC thinks he hid something that no reasonable person would think they could hide, yet apparently does hide some other things that seem equally unhideable.
I can't be sure if these weaknesses were Brandon's fault or not, but I don't remember anything like them in any of the many Brandon-only books I've read.
Sorry, again, but I think there's probably a reason this co-author hasn't shown up again in the Brandonverse. I would encourage Brandon not to go full Patterson, releasing bookshelves full of "co-authored" brand dilution. I won't be getting any more co-authored books after this, from Brandon or anyone else.
I have to admit though, the narrator did a GREAT job with middling-poor material. He was perfect in every way, and I might actually get into audio novels after this -- just not co-authored ones.
4.5⭐️ for simply being as entertaining as The Reckoners series with some fun absurdity.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated