[Maark Abbott]

Now for the question I've been dreading...

Does she Bubblehearth?

[amphibian]

Maark, on 22 January 2015 - 03:28 PM, said:

Now for the question I've been dreading...

Does she Bubblehearth?

Had to look that up as I have never played WoW.

No, Paksenarrion does not Bubblehearth. She goes the long way around every single time - except in dreams.

[Andorion]

Briar King, on 22 January 2015 - 05:23 AM, said:

I say read Elantris 1st since it's his 1st book Like I did. There is short sequel book but I've yet to read it. If you read his others 1st it may seem a step down quality and characters wise. Then the Mistborn books then Warbreaker and only then tackle his SLA so you better see the Cosmere stuff he throws at you in them. Otherwise it will escape your notice. I include Alloy of Law when I say Mistborn as its the sequel to that.

My 2cents anyway and I know that QT read Elantris 2nd and didn't have a problem with it if I recall its possible you won't either but I say better say then sorry.

Chance, on 22 January 2015 - 09:52 AM, said:

Andorion, on 22 January 2015 - 04:40 AM, said:

Open question to the forum: One of my TRP resolutions this year was to read Sanderson. I have only read the three WoT books he wrote. Which book/series do you recommend I start with?

Warning this might sound very critical, it is in fact only modestly critical since I've enjoyed several of his books such as Warbreaker, the two Reckoners and belive his Stormlight Archive is pretty decent. It really depends on how many repetitions on the same theme's you wish to read. Sanderson has with the exception of the WoT books (and some of it certainly got into those three books to) more or less used the same themes and often the same story telling devices in different places, it makes most of what he writes seem very much the same old story.

If you want to read him at his best go Stormlight Archive, if you want to go through piles of at best mediocre books start elsewhere.

Cause, on 22 January 2015 - 12:12 PM, said:

Andorion, on 22 January 2015 - 04:40 AM, said:

Open question to the forum: One of my TRP resolutions this year was to read Sanderson. I have only read the three WoT books he wrote. Which book/series do you recommend I start with?

Avoid:
Warbreaker - Its currently standalone and is in my opinion garbage. He wrote it as an exercise and published it for free to show his readers his process. That was really cool. The book is not.
Elantris - We have an author who writes as fast as ten men, this is one of his worse novels so give it a skip.

Recommend:
Mistborn: 3 core Novels with a sequel trilogy that currently running now. Good books, interesting magic system.
The Reckoners: 2 books and a short story that fall without question as Young adult fantasy. Its easy reading but I had fun
Stormlight Archive: 2 books of 10 are done. Good story but each book is a 1000 pages and the next 8 books will take according to him 16 years to complete so... If that does not through you off though I would highly recommend.
Rithmtist: Great YA fantasy about a magic system based on chalk drawings. Loved it. Quick reading

He also has a ton of short stories. In fact if you want to see if he is the author or you try The Emperors Soul. It's a short story that in 150 pages will give you an idea of what Sandersons own works are like. Bordering on the simple and yet with exciting twists with new magic systems and well written.

QuickTidal, on 22 January 2015 - 01:39 PM, said:

Cause, on 22 January 2015 - 12:12 PM, said:

Andorion, on 22 January 2015 - 04:40 AM, said:

Open question to the forum: One of my TRP resolutions this year was to read Sanderson. I have only read the three WoT books he wrote. Which book/series do you recommend I start with?

Avoid:
Elantris - We have an author who writes as fast as ten men, this is one of his worse novels so give it a skip.

This was his first book, you gotta give him a break, and in the end ELANTRIS is a GREAT story...his prose and structure needed polishing at that point, but it's not a bad book by a long stretch.

So, there's a debate about Elantris, everybody agrees SLA is good, but its a gigantic project that will take years, hmmm...

Cause's idea about a short story is actually pretty good. I may start with that. Words of Randiance is beyond my reach for the immediate present, so I mightread one early series that I can get.

One point though: 10 book series, taking 16 years, each book averaging 1000 pages? This is a WoT/MBotF/ASOIAF scale project! Wonder how it will ultimately turn out.

This post has been edited by Andorion: 22 January 2015 - 05:47 PM

[Andorion]

In other news, halfway into Jemisin's Broken Kingdoms and its very interesting. Shift in perspective, very interesting protagonist, change in narrative style. If Abyss is reading this, then read the second book! Its not a traditional trilogy. It appears more to be separate books set in the same world with loose connecting elements and in chronlogicla order.

[Abyss]

Andorion, on 22 January 2015 - 05:22 PM, said:

In other news, halfway into Jemisin's Broken Kingdoms and its very interesting. Shift in perspective, very interesting protagonist, change in narrative style. If Abyss is reading this, then read the second book! Its not a traditional trilogy. It appears more to be separate books set in the same world with loose connecting elements and in chronlogicla order.

Noted, tnx.

Briar King, on 22 January 2015 - 05:28 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 22 January 2015 - 01:39 PM, said:

...

This was his first book, you gotta give him a break, and in the end ELANTRIS is a GREAT story...his prose and structure needed polishing at that point, but it's not a bad book by a long stretch.

Agreed I dug Elantris, the sequel I was talking about up thread Cause reminds me is The Emperors Soul.

