An Accident Of Stars is one of those books that, honestly, I always knew I would love. I put off reading it for far too long, because portal fantasy iAn Accident Of Stars is one of those books that, honestly, I always knew I would love. I put off reading it for far too long, because portal fantasy isn’t a trope that particularly appeals to me, but… it’s Foz Meadows, and I’ve been following Meadows’ reviewing and writing on fandom and culture for years now. Her first book is just as brilliant, incisive, thoughtful, and compelling as I always expected it to be, and I confess - I’m more interested in portal fantasy as a trope after reading it.
This review will be split into several parts, organized by spoiler level. If you do not meet at least a given level of spoilers, do not read that sectThis review will be split into several parts, organized by spoiler level. If you do not meet at least a given level of spoilers, do not read that section. I'm really very serious about this.
For the Sanderson-uninitiated: If you read fantasy, or talk to people about fantasy, or have followed me for a while, you've heard of this guy. Bands of Mourning does all the things Sanderson is famous for: it has fast-paced action, carefully applied rules of magic, expansive worldbuilding, and engaging characters. It also, as his latest work, shows clear improvement on many fronts from earlier books: there are more female characters, both in the cast and filling a variety of background roles; the society is clearly multi-ethnic and -racial; and the almost overwhelming ending style known as a 'Sanderlanche' has been significantly smoothed out. (The end is still nigh-impossible to put down, but it's spread out over a longer section of the book, and with a more gradual transition between the rest of the book and the climax.) Also, the main romance is the cutest dang thing.
For obvious reasons, this is not a book you can start with. It is at bare minimum the sixth book set on the world of Scadrial, and there are benefits to having read other books in the Cosmere as well. However, if you do pick up one of Sanderson's earlier books and find it weak in some areas - as with the very legitimate criticism of The Final Empire having only one major female character - know that those flaws are corrected over time, and that each book is better than the last.
If you've read all of the original Mistborn Trilogy but haven't made the jump: (view spoiler)[I know, I know, it's jarring to move forward 300 years, but trust me, it's worth it. Not only do we get to see Scadrial rebuilt and rejuvenated, but there are new uses for the Metallic Arts which were impossible in the era of the Final Empire. The original trilogy had a much tighter focus than this series, focused on the overthrow of the Lord Ruler and the aftermath of that conflict. Here, we see a whole society growing and struggling to determine itself, even as outside influences begin to pose a threat. Some original characters are still around - Sazed, of course - and the rest are remembered in interesting, if not always accurate, ways.
Wax, Wayne, Marasi, and Steris are a compelling new cast, with a new dynamic, but the same sort of wisecracking and competence that Kelsier's crew had. And even if Alloy of Law isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you read it anyway, because Shadows of Self and The Bands of Mourning both explore different scales of conflict, and it's almost guaranteed that you'll find something here that catches you the way the first books did. (hide spoiler)]
If you're caught up to Shadows of Self, but haven't read this one: (view spoiler)[This is a very, very different book. SoS was essentially focused on Wax's personal internal conflict, with hints of broader implications; while Bands of Mourning does address his continuing grief/recovery process (and does it beautifully), the focus is mostly on much, much bigger things. Where the first two books stayed focused on the city of Elendel, Bands of Mourning shows the wider Basin and some of the conflicts in it, which Elendel ignores. Everything is tied together: Wax's uncle, his sister's abduction, the resistance of the outer cities to Elendel's control, and the continuing push forward of technology. (Well, almost everything: if you're waiting for an explanation of Trell, keep waiting.)
Somewhat unfortunately, as we'll be waiting a while longer for The Lost Metal, this book leaves off at a point of greatest change for the characters and world. I don't think Scadrial's been this shaken up since the Catacendre, and whatever comes next will be fascinating. (hide spoiler)]
If you're all caught up, but still figuring out this Cosmere thing: (view spoiler)[I'm sure not everyone's on the Wax/Steris train even now, but I sure am. Bonding over studying accounts ledgers? Kissing in midair over the mists? Steris finally getting the honeymoon she wanted? It was pretty much perfect. I also love the way they build each other up, as any good couple should - Steris supporting Wax through his grief, being ready to help with whatever's next; Wax trying his best to contradict her self-deprecation and show her that he thinks she's valuable and worthwhile.
Steris started sniffling. She pulled her hand free of his and wiped her eyes. "Is that... good crying or bad?" Wax asked. All these years dealing with women, and he still couldn't tell the difference sometimes. "Well, this wasn't on any of my lists, you see."
(sounds of me sobbing in the background.) I can't wait for them to be happily married forever.
Marasi was a champ in this book, from the very beginning. I love that she told Wayne off for his treatment of Ranette - it's about time someone did that - and seeing the way she's learned to handle a crisis is fascinating. She's still a little unsteady, which is understandable, but she's so courageous. I'm also particularly interested in her relationship with Vin, or rather the mythology of Vin - Marasi at the outset of this series seemed to be a straightforward Action Girl, but in the last two books we've seen her actively questioning that role and whether it's right for her. This is both excellent characterization and an exploration of how history affects societal expectations. Vin was just one woman, but her example has become an ideal, even in the face of Alrianne and Tindwyl's examples. Moreover, Vin's human failings have been erased by time and popular belief:
"Were you ever insecure?" Marasi asked. "Or did you always know what to do? Did you get jealous? Frightened? Angry?" If Vin had been an ordinary person at any point, the stories and songs had forgotten.
The culmination of all of this, of course, is when she takes up the power of the Bands of Mourning. I'll freely admit that I was about in tears in this scene, and that I was kind of disappointed when she gave the power over to Wax (though I saw it coming), but thinking over it I'm okay with this, because:
She hovered in the sky, flush with power. In that moment, she was the Ascendant Warrior.
Marasi has been struggling with a society that demands she follows Vin's example, and holding the Bands would be the culmination of that - of all of these pressures she's been pushing against. In that light, letting it go was definitely the right decision for her. I'm not a fan of how it echoed the end of Well of Ascension - female lead takes up godly power, but gives it up to save the life of a man who then becomes more powerful than her - but since Wax gave up the Bands in turn, I can live with it.
