Demon King of Karanda

David Eddings' book number four of the Malloreon series, Demon Lord of Karanda. 

"Zandramas had stolen King Garion's infant son and fled to use the child in some ritual that would make the Dark Destiny supreme. Garion and his friends had followed, but now they were captives of Zakath, Emperor of Mallorea, who, while friendly, stubbornly refused to let them leave.

Meanwhile, a horde of demons was ravaging the cities through which they must travel. Zandramas was escaping further toward her goal. And the Seeress of Kell revealed that they must be at the anient palace of Ashaba within a matter of days or Zandramas would win by default. Then a horrible, fatal plague struck the city of Mal Zeth. closing it against all traffic in or out."

General Thoughts: I was originally going to give this one a much lower ranking, but then I remembered the Emperor and the time they spent in the Mallorean Empire and the development that happened there, and I had to give it a higher ranking. I don't do demons. I don't like them and it put a sour taste in my mouth toward the end of the book, but there were other parts of the book that could hold up the rest. 

<<Spoilers>>

Plot: Because we spent more time in particular areas, I think I was able to enjoy it more than others. Instead of we are traveling all over tar-nation for plot points to happen, we were able to be captured by the Empire and spend time with the Emperor in his city. Plague breaks out and we must find ways of escaping quarantine (it seems realistic after 2020), while still finding out what is going on in the country at the same time worrying about where Geran is with Zandramas. It was an engaging plot. I didn't particularly like the fact that demons were rampaging over the countryside and what Polgara had to do. It definitely left a nasty taste in the mouth. It was more disturbing than where Garion drops in on the Demon Lord. I do also find it kind of annoying that so much of the previous books are mirrored in this one. That fact is actually pointed out by Garion himself. It's as though David Eddings didn't want to come up with a new plot at all, which is saddening. 

Setting: We were able to get a better impression of what was in the world around us in this one than I think we did in others. It still has much to be desired in my opinion, but it's alright. 

Characters: The Emperor and how the Company "dealt" with him and the circumstances around him was good for development of side characters not actually in the Company. I wish there was more to the Company development wise then there seems to be. Ce'Nedra has gone into a depression that isn't talked about. Garion goes on rampages that isn't talked about. Belgarath and Polgara for "knowing everything" really suck at dealing with people and they don't develop at all over either series. They almost seem emotionless. Durnik does have to deal with the fact that a friend betrayed them, which is good for development and it is probably the most talked about. However, even that is lacking and then over quickly. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. I think there is mention of Ce'Nedra and Garion going to bed together or going into the baths together, but those curtains are quickly closed with hardly any flirtation happening. Between other characters there is a little, but not much. I don't know if David or Leigh Eddings know how to write romance, steamy or in simply just passing. There is hardly any of it in either series as I recall. 

Writing Style: I would want more of a focus on Characters instead of simply traveling, which we get probably too much of here. These books are almost like a travel guide through the kingdoms with the story being a secondary plot. It is also a rather dry book at times where there is little anticipation or even care at times for the characters and what they are going through. I have to imagine on my own what it would be like for Ce'Nedra to have had this baby kidnapped, because I'm not given it here. I don't think I've ever had any inclination to cry over a single person in the Belgariad or Malloreon, except on poor little singing boy in a war. But one side character out of eight books so far... that is a lot of not caring about the characters. 

Overall: If I reread this one, I'd probably skip parts. I don't do that often in books, but there are some moments that are just bland or demons happen. The time in the Imperial City was pretty good, but it has been found wanting. 

King of the Murgos

King of the Murgos is the second book of David Edding's Malloreon series. 

"In this second book of The Malloreon, Garion and Ce'nedra continue the quest begun in Guardians of the West. In their party travel the immortal Belgarath the Sorcerer, his daughter Polgara the Sorceress, and the little Drasnian, Silk.

"Garion knows that it is the mysterious figure Zandramas who is responsible for the abduction of his infant son, and he and his companions journey many miles and encounter many strange beings in their search for him.

"Their way leads through the foul swamps of Nyissa, ruled over by the Snake-Queen, and on into the dark kingdom of the Murgos, where human sacrifices are still made to the dead god Torak. Further on, however, even beyond those forbidding lands, they must face the ultimate danger - not only to themselves but to all mankind..."

General Thoughts: This has been my favorite book in the Malloreon series so far (of the four books I've read at this point) and I think that has to do with the titles namesake. He and Silk are hysterical. The tense situation in country coinciding with the humor that Silk and the King bring to everything is just amazing. It made the slight drudge which was the first part of the book worth it. 

<<Spoilers>>

Plot: The new plot of this series to is walk across the other side of the world to save the day. As if the first series didn't do enough travel. While the traveling isn't bad, it seemed to have lost it's engagement for me. Maybe the Belgariad has a nostalgia factor that this one just doesn't, but it seemed a bit more arduous than it had before. But at least we are well on our way to saving the baby Prince, which is strikingly similar to finding the orb in the first place. Hmm... I wonder why. I wish there was even some point of a "Hero's Journey" like there was in the last one, but no one seems to be learning anything new or developing as a character. Sure we learn new things about them, but Pol stays the same, Garion stays the same, even Silk stays the same. What to people learn? How do they grow? 

Setting: Most of the setting is the plot I think. Travel and find the boy to save the day. But we get to travel on the other side of the world into more uncharted territory that we definitely didn't get in the first series. New and unexplored cultures but with a new religious turmoil what with Torak dead and them still sacrificing people for nothing. Being in unkind territory does give us antagonists we wouldn't have gotten otherwise, which is cool, and new friendly characters which are better--in this context. 

Characters: This is what really makes this book: the characters. Sadly there is no Barak and some of the other main characters from previous series don't make much of an appearance. But Silk and the King are the real winners here. Their conversations were the most engaging part. Belgarath, Polgara, Garion, and Ce'Nedra are okay, but they don't hold a candle to Silk throughout this whole series. The Queen of Drasnia begins to make an great appearance too amongst the Western Kings. And Sadi is an interesting character too, though not a favorite. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. "Curtains Fall" on this one, but there is so little of anything remotely spicy, that I dropped that down. At times it feels like flirting is hard for them. 

