Hello again. Brandon’s assistant Peter here with another recommendation. It’s been a long time since the last one, whew!

Today the fifth and final book in the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks, The Burning White was released. If you’ve read the previous books, the most important thing here is: It’s fantastic, so go buy it. I do have some more thoughts below if you’re interested, but personally if I already suspect I’m going to like a book, I just go out and read it without first reading reviews so I don’t get accidentally spoiled.

For everyone else, if you haven’t read the series, I highly recommend it! I’m going to crib liberally from my recommendation for the third book in order to explain why you should read it.

If you’re seeing this review, you obviously like Brandon Sanderson’s writing. Well, when I read the first Lightbringer book, The Black Prism, back in 2012 or so, it was the most entertaining book without the name Brandon Sanderson on the front cover that I had read in years—and in many ways it was very much like reading a book that had Brandon’s name on the front cover. I loved every minute.

Now that the fifth book is out and the series is finished, does it hold up all the way through? The answer is a resounding yes. This is a fine example of what great epic fantasy is, and the ending is every bit as epic as I had hoped.

Before I get into that though, let’s go over my caveats from last time—the content issues that a Brandon reader may not be expecting. But first: if you haven’t reread the first four books recently, this book does start things off with helpful summaries. Reading those myself was a big help. Now the caveats:

Sexual content: There’s certainly more sexual content than you’ll find in one of Brandon’s books. Not only the few on-screen sexual situations, but banter and jokes among friends that have a sexual theme. The amount of this content increases somewhat in the fourth and fifth books, but it’s not particularly gratuitous. In fact, a major plotline of the fourth book includes the serious treatment of one character’s struggles with a type of real-world sexual dysfunction. That’s not something I’ve seen a lot of in genre fiction, and I really like the way that Brent treated it. Kudos.

In my book 3 review I wrote that there weren’t horribly foul-minded characters. In the final two books there is one character who has a very sick mind indeed, but thankfully we have very few glimpses into it. (Ugh, I hate this person.)

Language: Again, there’s more profanity than you’ll find in Brandon’s books. It’s believable considering the characters involved.

I also called out the writing style in my book 3 review, but it’s really a minor issue that doesn’t merit a bolded heading. Yes, Brent’s non-italicization of internal thoughts did take some getting used to, but by the fifth book it didn’t bother me.

Now, about that epic climax.

Like I said before, books like these are why I read epic fantasy. Strong male and female characters, well-defined magic, politics, fighting, cosmology, emotional entanglements, the works. There are times like in the middle of The Way of Kings where you don’t know where everything is going, but you’re along for a great ride, and everything pulls together eventually. I give some examples of that in my other review, but now we’re at the finale.

This is, at last, the book where everything really comes together. At the beginning of this volume it takes Kip a while to figure out what was bothering him about the situation at the end of the fourth book, but once he does, everything converges on one colossal final conflict. You know how the final book in The Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, has that 190-page chapter “The Last Battle” where everything comes to a head? Well, Brent doesn’t have his final battle in just one chapter, but it’s about 220 pages of nonstop climax, nearly a quarter of the book. It actually compares favorably to the one in A Memory of Light; there’s even a character detached from the others who in parallel undertakes a more psychological battle at the same time, the way Rand did in that book. When you start reading the climax, you’d best be prepared to not be able to put the book down for a long time. I lost quite a bit of sleep myself.

And that 220 pages is even more than it would have been in previous Lightbringer books. This novel is a long one—from chapter one to the end of the epilogues (yes, multiple) is 913 pages. The book is actually a few thousand words longer than The Way of Kings, because the publisher squeezed more words onto each page. And don’t by any means expect pages and pages of meal descriptions (though this book is all meat for sure). All you “big fat fantasy” lovers out there, this is one for you.

(Side note—there is a lengthy glossary/appendix at the end, but just so you won’t mistakenly think there’s a lot more left in the book than there actually is, these pages are helpfully marked in the hardcover with a grey edge. I think that’s a great idea! Doesn’t help people reading the ebook or audiobook though, alas.)

It’s not just a big battle. As with Brandon’s Mistborn trilogy, Lightbringer ups the stakes in the finale so that it’s not just a human conflict that matters. Things that were once considered only the realm of religion or myth spill out into the world of the characters, yet in a way that is deeply human. And as in the previous books, there are those “oh my goodness” moments where you have to reinterpret everything you thought you knew before about something, but since this is the final book there are quite a bit more of those. And it’s very satisfying.

What I appreciate most about reading a book is my emotional reaction. And there are a ton of character moments that prompt those emotions. Beneath all the magic and politics, this is truly a very character-driven book. Again and again, I laughed, I cheered, and I cried.

