Tag: brandon sanderson

Review: The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson

GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Epic fantasy, no language, a little romance, a lot of violence
Length: 590 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: August 21st, 2007
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire. Three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.

EPIC FANTASY.

Note: I listened to this through Audible (not an ad, just a FYI) with Michael Kramer as the narrator. I loved it! He does a wonderful job of voices, diction, and tone that I can easily listen to the book.

This series [so far] has truly been the epitome of what I consider epic fantasy. A long book filled with great world building, a lot of action, a side or two of romance, a dose of politics and so much more.

Though, y’all. Be warned, Sanderson is not afraid to kill of characters. I may or may not have shouted THAT’S NOT FAIR! one or two times. I’m still upset, clearly. But there was a handful of depths where I shrugged and moved on. My emotional attachment only runs so deep for some of the crew.

Still totally obsessed with Vin and Elend. Now, I think a little more romance could’ve have been injected into their story. It flew in and out so fast that I was left wanting a little more of them without the pressures of saving Luthadel. They both made some poor choices in this book, but I love that they also never gave up on each other. There really is a strong bond between them that is so sweet to watch.

They’re so many side characters. It would take me way too long to dive into all of them. My favorites are definitely OreSeur, Hammond and Sayzid. And if they don’t survive the next book I don’t know what will happen. I love that with the random side character POVs we’re allowed into their minds (i.e. Sayzid, Brees, Dockson, etc.). Everyone is unique and I understand their choices and intentions.

I was holding my breath til the end. Where a few pieces to the puzzle were placed. I’m still so in the dark, and I am loving it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Epic fantasy
  • No language
  • Romance: a kiss or two, some hugs
  • Violence: knives, physical

Review: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

GoodeyReads3 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: No language, epic fantasy, a tiny bit of romance, some violence
Length: 541 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: July 17th, 2006
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?

In Brandon Sanderson’s intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage — Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

OFFICIALLY A SANDERSON FAN.

I’ve been really weary of reading anything Sanderson, NOT because I ever heard anything bad, but I was weirdly concerned that it was so loved that I would not enjoy it myself. I stand here today saying [so far]: I am wrong! 

This was a great introduction to the Cosmere (Sanderson’s world; there’s a handful of series you can start from, but this is most often cited as the best option). The world building is intense and fulfilling. He’s known for his lengthy books, and I can see why. There is such an effort to how he portrays the universe and I loved it all.

First off, the sass level of Kelsier had me in giggles. While he definitely has some fatal flaws, he was a great character POV. Caring, sensitive, and loyal he took care of his thieving crew the best that he could.

Vin took some warming up for me. By the end I was totally all for her. It takes a while for her to open and come out of her shell, but the moment she clapped back at Kel I had my hands in the air. YES GIRL.

Can I just say, I died when Elend and Vin met? I’m sorry, total goals to find a man reading books and then throw some witty banter in there and I swooned. I definitely laughed out loud listening to them. I could not even handle their cute, soft, amusing interactions. If they aren’t endgame, you won’t be seeing another Sanderson book in by TBR. 

Also, y’all, these magic laws are intricate. What’s great is the author really spends time explaining them (not in a boring, skim the paragraphs way either). I can sit here and still remember what most of the metals are AND what they do. This is truly an epic fantasy with a lot of pieces to hold the Final Empire together. 

Note: I listened to this on Audible (Michael Kramer is the narrator) and it was really easy to listen too! Occasionally I had issues figuring out what names were said, but once I got that it was fine. He does voices for each character and it is a smooth sound. Definitely recommend. 

Overall audience notes:

  • Epic fantasy
  • No language
  • A kiss (all “romance” scenes are the aforementioned lively conversations)
  • Lots of violence, some detailed and gory