Writing Style: David Eddings can make this journey hard to get through. Much of it is travel with "oh something happened a hundred miles after the last time anything happened. It is very scene oriented where nothing happens until dominos fall, if that makes sense. It can be very dry unless they decide to stay someplace for a longer period of time, like the Murgos palace or Salmisras palace or a camp, but in this book much of it seems to be moving and traversing the world to save Geran, but although important stuff happens, it doesn't feel like it. 

Overall: Though the ending was good, the meat of it was a struggle. And I'm having a hard time even wanting to finish the rest of the series, though that is has some other reasons too. The nostalgia is what is carrying me though this and even then it seems to be running out of gas. 

My Bride is a Mermaid

 

 My Bride is a Mermaid is a manga by Tahiko Kimura. 

"A young boy gets saved from drowning by a mermaid but according to mermaid law, if a human sees a mermaid's true form, both are to executed. The only solution to the problem is for him to marry her and become part of the mermaid family."

General Thoughts: I enjoyed this as an anime. It was pretty good. I think the anime got better as it went on and the conclusion was engaging and thrilling. The manga... I didn't finish because there were so many cliches and it wasn't going anywhere. Once I got into the "I'm forced to work in a Maid Cafe" and it went on for an entire volume, I just put it down. 

<< Spoilers Beyond This Point>>

Plot: I think it has a promising storyline. Sun has to go live Nagasumi and be his bride and not get found out that she's a mermaid. Things get worse for Nagasumi when all of her yakuza family starts teaching at their school. What get could more entertaining than that? It had so much promise, but then got to the point where the writer probably didn't know what else to do and it floundered hard. I read on for a while after I wanted to quit, but it just kept going in this maid cafe and just wasn't funny anymore. The humor got lost and I just needed to stop. 

Setting: The setting wasn't a really important part of the story so it wasn't given much development. The  under-the-sea moments and development could have worked really well, but they let it slide. The other parts on land were a typical Shoujo or Shonen in Japan, sometimes visiting Tokyo or Kyoto, but nothing spectacular. 

Characters: I like the fact that Nagasumi tries hard not to be a perverted teenage boy, but I can understand why he fails at times. Sun is alright and I like the rivalry between her and Lunar. (The music in the anime is really good.) Chimp is obnoxious and Lunar is kind of annoying. Neither of them have super redeeming qualities in my opinion. The Seto Gang is kind of funny, but they lost a lot of their humor as the story went on. 

Spice: 3/5 Spicy Chilis. I'm putting this one here because panty shots, boob grabs, and "oh no I fell on you in an awkward position" happens often enough to be annoying. There are also moments that are rather inappropriate where he has to help the girls clean off their fins, but it looks like he's touching their butts or touching them inappropriately. The Fan Service is annoying. 

Writing/Illustration Style:  The illustrations weren't particularly amazing. It's an older style of illustration and it didn't particularly age well. And the narration was bland. 

Overall: If I felt inclined to have this story again, I'd go for the anime and leave the manga by the wayside. I didn't get far enough (though quite a few volumes in) for it to get good in the manga. The anime had a better overarching theme of "what would I really do for her?" whereas the manga lacked and floundered. It drowned with no mermaid to actually save it. 

The Siege of Macindaw

The Siege of Macindaw is the sixth book in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series. 

"In this desolate northern fief, where can Will find the fighting men he needs to overcome the traitorous Sir Keren and his band of criminals? Across the border, the fierce Scotti tribesmen are waiting for the signal that Castle Macindaw is in friendly hands, and the way is clear to mount a full-scale attack. Time is running out. Will's courage and ingenuity - and the arrival of an old friend - may be the only things that stand in their way."

General Thoughts: It was a good ending to this little story arch. It's always fun to be able to see Horace come in to help Will especially when he isn't unexpected. And the strange cast of characters that end up helping will out for the actual siege is fun. I also liked Alyss throughout the whole event. While she is technically a damsel in distress, she does do a fair bit herself given her circumstances. 

<< Spoilers Ahead>>

Plot: This one, like many of John Flanagan's other books, is simple and straight forward. Take the castle, save Alyss, and watch out for the Scotti. But I like the way Will is able to succeed in taking the castle back over. Fear can be a powerful ally amongst the superstitious and I think he used it well. I like the fact that they also don't have magic in this world. It's all science and what have you which is different to many fantasy books out there now. I do like the nod, whether intentional or not, to Rapunzel with Alyss being in the tower and Will having to climb up to her to save her, though it didn't work the first time. 

Setting: Right now, I could do without the cold, but it works really well for the circumstances that Will finds himself in. I particularly like the change in cloak, obviously that happens in the first book but still. I like how John Flanagan, in general, uses the surrounding and environments in his stories to his advantage. In real life if going up against an imposing army you'd use the terrain to your advantage if you could and he often does that in his books. 

Characters: This book does have a strange range of characters and I think that is the point. We get all the outcasts to band together and made a difference. Is it a little odd that they are all just hanging out in the woods, yes, but he has to get his "mercenaries" from somewhere. I will say, though, that there isn't much in the way of growth from any of the characters in this arch that I can remember. I'm more like an Indiana Jones story where I know all the things already and I'm just going off on an adventure, not so much to learn something about myself. This can be okay at time. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. Alyss and Will like each other and he's working to get her freed, but there wasn't much time for more than a few flirtations. 

Writing Style: Again, Flanagan has a way of over describing the intents of his characters or giving us more of an explanation than we need when it comes to strategy. I know it bothers some, but I've looked over it and have just learned to accept that this is how he does it. I can enjoy the story anyway. 

