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Nick

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Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-30-24

Wind and Truth:

For years the audience has been barreling towards this. The pressure building with each revelation. The evolution of characters loved and hated, characters that have fallen from grace, characters pursuing redemption. Everything is converging in these final ten days. Be prepared to sit in anxiety as you travel towards outcomes you have only previously guessed at. Leave space for fresh treachery. Fresh disappointments. Be prepared for a cliffhanger.

For all the revelations, there were many, at the end I felt unsatisfied. With the conclusion of Mistborn First Era, there was a sense of closure. Of finality. A story that would go on, but a story finished. That is not the case with the conclusion of Stormlight First Arc. Every main character thread is left with an ambiguous to be continued. With strong foreshadowing of the Second Arc starting after some significant time passage.

Spoilers/Predictions:












Harold of Second Chances:
I suspect most of Kaladins storyline in the coming books will be Kaladin learning the lives of each of the Harold’s and their crimes. Philosophical challenges seeking to find cracks that can be used to leverage healing gestures to restore the Harold’s mental health. I suppose it could be done right but after Wind and Truth I suspect it will be a tedious immersion breaking slog.

Shallan the Shadesmar Wanderer:
Really don’t expect anything particularly interesting from Shallan in the next book. Her character arc has been stagnant for some time now. It will be interesting to see how the loss of Honor/Stormlight impacts Shadesmar. There was a little foreshadowing before the close suggesting some significant changes. Hopefully, that will inject some much needed life back into Shallan’s arc.

Adolin:

Once again Adolin finds himself as a military force multiplier. After contending with the realization that he was obsolete, through his unique bond with Mia, Adolin finds he may be humanities last bulwark against the forces of opposition. Adolin and his/Mia’s Unoathed. The Desolation hit hard. The city depopulated. Adolin and the Unoathed are going to be busy bee’s.

Health of Stormlight:

Personally I feel like Wind and Truth is out of sync with the rest of the Stormlight series. After four robust books, building a specific society/world/culture - Wind and Truth took a turn at a ninety degree angle. Without earning those changes in the narrative. Much of the texture was missing for WaT.

It’s the end of days; Roshar itself will be transformed by the outcome and… every champion of the cause is off the clock. Kaladin, is doing his best Dr.Katz impersonation.

Szeth’s narrative stalled in a carousel.

Shalan and the Silent Court: after all the ground work, team building etc… the Silent Court was almost completely excluded from WaT. Shalan’s journey through the Spiritual realm… is like every other Shallan story arc. The premise is set early, rinse and repeat until you’re ready to let a chasm fein stomp on you for fun.

I’m okay with Dalinar’s end. His character served its purpose. I wish it was done better. After all the foot dragging his final conflict felt rushed.

I know this review probably makes people think I’m not a Sanderson fan - which isn’t true. I’m a huge Sanderson fan. I’m just not a fan boi. And WaT was probably the weakest Sanderson book I’ve ever read.

I don’t know if he is surrounded by yes men, editors and beta readers that are not doing their jobs or what… but this was a serious decline in Sanderson’s writing, style, and narrative structure.

WaT is in need of serious editing. Two thirds could do with some serious condensing. Reduce the narrative down. A third could have been jammed in the copier and left there thus improving the narrative.

I might be a man standing alone but there it is.

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1 person found this helpful

For the enduring souls of the tenacious only.

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
1 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-26-23

I wanted to like this trilogy.

It was an interesting concept with potential. However, after 15 chapters my enthusiasm has been utterly leeched from this offering… and probably this author all together.

I found the plot labors needlessly. The author was trying to make a point for 15 chapters… a point that was made for 15 chapters… in a row. The point is a very simple conceptual notion. If an alien species and humans can effectively communicate the other complicated concepts effectively then there is no reason such a core trait of humanity could not just as easily be communicated effectively. Regardless of the irrational/delusional pacifist character delivering the information or not. The aliens had plenty of observational material to foster understanding.

When you couple that, with the flat character development, and the juvenile plot devices and development… it’s just an all together unsatisfying experience that leans further towards annoying with each passing chapter.

I have heard the second and third book is better, but the first is simply unbearable. I assume the psychological trauma inflicted to one’s psyche by enduring the first caused such mental anguish anything would be interesting in comparison and so the following books were awarded higher marks by the tenacious souls that endured.

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1 person found this helpful

The Lion and Unicorn Trilogy

Overall
1 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
1 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-01-22

The Ark Royal series, has long since been a favored SciFi series of mine. However, the last few iterations is a real slog to get through. A trend that started to a lessor degree with the Invincible trilogy.

Invincible, Lion, and Fighting for the Crown, are all plagued with the same problem. Scenes, story arcs, characters, are stuck in loops. Everything just keeps happening over and over again. Describing the same scene, with its same “conflict”, as it has been described countless times before. I’m starting to think copy and paste is being used to write these last books.

It has become completely predictable. You know what will happen in the chapter just by the prompt of the first paragraph. Which means you have to sit through a “clever” build up to a reveal - the audience already knew was coming 20 minutes/pages before.

As it is I can no longer recommend the series to new readers or listeners. I can only recommend as far as Fear God and Dreadnought. But also I feel compelled to finish the series just to see how it ends after the commitment I’ve invested in the series.

Just please… stop with the cheesy romance novel garbage. Nobody cares and it brings nothing to the story.

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The Apocalypse, by Disney.

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-11-22

The Last Tribe…

I suppose the best way to frame any review would be to phrase it as: The Apocalypse, by Disney.

If you’re looking for a narrative devoid of conflict, struggle, character friction or development, then this is a tale for you.

The world as we know it ends. Billions dead. There is a mere scattering of survivors that struggle… I mean just survive the winter. Food is everywhere. Water magically appears when needed. Don’t worry about being up crap creek in the apocalypse- out of the billions that have died you’ll be blessed with a surgeon, a mechanical engineer, a veterinarian, a pilot, a genius that has a firm grasp of… every scientific discipline… further any survivors that are remotely crass,” bad”, or have undesirable character flaws choose upon their own to stay away or leave the merry band to continue to grow.

Everyone, literally every character at one point in the narrative or another, is prone to weeping. Just overwhelmed by how pleasant the apocalypse was and how blessed they all are to have found each other.

I’m not positive but I think the author is heavily medicated and spends ample time at feel good retreats getting their chakras aligned.

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Is this a synopsis or a book?

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-28-21

Overall; it was an entertaining book. Ironhold Station, has the bones of a good story - however it felt more like an abbreviated synopsis of a story instead of the story itself. Hardy, is about the only memorable character. The doctor… and her YA budding Twilight saga romance with the captain… was blunt and obvious from the jump. I’m debating if I want to listen to the other books in this series or not. It feels like a flimsy Arc Royal knock off.

The narration was well performed and added depth to an otherwise flat story.

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The first book I ever read by, Hamilton.

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-03-16

Any additional comments?

I'm so pleased this series has made it to Audible. It is one of my flagship go to Space operas. Epic in all ways.

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6 people found this helpful