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Calling all Sanderson fans!
@idon’tknowanyoneelsewhowouldbeinterested
If you don’t want spoilers and haven’t read at least WoK, WoR, OB, and RoW, I suggesting avoiding this discussion. I haven’t read Edgedancer or Dawnshard, but I know basically what happens in them, so I don’t care if anyone mentions them. Brandon Sanderson also released preview draft chapters of KoWT. (You can find them on the page for Knights of Wind and Truth on the coppermind.) If we reference anything from these, write each word backwards ekil siht.
Anyway, here are my long winded thoughts on each of these books
The Way of Kings
4th best book
3rd best climax
Strengths: This books biggest strength is that we see everything for the first time. It seems to me that a lot of characters go through the same or a similar arc in most books, but since this is the first one, we see all of that for the first time here. It’s climax is also more meaningful from a character development standpoint than some of the others.
Weaknesses: I found this one incredibly slow. Probably the only reason I pushed through was because I could tell something great was waiting after it. I feel like it takes forever for the plot to move on. I would sum this book up as “50% Kaladin wallowing in self pity, 25% Shallan agonizing about past and future decisions , and 25% Dalinar trying to decide if he’s insane or not.”
Words of Radiance
1st best book
2nd best climax
Strengths: First of all, I love the interactions between the main characters in this book. They barely interacted in book one, so it was fun to see them fighting in this one. Unlike books 3 and 4, Kaladin is a significantly different character arc in this book. The climax was epic.
Weaknesses: I feel that it was hard to pick out any sort of character arc for Shallan or Dalinar, despite this being Shallan’s focus book. While the climax of Kaladin’s story is easy to pick out, I couldn’t name what Shallan’s would be, even though she’s the main character in this book. I don’t remember Dalinar really doing anything.
Oathbringer
3rd Best book
1st Best climax
Strengths
Most of this book’s strength lies in its amazing climax. It was probably the most dramatic climax of all the books. So many characters showed up there, and Dalinar’s actual conflict was the best of any. What makes Dalinar’s choice more meaningful is that we get to see Moash make the opposite choice and become a monster.
Weaknesses:
This book is the slowest, except for WoK. I can barely remember anything that happened in the early middle. I would again struggle to say what Shallan’s conflict was in this one, and Kaladin’s seemed to just be a variation on previous arcs.
Rhythym of War
2nd best book
4th best climax
Strengths: I would say that this book was pretty entertaining throughout, similar to WoR. Beyond that, I don’t have much to say.
Weaknesses: First if all, the attention of this book was very unevenly split. We spent almost all our time with Kaladin, Navani, and Venli, who are all in the same place. Dalinar is barely in it—I wouldn’t even say he has any character development. Shallan and Adolin’s storyline gets shoved aside for long periods of time. Another downside to this book is that it focuses on Venli, a character who we barely met until OB and I honestly don’t care about, whereas the first three books each focused on one of the three main characters. That said, I didn’t dislike this book, it’s my second favorite. I enjoyed seeing Kaladin without all his powers, and the story was over all decent. The climax of this book is my least favorite for several reasons, first of all, Kaladin’s character arc feels like a more intense version of previous ones, which takes away from his climactic moment. (Venli’s climax wasn’t interesting, because I don’t find her character interesting.) Furthermore, all the characters were on their own for the climax, rather than having them all come together like previous ones.
So what do other people think? Agree? Disagree? I’m happy to discuss these ideas further.
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📚 Appreciator of BooksI am in the middle of OB as I speak, so you probably won’t see me on here until I finish RoW.
The only thing I have to say right now is that I found the first book most memorable. That’s probably because it’s the first one, and therefore the first time I saw the world. But another strength I’d like to add, which is continued in the other books but is a huge part of WoK, is the underdogs trope.
Honestly it kept me riveted throughout the entire thing, and by the end I was reading under my blankets at two in the morning trying to finish it. I just wanted Bridge Four to win. That was all I wanted – and I found that I was more interested in Kaladin’s depression, because I wanted him to get out of the mud and help them despite how often slaves died. This may have also been important to me, because I’ve had that problem lately of trying to push past problems I’ve had since forever, and thinking I’ve made progress, only to crash again for the millionth time.
Maybe it seems repetitive to anyone who hasn’t been in that place, but that just stuck to me.
But WoR did have an amazing climax, not gonna lie. Kaladin’s flaws, and overcoming of those flaws, definitely had me both angry at him and sorry for him.
