Hark
A very lukewarm climax from an author who is know for his bombastic climaxes. Much like the previous book, Rhthym of War, it can feel like we're just biding our time until we get within swinging distance of the finale. Which for a thirteen-hundred page book is insane. I couldn't stop thinking about how Lord of the Rings, with only a thousand pages, gets so much done. When I had initially read the first three books in this series I believed this would be Sanderson's magnum-opus, one that could be compared to Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time, but now I'm not so sure.
The series had always done a stellar job of keeping the reader immersed in its unique but harsh feudal setting, with dialogue and cultural differences. But again, this has become less prevalent as the series has continued. We start off with a caste system, gender roles and slavery to conversations about therapy. To clarify, I'm not against this progression but when a culture is being reformed their should be character friction.
Speaking of character friction, there is almost none in this or the previous book. We have learned that some main characters have killed the loved ones of other different characters and yet we have never seen this discussed by the characters, opting instead to just keep them separated in some cases. To over simplify, world building such as different factions of religious groups, nations or alliances are their to create friction and force character choices. Some of which Sanderson actually undercuts here.
I love Stormlight and it will always have a special place in my heart but that is also why I feel such a deep disappointment from Wind & Truth. Also because I feel Sanderson could've done better. I sincerely hope he reduces his output, if anything to give himself and his team a break, but also to hopefully focus on the quality of his entries and be less concerned with setting up future projects. The Journey was enjoyable but not the Destination.
A very lukewarm climax from an author who is know for his bombastic climaxes. Much like the previous book, Rhthym of War, it can feel like we're just biding our time until we get within swinging distance of the finale. Which for a thirteen-hundred page book is insane. I couldn't stop thinking about how Lord of the Rings, with only a thousand pages, gets so much done. When I had initially read the first three books in this series I believed this would be Sanderson's magnum-opus, one that could be compared to Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time, but now I'm not so sure.
The series had always done a stellar job of keeping the reader immersed in its unique but harsh feudal setting, with dialogue and cultural differences. But again, this has become less prevalent as the series has continued. We start off with a caste system, gender roles and slavery to conversations about therapy. To clarify, I'm not against this progression but when a culture is being reformed their should be character friction.
Speaking of character friction, there is almost none in this or the previous book. We have learned that some main characters have killed the loved ones of other different characters and yet we have never seen this discussed by the characters, opting instead to just keep them separated in some cases. To over simplify, world building such as different factions of religious groups, nations or alliances are their to create friction and force character choices. Some of which Sanderson actually undercuts here.
I love Stormlight and it will always have a special place in my heart but that is also why I feel such a deep disappointment from Wind & Truth. Also because I feel Sanderson could've done better. I sincerely hope he reduces his output, if anything to give himself and his team a break, but also to hopefully focus on the quality of his entries and be less concerned with setting up future projects. The Journey was enjoyable but not the Destination.
