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A review by isabellarobinson7
The Way of Kings, Part Two by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
Review for Part 1 can be found here
Rating: 5 stars
I thought I was ready for The Stormlight Archive. I was nowhere near ready for The Stormlight Archive.
The Shard system is one of the most blatantly combat-central of Brandon Sanderson's magic systems. Allomancy from the Mistborn Trilogy definitely has the more violence oriented metals (like pewter and maybe tin) but just looking at it from an objective perspective, Shadeplates and Blades are obviously designed specifically for battle and nothing else. Breath from Warbreaker, and AonDor from Elantris are also examples of this kind of neutral magic system. Whatever Szeth is doing is different and more alike to what I would consider normal Sanderson magic, but suits of armor is not what I expected going into Stormlight (that being said I also didn't expect half the book to be based around storming bridges).
Shardblades have also got me thinking - who would win between a Blade and a lightsaber? Lightsabers can only be stopped by lightsabers, and Shardblades can only be stopped by Shardblades (except for Shardplate, but there is no kyber crystal armor of any sort, so to make the test fair it would be just between the attacking weapons) so if the two blades clashed, would the both disintegrate or both hold firm? And then there is the fact that all Shardblades are more or less equal in strength in any given scenario, but green lightsabers being used by Jedi more in tune with the force would make them more effective in a higher force sensitive battle (or maybe it's just the weilder that makes a green saber more force sensitive...?). Jedi and Shardbearers also fight differently, so it would be pretty impossible to find two opponents on the exact same footing as one another. Anyway, that's just my nerdy brain making the ultimate nerdy explosion.
It's not weird it's not weird it's not weird... as if that would change the fact that is totally weird! I can spoil Part 1 because this review is for Part 2, but wowie Navani and Dalinar's flirting (well, it was primarily Navani) was making me really uncomfortable. Superlatively (is that a word? Well, it is now) uncomfortable. And without going into specifics and spoilers for Part 2, my levels of discomfort did nothing but rise. Steadily. Consistantly. Unrelentingly. I get their situation. I really do. But man, you just can't help but think of it in your own context. What if my mum died, then my aunt started flirting with my dad? Her brother-in-law. Her sister's freaking widower! It makes me squirm and cringe and wince and all those unpleasant emotions. Dalinar obviously deserves happiness. It's not like after his wife dies he is to remain miserable forever. But Navani? Yes, he basically loved her before she even met Gavilar, but still, she married Gavilar. He died, fair, but- that is as far as I dare to go without spoilers.
Kaladin. Is. THE BEST. Not just because of his backstory and sympathy and whatnot, he is the best because he is the best. No other explanation. Syl is also the best. And Renarin. Don't forget Renarin. NEVER forget Renarin. Oh, and Adolin, but to a lesser degree than his brother. Dalinar is cool too, but I respect him more so than I like him as a character I guess. But Kaladin. And Renarin. And Kaladin. Yep, that is a great character list. (The little voice in my head is refusing to let me forget Rock, or Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor. And Szeth it says too. Ok, that is enough. Sanderson is a character making genius, that much is already established.)
So yeah. Read The Way of Kings and do yourself a favour.
Rating: 5 stars
I thought I was ready for The Stormlight Archive. I was nowhere near ready for The Stormlight Archive.
The Shard system is one of the most blatantly combat-central of Brandon Sanderson's magic systems. Allomancy from the Mistborn Trilogy definitely has the more violence oriented metals (like pewter and maybe tin) but just looking at it from an objective perspective, Shadeplates and Blades are obviously designed specifically for battle and nothing else. Breath from Warbreaker, and AonDor from Elantris are also examples of this kind of neutral magic system. Whatever Szeth is doing is different and more alike to what I would consider normal Sanderson magic, but suits of armor is not what I expected going into Stormlight (that being said I also didn't expect half the book to be based around storming bridges).
Shardblades have also got me thinking - who would win between a Blade and a lightsaber? Lightsabers can only be stopped by lightsabers, and Shardblades can only be stopped by Shardblades (except for Shardplate, but there is no kyber crystal armor of any sort, so to make the test fair it would be just between the attacking weapons) so if the two blades clashed, would the both disintegrate or both hold firm? And then there is the fact that all Shardblades are more or less equal in strength in any given scenario, but green lightsabers being used by Jedi more in tune with the force would make them more effective in a higher force sensitive battle (or maybe it's just the weilder that makes a green saber more force sensitive...?). Jedi and Shardbearers also fight differently, so it would be pretty impossible to find two opponents on the exact same footing as one another. Anyway, that's just my nerdy brain making the ultimate nerdy explosion.
It's not weird it's not weird it's not weird... as if that would change the fact that is totally weird! I can spoil Part 1 because this review is for Part 2, but wowie Navani and Dalinar's flirting (well, it was primarily Navani) was making me really uncomfortable. Superlatively (is that a word? Well, it is now) uncomfortable. And without going into specifics and spoilers for Part 2, my levels of discomfort did nothing but rise. Steadily. Consistantly. Unrelentingly. I get their situation. I really do. But man, you just can't help but think of it in your own context. What if my mum died, then my aunt started flirting with my dad? Her brother-in-law. Her sister's freaking widower! It makes me squirm and cringe and wince and all those unpleasant emotions. Dalinar obviously deserves happiness. It's not like after his wife dies he is to remain miserable forever. But Navani? Yes, he basically loved her before she even met Gavilar, but still, she married Gavilar. He died, fair, but- that is as far as I dare to go without spoilers.
Kaladin. Is. THE BEST. Not just because of his backstory and sympathy and whatnot, he is the best because he is the best. No other explanation. Syl is also the best. And Renarin. Don't forget Renarin. NEVER forget Renarin. Oh, and Adolin, but to a lesser degree than his brother. Dalinar is cool too, but I respect him more so than I like him as a character I guess. But Kaladin. And Renarin. And Kaladin. Yep, that is a great character list. (The little voice in my head is refusing to let me forget Rock, or Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor. And Szeth it says too. Ok, that is enough. Sanderson is a character making genius, that much is already established.)
So yeah. Read The Way of Kings and do yourself a favour.