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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Welcome to The Legendarium Podcast's inaugural reading challenge! We're no stranger to reading way too many books, then trying to think too hard about them. Join the Brandon Sanderson reading challenge, then leave a message here to let us know you're in! As you read (don't wait til the end of a book to discuss it!), post comments and questions here, so that we can respond. We'll read your comments and reviews on the podcast, and we may even want to have some of you Skype in for the conversations! The rules are simple, and located on the challenge page. I'll just add one more here: NO SPOILERS. One of the joys of Sanderson's books is mystery. So don't spoil anything for anyone, unless you mark it as such beforehand! |
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| I read Sanderson for the first time last year and now I wonder why I didn't read him sooner! (I read the first two Reckoners books)
I just finished Warbreaker and it was amazing! I loved the world and the magic! The characters were well done too of course, though I was annoyed at the princesses sometimes. Vasher was my favorite! I really wish he was the star of the book instead of an occasional narrator! Lightsong was of course hilarious and Denth was great too! I actually didn't predict what would happen. There were plenty of hints and I had an idea about one of the many twists, but I was largely surprised.
I saw on Goodreads that eventually there will now be a sequel?! I can't wait!
Has anyone else read Warbreaker? What did you think? |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | I love Warbreaker! Sanderson's creativity is on full display in that one. The other guys on the podcast haven't read it yet, but it's on our list for this year, so we'll tackle it for sure.
As for a sequel, yes, there is one announced. There's a sequel announced for Elantris, too. (If you haven't read that one ... well, you should.) The nice thing to me about these sequels is that they're far enough away from the originals that those will always stand on their own; it will never be a "you have to read all 18 books to appreciate one" situation. |
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Location: New Zealand | I keep meaning to read Sanderson, but so many books, so little time. So I'm joining in to give me that push I need to actually start, and I'm hoping that once started I won't want to stop. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Well you're certainly committing hard, aren't you? =) If you're wondering where to start, most people start with either Elantris (his first book, not so polished but extremely creative) or Mistborn (this would be a good way to get yourself addicted quickly, and it's the one we've already got some podcasts about).
If you want a bit lighter read, start the Reckoners series, with Steelheart. Fun, urban fantasy with evil superheroes. Let me know what you decide to start with! |
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| Started reading Sanderson in May of last year, and I fully intend on reading every last one of the fantasy novel he wrote (+ the end of the Reckoners series), so that ties in nicely with the challenge.
Sanderson... The man who adds a novel to his tight work schedule by "accident"...
Edited by Chiplefien 2016-01-05 6:59 AM
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| Except for the unreleased books, I have read all of the books at least once, some twice. But I will reread them for the challenge (can't wait!). However, I'd love to sync my reading to yours, so it's in line with the podcast and with the new releases. Will you guys (Ryan, Todd, Craig and Kenn) let us know what your reading program will be?
Where should we post the reviews?
Edited by Glubbdrubb 2016-01-07 3:44 AM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | (Craig here) Happy to have you! First of all, we've just completed our reading schedule (subject to change, but not too much):
-The Alloy of Law (air date 2/15/2016)
-Shadows of Self, (air date 3/7/2016)
-Bands of Mourning, (air date 3/28/2016)
-Steelheart, (air date 4/18/2016)
-Firefight, (air date 5/9/2016)
-Calamity, (air date 5/30/2016)
-Elantris, (air date 6/27/2016)
-Warbreaker, (air date 7/25/2016)
-The Way of Kings, (air date 8/22/2016)
-Words of Radiance, (air date 9/19/2016)
-3 more TBD (likely more, if we do smaller works like Infinity Blade and Legion)
As for reviews, you can post reviews to the WWEnd book page like you normally would. Then let us know you done a review and link to it here. If it's not crazy long, or if you want to quote an excerpt here, throw it in this thread as well. Excited to see them! |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | You're going to love it! Glad to have you! |
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| I was hoping to start off by reading the Stormlight archive, but since Stormlight 3 is probably going to come out early to mid 2017, reading it towards the end of 2016 is a better idea. |
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Location: New Zealand | I'm going to start this weekend with Steelheart. Light, fun, urban fantasy with superheroes sounds just exactly what I want. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Excellent choice. The prologue sucks you in, in a big way. Let us know if you do a review! |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | I signed up, and this is probably a good thing. I have never read any of his work, but I have had The Final Empire on my bookshelf for almost 5 years!! I am not a huge fan of fantasy, especially the sword and wizard types, I tolerate small doses of urban fantasy without breaking out in hives. His Mistborn series is number 43 of the NPR Top 100 Science Fiction, Fantasy books. I am slowly plugging away at this list. I will be interested in how I feel about this author. I have this first book tentatively scheduled to read in February, but I plan to follow the doings over here in case one of the other series might sound more up my alley. |
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| Badseedgirl - 2016-01-09 7:31 PM
I signed up, and this is probably a good thing. I have never read any of his work, but I have had The Final Empire on my bookshelf for almost 5 years!! I am not a huge fan of fantasy, especially the sword and wizard types, I tolerate small doses of urban fantasy without breaking out in hives. His Mistborn series is number 43 of the NPR Top 100 Science Fiction, Fantasy books. I am slowly plugging away at this list. I will be interested in how I feel about this author. I have this first book tentatively scheduled to read in February, but I plan to follow the doings over here in case one of the other series might sound more up my alley.
