Backlogging

Why I haven't posted for a while

So it's been a while since I made a post. I am working on some other posts at the moment about games I've finished. Between work and gaming and other time eating objectives, I haven't had time to get back onto the blog. One of the biggest factors however is my recent find. I've always wanted to write, to be an author is a goal I've had for a long time. But given how I write and my grammar I don't think its a goal that I am going to reach any time soon. Still…I am working on it. Anyway, recently an author caught my eye. One who I had wanted to read the books of for a while as I've seen them around. Brandon Sanderson is the author. I read a single book of his sometime in January. I now have ten of his books. 

Discovering Mistborn Series

For those who don't know Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy fiction writer. He, in my opinion, is a fantastic author and a real visionary right up there with some of the best. The way he writes invokes my imagination and I am able to see the worlds and characters he has created in clear detail in my minds eye. I started with his series of books Mistborn.

Mistborn is a three book series based on a world named: Scardiel. The main Character, Vin, is a Mistborn, someone who wields the power of Allomancy. Allmonacy is magic that incorporates the use of metals as catalysts to produce effects for example Steel, when ingested, can be burned to give the user the ability to "push" off nearby sources of metal. Each metal has a twin to it. The opposite of steel is iron which also has a mirrored effect as steel, instead of pushing off you pull nearby sources of metal to you. 

The first book focuses on Vin and her Allomancy teacher Kelsier. Originally Vin is not aware of her Allomatic ability she later meets Kelsier who is trying to overthrow the Lord Ruler, a man who rules over the Final Empire, like Vin Kelsier is also a Mistborn and he begins to teach her how to use her abilities. Vin is initially distrustful of Kelsier and his plan, as she is also distrustful of all of the other crew members as well, She is eventually convinced to help Kelsier in his plan and she goes on to overthrow the final empire. Along the way she falls in love with a noble named Elend Venture.

The first book of the Mistborn series, The final empire, introduces the main characters and the class system that exists there. There are two different races there are the down trodden slave people better known as Skaa and then their are the nobles who rule the Skaa. The Skaa are treated brutally and its not uncommon to find them dead in the street. A Mistborn is a product of a Skaa and noble union though this is a crime. A noble Mistborn can be created too but the Skaa are only allowed to mate amongst themselves. Whenever a Mistborn emerges who is a Skaa they are Killed.

The overall plot of the first book is finding a way to overthrow the lord ruler and take back freedom for the Skaa while also finding a way for the two races to Co-exist. Its a gripping first volume filled with intrigue and mystery and the way it builds itself up to the end is amazing. I found myself frantically reading each page as I got closer to the end. Some moments had my gaping at what happened. Sanderson does a good job of delivering the right feelings to the reader. 

I won't go on about all the books, I wouldn't want to spoil them for anyone who might be interested in the series. Suffice to say though once I was done with that series I wanted more. Luckily I started reading his books at a time when most of them were available and all subsequent volumes had been released so I didn't have to wait for anymore to come out.

The Stormlight Archive

Perhaps my favourite of his series of books, The stormlight Archive books take place on the world of Roshar. Instead of explaining every detail, since the first book is two volumes, I'll try to summarise. 

The story follows multiple viewpoints, similar in nature to George R.R. Martins Game of Thrones. The main characters that are focused on are: Kaladin, a disgraced warrior turned slave who is aided by a single Windspren named Syl he eventually overcomes his slavery and is made a captain of another characters guard, Shallan Davar, a Brightlady who's house is destitute she goes off to be the ward of a scholar and known heretic Jasnah Kholin, Dalinar Kholin, An ageing Brightlord who is helping his nephew turned King to fulfil the vengeance pact when his brother was assassinated by the Parshendi people Dalinar is tough and grim and is plagued by visions during high storms he eventually learns that his visions carry more weight than anyone realises, Adolin Kholin, the eldest son of Dalinar, Adolin is a skilled Shardbearer and known skirt chaser he respects his father but is troubled by the rumours that his farther is going mad by seeing visions, Szeth-Son-Son-Vallano Thruthless of Shinovar, is the assassin in white who started the war against the Alethi and Parshendi and the one who murdered Dalinar's brother Gavilar. Interspersed in each of the books parts, of which there are many, are interludes which detail minor but important characters. 

The series is long and a little complicated at times the magical system of this world revolves around the use of storm light and surge binding. Stormlight is used as a power source for Surgebinding, which has multiple uses. In the very beginning of the book it details a battle between the Heralds and the Voidbringers. There is also an order of Knights called The Knights Radiant which is made up of Surgebinders. One of the main sources of war and a primary tool of the characters of Roshar is Shard Blade's and Shard Plate. Shard Blades are swords that can be summoned to a users hand after ten heartbeats pass and Shard blades don't cut anything living they instead cut the "soul" of things, when something is cut by a Shard Blade it becomes unusable. For instance an arm cut by a Shard Blade can no longer be used.

I won't go into any more detail than that. Suffice to say this series of books was enthralling, Sanderson captured the idea of magic in such a creative way and it was an incredible read. With each storyline eventually crossing over into each other characters will meet and ideas will form while each character acts to stop the crisis as it happens. This is a master work epic and I have to say that it is far more interesting than Game of Thrones, I loved the characters and their ambitions, I loved the setting and the complexity of Roshar and I especially loved a character who appears quite a bit over the Cosmere.

This series is going to be four books long, eight overall as each book is split in two, I cannot wait for those books but its going to be a while before Stones Unhallowed reaches us. If your looking for a different fantasy series then this is definitely one that shouldn't be ignored.

The Reckoners, Steelheart and Firefight 

The Reckoners is a bit of a departure from Sanderson's original fantasy setting. Told from a first person perspective, the story follows David a young man in his late teens, 19 to be exact, who fights against Epics. Epics are humans who were transformed by a tear in the sky which became known as Calamity. Calamity gave superhuman powers to people all over the world and transformed them into Epics. David joins a group of assassins who kill Epics called, the reckoners. Unlike the other books which are set on fantasy planets this series takes place on Earth, albeit an Earth affected by a supernatural power.

Its a griping couple of books as it flips the whole basis of superheroes on its head. These Epic's are mostly all evil or at least are motivated to do evil. None of them have a good bone in their body and will kill anyone regardless of who they are. 

The Reckoners book series really pushes the preconceived notions on the morality of humans and the will to fight back when oppression is forced onto people. 

This series of books was the first I read from Sanderson. 

Final Thoughts

The most recent book that I read of Sanderson's was Warbreaker. I won't go into it on this one as I've blathered on for long enough. Suffice to say Brandon Sanderson is now one of my all time favourite writers and he definitely deserves all the publicity he can get. Who knows maybe I've convinced you to invest time in his work.

Sanderson has created an expanded universe named The Cosmere. All of his main books such as the mistborn series take place within the Cosmere and he has very subtly tied in characters from previous books into others, making cameo appearances that actually carry more weight than your initially led to believe. This is what drew me into his work as there is just so much of it, so much to discover and wait for, so many worlds and their purposes. It's just so…..so……incredible. 

Well I think its safe to say I am a fan.

And thats why I haven't been blogging as much. Because I stayed up until 1:45 in the morning finishing Words of Radiance. I'll be more active now people.

Thanks for reading!!!