The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books Thread Book • Page 32

I read the first one too because of the praise Hobb gets but couldn't get into it. Think this was right around the time i was reading Kingkiller though so i don't think i gave it the time it deserves or further entries.

 

About a quarter of the way through book 13 of the wheel of time! so close to the end. I read the first 8 twice, and am now powering through to the end. It's been a journey to say the least. Some of the books are among my favorites of all time, and others were just a chore.

Next will be the final trilogy in the realm of the eldering series (Robin Hobb is my favorite author and I'm ready to be absolutely devastated by what's coming).

Then I need to reread oathbringer and onto rhythm of war. (heard lukewarm things about it, and I am not a super huge sanderson fan, I enjoy his work but I'm not deep into the cosmere like most).

Finally, the fall of babel, the final book in the books of babel series (that started with Senlin ascends) comes out in November, so I want to re-read those. I cannot recommend this series enough. It is a fantastic series so far, and to have gone from self published to the following he has, is so great great to see as the author seems like the nicest guy in real life. Absolutely beautiful prose, and a unique whimsical tale with well fleshed out characters. If it sticks the landing, it may become my favorite finished series. I love everything about it so far, but there's a lot left to tell, many open threads to tie up.
Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel, #1) by Josiah Bancroft

 

Ha! I made a post 12 minutes after you mentioning Robin Hobb. She is by far my favorite author. Her writing style is beautiful, and her characters are some of the realest I have ever come across in fantasy literature. Some of the emotional stakes in her books get me more involved than actual life or death stakes in other books. I will say though, that while not grim-dark, she doesn't shy away from uncomfortable topics and life is certainly not all sunshine and roses for her characters. She can be quite mean with what she makes her characters go through at times. That's why I'm so nervous about the last book. I don't expect everybody to get what they want.

 

I do think it's interesting that the books of the Cosmere that get the most ire from readers are all of his more female-centric books (Mistborn trilogy notwithstanding). Warbreaker, Rhythm of War, the Shallan sections of all of his other Stormlight books, Elantris... I know that I fall in this category, too, so this is not to call out anyone in here to say "you just don't like this book because it's female driven"--but it is an interesting trend with Sanderson's storytelling in particular that I've noticed in the greater fantasy conversation at large.

Is this because he doesn't write good female characters? I think the answer here is a resounding no. I do think his female characters are much more difficult at times, but I don't think that there is necessarily an unbalance between his female and male characters.

What do y'all think?

I know personally that Jasnah is easily my favorite in Stormlight, but I truly grew to love Navani by the end of RoW. Shallan remains far and away my least favorite protagonist in any of his series. How he draws her storyline together in the end will really determine how I feel about how he's handled it... however, the fact he's willing to really settle in and show there is no magical "quick fix" for mental illness (with her and multiple other characters) is highly appreciated by someone like me who also has that struggle.

 

I think my issue with Shallan, and Lift (God, I hate Lift), is that Sanderon is not funny... He's a dorky religious guy and his humor reflects that and never hits the mark with me so the fact that both these characters are meant to be witty and completely miss the mark at every step, is why I dislike them overall. I also think his background and personal leanings means his books lack passion in all the relationships, they seem juvenille. I haven't read rhythm of war, I aim to by the end of the year, but I did like Oathbringer. I thought Shallan's arc was okay, and I think she's well written and fleshed out, she's just not funny (and I know it's been debated if she's supposed to be, but those that think that I think are writing a cop out for Sanderson - he just doesn't do funny/witty well). I despised Lift's standalone book between 2 and 3, and her appearances in Oathbringer were annoying as hell.

 

It’s funny, because I think the only books of Sanderson’s I unequivocally like are Elantris and Warbreaker. And, like you, I consider Jasnah as probably my second or third favorite character in Stormlight.

I’ve said it before, but I wonder how much my disdain for Shallan can be traced back to the audiobook. I really dislike Kate as a narrator. I ran into this problem with Wheel of Time and specifically Nynaeve, who is a character I loathe as strongly as Shallan. I just don’t know if it’s that way the character was written or the performance of the narrator.

 

When it comes to Lift, I think he's nailed what it would be like to be permanently stuck at 12. But I think he's going to take her in good directions post-RoW. She's tainted by the same old magic as Dalinar, so it creates an interesting foil.

As for Shallan, I don't think she's as witty as she's supposed to be, either. At times early on, I've wondered if that's on purpose since she's a country bumpkin noble, but I think that notion has been disabused by the text at this point.

 

Not the original Mistborn trilogy? I liked Warbreaker immensely more on my second re-read years after my first. Very interested to see how those characters influence Stormlight now.

I don't think I've ever seen Kate Reading been a negative before. She's not my favorite either. She does read Shallan completely differently than any other character she's ever read, so maybe this is an instance. I liked Shallan a lot more when I read WoK than when I listened to the audiobook years later prepping for WoR, so maybe this is more influential than we've realized. Especially because this has become such an "audiobook" listen series for so many.

 

I do love anything Mistborn and his WoT books, I just think this one is maybe a little too long winded and repetitive

 

One thing I've also considered about Stormlight is if books 6-10 won't focus on these folks. Because isn't there a huge time gap being planned?

 

Goodness, thank you. I’ve been meaning to bring up this criticism for ages.

And his not being funny infects tons of characters too.I hate Hoid as Wit. It’s just awful to me.

And I think there was a character like that in Warbreaker too who just kept with the puns or whatever. Terrible.

And in general, I just don’t like the Sanderson style of infantilizing characters. Syl. The sword from Warbreaker. Lift. It’s like George Lucas-level cringe for me.

 

Yeah I mentioned it awhile ago but Shallan's dialogue really is cringe, especially with Adolin. I really liked her story in the first book with her involvement with Jasnah, but I'm not as interested in her the further her arc goes.

 

I don’t follow the general reception to books, but I do know that I mostly prefer female-centric books I think, so at least in my case it is a coincidence. I do like the guy better than Shallan, but not by much. I mostly don’t like the split personality thing in her case.

 

Shallan is my hero.

 

Yeah the split thing is kinda where it lost me. I do really like her backstory however

 

Same

 

Her mental illness and struggles with trauma are inspiring. The splitting of her personality has been like my favorite part of the books.

 

Theres a 10-15 year gap (I think) and each book is about a different Radiant order. Each based on Renarin, Jasnah, Shallash, Taln and Lift but those are subject to change.

 

I want more Rysn content.

 

Finally reading Circe. I loved Song of Achilles.

 

I finished Assassin's Apprentice. I thought it was fantastic. Can't wait to read book 2.

 

Has anyone read the Riyria Revelations? I saw a lot of recommendations for it on lists about completed series, so I bought the trilogy yesterday on a whim.

 

I've read both Riyria series. I think they're both quite fun, if not groundbreaking. Very similar vibes to the Wax and Wayne books by Sanderson.

I've got Michael J. Sullivan's other six book series, but haven't read it yet, if that shows how much I enjoyed it, too, haha.

 

Love them

 

Only read the first two Riyria but really enjoyed them. Sullivan's a great guy too, really friendly and personable, and I feel pretty confident recommending his books as fun adventures even when I haven't read them all.