porge_grewe's reviews
164 reviews

This is an interesting one. The end of Era 2 of Mistborn, there was a lot of concern, generally and specifically on my part, that it was going to get bogged down in Cosmere lore to the detriment of character work and telling a satisfying story on a smaller scale, like we saw with The Sunlit Man. I am impressed to say that that is not the case - Sanderson continues to ground his wider, Cosmere-scale stories with smaller-scale, human triumphs and tragedies. The result, however, is still not what I would have hoped for.

I am now secure in saying that I am not interested in the wider story of the Cosmere - It's just gods attacking each other because they want power, and without the fun pettiness of, say, The Iliad. This combines with a power-creep among the magical populace which means that gods really don't mean as much by this point in the Cosmere - Gods are just people and people are just gods. So, on that side, the stories don't really work for me anymore, but, as mentioned above, Sanderson still manages to secure the stories in the smaller-scale stories of his less-powered characters.

Unfortunately, that means that this book focuses on Wayne, Sanderson's worst character - All the excesses of Hoid's terrible humour, except we're supposed to feel worse for him. No.

I liked the ending, though.

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

This is a solid, enjoyable adventure story - A step down from the original Mistborn trilogy, but a massive improvement on The Alloy of Law. Sanderson really feels like he has relaxed into the setting and characters by this point, smoothing out a lot of the rough edges the first couple of books in this second Mistborn era had. Sanderson cuts back on the humour and comic bookiness for this one, and the book is much stronger for it. Great step in the right direction! I am very interested to see how The Lost Metal goes.

The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Go to review page

dark hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The third Robert Rath Warhammer novel I've read, and it keeps up his strong run of form - Rath brings a humanity which grounds the people of the 41st millennium even as he refuses to shy away from the excess of the setting. Great story, well told, just enough Trazyn.

The Bitter End by Alexa Donne

Go to review page

mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed this book! The characters are well-drawn, the multiple POVs are deftly handled, and there is a palpable sense of cold throughout the book. The mystery unraveled nicely, with enough false-starts and false leads to keep you guessing, but unfortunately it is the ending which loses the story a star for me - The reveal was unsatisfying and overly-cartoonish for what is otherwise a pretty grounded book.
Can't wait for the next Alexa Donne novel!

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Justine Larbalestier, Holly Black

Go to review page

4.75

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A great conclusion to the five-book arc - Satisfying and unsatisfying in just the right ways and right measures. I will note that I enjoyed the last three quarters of the book, which are pretty much entirely drama and jeopardy, more than the first quarter, which is more focused on straightforward character interaction - None of these characters are good at lighthearted humour, but if you've got to this point in the series you know precisely how characters like Wit and Shallan are written and you can bear it or you can't. Otherwise, brilliant, fitting, strongly recommended.

Sordidez by E.G. Condé

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow! This is a brilliant story. It has strains of multiple other of my favourite stories, but I am hesitant to name them because this deserves to stand in a class of its own. The story has the feeling of a set of short stories, but they intertwine and develop brilliantly, giving you just enough time with one character or set of characters, and enough time away from the others, to build into something completely unexpected.

I so rarely use this old cliche, but I don't want to say much more about it for fear of spoiling anything... One more thing. This book has the best discussion of warfare, of trauma, of the right and wrong of forgetting, of the chance for redemption and whether that is extended to everyone, and what we owe to ourselves, our pasts, our futures, and our communities, I have ever read.

It is *so good*, please just read it - You will not regret it!

More...

porge_grewe's reviews 164 reviews

porge_grewe's reviews
164 reviews