Wayne and MeLaan getting together was something I'd kind of seen coming, though I didn't expect it as soon as it happened. They fit, but I'm not as invested in it as I am in Wax and Steris - there just hasn't been enough development. There's potential, but I still wouldn't be surprised if Wayne and Marasi became an item. (I'd be perfectly happy to see Marasi stay solo, or for all three of them to form a triad, but there's some foreshadowing there.)
Wayne in general was much better this book than last book. For one thing, he got called out twice - once by Marasi, and once by Wax - for his treatment of Ranette and Steris. He seems to have made a... generally good-faith attempt to apologize to Ranette, crassness aside, and I'm hopeful that for Wax he'll learn to treat Steris with actual kindness. After all, as we saw clearly, his relationship with Wax is his lodestone:
"Wax," he said, shaking his head. "No. No. I can't do this without you." "Yes you can. Fight." "Not that part," Wayne said. "The rest of it. Livin'."
Wayne has PTSD, among other things he's dealing with, and this books' climax gave us a crystal clear view of what Wax means to him: Wax is quite literally Wayne's redemption. Without that - without the one man who believed he was worth saving more than he ever did - Wayne doesn't know how to keep going. That's... really deeply heartbreaking.
MeLaan's complete lack of understanding human conversational mores remains hilarious. The entire hotel arrival conversation was hilarious. For a book which threatened civil war and city-destroying weapons, this was a damn funny read.
Steris continues to be fantastic, in so many ways. It was confirmed during the Shadows of Self tour that she's on the autism spectrum, and this keeps showing up in little, subtle moments:
"Sometimes it amazes me that people like Wayne, or even those kandra, can be so startlingly human when I feel so alien."
I got into a discussion regarding The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as a representation of autism recently, and in light of that it's striking to me how well and how sensitively Sanderson builds his ASD characters. They're not caricatures or sensationalizations, but individuals with desires and stumbling blocks like any other characters - and they get to stand in the spotlight like anyone else, too. It's telling to me that the people who have picked up on Sanderson's ASD characters are on the spectrum themselves, and seeing representations of their own experiences in fiction for, sometimes, the first time ever. If you're looking for stereotypes, you won't find them, but if you're looking for people - here they are. Also: Steris getting more accustomed to the bizarre events of Wax's life.
The carriage lurched into motion, and Steris leaned out the window, waving farewell to the poor innkeeper. "Framed for murder!" Steris called to her. "It's on page seventeen of the list I gave you! Try not to let them harass our servants too much when they arrive!"
For the record, I expected Telsin's betrayal - though I thought she was being impersonated by a Kandra and long-since dead. I have a little labelled sticky note over her first appearance to this effect. Half credit for predictions?
AND NOW: The southerners. I didn't even guess until I got to the line about 'burned maps' in Chapter 18, but as soon as I read that I knew. Brandon's been teasing this contact for years, but I honestly didn't expect it until the 1980s trilogy, and I certainly didn't expect it to happen in a series which started off as a lighthearted side-project. I am thrilled. Allomantic/feruchemical technology! Societies that are doing exactly what Harmony said the Basin isn't - adapting to the pressure of immediate needs by using what they have in new ways. (Someone on Tumblr recently made a post complaining that they couldn't see new uses for Mistborn's magic system and found it boring for that reason - I'd love to tell that person about this book's revelations.) I'm also super excited about their social system. The way Allik treats Wax (while awkward to read) speaks to the rarity of Allomancers/Feruchemists in their culture. (It's still unclear to me how that happened. We know Kelsier was involved in saving their society after the Catacendre, but that doesn't answer two big questions - one, why didn't Harmony help them; and two, how did the Metallic Arts get to their population in the first place?) As I mentioned in my pre-review, that social system is going to be completely upended by the trade deal Wax and Steris struck at the end of this book. All of a sudden they'll have access to a relative wealth of magic, provided by people who won't (all) demand obeisance the way their native Metalborn seem to. They're going to have to question a fundamental element of their hierarchy, and I can't imagine the southern Metalborn will be too happy about that.
By the time this series is done, we're going to see a completely different Scadrial. I still wouldn't rule out civil war in the Basin, particularly as the Set seems invested in creating strife. (Does it strike anyone else as strange that Edwarn Ladrian, advocate of predatory loans on impoverished workers, was advocating against Elendel and in favor of the outer cities?) And of course, there's the threat of weapons which... seem like nothing less than magical nukes.
I'd say I hope it doesn't come to that, but this is Sanderson. The safe bet is that it will. (hide spoiler)]
For the Cosmere-literate and the unspoilable: (view spoiler)[HMMMM GODDAMN DID WE LEARN SOME STUFF HERE.
Some of it was little and subtle - this isn't really spoilers, but the word for the gold symbol is 'mah', which I thought was neat; I'm not sure if it's the word for gold or the letter name, but either way, cool. The confusion in the account books told us that the numerals for 3 and 4 are visually similar, in a way they aren't in our Roman script, which was a neat detail.
Worldhoppers! Hoid was obvious - he's generally not subtle, though I'm surprised Wax didn't recognize him as his former coachman from Shadows of Self. More interesting to me was the woman who was asking Wax about his abilities during the party. Minor spoilers for Secret History but: it's Khriss! At long last, we meet the person the Ars Arcanums are written for! And she's a black female scholar of Investiture! Apparently she figures prominently in the upcoming White Sand graphic novel, and I'm really excited for that. Sanderson also used this scene to deal with a question which I imagine he's gotten a lot of versions of from fans - what does storing weight actually do? (Actually, I think I might have asked a variation of this myself at one point.) I'm not very good at physics, but if I understand her questions and answer well enough, we just learned that storing weight is actually reducing mass in some way. (It's entirely possible I've got this backwards, but the scene seems to point to physics rather than magic, and that is the physics explanation... I think.)
We finally know what Connection is good for, and it works exactly like Selish magic systems. Previously I'd assumed the place-dependence of Sel's magic was due to Dominion's influence on the planet, but I was wrong: it's much more related to the Cognitive Realm, apparently. This hints a bit at how worldhoppers can move from planet to planet and still communicate with the local poppulation, though I'm sure they're all using different methods to access it. It may also suggest that some properties of Investiture are innate across all systems - Connection would be one, Lightweaving maybe another (we've seen it on both Roshar and Nalthis), and there's a potential third mentioned in Secret History. More on that when I get to my review of that novella.
