Sixth of the Dusk

Sixth of the Dusk is another novella by Brandon Sanderson. This is another from the Arcanum Unbounded as part of the Cosmere.

On a world without a Shard, this world is different than the others in the Cosmere that we've been told up to this far. Dusk in a trapper of a very treacherous and deadly island that is more likely to kill you than give anything that one would consider helpful, except for the birds that grow up there have amazing abilities that no one on the outside and in the cities can explain. The world is a deadly one that would sooner kill you than look at you. Only with the help of his birds, through their visions of potential dangers where he sees himself dead in many many ways, is he able to stay safe. For the most part.

Dusk comes back to the island and finds that others have been here. Others who don't know what they're doing. Many bodies litter the ground and it seems like someone has been taking one of his trails to his sanctuaries. He finds a woman, who was part of the expedition force that died and finds out that she has not come alone and with reasons that will easily cause the end of his world, as deadly as it is, as he knows it.

This was a very interesting story that I was able to gobble up very quickly. It was fast paced and thrilling. And as ever the world that Brandon built here was different and engaging. A world that is constantly trying to kill you, where you should be deathly afraid of ants let alone the giant beasts the prowl and seek you out. Dusk, also, is an interesting character because he doesn't talk much. Not many of Brandon's characters do that.

It is a short story, less than 60 pages  that is deep into a new world to discover and be careful while treading into. I rather enjoyed it.

The Blade Itself

I had heard great things about Joe Abercrombie. His books are on all the lists of fantasy books to read and many people rate this book as awesome.

I do not. I try to finish most books,  but is just couldn't bring myself to do so. I got to my 50 page rule and have no interest in it.

A crippled torturer, a "barbarian," to cool for you jock/captain of something along with some kind of wizard get together eventually and do something. I don't even know what,  but bad guys from the north have something to do with it. I don't even know.

The characters are supposed to be cool, but they are really just either creepy or cocky. The torture has an obviously gross and gory line of work and although he says he's trying to find meaning in the brutality, he keeps doing it and finds pleasure in it. The captain reminds me of a stereotypical football jock who is on the team to get the cheerleaders to look at him and to get drunk at the next kegger held. His friends were pretty cool and could have had a more interesting story than jock boy. The barbarian man,  though I don't know his age (supposedly has a family that was murdered,  but he very much acts and talks younger than an adult so I don't know for sure), brutal decapitates a kid. He boy was part of a bandit group,  I get it,  but ick. Abercrombie didn't have to make him a boy or be as gross with it as he was. At this point I just stopped. Too gross for me.

It is just the beginning of the book so the characters haven't had their trials to smooth out their character yet. I get that. It's the character arc. Obviously they grow somehow but I just don't care. They aren't engaging enough for me to want to see them grow.

The jock had a run through the city and that was pretty cool for about the two seconds of setting we got,  but aside from "mountains," "cliff," "water," maybe "bog," and "torture room" there wasn't much setting even though the descriptions were long. There was white gloves and plaster which made me put it in a more modern sterile setting, but then everywhere else felt fantasy-ish. My mind couldn't decide where to put people or the intended setting around them.

Between the constant profanity (F-bombs included) and the gore/creepy factor,  I'm relieved to put this book down.