If Other Authors Wrote the Cosmere Novels

[Curiosity]

Have you tried anything by Patricia C. Wrede?  She's the only other YA author I'll go out of my way to read without a ton of recommendations from people whose taste I trust.  I also love Diana Wynne Jones. 

 

Ah. Patricia Wrede. One of the only authors who can make me laugh out loud (others include Brandon Sanderson, Andrew Peterson, and Richard Thompson). She does write the best YA fiction (well, except for the Rithmatist). 

 

I personally find that YA are (usually) children's level reading with protagonists aged 13-20, regardless of setting and/or content. I don't think it's a particularly good way of categorizing fiction. 

[king of nowhere]

ah, it's difficult to find trustable reading advice. I got a few poor calls myself from my brother, most notable the sword of truth. But my brother is also the guy who got me to read jordan and sanderson, so it's still worth listening to his advice and getting a few bad books along the way.

I am glad that sanderson and peter are giving occasional advice, as they are people i trust. Unfortunately, city of stairs is not available at my local library, and I require more than the advice of a guy I trust before paying for transoceanic shipping.

 

It's true. We've all been spoiled by finding actually good authors. I go back to read other books now and find that I already know the whole plot 3 chapters in. Sigh... Worth it though.

That actually happened to me with movies. Ever since I started reading wot, I gradually stopped watching movies because, for time reasons, the plot is always simplicistic and the characterization is sloppy (only exception are comedies, that don't need intricate plots).

For example, I remember watching Thor (my brother advice), and I was actually liking it for the first half; I mean, the arrogant warrior that must learn wisdom to be a good leader, who must learn to fight to protect instead of figthing for glory, is hardly a new concept, but it's more archetypical than clichè, and there are good stories and character developments that can be made with it. But then, he basically completely change personality overnight, and the second half of the movie is basically a whole fight scene where he becomes a mary sue. I remember thinking 'what a total waste of a perfectly good opportunity for some great character development' and was completely disappointed. If only they could have added another hour of movie to show some realistic gradual change in the cjharacter instead...

[Shaggai]

Have you tried anything by Patricia C. Wrede?  She's the only other YA author I'll go out of my way to read without a ton of recommendations from people whose taste I trust.  I also love Diana Wynne Jones. 

Yeah, she was one of the people I was thinking of when I wrote "anyone of comparable quality". Others included Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

[traceria]

Yeah, she was one of the people I was thinking of when I wrote "anyone of comparable quality". Others included Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Oh, good!  I remember getting to book 3 (I think) of the Enchanted Forest series and being blown away for the twist.  No cookie cutter happy ending there!

[Left]

Garth Nix and Cinda Williams are both pretty good while we're off topic. I loved both the Warrior Heir trilogy and the Keys to the Kingdom series, I really need to find the time to reread them and see if they're actually good or if they were just comparatively good. I dislike Williams' new series, it's like it took the average fantasy world and threw in parts of Alvin Maker.

[Shaggai]

Garth Nix and Cinda Williams are both pretty good while we're off topic. I loved both the Warrior Heir trilogy and the Keys to the Kingdom series, I really need to find the time to reread them and see if they're actually good or if they were just comparatively good. I dislike Williams' new series, it's like it took the average fantasy world and threw in parts of Alvin Maker.

I can confirm that Keys to the Kingdom is actually good. I think Cinda Williams is good, but I might be confusing her with someone else.

[18th Shard]

It's true. We've all been spoiled by finding actually good authors. I go back to read other books now and find that I already know the whole plot 3 chapters in. Sigh... Worth it though.

This describes my life perfectly. I used to read a ton. Read Sanderson's books, and everything is boring, predictable, and frankly just without any depth or plot twists.

[Left]

This describes my life perfectly. I used to read a ton. Read Sanderson's books, and everything is boring, predictable, and frankly just without any depth or plot twists.

Yeah, I remember a time when I would have loved the Assassin's Apprentice trilogy by Robin Hobb, but after Sanderson it was just painful and bland. It was like WoT 7-11......

[maxal]

Yeah, I remember a time when I would have loved the Assassin's Apprentice trilogy by Robin Hobb, but after Sanderson it was just painful and bland. It was like WoT 7-11......

 

I am currently having a hard time getting into any other book since I finished WoR but it was before

[Left]

Okay, don't remember if anyone's done this one before but, Terry Brooks!

 

Mistborn- Kelsier would be waaaaay older, had his powers forever, be crazy strong, but leave everything up to a bunch of random kids from a family that he keeps picking on.

 

Way of Kings- There would be a generational gap between every single book. Kal would have escaped from the bridge crews, gotten a shard blade and managed to dissappear to return to Hearthstone and marry Laral. Shallan would have been their daughter and she would have gone on awesome adventures turning flames into sticks and having fun being apprenticed to the ancient elf queen Jasnah, etc.. etc..