You'll find find that Sanderson's work is not typical "Sword and Sorcery". There is purpose and planning at incredible detail.
He's written what are called the 3 Laws of Magic. The second law states that
"An author's ability to solve conflict satisfactorily with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic."
He follows this quite closely, so that you can understand the protagonists actions.
I wish I was in your position, and got to read his work for the first time again. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | You'll find find that Sanderson's work is not typical "Sword and Sorcery". There is purpose and planning at incredible detail.
That's the truth! In fact, he comes really close to making his magic systems so rigorous that they don't feel like magic anymore. That he never quite falls over that edge is a testament to his genius. |
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Location: New Zealand | First book done. Steelheart. If that is a good example of what I can expect of Sanderson's writings then this is going to be the easiest challenge ever. I'm already half way through Firefight. Can't put them down!
Why did I wait so long to read Sanderson? |
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| Weesam - 2016-01-11 8:32 AM
First book done. Steelheart. If that is a good example of what I can expect of Sanderson's writings then this is going to be the easiest challenge ever. I'm already half way through Firefight. Can't put them down!
Why did I wait so long to read Sanderson?
Although it's not part of the challenge, you should read Mitosis, it's a short story set between Steelheart and Firefight. It fleshes out some of the mechanics of the magic introduced in Steelheart.
And of course it's a good book.
Edited by Glubbdrubb 2016-01-11 12:39 AM
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Location: New Zealand | Thanks. I've seen references in Firefight to Mitosis, but didn't know there was a short story. I shall hunt it out. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | First book done. Steelheart. If that is a good example of what I can expect of Sanderson's writings then this is going to be the easiest challenge ever. I'm already half way through Firefight. Can't put them down!
Why did I wait so long to read Sanderson?
Glad you liked it! The Reckoners books are definitely quick, fun reads. When you get into the Mistborn and (especially) Stormlight stuff, it gets quite a bit meatier, but they're still page-turners.
Let us know if you write a review for any of these! |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Craig here. For those reading the Reckoners series this year (Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity), I highly recommend the audiobooks. A bad narrator can kill a book for you, but MacLeod Andrews does a wonderful job, and connects you with the characters in a way that you may not be able to get through the text alone. Grab the audiobooks from Audible here. |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | TheLegendarium - 2016-01-12 11:16 AM Craig here. For those reading the Reckoners series this year (Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity), I highly recommend the audiobooks. A bad narrator can kill a book for you, but MacLeod Andrews does a wonderful job, and connects you with the characters in a way that you may not be able to get through the text alone. Grab the audiobooks from Audible here. OK, I'm in for the Reckoner level. I listened to the sample and he is a good narrator. I was not going to do anymore challenges but this trilogy can do double duty for my Audio Book reading challenge and I have to see what all the fuss is about. |
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| I have to see what all the fuss is about.
You'll get a pretty good taste of him with Reckoners. Definitely geared toward a YA audience, but he doesn't make it overly juvenile, IMO. His Mistborn and (I'm told) Stormlight series are where he really shines, though. Glad to have you on board! |
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| Can't wait for the challenge. Have read moat of his books, and am madly waiting for 3rd book in stormlight archives. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Glad to have you, daltz! Be sure to leave a few reviews so we can respond to them on the air. And you're in the same boat as a couple of us from the podcast who have already read Stormlight, they can't wait. I've actually held off on reading them so that I could come in fresh for this challenge. I'm looking forward to them. |
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| Just a quick question, how do we mark off the books we have read?
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Just a quick question, how do we mark off the books we have read?
Great question. Here's the step-by-step:
--Log into your account.
--At the top of any page on the site, you'll find a search bar. Search the author or title.
--On the search results screen, click on the cover of the book you're looking for. (You can also do this by clicking on the covers other people have added on the challenge page).
--On the book page, in the middle, look for the BookTrackr section, where you can mark the book as "read", "reading", etc.
--At the bottom of the BookTrackr, if you've subscribed to the challenge, check the box marked "The Legendarium Podcast - The Year of Sanderson Reading Challenge".
Voila, the book is added! If the book is unread, it will show up as lighter/translucent on the challenge page. Once you've completed it (and marked it on the BookTrackr), it will be fully colored in. Also, note that the BookTrackr is where you can leave the reviews required in the challenge. Once you've reviewed the book, a small icon will show up under the book on the challenge page.
Hope that was clear! Let me know if you have more trouble. |
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Location: UK | I believe you also need to check "Add to My Reading List" to enable the challenge checkboxes.
I'm being very cagey about joining challenges this year, having overdone it last year, but I'm expecting to read at least one more Sanderson (Elantris) in the near future, and I really should finish the Wheel of Time, so maybe I'll join in later. |
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| TheLegendarium - 2016-01-19 8:51 PM
I've actually held off on reading them so that I could come in fresh for this challenge. I'm looking forward to them.
