Warbreaker Full Cast Audio

I cracked open Dec. 09 issue of AudioFile and immediately noticed a quarter-page ad from GraphicAudio for a full-cast reading of Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker complete with “cinematic music” and “digital effects”.  GraphicAudio has been around since 2004 and produce full-cast versions of a variety of material a lot of it from the comic book and speculative fiction areas.  I haven’t actually heard one yet, but they do offer what looks to be a 60 Minute sampler of Warbreaker so if it is something you might like check it out and let me know what you think.

Sa souvraya niende misain ye: Identity and The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm
Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Tor, 2009

There have been a number of well-written reviews for The Gathering Storm.  So rather then belaboring many of the points covered elsewhere or echoing the slightly off-putting voice Sanderson employed for a one Matrim Cauthon (though the elderly aunt conversation did have me literally laugh out loud but there was something vaguely Erikson in that exchange) or even summarizing the plot up until this point I will recommend that you check one of the many fine reviews already out there.  Instead I’d like to take the time to look at, and praise, the theme that runs through the entirety of novel: identity.

WARNRING: There are likely spoilers below!  If you haven’t read the book yet reading beyond this point might ruin some things for you.

Review: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Warbreaker
Brandon Sanderson
Tor, 2009 (also available under Creative Commons for free here)

Warbreaker is a new epic fantasy by Brandon Sanderon, author of the highly entertaining Mistborn series and the man chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. Like Sanderson’s pearler novel, Elantris, Warbreaker seems to be designed more or less as a stand alone novel (though potential for future books is there). This is a bit impressive given the modern fantasy market’s penchant for long series. Like the Mistborn series Warbreaker features a complex and fascinating magic system that is wholely original in its conception and extraordinarily crafted in its execution. Sweetening the deal is the fact that alongside the novel magic system Warbreaker has strong characters mired in plots full of action, intrigue, and mystery all enhanced by some of the best dialogue Sanderson has ever written. As mentioned Warbreaker is a self-contained tale but with somewhat open ending that, thanks to Sanderson’s strong writing, leaves you wanting more (though, at least, not needing it). Read on for more impressions….

Review: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

The Hero of Ages

Brandon Sanderson

Tor, 2008

 

The Hero of Ages concludes Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series.  While moving at a more sedate pace than either The Final Empire or The Well of Ascension, the concluding volume showcases Sanderson’s worldbuilding and reveals a flair for tight, thrilling action scenes.  Unfortunatley characterization takes a back-seat to both those elements.  Regardless fans of the first two books will likely enjoy the ride.  Read on for my full review…

Review: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension

Brandon Sanderson

Tor Books, 2007

Wow.  If I truly felt that were sufficient I’d stop there.  The second book in Sanderson’ Mistborn series takes everything from the first book, The Final Empire, and improves on it; and then some.  This book is half-again as long as the first one (816 pages in mass-market vs. Final Empire’s 676) and it took me half as long to read it.  Where The Final Empire had issues with pacing the Well of Ascension managed to keep me gripped from start to finish.

This novel opens up where the last one finished, though a bit later.  With an army sitting outside the Walls of Luthadel and our heroes scrambling to deal with that threat while Vin remains haunted by the dead Lord Ruler’s final worlds.  Elsewhere Sazed uncovers secret’s about the mysterious Hero of Ages while investigating whether or not the mists that shroud the land at night are striking during the day.  The slick plotting of the politically sections of the novel is equally exciting as the mystery of the more epic magical elements and both are glued together by Sanderson’s skill at characterization.

The truth of it is, at least for me, is that the human elements drew me into the novel almost more so than the epic aspects of the plot.  Sure there are the requisite big things happening (war, major magical threat) but it’s the development of the character’s within that setting that is truly fascinating.  The way Vin and Elend struggle with their identities, while potentially overbearing, is handled with a subtlety and care by Mr. Sanderson that is truly remarkable.  Both character’s are introspective without veering into outright whininess and are plagued with conflicts, both external and internal, that manages to keep their self-examination both interesting and exciting.

Vin, in particular, is thrown into the spotlight by a new character Zane.  Zane is a very obvious foil for Vin but again is an interesting character in his own right.  He is what Vin might have become without the influence of her friends and left alone on the streets.  There is a lonliness to the Mistborn, a sense of being outside of things, that draws Vin to Zane and creates a complex emotional tension between the characters.  What makes it even more exciting is that we, the reader, know (whereas Vin doesn’t) the inner workings of Zane’s twisted mind.  It’s like watching two cars on a colision course with no way to intervene.

Sanderson throws you a curveball late in the novel in regards to Zane that makes the whole thing even more entertaining and amps up the mystery behind the character.  As before: RAFO.

Sazed stands out again in this book and is yet another character struggling to find his place in the world.  He is discontent with his role as Keeper, spreading knowledge to the freed skaa, and feels there is unresolved business at hand.  Like Vin he is contrasted with the introduction of Tindwyl another Keeper; who seems content in spreading her stored knowledge.   Their differences and interactions, a subtle pushing and pulling between their emotional attraction and mutual frustrations with one another, helps to better define each as a person.

Which in that end is what all the relationships in this novel reveal.  Whether it be the subtle tension of Vin’s attraction to Zane and her love for Elend, the complex emotional interplay between Sazed and Tindwyl, or the relationship of all of Kelsier’s crew to one another, it is their interactions and feelings toward one another that help define them as characters.  Reinforcing the weight of the emotional conflict in the novel we actually get some minor POV from Breeze, the allomancer who is in expert at Soothing emotions whose comments reinforce the importance of relationships and emotion to each of the characters in the novel.

