en-US Wed, 06 Mar 2024 20:57:02 -0800 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review6323567591 Wed, 06 Mar 2024 20:57:02 -0800 /review/show/6323567591 Adam gave 5 stars to The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by Brandon Sanderson
brandon sanderson did a great job, i think he hit it out of the park.
he starts out slow, as he does, building a world full of weird fantasy elements and curious social customs. he even deceives us into thinking his view of culture is topical or aesthetic by being explicit at times. however, every detail we see in the beginning is somehow intertwined, as as the characters become more developed and more aware of the difficulties they find themselves in, they become more aware of their predicaments.
i've never read books where i truly felt the despair of the characters so deeply. sanderson is a master of fallible and personable characters whose personalities shine without punching you in the face. they each have their own lessons to learn, and learn they do- their lows are so low it's impossible to think they can ever get out, until through wit, courage, and newfound humility, each character emerges wiser and integrated, having accepted both their internal shadow as well as the reality of the ever-greater challenges they face after the story is over.
having read mistborn, i originally thought nothing could beat mistborn, but this one definitely makes the decision harder for me- if Mistborn was about learning to love despite struggles with trust, Way of Kings is about learning to live honorably despite struggles with purpose, which I found an excellent complement.
Another thing: the characters all parallel each other in their struggles, which I really enjoyed.
I'll think about examples of that more later, but this is definitely a book for the "share with my kids" bookshelf.
4.5/5 because the start is slow, however I am unable to move on in life until I finish the series. ]]> ReadStatus7486834965 Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:29:35 -0800 /review/show/6190043620 Adam wants to read The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe
]]> ReadStatus7486833742 Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:28:59 -0800 /review/show/6190042760 Adam wants to read Red Rising by Pierce Brown
]]> ReadStatus7486833605 Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:28:56 -0800 /review/show/6190042664 Adam wants to read Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck
]]> ReadStatus7486833533 Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:28:54 -0800 /review/show/6190042623 Adam wants to read The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard
]]> ReadStatus7486833322 Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:28:48 -0800 /review/show/6190042482 Adam wants to read Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin
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