I'm reading The Stormlight Archive for the first time

[Elder]

10 hours ago, Amira said:

Honestly, I'm just happy I won't have to read about Sadeas anymore in future books.

SA2, epilogue: Surprise surprise, the character on the cover of book 3 is not dead! Guess now we also have an Elsecaller, whatever that is. I don't like Wit. Unpopular preference I guess. Or maybe he's more fun in other books.

That's it! Finished Words of Radiance! I will write overall impressions probably tomorrow.

My rep says I'm a Spinner. I wonder what I spin...

I do like him, but to each their own.  I’ve always liked the trickster trope.  I’d say I like him best in book 4 though. 

[jockmcplop]

I've just read up to the end of RoW. It was my first Sanderson experience and I have absolutely loved it.

I would say, though, for others thinking of starting the series, by the time you get to book 3-4, the wider cosmere is referenced more and more and I do feel a bit like I'm missing a huge amount.

I'm currently reading Mistborn (i'm on book 2) since I was getting a bit of stormlight archive fatigue and decided to read both series. There is one particularly large spoiler in book 4 of SA that pretty explicitly spoils something from the Mistborn series too.

That's just a bit of advice for people if they are wondering where to start. Start with Mistborn era 1. 

Still 10/10 for me so far for the first 4 books of stormlight archive.

[alder24]

12 hours ago, Amira said:

SA2, epilogue: Surprise surprise, the character on the cover of book 3 is not dead! Guess now we also have an Elsecaller, whatever that is. I don't like Wit. Unpopular preference I guess. Or maybe he's more fun in other books.

What a surprise!

I have mixed feelings about Wit. His humor is okish, I like his stories, but what intrigues me the most about him is the mystery that surrounds him. Without that mystery I don't know how much I would like him.

12 hours ago, Amira said:

That's it! Finished Words of Radiance! I will write overall impressions probably tomorrow.

It was fun to witness your journey with WoK. Will you read the Edgedancer novel next? 

[Treamayne]

3 hours ago, alder24 said:

I have mixed feelings about Wit. His humor is okish, I like his stories, but what intrigues me the most about him is the mystery that surrounds him. Without that mystery I don't know how much I would like him.

As odd as it may sound. . .

Spoiler

I like Hoid much more than I like Wit.

It's not that I hate Wit. I would have given him a 7/10- post-TWoK, but after all books that's down to about 5/10.

Hoid has consistently been a 9/10, for me.

Edited January 28, 2023 by Treamayne
Clarification

[alder24]

4 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

As odd as it may sound. . .

It sums up my opinion on him quite well.

[Amira]

Words of Radiance final thoughts:

This book was a lot of fun! Both Kaladin and Shallan really learned to use their surgebinding powers in this book, which was very satisfying to read about. I also enjoyed Shallan's journey to infiltrate the Ghostbloods. Shallan went through quite the transformation in this book, starting off trying to imitate Jasnah and finally really coming into her own. Kaladin and Szeth's first encounter was great! Kaladin and Shallan in the chasms was great! I also liked the disadvantaged duel.
The climax was definitely epic, though interestingly, my favorite part of the climax was... Dalinar's speech? I wasn't left in awe by the climax like I was in book 1. In book 1, there were two plot twists that I didn't see coming: Sadeas betraying Dalinar and Dalinar trading his blade for the bridgemen. In book 2 I knew the Parshendi storm was coming. I knew Shallan was looking for a portal. I knew Kaladin was going to fight Szeth. As soon as Sadeas betrayed Dalinar in book 1, I expected Kaladin and his team to save Dalinar, but it was very satisfying, because the betrayal was an unexpected twist, and the expectation for Kaladin to save Dalinar was only build over a few chapters. Szeth vs Kaladin is something I've been waiting for for two whole books, so while it was satisfying to finally get it, it didn't feel as groundbreaking.
All this being said, wrapping up a two-book plot is exponentially harder than wrapping up a one-book plot. I think this was a good book, all things considered, and I look forward to reading about Kaladin meeting his parents again in book 3.

2 hours ago, alder24 said:

It was fun to witness your journey with WoK. Will you read the Edgedancer novel next? 

I will! Though I might take a small break first. Trying to finish some other books.

[Treamayne]

Great synopsis and glad you enjoyed it.

