Published in 2016, “The Shattered Lens” by Brandon Sanderson is the fourth book in the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series. Alcatraz Smedry faces a critical challenge as he works to defend the Free Kingdom city of Tuki Tuki from an impending invasion by the Librarians. With his talent for breaking things and the support of his allies, including Bastille and his extended Smedry family, Alcatraz confronts the Librarians’ advanced weaponry and their attempts to seize control. The story delves into themes of leadership, responsibility, and ingenuity as Alcatraz navigates the complexities of protecting his world while growing into his role as a leader.
The Shattered Lens
My Thoughts
This was a fun read and full of odd one offs and insider humor. I love that! As with the other books in the series, I feel like it would have been more effective if Alcatraz was older. Much of the narrative and actions of the characters feel like they are a few years older at a minimum. Regardless, I’m almost to the end of the series and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
Published in 2018, “The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton is a mystery set in a crumbling estate called Blackheath. Aiden Bishop, finds himself trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over with the task to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. Each morning, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest, gaining their unique perspective and skills, but also inheriting their flaws and biases. As Aiden pieces together the events of the day, he must contend with hidden agendas, shifting alliances, and others determined to thwart his progress.
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
My Thoughts
This book was recommended by a couple of friends of ours and so I was excited to get into it. I didn’t read the summary and I put out of my mind everything our friends told us about the book. (Other than they really liked it.) My wife and I decided to read it together and we did so separately. On retrospect, that wasn’t the best idea due to the subject matter.
The first part of the book is all lived through a “host” and didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t supposed to at the time but I thought the guy was simply insane. As the book kept going, more and more made sense. Although, it does keep you guessing till the very end. Every theory I had throughout the book wasn’t even close to the eventual plot.
Recommendation
It was ok. I didn’t really love it but mysteries aren’t my preference.
Published in 1985, “Jubal Sackett” by Louis L’Amour is the fourth novel in the Sackett series, chronicling the adventures of Jubal, the restless son of Barnabas Sackett. A natural explorer, Jubal embarks on a solitary journey into the uncharted wilderness of early America, seeking both adventure and a deeper connection with the untamed land. Along the way, he encounters challenges from hostile tribes, dangerous wildlife, and the harsh elements.
Jubal’s quest takes on a greater purpose when he meets a Natchez princess, Itchakomi, and vows to protect her as she seeks refuge. Together, they navigate the perils of the frontier, with Jubal’s survival skills and honor guiding their way. The novel is a tale of courage, independence, and the spirit of exploration that captures the essence of the American frontier.
Jubal Sackett
My Thoughts
This was easily my favorite book in the Sackett series thus far. L’Amour’s style remains straight forward and raw, yet he is finding his stride in this series. He seems to be more comfortable with the subject matter as the story stayed within geographic United States and as the story moved West of the Mississippi. I’m excited for the next book in the series to take it even further.
The evolution of the friendship of Jubal and Keokotah was fun to watch develop. Being a bit of a loner himself, L’Amour did a great job depicting how two men could spend so much time together without feeling the need to fill in every silence with conversation.
The strong silent figure seems to have diminished from more contemporary culture. However, I remember back in the 80’s when this was published, the male ideal was much more stoic and isolated. Certainly in the Western genre the archetypical hero was a man of few words but able to take action if needed. I guess we still see it somewhat in action movies but I can’t think of many other places it still exists. It has been interesting watching societal expectations of men change over the last 40 years or so. I wonder what my father would think of today’s expectations for men and how my sons will see their role as they venture into adulthood.
All in all, this book served as a wonderful time capsule back to a different time and a different culture.
Recommendation
This was the best Sackett book I’ve read so far and it could stand on its own.
Published in 20212, “The Emperor’s Soul” by Brandon Sanderson is a standalone novella set in the Cosmere universe. Blending intricate magic with philosophical questions about identity and art, the story follows Shai, a forger and skilled thief, who is captured after attempting to steal a priceless artifact. Facing execution, Shai is given an impossible task: to recreate the soul of the Emperor Ashravan, who has been left brain-dead after an assassination attempt.
Using her mastery of Forgery (a magical art that alters an object’s history to transform its present) Shai must craft a new soul for the Emperor within 100 days, all while under the watchful eyes of her captors. As she delves into Ashravan’s life to understand and recreate him, Shai reflects on the nature of identity, creativity, and the value of true artistry.
The Emperor’s Soul
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book as short as it was (a mere 176 pages so barely a paragraph for Sanderson). His books always seem have some interesting rules for forces bringing the fantastic to the plot. However, once I become accustomed to how things work, I forget the ridiculous and fall into the story. This was certainly the case here. This type of investiture, to use the Cosmere term, was pretty imaginative. A “forger” could rewrite the history of an object to change the reality of that object. So, a broken item can be remade or a whole item can be broken… or a person could be modified or even rewritten.
Shai was very likable character and though she is criminal, she was easy to root for as she struggles for freedom and success. Sanderson didn’t have much time to go into too many characters in depth, but this story could easily spawn sequels and perhaps an entire series.
Published in 1980, “The Warrior’s Path” is the third novel in the Sacketts series written by Louis L’Amour. The story follows brothers Yance and Kin Sackett as they embark on a perilous journey to rescue Yance’s kidnapped sister-in-law. Their quest leads them from the Carolina wilderness to a superstitious town rife with rumors, and eventually to the exotic West Indies. Throughout their adventure, the brothers confront various challenges, including rival Indian tribes and ruthless individuals exploiting tensions for personal gain.