As for Shallan’s climax, which you mentioned you couldn’t determine, I would say it was in the Shattered Plains with Kaladin, while they hid together from the floods.
Her story is all about lies. The changing of her personality, the trying to be someone she’s not, pretending her past never happened, etc. Then she remembers why she lies. Once remembering is past her, she could finally see herself for who she is – knowing that her lies had become her new reality, but that as long as she understands why she is like that, she can use the lies to her advantage. Also seeing her from Kaladin’s point of view shows us how far she’s come.
That’s all I have right now 🙂
“Everything is a mountain”
I can agree with some of that about WoK. I just find that Kaladin’s depression is just a constant thing and it gets boring. That said, since WoK is the first book, it isn’t as annoying as later books.
As for WoR, I could see that being Shallan’s climax, although I would expect it to be later. I actually think that scene was more important for Kaladin, because he realized there were other people with bad things in their lives. I guess I would put forward that Shallan’s climax is at the end in Urithiru when she confronts the fact that she killed her mother.
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📚 Appreciator of BooksAlso, for everyone, how do you pronounce Adolin? I pronounce it with an ‘A’ sound as in ‘apple.’ My sister, @highscribeofaetherium , pronounced it with an ‘A’ sound as in the letter ‘A.’
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📚 Appreciator of BooksYeah, I usually get easily annoyed with depressed characters, but Kaladin somehow didn’t get on my nerves. So I would be agreeing with you strongly if it weren’t for that, funnily enough.
Oh yeah, I can see that working too. I’m not picky with the exact moment a character triumphs over something internal, just as long as I can tell what it is and the rough timeline.
I used to pronounce it like you, but a friend kept saying it the other way sooooo often that I switched.
Oh, you’re @highscribeofaetherium ‘s brother?
“Everything is a mountain”
Yes, I am.
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📚 Appreciator of BooksI’m in the middle of OB as well, but I looked through your thoughts on the books before. I agree with Whale’s assessment on Kaladin. Suffering is what makes characters interesting to me personally, as well as how they deal with said suffering. Kaladin was often wallowing yes, and obviously not without good reason, but it can still get boring if too repetitious. Kaladin however throughout the book has a consistent, continual growth. We can see him improve, honestly trying to do his best.
Of course, he completes this arch in the first book, bot his depression still continues throughout the series, which is quite annoying yes, but it also makes sense. He as a character, represents a human man with a difficult past, and even when he rises above his struggles, he can very easily fall back down into the wretch as he terms it. It doesn’t make it any less annoying, and it could perhaps be layered off a bit for other narratives, but that’s just a major aspect of who he is, what he has to deal with, even if he rises above it, it’s still now a part of him. At least this is my two cents, but you are ultimately right that it can get annoying fast, if he keeps going back down into his wallowing.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
Yeah, I think your right about that. My issue is that realistic-ness doesn’t justify a boring story. Kaladin’s depression continues throughout the entire series, and in my opinion that is the problem. It feels like he goes through the same arc over and over. I can’t really say that it is a problem in any specific book, though. In WoK it does kind of drag, but it’s fine. In WoR, he doesn’t deal with it as much, and in OB, Kaladin isn’t as prominent of a character. I won’t say anything about RoW except that he continues to go through similar problems. Compounded across four books, it gets a bit boring.
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📚 Appreciator of BooksI actually also have similar feelings about Shallan’s completing similar arcs in each book, but mainly in OB and RoW, so I won’t say anything for now.
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📚 Appreciator of BooksYeah, that’s true. I just thought I’d point it out, and I haven’t gotten to RoW yet, but I think I’ll still enjoy it. It is a common complaint I’ve heard about Kaladin specifically, and it isn’t unfounded, I just differ from the view.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
I can respect that. It bothers me, but I get over it. At this point, I’m just interested to see how he completes his arc in the 5th book, given where he is at the end of RoW. I have some thoughts about that, but I won’t say anything now, since you haven’t gotten to RoW yet.
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📚 Appreciator of BooksSounds good, I’ll be excited to discuss it when I get there!
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
Has anyone taken Sanderson’s official Knights Radiant quiz. (You answer questions and it tell you which order you would most likely be in.)
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📚 Appreciator of BooksOh no, that’s a thing🤣 Of course that’s a thing, I gotta try this now!
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
This is the link to it.🏰 Fantasy Writer
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