Sanderson does not introduce the Stormlight world gently, so it takes a while to understand who and what is going on. Patience is required. |
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| How does one delete a post?
Edited by Glubbdrubb 2016-01-21 3:39 AM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Just started reading The Alloy of Law, and I'm excited to record our podcast about it in two weeks or so! First observation: Good heavens, this guy knows how to bait and set a hook. Has anyone else started this one yet? |
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| TheLegendarium - 2016-01-28 12:29 AM
Has anyone else started this one yet?
"The Bands of Mourning" just came out, so you can read all 3 books in a row. I'm so jealous!
Edited by Glubbdrubb 2016-01-28 1:01 AM
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Location: New Zealand | I read Elantris this weekend. And by weekend I mean, started it Saturday morning, and didn't get out of bed until I had finished it, a number of hours later. Couldn't put it down. I was a bit disturbed by the horrors of Elantris when I first started, but I soon got sucked into it.
I have been putting off reading Mistborn because it is always so highly recommended that I have a horrible feeling it can't live up to the hype and will be a letdown. After reading Elantris I am more willing to start Mistborn and believe Sanderson will not let me down.
Three books in and I am now a firm convert to Sanderson. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | After reading Elantris I am more willing to start Mistborn and believe Sanderson will not let me down.
I love (love love) Elantris, but Mistborn is my favorite. You won't be disappointed! To be fair, though, I haven't read the Stormlight Archives yet, and I'm told they're even better. We'll see.
Glad we did our part to get you hooked! |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | Guest - 2016-01-19 8:57 PM Just a quick question, how do we mark off the books we have read? Go to the novel page for the book you've read and check "Read" in the My History line of the BookTrackr section. Be sure to rate the book, post your review, check the box for the Sanderson Challenge etc. while you're at it, then click Submit. Reminder: you have to be logged in to see the BookTrackr section.
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Location: Dallas, Texas | FYI: Brandon Sanderson is the guest on the latest edition of The Functional Nerds podcast. 
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | We're 10 days away from airing our first podcast of the challenge! We'll record an episode about The Alloy of Law in about a week, which gives any who haven't read it plenty of time. (It's really a pretty quick read.)
We'd like to hear from you about the book, so leave a few sentences here about the book (mark your spoilers!). Even better: leave a review on the book page.
We'll talk to you all in about a week! |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | THE FIRST EPISODE IS UP! Enjoy our discussion of The Alloy of Law. Special thanks this week to Weesam, for a few great quotes from this forum that we were able to use. 
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Location: New Zealand | I'm quotable? Huh, who knew. Never been quotable before. I don't generally listen to podcasts, but I may have to make an exception and listen to this one! |
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Location: Canada | Really enjoyed the Alloy of Law podcast! I've been a Mistborn fan for years, read Alloy of Law when it came out and thought it was alright-- love the new aspects to the characters' powers, didn't really like the style of humour and thought it ended on a *terrible* cliffhanger. Didn't get to Shadows of Self til just this past month as I got it as a birthday present, so I decided to reread Alloy of Law to prepare for the rest of the trilogy.
I doubt anyone would believe this-- I hardly believe I did it myself-- but you can imagine my surprise when I got to the final chapters of Alloy of Law and discovered there were two more chapters plus an epilogue beyond where I thought it ended. There was an actual resolution! I don't even know how that happened. I must've just been interrupted while I was reading last time and then somehow thought I had finished it? *facepalm*
So anyway, I went several years not knowing how Wax and friends got out of there alive. I find I like the book much better as a whole now though. Sigh. What the heck brain.
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | sahawkfire - 2016-02-22 4:32 PM
I must've just been interrupted while I was reading last time and then somehow thought I had finished it? *facepalm*
That's amazing! I'm sure that's happened to me in the past, too, but can't remember anything quite like it. The closest I think I've ever come is when I read and enjoyed the Hobbit as a kid, but totally rejected my friend's offer to loan me LotR about a year later just because I hated the title. I had no idea that they were in the same world, and I've been kicking myself ever since.
