Ghostdance2 Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Just bought both. Which is better, or am I going to be disappointed? For comparison's sake, I LOVE ASoIaF, Kingkiller, and all of GGKay (except Finovar). Really like Lynch, Cameron, Abercrombie. And I am no longer into elves and unicorns. (But I was when I was a kid! See Piers Anthony, Dragonlance, Shannara) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostdance2 Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 PS just saw the "recommendations suggestions" post- i hope my post is specific enough. If i have missed threads discussing the merits of either series, I'd be happy to be directed to that, and sorry for the annoying post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I'm not a huge fan of either, but from your list I suspect you're gonna enjoy Blood Song more, just because your list is heavy on high-quality or at least smooth prose and Sanderson doesn't really do that, for me. On the other hand, Sanderson's world is massively more original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninefingers Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Just bought both. Which is better, or am I going to be disappointed? For comparison's sake, I LOVE ASoIaF, Kingkiller, and all of GGKay (except Finovar). Really like Lynch, Cameron, Abercrombie. And I am no longer into elves and unicorns. (But I was when I was a kid! See Piers Anthony, Dragonlance, Shannara) I agree with Hannibal. My guess is that you'll find the "standard self doubting Sanderson protagonist" a little off putting. Neither are world beaters though, and I think the things on your list (with the exception of Lynch) are all better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRevanchist Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I liked both of them.Mistborn is a fast paced story, with an impressive magic system, 2 amazing characters and a lot of twists in between. And obviously, many fights, which make it sound epic. I said a few times that it is a Wheel of Time lite. It isn't that hard to see Jordan on Sanderson work.On the other hand, Blood Song is the story of a single person (similar to Kingkiller Chronicles). I would say that it is better written than Mistborn, Vaelin is a fantastic protagonist, and the story is both interesting and with a great ending. The second book is different, with another three point of view, but the quality remains.I enjoyed both of them, and I hope that so will you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickster Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Just bought both. Which is better, or am I going to be disappointed? For comparison's sake, I LOVE ASoIaF, Kingkiller, and all of GGKay (except Finovar). Really like Lynch, Cameron, Abercrombie. And I am no longer into elves and unicorns. (But I was when I was a kid! See Piers Anthony, Dragonlance, Shannara)Go with Mr Ryan, better writer imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Gilfellon Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Go with Ryan. Every Sanderson book has a witty sidekick of some sort, and his good books tend to always be the first in a series. I've read all his books and to be honest I find Mistborn: Final Empire better than the second and third book. If you want originality then go with Sanderson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Chuck 'em both in the bin. Save yourself the massive disappointment at the sequels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Daniel Abraham > * Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maester Llama Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 I notice that the stuff you list as current favourites is not entirely but mostly low-magic fantasy, in which magical elements are present and important and contribute to the fantasy-ness, but are applied pretty sparingly. Sanderson writes very high-magic worlds, generally. Magic is deployed early and often. Mistborn is less all-out than his more recent Stormlight Archive, though. Magic in Ryan is very much present, but a bit rarer. Sanderson has a tendency to keep things a little more pg13; Ryan gives himself a slightly longer chain -- though I don't think his series is any more "mature" in its thematics or exploration of concepts than is Sanderson's. Both bank heavily on sweet fights, at least in their first installments. However, Mistborn magics these fights up more, while Blood Song goes for more straight up sword fights and military action -- though the main character in Blood Song is every bit as much a superheroic asskicking machine as Sanderson's magically-enhanced Mistborn characters. As mentioned Sanderson's world is more original, by quite a bit. I like the characters in the first Mistborn quite a bit more than I like the protagonist in Blood Song; I think they're fun, and while I understand that a lot of people think Vaelin in Blood Song's a great character I don't viscerally get why -- I think he's an incredibly boring special snowflake, fun in action scenes but remarkably dull and paint-by-numbers in terms of his interiority. Ryan's characters really leveled up a lot for me in the sequel, though -- including Vaelin. Neither is focused hugely on great prose, I don't think. Ryan's writing flows more smoothly, so far as I'm concerned. I don't think either are top rank to be honest, but both are fun, fast-moving page-turners with urgent pacing. I'd say try Mistborn first if you're wanting a focus on worldbuilding, but if not then based on your stated preferences it kinda sounds like you might get on better with Ryan. And I am compelled by my sense of what is right and true to agree with all statements of Daniel Abraham's greatness, so yes Daniel Abraham>*. Both these books are genuinely fun and potentially good reading decisions in their way though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Yes looking at your previous likes, Ryan would be the better choice, but Mistborn is finished. Both are decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Just bought both. Which is better, or am I going to be disappointed? For comparison's sake, I LOVE ASoIaF, Kingkiller, and all of GGKay (except Finovar). Really like Lynch, Cameron, Abercrombie. And I am no longer into elves and unicorns. (But I was when I was a kid! See Piers Anthony, Dragonlance, Shannara) Since you BOUGHT them, might as well read them, and then decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Since you BOUGHT them, might as well read them, and then decide.Kinda wondered that myself. Why not read one, then the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First of My Name Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I enjoyed Mistborn a lot more than Blood Song, but probably more out of personal preferences. (I'm going by first books only here). I thought Vaelin was a fairly boring main character, the plot just kinda wandered all over the place without really accomplishing anything, and unlike most others I'm not really fond of the ending. I enjoyed it but I expected much more. Mistborn OTOH, is in no way a literary masterpiece but has a far more engaging setting, is a complete story, and IMO has better characters and a better ending. I notice that the stuff you list as current favourites is not entirely but mostly low-magic fantasy, in which magical elements are present and important and contribute to the fantasy-ness, but are applied pretty sparingly. Sanderson writes very high-magic worlds, generally. Magic is deployed early and often. Mistborn is less all-out than his more recent Stormlight Archive, though. Magic in Ryan is very much present, but a bit rarer. Sanderson has a tendency to keep things a little more pg13; Ryan gives himself a slightly longer chain -- though I don't think his series is any more "mature" in its thematics or exploration of concepts than is Sanderson's. Both bank heavily on sweet fights, at least in their first installments. However, Mistborn magics these fights up more, while Blood Song goes for more straight up sword fights and military action -- though the main character in Blood Song is every bit as much a superheroic asskicking machine as Sanderson's magically-enhanced Mistborn characters. As mentioned Sanderson's world is more original, by quite a bit. I like the characters in the first Mistborn quite a bit more than I like the protagonist in Blood Song; I think they're fun, and while I understand that a lot of people think Vaelin in Blood Song's a great character I don't viscerally get why -- I think he's an incredibly boring special snowflake, fun in action scenes but remarkably dull and paint-by-numbers in terms of his interiority.Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostdance2 Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 thanks all for the responses- sounds like the best i'm looking at are "fun but not awe inspiring" which is more than fine. i get the you bought em, you should just read em posts btw- i was thinking "i have the receipts, but let me just check with these guys"- this board has given me every great fantasy book i have read recently, so thanks again for all the comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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