HiccupGreyjoy

When I´ve first read about this, it just worried me how similar to Mistborn it sounded. However, it actually seems to be more original with every new piece of information.

I must tell you that I am very style-centered reader, very sensitive how is exactly book written and if it is done well, ready to forgive some faults. That is why I´d say that George R.R.Martin is for me one of the gods among writers even if you haven´t like everything about his writing... I think another author who is quite approaching that level level is Tad Williams - I´ve just yesterday completed second volume of his Otherland tetralogy, allso reading the first book of MST trilogy and really just for how he writes, he is totally worthy of it. On the other hand, when it comes to plots, he is also very slow. Not that things don´t happen, I mean that he likes to describe everything that happens and even with his language, this might becomne quickly tiresome. Also, reader must tolerate a lot when it comes to his devices - Otherland isn´t really for people who don´t like meta-fiction, so to speak, since this is really "story about stories". Also I must say that characters there are ixed bag definitely - tha main protagonist , Renie Sulaweyo, can be really annoying and in times it looks that Williams must express as much of white guilt as possible - in fact these books are so PC it´s almost funny and I am not kind of guy who would mind such things normaly.´Yet, I still must reading... I can´t say a much about MST trilogy, since I really haven´t read much of it , at the times it feels kinda childish, but that might be becouse of Simon´s POV. I am definitely interested in "War of the Flowers" and maybe even "Shadowmarch".

It looks like fantasy saga "The Runelords" by David Farland is getting movie adaptation - it is still in very early stages, official site is here - http://runelordsmovie.com/. Brandon is supposedly inspired, among others, by Farland and in fact "The Runelords" are containing mechanistic magic system, that should feel familiar to us. I really hope the project will suceed and I am going to read the books soon! From Wikipedia: The Runelords is a fantasy series by author David Farland. In the universe of The Runelords, there exists a unique magical system which relies on the existence of distinct bodily attributes, such as brawn, grace, and wit. These attributes can be transferred from one individual (or animal) to another in a process known as "giving an endowment". Lords who have taken many endowments become extremely powerful, almost superhuman, and are known as Runelords.

If Terrismen would be dark-skinned, we are asking for at least two problems concerning Lord Ruler.

Well, that´s not much but it´s already more than Wheel of time folk ever got - many of these guys and gals are still thirsty for ANYTHING concerning TEOTW movie.

Not to mention, this SWAT team is supposed to hunt "Mistborn serial killer", which doesn´t sound like a good guy, unless he would be rehash of Kelsier. In fact... Given the powers in Alloy of law, does it mean we´ll get criminal with all possible Allomancy/Feruchemical combos? I wouldn´t like to be in such SWAT team.

Well, it looks like trying Miéville in original wasn´t going very well for me - also it looked like he was extremely convinced that serious sci-fi must be boring to the max. So instead of Embassytown I´m going to fight true Juggernaut -Otherland by Tad Williams and so far it seems to be very good!

Yesterday I have finished The Hunger Games trilogy, final book being definitely underwhleming for one reason or another. Now I´m going to read China Miéville´s "Embassytown", first book of him I´m going to try since "Iron Council" (which I haven´t finished and sometimes must do). At the same time Im´in the beginning of Terry Pratchett´s "Snuff" (so far it didn´t catch me. but we´ll see) - and Glen Duncan´s "The Last Werewolf" (good reading but best to experience in a small doses).

Well, Wayne made one remark about "God-beyond", suggesting there is common recognition of "Creator" which might have exist even during reign of TLR (he was supposedly venerated as part of Absolute but this wasn´t clearly explained).

I´ve finished it just now. It was once agin funny and actually well-paced, but I liked book 3 the best.

Not to mention Derethi from Elantris and Austrists from Warbreaker tend to view magic as abomination (at least oficially), pretty much as real world abrahamical religions. Also, we have there Survivorism and Sliverism, neither of them interested in Sazed, not sure how much they have incorporated the Shard model into their theologies.

I would like to add that Wayne made random reference to "God-beyond", suggesting there is still some general idea of Creator (in similar style like Lewis made references to "Emperor over the Sea" in Narnia, as metaphor for God-Father, somehow distinct from Aslan). Ironically, in the past it was probably recognized in TLR´s religion as that guy had only "sliver of infinity" (where after all,"Sliver" nickname comes from).

Which isn´t proof of anything theistic at all. Which ones? Scadrial has one and Roshar has one specific that however isn´t very "recent".

Except nobody (supposedly) saw Domi/Jaded, Austre, Trell, Terr, etc. Most of described worlds seems to identical with our own, as far as empirical evidence goes. And even if you know there exist some gods you still might try to be something greater thean them (just like our non-theist religions believe).

I have finished the first book of Hunger games and read a few chapters of "Catching fire", so far looks promisning. Colinns might not have the best style in the world but she is still pretty readable and I am ready for the movie. And also, I´m in the first book of "Second Apocalypse." Where have you been my whole life, baby?