23 minutes ago, Amira said:

Szeth vs Kaladin is something I've been waiting for for two whole books, so while it was satisfying to finally get it, it didn't feel as groundbreaking.

For me, the groundbreaking part wasn't them meeting, or fighting, or even their similar uses of Surges. It was learning how much difference there is between a live Shardblade (Sylblade) and a normal Shardblade - not to mention learning that the blade Szeth was using was also not a normal Shardblade.

24 minutes ago, Amira said:

I will! Though I might take a small break first. Trying to finish some other books.

You may even consider some other Cosmere works (Warbreak - Mistborn Era 1) in that break.

I'll note, however, that based on your preference for Szeth, you might consider the Edgedancer novella as well (maybe book, Edgedancer, book(s), Oathbringer).

[TheOtherDave]

21 hours ago, Amira said:

I will! Though I might take a small break first. Trying to finish some other books.

Other books?!? You wound us, Amira.

[TheOtherDave]

21 hours ago, Treamayne said:

You may even consider some other Cosmere works (Warbreak - Mistborn Era 1) in that break.

Yeah, within the set of Cosmere books, I might recommend Warbreaker next.

I think I remember Amira saying she tried Mistborn and wasn’t getting into it, but maybe I’m thinking of someone else.

[Treamayne]

3 hours ago, TheOtherDave said:

Other books?!? You wound us, Amira.

3 hours ago, TheOtherDave said:

Yeah, within the set of Cosmere books, I might recommend Warbreaker next.

Please avoid double posting. If you are unfamiliar with the tools the forum offers - maybe this can answer some questions:

Spoiler

At the bottom left of a post you will see a "+" icon, a "Quote" link, and (your posts only) and Edit link. On the bottom right you will see an up arrow.

• The Up Arrow is how you thank people or "like" a post
• The "Quote" link is exactly that, when you click it the quote will be added to the reply at the bottom of the thread wherever the cursor is
  • So, if you have already started to reply before you decide to quote you can then add the quote before or after your text depending on the cursor location when you click "Quote"
• The + icon is multi-quote. As you read a thread, if you want to quote multiple items you click that for each post
  • As you click +, you should see a toaster pop-up on the bottom right of the browser window showing how many quotes you will have
  • They are added in the order you click the + icon, not in the original post order, so you can set the order of quotes for your reply
  • When you are ready to reply, click on the toaster pop-up and it will take you directly to the reply section and add the quotes automatically
• Finally, you can also highlight a small section of a post and, when hovering over the highlit portion, click the "Quote" button that pops up.
• Also note that you can move quotes after they have been added to your reply.
  • For example, you add a quote and realize there are no empty lines below it for you to type - so you can hit "enter" before the quote to make an empty line then when you hover over a quote you will see a 4-way arrow at the top-left that you can use to drag the quote up (or down)  and move the quote to before the empty line. . .
• Use the Edit link to make changes to a completed post or add information to your post if it is the most recent (to avoid double posting)
  • Quote buttons will still send a quote to "Reply" if you have a post open for edit, but it is easy to cut/paste the quote to the Edit box
  • Editing allows you to add a reason for the edit (Spelling and grammar (SPAG), formatting, clarification, new information, etc.), but it is not required.
• Next to Edit you will also find an "options" dropbox, you can use this to hide your post if you want to remove it after posting
• At the top of a post you will find "Report Post"
  • Use this if you do accidentally double-post (sometimes it's the browser or a slow link that causes a double post) - just leave a message that it was an accidental double post and the Mods can fix it. If it was the first post of a new thread that doubled, they usually can merge the threads if they both have answers, so all of the content is retained.

Hope that helps.

Please use Multi-quote or post edit instead of double posting.

Quote

I think I remember Amira saying she tried Mistborn and wasn’t getting into it, but maybe I’m thinking of someone else.

Do you mean this post?

Spoiler

On 4/25/2022 at 7:26 PM, Amira said:

I read about 70% of the first Mistborn book a while back. Apart from that, The Way of Kings is my first cosmere book.

If so, we don't know why she didn't quite finish the book - but since she made it over halfway, I would guess that "Life happened," time was lost and by the time she could have read more it had been so long she would have had to restart. At least > 70% doesn't imply a dislike of the content or story.

The break between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer would be a great time to knock out Era 1 Mistborn and Warbreaker.