And last but far from least: Trell.
"But you need us!" Suit said. "To rule, to manage civilization on-" "No longer. Recent advances have made civilization here too dangerous. Allowing it to continue risks further advances we cannot control, and so we have decided to remove life on this sphere instead. Thank you for your service; it has been accepted. You will be allowed to serve in another Realm."
Fan theories about Trell, to my knowledge, have mostly been focused on Paalm's unknown metal spike from Shadows of Self. Personally I'd advocated for it being Endowment, but that got jossed; the prevailing theory was then that it was Autonomy's godmetal. However, after reading this, I don't think Autonomy could be Trell. Aside from the fact that we know Autonomy's Shardholder's name (Bavadin), this statement focuses on control and service to a larger goal, which is the opposite of autonomy. There's a marginal argument to be made that Autonomy preserves its own independence by regulating others, but I'm skeptical of that. Right now, my bet is that Trell is a currently-unknown Shard, since there are nine unaccounted for. HOWEVER. Brandon has been up front about the relevance of color in his works, particularly the significance of red. We've seen it in the Stormlight Archive associated with Odium and the Voidbringers, in "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" associated with the spirits flying into a killing rage, and in space as Taln's Scar/the Red Rip, which may be the same formation of stars. Given that, we can assume that Trell is either associated with through larger motivation or directly related to these other factors. I doubt it's Odium, but wouldn't rule it out; if it's a Shard whose influence we've seen, though, it seems that Threnody might be the place. Their 'Fallen World' could be another society who became 'too dangerous' for Trell's liking - and the strict control of people's actions by the Simple Rules would be in line with this emphasis on service and regulation.
If you'd like to discuss Cosmere speculation in the comments, please put it under a spoiler tag: < spoiler > like so. (hide spoiler)]...more
It feels like every time I turn around, Alexandra Bracken has risen to new levels of excellence in her works. From the beginning I've been a fan of heIt feels like every time I turn around, Alexandra Bracken has risen to new levels of excellence in her works. From the beginning I've been a fan of her work, but looking back, this trilogy completely blows Brightly Woven out of the water.
The Darkest Minds, as a series, is quite simply the best YA dystopia I've ever read. Its setting is terrifying but plausible; its characters are flawed but heroic; and this conclusion was one of the most satisfying ends to a series I have ever read. I don't even know how to start explaining how marvelous it was - how Bracken seamlessly interwove character development and relationship resolution with necessary plot elements, how beautifully it mirrored the first book, how I love Ruby Daly's growth arc beyond words.
The element that distinguishes this the most from other YA dystopian novels I've read is the way trauma experienced by characters is woven into them. All of the kids in this series have gone through hell, and they've all found different ways to survive and move forward. The depictions of PTSD and anxiety attacks in this book were painful to read, but at the same time one of its strongest aspects. Their roads to recovery aren't linear, and importantly, they hurt each other along the way and must learn to repair that damage even as they struggle to heal. It's a level of emotional complexity that is beautifully rendered and in many ways unique.
Obviously, because this is the third book, I have to talk some spoilers so... those of you who haven't read the series yet, get on that. The rest of you can read on.
(view spoiler)[Bracken is spectacularly good at heart-dropping moments in this series. Liam's letter to himself about Ruby just about ripped my heart in two. You love her, you love her, you love her. God. Liam in general was spectacular in this book - "I can find us the one real shot we have doing some lasting good in a world that's already too violent" really struck me like. This kid has gone through so much, struggled with so much, and yet he is so essentially committed to being good.
And speaking of Stewarts who are committed to things - Cole's death totally blindsided me; I kept expecting him to appear out of nowhere and end up okay. And yet... looking back, and having read one of Bracken's Tumblr posts about why she made that writing decision, I see how it fits? It also works well with the two characters he's in foil relationships with, namely Liam and Clancy - Cole differs from Liam in that he doesn't feel like he can form bonds with people again because he's too different and dangerous, and from Clancy because what Clancy sees as power he sees as a curse. Like Clancy then, his arc ends because of his abilities - but where Ruby uses her Orange talents to give Clancy the gift of peace, Cole burns the way he always expected to.
There's a much longer essay here about this, but I can't really articulate it just yet. But - dang did that trio work well in this series.
Speaking of Ruby using her abilities as a gift, I about cried when she gave Lilian Gray back her memories. Not just because of what she did, but because of what it means for Ruby herself. The first book felt so hopeless, like all the people whose minds she had erased herself from were never going to be part of her life again, but this - she's grown, she's developed, she has moved past the fear and now she can mend all of her bridges. that was beautifully satisfying.
Unnerving as it was, I found myself agreeing with Clancy early in this book. "They want to strip you of yourself - your ability to protect and enforce your right to make decisions about your life. Your own body. Mark my words: in the end, it won't be a choice. They'll decide this for you." For someone who has, in the past, used his Orange abilities to violate Ruby's boundaries and take away her agency, he makes a good argument. I was immensely pleased to see Chubs take it up at the end as well: "I finally have the right to choose what I want for myself but, if I make the wrong choice, I'll still be punished for it?" and "By locking someone up for making a choice about their body that they have every right to make, what you're essentially saying is that, no, you don't trust us. Not to make good choices, not to treat others well."
Fundamentally this series is a story about fear of the unknown, about potential danger that can't be controlled. The point that Clancy and then Chubs make is one that applies outside of the fictional world: that that fear hurts people in unconscionable ways, and that people deserve better. We can't just shut away everything we don't understand, and we certainly can't use that lack of understanding to tell others what choices they can make about their lives and their bodies.
I want to go sing its praises across campus, to haul people down to the library and shove copies of Leviathan intoThis series...
God damn, this series.
I want to go sing its praises across campus, to haul people down to the library and shove copies of Leviathan into their hands, to wander the country like a modern-day Johnny Appleseed scattering lovely books wherever I go.
Okay, not so much that last one. But you get my point.
But anyhow. I was quite content with the first book, but I'm elated about this one. It's one of those fabulous novels in which it's not just the characters who mature and grow (as all characters should) - the plot adjusts and changes to suit them. As such, while Leviathan was somewhat weaker for its focus on getting the characters where they needed to be, Behemoth shows what this series really is - that being SPECTACULAR - by putting more on the line and giving both Alek and Deryn more to deal with. Best of all, pretty much every action in the book makes sense, in terms of motivations.
