What's Your Least Favorite Cosmere Novel (If You Had To Chose One)?

[ChullRider Dakhor Monk]

What's your least favorite Cosmere novel IF you had to choose one?

[Kobold King God Beyond]

White Sand. Awesome, but a bit less well-polished and refined than the Sanderson's usual work.

 

I'd explain in more detail, but if I talk too much about it the Angel of Redaction will strike me down with its blazing scimitar. By which I mean, forum regulations prohibit it. And the forum regulations are enforced by the Angel of Redaction.

[Ashiok Ghostblood]

Aka Lord Yomen (most of the time). I dunno. Personally, my first read of Elantris fell a bit flat, felt a tad Deus Exy. Second read was better.

[Voidus God Beyond]

Words of Radiance. Because there wasn't more of it. (Haha, cheesy answers to avoid actually answering questions FTW!)

[WeiryWriter Prime]

The Alloy of Law.  Don't get me wrong, I really do like the book.  But Westerns just aren't really my thing so I don't like it /as much/ as the other stuff.

[Screwloose Babsk]

Elantris, mainly because it seemed slower and it's the main magic system seemed a bit more generic than most other Sanderson systems (Lack of limitations on powers/ amount of power, gesture based casting, albeit with a bit more complexity). I did like it a lot but I probably won't reread it, at least not for a while.

[Curiosity Rambleman]

Warbreaker hit patches where I wasn't interested in the characters. It was mostly Vivenna because she didn't have a mystery going on except when Vasher was there to provide us with BioChromatic explanations (FINALLY!). Siri was OK, but Lightsong really resonated most with me, as someone who doubted the culture around him and himself. 

[Shardlet Worldbringer]

I have to go with the shorts.  They are great and all, but I want more about the world and what's happening. These are just too too short.

[Curiosity Rambleman]

I have to go with the shorts.  They are great and all, but I want more about the world and what's happening. These are just too too short.

 

Spoken like a true Sanderfan (y'know, we're people who read books of endless pages). I decided not to vote that way since I figured they weren't technically novels.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Curiosity

[vineyarddawg Seer]

The Alloy of Law.  Don't get me wrong, I really do like the book.  But Westerns just aren't really my thing so I don't like it /as much/ as the other stuff.

 

This is me, too.  I've never really "gotten" the Western thing.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but I just couldn't get as immersed in it as I usually do in Brandon's writing.

 

Elantris does seem less polished than his other novels, but it was the first book he sold, you know.    Besides, I like the idea of the "fallen god" thing.  Nice angle. The end did seem a little simplistic... kind of like, "Why didn't anybody think of this before."

[Purelake Earthquake Silent Gatherer]

Sorry Elantris, but I'm throwing you under the bus.  It's his first one and he's only been getting better since (in my opinion), so logic says it'll be the worst.  However, it seems to me like Elantris sometimes gets a worse rep than it deserves, just because out of what I've seen most people think it's the worst one.  It feels like there can be a little bit of confirmation bias where people have heard it's the first and less polished so they notice flaws more and are less forgiving than they would be, it's sort of an Art and Expectation type thing.  Or at least that's my armchair interpretation.

 

So, I still really like it the whole concept is really cool and I thought the ending went down really well.  And I found Raoden's optimism and determination very compelling.  Yes, the writing wasn't as good, Raoden and Sarene needed more character arc, and the triad structure was a mistake.  But it's not like he made any amateur mistakes, and he still had lots of complex ideas and behind the scenes speculation for the magic system and cosmere things just the same as in his other books.  All in all, it's a gold ingot in a mound of atium.

[Kaymyth Sliver]

The Alloy of Law.  Don't get me wrong, I really do like the book.  But Westerns just aren't really my thing so I don't like it /as much/ as the other stuff.

 

This actually kind of tickles me, as while I did quite enjoy the Mistborn trilogy, Alloy of Law is what is sucking me down the Sanderson rabbit hole.  But that may have a lot to do with the fact that I'm still limping from how hard Wayne hit me in the funny bone.

 

I can't really have a least favorite yet since I haven't branched out into the other Cosmere works yet.  I intend to eventually, but right now I've put myself on a book moratorium until I can get the first draft of the (stupidly long) fic that I've been writing done.  Sigh.  If I crank out another 10,000 words, maybe I'll finally make it to the climax of the story....

[SmurfAquamarineBodies Soulcaster]

Elantris for me. I read it after I found Mistborn in my library. My library only had book 1 and 2 of the Mistborn trilogy so I read it after those 2. I liked the book well enough but I remember not really liking any of the characters, or at least none of the main ones, I just couldn't really bring myself to care if they lived or died. Galladon was amusing enough but Raoden's optimism annoyed me. I also found Sarene's a bit meh. The main evil priest guy, can't remember his name, the resolution to his arc was cool though. Killing someone with something they didn't think they gave you. Priceless.

