Islington

I like Adamat from The Powder Mage series. I usually don't like the depowered character in a book, but his story was the most personal, I think. Monzcarro Murcatto is a good one from Abercrombie's universe. A tough lady out for vengeance is very Kill Bill. Little known series, but Matthew Swift from A Madness of Angels. Self described as having two modes: apocalyptically powerful and regular guy who doesn't want to go volcanic on anyone.

I hate Malazan. Tried to read past book 1 a dozen times. I think if I read your entire first book and still don't know hardly anything about what's happening, you goofed up.

Jasnah is my favorite character that I completely disagree with on nearly everything.

Finally, the only thread that matters. I want to know what her "madness" was and whether the sexual assault/molestation theory is right.

My intro to the shard was reading Feather's essay about Renarin. After that, I'm not sure which one is true.

One chapter and you faint for the guy. We're going to have to watch the hospitals when he gets his book on the back 5

Just everything involving Queen J the Elscalling Slayer was tight. She was my favorite when the coolest thing she did was survive getting stabbed, let alone the Calvinball nonsense she gets up to in this. Weaponized Soulcasting makes her a tiny god. If she would've been in Shadesmar with Team Teen Angst and Azure, that chapter would've been three pages long. At times I feel like I love Jasnah as much as Feather loves Renarin, but then I remember that no human loves anyone or anything fictional that much.

You're saying she's as engaging as two viewpoint characters and a possible major villain. I'm not saying she's bad or that it's bad she's in the book. I'm saying she's distractingly out of place. She states outright that she's from another land. It's almost like, she shows up and the Dawnchant gets translated and you're like "Wait, she's maybe from the same place as the original humans? Are there aliens in this? Where is she from?Why aren't we following this chick? She's obviously the main character!" It's not good or bad, just a statement. If it increases the world and mystery for you, cool. It took me out of the story.

Her strange "Shardblade", her insistence that she's been in Shadesmar before to travel, her preparation for Awakening, and her speaking about Nightblood all stood out to me as things that if you haven't read Warbreaker, would lend Azure "I'm a protagonist" syndrome. Azure raises SO MANY questions to the reader of just the Stormlight Archive that she could eclipse some of the main characters in terms of Protagonist-ness. She feels like the protagonist of a separate work dropping by to say hello, which she is, but it makes you want to see more of her than perhaps some of the actual main characters. She basically says "I'm from another planet with different magic and I have a special lightsaber and know other mysterious characters in the plot. Anyway, good luck saving the world or whatever, I'm going to go reminisce about Warbreaker 2: Vengeance over here" and it kinda pulled me out of the story for a bit.

I disagree. She defies all in world explanation and sticks out like a sore thumb. It's like when Doctor Strange shows up in Thor. Hes against the...aesthetic so much he opens a million questions when he shows up. Like I said, I trust Brandon. It didn't sour the book for me or anything, but it did stick out.

Mostly Vivenna and her Ginsu. Kaladin investigating her and her being like "Yeah I'm from Nalthis and have a magic color eating sword" was just a shade too front and center for me. Zahel had the perfect amount of screen time and references for me.

Finally people will stop saying "Love triangle". Unless Adolin and Kaladin are having private spear lessons, it's a love angle not triangle. Also, I don't like all the Cosmere stuff here. I trust Brandon enough to suspend my dislike, so to speak, but I felt there was a little too much "Heh, get it?" in this one. First question when Dalinar used Adhesion to stick the realms together: Can he make new Honorblades? That'd be useful. Jasnah was an absolute beast during the final confrontation. I always knew Elsecallers would be buckwild in a fight. Especially when they're Super Saiyan. And queen? Hell ya. Overall, I liked it. A lot of revelations I didn't expect to see till the back 5, given traditional fantasy book pacing.

I am a little ashamed to admit I requested PTO. I haven't done something that silly since Bloodborne came out but needs must, you know?

I think this. Cultivation strikes me as the archetypal web weaver. She is playing the long game, trying to get SOMEONE into position to bully Rayse out of her star system without getting ganked like Tanavast.

Oooh, I love this theory.