Here, the Leviathan is arriving in Istanbul; Doctor Barlow's secret mission is almost complete. Alek and the Austrians aren't feeling particularly welcome, though, and make plans to escape when they reach the city. Naturally, nothing goes as planned for either party. One of Doctor Barlow's precious eggs is crushed when it's presented to the Sultan, and German saboteurs are all through the city spreading anti-British propaganda. Alek's escape gets botched, and he finds himself in a strange city and separated from his foremost advisor, Count Volger. Oh, and Istanbul isn't exactly placid, either - but saying more would be spoilers, of course.
While I still like Deryn better than Alek, I did really appreciate some of the development he got in this book - though most of it made him look like an idiot. We see him interacting with a girl his own age for once, and his attitude is, well, less progressive than poor Deryn might wish. In fact, until that girl proves herself, he's downright scornful. It certainly doesn't earn Alek any points in my book, but Westerfeld gets some for not making him illogically ahead of his time. Also, it throws a wrench into the romantic subplot, which is fabulous. Alek also goes through a little 'I AM DESTINED TO DO THIS' phase and, not to say too much, it gets deliciously squashed by the end of the book. I don't like that sort of attitude, nor the self-righteousness which usually accompanies it, and it was nice to see him get taken down a peg. Always provided, of course, that he doesn't wangst about being confused in the next book. I trust you, Westerfeld. Don't screw this up.
Deryn's development, though, is even better. She's a wonderfully strong character, barring one thing - which I'll discuss later - and she only gets stronger. Here, her heroic actions saving Newkirk at the beginning of the book win her a medal... and a secret assignment. The way she handles command is very interesting, and the way the experience changes her is the sort of thing I love to see happening to characters. Also, we're seeing behind some of her swagger here, even in Alek's chapters, and she's a more interesting character for it. I wish I could say more, but that would be spoilers.
OH, we need to talk about the Behemoth of the title. DAYUM. That thing was freaking awesome. It looked like an anglerfish with tentacles and next to it the Leviathan was a toy. Ohhhhhh what a beastie. I sort of want one. And now I'm really curious about what the 'Goliath' of the third book will be. Westerfeld's creativity shines when it comes to fabricated creatures, and that's a goodly part of why I devour these books as I do.
There's one other character I can mention without spoilers, and that's Eddie Malone, an American reporter. He is, as reporters seem to be in fiction, rather annoying, but I liked him up until he obliquely threatened to do something that would have put our heroes in danger. His relevance really has more to do with the hints he provides about American society in this world - a blend of Clanker and Darwinist technologies - than with what he actually does in the plot.
The thing that bugged me through the book, though, was the romantic plot tumor. Sorry, but I just don't see why Deryn likes Alek. Development or no development, he's still kind of an ass sometimes and she's waaaay more worked up over him than he deserves. If it had been more developed, it wouldn't be a problem, but as it is it's part of several plot points and while I was willing to take those sort of on faith, I wish I hadn't needed to.
Finally, the art. As per expectations, it's fabulous. Westerfeld's version of Istanbul is so vivid and innovative that I'm not sure I would have been able to picture it properly without Thompson's gorgeous, detailed illustrations. This one was my favorite: [image]
I've put Goliath on hold, but it'll be some time until I get it. Meanwhile, I vote we start a campaign to get 'team' shirts printed for this series - a Darwinist one with the Leviathan, the loris, the tigeresque from the first book and maybe some others; a Clanker one with walkers and mechanical parts all over it, both in cool fonts. I don't have a really great mental image of either of them, but you get the jist, right? Tell me you wouldn't buy those, because I totally would....more
I feel bad for not liking this book more, and that frustrates me, and then I like it less because I feel I'm being guilt-tripped. Argh.
Here's the thiI feel bad for not liking this book more, and that frustrates me, and then I like it less because I feel I'm being guilt-tripped. Argh.
Here's the thing: I've read or heard or watched stories like this before. I wouldn't say that I'm desensitized to Holocaust stories or similar things, but they do have less impact on me now than Night did when I read it in eighth grade. Frankly, it's hard for a work of fiction to have the same gut-punching effect of something I know actually happened to the author, no matter how well-researched the fiction. And I looked at the acknowledgments - Ruta Sepetys has done her homework for this book.
That's not to say that this isn't a good book. It is. It's well-researched and well-written. It's also an important book, in that it focuses on an issue (Stalin's treatment of Lithuania and its neighbors) that's not often discussed, if at all. It's just... not much new. And the content is not nearly as horrifying, nor as emotional, as stories of the Holocaust.
Part of this was that I simply didn't care for the characters. Lina was interesting, but came off as immature, particularly in her insistence on drawing things that could have gotten her and possibly her family killed. She seemed to have very little self-control and she never really grew out of that, and while I see the point of drawing things to try and communicate with her father and can respect her for that, I can't respect her for drawings which were just as risky but with no noble goal. Her mother repeatedly warned her not to do such things, but she never listened, and while nothing ill came of it I can't respect her for the chances she took with her family's lives.
Her love interest, whose name I've honestly forgotten, was similarly annoying. In one of his earliest scenes, he tears pages out of one of Lina's books to make cigarettes - and then gives one to Lina's little brother, too! That's several strikes against him right off the bat (disrespecting books, theft, unrepentancy, giving tobacco to a little kid) and he honestly never developed into enough of a character for me to forgive him. He was sulky and uncommunicative throughout most of the rest of the book, and even when he did nice things for Lina he never really... grew up. Like her, I simply couldn't respect him, and so I couldn't really like him as a character.
Lina's mother was by far my favorite - she was strong and resourceful and kind and cautious, and she obviously tried her hardest to protect and care for her children without putting them at risk.