[Delightful Dragon]

Im gonna go with Elantris as well. The prose was clumsier which is the main thing that bothers me. Which isn't to say it's a bad book - I find it an ok book, but seeing as I read it after my mind had been blown by Mistborn and WoK.......I might love it if I'd read it first, you know?

Elantris aside, my next least favourite is Warbreaker (sorry Quiv). A lot of it I think I found awkward rather than funny, and while I enjoy it and it's a really good book, it isn't a book that completely sucks me in.

(You know you're a die-hard fan when you say 'I love my least favourite book buuuut....)

[Beggar in Black Skaa]

Warbreaker is definitely my least favorite cosmere novel. I found myself not quite as interested in the characters. That said I loved Lightsong. He had a very interesting story and he was witty. His ending was also very satisfying.

 

As for everyone who voted for Alloy of Law and the shorts I respectfully disagree. I love westerns and while the shorts were . . . short. They were interesting and well done.

[Meg Gyorn]

For me it's the Mistborn trilogy.

Oh, it has one very big advantage: Sazed and all the things about the cosmere we get there. But given I had to choose my least favorite cosmere book, it's them.

 

@Kobold King: Don't get me wrong, but I thought there should be no talk about that book?

[vineyarddawg Seer]

This thread is a magnificent example of how Brandon can appeal to so readers with so many different tastes!  

 

For example, I don't get the antipathy for Warbreaker.  I thought it was excellent, and though I hated Vivenna most of the time because I pictured her in my mind as Sansa Stark with hair color that changes, I was very involved in the book, especially with Siri and Lightsong. 

[Iredomi Gyorn]

I think I would have to go with... Elantris... sadly. Because I really really love it but it is just the weakest of a very strong lot... it has some beautiful lines and Hrathen is freaking incredible... *sigh* this was torture haha.

[Mckeedee123 Surgebinder]

Elantris seemed pretty contrived to me (especially the situation where Sarene was in Elantris but Raoden didn't tell her who he was), but Well of Ascension is my least favorite... It's not bad, it's just slow. 500 pages without a shift in characters or setting.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Mckeedee123

[Blaze1616 Savant]

Well of Ascension, and the Era 1 Mistborn trilogy as a whole. The Final Empire was a great book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (though it loses points for the dieing mentor trope, even if it was a necessary thing...mainly because he's also still not "dead"), but WoA was boring, the "romance" between Vin and Zane did not exist no matter how hard the characters tell me it did, and Straff Venture deserved more as a villain. HoA was an improvement, but still didn't reach the heights of Brandon's other works. Also Vin and TenSoon never reuniting was heartbreaking.

[Bort Midnight Essence]

His short stories.

 

Mostly because they are all spread out across various books and games, so you cannot get them in a single volume.

[vineyarddawg Seer]

Well of Ascension, and the Era 1 Mistborn trilogy as a whole. The Final Empire was a great book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (though it loses points for the dieing mentor trope, even if it was a necessary thing...mainly because he's also still not "dead"), but WoA was boring, the "romance" between Vin and Zane did not exist no matter how hard the characters tell me it did, and Straff Venture deserved more as a villain. HoA was an improvement, but still didn't reach the heights of Brandon's other works. Also Vin and TenSoon never reuniting was heartbreaking.

 

I'm not calling your opinions into question, because everyone has their own tastes and preferences, and they are what they are...  but still, I have to point out this logical inconsistency. You say the don't like the trope of the mentor dying (but not really being dead), and then in the next breath you say that you wished it had contained the trope of the two "odd couple" friends being separated, seemingly forever, but then finally getting to get back together again after a long adventure?

[Blaze1616 Savant]

I'm not calling your opinions into question, because everyone has their own tastes and preferences, and they are what they are...  but still, I have to point out this logical inconsistency. You say the don't like the trope of the mentor dying (but not really being dead), and then in the next breath you say that you wished it had contained the trope of the two "odd couple" friends being separated, seemingly forever, but then finally getting to get back together again after a long adventure?

 

Hah, that is funny. I meant more of the way in which TenSoon tried so darned hard just to fail. If I recall the story correctly, the majority of his PoV chapters were him trying to escape so he could reunite with her, and it didn't happen. That was more why it was heartbreaking (particularly because TenSoon is my favorite character from Mistborn). Plus I don't particularly view that as much of a trope because it has to happen in most stories which it occurs, unless someone dies. I also get far less exposure to it than the "mentor death/oh wait nevermind" trope (plus I feel Kelsier still being around is Brandon catering to his fans, which I really, really dislike).

[GreyPilgrim Seer]

I'm going to have to go with Alloy of Law. Like Weiry, it's not really my kind of story, and strangely I felt that it dragged, even though it is relatively short. I appreciate it more after rereads, though, but it remains my least favorite.

[yafeshan Ardent]

I tried very hard to choose one. Its hard for me to find a least favorite in cosmere. However, Alloy of law is the only one that I can not feel connected to.