I semi-liked ELANTRIS. The plotting was hamhanded and predictable, but it had some great characters.

My first Sanderson books were his WoT stuff. Next was STEELHEART which was extremely YA but good fun.

I have the MISTBORN trilo in the TRP, fairly close to the top and will read eventually.

STORMLIGHT... i'm waiting until at least book 5, more likely 9. I respect the impressive speed at which Sanderson writes, but even so, i have developed an aversion to massive multi-book fantasy epics that take decades to complete, and i'm not engaged in his fandom enough to want to have the ongoing discussions (unlike SE, Butcher, even GRRM).

[Salt-Man Z]

I more-or-less enjoyed Elantris when I read it. It was his only book at the time, and my authorial breadth was much narrower (though I had already read the likes of Erikson, Stover, and Donaldson), but I saw there was promise there. I haven't felt the need to pick up another Sanderson book since, though.

My wife, however, is a huge fan, and so I've purchased most of his books for her. She raves about the Mistborn trilogy (as do many here on the forums) and so I'm determined to check that out at some point. Sanderson's just really low on priority list at the moment, though.

[Maark Abbott]

amphibian, on 22 January 2015 - 04:39 PM, said:

Maark, on 22 January 2015 - 03:28 PM, said:

Now for the question I've been dreading...

Does she Bubblehearth?

Had to look that up as I have never played WoW.

No, Paksenarrion does not Bubblehearth. She goes the long way around every single time - except in dreams.

The hell kind of a paladin doesn't Bubblehearth? It's what paladins do.

[amphibian]

Gird the God believed in "You stuck your nose in, you get it out."

[Nicodimas]

Elantris--->>Warbreaker --> Mistborn---> Stormlight

imho.

[Nicodimas]

The guys a clone/timetraveller <slows it down>...I think he has sequels for all these series. I am actually kind of thinking he might melt into the earth...

He has 10 Storm-light books planned, two more trilogies of Mistborn, Elantris 2, Warbreaker 2..plus Novellas and other random ideas for series!!!

[amphibian]

Claire North keeps a similar pace, with better books, but he's the one getting hyped.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 22 January 2015 - 11:29 PM

[Andorion]

I'll probably read Elantris and Mistborn first. I just read the blurb for Steelheart. Seemed pretty interesting.

Amphibian you mean Claire North => Kate Griffin=> Catherine Webb right? Yeah she is amazingly prolific. Though I wish I could have read her Horatio Lyle books. I only read one and found it very entertaining.

[polishgenius]

amphibian, on 22 January 2015 - 11:29 PM, said:

Claire North keeps a similar pace, with better books, but he's the one getting hyped.

To be fair Sanderson's books are longer. And also he uses the same name all the time whereas North/Webb/Griffin has three (similar story with Daniel Abraham).

But yeah, I do feel Sanderson's books would probably be helped by him slowing down a bit.

[QuickTidal]

Finished Patrick Lee's RUNNER (in about 48 hours as SaltMan assumed I would) and it was a really solid read. It's a totally different read from the BREACH books, but it's still a blast and has its own science fiction-y elements. Will be interested to see where the series goes now.

Going to start ACCEPTANCE by Vandermeer now and finish the Southern Reach trilogy!

[Baco Xtath]

Finished Providence of Fire; excellent sequel. Will definitely be keeping up with this series. Just started Goblin Emperor. Ok so far. Needed something brainless while I toil away at HVAC problems today.

Also, still listening to the Pale King by David Foster Wallace. The book is unfinished and unpolished and it really shows. While I love DFW's crazy tangents and prose, there's very little cohesion in this. The editor that took the mass amounts of notes and scribbling and assembled this warned of it in the forward, even calling its style tornadic. Still, really hard to follow which is why I've said fuck it and am just enjoying the insanity.

Also, 30% in the Three Parts Dead. Great book, very original.

[Andorion]

Finished NK Jemisins Broken Kingdoms. A very very good book. Confirmed my idea that these books are not a traditional trilogy but something looser than that. The scope of the world is actually quite big. The author could, if she had wanted to, written more books in it.

[polishgenius]

Andorion, on 24 January 2015 - 07:09 AM, said:

The scope of the world is actually quite big. The author could, if she had wanted to, written more books in it.

I reckon it's perfectly possible that she might, in future. She's already written a novella set in the same world.

[Andorion]

polishgenius, on 24 January 2015 - 08:19 AM, said:

Andorion, on 24 January 2015 - 07:09 AM, said:

The scope of the world is actually quite big. The author could, if she had wanted to, written more books in it.

I reckon it's perfectly possible that she might, in future. She's already written a novella set in the same world.

Oh yeah I believe its called Awakened Kingdom or something...

[polishgenius]

It is. Pretty good, but don't read it till after you've read the third main novel. Can also pick it up for a pittance as an ebook.

[worry]

Finished Shattered Pillars (Eternal Sky #2) and it was on par with the first one. Plot is good, characters are great, world-building/immersion is wonderful. Reminds me a bit of like a junior Daniel Abraham...I don't mean because of the non-Western setting, I just mean there's a sustained elegance to the writing that's really impressive.

Gonna start a book I've been meaning to read for a while called North American Lake Monsters by Nathan Ballingrud. Horror short stories with a fantastic reputation.