As in my earlier review, I’ll run down the characters here:

Kip: Even Andross Guile manages to be impressed by him, and if you’ve read the books you know that’s saying a lot. He continues his growth from the fourth book and really becomes a great leader. Like the best of them, he’s willing to sacrifice for his people, and oh boy does he.

Teia: Continues to be one of my favorite characters. What she has to do in this book is heartbreaking, with very serious consequences to her personally.

Gavin: He’s really been put through the wringer recently, and that doesn’t stop. Facing his flaws head-on leads to a few things we’ve been wishing would happen for quite a while.

Karris: I said I couldn’t wait to see what she did next, and I’ll just say that I was not disappointed.

Liv: Her transformation from the beginning of the series until the end is a very different character path from what we usually see. I somehow feel bad for her and admire her at the same time.

The Mighty: Kip’s friends really stood out to me in this book more than previously. They’re a lot more individualized and I finally feel like I really know them. There’s a very believable decision on their part that goes horribly wrong. Gee thanks, Brent.

Murder Sharp: I really never expected to list him here. But somehow he earns this spot. There’s a depth to his character that I really appreciate.

Andross: Comes even more to the forefront in this finale. As the character who really embodies “the ends justify the means,” some big surprises for him are still in the cards.

Again, I love how important the family relationships are in this series. Decisions of parents, grandparents, and siblings decades ago have far-reaching implications on the current story. It shows a verisimilitude that I’m very happy that writers like Brent are putting into their books.

I loved reading this series, and it came to a very satisfying conclusion, even though not every character’s fate was what I wanted it to be. That’s just the sign of good writing. Now, I’ve heard that next Brent will be going back to the world of his Night Angel series, so I’ll have to start reading those!

Goldenhand

 

Garth Nix
(Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.)

For Writers
The Short Version
Rating Notes
Bias Notes

Anyone who hasn’t read Sabriel, the beginning of the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, is missing out. I consider reading it, during the years I was trying to break in, to be one of the fundamental experiences that helped me shape my philosophy on magic systems and worldbuilding.

Needless to say, I love the magic and worldbuilding of these books—though perhaps someday I’ll do a review of Sabriel itself, and delve into what I love about the worldbuilding in these books. This review is about Goldenhand, a later installment (book five, I believe, though one of those is a prequel) in the series. I found it to be an excellent continuation.

I’m impressed that Mr. Nix has kept my attention and excitement for the series over all these years, doling out new volumes carefully and expanding the magic system at a controlled rate. (And introducing new characters to become the new viewpoints as others close their arcs.) I feel he’s added good flourishes here and there to give the magic depth, but never let it spiral away from him, as was the potential at any given point.

For Writers
One highlight for me in this book involved Mr. Nix’s continued ability to introduce compelling characters with a variety of backgrounds. Pay attention to how he gives strong, but different, motives to the primary players—and how he quickly establishes those motives and keeps them central to each character’s through line.

I also admire his ability to write a young adult series that is firmly secondary world fantasy, with challenging worldbuilding and politics, while still keeping the narrative focused on younger characters, maintaining the feel that this is correctly shelved in teen. I think the character motivations, the sense that these are people still searching for their exact place in the world, is part of what makes this work.

Finally, I would suggest a study of Mr. Nix’s pacing methods. Sabriel was the first fantasy novel I can remember that used a more intense, “thriller style” method of pacing. (I see this in the works of Jim Butcher and Brent Weeks as well.)

Notice how Mr. Nix writes this book to encompass a relatively short period of time, with constant motion and action. He uses frequent cuts between viewpoints to deemphasize downtime, increase tension, and propel the story. He also consistently employs small chapter-end hooks that are frequently resolved in the early pages of the next chapter, using them to bridge chapter (and character) breaks. I’m not always a fan of this style of cliffhanger, as it can wear thin by the end of a book, but they work very well with the format and structure of this book.

The Short Version
Here’s what I sent the publisher as a blurb for the book. “Garth Nix is one of the best worldbuilders in fantasy, and this book is merely further proof. I love the Old Kingdom series, and Goldenhand is an excellent continuation, packed with the excitement and passion of a storytelling virtuoso at the height of his abilities.”

Highly recommended for anyone. Sabriel, the first in the series, is one of my go-to suggestions, as I feel it does a large number of things very well, and has a broad appeal for a wide variety of readers.

Rating Notes
I noticed no content in this book requiring specific warning.

Bias Notes
I have met Mr. Nix several times at conventions, and we are on friendly terms. I received this book for free from his publisher, who was pursuing a cover blurb.

Ink and Ashes

 

Valynne E. Maetani
(Note: For an explanation of my Goodreads policy, please see here.)