The other major problem I had with this book, I think, was its pacing. We find out at the beginning of the story that Lina spent over ten years in Siberia, and so I expected the book to cover that time - but it didn't. Instead, we got a long dragged-out description of the train ride to the first labor camp - understandable, since it was intense - and then a chunk of pages devoted to life in that labor camp - again, understandable, since it was Lina's first such experience - but then the final travel and time above the Arctic Circle took less than a hundred pages, despite that being where she spent most of those ten years. In fact, most of those years aren't even covered - the story jumps from the end of their first Siberian winter to workers digging up her diary years later. We know nothing of nine years in Siberia, nor of how she got out, nor of how she met her love interest again, and that left me feeling as if the story arc had come collapsing down around my head. There's nothing inherently wrong with unconventional narrative structure, but there is a problem when there's been no indication until the last few pages that the structure was going to be unconventional. The book ended abruptly and unsatisfactorily, leaving me with unanswered questions and feeling like Ms. Sepetys had just set the manuscript down when she got bored instead of finishing the story.
That, in the end, is probably why I rated this book so low - well, that and not being able to connect to the characters - I left it feeling as if it were a work in progress, and that's not how I like to walk away from books.
All of that said, however, this is a good book, well written and well-researched, and in the interest of full disclosure I think it's important to note that it did actually make me cry at one point. For all its flaws I would suggest reading it; the pages fly by and at the very least it may encourage people to research these events further, which I think would be the best possible outcome....more
March 5th: Done with first readthrough. It was, in fact, more perfect than expected. I only cried a little bit; mostly afterwards I just have this feeMarch 5th: Done with first readthrough. It was, in fact, more perfect than expected. I only cried a little bit; mostly afterwards I just have this feeling of intense satisfaction. I will probably still wait to review until I've read through twice; I have a lot that I think I want to say but I haven't fully processed it.
August 10: It's obvious to everyone that I'm not gonna get around to a reread for a while, right? Cool. I'll do it eventually, because I have a lot to say about this book, but it'll take a lot more time and energy than I have right now.
4 MARCH 2014: IT'S OUT! I'm going to leave this review up as-is until I can replace it with an actual review of the book; as I'm going to be reading it twice (one speed-read before Sanderson comes to my area for a signing, one thorough re-read afterwards) that may be some time.
18 December 2013: Review rewritten/reorganized to be more coherent and remove out-of-date info. 19 January 2014: Links added for TOR-released chapters. There will be two more chunks posted on the website before the book comes out. 21 January 2014: First of those two remaining chunks released at noon EST. I feel pretty comfortable saying we'll see the last set of chapters - the ones Peter Ahlstrom has been hinting at by saying we haven't gotten the 'hooks' yet - at the same time on the 28th. 28 January 2014: I was right. Links updated below. Note that now all the chapters we know to expect have been released; this may be the end of preview material.
RELEASE DATE: March 4. This is pretty much set at this point. COVER/FLAP DESCRIPTION: can be found here. If you're not sure who's who, title explanations are under the spoiler cut: (view spoiler)[the Windrunner is Kaladin, the Lightweaver is Shallan, and the Explorer is Eshonai. We're pretty sure the Bondsmith is Dalinar; I'm hesitant to list that as an absolute ID because I still think he's a strong contender for being a Stoneward. The Assassin, obviously, is Szeth. (hide spoiler)] As of this review update, the version Goodreads has on their page for the book is the old version. There are obviously major changes between the two, but both provide interesting hints towards plot events.
READINGS/EXCERPTS: - Eshonai interlude (Audio, part 1 (excerpt starts at 12:30), part 2 (overlaps somewhat with first part); transcript) - Shallan flashback (Audio, transcript) - Rysn interlude (Writing videos: prewriting, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve; transcript) - Taravangian interlude (Excerpt) - Jasnah prologue (Transcript) - Kaladin, chapter 2 (Transcript) - Dalinar flashback (Transcript) - Ym interlude (Transcript) - Lift interlude (Excerpt) - Teeny fragment of conversation involving Dalinar (Excerpt, sort of) -Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 at TOR (Excerpt) - Chapters 3-5 at TOR (Excerpt) - Chapters 6, 8, and 9 at TOR (Excerpt) - Chapters 10, 12, 14, and Interlude I-1 at TOR (Excerpt; note that Ch. 10 and Interlude I-1 were previously released in audio as Red Carpet, Once White and the Eshonai Interlude; however, there have been changes in the final versions.)
As of right now, everything released via the Steelhunt is also on this list, so if you don't have a code you're not missing anything. One note: Everything marked 'excerpt' can be considered correct re: spelling and grammar, because it comes from an official source. Anything marked 'transcript' may have misspelled names or inaccurate punctuation. Obviously, any and all of these portions are subject to change before the final version. ...more
(Quick double heads-up: this is my 300th Goodreads book review! I think it's fantastic that such a milestone is on a book that I love as much as I lov(Quick double heads-up: this is my 300th Goodreads book review! I think it's fantastic that such a milestone is on a book that I love as much as I love this one - which is scads and scads. I would also like to give a quick shout-out here to all the wonderful people who have decided to follow my reviews. I've been meaning to say it for a while, but didn't get to it until now: you all are awesome and I really, really appreciate you. Thanks so much!)
I cannot actually write a review of this book without spoiling at least the first two, and probably without spoiling it. Hell, I can't really even think straight about this entire series right now. I spent most of my afternoon finishing this - stopping myself very carefully before I got too sucked in to remember to eat; shooing my friends away when they came to hang out because I was 50 pages from the ending - and my emotions and thoughts about it are a big ball of confusion. That being said, this is probably the best point for me to try to write a review, because this is when the sheer awe and excitement that I felt in the finale of this book are the strongest, so hopefully those emotions and more will communicate themselves.
(Edit: I was going through my copy and removing all the little markers that I'd used to make sure I didn't forget the things I wanted to talk about which I ended up not talking about at all and what it really comes down to is this: this book deserves a better review than what I've written, but if I told you everything I loved about it, we'd be here until the end of time because I'd have to list them by page. Okay, so maybe that's hyperbole. Still. There is so much in this book - so much to love, but also just so much content in general - that it's pretty much impossible for me to review every bit of it. Instead you get vagueries. Sorry, but I'm sure you can make do.)
I had two immediate reactions to the end of this trilogy.
First: [image] There were certain events that had been spoiled for me; there were others that I would never in a hundred years have predicted. Never. At all. And as one might expect from a Mistborn book, the climax was a whirlwind of shock, pain, awe, exhileration, and simple incredulity. There were character deaths that I thought impossible; there were events and contentions so vast in scale that the very concept of them baffled me; there was sacrifice and courage and strength and love and hope and it was everything I wanted from it and more, so much more.
