By Brandon Sanderson.
+1 for cleverness, but -2 for not going anywhere except to the sequel. Sure, a lot of stuff happens, but it seems to be there more to introduce all the clever ideas you'll need to know for book 2 than to advance the plot or develop the characters. (Well, maybe they are all just supposed to be silly, but there are a few hints of something more...) Also, points lost for foreshadowing that I will probably have forgotten by the time I read the sequel, such as the line about hair dye and the somewhat negative impression I got of a certain character.
On the other hand, there is lots of cleverness: people who have magical Talents for breaking things, arriving late, tripping and falling to the ground, and saying things that don't make sense. Honest. Also, witty observations about how stairs are more advanced than elevators, lanterns than lightbulbs, and swords than guns.
It was also reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which I haven't even read, due to the narrator's repeated insistence that he isn't nice.
Cute and clever overall, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere much. Perhaps books two and three will be more rewarding... when they come out.
Showing posts with label Brandon Sanderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Sanderson. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn 2)
By Brandon Sanderson. Sequel to The Final Empire.
Overall entertaining, but mostly light reading. Sanderson concentrates more on interpersonal relationships in this book than on further developing the magic systems that he is (perhaps) well known for. There is one scene near the middle that I have trouble accepting as "in character", but it could just be my naivete.
The ending, however, is certainly unrealistic; it feels like Sanderson couldn't think up a better plot device to do what he wanted and so left the gimmick from the first draft (or whatever) in there. It kind of reminds me of the scene in Toy Story 2 in Woody's Roundup where the dog barks and Woody interprets: "Oh! What's that? You say Sparky and the others are stuck in the mine on the other side of the canyon without any water or light?" I may not remember this line exactly, but you get the idea: impossible detail is read into the situation by some of the characters.
I also felt somewhat cheated with regard to the plot mysteries; there is only one that I felt there were enough to clues to figure out early (and I felt like an idiot when it was revealed because it was so obvious in hindsight). The world-building details also seem a little lacking: you see a lot of big-picture things like the color of the sky and the brown (not green) plants, but political structure outside of the city and what the lower classes do inside the city seem formless and void. They can't all be thieves, can they?
This is entertaining fantasy, but somewhat lacking in intellectual satisfaction. Still, it has going for it that it's very clean, the main characters are all somewhat sympathetic (Sanderson is careful to show that the thug character loves and cares for his family), the world is interesting (even if we'd like to know more about it) and the action scenes are plentiful. I am still looking forward to book 3 (as yet apparently untitled), even if the ending of this one was lacking in verisimilitude. (There's a 50-cent word for you.)
On an editorial note, there is a two-page summary of the first book at the back which should have been at the front. That's just my opinion, though.
Overall entertaining, but mostly light reading. Sanderson concentrates more on interpersonal relationships in this book than on further developing the magic systems that he is (perhaps) well known for. There is one scene near the middle that I have trouble accepting as "in character", but it could just be my naivete.
The ending, however, is certainly unrealistic; it feels like Sanderson couldn't think up a better plot device to do what he wanted and so left the gimmick from the first draft (or whatever) in there. It kind of reminds me of the scene in Toy Story 2 in Woody's Roundup where the dog barks and Woody interprets: "Oh! What's that? You say Sparky and the others are stuck in the mine on the other side of the canyon without any water or light?" I may not remember this line exactly, but you get the idea: impossible detail is read into the situation by some of the characters.
I also felt somewhat cheated with regard to the plot mysteries; there is only one that I felt there were enough to clues to figure out early (and I felt like an idiot when it was revealed because it was so obvious in hindsight). The world-building details also seem a little lacking: you see a lot of big-picture things like the color of the sky and the brown (not green) plants, but political structure outside of the city and what the lower classes do inside the city seem formless and void. They can't all be thieves, can they?
This is entertaining fantasy, but somewhat lacking in intellectual satisfaction. Still, it has going for it that it's very clean, the main characters are all somewhat sympathetic (Sanderson is careful to show that the thug character loves and cares for his family), the world is interesting (even if we'd like to know more about it) and the action scenes are plentiful. I am still looking forward to book 3 (as yet apparently untitled), even if the ending of this one was lacking in verisimilitude. (There's a 50-cent word for you.)
