Fantasy

Background

Published in March 2011, “The Wise Man’s Fear,” by Patrick Rothfuss, is the second book in the epic fantasy series “The Kingkiller Chronicle.” Continuing the journey of Kvothe, a gifted young man with a mysterious past, the story delves deeper into his adventures and trials. Kvothe pursues knowledge at the University, seeking answers about the mysterious Chandrian who killed his parents. His journey takes him through encounters with powerful beings, political intrigue, and romantic entanglements, all while honing his skills in magic, music, and combat.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed the writing and the book pulled me in. However, I didn’t really care for the sex and the whole philosophy surrounding it with the Adem people. Fortunately, there wasn’t much through the book and it didn’t have much bearing on the plot. Kvothe is still young and bumbling, but it is becoming very powerful very quickly. This doesn’t bode too well for the following books. However, the fact the reader is shown Kvothe in the present day as a simple innkeeper runs an interesting counterpoint to his younger days. I’m interested to see where it goes.

Recommendation

This one was a LONG book, but I just kept going back to the well.

Background

Published on November 2013, “Mitosis,” by Brandon Sanderson, is a novella set in the Reckoners universe, bridging the gap between “Steelheart” and “Firefight.” The story follows David Charleston and the Reckoners as they continue their fight against the superpowered Epics in the dystopian city of Newcago. When a new Epic named Mitosis arrives, possessing the ability to create deadly clones of himself, David and his team must confront this new threat. The novella explores themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the ongoing struggle against tyranny in a world where extraordinary powers often lead to extraordinary corruption.

My Thoughts

A fun and very quick read of the first Epic to come looking for “Steelslayer.” It was a bit of nostalgia to read of an earlier time when “Prof” hadn’t turned and David needed to start acting on his own. I found this book fit very well between the first two books of the Reckoners series.

Recommendation

Not needed for the larger story but still fun.

Background

Published in 2007, “The Name of the Wind” is a fantasy novel by Patrick Rothfuss, first published in March 2007. It is the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle series, which narrates the story of Kvothe, an adventurer and musician recounting his life’s story to a chronicler over three days. In this first installment, Kvothe shares his early childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, and his daring acceptance into a legendary school of magic. The novel is known for its deep character development, detailed world-building, and the intricate interplay of truth and myth as Kvothe describes his transformation from a precocious youth into a figure of mythic renown.

My Thoughts

It took me a while to get into the book, but it was worth it. Rothfuss created an interesting world where technology is edging out magic. Where normal people are trying to live with their superstitions and understandable anxieties when the unexplainable occurs. Moreover, he created a character that a reader can both root for and identify with. There is much more story to go and I’m excited for the next book in the series.

Recommendation

Hold on through the first part. It gets better once the innkeeper’s life story begins.

Background

Published in Feb 2016, “Calamity: Heroes Will Rise,” is the conclusion to Brandon Sanderson’s Reckoners trilogy. The story follows David Charleston and the Reckoners as they continue their fight against the oppressive Epics, superhumans with extraordinary powers and corrupt intentions. In a desperate bid to bring down the ultimate Epic, Calamity, David grapples with new revelations about the source of the Epics’ powers and the possibility of redemption for those consumed by them.

My Thoughts

This book was a fitting conclusion to the series and was just as good as the rest. Sanderson does a great job of keeping the reader on edge and still manages to give a surprise ending. There are still a number of unanswered questions regarding the Epics and the door is wide open to continue on with the series. However, we are now several years later on and it doesn’t look like there will be much more work on it.

Recommendation

Great book

Background

Published in Jan of 2015, “Firefight” “Firefight” is a science fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson and is the second book in the Reckoners series. We follow the protagonist David Charleston as he continues his battle against the Epics, superpowered individuals who have subjugated Earth. In this installment, David travels to the city of Babilar (formerly Manhattan) to confront a powerful Epic named Regalia. As he delves deeper into the mysterious workings of the Epics’ powers, David grapples with his feelings for Megan, an Epic whose abilities and intentions remain unclear. “Firefight” blends action, mystery, and romance, expanding the Reckoners’ universe and exploring themes of power, redemption, and identity.