Second: [image] It is. Oh, okay, not entirely. There are things I would change in the series. But when it all comes down to the wire, those changes would really be cosmetic. The heart of the story, the worldbuilding, the plotting, the character arcs: they're all basically flawless. There were so many worldbuilding reveals in this book that I'm still not sure I understood everything that happened - and yet I am, because it was all so elegantly logical and neatly expressed. The fact that some of them left me literally gasping, that others made tears come to my eyes, and that still others filled me with such restive energy that I had to set the book down and pace testifies to the incredible power of Sanderson's setting: it really feels almost like another character.
Beyond that... I don't really know. What should I say to convince you to read this series? Do I need to list characters and tell you why I love them? (that's an idea that I considered for this review, but rejected because it would involve too many spoilers.) Do I need to describe the strangely giddy feeling I got reading this book? Do I need to make veiled hints at the reveals it contains?
I don't think so. I think the most effective thing I can say is this: no matter your feelings on the fantasy genre as a whole, you owe it to yourself to read this series. At least try the first one. They're really something special. The more I read of Sanderson's work, the more I become convinced that it contains easily as much 'literary merit' as some of the things I read for AP English classes in high school. It is not genre fiction in the demeaning way tha term is often applied: rather, it is fiction which uses its genre and a vivid story to create a backdrop for incredible philosophical questions about the nature of faith, and about how we define right and wrong, and about the conflict between idealism and practicality. It is everything that we should ask for from our authors, delivered in a stylish and slickly readable package.
Even if you turn your nose up at 'that fantasy stuff', don't skip this series. It is everything that is good about the genre, and you might just learn something from it. And if fantasy is your bread and butter, as it is for me, well... what are you waiting for?
(If you have read this book and would like to discuss spoilery things - tags, comments, go go go. I can't tell anyone IRL about this book because I want to make them all read it, so I'd love a GR discussion. TO those of you who haven't finished the trilogy: do not, I repeat, DO NOT click spoilers in the comments.)
((Edit 2: just one more thing. This song, or rather that particular cut of it, is basically Elend's theme in this book.))...more
I cried. Not a lot, and not really hard, but I did cry at the ending. It was beautiful and tragic and poignant and I... don't know how to review this.
I cried. Not a lot, and not really hard, but I did cry at the ending. It was beautiful and tragic and poignant and painful and right.
The concept behind it is brilliant; the way it's never quite clear whether everything is real made it tense. I'm not sure how much of that was part of Siobhan Dowd's original idea and how much Patrick Ness added, but whatever the ratio it turned out astoundingly well.
The art in this is downright creepy, if brilliant; still, I originally started it late at night and set it aside after a few pages out of fear that it would give me nightmares. This morning, I picked it up and read straight through, which took about two hours, and I know now that it probably wouldn't have given me nightmares. But... be wary anyhow.
This is the sort of book that I think Wonderland and The Secret to Lying were trying to be, and which both of those are most assuredly not. Here, the lines between reality and imagination are artfully blurred, and both drawn with such intensity that it's hard to separate them, if indeed they are separate things. Here, the protagonist's pain is immediate, concrete, and easy to sympathize with. Here, it is easy to feel things as Conor feels them because the way he experiences the world is so plausible. And here, the rich mythology of the possibly-imagined world is fully realized, without dominating the book.
It is breathtaking and heartbreaking, and I cannot recommend it enough....more
I was going to write a lengthy character-by-character analysis of the entire series, and then I decided there was a better way to put it.
There are stoI was going to write a lengthy character-by-character analysis of the entire series, and then I decided there was a better way to put it.
There are stories that change lives. They present us with such vibrant characters, such compelling plots, such memorable concepts that they stay with us forever. They engage us, make us feel as if we live in the world they present. They inspire us- and above all else, they make us ask ourselves questions. Fullmetal Alchemist is one such story. The questions it poses are fundamental ones: What is the nature of humanity? Of God? What is unforgivable, and for what sins can one be redeemed? What makes a good leader, and a true hero? Why do we need each and every one of our own flaws? There is no doubt in my mind that this series is a touchstone I will return to again and again in future, especially when it comes to writing- not to borrow concepts but to remind myself of what a truly well-crafted story looks like. There are a few aspects that bear mentioning here as things Arakawa did exceptionally well: Subtle romance that supported and played into but did not take over the plot, the consequences of hubris, the 'ethics' of war, the idea that just because someone atones for a crime doesn't mean they'll get off free, and the sacrifice that comes with every triumph. The ending of the series, while tidy and a well-done denoument, wasn't perfect for everyone, and didn't assure the reader that they would always get what they wanted. That's fine. It left me, personally, with the feeling that I have seen a brief snapshot of the world, a short section of a long timeline, and that it will continue forwards outside of the story I know. Or rather, if I rephrase- this is not a world that centers around this story. It is a story that takes place in this world, and changes it and is changed in turn....more
This is at once both my favorite volume and one I can't stand. A testimony to the writing and characterization, I suppose, but that doesn't mean I donThis is at once both my favorite volume and one I can't stand. A testimony to the writing and characterization, I suppose, but that doesn't mean I don't quietly resent it.
(view spoiler)[That Hughes's death can hurt so much to read/watch after such a short period of time is truly amazing, but much as I respect the skill that went into it, I still wish it hadn't happened. In fact, eventually I'm going to plot out and perhaps write a Doctor Who/FMA crossover to change that and see what happens. (hide spoiler)]
Spoilers for the nature of the evil plot: (view spoiler)[Re-reading is really nice, because now I know what Hughes figured out and how he did it. That man is a bona fide genius, to be able to put so many things together and see the transmutation circle on such a huge scale, especially after he'd only seen a rough diagram of it and just for a short period of time. And he probably at least guessed that Bradley was in on it, too, since his first reflex was to call the President and then he reconsidered. (hide spoiler)]
The bonus story at the end does make the volume a bit more bearable, since of course it's the Black Hayate one - always good for a smile and very necessary, what with everything else....more
What can I say about Plain Kate that will get you to read it? Because that's what this really comes down to: I want YOU to read this fantastic little What can I say about Plain Kate that will get you to read it? Because that's what this really comes down to: I want YOU to read this fantastic little book. So, what do you want in your reading material today? How about... ...an interesting setting reminiscent of (but not identical to) various Eastern European cultures? (Edit: After finding Erin Bow's website, I learned this was inspired by Russian folktales- but nothing about it felt particularly Russian to me, so I stand by this. I may be wrong. *shrug*) ...a Roma-like culture that is neither vilified nor glorified, but presented as people surviving and living life the only way they know? ...a heroine who is strong and confused at the same time, who struggles with her choices and makes mistakes, and whose problems fitting in resonate with pretty much anyone? ...a feline companion who behaves like a cat you might actually meet, and yet whose actions create some of the most poignant moments in the story? ...writing with a Robin McKinley-esque lyricality, but more straightforward? ...a creative, dramatic, beautiful fairytale-like story which doesn't seem to set up for a sequel at all? ...a YA novel without a love triangle- and for that matter, without a love interest at all, where the search for family precludes any possibility of smut? ...an 'antagonist' so honestly sympathetic that you end up genuinely liking him, despite his crimes? ...a page or so at the end that makes you cry?