On an editorial note, there is a two-page summary of the first book at the back which should have been at the front. That's just my opinion, though.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Mistborn: The Final Empire
By Brandon Sanderson.
Pretty good fantasy. It's set in a dystopia, which is why I waited so long to read it (the author said it was darker than Elantris), but it is not exactly what I'd call dark. Sure, the setting is gloomy: ash covers the yellow sky, there are mists everywhere at night, all the plants are brown, and the world is ruled by the Lord Ruler, apparently immortal and definitely evil. The book itself, however, seems quite optimistic (given that your definition of "optimistic" includes "thousands of people die.") Sanderson, perhaps, isn't that good at maintaining a gloomy, depressing atmosphere, but if he had been I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it that much.
The book is mostly about Vin, a young thief in the capital of the Final Empire. Events conspire to make her part of a plot to overthrow the Lord Ruler... where "events" means "a gang of allomancers." Allomancy is one of the most logical magic systems ever and Sanderson does a good job explaining to the reader how it works, although by the end of the book we discover that there are more secrets he hasn't told us. Allomancy is based on ingesting metals (tin, pewter, aluminum, gold, iron, steel, etc.) and "burning" them to gain access to supernatural powers: enhanced vision, strength, brief glimpses into the future, etc. Unfortunately, that seems to be one of the most logical part of the settings. The social structure of the world itself, with the Lord Ruler in charge of everything, the serfs passively trudging along, and the so-called Great Houses squabbling amongst themselves, is less than convincing. It seems as though there should be more going on in the world, but instead Kelsier (the allomancer who recruits Vin) and his gang are at the center of all the important events. Among other unlikely deeds, they recruit an army of more than five thousand peasants without being betrayed or discovered. Is this likely when the ruler is so powerful that he's been burned to a skeleton in the past and survived?
It isn't that the plot is simple; it's merely simplistic. It seems to rely too much on coincidence. Still, I enjoyed reading this book, especially seeing Vin grow into a capable young woman. Let's hope the author answers the questions he raises in books two and three (not yet out, unfortunately).
Pretty good fantasy. It's set in a dystopia, which is why I waited so long to read it (the author said it was darker than Elantris), but it is not exactly what I'd call dark. Sure, the setting is gloomy: ash covers the yellow sky, there are mists everywhere at night, all the plants are brown, and the world is ruled by the Lord Ruler, apparently immortal and definitely evil. The book itself, however, seems quite optimistic (given that your definition of "optimistic" includes "thousands of people die.") Sanderson, perhaps, isn't that good at maintaining a gloomy, depressing atmosphere, but if he had been I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it that much.
The book is mostly about Vin, a young thief in the capital of the Final Empire. Events conspire to make her part of a plot to overthrow the Lord Ruler... where "events" means "a gang of allomancers." Allomancy is one of the most logical magic systems ever and Sanderson does a good job explaining to the reader how it works, although by the end of the book we discover that there are more secrets he hasn't told us. Allomancy is based on ingesting metals (tin, pewter, aluminum, gold, iron, steel, etc.) and "burning" them to gain access to supernatural powers: enhanced vision, strength, brief glimpses into the future, etc. Unfortunately, that seems to be one of the most logical part of the settings. The social structure of the world itself, with the Lord Ruler in charge of everything, the serfs passively trudging along, and the so-called Great Houses squabbling amongst themselves, is less than convincing. It seems as though there should be more going on in the world, but instead Kelsier (the allomancer who recruits Vin) and his gang are at the center of all the important events. Among other unlikely deeds, they recruit an army of more than five thousand peasants without being betrayed or discovered. Is this likely when the ruler is so powerful that he's been burned to a skeleton in the past and survived?
It isn't that the plot is simple; it's merely simplistic. It seems to rely too much on coincidence. Still, I enjoyed reading this book, especially seeing Vin grow into a capable young woman. Let's hope the author answers the questions he raises in books two and three (not yet out, unfortunately).
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