So have you read Shadows of Self yet? What do you think? Sounds like these would be good ones to leave reviews for on the site. (hint hint!) |
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Location: Canada | Just finished it last night and immediately went and bought Bands of Mourning, which I'm currently about a third through. My initial feeling is that I liked it even better than AoL. I'll write up a little something on the book page just for you :P |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | So I have a confession to make. I expected to hate Brandon Sanderson. I have a natural instinct to pull away from anyone or anything that generates such a rabid following. I usually chalk it up to fan boy/girl passions like the folks who try to tell you that the second Star Wars trilogy was good. They love it because it's Star Wars and they've abandoned their critical faculties. I lumped Sanderson fans into that group and never gave his books a fair shake. Then along comes the Legendarium podcast and this challenge and I figure I'll finally prove to myself that his books suck. Well, I tried to not like Mistborn. I went into it with my pre-conceived notions flared but after a few chapters I started to warm to the story and characters. A few chapters later I really started looking forward to getting back to the book. Then one day I realized that I was finally getting why all of you are so crazy about his work. Next thing I know I'm totally hooked! I raced to the finish when I got home from work tonight and I've already bought the second book. I can't type this fast enough knowing book 2 is waiting for me. I have drunk the Kool-Aid and I find it delicious. Now, if you'll excuse me... |
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| Hey guys, happy to be a part of this challenge. Really getting sucked into a massive Cosmere re-read and really loving it so much on the re-read and catching all the Easter eggs that tie the Cosmere together. Really, what got me into the re-read was knowing that Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning were both coming out last year and I wanted to re-read the original Mistborn trilogy to refresh myself. Before I knew it I was done with the Mistborn trilogy (and found the Legendarium podcast on reddit somewhere along the way to supplement my re-read). Now I've blown through all the Mistborn books, Elantris, and every Cosmere short story and novella, and I'm halfway through with my re-read of Warbreaker. After that it's back to the Stormlight Archive. After that there better be new content or I will be completely lost. Anyway thanks for putting this challenge together and I'm looking forward to the upcoming podcasts! |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Administrator - 2016-02-22 8:33 PM
I have drunk the Kool-Aid and I find it delicious.
This is an amazing note, thanks for letting us all know of your stunning conversion! I've been reading Sanderson since around the time he published Elantris, so I've never had to deal with the aversion you talk about, but I know exactly what you mean. Really glad you're enjoying it, and maybe we'll have to have you on the podcast at some point. After all, they say converts are the best missionaries!
AliasHandler - 2016-02-22 8:44 PM
After that it's back to the Stormlight Archive. After that there better be new content or I will be completely lost. Anyway thanks for putting this challenge together and I'm looking forward to the upcoming podcasts!
So excited to have you on board! If there's one thing we don't have to worry about with Sanderson, it's a shortage of content. In the less than 11 years since his debut (Elantris), I count 22 full-length (sometimes over-length, let's get real) novels, and at least 15 novellas and other shorter pieces. Outside of maybe Alexandre Dumas, I've never heard of someone as prolific as that. And he has no plans of slowing down! |
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| AliasHandler - 2016-02-23 4:44 AM
Hey guys, happy to be a part of this challenge. Really getting sucked into a massive Cosmere re-read and really loving it so much on the re-read and catching all the Easter eggs that tie the Cosmere together.
Although it's not a part of this challenge, I strongly suggest you read "Mistborn: Secret History" after "Bands of Mourning". It's only available as an eBook. It explains a lot of Cosmere/Shard related mechanics. And it may or may not feature everyone's favourite Kelsier. |
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| Glubbdrubb - 2016-02-23 8:14 AM
AliasHandler - 2016-02-23 4:44 AM
Hey guys, happy to be a part of this challenge. Really getting sucked into a massive Cosmere re-read and really loving it so much on the re-read and catching all the Easter eggs that tie the Cosmere together. Although it's not a part of this challenge, I strongly suggest you read "Mistborn: Secret History" after "Bands of Mourning". It's only available as an eBook. It explains a lot of Cosmere/Shard related mechanics. And it may or may not feature everyone's favourite Kelsier.
Way ahead of you! Both Bands of Mourning and Secret History were amazing. |
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| Mistborn secret history? |
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| ChristianSedai - 2016-02-25 1:37 AM
Mistborn secret history?
http://brandonsanderson.com/books/mistborn/secret-history/
"Mistborn: Secret History builds upon the characterization, events, and worldbuilding of the original trilogy." |
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Brandon has warned repeatedly that there are huge spoilers for not only the original trilogy, but also for Bands of Mourning. So I'm waiting to read it until I'm caught up on all the Mistborn novels. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Reminder: One more week until we record our episode discussing Shadows of Self! We'll publish it by 3/7. Big thanks to those who have written reviews already, and a call for anyone else who would like to be mentioned on the podcast to submit those reviews! |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Just in time for your Monday commute...the second episode is up! This one is on Shadows of Self, and our listener notes this week feature sahawkfire (thanks so much for the SoS review!) and our beloved Admin. (I know you haven't got this far yet, but we quote you at the beginning, before the spoilers.)
Our Bands of Mourning podcast will air in three weeks! |
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Location: New Zealand | Time for an update of where I am up to. Since my last post I have finished the Mistborn Trilogy, Alloy of Law and Calamity. Guess I'm not a newbie at the Brandon Sanderson reading thing anymore!
I fell in love with the first Mistborn book, was a bit iffy about the second, and loved the third. Alloy of Law was a lot of fun. Next up will be Shadows of Self, then Bands of Mourning.
Also, I have been to my local bookshop and picked up Words of Radiance and The Way of Kings. They are hefty books. Funny thing - the lady in the bookstore raved about Sanderson when I took them to the counter, and we ended up having a discussion about Mistborn. In just over two months I have gone from never having read a Brandon Sanderson to having discussions with strangers about his books!