If you answered 'yes' to any of the above, Plain Kate is for you. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's published by Scholastic, or that it's targeted at ages 12 and up; this is a book for preteens, teenagers, and yes, even for grownups. It reminded me of both Sabriel and The Blue Sword, which is a feat, but was never wholly similar to either book, and always held onto a wonderful uniqueness and freshness.
P.S. If anyone finds a way to get the cover in gigantic poster-form, let me know. This is one of the prettiest books to just look at that I've ever encountered....more
The Hunger Games is getting all the attention, but if you're looking for the best science fiction published for teens these days, this is where it's aThe Hunger Games is getting all the attention, but if you're looking for the best science fiction published for teens these days, this is where it's at. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the Hunger Games. (As of this writing, I should notes, I haven't gotten beyond the first.) But the story Suzanne Collins has to tell, enthralling though it sometimes is, didn't really feel fresh to me- and the voice of her narrator, Katniss, definitely wasn't anything new. Ness, on the other hand, writes some of the best narrative voice I've ever encountered. I think it's safe to say that his characterization of characters and entire culture through their voices is superior even to Barbara Kingsolver's in The Poisonwood Bible, and Kingsolver is pretty damn good. But Ness- from the very beginning, the way the book is written tells us about Todd and about the New World he lives in. It's full of phonetic misspellings and disjointed thoughts and chaotic, overlapping text and is generally like nothing I had ever read before. And all of this means that I read the first few chapters full of confusion, and then finally started to figure things out- and then the book had me well and truly captured and proceeded to drag me along into a hectic adventure in a world gone mad. The grand finale was a one-two gut punch, followed by an ominous dangling of innocent reader over sheer, dangerous cliff. Needless to say, I loved it.
**spoiler alert** Loved this book. Absoloutely loved it- the entire series, actually, but this one... I knew HOW he was going to die, I knew WHEN he wa**spoiler alert** Loved this book. Absoloutely loved it- the entire series, actually, but this one... I knew HOW he was going to die, I knew WHEN he was going to die, I knew WHERE he was going to die- and I still almost cried. Poor Stef! Actually, I was closer to crying when Yfandes's tail was hacked off. For some reason, I really love the Companions. I did have a bit of a problem with the way he died- any RPer knows that the 'Final Strike' is incredibly cliche- though, usually, the 'Final Strike' leaves the user alive; this did not, which makes it a bit better. But still. The idea of an overwhelming death-blast when a mage is already down to puddles of reserves is just not right....more
I'm going to make a statement which I probably will contradict in the future (because I'll forget) and which likely contradicts something I've previouI'm going to make a statement which I probably will contradict in the future (because I'll forget) and which likely contradicts something I've previously said (and forgotten).
Keladry of Mindelan is my favorite Tamora Pierce heroine.
I thought for a long time while reading this book about that statement, and how true it was, and eventually decided that it was accurate. I love them all, of course, but with most of them there is an aspect I just can't sympathize with. Mostly (Sandry, Tris, Daja, Alanna, Daine) it's the magic factor. Pierce does a really good job of writing plausible magic, but as a result it's such an integral part of her characters' lives that it is difficult for me to empathize. The underlying themes are just fine, but the tangible day-to-day stuff of their lives is inherently fantastic just because of who they are.
Kel is significant to me for the same reason she's significant to other Tortallan girls: Lady Alanna proved that women could be knights, but she had magic to help her; Kel proves that anyone, so long as they have the determination, can win their shield. Because she has no magic to help her along, a lot of her troubles are similar to those faced by students in the real world - challenging classes, unfriendly classmates, strict teachers, conflict of ideas. This is a school story in a way that few people write them anymore, where the school part is linked to the plot and not just background. It's also a good way to shore up worldbuilding, because whenever Pierce shows a fragment of a class she's telling us something about Tortall as well as creating a sense of realism to the education her characters are undergoing.
But that's not the only thing that makes Kel my favorite. After all, the school setting was only a part of the story for the first two books; though Squire was still education-centric in a way, Lady Knight is far from it. So at this point, when Kel has been knighted and is off serving the realm, far outside my personal knowledge/experience base, what is it that makes her still sympathetic?
Without a doubt, it is her strength.
You will be hard-pressed to think of a heroine in recent YA who is as strong as this girl. There are some good ones out there, though most of the barrel seems to be bad apples, but Kel trumps them all. Her strength is not just physical or even mental, but in her convictions. She has an absolutely stunning sense of duty and justice that just blows me away every time. She has integrity. And she is also honest with herself: even though she believes in abstract concepts like duty and justice, and fights for them, she doesn't glorify the act of fighting nor pretend like her decisions have no consequences.
"You all know why we're here," she told them. "You know the enemy. He will be on us soon. When he comes, we will fight not for some glorious cause, but to survive."
And do her decisions ever have consequences. I wouldn't dream of spoiling it, but let me just remind you that, as we saw in the finale of Page, Kel will risk anything for people under her protection.
Speaking of the people under her protection, the side characters in this book are just fantastic. Even the ones who get just a sentence or two feel like real people. (view spoiler)[Which means it really sucks when they die in the next sentence. (hide spoiler)] That's important, because the cast of this book is huge and keeping track of people is pretty crucial. Also, it's nice that only two characters (well, and one who's off-screen the whole time) are unmitigatedly evil; the rest, even the unpleasant ones, are in some way likeable eventually. Also, they are badass.