[Returned]

I'm pretty burned out on Wit, to be honest. It's not that I don't find him interesting, because I do. It's that his character is so integral to the wider Cosmere, and the mysteries of his character and backstory are so woven into the end of the overarching story, that the constant hinting and teasing have become wearying to me. We learn tiny bits, but they're often not all that substantial. He's such a lambent character at this point that I just cannot get very invested in any glimpses we get any more. What's the point when I know that my curiosity isn't going to be satisfied now, or soon? And what's left is a character that mostly delivers exposition.

Maybe we'll start to see less of him on screen again, but I feel like we are going to remain on a series of unresolved cliffhangers about him for a long time. I look forward to the payoffs, and I'm positive that I'll enjoy him more on re-reads when the Cosmere stories are complete (or much closer to it), but for now I've just barely started to dread seeing him as a major character in any given chapter or scene. Whenever he breaks out of that I'll be very excited, but in any new book segment I have little expectation that this time is going to be the one. I want to reach the destination very much, but the journey seems less palatable than it used to.

I do like hearing from others less jaded about his appearances than I've become-- people that are more excited than I have been tend to notice more exciting details that I've missed, and they are there.

Edited January 30, 2023 by Returned

[TheOtherDave]

41 minutes ago, Returned said:

I'm pretty burned out on Wit, to be honest. […]

Maybe we'll start to see less of him on screen again, but I feel like we are going to remain on a series of unresolved cliffhangers about him for a long time.

It’s a hard topic to discuss without spoilers (or at least hinting at them), but “Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how big his role is in future SA books.”

[BinarySecond]

End of an era, to begin anew.

[Elder]

On 1/29/2023 at 8:01 PM, TheOtherDave said:

It’s a hard topic to discuss without spoilers (or at least hinting at them), but “Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how big his role is in future SA books.”

Spoiler

All I can say is, his story in book 4 came at a time when I needed that story, badly.

 

[Amira]

On 1/29/2023 at 11:30 AM, TheOtherDave said:

Other books?!? You wound us, Amira.

I do? I don't know anyone who practices exclusivity in reading...

On 1/29/2023 at 3:18 PM, Treamayne said:

we don't know why she didn't quite finish the book - but since she made it over halfway, I would guess that "Life happened," time was lost and by the time she could have read more it had been so long she would have had to restart. At least > 70% doesn't imply a dislike of the content or story.

I'm notorious for getting bored with books and DNFing them. I once DNF'd a book at 90% because I got pissed with the way the climax was being executed. I might return to MB after SA.

To celebrate finishing book 2/starting book 2½, I'll talk for a second about my own writing. I finished the first draft of a script for a YouTube show I'm doing with my friends! Okay, back to SA.

Life happened and I didn't end up getting to the other books I was trying to finish, picked up ED anyway. I think I'll just do a chapter a week for a while, which isn't that different from what I did for some of the time anyway.

SA2½, chapter 1 reaction: I like the reason Lift decided to leave Azimir, feeling like she would no longer be herself if she stayed. I want to say something general about edgedancers though: if I could eliminate friction while my friend the windrunner could fly, I'd be really pissed.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Amira

[Treamayne]

Welcome Back

38 minutes ago, Amira said:

SA2½, chapter 1 reaction: I like the reason Lift decided to leave Azimir, feeling like she would no longer be herself if she stayed. I want to say something general about edgedancers though: if I could eliminate friction while my friend the windrunner could fly, I'd be really pissed.

I doubt Lift knows about Windrunners at this point; but I would imagine that Kaladin would think the opposite - "What do you mean I can stick things together and an Edgedancer can heal people. I wish I could heal people - I could have saved Jaks, Dunny and the rest. . . "

[alder24]

1 hour ago, Amira said:

Life happened and I didn't end up getting to the other books I was trying to finish, picked up ED anyway. I think I'll just do a chapter a week for a while, which isn't that different for what I did for some of the time anyway.

I selfishly say that I'm happy you didn't get the other books and you are stuck with SA  Glad to have you back.

1 hour ago, Amira said:

SA2½, chapter 1 reaction: I like the reason Lift decided to leave Azimir, feeling like she would no longer be herself if she stayed. I want to say something general about edgedancers though: if I could eliminate friction while my friend the windrunner could fly, I'd be really pissed.