Overall: It's a fun adventure. I wouldn't mind reading it again. 

Frost Like Night

Frost Like Night is the third book in Sara Raasch's Snow Like Ashes series. 

"Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading--and no on is safe.

"Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic--so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labryinth, destroy the very magic she's learning to control--and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

"Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira--and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within the ranks, winning the war--and protecting Meira--slips farther and farther out of reach. 

"Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she's freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer's slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left. 

"As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together or lose everything." 

General Thoughts and Plot: Wow that intro seemed really intense. It is the final book in the series and everything comes to a head. In true, "I'm the only one who can do it" fashion, Meira ends up needing to sacrifice herself in order to stop the magic. Not going to lie, I saw the ending a mile and a half away. It was very easy to see where it was going. However, how we got there was pretty neat. Final battle sequence of magically hypnotized armies, travel to find the last few lands we hadn't visited yet because reasons, and somehow saving the world while still looking gorgeous and unharmed. It was a little cheesy with a nice ribbon to tie it all up with, but I guess it gave us what we wanted. 

Theme: The caption above put it in context, a lot of this is about "I will sacrifice myself for the good of my people." Obviously not wanting to die or them to die, but battles must be fought and heroic days must be lead. Again, kind of cheesy, but that's what you get with "end of the world" motifs

Setting: As with before in the series, it's an interesting, if not childish, representations of the four Seasons and four other kingdoms that are easy to get confused.  The labyrinth is pretty cool though. 

Characters: It was cool to get a little more of Angra's backstory, his Angry story. There are so many of those little things where again it almost seems childish. Obviously he's the BBEG, but I like a BBEG who is able to get a little monologuing done so we know his reasonings. I don't think they worked well enough for me though, didn't quiet hit hat power punch that I was hoping for. I did very much enjoy Meira and a certain boy "got back together." Many of the other characters were good too, and I liked the development that supporting cast had, like Theron--though his ending seemed a little... wanting. 

Spice: 3/5 Spicy Chilis. It's been a minute since I've read it and nothing came to mind, so whatever happened wasn't too much that I was disturbed by it. However, other reviews mention things happening, but not explicitly described. So this is where I'm putting it. 

Writing Style: It was alright. Modern, young adult. Easy to read and listen to, but nothing extraordinary.

Overall: It was pretty good. A decent ending for the series. Not my favorite series, maybe top fifteen, but I also read it over a year ago and my feelings probably shifted as parts there weren't as memorable as they could have been. There weren't very many scenes that stuck with me like there were in the first one. There were moments that were good, sure, but I really had to think about this one to remember what was going on. 

Sorcerer In The North

The firth book in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, Sorcerer In The North is a new story arch with Will as a new official Ranger. 

"Several years have passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, first met, and Will is finally a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy?boring, even?until Lord Syron, master of a castle far in the north, is struck down by a mysterious illness. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is suddenly thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure, investigating fears of sorcery and trying to determine who is loyal to Lord Syron. As Will battles growing hysteria, traitors, and most of all, time, Alyss is taken hostage, and Will is forced to make a desperate choice between his mission and his friend."

General Thoughts: It was a good story and fun to see will having to do things officially on his own without Halt's all knowing help. It is a slower paced book compared to some of the others, but I still enjoyed it. 

Plot: The plot, like many of the other Ranger's Apprentice books are simple: go figure out what is going on at this fort, but be secret, because that's what Ranger's do. It's kind of cool how he had to be in disguise and be secret. Of course by the end he gets found out and his comrade Alyss gets caught, but that is beside the point. Now things will amp up because he needs to save her too. It had a good cliffhanger that had my son and I wanting to go to the next book quickly. 

Setting: It is kinda weird how each of the countries just happen to be similar to European countries. Almost to the T. The Skandrians are similar to Scandinavians, the Scoti are the Scottish, the country they go to in the third book is totally France. It almost feels like cheating to take a caricature of each country and run with it. 

Characters: The people I remember best are Alyss and Will obviously and how they had to work together. I liked that Will got himself a dog -- a dog very much like my own in fact. I remember the BBEG was being charming in a "I rolled high on my charisma" kind of way and how he hated being around all of his subordinates that he chose as sell swords. A few were somewhat memorable, but not many. 

Spice: 1/5 Spici Chilis. There is some flirtation going on, but that is about it. They are too busy dealing with problems at hand to get too flirty, though flirting does happen. 

Writing Style: This I think is John Flanagan's biggest problem: he over explains. I can often over look it because I enjoy the characters and I get excited as Will goes adventuring, but sometimes it can feel longwinded. And it's been the same thing in all of his books so far. Even still, I enjoy them. 

Overall: I enjoyed this book. The second one is better with more goings on, but it was a good book. Not great maybe, but good. I think the characters are what really pulls it through. 

Ice Like Fire

 Ice Like Fire is the second book in the Snow Like Ashes series by Sara Raash. 

"It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

"Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

"Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

"As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world."

General Thoughts: It has been a little over a year since I read this and when I first realized that this was on the list, I had a hard time remembering what it was about. Upon further reflection, I did remember that it got rather political. Fights between Winter and Cordell, Meira and Theron, Mather getting himself in trouble. It was a good audiobook and an interesting story, but middle books can be hard to make exceptional, or so I've found. 

Plot: I will not end up doing this justice. I simply don't remember much beyond them going to different countries and trying to get people to believe that the BBEG is still around and pulling strings. I do remember some vice between Meira and Theron and that Mather acted like an idiot. I also remember Meira being pulled in many different directions and that her thought process was interesting and I liked how she figured out how to fix her problems. There were a bunch of "must find the thing" moments in each of the cities they visited and she was able to get help along the way. I do remember that the end was really good. With all the puzzle pieces back together and finding out that the BBEG had his fingers in many pies it made for a really good cliffhanger amongst all the blood. 