My Thoughts

Extremely readable and a great sequel. It had all the trimmings; more character development, a continuing story, the same tone and pacing, inside jokes from the first novel, and (of course), exposition. Much like producer Joss Whedon, Sanderson isn’t afraid to break a few eggs in his characters as well. Scattered through the book are some pretty expected graphic deaths of people the reader has learned to know and love. Honestly, I had a hard time putting this one down.

Recommendation

Great book. I’m excited to get to the next one in the series.

Background

Published in 2023, “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter,” is a fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. Set on the planet Komashi, the story follows Yumi, a spirit-calling yoki-hijo, and Nikaro, a nightmare painter. The duo must work together after swapping bodies to uncover the secrets behind a world controlled by a memory-erasing Father Machine. Narrated by Hoid, this third book in the Cosmere universe’s “Secret Projects” campaign blends mystery, adventure, and magic.

My Thoughts

The start was a little rough as the reader bounces back and forth from Yumi to the Nightmare Painter. Both worlds follow different sets of issues and seemly even basic physics and it took a while to parse it out since they were so foreign to our own concepts. However, the story pulls together and just keeps getting better and better. I loved the ending.

Recommendation

Great book.

Background

Published in 2004, “New Spring” is a fantasy novel by Robert Jordan serving as a prequel to his acclaimed Wheel of Time series. The book explores the early years of two central characters, Lan Mandragoran and Moiraine Damodred, starting with the events of the Aiel War and leading up to Moiraine becoming an Aes Sedai. The story kicks off with a prophecy about the birth of the Dragon Reborn and follows Moiraine and her friend Siuan as they begin their dangerous quest to locate the newborn dragon.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed the Wheel of Time series and have been interested in this book for a bit. Particularly, since the the release of the Wheel of Time series on Netflix. I was very bothered by a few things in the series which I took as gratuitous or without precedence. This continued to needle at me, in particular the sexual relationship between Moiraine and Siuan.

However, the build up between Lan and Moiraine was fun. To see Moiraine as both childish and petty was enjoyable and was well within the character arc. However, Lan continued to be Lan, just as hard as he ever was. It’s difficult not to like the guy, but I was hoping for more of a glimpse of his youthful imperfections. Perhaps his woman troubles will have to do.

Recommendation

A fun book. However, I would recommend you read the series before this prequel. I don’t know I would be a fan of some of the characters without having the rest of the story already in my mind.

Background

Published in 1977, “The Sword of Shannara: In The Shadow of the Warlock Lord” is the first book in a series by Terry Brooks. The story is set in the Shannara universe, where the last remaining descendant of the Shannara family, Shea Ohmsford, is tasked with finding the powerful Sword of Shannara to defeat the evil Warlock Lord. With the help of his brother Flick and the wise Druid Allanon, Shea embarks on a perilous journey, facing various magical creatures and challenges.

My Thoughts

I don’t remember too much about this book but I could have sworn I’d read it before. Still, Terry Brooks is finding his feet with the characters and series in general. While I understand the need to set up heroes and villains, I feel the characters are too black and white. All good or all bad. The elves, dwarves, and so on are a little bit different than other cultural mainstays such as Tolkien. Like many series, the first book could stand on it’s own without going further, but I’m interested to see where the story goes from here.

Recommendation

Not bad, but there are better stories out there.

Background

Published in 1999, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third book in wildly popular Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. This book starts in the now familiar world of magic living along side the normal world of muggles in modern day England. Harry Potter is a 13 year old who keeps finding the fate of the wizarding world in his hands.

My Thoughts

When I was in grad school, I found mental rest by reading the Harry Potter series after struggling through all of the dense material of my classes. I started reading this again in a similar situation and found it a great way to wind down from the day. It has been a continual pleasure to read.

Of course, there are flaws in everything. Rowling’s writing builds upon itself and she adds more and more depth to the world of magic she created. This causes the occasional lack of consistency such as how difficult it was to produce a corporeal patronus in this book as to how easy it became later has he taught it to the D.A. members. Also, the near infinite ways magic we see used in the world could be easily applied to different situations. Still, we forgive these little issues because it’s just so fun to read.

Recommendation

A great book and a great series. And yes, it is better than the movie.