A brother and sister live together after their parents sticky divorce and must survive each other. It is a short, fast, slice of life that is just too funny.
I don't know much more to say other than it's hysterical and I finished it in a day. I really want to find the anime for it, but the K-Drama is on Netflix.
If you're looking for a pickmeup story, this one is great.
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.
In going into it, I didn't realize it was a slice of life, so I was anticipating a thick plot and was slightly disappointed. There was this implication that she is some kind of moon spirit or guardian, but then that never really goes anywhere. I haven't finished the whole series because it was getting king of long (as slice of life stories sometimes do), but I did enjoy what I did complete.
There were many really cute moments that I don't think would happen in real life (because of the attitude of "we shouldn't touch more than hand holding," "kissing makes me embarrassed," "I shouldn't look because I'm not supposed to" when they are actually married and all of that is fine in practically ever culture that I'm aware of). They are sweet and kind to one another and shows a good marriage which is nice for a change when there are so many awful marriage or the "Mom and Dad are off on business trips for the whole story or don't exist all together."
I really wish they would have added more into the whole Moon Guardian thing. The slice of life aspect of it is fine, but I really wanted them to do something more with her paranormal powers--like how the heck did she actually safe him!
Siri was the left over princess, but suddenly she is the most important person in two kingdoms. Instead of Vivenna, the important sister the perfect princesses, Siri is chosen to marry the Godking to stop a war. Thrown into unknown politics and told she isn't supposed to even talk to her new husband, Siri is extremely over her head. Vivenna knows how out of her depths Siri is and goes to to save her, but now her only contact is dying of a horrible sickness and she is now on her own. Vasher is also in town with his own reasons to get into people's business.
The characters in this story are amazing. I think the growth that the main characters go through and how drastically they can change when circumstances require it, shows the reader that we can all do hard things, things we never believed we could ever do--I'm especially looking at you Vivenna.
The magic system is unlike any I've seen anywhere else and there are so many possibilities. To have your magic powered by your Breath and the colors around you is ingenious. As for all of Brandon's magic systems, it is extremely well thought out and although it takes us a while to get a full description of what potentially could happen (as opposed to Mistborn which gives us the explanation right up front) we get the jist of it enough to not have us be totally lost. I very much appreciate the rules being laid out and having hard and fast rules as opposed to other books with magic where it takes a few nonsensical words of "Power," a wiggle of the fingers, and some form of intent and absolutely anything or nothing can happen. Those other kinds of magic systems seem cheaper to me and can get the writer out of situations they otherwise wouldn't be able to logically get themselves out of. For Breath and it's magic systems, there are rules that can't be broken and yet also many facets that help them to do amazing things. They are tools used for many ways but there are still impossibilities that must be worked around. It's good, thought-out worldbuilding which I very much enjoy.
The first time I read the book (this is my second), I thought that the ending happened too quickly, that maybe there could have been another chapter or three to elongate the suspense. However, upon this second reading, I enjoyed it so much more and the ending, although somewhat abrupt, didn't feel like it wasn't warranted. Each of the characters got their moments of doing something great--Lightsong you will forever be in my heart--and empowering which end up changing what will be happening in the future for the world and off-world for the Cosmere as a whole.
I know that Brandon is going to write a sequel to this story, and while he's had this one out for well over a decade, I believe he's "close" to starting this next project. Brandon writes fast and consistently so we won't be waiting for it never to happen (which happens for other writers where their series' go unfinished). It might take another few years, but all of Brandon's readers are eagerly await for the next Warbreaker book.
Can I just say, "Wow."
Kazi and Jase make their way back to Tor's Watch. New hope and a love of life in their wings. But when a mysteriously dead bird falls from the sky with a note from Jase's sister saying that their home is under attack and their brother is dead, everything starts going wrong. They had only been gone for a month, maybe two and suddenly everything Jase knew is gone. They make their way to town which has had parts of it demolished and then comes the arrows. Kazi orders Jase's horse to run, but she's unable to get away. Both wounded, Kazi under arrest and dying, and Jase.... His case is unknown. Who's taken over the city? Where are the Ballengers? Who's survived? Who hasn't?
This was very well done. I've not had any real problems with any of the books I've listened to by Mary E. Pearson. The characters are great, the worldbuilding is awesome, and the moments of who to trust, who not to, and questions of "How crazy is this guy!?" It was great.
The only thing I wish had been revealed (better) than it was is the age of the King. I honestly thought he was a lot older (when I was reading the first book). Nope! He's a young guy (because of course he is). Not knowing how old he was changed a lot of things in my mind as I was listening to the book.