She thought the battle flags and shields take n from those Scanrans who had attacked her people that summer gave the walls a nice, homey touch.
This book makes me really, really want more Tortall series - not just the Daughter of the Lioness duet, but more after that. There is in particular one little girl who had better show up again, else she'll seem like she was just tossed in to give the quartet its name and that's sort of sloppy. Pierce is not very sloppy, so I'm sure it will be dealt with.
There is one other thing which is rather tangential that I wanted to remember to mention. I really, really like the way magic is handled in this quartet, and in this book in particular, since Tortall is at war. It is a limited resource, after all, and that's made clear here. Those who have scads of power (particularly Numair and Daine) are treated with a nice combination of respect and fear, which I really like. The ordinary people understand how important they are to the war effort, of course, but that doesn't mean it's comfortable to be around someone who can summon boulders from ten miles away!
If you enjoyed the rest of the quartet, you're pretty much guaranteed to like this one. Also, if you're tired of heroines whose happily ever after consists only of ending up with the right guy, check these books out - it's not too much of a spoiler to say that Kel winds up contentedly unattached. (view spoiler)[Though I'm still rooting for her to end up with Dom in later series. (hide spoiler)]
(By the way, I almost forgot this part: I love having a heroine who's tall, strong, muscular, and proud of it. No delicate waif, our Kel!)...more
This was supposed to be the one where I let myself reminisce, and I had all sorts of ideas for things I wanted to say, but now they all sort of sound This was supposed to be the one where I let myself reminisce, and I had all sorts of ideas for things I wanted to say, but now they all sort of sound like oversharing and I don't feel like making you uncomfortable, so I'm not going to do that.
Instead...
It has come to my attention that certain people don't think this is a particularly 'moral' book. Not to name any names, but there are only two one-star reviews for it so I think you'll be able to find the one I mean pretty easily. I don't believe in trolling, and I'm not sure I could respond to that review without trolling, so I choose to write my rebuttal here.
Point One: Kel knows too much for her age. First off, she isn't fourteen for the entire book; by the end, she's had her eighteenth birthday. Second, the world she lives in and the life she's chosen to lead mean that she sees a lot of nasty things, but the way Pierce presents it is in no way gratuitous; it's wrapped up in maturity, which is one of Kel's strong points.
Point Two: She has crushes on multiple boys. OH THE HORROR. I mean, MY GAWD, who ever heard of a girl who liked more than one boy? We all find our ONE TWU WUVS in our teens and live babies ever after, right? I doubt I'm the only one who finds it refreshing to read about a heroine who has more than one love interest. I mean, how many crushes have I had in the past four years? Apparently, an immoral amount. Go figure.
Point Three: Kel has no intention of marrying anyone, but she does have relationships. If I remember right, Alanna made the same declarations and, well, there are two books about her daughter now so... But anyhow, in this day and age? Women get to have relationships that don't end in marriage. Just as they get to have crushes on multiple guys. And for the record, at no point in all four books does Kel have a sexual relationship. The closest she ever gets is kissing Cleon.
Point Four: Ilane, Kel's mother, buys her an anti-pregnancy charm. Which is actually inaccurate - Lady Ilane tells Kel that she might want one, but Kel's the one who makes the decision and purchases it. And I quote:
"Kel wore the charm anyway, as a declaration that she could decide some things for herself."
Clearly, my multiple crushes have made me immoral anyway, so maybe my opinion doesn't count for much, but I think that's one of the most empowering ideas of our time. That's what contraception is about, after all: giving a woman the freedom to choose when she has children. (And seriously, DID YOU MISS THE MEMO? Kel's dedicated years of her life and ridiculous amounts of effort to becoming a knight. If her choices were either complete abstinence or babies and giving up her dreams, I would be pissed, personally.)
Yes, this is the future of 'heroine-ism', or at least it should be. Maybe some people would prefer Bella Swan to take up that standard, and I'm not going to outright say that they're batshit crazy but I'm going to think it. The fact is, Kel is the heroine modern girls should be looking up to - she knows who she is, what she believes; she fights for her dreams; she takes control of her personal life and her sexuality; she is smart and brave and flawed and human. She is the kind of woman I want to be when I grow up.
Some choice quotes:
Lady Ilane: "They know a woman's body belongs to herself and the Goddess, and that's the end of it."
Kel: "Maybe I'm the same whatever I wear, she thought. It's just easier to fight in breeches."
(Now, I will grant that this book is a little light on plot. The main point is showing how Kel gets to the Chamber of the Ordeal to become a knight, and the experiences that help determine what kind of knight she is. That's the arc of the novel; most of it feels fairly episodic.)
By the way, Veronica Roth: Chamber of the Ordeal > fear simulator. Times about a gazillion. You should have read these books and taken notes....more
One of the things I came across when I was young and completely obsessed with Redwall was a quote from Brian Jacques, in the introduction to 'Redwall One of the things I came across when I was young and completely obsessed with Redwall was a quote from Brian Jacques, in the introduction to 'Redwall Friend and Foe' where he stated, emphatically, "Goodies are good!" I can't help thinking about that when I think about this book, because here's the thing: while on its surface Redwall can look like a series with black and white morality, where certain people are good and others are bad, the stories themselves often overturn those expectations, and none do it quite as powerfully as Martin the Warrior, story of the Abbey's legendary champion before he arrived in Mossflower Wood.
Martin isn't a bad person, but what he is isn't precisely 'good' either. His story is fundamentally about being consumed by revenge to the point that he loses sight of the people around him, and it causes horrible destruction and suffering. What he fights for, nominally, is freedom; but it is clear as the book nears its climax that he is also motivated by pride and pain, and both of those cloud his vision. He does not make it out unscathed.
The end of this book was pretty much the saddest thing I remember reading as a child - the song that played over the TV show's final scenes still makes me tear up. There is a brutality to it which is uncommon for the series (though not unique) and it is that coupled with the long-term effects on Martin - which most readers probably already know - that make this so painful. And yet it's... also a big part of what makes this book powerful, because it is a book about pain and responding to it, and Martin's choices at the beginning and at the end are completely opposed, as are the choices he makes in much of the rest of his life....more
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