All of which has nothing to do with the politiking and mystery of the novel; I’m not saying that it is somehow inferior to characterization only that the characters serve as the impetus of the novel.  Late revelations in the novel about the Hero of Ages makes for some truly compelling reading and really whets the appetite for the third book, approriatley enough, The Hero of Ages.  The fight scenes that use allomantic magic are still as exciting as ever with some startling twists that elevate them above and beyond what was seen in The Final Empire.  Combine this with Sanderson’s deft plotting, masterful pacing, and superior characterization and you get one hell of a ride.  Highly recommended for fantasy lovers of all stripes.

Review: Mistborn: the Final Empire, by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn: the Final Empire

Brandon Sanderson

Tor, 2006

While I read and enjoyed Brandon Sanderson’s first novel Elantris I had not been in a huge hurry to pick up and read his Mistborn books.  Then it was announced last year that Mr. Robert Jordan picked Sanderson as his successor; the man left to finish up what the late great Jordan did not have time to finish himself.  So have followed Sanderson’s blog for bit as he reread the Wheel of Time series I decided it was about time I gave the Mistborn books a try.  While Sanderson’s position finishing Wheel of Time brought me to this book/series that will be the last time I mention that aspect of his writing.  This book deserves to stand on its own.

I’m going to start with pacing since, as co-workers pointed out to me, I took more time reading this book than I have recent others.  The pacing isn’t slow but it isn’t fast either.  One might best describe it as deliberate.  The book builds momentum at a steady pace and, while this serves a definite purpose, never feels contrived.  My most recent foray’s into fantasy this last year have been the likes of Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie and I admit that the kinetic focus of those earlier reads made falling back into the more measured pace of other fantasy a major adjustment on my part.  Do parts of the novel seem to drag?  Occasionally, yes but I was always drawn forward by the blurbs.

Using bits of fictional non-fiction to enhance a fantasy world is no new trick, but Sanderson manages to take that to the next level.  The pre-chapter blurbs here are essential to the story here and at the same time serve as a look into the pre-history of the world as the reader sees it.  Now I hesitate when discussing these blurbs a bit because as I was reading there were times when I felt that the story being told there was more interesting than the story being told in the main narrative.  In hindsight, the book finished, I can see that there is a greater parallel between these two stories than is readily seen when first starting the book.  In truth this deeper relationship between both narratives is rather masterful but that fact only becomes apparent towards the end of the novel.

In truth perhaps deliberate is a good word for the novel as a whole.  Sanderson’s use of pacing and character serve a very specific purpose especially as they pertain to Kelsier.  In the opening chapter Sanderson pulls a bit of a magic trick calling out Kelsier as the main character, then introducing the true main character a bit later.  In truth, while he is central to the novel, he is more a foil (though a fleshed out, three dimensional foil) for the true main character: Vin.  Kelsier’s characterization goes further as well as Sanderson goes out of his way to make him an uncomfortable figure.  Kelsier is like Han Solo, except where Han only shot first once Kelsier continues to shoot first for the majority of the novel.  Throw in his deliberate manipulation of people and events around him and he isn’t a very likable character.  Which, if he were the hero of our story, would likely cause a lot of people to throw in the towel and put the book aside. However, the discomfiture the reader feels as a result of Kelsier’s character is echoed by the characters that surround him.  Kelsier isn’t a character you really “get” until towards the end of the novel.  His motives are seemingly clear yet, through that lense of discomfort and distrust, Sanderson manages to make the reader (and the other characters in the novel) question Kelsier and what exactly he is all about.

That raw edge the Kelsier has, despite his apparent joviality, serves as interesting juxtaposition to the paranoia and distrust of street-urchin Vin.  As I sad earlier Kelsier serves as a kind of foil for Vin who, despite her hard upbringing on the streets, manages to come off as the more innocent of the two regardless.  Despite her initial distrust and constant paranoia she lacks that level of cold hatred and violence that practically oozes of Kelsier in his darkest moments.

If fascinating characters weren’t enough Sanderson went ahead and crafted a fascinating magic system to enhance his world.  Based off the properties of certain metals it is perhaps the most unique magic system I’ve seen in a fantasy.  It is simple in a sense but the means through which Sanderson has his characters use it displays a level of depth that belies those first impressions.  I won’t ruin it for you; to quote a certain other author: RAFO.

In the end Mistborn: The Final Empire is a great read that I recommend to all fans of fantasy.  Like some of the more recent author’s in the genre Sanderson plays with the accepted fantasy tropes in an interesting way; creating not only a brilliant story but causing the reader to think about values, power, and responsibility.  It was so good in fact that rather than read the copy of Neuromancer that’s sitting on my desk I opted to go for the second Mistborn book, The Well of Ascension, instead.  Book two is something like half again as long as the first which I have to read in a week since Amazon.co.uk  informed that Toll the Hounds is on its way.

Also, if you’re really enjoying the book I recommend visiting the author’s blog where he has annotated every chapter of books 1 and 2!

It Has Begun

As I continue down my Wheel of Time audiobook odyssey, I’m currently about midway through The Dragon Reborn, it’s nice to know that Brandon Sanderson has, at last, started work on the concluding volume .

From Brandon Sanderson’s Blog:

There was a powerful moment there for me when I got to write those words “The Wheel of Time turns. . . .” Mr. Jordan, despite his preparations for the book, didn’t actually write those words that have started each book in the series. I guess he figured he didn’t need to, since they’ve been the same since book one. He knew that his time might come soon, so he focused on more important scenes.

That left me being able to write the opening paragraph to chapter one. (Though, of course, there will be a prologue. While those words won’t start the book, I decided that they would be the way that I started work on it.)

It has begun.

Now, who is willing to put money on who wins the race between Duke Nukem Forever and A Memory of Light?