 

Elantris- The Sheod/Reod used to turn humans into wonderful Elves and Dwarves, now it transforms them into trolls! Oh NO!

 

Warbreaker- There would have been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more walking. There would have been tons of stuff going on all the way on the trip from Siri's home all the way to Hallendren with Vasher and Nightblood showing up and doing cool stuff, but it's really kind of boring. Once they finally get there, they learn that the lifeless army already left and now they have to walk after it. Really slowly.

[feezec]

Jim Butcher (Dresden Files) --- warning, lots of inferrable spoilers below

 

Kaladin wears a long coat, carries a staff spear, and has a traumatizing childhood that makes him self-consciously power hungry and pathologically incapable of tolerating injustice. EVER. He resents authority figures like Elhokar on principle for not being crusader-y enough for his taste, but remains fiercely loyal to the Alethi kingdom, as it protects regular people from the Voidbringers who go bump in the night.

Shallan is his apprentice. She's not naturally suited for combat, but she's feisty, brave, and good at Surgebinding illusions. Her family life is less dysfunctional than in the canon (admittedly not a hard thing to improve on) and her dad is actually really cool.

 

Syl is evil and sexy and constantly tempting Kaladin with new Surges if he would just compromise a little bit and conform to her moral code.

 

Adolin is a ridiculously handsome womanizer, a superhuman warrior, and has tragically conflicted feelings about how the Thrill is an inescapable part of his identity. He has an unshakeable bromance with Kaladin.

Taravangian is having none of this "compassion" and "variable intelligence" nonsense. He will protect and rule his world with an utterly amoral and coldly rational iron fist, sweeping aside heroes and villains alike in his quest for power. He has just one rule: Never. Harm. Children.

Nalan has walked the earth for uncounted millenia. Every couple centuries he pops up and destroys civilization with a well laid plan, then disappears as enigmatically as he appeared. He has a Surge that lets him control shadows, and his Skybreaker disciples have no tongues.  Nalan knows he is a evil, and he does not care, because he knows that his atrocities are protecting Roshar in a way that no one else understands. But the truly terrifying thing about Nalan is that he might be right.
 

Dalinar...is a good man. That's the long and the short of it. His honor is like his sword: never wavering and always important.

Renarin is a scrawny, scholarly geek who likes polka music and dead bodies. But don't underestimate him--later he will reveal hidden depths of knowledge and courage.

The Almighty...is basically the same. Never intervenes directly, offers vague encouragement to "do the right thing," and is definitely not telling you everything.

Odium...is basically the same. A vague dark supernatural force beyond human comprehension with unknown but clearly unpleasant plans for humanity.

 

The NIghtwatcher is much more overt but no less mysterious. Bargains struck with her will always be carried out in full. No more. No less. Always. She is plays an absolutely essential role in protecting the world, but under no circumstances does that mean she's one of the 'good guys.' All mortals deal with her reluctantly and cautiously--and only in times of utter desperation. Also, she's really beautiful. Like, fall on your knees to worship her while clawing at your eyes inhumanly beautiful.

Jasnah is a detective. She does not fully understand the supernatural world and its threats, but she never stops looking for answers and is driven by her duty to protect the innocent---criminals best be wary. She is a rather jaded divorcee with a penchant for fraternizing with assassins. 

[Topomouse]

Ok, this was awesome! The parallels between the characters work so very well it's almost frightening.

[feezec]

Ok, this was awesome! The parallels between the characters work so very well it's almost frightening.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! I was surprised at how well the characters mapped on to each other after being abstracted a bit. I guess Butcher and Sanderson are great minds thinking alike.

[Delightful]

I can confirm that Keys to the Kingdom is actually good. I think Cinda Williams is good, but I might be confusing her with someone else.

I loved Keys to the Kingdom until the last two books - ending was IMHO terrible. I read it years ago though, so not sure what I'd think of it now.

Another ya author whose book I've enjoyed (haven't gotten my hands on the sequal yet) is Laini Taylor. There is a romance element but there's so much other awesome complex stuff going on that its just another part of the larger story.

If Markus Zusak wrote AoL, Marsh would narrate and would follow Marasi as she struggles to live in the world as it changes around her....or something. I'd love to see Marsh as Death. Marasi could pick up the Hemalurgists Handbook, and learn hemalurgy through stealing books from Wax's library.

[Shaggai]

I loved Keys to the Kingdom until the last two books - ending was IMHO terrible. I read it years ago though, so not sure what I'd think of it now.

I kind of liked the ending. It was odd, certainly, but that was what made it cool.