For Writers
The Short Version
Rating Notes
Bias Notes

This excellent YA book sits carefully nestled between several genres. The packaging lists it as a thriller, and that’s not a bad way to present it. The opening chapters focus more on mystery, by my definition, than thriller. (They are more about the characters discovering secrets than they are about people being in danger.) However, as the story escalates, it does move into thriller territory.

Hey, all. I’ve long wanted to start using my Goodreads account, and it seemed like reviews would be a good place to begin. Eventually, I hope to be able to get some more questions answered there—for now, I’m just going to try to post periodic book reviews.

Be warned, I’m not intending to be a real reviewer. As I explain in my review guide here, I consider this more a place to send people when they ask, “What have you read recently that you’ve liked?” If the reviews all look positive, that’s because they will be—I’ll only post about the books I like. But I will try to slant the second half of the review toward writing advice, using the book in question as a guide, for those looking to improve your craft.

More explanation in that link above.

I figured a nice place to start would be with Ghost Talkers, Mary’s new book. If for some reason you’ve never tried her work, this would be an excellent place to start! Find my review here.

Thanks, all! I should have another update on Stormlight Book Three very soon. It’s going well, and we’re almost to the 3/4 mark.

Brandon

Hey, all. I’m back from tour at long last, and am hard at work on Stormlight 3. In fact, because it’s national novel writing month, you might see me posting daily wordcounts on social media. Back in 2002, I finished the original draft of The Way of Kings over NaNoWriMo. (Finished it the Friday after Thanksgiving, I believe.) Seems thematically appropriate to me to post about it again, now that it’s November.

This book won’t be ready until next year around this time, at the earliest. Fortunately, I can point you toward a few new releases that might keep you busy for a little while. The first is The Wheel of Time Companion. This is the official name and release for the encyclopedia that Harriet and Team Jordan have been working on for many years. (I believe they started compiling it way back even before the release of Knife of Dreams!)

They’ve put a ton of effort into this volume, and it shows. If you’ve ever wanted a comprehensive encyclopedia of the people, places, and terminology of the Wheel of Time, this is for you! And it will look very handsome on the shelf beside your other Wheel of Time books.

The second release is tangentially Wheel of Time-related as well. Jason Denzel, webmaster for the largest Wheel of Time fansite, has become a good friend of mine over the years. He was the first person in Wheel of Time fandom to really reach out to me when I was announced as the guy who would finish the series. (He actually found me on tour with a backpack full of Magic cards.) He was an awesome resource all through my working on the books, and we’ve remained buddies ever since.

It happens that Jason is also a storyteller. He’s done mostly independent films up to this point, but a few years back he wrote a novel called Mystic that he let me read. It’s very good—a kind of Celtic-inspired fantasy with some very intriguing worldbuilding. It’s one of those books that straddles the line between young adult and adult (much like the early volumes of the Wheel of Time, actually) and is a quick, well-paced read. Give it a look!

Meanwhile, I’ll get back to work.

Hey, all. I’ve just finished revisions on Calamity, and have turned the book in to my publisher. Which means the Reckoners as a series is a wrap! I’m very pleased with the result and with the beta reader reactions, and am very much looking forward to you all getting to read the book.

It’s not out until February, however, so I thought I’d make you aware of a book (that is out right now) by an author friend of mine. Janci Patterson is a wonderful author whom some of you may know from her guest spots lecturing at my writing class when I’m away on tour. She’s one of the best writers I know. Her stories are frantic, fun, and thoughtful all at once.

Her newest book, A Thousand Faces, is a teen thriller about a shapeshifter who, with her family, gets hired to do jobs—mostly corporate espionage. I read it about a year ago, when it was in an early draft, and fell in love with it. Janci has this way of writing teen characters that avoids the stereotypes of the genre. When there are romances, they are messy and authentic. The characters stick with me, get into my head, and I find myself thinking about them even months later. And Janci’s plotting is top-notch.

She’s self-publishing this one, after beating her head against New York publishing for a number of years, but the book is as professional as anything I’ve read from a major publisher. If you’re interested in thrillers, teen novels, or just like supporting independent writers of quality and merit, I suggest you take a look at this book. (And Janci’s other works.)

My next project is the revision of The Bands of Mourning, Mistborn #6. (Which is coming out in January.) Don’t forget my upcoming tour for Mistborn #5 in October, where at every stop I’ll be doing a reading from the new Stormlight book.

As always, thanks for reading.

My Cosmere novella Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell has been on sale on Kindle in the US, and a few other vendors, during August. The 99¢ price is ending soon, so take a look if you haven’t already.