Edited by Weesam 2016-03-07 2:05 PM
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Location: New Zealand | Shadows of Self finished. Awesome. Straight into Bands of Mourning. |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | TheLegendarium - 2016-03-06 7:32 PM Just in time for your Monday commute... the second episode is up! This one is on Shadows of Self, and our listener notes this week feature sahawkfire (thanks so much for the SoS review! ) and our beloved Admin. (I know you haven't got this far yet, but we quote you at the beginning, before the spoilers. ) Our Bands of Mourning podcast will air in three weeks! I'm famous! Here is my update for the challenge. I just finished the Mistborn trilogy and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I did the audio books, knowing they're great big door stoppers, and I'm glad I did. I got through much of the series on my daily commute and indeed quite a bit of it during work when my tasks weren't too complicated. Each of the books is around 28 hours of listening pleasure not only for the story but for the excellent narrator - which can make or break a book. I'm tempted to jump right into The Alloy of Law cause I'd like to catch up to the podcast but I think I better take a short break and read something else first. Don't want to burn myself out or anything and I've got lots of other challenges needing my attention at the moment. I'll have you know that I got all fan-boy on the series and found myself enthusiastically recommending the series to a co-worker today. Then I realized what I was doing and starting laughing. I'm one of you nut jobs now it seems  |
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| Administrator - 2016-03-17 7:17 PM
I'm one of you nut jobs now it seems
Yeah you are!
Good call on waiting for Alloy of Law. I cleansed my palette as well, but that lasted at least 5 years. That was too long. 
Whenever you do get to them, be aware that they're less than half the length. In some ways, they're more exciting, too. (They're more action-y without as much introspection. Good and bad, IMO.) So you'll just tear through them. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Whoops, should have signed in before posting that...  |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | I started The Final Empire yesterday, and so far I'm doing OK. Mr. Sanderson tends to be stingy on giving readers info about the sources of the power the characters posses, and how the governing powers came to be and function. Now before the fans start foaming at the mouth, I am only 35 pages in and I'm not criticizing the author. By doling out info slowly, the reader is drawn into the story to try and figure out how this world works. It is like being a visitor in a foreign land where one does not know the customs. When done skillfully, it is so much more entertaining that a large infodump right in the beginning. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Glad to hear you've started! You'll have a ball, I'm sure of it. And I couldn't agree more about the build-it-up-slowly style he uses. One of the cool things about the Mistborn series in particular is that he's set up a magic system that's so well thought out that he's able to explore it through six (up to 13, eventually) books in a lot of different ways. I'm always incredibly excited when someone picks up the series for the first time. Keep us posted here on how it goes for you! (Even if you hate it!) |
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| That slow burn is Sanderson's style. The magic system is so well thought out and intricate in the Mistborn series, it makes a lot of sense that he only gives you a little bit of it at a time. As you learn more about it you get more answers, but this raises future questions. I spent a significant amount of time researching the magic system in Mistborn once I caught up because I found it so interesting. |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | The Final Empire update: 120 pages in, and although I am not quite ready to "drink the Kool-aide" like our fearless leader Dave, I am enjoying the book. We did get a bit of an infodump with the introduction of Vin to the thieves gang. It was well placed and much needed by that point. I now also know what the basic premise of this book is going to be, you know the overthrow of the Lord Ruler. I already have suspicions regarding Vin. I'm guessing her father was the Lord Ruler, not because of anything I have read so far, but just how these stories tend to flow. I could be totally wrong, and I know no one is going to tell me now, but it ill be interesting to see if I am right.
I am also currently reading "The Aeronaut's Windlass" by Jim Butcher, another author known for his world building. Since these are both the first books in their respective series, it will be interesting to see how they compare. I know that Mr. Butcher's series "Codex Alera" would be a better comparison, but I read them back in 2013 and I'm not up to reading that series again so soon!
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Location: Middle TN, USA | The Final Empire Update: 281 pages in (that's just about the half way point): While sitting at Easter dinner and thinking about The Final Empire I started getting this sweet yet slightly bitter taste in my mouth, could it be the taste of Sanderson flavored Kool-Aid? I mean here I was sitting at the table supposed to be celebrating the resurrection of our lord and savior and all I was wondering was when I would be able to get back to the book, because I had to put it down in the middle of a mistborn fight between Vin and the Steel Inquisitors! |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | So much fun to watch you read! Very excited to hear what you think of the ending. Don't worry, you'll stop fighting soon and just enjoy the Kool-aid. =) |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Bands of Mourning podcast is up!
Edited by TheLegendarium 2016-03-28 4:10 PM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | There was no way we were going to skip this one! We did a Mistborn: Secret History podcast, partly because the novella was so great, and partly because this was the most requested episode we've ever had, BY FAR. Enjoy!
Edited by TheLegendarium 2016-04-09 12:58 AM
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Location: Middle TN, USA | The Final Empire: I finished the book April 2nd, but I had already put the second book on reserve when I was 400 pages in. I thought the book was vey well written, and not just a well written fantasy book, but just a great book. Period. The characters and the world were brought to life in a natural way. I loved that although there was a love interest, Mr. Sanderson was smart enough to bring in an age appropriate love interest for Vin. Because Kelsier, if not old enough to be her Dad, was old enough to be a creepy uncle. But the romance was light and that was even more appreciated.