The Warrior’s Path
My Thoughts
So far this has been my favorite of the Sackett Series. L’Amour does a better job in not making the protagonist too powerful while still giving space to cheer for their success. The novel was fast paced and engaging though the characters are still a little too two dimensional to me.
Recommendation
It wasn’t bad and is my favorite in the series so far.
Published in 2005, “Elantris” was Brandon Sanderson’s debut novel. It introduces readers to the once-glorious city of Elantris, a magical place whose inhabitants, the Elantrians, were revered as demigods. However, ten years before the story begins, a mysterious event known as the Reod transformed the city into a crumbling ruin, and its people into cursed, zombie-like beings.
The story follows three protagonists: Prince Raoden, who is unexpectedly cursed and exiled to Elantris; Princess Sarene, his betrothed, who arrives to find Raoden presumed dead and becomes embroiled in the political intrigue of the kingdom of Arelon; and Hrathen, a high-ranking priest seeking to convert Arelon to his religion or see it destroyed.
Elantris
My Thoughts
I’m glad I didn’t hear the book was about “zombie lepers,” as the author described them, before I started reading it. I might not have actually read the thing as I’ve never really care for zombies. In fact, only the book I ever enjoyed about zombies was Jim Butcher’s “Dead Beat” and the Max Brooks book “World War Z.” And the latter was only read because Brooks was approached by the CDC on modeling a possible pandemic and we were briefed on it back in 2011.
Anyway, back to Elantris. This was a great novel and more particularly since it was Sanderson’s first. He has said that it sold 400 copies in it’s opening week and about 400 every week since then. If that’s true, this has been quite the gold mine for him and effectively paved the way for the rest of the books I’ve enjoyed since I’d found him. Let’s go Brandon! Sanderson also shared excerpts of previous manuscript revisions with Raoden’s insane brother Eto. That must have been hard to sacrifice after all the blood and tears that went into those drafts. However, I agree with the edits as it made a more streamlined narrative.
Published in 2016, “The Knights of Crystallia” is the third installment in Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series. (It was originally published by Scholastic in October 2009 under the title Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia. After Sanderson reacquired the rights, Tor Books re-released the novel on April 19, 2016.)
In this adventure, Alcatraz Smedry finally reaches the Free Kingdoms, specifically the city of Crystallia. There, he confronts new challenges, including political intrigue and familial responsibilities, all while continuing his battle against the Evil Librarians. The narrative delves deeper into the Free Kingdoms’ culture and the Smedry family’s unique talents, blending Sanderson’s characteristic humor with action and fantasy elements.
The Knights of Crystallia
My Thoughts
The plot thickens as Alcatraz finally visits his home. Like a similar orphan with powers (cough… Potter), he is a big deal in the world unknown to we simple harshlanders (muggles). But enough on that.
Alcatraz is a fun character and continues to build into his eventual epic self. I worry it is moving a little too fast in terms of what he can do and his comfort level given we are on book 3 of 5. (E.g. The ease in assuming the leadership status and the power in his “Talent”. Sanderson has had a history of over inflating his heroes toward the end of the series. Several even made it to god status (“little g”, to borrow from Starlord’s father Ego.) I also feel the series would benefit from him being a little older in this book, though I’m assuming Sanderson is trying to stave off the relationship with Bastille as keeping them young keeps their relationship more the in puppy love status.
Regardless, it’s been an enjoyable ride thus far and I’m looking forward to the next book.
Published in 2023, “How to Piss Off Men: 109 Things to Say to Shatter the Male Ego” is a humorous guide by Kyle Prue, offering over 100 witty phrases and comebacks designed to challenge “toxic masculinity and leave even the most persistent mansplainers at a loss for words.” The book provides readers with tools to confront and dismantle everyday sexism in a clever and impactful manner.
How to Piss Off Men
My Thoughts
This book originally came from a viral TicToc post from Prue which eventually led to a published book. The target audience is men and the stated reason for writing the material is to help men sit with the content and think about why that particular statement would bother them. It was a very fast read and several of the items won’t make sense as time goes on. (E.g. “Let’s go Brandon.”) However, some were genuinely amusing.
Recommendation
It was a fun list that went by fast. I would recommend listening to the audiobook which featured a conversation with the author and his mother about the work.
Published in 2008 and republished in 2016, “The Scrivener’s Bones” is the second installment in Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series. In this sequel, young Alcatraz Smedry continues his battle against the nefarious Librarians, venturing into the mysterious Library of Alexandria to rescue his father and grandfather.
The Scrivener’s Bones
My Thoughts
The series continues with the whimsy and humor appropriate to a writer not afraid to poke fun at the craft. Sanderson keeps his dialog surprisingly light as tragedies and trauma unfold in the plot. Young Alcatraz’s character continues on the hero’s journey seeing his first real experiences in leadership as he develops into that role.
Published in 2007, “Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians”, is the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series. Readers are introduced to Alcatraz Smedry, an ordinary 13-year-old boy with a knack for breaking things—until he discovers that his “talent” is actually a powerful magical ability. On his birthday, Alcatraz receives a mysterious bag of sand and is plunged into a secret war against the Evil Librarians, a group that controls knowledge and history to maintain their grip on power.
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians
My Thoughts
This was a fun book was an interesting premise. Much like Pixar films or the world of Harry Potter, this universe is portrayed as along side our own. Sanderson has done a great job of creating a whole new world complete with hidden continents, peoples, technologies, and all of it is being kept from “The Hushlanders” better know as us. The book uses a narration style commenting directly on the literary devices employed through the plot. The result is a fun and whimsical narrative that not only exposes readers to writing methods and terminology but also teaches these concepts directly through its self-aware use and first-person commentary.
Recommendation
I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book in the series.