You are thinking about it in the wrong way. There are things that Edgedancer you and your Windrunner friend could do. Both Szeth and Kaladin did this at some point, and it would be very handy for a frictionless Edgedancer.

[Afgan01]

I am reading THE WAY OF KINGS for the first time....I just finished the prelude...interesting opening...I'm new of fantasy...beside a few Harry Potter books....read the first 4 books and wanted a change of pace...I will take it slow and enjoy the 1000 page journey...I'll finish when I finish...may have to open a word file to keep track of characters and shardblades and things...BS is a really good writer...quite vivid scenes...I'll see how this goes.

[Trutharchivist]

10 minutes ago, Afgan01 said:

I am reading THE WAY OF KINGS for the first time....I just finished the prelude...interesting opening...I'm new of fantasy...beside a few Harry Potter books....read the first 4 books and wanted a change of pace...I will take it slow and enjoy the 1000 page journey...I'll finish when I finish...may have to open a word file to keep track of characters and shardblades and things...BS is a really good writer...quite vivid scenes...I'll see how this goes.

New to Fantasy and you're starting Stormlight Archives?

... Depending on the kind of person you are, it's quite ambitious of you. Then again, I'm pretty sure LotR was one of the first books I've read (probably later than I think, but I still read it during Elementary School)... So I'm not really one to talk.

[Afgan01]

3 minutes ago, Trutharchivist said:

New to Fantasy and you're starting Stormlight Archives?

... Depending on the kind of person you are, it's quite ambitious of you. Then again, I'm pretty sure LotR was one of the first books I've read (probably later than I think, but I still read it during Elementary School)... So I'm not really one to talk.

I wasn't aware the book was 1000 pages when I ordered it....but I'd heard good things about Sanderson's writing and I'd found Joe Abercrombie's audiobooks online so I went with Way of Kings...and I thought Harry Potter was long.

[Treamayne]

Welcome to the Forums.

4 hours ago, Afgan01 said:

I wasn't aware the book was 1000 pages when I ordered it....but I'd heard good things about Sanderson's writing and I'd found Joe Abercrombie's audiobooks online so I went with Way of Kings...and I thought Harry Potter was long.

You may want to consider starting with Mistborn, Elantris or Warbreaker. That said, I hope you enjoy The Way of Kings, and if you go back to the start of this thread, you can follow @Amira's journey through the same book and see her theories and our discussion (all spoilers were tagged) as you go through the book (since her posts are chapter-by-chapter). 

So, you've only read through Goblet of Fire for the Potter series? Did you intend to go back and finish those eventually? While the movies are good, they don't really compare to the books.

Manana

[TheOtherDave]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:41 AM, Amira said:

I do? I don't know anyone who practices exclusivity in reading...

Oh, sorry, no, it's just a reference to an amusing (IMHO, anyway) part of a scene in Oathbringer. The phrasing doesn't quite line up, but it might be close enough to make you chuckle (or roll your eyes at me) when you get to it.

[Treamayne]

On 2/5/2023 at 1:41 PM, Amira said:

SA2½, chapter 1 reaction: I like the reason Lift decided to leave Azimir, feeling like she would no longer be herself if she stayed. I want to say something general about edgedancers though: if I could eliminate friction while my friend the windrunner could fly, I'd be really pissed.

Any Edgedancer Progress?

Hope everything is going well for you.

[Amira]

On 2/5/2023 at 3:31 PM, alder24 said:

I selfishly say that I'm happy you didn't get the other books and you are stuck with SA  Glad to have you back.

This makes me happy for some reason

12 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Any Edgedancer Progress?

Funny you should ask...

SA2½, chapter 2: So Lift ditched her spheres, gosh, this girl is something. I'm still trying to figure out how she's going to fit into the general SA story. Sounds like we're about to have another run-in with Darkness, so that's something to look forward to. Also, those pancakes do sound pretty yummy.

In case you all wanna gaze at my exposed safehand, Tress came in the mail:

Spoiler

 

[Treamayne]

Welcome back.

Has your opinion on Lift changed at all since the interlude?

28 minutes ago, Amira said:

In case you all wanna gaze at my exposed safehand, Tress came in the mail:

Congrats on Tress

It's a great story and done in such a way that you won't spoil other books before you read them. You'll likely come away with a number of questions, but not spoilers for the Cosmere books you have not yet read.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Treamayne
Notes