The funny thing about this book was really when you think about it, it would be harder to find a more clichd story. Now again, before all the fans start foaming at the mouth and calling for my head,It did not matter that this was a tired old story plot, because it was so well written, it felt fresh and new. It was only after I had finished the book and really started thinking about it critically that I realized how clichd the story was. If that is not the sign of a great writer, I just don't know what is!!
I'm looking forward to book 2 The Well of Ascension. I guess I was wrong about Vin's parentage, but there is still a niggling sensation in the back of my mind that there is something there. I don't think we have heard the last about Vin's parentage, maybe in a future book?
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Badseedgirl - 2016-04-12 2:48 PM
I loved that although there was a love interest, Mr. Sanderson was smart enough to bring in an age appropriate love interest for Vin. Because Kelsier, if not old enough to be her Dad, was old enough to be a creepy uncle. But the romance was light and that was even more appreciated.
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It did not matter that this was a tired old story plot, because it was so well written, it felt fresh and new. It was only after I had finished the book and really started thinking about it critically that I realized how clichd the story was. If that is not the sign of a great writer, I just don't know what is!!
Glad you enjoyed it so much! There's something immensely satisfying about a book recommendation working out well. I think you're absolutely right on both counts mentioned above. I especially like that the possibility of a romance between Vin and Kelsier is acknowledged in her mind, then discarded. She has some real and powerful emotions toward him, and has to sort out exactly what those are. Of course she (and we) would wonder if it's a romantic thing. Glad it wasn't.
As for the cliche thing, again, you're right. I hope you're well into Well of Ascension, though. One of my favorite things about the trilogy as a whole is that where the cliched story usually ends is only the end of Book 1 here. It's like the end of Return of the Jedi, when the rebels blow of the Death Star (again), and then we're left to ask, "Ok...then what?" And that's the question that Sanderson tackles that few other authors successfully do.
So excited for you to work through this trilogy! Keep us updated on your progress! Love hearing your thoughts! |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | So here's my update for the challenge. I cruised through The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self rather quickly via audio book -- combined they're about as long as one volume of the original trilogy. Really enjoying them though perhaps not as much as the first 3 books. These feel a little lighter like Sanderson was writing them just for fun rather than trying to create an epic. I'm down with that though so it's all good. The best part of the series is the Wax and Wane interplay and the narrator plays it up rather nicely. I'm a few chapters into The Bands of Mourning now and should be done by week's end. My co-worker is on book 2 now and we talk about it all the time which is a lot of fun. Feels like we're back in high school "Dude, where you at now? Oh! That's a great scene!"
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| Since I've already read four Sanderson books since January, I'm partway through Secret History, and I intend to read at least one more this year anyway, I finally caved and entered the challenge. "Challenge" seems a silly word, though, because this is just fun! Thanks, guys, for introducing me to this author. He rocks!
Edited by miss_dizzy 2016-05-01 1:16 AM
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Location: Middle TN, USA | I got Well of Ascension from the Library May 4th and am 20% in. I am doing the audiobook on this one, because I also have an ARC of Justin Cronin's City of Mirror. Both are 600 plus page books, so I figured I can "read" Ascension on my commute. I'm really enjoying that this story is really the tale of what happens after the "happily ever after."
If all fantasy was like Mr. Sanderson's work I would definitely read more Fantasy!!  |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Badseedgirl - 2016-05-09 10:56 AM
I got Well of Ascension from the Library May 4th and am 20% in. I am doing the audiobook on this one, because I also have an ARC of Justin Cronin's City of Mirror. Both are 600 plus page books, so I figured I can "read" Ascension on my commute. I'm really enjoying that this story is really the tale of what happens after the "happily ever after."
If all fantasy was like Mr. Sanderson's work I would definitely read more Fantasy!!
YES to all of this. I think you'll enjoy the more cerebral, mysterious nature of WOA. It's a little slower and requires a bit more patience, but the character development and analysis is wonderful. And I've often said the same thing about "after the happily ever after." It's like the old arguments about what a disaster blowing up the second Death Star would have caused on Endor. Nice to see some repercussions for the heroes' actions.
And I suspect that Sanderson's style will have a huge impact on fantasy for the next generation or two. If you're enjoying this, I'd suggest taking up Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind. He's a little more artful with his language than Sanderson, even if he's a little less artful in storytelling. Great read (or listen). |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | OMG!?!? "The Watcher" Zane = Anti-Eland. Half brothers and both in love with Vin. Oohh this book is getting juicier than the best soap opera.
Edited by Badseedgirl 2016-05-09 12:34 PM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Love the enthusiasm! You must promise us some detailed thoughts when you've finished the trilogy!! |
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Location: New Zealand | I have finished my Brandon Sanderson challenge. Nothing left to read. What am I going to do with the rest of the year? When is his next book coming out?
Guess I'm not a Sanderson newbie anymore. |
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| Just write up a couple reviews. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | True dat, we love to read everyone's reviews. |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | Well of Ascension update: Just over 50% done. Audiobook is slow going, reading it would have been faster. If anything I am enjoying this book better than the first. We the reader are getting to see the feet of clay on our heroes. This makes them less heroic, but more realistic. I love that! Vin is making mistakes and wrong assumptions, which I find myself shaking my head at, until I remember that she is 16 years old. I have one of those at home right now and can honestly say she makes one colossal mistake each week and if our freedom depended on her making wise decisions, we would all be dead a thousand times over. I am enjoying the details on the Kondra, they are to me, the most interesting character in the book right now. I have already put my name on reserve for The Hero of Ages at the library. People will say I'm in love |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | We've got you hooked now!
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| Badseedgirl - 2016-05-14 6:35 AM
Audiobook is slow going, reading it would have been faster.
The Audible app has playback speed control, right?
I use a specialised app for audiobooks on my phone (Smart Audiobook Player), so I listen to books at 2x speed. Highly recommended. |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | @Glubbdrubb - I listen to my books on my Nook (don't judge me) so I don't have any speed control.
Well of Ascension: I just finished the book and I need a couple days. I am an emotional ball of goo at the moment. Somehow I feel like I have been emotionally abused by Mr. Sanderson and I'm not sure why. I found this book eminately satisfying, and yet still there is something. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | I can't quite tell how to feel about the "something" you're talking about, but I'm at least glad that you're enjoying the books, and that they're affecting you in some way. =) CAN'T WAIT for you to get to the end of Hero of Ages. I'll need to alert the authorities to come scrape your brains off the wall when Sanderson blows your mind. |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | Finished! Both Elantris and my Elantrian level reading challenge. I typically don't finish these challenges, though I sometimes get close, so I'm quite pleased with myself at the moment. I read the audio books on my daily commute which knocked out a big portion of these rather long books. I got through them much faster than I thought I would but I really got hooked right up front when I least expected it and they've been a lot of fun to read. It's time to move on, however. There are other books and authors to read.
With 2014 days left I'm not ruling out a return to the Sanderson challenge later in the year but I've GOT to take a break and read some other stuff for my other challenges. A jump to the Mistborn level (3 more books) seems a likely occurrence now that I think about it but I'm going to stay strong and move on to... oh, The Reckoners looks interesting and it's 3 books... now where was I? Oh yea, staying strong. When I get done with my other reading challenges, perhaps then... what's this Way of Kings book about? It's got a 4.57 star average rating from 74 WWEnders. Maybe I can just dip back in for one more to help finish off my Audiobook Reading Challenge... ahem.... sooooo.... other authors. I've got a stack of books by other authors on my desk to choose from and... oh, wait, Firstborn is a novella available for free from Tor.com? i could read that for my Tor.com Free Short Fiction Reading Challenge! A Sanderson novella must be 400 pages AND it's a sci-fi book! I didn't know he wrote sci-fi.... Staying strong is obviously going to be harder than I thought. Damn you Gragdet Sanderson and your Dakhor monks at the Legendarium!
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | The Legendarium Podcast crew in our studio like:
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Location: Middle TN, USA | I am taking a brief Sanderson break. It is time to start my summer reading list or as I like to call it my "Lite and Fluffy list" Mistborn is many things but it is neither "lite" or "fluffy." I still plan to monitor this forum and my throw in my 2 cents but I will be back with "The Hero of Ages" in September (or sooner if I tear through my lite and fluffy.)
Dave congrats of completing the challenge.
Edited by Badseedgirl 2016-06-06 12:58 AM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Halfway through the year! We just finished our Elantris episode! Three more books to go in the podcast series, but it will probably end up being about 7 episodes, since we'll take the Stormlight Archives nice and slow.
Congrats to Badseedgirl for being able to put down Mistborn without finishing the trilogy immediately. Willpower, ladies and gentlemen. =)
Edited by TheLegendarium 2016-06-27 7:39 PM
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| Huge Sanderson fan as well as Tolkien, so when I came across the Legendarium, I knew that I had found the right (and best) Fantasy PodCast.
In regards to the Sanderson Challenge, I have already read many of the books, so for this challenge, do I need ot re-read them to qualify, or mark them as read from the previous date?
Keep up the great and inspirational work guys, and you have converted (or added) another Legendaire. (Is that a thing? It should be.) |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Awesome, we're glad to have you! As for nicknames, I don't think we've settled on one yet, so I'll throw yours in the mix! Thanks so much for listening. The two best compliments we get are "I've listened to more than one episode of the show" and "I shared it with my friends."
Since it's a "2016 Challenge" you would technically need to read each book on your list this year for it to count. The good news is that 1) there's lots of year left; 2) You can add some of the novellas to save time; and 3) there are 4 levels of challenge, so there's no need to go straight for Knight Radiant level (13 books, 4 reviews). Whichever level you choose, don't forget to write up some reviews on the book page!
It doesn't look like you've added any books yet, but I know the process can be confusing (it certainly was for me). Or maybe you just haven't gotten to it yet. =) But if you're having trouble adding them, follow these steps:
--Log into your account.