What POV characters have you enjoyed the most? As for myself: Elantris - Hrathen, definely, simply for virtue of anti-villains being more interesting than "good guys" and IMHO he was a lot deeper then Prince Rotting and Princess Impeachment as well. Mistborn trilogy - Spook and I´m probably going to be in minority on this one.Wasing not POV until the HoA if I remember correctly but I simply liked this "apprentice of the heroes" perspective with awkward boy trying to destroy Commieland. Warbreaker - Lightsong. As I mentioned in my introduction thread, I haven´t liked much any of the characters in this novel but at least he was sometimes funny and in the end memorable becouse of what he had done for the good guys. Alloy of law - Wayne.Again, refreshing source of humor, not all of it worked (I cringed at that "anotomy lessons" joke). Also, he´s Slider and I liked that series. Alcatraz -I should have ben automatic winner, since I´m only POV but the told me that´s why I can no compete. Competinos are funny thing, just like books. I haven´t finished WoK, so I can´t choose favorite there and Stormlight archive is far from over anyway.

SORRY MARIO BUT OUR PRINCESSES ARE IN ANOTHER CASTLE! So, what to say about this. I think we can agree on the fact that this was probably the most "Troperiffic" book Brandon has ever writen. You can very well recognize that it was acidental project but it was great to return into Scadrial... Which obviously was so much rebooted by Ruin and Sazed that IMHO I wished for kinda more fanservice in this case. In the current state there was nothing that would surprise me except... Koloss having become sort of stand-ins for Native Americans? Awkward. Or maybe I just am taking the wild west atmosphere too much seriously. Was Sazed changing Koloss as well? Action was somehow better than story itself. Allomantic/feruchemic abillities are more and more similar to straight comic book superpowers, but if there´s someone who can make them organic part of fictious world in not so cheesy way, it´s Brandon. The ending was unworthy of anyhing that can be even for a moment called stand-alone. To be honest I really haven´t cared until about two thirds in the book. Solution for crafty author? Write more chapters after where it ended and throw away some stuff in the beginnig. As it is, I would still give it about 7/10.

I would say that Pathisdm is really the best out of Brandon´s religions both as element in fiction and in theory - Bravo, Sazed! But really, there should have been some way to merge his system with Kelsier. It would make society more ... Well, harmonical .

So, I have finally given up on Boneshaker and decided to fight in Hunger games.

The only somehow non-theist religion was (pure) Jaskeri from Elantris kinda similar to Daoism, but AFAIK that was pretty much just plot device for Raoden to understand the magic. In Mistborn, all the systems Sazed spoke of were for the lack of beter term "reveration centered" than "practice centered". To be exact, Cosmere´s gods wouldn´t be problematic(although Ruin and Preservation would stretch it a little), since even Buddhism, Jainism and Daoism don´t deny existence of certain kind of deities, they just don´t concentrate on them. Then again, most of Fantasy authors aren´t going into that area, either becouse of western convention or becouse fictious non-theist religions might end up be very boring. It´s just that Brandon likes to use a full spectrum usually.

I´m now reding Boneshaker by Cherie Priest and it´s mixed experience. The story is told by two POV´s, one quite stupid/naive, the other boring most of the time. I´m in 30% of it and considering giving up. I´m also on the crossroads of epic Fantasy. As I said on the other thread, I will read Way of the kings in the near future but as of now it is more about deciding between "Twilight reign" (more traditional fantasy after long time) and Bakker´s "The Second apocalypse" series.

I still think Kelsier is cooler, if weaker god. I hope I´ll not have to attend two churches :-) .

So, I´ve finished "Hero" today. Much more fast-paced than "Well" with fine amount of momentum and novelty, though not on "Empire" level. I had some usual problems with Brandon´s writing, but mind you, I´m frequent literature and movie critic, so I might be a little deformed. however, I can´t stop thinking that epilogue was one big mistake. For the start, we had to be assured that Vin and Elend are now in Fluffy puffy afterlife with Kelsier which reminded me some extremes of later Narnia books. But what especially glows is Sazed - sorry, but omnipotence is lame plot device no matter how much you like to write about religion(s).Scadrial was now fully "terrisformed" so it kinda lost it´s special status among fantasy worlds and while Brandon might somewhere expleined his current cosmology/theology I´m afraid that many future readers might be outraged if the Sazed will be somehow prominent in the next books and other group might be outraged thet he won´t prominent, given his status as Lord Almighty. Don´t take me as angry fanboy, becouse it actually pains me to badmouth Mistborn in any way - I´m still looking forward to "Alloy" and beyond and I´ll definitely read "Way of kings" in the near future.

"Now, who is the Survivor, bro?!"

WOW! Personally I don´t really anticipate Elantris or Warbreaker sequels but "maybe comings" sound intersting... Especially "Dark One" and "King´s necromancer" (from what I can tell).