The Brandon Sanderson Thread

[Foreverlad]

Anybody notice the Amazon page concerning The Way of Kings? It already has 39 reviews and has never actually been released. The reviews are mostly satyrical comments on a book that is not out. I particularly like the front cover though.

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Kings-Brandon-Sa..._pr_product_top

Was The Way of Kings scheduled to be released earlier?

Yep, I posted one of the reviews a good year or two ago. Didn't have any idea who Brandon was at the time, but with a TG endorsement, I had little choice.

[Werthead]

Book 3: The Hero of Ages

The great volcanoes are gradually covering the world in ash and the cloying mists are lasting longer with each passing day. Crops are failing, humanity is divided and the world is dying. Elend Venture, the emperor of humanity, and his Mistborn wife Vin are doing their best to repair the damage caused by events at the Well of Ascension, but their efforts seem in vain. An ancient destructive force has been unleashed upon the world, and many of their allies have been struck down.

Sazed, last of the Terris Keepers, has lost his faith and now struggles to find a reason to live. The kandra TenSoon has been declared a traitor to his people and put on trial. The Steel Inquisitors and the monstrous koloss have found a new master and now prey on the weaker cities of humanity. As unthinkable as it sounds, it appears that removing the Lord Ruler may not have been the wisest of ideas...

The Hero of Ages opens with the world in a pretty apocalyptic state. Things are, as we are told in great detail, very bad indeed and our heroes' struggles to survive without becoming as brutal as the Lord Ruler are testing them to their limits. Sanderson successfully lays on the gloom and darkness throughout the book, creating an oppressive, backs-against-the-wall atmosphere that frequently has the reader scratching their heads and wondering how their heroes are going to get out this mess. The answer comes in a lengthy series of revelations (sometimes skirting perilously close to info-dumps, but Sanderson manages to just about avoid that pitfall) that are stunning, impressive and extremely logical given what has come before.

The characters continue to develop nicely, with some characters who were only in supporting roles in earlier books coming to the fore here, particularly Marsh and Spook. As with the previous book, there is definitely a lessening of the focus on Vin, who becomes just one more member (albeit frequently the most important) of the ensemble cast here rather than the out-and-out heroine. Oddly, this is actually works very well, since Vin's character has been explored and developed in the previous two volumes to the point where there isn't much more to be done with her.

The gloom that fills the book occasionally threatens to make events too bleak, with the wit and humour of the previous books reduced somewhat, but the pace is definitely turned up a notch from the second book and at around the three-quarters mark events explode into motion, carrying us through the hugely ambitious finale. Epic fantasies often collapse during their finale chapters and if Mistborn falters (some events in the Kandra Homeland during the final few chapters don't seem to make much sense given events at the start of the book), it is to a considerably less-pronounced degree than others. The ending is consistent with what has come before, features some excellent twists on the established characters and magic systems, and leaves clear hints of there being more to come, as well as clues for those readers interested in the greater cosmology and universe which Mistborn shares with Elantris, Warbreaker and the forthcoming Stormlight Archive series.

The Hero of Ages (****½) is a ferocious and satisfying conclusion to the Mistborn Trilogy, confirming Sanderson's status as one of the most promising writers to emerge in the field recently. The book is available now in the USA and will be published by Gollancz on 11 February 2010 in the UK.

[Mossman]

Yep, I posted one of the reviews a good year or two ago. Didn't have any idea who Brandon was at the time, but with a TG endorsement, I had little choice.

I proudly take credit for creating the cover and adding the TG quote to it. Sanderson even referred to me as a "loon" on one of his blog posts.

[aidan]

Like Wert, I recently dove into Sanderson's Mistborn books.

Though not free of cliche, it’s clear from the get-go that Sanderson wants to put his own spin on the typical Fantasy story, to make a point that we haven’t necessarily seen it all. Yeah, at its heart, The Final Empire is about bringing down the oppressive Lord Ruler, but it’s the details that count, and Sanderson’s details are tight. The big hook is that Sanderson’s Dark Lord is not a faceless demon, hellbent of taking over the world, rather he already controls it, and has for 1,000 years (natch). Even more interesting is the fact that Sanderson’s Dark Lord, before he came to rule… was once the Hero of Ages, prophecised to defeat a mysterious force called The Deepness, and save the world. Something, however, went very wrong.

[...]

My biggest regret (and something I hope will be addressed in later volumes) is that Sanderson didn’t get more philosophical about the (no doubt) addictive qualities of what amounts to a drug that grants super-human strength, washes away weariness, enhances every sense and even allows the user to manipulate the emotions of those around them. Even Terry Brooks was addressing the ideas of addictive magic, over 20 years ago, and it seemed like a missed opportunity on Sanderson’s part.

Which brings me around to one of the general inconsistencies of the novel. Sanderson’s prose is safe and easy, but fails to capture the ruthlessness that one might expect from an ash-choked empire crushed under the iron fist of a ruthless dictator for a millenium. Slavery abounds, mass executions take place just to prove a point, rape is whispered about… and yet Sanderson somehow manages, through use of PG-rated language, to make the novel feel safe. It’s a disappointment that Sanderson’s prose wasn’t able to better challenge the unique, oppressive nature of his world and characters.

[...]

Prophecy plays a big role in The Final Empire, and Sanderson plays cleverly with the idea of history and information warping as time passes and it filters through the hands of those in power. The first volume doesn’t touch on this aspect as much as I would have liked, but a particular scene during the rip-roarin’ climax suggests that it will be an important element through the final two volumes of Mistborn.

As someone who was introduced to Fantasy through Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore and J.R.R. Tolkien, it’s nice to find a book that reminds me of those early, exciting days of discovering the genre. I suppose the best thing I can say for it is that The Wheel of Time fans have nothing to worry about; with his charming characters, great grasp on how magic is supposed to work, and easy-to-read prose, Sanderson is surely setup to complete Jordan’s series as well as anyone writing. For the first time since Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law trilogy, I’m excited at the idea of continuing on with a series, instead of hitting that towering pile of books, littered with other authors waiting to be read.

You can find the full review HERE, if interested.

[Werthead]

Mistborn: The Final Empire is out now in the UK, with a nice minimalist white cover and abstract illustration :)

[kcf]

I decided I would take the the fun, early reviews of The Way of Kings and combine it with the new FTC regulations for bloggers. I wonder what Brandon and Tor will think of this?

[aidan]

Like Wert, I finally finished up the series. Found the third volume, Hero of Ages to be a fair bit better than The Well of Ascension, but no where near The Final Empire.

Sanderson’s an exhaustive outliner, so it’s frustrating to wade through so much useless plot (the Siege of Luthadel in The Well of Ascension, the stale retread of bringing down a corrupt leader (two, actually) in The Hero of Ages) and self-indulgent character development at the cost of telling a fast, interesting story. It’s somewhat fitting that Sanderson was chosen to finish Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, considering how strongly the Mistborn ‘trilogy’ screams to be a duology. Sanderson is known for his breakneck endings (and Hero of Ages is no exception), but one has to wonder how the series could have succeeded if he had simply taken the plotting, action and revelations from the second and third volumes and worked it into one novel, cutting out all the fat that bloats down the first half of each.

Still, Sanderson should be lauded for his endings, and his labyrinthine plotting. Once the revelations start rolling in, it’s clear that Sanderson had things under control from the very beginning. Seemingly small elements from the early pages of The Final Empire fall into place and have cataclysmic effects on the outcome of the series. The final 200 pages of the novel fly by as Sanderson brings the series to a satisfying, shocking conclusion. And, hell, he leaves a body count of major players that would make even George R.R. Martin blush.

[...]

Sanderson’s prose and dialogue continues along the same course set by the first two volumes. It’s serviceable, and his description is never too much, but often feels mechanical and over-polished, like Sanderson’s forcing the pieces together to make a point, rather than letting it all fall into place naturally. He also paints his characters with a rather modern brush, and it doesn’t always work.

[...]

In all, Hero of Ages is a marked improvement on The Well of Ascension, but can’t quite live up to the promises made by The Final Empire. The plot twists are strong, the characters well-realized and the action is frenetic, but the politicking is wearying, the love stories are forced and the pacing is, at times, scattered and slow as watching grass grow. In an age where Fantasy series often fall off the tracks, hit double-digits in number of volumes and putter out towards the end, Sanderson manages to tie off a compelling story in only three volumes… it’s just too bad he couldn’t have done it in two.

Full review.

[Samalander]

Since Brandon seems pretty booked up for the coming years, anyone has an estimate when he's going to finish the Warbreaker duology?

[emberling]

If Returned cannot have children (as the high priest confessed), where did the royal family come from? Aren't they supposed to be the offsprings of a Returned individual? Where does their hair power come from, then?

SPOILER: Warbreaker

I thought of this as well when I finished Warbreaker the other day, but quickly realized that the answer is simple: the high priest doesn't know everything. Note that Vasher does say flat out at one point (to his sword, IIRC) that the royal line is descended from a Returned.

Vasher clearly demonstrates in a few ways that common knowledge regarding the purpose and mechanics of the Returned is not entirely accurate.

Clearly it's not easy for a Returned to procreate, but there's a few possibilities we can baselessly speculate upon. It might be something like the dhampir legend - fertility fades beginning at death but is not entirely gone until a bit later. Or fertility might be a function of having enough Breath (unlikely since the First Returned probably had less than the God-Kings), or of having a strong enough Returned Breath, or it could be granted by some magical process, or it could be as simple as "God let the First be fertile but didn't want any of the others to be." Or maybe Returned are fertile when they suppress their Returned-ness like Vasher does.