Setting: The Snow Like Ashes books have a very simple map though an interesting world that has developed from that map. Each country is so different that different cultures have to bloom from them. Summer was very interesting, though I didn't appreciate all of their social norms, though I hope there wouldn't be many who would. Although, the fact that Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn are always that season is kind of basic. It is nice that the other non-season countries are different, but it can be confusing especially when they aren't actually in those countries. 

Characters: I don't have anything bad to say about any of them as far as I can remember. There were some that were annoying or I was glad to see die, but as a character that's what they were supposed to do. Meira had many moments of growth and her fight to figure out what "Being Queen of Januari" meant and that fight continued on into the third book, so I believe. Mather goes about learning more about how not to be an idiot, which I'm grateful for. I was rooting for him to win out his love triangle. Theron has his moments, but he starts slipping into an antagonist roll, though not the main antagonist as the BBEG because he is constantly butting heads with Meira though he has sound ideas as well. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. I remember there being more than flirtations, I mean Meira and Theron are/were engaged to be married. I remember them kissing at least once in the first one, I think. As the book goes on, their love for one another dwindles considerably. Mather coming up into this love triangle again doesn't really happen because he's too far away, though he does love her and tries to save her toward the end. There isn't much of any opportunity to show it. 

Writing Style: It is a very modern, young adult book. Simple in writing. Simple metaphor and similes. Not very poetic or lyrical. Nothing particularly stands out compared to other young adult books. 

Overall: It was a decent book, definitely a middle of the series book where there are parts that are easily forgotten. The ending was pretty cool and had some unexpected parts. I probably wouldn't want to reread this one again on it's own. If I was wanting the series, then yes, but there weren't any  moments the I felt I needed to read again because it was just that good. 

Battle for Skandia

 

The Battle for Skandia is the fourth book in the Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan and is a nice ending piece for this story arch. 

"Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, the Ranger's apprentice and the princess's plan to return to Araluen is spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweek's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, unil old friends make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when they make a horrifying discovery: Skandia's boarders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. 

"If two kingdoms are to be saved, the unlikeliest of unions must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?"

General Thoughts: It's a good book. Probably my favorite of the first story arch. The scenes of Will in charge of the archers is one that has come back to me over and over throughout the years when I think of the series. 

Plot: This literally becomes "My enemies enemy is my friend." Those from Araluen and the vikings from Skandia have to put bygones aside in order to defeat the new enemy otherwise they will both be destroyed. It's nice to make new friends, and those can often be forged under dire circumstances. 

Setting: Much the same as the last one though on the greener side of things, we are in Skandia. Viking country. While the setting might have hindered or helped during the battle, it didn't make much of an impact on my reading. Often while tracking or searching we'd get some good forest descriptions or while they were in the Skandian capital, but because we didn't move around much in the story, it was easy to just forget. 

Characters: It's nice having many of the important characters back together. Erak really outdid himself in the third book and he grows on you even more here. His brash, Skandian attitude is fun and different than Halt's silent stoicism. Evanlyn develops more here as a leader as well, as does Will. Horace, as always, is a beef of a man even when he's still a teen. I enjoy having them all together to do their thing. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. As they cared for each other in the last book and their feelings for each other were beginning to bud, now it has a possibility to bloom, not much, but it can try. 

Overall: As I said before, it's a good ending to first story arch. We get a good, tactical battle sequence with a bunch of close calls, characters get to grow and show that they are competent not just some young sapling.  

Icebound Land

 Icebound Land is the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. 

"Kidnapped after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captive aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue Will, and he will do anything to keep his promise--even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged constantly by freelance knights--but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon he begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. Even so, will they be in time to rescue Will from a horrific life of slavery?"

General Thoughts and Plot: This was a very somber book comparatively to the other books in the series. Will and Evanlyn get taken as slaves and will gets addicted to drugs, Evanlyn must save them both and are very close to dying even with the help of new friends, Halt and Horace both have to go up against a really nasty warlord and John Flanagan doesn't sugar coat things as much as he potentially could have. We really get to see what dire straits they are all in and it's not looking good for any of them. It's a good story that flows well and really punches home the problems that happen with addictive substances. In the future it would be interesting to see if Will ends up coming face to face with the Warmweed again though that would be for another story. 

Setting: It is interesting the world that John Flanagan has let expand for us. The Viking culture and warmongering French-esque countryside were interesting juxtapositions and comparisons. Very different cultures and how then a English-esque-man would deal with such differences, with some moments needing to be more delicate than others.  

Characters: It was great to see Evanlyn's character development as she has had to grow in a different direction than she though she would have. Growing and having to really learn how to survive not just in a Viking-esque longhouse, but also out in the frozen wild. Will doesn't get as much development because he is incapacitated, but Horace gets a chance to step up as well because there are things Halt can't do. It was intriguing to see how Halt stood up to the King. The King knew what Halt was doing and didn't like how Halt wouldn't do as ordered but also didn't want to lose a friend for a rash rescue of sorts. Halt was willing to throw everything to the wind if it meant a chance at saving Will and Will could have been long dead for all he knew. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. There was none. Hopes for maybe some in the future. But nothing whatsoever because they were too worried about surviving to let anything kindle. 

Writing Style: Again John Flanagan is very tell-y. He tends to explain everything as opposed to showing us what is going on. Maybe, it has to do with the fact that he was writing for a younger audience so he felt he needed too, but even in the later books he "slips up" and does it fairly often. It is probably just going to be how he writes. While it isn't bad, it is kind of annoying. 

Overall: Not my favorite book of his, but still a solid read. 

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

 The manga That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime was a really fun isekai to read and anime to watch.

"Mikami's a middle age hasn't gone as he as he's planned. He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job and was abruptly stabbed to death on the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new work straight out of a fantasy RPG, he's disappointed buy not exactly surprised to find that he's a not a wizard but a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero..."

General Thoughts: I enjoyed this story and am glad it's continuing onward. This is actually a series I'm interested in purchasing for myself.

Plot and Theme: Slime is a typical isekai. Going from weakest creature alive to the top demon lord that everyone is scared of so that way you can protect your friends. There are many clichés and tropes that pop up here, but what was surprising was that it was done well. There are many isekai manga that don't run through their tropes well or where the story is so bad it just flounders. Slime doesn't. Rimaru gains friends and helps lift up others along the way. It's fun to see the village going from Goblin shacks that are barely standing to a major city with a Coliseum and Rimaru as a Demon Lord. There is political intrigue, massive disasters, death, humor and comedy, battles, and road construction. I like the ideas of helping each other out and living our best lives without having the "my friends are my power" trope which has gotten very old and long winded. It's a fun adventure story. 

Setting: It is an basic fantasy setting with goblins, orcs, demons, elves, dryads, vampires, humans, and whatnot. But each of these different clans have well developed cultures. Each kingdom has it's own boarders and concerns which leads to altercations and friendships. I'm in love with a good map at the beginning of any book and this one has them throughout the story as Rimaru becomes more important in society. 

Characters and Style: Many of the characters are very unique. There a lot of them, but each are drawn differently enough and have prominent (loud or quiet) personality that they don't get mixed up with other, which can often happen in these large scale books. Rimaru is a good leader, has his flaws (though few seem to be fatal flaws at the moment), but is always looking out for the people who've come under his slimy wing. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. Slime is not ecchi, which is great, but, however, there are some times with the elves one other character who are big and busty or a Demon Lord who wears only panties that I have found to be uncomfortable. There is also a moment toward the beginning where Rimaru needs to decide how he is going to look and because he's a slime and technically doesn't have a gender, he gets to pick and explores that a little, technically nothing is shown, but it gets to be kind of close at times. My son, who very much enjoys this series, chooses to look away because it can get awkward. Thankfully, it happens rarely enough that we don't have to turn it off. 

Final Thoughts: I do enjoy the series. It's got an engaging plot, fun characters, and it does the isekai genre good. I have very few qualms with it and can't wait for more chapters to be made. 

The Burning Bridge

 The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan is the second book in his Ranger's Apprentice Series and the one
that normally sticks out most in my mind when I think of the series in general.

"Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Ranger's rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chose, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to the nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassable eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king's army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord's plans. They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?" 

General Impression: This is the book that I remembered most growing up in the Ranger's Apprentice Series. The image in my mind of Evanlyn and Will burning the bridge and getting captured was very present in my mind. There are really good moments in the book that stay with you, which I think is needed to make a book good. 

Theme and Plot: Most of John Flanagan's books are an adventure story. They aren't theme driven books, but the thought of being persistent, of working hard, and being able to think up solutions to problems that arise. Sometimes you need to do what needs to be done for the greater good and try to get yourself out of the situation you're in later. John Flanagan's plots are simple and straight forward, but the adventures are still a fun ride to go on. 

Setting: I've enjoyed the world that Will and his gaggle of friends and comrades are in. It is very similar to medieval Europe, specifically England, but as the world develops we get to see outlying countries. But there are different lore's and histories which make it engaging and different. 

Characters: This is the book where we are introduced to Evanlyn and get to see how she grows from being a simple Lady in Waiting to someone who is going to take adventures and, again, do what needs to be done. Will is still my favorite character. He's a great set of eyes to get to see the story through, though we bounce through a few different points of view. Will, Evanlyn, Horace, Gilan, and  Halt are engaging characters who easily grow on you. 

Writing: The one thing that might still throw people off for John Flanagan's books is his writing style. There is lot's of description and he does tend to tell more than show. Tells us how characters are feeling or explains the side-eye-glances when we, as smart readers, should be able to get that in general. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. There was none. These kids are too young and we are honestly only starting out of these adventures. Not enough character development has arisen to really start romance of any kind. We can see, by the end, that there could be some romance between some of them, but it is hardly even budding. 

Overall: I enjoyed this book. I loved being able to read it with my son and have him really get engaged into the story. 

Glamour in Glass

 Glamour in Glass is the second book in the Glamorist Histories books by Mary Robinette Kowal. 

"In the tumultuous months after Napoleon abdicates his throne, Jane and Vincent go to Belgium for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, Jane and Vincent's concerns turn from enjoying their honeymoon...to escaping it. Left with no outward salvation, Jane must persevere over her trying personal circumstances and use her glamour to rescue her husband from prison... and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country's war." 

I read this back in May of 2023, a year and a half ago, and boy do I remember being upset by it. 

Plot and Theme: I got half way through it and skimmed the rest to see if it got better. It got worse. Jane's "trying circumstances" were that she was pregnant and while pregnant she isn't supposed to use glamour otherwise she could lose the baby. So her fight over her own independence and freedoms vs the... scariness of soon becoming a mom and not being able to do something she loved doing for nine months. I get it. Putting things down for a time because of children can be hard, but that amount of selfishness and practically intentionally aborting her baby did not set well with me. To have this be the major plot point of the book made me put this down. It wasn't a "she will persevere or think of another way around the problem of her husband being in prison and needing to help him escape." You aren't all Glamour girl! Use your brain and come up with another plan. Don't have the major plot be, kill the baby to save the husband. And the fact that she felt so relieved to be rid of this burden made me sick.

Setting and Writing Style: It has been a minute since I read the book, but from what I recall it's setting and the way it was written was pretty good. I enjoyed the set up of Napoleon breaking out and the French country side being up in arms one way or another. I don't remember being upset by the way Mary Robinette Kowal wrote it, just the themes and plot. 

Spice: The fact that Jane gets pregnant means that there was something going on behind the curtains, but that is where it stayed. Which is perfectly fine with me. When it comes to Jane and Vincent's relationship, I remember there being problems with the fact that he was away all the time. That's not how you spend a honeymoon, dearies. Yes, they've both got to work, but besides one scene where "the curtains fall" that is all the romantic encounters I remember. The rest of the time they seemed extremely mad at each other. Such a happy marriage. 

Characters: From what I recall the characters were actually decently developed. They had differing opinions and backgrounds. Even the side characters had thoughts about Napoleon and how the previous war went with England which was kind of refreshing. I don't recall any Mary-Sue's which is great. Jane was having some major growing pains and she chose extremely poorly in my opinion. She ended up being a character that I couldn't get along with and wasn't someone I cared to read about anymore. 

Overall: Never again. I'm done with Mary Robinette Kowal. Miscarriage is something I've dealt with more often than I would like to and abortion is not something I support. It was her relief at the end that killed it all for me. Apparently she gets pregnant in another book and is all happy hunky dory, but that seemed like it was even more of a reason why I wouldn't want to pick up anything else Kowal wrote. 

The Lost Metal

The last book in the Wax and Wayne series in the Misborn world of the Cosmere by Brandon Sanderson. 
 

It's now been six years since Elendel's world has been opened. Meeting the people from the south and trying to keep political schisms at bay has proved difficult, but somewhat doable. Wax and Steris have taken more control of the political sides of their lives and grown their family, while Wayne and Marsi work as constables as partners. But happenings happen and they find out that Wax's sister has big plans with her secret society which includes blowing up Elendel with equivocally a nuclear bomb. Why would Telsin want to do this? What would this "protect" the rest of the world from? And how much bigger is the cosmere than they think?

I can only be okay with the ending, because HE was okay with the ending. That is all I'm going to say about it. 

I loved that Brandon brought so many more worldhoppers into the series. They introduced so much more than we even have in the Cosmere books to begin with. Seeing some of my favorite characters, not just Hoid, in more of their glory than we ever had before makes me so happy. 

It was fast paced and constantly moving forward while still letting things be explained. It took me a while because I knew what was coming (stupid spoilers) and I didn't want it to happen, but it never felt like it was bogged down. 

I love the characters. All of them. They make me happy. I don't know how to say more. 

The books in this series are smaller comparatively so they are easier to binge and love over and over again. Which means I probably will do that sooner rather than later. 

The Ruins of Gorlan

 Book one in the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. 

Will is an orphan and Ward in Castle Redmont. He has dreams of becoming a knight, like he believes his father was--though who and what his father was is only in his dreams too. But when he is called up to become an apprentice, he is denied from battle school because of his stature. When Halt the Ranger gives the Baron a note and doesn't divulge what it says, Will has to find out and sneaks into the Baron's office to sneak a peek at it, only Halt and the Baron catch him as if they knew he was going to do it. With Halt's commendation, Will becomes the Ranger's Apprentice where he learns to be more sneaky and archery and tactics of being a ranger. His other Ward mates become apprentices to cooks, diplomates, scholars, and Horace goes to battle school. Horace struggles with battle school bullies. Bullies aren't going to be the only problems. Morgarath, an enemy to the crown who's been hold out on in the mountains, has sent beasts to kill leaders. It will be Halt and Will's job to stop them. 

This series is a long series of 16 books. Previously I've read the first four, so this will be an adventure reading the other ones. This has the same kind of feeling as Revenge of the Witch but with far less hibi-jibi's and more friends, which I find I like better. 

It's a very basic story, which can be nice. There is plenty of world building in a basic "medieval" world which makes it different. Different peoples and cultures, though they share some similarities with history-ish. There were some times when it was a little long, going through the plains was maybe a bit unneeded. 

My son really liked that the bullies got beat up. I was glad that it gave us an opportunity to talk about bullies and that it's important to let adults know what is going on, that "hazing" isn't okay either. 

We can kinda tell that it is a debut novel. There is a handful of repetitive words that were weird or alliteration that was off that probably should have been caught by an editor, but somehow didn't. 

Ella Enchanted

 Another retelling of Cinderella. 

Ella was "blessed," more like cursed, when she was a baby by a fairy named Lucinda to be Obedient, therefore she must do everything someone, anyone, tells her to do. She tries to fight against the curse going at it slowly or obnoxiously, but eventually she has to give in to whatever someone says. After her beloved mother dies, she is forced to go to finishing school with two nasty girls (who'd eventually become her step sister). On her way there, Hattie figures out that Ella has to be obedient and starts making her life miserable. She runs away, trying to find Lucinda to take the curse away (with the help of her own fairly godmother) but things don't go as planned. 

A simple, very fanciful retelling of the traditional story, it "fixes" a few of the things that modern audiences have problems with. Why didn't Cinderella leave? Why does she have to do what she's told? Why would the Prince marry her at the end without even knowing her? Historically, those questions wouldn't have mattered. Arranged marriages happened all the time and not being able to leave your home or position was obvious. But it gives our modern eyes reasons and explanations. 

I enjoy Ella and Char as a characters. I like the way their relationship is friendly and develops over the course of the story. Often we don't get that in a Cinderella story (which is why I think it is retold so much and why we get so many versions of it, the romance is open ended). I think their relationship is what makes this story. Yes, Ella goes on an adventure, but them together or their letters to each other is what really draws us through the story. 

Key's to the Demon Prison

 Slow in reviews it seems... 

My son and I finished this back in the beginning of April. As the final book in the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull, we enjoyed the somewhat ribbon tied ending. 

Kendra and Seth go to another hidden sanctuary in hopes of getting the last artifact to stop the Sphinx's schemes of opening the demon prison. The get there and find that The Evening Star is already there and are ready to bite their heals. Finding the last artifact and getting out prove extremely difficult. Seth and others get captured with Kendra and very few actually escaping. Seth, while in prison, makes new acquaintances and makes a deal with the Sphinx, while Kendra and others make a plans for a jail break. But when Seth gets out and the others become captured, thing get more complicated when Seth makes another deal with a demon and finds just how poorly those can end. Now with more demons on the loose, with new allies yet still in prison, and the list of true keys to the demon prison dying Seth, Kendra, and their comrades need to find means of stopping armies of demons from taking over the world. 