In this week’s new Writing Excuses episode, Breaking In, with Charlie N. Holmberg, Charlie, whose debut novel The Paper Magician was released by Amazon’s 47 North imprint just one year ago, joined us in front of a live audience at the World Science Fiction Convention to talk about breaking in to the industry today.

Last week, in Tor.com’s continuing reread posts for Words of Radiance, Adolin takes over another of Dalinar’s roles as he goes out to meet with Eshonai about the Parshendi proposal. This week, in Chapter 52, Shallan and Kaladin each improve their skills as they take steps toward their intermediate goals.

My assistant Adam has updated the Twitter post archive for August.

Hey, all! I need to make you aware of a time change to one of my events on the upcoming Shadows of Self tour. Soon after announcing the schedule, I had a reader mention to me that they were sad to have to choose between me and Jim Butcher, who was apparently going to be signing in Denver the same day. (And not too far from my own event.)

The reader wasn’t complaining to get me to change; they were simply lamenting their wealth of options, so to speak. However, I still felt bad. Jim had his event scheduled first, and we (unwittingly) then dropped something down by way of competition. I’m a big fan of Jim’s writing, and I think what we did was unfair to the many readers who enjoy books from us both. Though the realities of publishing mean we won’t always be able to do something about conflicts like this, I was able to persuade the publisher and bookstore to allow me to move the time of my signing.

So, my signing in Denver (which was scheduled for 7:00 on the 6th of October) has been moved to 6:00 p.m. on the same day. I will try to arrive a half hour early (at 5:30) and quickly sign the books of those who were planning to attend both signings. I’ll do my presentation/reading from 6:00 to 6:45, giving enough time (hopefully) for those who want to attend both signings to slip out and still get to Jim’s reading.

Thanks! And sorry if this inconveniences anyone. I will still be at my signing past 7:00, so if you can’t make it until then, I will sign your books. (Most of my signings go three or four hours, depending on the location and the day, so it’s a safe bet I’ll be at the bookstore until 9:00. But no promises, so if you’re going to be very late, please call the bookstore and get an update on how late I’ll be staying.)

Best,

Brandon

p.s. You should all go read Jim’s new book, The Aeronaut’s Windlass.

Just a quick note to say that tonight in the Salt Lake City area I’ll be at the launch party for my good friend Brandon Mull’s book Five Kingdoms: Crystal Keepers. Come join Brandon Mull and me along with: Richard Paul Evans (Michael Vey series), Chad Morris (The Cragbridge Hall series), Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle), and several others.

These launch parties that the other Brandon does are unlike any signing you’ve been to—hundreds of people, with hilarious comedy sketches and possibly even singing. People often say “I thought you said you were singing!” when I talk about a signing, but in this case someone might actually sing. Just not me. But I will be signing books along with everyone else at the end of the event, so come on down. It should be a lot of fun!

See the flyer below for details.

I woke to the news that Sir Terry Pratchett has passed away. I knew this was coming, but—as with the passing of Robert Jordan almost eight years back—it still hit me like a slap to the face.

Many of you know of my fondness for Pratchett’s works. If you aren’t aware, here’s a piece that I wrote about him a while back. When I wrote it, I worried I strayed into hyperbole. Looking at it again, I now wonder if I didn’t say enough. Too many readers I’ve met, particularly in the States, have never given Pratchett a try.

The genre, and the world, just lost something wonderful in that man. Of all the writers I’ve read, Pratchett felt the most human. There was more truth in a single one of his humble satires than in a hundred volumes of poignant drama. Unlike most comedians—who use their humor like a weapon, always out for blood—Terry didn’t cut or bludgeon. He was far too clever for that. Instead, he’d slide down onto the bar stool beside us, drape his arm around us, and say something ridiculous, brilliant, and hilarious. Suddenly, the world would be a brighter place.

It wasn’t that he held back, or wasn’t—at times—biting. It’s just that he seemed to elevate every topic he touched, even when attacking it. He’d knock the pride and selfishness right out from underneath us, then—remarkably—we’d find ourselves able to stand without such things.

And we stood all the taller for it.

Sir Terry, you have my sincere thanks. I don’t think that, despite your many accolades, the world knows what it had in you. Fantasy certainly didn’t. Our glittering awards are made foolish and inconsequential by their disregard for you, though I doubt you cared much about them either way.

The most fitting memorial I can give is this: a request. For those of you reading this post, why not give this man’s legacy a try? If I had to guess which fantasy author of our era will be read most in the centuries to come, I’d lay my money on the works of Sir Terry Pratchett.

I suggest beginning your journey in Discworld with The Truth, Going Postal, or Guards! Guards!

Brandon Sanderson