The thing I'm not entirely certain about is that Vasher has given up his Breath at least twice, and I find it hard to believe that the whole 'Returned die when they give their own Breath away' deal is totally wrong. I'm pretty sure that Sanderson's explanation for this is that when Vasher suppresses his Returned-ness he can give his normal-person Breaths and keep his suppressed Returned breath, but it just seems fuzzy and unexplained for a Sanderson magic mechanic. We're told it works one way and shown something to the contrary and left to figure out why on our own.

(Yes, he also demonstrates once that he seems to know how to take only some Breath from a person, but it seemed to me like there was some extra complexity involved which certainly didn't happen during the combat situations in which Vasher lost his Breaths.)

I'm also given to wonder whether the royal line has 'stronger' Breath than a normal person. One might assume that the control over one's own body, even partial, would be in some respect a function of Breath. On the other hand, they certainly don't have enough additional Breath to register as abnormal to those who can see auras, and they don't die without Breath. (Did Vivenna ever change her hair when she was without Breath?)

[Jussi]

The release date for The Way of Kings is August 17th 2010.

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Kings-Stormlight...8878&sr=1-2

Here's the blurb from Tor Summer 2010 catalog:

A new epic fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Series

Having twice reached the New York Times bestseller list, and even as he is brilliantly completing Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson is constantly asked by readers and booksellers alike what his next project will be. Now, Tor is proud to present his answer, The Way of Kings, the first novel in a remarkable sequence every bit as ambitious and unique - and as satisfying and addictive - as The Wheel of Time.

The Way of Kings introduces the three protagonists who will be our windows on the strange and wondrous world of Roshar and the drama about to unfold there:

• Dalinar, the assassinated king's brother and uncle of the new one, is an old soldier who is weary of fighting. He is plagued by dreams of ancient times and legendary wars, visions that may force him into a new role he could never have imagined.

• Merin, a highborn young man who has been brought low, indeed to the most miserable level of military slavery, and like Ben Hur must suffer and struggle to survive and rise again.

• Shallan, a naïve but brave and brilliant young woman who will do anything to save her impoverished noble house from ruin.

These are people we will come to know deeply and take to our hearts. But just as important to The Way of Kings is a fourth key 'character,' the unique world of Roshar itself, a richly imagined setting as real as science fiction's Dune, as unforgettable as epic fantasy's Middle Earth. Through all the volumes of The Stormlight Archive, Brandon Sanderson will make Roshar a realm we are eager to visit.

What Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time has been to the fantasy genre for the last two decades, The Stormlight Archive will be to the next, and The Way of Kings is where it all begins.

[Myshkin]

I like Sanderson's work a lot, but that write up from Tor seemed a bit full of itself.

[Jerec]

Agreed. That's quite a lot to live up to. Hype machine is spinning, but I'll probably forget about this little blurb by next August.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Can't blame them, there's not much else for Tor to crow about looking to the future. He's their IT boy. Here's hoping Sanderson can keep this series going outside of a single novel, something I didn't feel he did very well with Mistborn.

[Talyn]

Agree here as well but I like Sanderson and really hope that he can pull this off as well.

[HammerOfGod]

One has to wonder how finishing WoT will affect his writing style for future books by him...

Has he got {A Song Of Ice And Fire} in him...

A 10 Volume Epic Fantasy...

[Galactus]

I'm reading Elantris currently and... Wow, the prose is truly awful. And the sociopolitical commentary is wall-banger level. Lots of cool concepts though.

Presumably his prose improves a lot, since it isn't half this bad in the gathering storm...

[Shryke]

I recommend people avoid Elantris simply because it sours people on Sanderson, who isn't near as bad as the book would indicate.

[Poobah]

The release date for The Way of Kings is August 17th 2010.

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Kings-Stormlight...8878&sr=1-2

Here's the blurb from Tor Summer 2010 catalog:

Lol.

[beniowa]

I wish Tor would turn down the publicity machine a bit. :rolleyes: I like Sanderson, but the level of hyperbole is ridiculous.

[Tsavong Lah]

Just read Elantris (although I had read Mistborn this past summer), and I pretty much have to agree with everything that has been said. The prose was just awful. It's a good thing I was suffering from a bit of insomnia last night so I needed something to pass the time (and hopefully put me to sleep). The whole thing felt a little disappointing too. About the only parts I enjoyed were Raoden's "New Elantris" and the occasional bit with Sarene. All the characters were so artificial. Even Hrathen seemed one-dimensional to me, despite all his inner conflict. I'm sure glad Brandon has improved so much since then. It is almost hard to believe Elantris was written by the same author as Mistborn and TGS.