There was so much going on with this book. In looking back, there was so much jumping around from place to place that it if you weren't paying enough attention you could get lost. But I think, because it was the culmination of everything it was fitting. I do find it interesting how many final books (in series) end with a treasure hunt. Where people have to run around like crazy in order to stop the big bad because they don't have all the things they need yet. It ends up becoming a treasure hunt more than anything else--I'm looking at you HP. I while it works gathering up these odds and ends, it does get a little crazy. Also then to have the big bad finished off "fairly easily" and by two kids is kinda odd -- I get it's young YA and they went through a lot to get there, but still. 

I enjoyed the character progression over all for Kendra and Seth, though Seth had much more than Kendra did--hers I felt was lacking. I liked at the end of the book how there were questions from the author about how different Seth was in the beginning (opening windows during a solstice) to now (still getting bamboozled by a demon). He still makes mistakes, but owns up to them; and how these mistakes and his reasoning behind them changed over the course of the series. I do think it would have been nice to have Kendra need to abruptly learn new things and change for the better, but I honestly can't think of a when she did. She seems to stay the same throughout the whole series. 

I liked being able to see the different sanctuaries and fairy shrines and other important places that we get to travel. Brandon Mull has an interesting imagination to come up with some of the crazy traps and strange situations that he's able to create in the story. From Australia to Turkey to Norway. Teleportation helps a lot in order to do that. 

My son was happy with the ending and letting the world of Fablehaven chill for a bit. It was a long time reading these books. Now we're off to other worlds and adventures, but we'll probably not be too far away from Mull's other works in the future. 

Revenge of the Witch

I read this years ago and couldn't remember anything about it. Originally I gave it four stars and I hold to that with a reread. 

Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son, therefore making him the special. He doesn't know how, but his mother believes he is someone who will help him fight the coming darkness. Now that he is older and his eldest brother is running the farm with his pregnant wife (along with their aging father and mother), Tom is sent to start and apprenticeship with the Spook. Spook, or Mr. Gregory, is the Country's Spook. He's the one who takes care of those things that go bump in the night. Tom's apprenticeships is hard and full of scary moments. His first trial as a Spook is to stay the night in a haunted house, don't open the door for anyone, at midnight go into the cellar, and don't let the candle go out. Bravery and facing his fears will be key to any and everything he does as an apprentice Spook. After meeting a girl with pointy shoes, things go from faint bumps in the night to revenge and kidnapped children very quickly. 

I'm not much of a horror person. Thriller to an extent, but I don't do horror. There were two times in the book where I actually got a little jittery. Well written parts. I had to remind myself that it was just a story, and a young adult story at that. Though for it being young adult, it was kinda pushing the envelope for me. Like a baby died (and eaten) here and normally that is something writers touch--not anything graphic on that account, but still...

I liked all three of our main characters. Spook is awesome. I'd love to see him in action because we didn't really get to see him do anything besides teach this time around. Tom resembles a real person in that he has faults in judgement but sometimes his judgement is right on. Alice is also someone I'm excited to see how she progresses. There are thirteen books in this series (ah, the unlucky number) and the second to last one is called I Am Alice with her rather gloriously standing on the front cover, which makes me think she's come into some witchy power, for good or bad we don't know yet, but I'm intrigued. EDIT: I'm not continuing on with the series. I don't need the bad juju in my life. 

It is a very quick read. If I was able to just sit down and read (without a dog or other persons or jobs interrupting me) I could have finished it easily in two days. Possibly one if I started early. Sometimes it's rather "telling" instead of showing, but it is supposed to be something like Tom's journal and they aren't normally as descriptive as "normal books" so it can be forgiven somewhat. The prose is probably what dropped the star, those two very suspenseful moments (though at the beginning for me) were why I wanted to give it a 4.5 but.... Still a good beginning to a series. 

As I said, I'm not sure about horror, if it gets to be too.... ick for me, I'm going to put the series down. But we'll see how far we go. 

I also remember seeing the movie that they made of the book; it was called The Seventh Son and while it does have some of the happenings, I guess, but it is extremely different from the book. Like it's hard to figure that it's the same story. Though it does have Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian or General Kirigan) play Tom, but the age different of the character and actor is rather ridiculous--kinda like what they did for Percy Jackson's movie. What is up with them slaughtering the stories... They could have had a good long series for The Last Apprentice, but lost it and did a horrible movie. Don't watch it. Save yourself the few hours and find something else.  

In Another World With My Smartphone (Part 1)

 One of the few Isekai ("different world")  manga I've read. 

Touya Mochizuki finds himself talking with God. Apparently he wasn't supposed to die, so in order to make amends God gives him a chance to go to another world. Touya asks if he can take his smartphone with him and God says yes, and that he'll also have magical powers in this world as well. Excited to start his new life, he hitches a ride with a clothes merchant (who wants his clothes and pays top dollar for the fine pieces) and makes his way to the nearest city. He runs into twin girls who help him find the Adventurer's Guild so he can make some money and stay at the inn. The girls help and they split bounties. Touya finds that not only is his smartphone super helpful, but he has the ability to use all magics in this world. Being a helpful person he makes many friends especially among the nobles which helps him move up in society to where he eventually gets his own kingdom. But not all is as easy as it seems. Crystalline beasts are awakening and nothing, not magic or brute force, seems to be able to stop them. 

The plot of the crystalline creatures and Ende (who I think is a bad guy, though we don't know yet) has a lot going for it. The fact that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is going to help defeat them is pretty awesome, though I personally could do without the mechtechs--but that's just me. I think it has a lot of promise. 

