Book Review: The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time #4) by Robert Jordan

August 6, 2022April 11, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 940 pages
Author: Robert Jordan
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: September 15th, 1992
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind.

In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?

In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn.

In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland.

In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve.

Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn.

GETTING THERE.

Somewhere along the halfway point of this 1000 page saga, the book clicked. I finally felt like I am into this series and want to continue.

I love a good big fantasy that moves through multiple points of view, characters, and areas in the world. There’s a wild amount of things that happen, and you can feel everything starting to slowly connect. And getting to watch some character growth and big decisions being made. I like many of these storylines and that each character has a distinct voice. It’s easy to know who’s voice is speaking.

Yes, it’s definitely a slow haul. Highly recommend using the audio as a companion because it made it a bit quicker to fly through.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy
Language: none
Romance: closed door
Violence: high

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Book Review: Age of Death (The Legends of the First Empire #5) by Michael J. Sullivan

May 17, 2021October 25, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Publisher: Grim Oak Press
Release Date: February 4th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

DO GODS TRULY EXIST? CAN YOU KNOW THE FUTURE? AND WHAT LIES BEYOND THE VEIL OF DEATH?

Winter blankets the land, and more than hope has died. Barred by the tower of Avempartha, the western army cannot invade the Fhrey homeland. So it must seek a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave? As in Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, the most epic tales transcend the world of the living. It’s time to see what lies in Elan’s Age of Death.

From Michael J. Sullivan, New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author comes the second-to-last installment in the epic fantasy series The Legends of the First Empire. These novels chronicle a pivotal point in Elan’s history, when humans rise against the Fhrey, whom they once saw as gods. Set three thousand years before the Riyria tales, Legends is a standalone fantasy series independent of all other Elan stories. But if you have read the other books, Legends will reveal lies and unmask truths about historical figures.

INTERESTING.

Since this series was originally three books and was expanded to six books, you can definitely see where this second half takes off in a whole new direction. It’s taken me a bit to get into it because of the switch, but they’re still enjoyable nonetheless.

I love the writing style for these. The point-of-view changes often giving me lots of insight to the large cast of characters. I appreciate this because of how many they’re. It always takes me a chapter or two to remember exactly who’s who again.

The title is in no way misleading. I’m frankly not sure who’s actually dead or alive at this point. This crew went on a serious adventure and I loved exploring the new worlds and layouts. The growth and development of this cast was also superb. I like seeing them in contrasting elements. This is obviously a very character driven story. The plot still moves well and plenty happens, but it’s about them and where this story will eventually lead.

It’s a satisfying and quick read. I’m excited to read the last book in this series soon.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy
Language: very little, light
Romance: kiss
Violence: battles/war, physical altercations, swords/arrows, magic, dragons, murder

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Book Review: Elantris (Elantris #1) by Brandon Sanderson

October 12, 2020June 24, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 638 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: May 1st, 2005
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.

Arelon’s new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping — based on their correspondence — to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.

But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.

A rare epic fantasy that doesn’t recycle the classics and that is a complete and satisfying story in one volume, Elantris is fleet and fun, full of surprises and characters to care about. It’s also the wonderful debut of a welcome new star in the constellation of fantasy.

AMAZING. PER USUAL.

I’m never surprised that I always end up loving any book by Sanderson. Occasionally with a favorite author, you run across a book that just doesn’t click, 13 books later, and I DO NOT HAVE THAT ISSUE. I love them all.

This was no exception. Elantris is one of Sanderson’s older titles that I *think* some claim is a lesser novel of his? While no Stormlight Archive, it’s still a superb read. I listened to it on audio and thought the narrator was great too.

One of my favorite parts was the romance (who’s surprised?). It’s nothing major or anything, but the lost loves finding one another was precious and just sweet. I adore Sarene and Raoden as characters. Talk about a power couple. Both strong, courageous, and didn’t take a thing laying down. One of the best character arcs was for Hrathen. He went from someone I hated, to someone I understood and appreciated as a POV in Elantris. All three of these characters had points-of-view and it really gave angles to all sides of Arelon and Elantris.

I loved the magic system and the way the world worked in general. I thought it was interesting how heavily the world’s religions played into the characters and the nation itself. It was a solid combination of all of these that kept up the intrigue and mystery.

I hope one day we do get a sequel because there’s clearly plenty more story lines that Sanderson could pursue. This one ends without any cliffhangers and with a great close out that doesn’t leave you hanging.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy
Language: none
Romance: some kisses
Violence: poison, sickness, physical, demons, swords; not overly gory

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Book Review: Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3) by Brandon Sanderson

April 20, 2020January 30, 2020 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Epic fantasy
Length: 1,248 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: November 14th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance.

Dalinar Kholin’s Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar’s blood-soaked past and stand together–and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past–even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization.

STUNNING.

Yet again. I’m sitting here wondering how I read 1,200+ pages and never felt bored. THAT is the wondering world of Brandon Sanderson and his ability to create these magnificent tales where I don’t even care how big the book is, I’m picking it up stat.

But also, how do you even put into words a review for a book so long? Just know, I really do love these and hope if you’ve been considering reading them you will. Take a chance on the big books! The audio book is the best too. I love the narration, the voices, the fact I can easily listen at a faster speed. All good things.

Some of my favorite pieces in Sanderson books are the later stages when bombs start being dropped. When the world literally gets turned upside down and you aren’t sure what you read is making any sense because it’s completely changed the entire book. Oh how I love these moments. It’s hard to even guess what they will be so enjoy the ride and know you’ll never know who dies, who lives and if the world will actually survive.

The massive world built with intense magic systems that are intricate yet you can understand everything. I feel apart of the political landscape, the characters lives and the fate of the world.

I could talk forever about all of these characters. How I love them so. All of them have strengths, weaknesses, great moments, and moments where you want to shake them. I love how human they really are. There’s emotion and turmoil that leads their decisions and connections. Nothing is laid out in black and white. In this installment I got to see Dalinar’s background and at last got all the answers and more. I love that each book is dedicated to an in-depth look at a character. I’m curious who book four will be about!

Overall audience notes: