Hi friends,
I decided that I wanted to reread the Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive before the fifth book is released this December. Each book is upwards of 1,000 pages, so I figured I’d read a book each quarter, but then I started rereading them and decided to just read all of them because I was hooked once again. So that was pretty much all I read in March, and it was great! Stormlight is Sanderson at his best, and it definitely is worth rereading. I picked up so much new stuff this time through!
In other news, we celebrated Easter and Maya’s birthday, which were on the same day this year. I looked it up, and I don’t think that will happen again for a few decades, so it was a special treat for our family.
Let me know what you think of the Stormlight Archive, and if you have suggestions for what to read next. To be honest, everything else just doesn’t seem as epic.
Cheers,
Tonya
The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: Wow. Sanderson has said that he thought about and planned this book for years before finally publishing it, and I think the time paid off. Sanderson’s strength has always been his world-building, character development, and plot twists, and this series and this book showcases all those strengths. Kaladin’s one of our main point-of-view characters, and we learn his backstory interspersed with the main timeline as flashbacks. Sanderson expertly executes the under-dog, found-family, and building a team tropes through Kaladin’s plotline, and it’s so amazing to see his and Bridge Four’s progression throughout the story. Shallan and Dalinar are our two other main point-of-view characters, and they all have great moments too. This book is a slow burn that escalates into an amazing and explosive ending that made me want to keep right on reading into book two. So I did.
Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: One of my favorite things about Sanderson is that actions have consequences in his stories. Unlike many adventure and fantasy authors, when our characters experience trauma, they have to actually deal with it instead of continuing on with their heroic deeds. In the case of Shallan, who’s the main point-of-view and flashback character in this book, she has a lifetime’s worth of trauma that she has to figure out how to work through. Her arc in this book aligns with her order in the Knights Radiant and is all about speaking truths about herself. Since Shallan has told herself lies for years to repress truly awful childhood memories, speaking these truths turns up a whole lot of issues she has to work through. I also really liked Kaladin’s plot in this book. Let’s be honest, Kaladin shines in every book. He has to work through his own moral dilemma that threatens his radiant bond and powers and resolve many of his own issues with the very rigid class system that has done him massive irreparable harm in the past. He also gets one of the best singular moments in the series, “Honor is dead, sir, but I’ll see what I can do.” Oh, that scene gives me chills every time I read it! I love it when the storylines of Shallan and Kaladin collide in an unexpected way about two-thirds through the book. As always, this book is a slow burn to an epic clash at the ending and every character gets a moment to shine. I liked it so much I had to keep reading.
Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive 2.5) by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: This is a short-for-Sanderson “novella” that falls between the second and third Stormlight books, but coming in at 150+ pages, it’s pushing the definition of novella into novel I think. In this one, we focus on Lift, one of our side-character radiants, who loves to steal people’s lunch. Literally, that’s what she spends most of the story trying to do. She’s not my favorite character, but I don’t find her as annoying as other people do. This story plays out as an interesting side-quest, and my favorite part is getting to see yet another place and culture on Roshar. It also has some good character moments for Lift, and her relationship with her “voidbringer” spren is really funny.
Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive #3) by Bradon Sanderson
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I think that Dalinar’s arc in this book is one of my favorite character arcs ever, and the climax at the end is so emotionally powerful. "The most important step a man can take is the next step." It completely absorbs me every time I read it. The main message of this book is forgiveness: forgiving yourself and others. I love watching Dalinar transition from a blood-thirsty warlord to an admirable and honorable leader. This is my favorite Stormlight book for that reason. The ending just blows me away every time with how all the characters and story arcs converge. I mean, a 1200 page book better have a good payoff at the end, or you’re going to feel majorly jipped. I also really liked Kaladin’s arc in this book. One of the things I appreciate about Sanderson is that his characters fail and make mistakes and then have to deal with the consequences of those mistakes. It’s kind of refreshing to see the hero idolized by everyone have to deal with his own issues. At this point in the series is when I start getting frustrated with Shallan. I feel like her challenges are kind of just rehashed in this book and the next. I understand what Sanderson is trying to do with her arc, but while I like her character and personality, I do get frustrated with her. In any case, this is a great entry in the Stormlight Archive.
Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: While you can probably skip Edgendancer and not miss out on a lot, this novella is probably a necessary read if you want to understand the rest of the series. In this one, we get to hear from two side characters in the main series: Lopen and Rysn. I largely like both of these characters but sometimes feel that Lopen tries too hard to be funny. They go on a fun quest together and somewhat unintentionally unearth profound secrets of massive consequence to the Cosmere. Rysn’s character doesn’t have the use of her legs, so this story has an emphasis on living with disabilities, which I think Sanderson handles really well. |
| Chloe (and Daniel) spent a lot of time making a pinewood derby car for Chloe to race at their primary activity. She was happy with her "pit crew favorite" award and just missed getting into the top 6. |
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| We had a massive snowstorm that led to two snowdays. The girls had fun, and Lincoln tolerated the snow. As you can see, he definitely has two older sisters! |
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