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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Wow! I didn't know it was possible for me to love a book even more than The Alloy of Law, but Brandon Sanderson hit this sequel right out of the park. Brilliant, witty, and hilarious dialogue, a well crafted story, and an immensely satisfying final act. Bravo, sir. I am eagerly looking forward to next year's Bands of Mourning.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
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:
Yes
I’m still a huge fan of Steris. Unfortunately, I think Wayne is getting more and more annoying. I think Brandon must enjoy making me cry.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-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
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It seems that Sanderson keeps using people as the worst fantasy rich privileged persons ever created: that they are a mob to be exploited, moved, and used by other people with nefarious means. An extremely, privileged and degrading position, in my opinion. I'll leave it to that, as this is a review, and not an essay.
If not apparent, I didn't like Sanderson's portrayal of working class people, at all. Wax continues to be an off-the-rails sheriff, doing whatever shit he likes. At least Sanderson, in this book, took the time to have some characters comment in his actions, and what they mean for everybody else. Problem is, this is the only thing Sanderson does - comments on Wax's action, with him not being there, or anybody telling him that he's an asshole, so he isn't affected by it, and won't change shit in his behavior. He also has him saying hot take turds like the following: "historically, the working class has often been more resistant to change than the class oppressing them". 🤮Pure bullshit. Sanderson doesn't go into the trouble of having another character tell him he's a fucking noble and should shut the fuck up about the working class. The only actual comment on Wax's sheriff-like behavior, comes from his Uncle, the worst possible person to have comment on this actions, another fucking noble who dreams of autocracy.
Wayne continues to be the mild comic relief, Sanderson again taking the easy way out and not commenting on the realities of the working class people through the lens of Wayne.
Marasi seemingly moved into her own, doing stuff without needing the approval of men. Kinda flat as a character, one-dimensioned: "I want to be a good cop, and I'm going to prove that women can be good cops in this "egalitarian" society". Sanderson really betrays his political positions via his characters in these two books so far. Marasi's "slow" power, again, used almost like an afterthought in this book. Why did she need to have a power, again?
Another thing that really bothered me this book (but in the 1st book as well), is that Harmony, a fucking non-binary God, is referred to as a "he" and pronouns used are always masculine. Why? There was a whole (badly written) arc of Sazed in the first trilogy of Sazed trying to figure out their gender. They became a god, literally because they were a non-binary person, joining preservation & ruin. This seems like something that would elevate the theology of these books. Why does God need to be masculine, after all, especially when Sazed wasn't? Even if Sazed "decided" he's a man know - whatever the fuck that means for a god - I think that there should have been some arc / pages reserved for this, across these 4 books.
What I liked:
- If god really exists, what does that mean for everyone's free will?
- A nice mystery, even though the antagonist was ultra smart, ultra everything, and they do stuff extremely well. They are so well-prepared, that it's extremely one-sided. Antagonist motives are a little weak. Even with these flaws, still a good mystery.
Another god in the area? let's see where this goes!
I enjoyed it a bit less than Alloy of Law, to be honest. Will read all 4 books, though, because I enjoy the magic system, and the overall worldbuilding.