Hello

[AirsickAviar]

Hi, I'm Adrian, but have about 100 different user ids throughout the internet on one forum or website or another by now. This one just fit for here. The ThreeArmedHerdazian was taken, and then I thought of short stories for bridge four.

Now, to begin: My path here is odd enough. I never used to read much. I read the basics, read the LotR and the Hobbit, all of CS Lewis's Narnia series, and the Eragon series (first one was awesome. Just which one knew how to go from there with a plan), and of course, short of those interesting pieces I went to mainly from movies, and had to keep at em till they finished, were the basic school ones.

I kept hearing about the loooong but good fantasy series, the WoT, and with so many millions of words, that and the entire cosmere series, and various charts on literature over the years, and these two came up in my mind. And in the last year, I grew tired of books at work, since I listen to audio mostly on earbuds when I have time. So I started with an audiobook, for the first time. First A New Spring, then the entire rest of the WoT. I did not regret it. I was just sad it ended. So I read it again, and practiced with learning to hear and understand at higher speeds, and now can proudly keep up at my father's page speeding, for a novel a day, some in hours. At some 2x or faster speed, depending on narrator. But for the good bits, when I listen to a repeat book, I always have to find myself slowing it way down anyway. I have to savor the moment. Again. And maybe one more time

After my second read through of that, about 6 months back, I decided to look more into this Sanderson fellow who finished the final 3 books (even if he did make that ending that punched me in the gut with my favorite character. HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ME?!), and had that touching forward at all. So I looked at the other books he wrote, read what some others said to read after WoT, like R.A. Salvatore's Malazan Fallen Saga, and Dune, which is totally on my reading list. Sometime soon perhaps, and some others. And a lot of 'Stormlight'. But I couldn't start there. In the end, I started Skyward, my first Sanderson book after WoT, due to my love for scifi in general, was was always into that, specifically Stargate. And a friend of mine into audiobooks got it, and also highly recommended it. So I went for it. I fell in love with that one too. I realized, this is more than a single genre good author. I should definitely finally just get around to reading more of him. Finished Starsight. Then life happened, and a few months later....

I finally just got all of the audiobooks, and started in order of release. Elantris was kinda meh to me. I loved Mistborn, I absolutely loved Vin, best protaganist of all his works, fite me. And that first book in the series was the best one of them, and again after the great series, another sad ending! It didn't destroy me like WoT ending did, but it's getting to be a theme! Will I read SA 5 now and see Shallon murdered, Kaladin dismembered, and the corpse of Adolin and Dalinor in the winds, only to see Cultivation take on the shard of Odium and Honor?! And will Spensa just come back and explode bk 4?! Ok, I am being funny, but it is how I feel in part though.

Next was Warbreaker. And dear god, that was a Gem. Turns out, for any single novel, it was my favorite from him, but darn, Skyward came close. The odd, but beautiful thing? If it wasn't next on my list of BS's works, I would have never read it. 'What is this, some court of the gods, and a god apparently does not like his position, followers, and mainly about two princesses trying to make peace and get married?' 'Skiiiip, oh well, I'll suffer through it, I liked everything so much so far, and even elantris was still good enough, even if not great', after reading the plot summary. Dear god, that was amazing, the last half of the book made everything so worth it. And the best couple of all of BS's works if you ask me. I generally was excited to see Siri and Susebron work out in the end, to a degree I never felt to that strength in any other relationship, not even the WoT. At least not in literature, which I would stress, isn't all that exhaustive of a study. The ending was epic, even if I found 'summon long foreshadowed super army and take out enemy army', was a bit too foreshadowed, and was rather flat. I think perhaps they should have not arrived in time, had their home country sacked, some sort of sad state of the world, and the facts of life - but with that army, come out on top in the end, saving a bunch of people in both kingdoms. I feel it would have been a better ending. Do you say I am a hypocrite, since I didn't like the other sad endings? Sue me o.O

Alkatraz was meh, but it was a kid's story. But I kind of found myself loving the Reckoner's. And I enjoyed that couple too. Maybe my second favorite. That's tough now comparing it so close to a paragraph when I was thinking of Siri and Suse alone... It was an enjoyable read. The Rithmatist was good, I would definitely read the sequel. Not everything I like in a world, but it was definitely different. In a good, refreshing way. White sand was good, got the graphic audio, as really my only option, even though I usually prefer more normal narration. My only bug is I don't even know if Hoid is in the audiobook, I was waiting for him. And I heard he was in the graphic novel. So who knows? I still can't help but think Skathan has the potential to be WAAY more important in all of this than just about any other character people don't talk about.

And the SA, and then, all of the short stories, and then all the non-cosmere novellas. Almost all of them were good. I in particular, liked the Original. And also, of Cosmere shortstories, I found myself having listened to the Emperor's Soul like 4 times now. It is my favorite of that bunch. Silence is good as well, but just not on the same level.

Now, I liked SA a lot, even to RoW, but I think as an overall saga, it's direction and writing as a self-contained story, simply was a large step down from both Mistborn and Warbreaker. I don't feel like it is fair to bring in WoT, since that is a collaboration, and it's really hard to judge that without similar circumstances. But yes, perhaps that too. That being said, there is a LOT I do like, even if the story itself I think isn't as good. So many elements of the worldbuilding is a large step up. I absolutely adore some of the spren and their bonds, like Syl, even though I feel they were completely underplayed for a large section of the story where they could have been absolutely brilliant and much more multifaceted characters. Even if they are still learning and childlike. Her coming to Kaladin with the blackbane was an absolute Gem. 'Look, I brought this to you, I went through all of this work', was such a moment that I do not think I will forget anytime remotely soon, it came so early, and is still one of the single best character building moments, or moments in general, that I have felt in the series. That was what made me fall in love with her as a character, but it seems for a couple more books, it tried to make me forget aspect. I liked shallon, kinda ok. Still better than Kaladin. But reading the theory about her mother on here... I almost now wish it true anyway, regardless of original plan. That makes her character so much more epic now for any more re-reads. Dalinar, Navani, and some of the other side characters as a team, really make these books much better for me.

In the end, now I think I nearing my second re-read of all his main stories, and will eventually get to the WoT... For the Fourth time. Before the show premieres.

And then eventually, getting to those other authors and books on my TD list.

But before all of that, I had another thought 'what if I get on to the fan site, maybe, after looking up all this info from time to time in reading on the wiki, and post some of my character or power thoughts'. And then my post a couple days ago.

Now I have introduced myself, and why I am here, fully. I hope you find my journey maybe as interesting as yours. It definitely probably isn't your typical brandon sanderson journey.

Edited March 24, 2021 by AirsickAviar
Added my thoughts on White Sands, Rhitmatist

[AonEne]

Welcome to the Shard! We actually hear a lot of stories ranging all over the spectrum, so you fit right in

[Mist]

Welcome to the Shard! That is quite an introduction, and I hope to see you around!