[Steel]

If J. R. R. Tolkien wrote the Cosmere novels:

 

First, and foremost, none of the main characters would die, except for one really annoying one who wants to use Shards for evil. The Cosmere novels would basically be full of people walking for hundreds of pages, occasionally stopping to chat. There would be a couple dramatic scenes, and then in the end the goal would be achieved.

 

All the Shardholders and Splinters would go to the ancient home of the Valar  angels/gods. The backstory would be explained in thirteen books edited by the son, and there would be a HUGE fandom.

[Curiosity]

If J. R. R. Tolkien wrote the Cosmere novels:

 

First, and foremost, none of the main characters would die, except for one really annoying one who wants to use Shards for evil. The Cosmere novels would basically be full of people walking for hundreds of pages, occasionally stopping to chat. There would be a couple dramatic scenes, and then in the end the goal would be achieved.

 

All the Shardholders and Splinters would go to the ancient home of the Valar  angels/gods. The backstory would be explained in thirteen books edited by the son, and there would be a HUGE fandom.

 

 

And there would be a few Appendicies outlining the history of Elantris, explaining the linguistic interplay between Selish, Nalthian, Rosharan, Scadrian, and Yolish tongues, ancestry and spread of humanity in the Cosmere, and the full text of Wyrn the King. 

[Delightful]

And there would be a few Appendicies outlining the history of Elantris, explaining the linguistic interplay between Selish, Nalthian, Rosharan, Scadrian, and Yolish tongues, ancestry and spread of humanity in the Cosmere, and the full text of Wyrn the King.

As well as multiple introductions and commentaries to each book that take longer to read than the book itself.

[Fatebreaker]

And all of the problems could be solved by giant flying crustaceans that would show up at opportune moments.

[the winter system]

Imagine if I wrote the Cosmere books.

HINT: They'd suck.

[maxal]

If J. R. R. Tolkien wrote the Cosmere novels:

 

First, and foremost, none of the main characters would die, except for one really annoying one who wants to use Shards for evil. The Cosmere novels would basically be full of people walking for hundreds of pages, occasionally stopping to chat. There would be a couple dramatic scenes, and then in the end the goal would be achieved.

 

All the Shardholders and Splinters would go to the ancient home of the Valar  angels/gods. The backstory would be explained in thirteen books edited by the son, and there would be a HUGE fandom.

 

Boromir was not annoying He was the best character! The only one with an inner conflict, the only with any growth potential

 

That being said, their would be songs. Many songs. Do not forget the songs. The Death of Galivar would be told to us through a song. The March of the Blackthorn would tell us how they conquered the kingdom. While they are walking down the chasm, Kaladin and Shallan would be rescued from the chasmfield by a singing and dancing hermit whose song would put the beast to sleep. He'll bring them to his crevasse where he'll give them some rock honey and roasted cremlings. He'll sing them good night, shelter them from the Highstorm and walk them to the exit of the chasm.

[Left]

 

Boromir was not annoying He was the best character! The only one with an inner conflict, the only with any growth potential

 

Amen!

[traceria]

Ok, this was awesome! The parallels between the characters work so very well it's almost frightening.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! I was surprised at how well the characters mapped on to each other after being abstracted a bit. I guess Butcher and Sanderson are great minds thinking alike.

 

Yeah, I have to agree.  While reading, I just kept nodding and grinning and nodding and grinning.  Bravo!! 

[traceria]

Boromir was not annoying He was the best character! The only one with an inner conflict, the only with any growth potential

 

I was going to say, too, that there would be more of an underlying and subtle worldview that would lend even more complexity to the choices of the characters.  It's not that the SA characters don't face tough choices or anything, but Tolkien definitely had an extremely deft hand with this.  (Go read this book if you like thinking about stuff like that.)

 

 

(Sorry about the double post, for some reason it wouldn't let me edit and add a quote to the prior comment...hmm...)

Edited October 31, 2014 by traceria

[maxal]

I was going to say, too, that there would be more of an underlying and subtle worldview that would lend even more complexity to the choices of the characters.  It's not that the SA characters don't face tough choices or anything, but Tolkien definitely had an extremely deft hand with this.  (Go read this book if you like thinking about stuff like that.)

 

 

(Sorry about the double post, for some reason it wouldn't let me edit and add a quote to the prior comment...hmm...)

 

I am not sure if I understand your post... The phrasing you used makes it difficult for me to comprehend... Stupid French

 

Are you saying you think Tolkien wrote more complex and superior characters then Brandon? Because I tend to see Tolkien's characters, with a few exceptions, as pretty flat... All seemed too good to be true, none doubt the guest and all agreed with Elrond without a second thought. Only Boromir seemed unsure and he ends up being depicted as the traitor who thus redeemed himself by dying........ I keep thinking the story would have been a much better one had he survived and been forced to deal with the consequences of his actions upon coming back home.