Touya, though, is a MarySue or Gary-Stu if you like, which would normally make me grade it a bit harder, but I still gave it a 4 Star because as the story goes on he finds challenges that are really difficult to overcome. I do think there are still problems with Touya as a character besides his Gary-Stu-ness--which I guess they give a bit of an explanation for but that isn't until later in the series. He doesn't really change throughout the course of the 12 volumes that are out at present. He's completely awesome (Gary-Stu) and girls flock to him (it is a harem after all) but he doesn't change. There are no faults to over come so there is nothing too change. 

I could also do without the perv-y moments that are sprinkled throughout the series. Because Touya is the only boy who isn't a dad or king of a country, all the perv-y people are robot girls or their female creator who's gross. I end up skimming or skipping through parts whenever they are around. Ugh. It' gets tiresome. 

But over all the characters are fun and the plot is creative. I even find that I enjoyed the "building a kingdom" part of the story where much of it was just trying to straighten things out. It's well illustrated and has a good story. We just need to have the main character not be so powerful at the beginning (give him some training sores) and less "panty shots" or plain sex talk. 

The series isn't complete yet, so when another huge bunch comes out, my hubby will probably have me check it out. 

Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold

 This is a book that my husband has been trying to get me to read for nearly a decade.... It's taken me a while to get to it. Sorry, love. 

Ben Holliday is a lawyer in Chicago who is still grieving over the death of his wife and unborn child. He has no motivation in his life except for work and he is miserable. Looking through a Christmas catalog only for the uber wealthy, he spots a peculiar add about a Magic Kingdom for sale for 1 million dollars. What kind of heist is this? Who would fall for that? Well, when he can't get it out of his mind, he inquires with the add agency and it's a legitimate add. He actually purchases it. 1 million isn't that much to him, especially with a full refund guarantee if he's not satisfied. Any change would be good for him now. Anything is better than this stagnant feeling and dwelling in grief. So he goes, and finds out that it is for real. The first moment he steps into Landover where his first contact is a demon that tries to chase him down and then a dragon that he has to sneak by. The court wizard, who is really bad at magic, named Questor Thews takes him to his rundown and tarnished castle that is being run by a man who was turned into a dog and two kobolds. Not the welcoming parade and fanfare he might have assumed would accompany a king to a magical kingdom. With no authority other than the medallion he was given and the ragtag team of counselors, he decides he's not going to give up. Well, at least he has 10 days to fully decide. 

My rating of a 4 Star is generous. I'd probably give it more of a 3.75, but I haven't done quarters in my rating system, so.... 

Magic Kingdom For Sale:Sold! is an old school fantasy book, published in 1986 and it feels it. It's as if back in the 80's only guys read fantasy (which they might have) and it was very much published for them. There are two whole girls in this story, one is beautiful and fanciful, devoted with her entire heart (after just one meeting) and the most gorgeous being he's ever seen; while the other is an ugly old witch who is one of the three most powerful beings in Landover. There is no in between, it is simply two extremes. Willow did fall in love at first sight because it was fated to be and would willingly die for him if it would save him even though they had only met for about five minutes. Upon their next meeting of another five minutes she pledged herself. This is extremely unrealistic, fantasy or not, and I didn't like it. She has no personality besides her devotion to him. "I must stay with you, Ben" is something she says often in almost every book I've ready thus far. It most defiantly, in my opinion, fails the Bechdel Test which I honestly didn't think was much of a problem (probably because I mainly read more recent publications or those written by women). 

The character development for pretty much anyone besides Ben is extremely minimal. Many feel very two dimensional. Most of the quirks that the characters have are surface level (dogman, bad at magic, green lady, dragon, evil witch). They feel almost like caricatures or stereotypes who are happy to stay in the stereotype.  Nothing really happens to them. 

The plot of the book is very simple. *spoilers* He comes into Landover, finds it's rundown but is willing to work through it, goes to different people to help him gain some authority which kind of works, and then has to fight a demon who would try to kill him at the end of a year anyway. It's not complicated at all and is kind of a let down. 

I feel like this book hasn't aged well and if it weren't for my husband liking as much as he did the last time he read it and the fact that I can listen to it as an audiobook, I probably wouldn't have read on. But I have. 

The Black Unicorn is better. 

Rhythm of War

 The fourth installment of the Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson was amazing. 

The world of Roshar has turned on it's head. The Desolation is here and the enemy is at their front door. Traitors have been found amongst their ranks and countries around the world are being taken over or willingly joining the enemy which can mean doom for Dalinar and his Knights Radiant. Queen Navani is sent to deal with the ever day of Urithiru and is constantly propelling the inventors forward to help end the war.  In a year of fighting, Kaladin and his Windrunners have found honor in the enemies they have been fighting and an old friend turned traitor causes a lot of havoc for the once Bridgeboy who suffers heavily with PTSD. Refugees flee including Kaladin's parents and war abounds. Adolin and Shallan must travel to Shadesmere and must convince the Honorspren to join their cause so there can be more Windrunners to defeat the constant stream of enemies. And not all of the enemies are what they appear. All want the war to be over and some of the enemy are will to help Dalinar's side instead of the Old Gods. 

This was a very exciting story and one that went in a direction that I didn't think it was going to. I read this book well after it came out and knew of some spoilers, so I was able to not cry at a certain point, but I was wholeheartedly unprepared for what came after and how touching it was that tears streamed down my face at the lakeside. So well written just like everything Brandon Sanderson does write. 

I love how Brandon isn't scared to touch some hot topics, specifically mental illness. He doesn't just skim this lake, he dives in and gives voice to people's legitimate troubles. It's not just a "happy" story of war and everyone is willing to kill everyone else to win. It's the after affects of so many hard situations that change us. It's the coming to terms with those circumstances. Brandon does what Kaladin does in bringing the sufferers into the light instead of hidden away in dark holes inside a mountain. He also shows us that not everyone is as black and white as they might appear on the outside. People have ulterier motives and will likely surprise you when they are given the chance. 

These character arches are amazing in that they are sticky, people slide into old habits, they think they are doing the right thing just to find out that it might not have been so right. It feels so real and makes me want to write like him.