I really enjoyed the way Ms. Pearson had Kazi skirt around the King and dive in and out of situations. I enjoyed the people we didn't particularly like in the first book, but got a moment to prove themselves. Wren and Synove are some of my favorite characters throughout the series and I like how "family comes first" is a big theme.
It is a great book and a good series that I very much enjoyed.
With a new Queen on the thrown of Venda, Kazi is sent with her Ratan crew to find a certain traitor who has escaped Vendin justice. The small clan city where they believe he is hiding out has also come under new leadership with the death of their Patre. Jace (the new Patre) and Kazi have a confrontation right before they both get knocked out and shackled by slave runners. Chained together and finally escaping, they must find their way back to civilization and not kill each other on the way. Between political interreges and secrets they won't tell each other, complications arise and they must skirt around each other while falling in love.
The best thing about this series are the two main character and the natural development of their own individual character growth. The supporting characters are fantastic as well and do so much to build each other up to make it feel like a naturally functioning people. The Ratan and Jace's family are fantastic. Sometimes, because there are so many, I did get a bit confused, but many of them have such stark attributes that it's easy to tell what each character is like. I also listened to the audiobook and it helps a lot as well because the readers for this series did such a good job with characterization as well. My favorite is particularly toward the end when Synove fires her blunted arrow at a traitors back. That was perfect. That was amazing and so well set up.
There are misunderstandings, but not in the cliché "it's going to run the plot" kind of way. They intentionally keep secrets from each other because "national security." With it being intentional instead of happenstance, it makes the story and the dance that happens real and much less the cliché.
The world building that Mary did for The Remnant Chronicles and this series is amazing. It is top notch, even through it is in a basic "fantasy setting." There is so much time taken into the history of both series that makes it seem alive, seem real. No good story has no history. The histories, the ruins, the monuments, the rivalries all stem off how important history is to many of the cultures in this world. World building is my favorite thing in stories next to good characters. And this book is no exception to that.
I'm loving it and am listening to the second one animatedly. The cliffhanger at the end of this book, demands that the second book is picked up quickly. So, on we read.
Lia is saved by Rafe from the river as they had tried to make their escape. But dressed like a pin cushion and dying, the cold journey to safety is long, hard and torturous. With help from Rafe's men and a persevering princess, they make their way to safe territory with their vital information of a coming siege. Kaden finds them and is "invited" into the party with shackles. Now, to convince generals of the hostilities coming and to weed out corruption from her own government while not getting captured or assassinated by the officials who work as spies for the Komizar.
I ended up actually putting this one down for a while, and wasn't super keen on getting back to it. The beginning, getting away, even the romantic escapades between certain characters were fine, but as the story went on toward the middle, Lia rather annoyed me. There was a lot of angst and an exorbitant amount of aggression between characters. In the previous books, it made sense because there were kidnappings and hostage-ness going on, but now trying to save all the kingdoms it seemed unnecessary and a lot.
I still really enjoyed the ancestral parts of the series. All of the ruins and lore and the fact that histories are different depending on where you're reading them from. Perspectives change as you jump from culture to culture and interpretations change and waver depending on situations. I do wish there was a little more history when it came to the ruins and cities that they passed through, but I know there are those, especially when it comes to Young Adult stories, that don't like going lore heavy. It is something that I very much enjoy and drink up wholeheartedly.
Aside from angsty-teenagery-ness I did enjoy the characters. Particularly side characters for this book. They were given more time on the center stage and I think they are what pulled me back into the story. Pauline especially, because you don't often get older, pregnant teenage girls who also have a baby in stories in general, especially in a fantasy setting. I enjoyed the fact that Pauline and Kaden didn't get a long and he was forced into midwifery and that he stood up for her later when she was being harassed. It was sweet and actually made me like Kaden more. Other characters bloomed too throughout the series and culminated here at the end.
Lia and Rafe's relationship was very apparent. They did make love and none of it was described physically . It was all emotional, which I think is a good, healthy way to be describing it--especially in a Young Adult book. It worked and it worked well.
I did enjoy the climax of the story. * spoilers * The war parts were well written and the fact that Lia was able to use her Gift to help was pretty cool. Though, with all the point of "sacrifice" in the prophecy, I was thinking she Mary Pearson might do something truly cool and kill of characters, an ending like the Divergent series or something. But it was a different kind of sacrifice which I guess was okay.... Fine. Mary Pearson isn't so bold as to kill of her main character in a dramatic, story driven way. Makes the girls who are squeeing about the story really happy.
All in all, it was pretty good. I enjoyed the series and would recommend it for people who are wanting a good series to read.