--At the top of any page on the site, you'll find a search bar. Search the author or title.
--On the search results screen, click on the cover of the book you're looking for. (You can also do this by clicking on the covers other people have added on the challenge page).
--On the book page, in the middle, look for the BookTrackr section, where you can mark the book as "read", "reading", etc.
--At the bottom of the BookTrackr, if you've subscribed to the challenge, check the box marked "The Legendarium Podcast - The Year of Sanderson Reading Challenge".
Voila, the book is added! If the book is unread, it will show up as lighter/translucent on the challenge page. Once you've completed it (and marked it on the BookTrackr), it will be fully colored in. Also, note that the BookTrackr is where you can leave the reviews required in the challenge. Once you've reviewed the book, a small icon will show up under the book on the challenge page. |
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| Okay - I have them added and I am beginning my re-read of all non-2016 books to get caught up -
Thank you again Legendarium for your podcast, your reviews, and your Mythica work as well. I look forward to getting caught up with you guys and listening to your thoughts on the Sanderson works. |
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| I Discovered Sanderson last year during my summer break and read most of his cosmere books in the span 2 months after that. I'm finally done with the Brandon Sanderson Challenge rereading everything. I've been taking it slower this time and reading some other books in that time like The Gentleman Bastards series (Scott Lynch), Kingkiller Chronicles (Patrick Rothfuss) and First Law Trilogy(Joe Abercrombie). Really enjoyed rereading them and finding all the little clues and tidbits Brandon left for people who are rereading. I've since read The Final Empire 5 Times(3 times audiobook, 1 time paperback and 1 time Graphic audio). Really enjoy your podcasts, keep up the good work. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | So glad you read along with the challenge! I'm especially glad to see all your reviews of the books! We'll see about mining those for some things to talk about in future episodes. Glad to have you as a listener. |
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| Well... I already re-read mistborn this year, before reading shadows, bands, and secret history. I'm up for giving some more sanderson books (re-)reads for the sake of a challenge! Count me in. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Awesome! Glad to have you here, and let us know if you have any insights on your re-reads! |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | The kids are back in school, so summer is officially over for me  I am now ready to tackle the next Mistborn book, Hero of Ages. That's right, I'm back. |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | 
I'm so happy for you. And for us! I'll be waiting excitedly to hear what you think. |
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| I am slowing myself down while reading TWoK right now after listening to your podcast thanks to the suggestion on the podcast where someone had done that to another book (Fellowship? I forget) to color-code highlight dialog by each character. And holy cow, I'm noticing some things so early on, that refers to stuff much much later on. Wow.
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | That was me! (Craig)
It really was a great way to read LotR, and I'm considering doing it again for Stormlight. Glad you're digging it, and I hope you'll send us some pics! Maybe with some notes on what you're noticing. craig [at] thelegendariumpodcast [dot] com |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Actually, I don't think there is a way to delete a post. What happens if you edit it down to nothing? |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | I'll just leave this here so everyone can freak out about it. Brandon Sanderson's COSMERE universe optioned for filmhttp://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2016/10/brandon-sandersons-cosmere-universe.html |
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Oh my word, yes. Saw this earlier today. We've already been having a good mini discussion about it over on the facebook page.
It's fun to see which side people come down on right away: super excited about having any adaptation at all; or really apprehensive about who's doing it, how it will be done, etc. |
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| Progress:
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Well of Ascension
Hero of Ages
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Mistborn: Secret History
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
The Rithmatist
Out of 10 books promised.
Wow, didnt realize I had gotten so far.
Edited by sylverfyre 2016-10-27 8:30 PM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Very nice! Did you skip Alloy of Law? Or just forget to add that one to your list?
Also, have you had a favorite so far? I haven't read the Rithmatist, would love to hear your thoughts. |
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| No, i didnt skip. I just reread the original trilogy just before getting my hands on shadows/bands/SH.
WoK and WoR were second reads too. Following along with you guys is too much fun. |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | I just finished Hero of Ages and if I ever see Mr. Brandon Sanderson at a con, I'm going to walk right up to him and give him a huge hug and then kick him in the nuts!!!!! That is what he just did to his readers, the ending was both tragic and beautiful and I plan to eventually read the next books in the series, but I'm going to need a minute to recover. But why, why, why. That is all I can really say about this third book in the series.
Edited by Badseedgirl 2016-12-19 12:41 PM
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Location: Salt Lake City, UT | YES!! That's the reaction I love to hear! So glad you enjoyed it, and that the ending got such a strong reaction from you. It's my favorite ending in all of fantasy literature. I get wanting to recover before moving on with the series, certainly nothing wrong with that. Be aware, though, that the tone of the Mistborn Era 2 books is very different. So jumping from one to the other is not continuing in the same vein. Where Era 1 is big and emotional and E-P-I-C, Era 2 is more simply adventurous, along the lines of Indiana Jones or Sherlock Holmes. Whenever you get to it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. |
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The Legendarium Podcast - 2016 Brandon Sanderson Challenge