Review: Starsight - Brandon Sanderson

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumours of his cowardice are true - he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them.

Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars - and it was terrifying. What she learned turned her world upside down. Everything Spensa's been taught is a lie.

But Spensa also learned a few things about herself - and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.

Cytonic Series:
Defending Elysium (Free short story)
Skyward
Starsight

Visit the Brandon Sanderson's website for more information

Review:
Starsight is the second book in Brandon Sanderson's Cytonic series and a brilliant follow up to the first book. It took everything I loved in Skyward but then ramped it up a gear and took us in a totally unexpected direction with Spensa taking on an additional role as spy as well as fighter pilot. It's hard because there is so much I want to talk about but I don't want to give even a hint of a spoiler and ruin the story for anyone so I'm deliberately going to keep this review as vague as possible but trust me, if you enjoyed Skyward you're going to love Starsight!

Spensa is such a fun character to spend time with, she's fierce and sometimes a little over-confident but events in this book push her beyond her wildest nightmares. She is so far out of her comfort zone and doesn't have the rest of her flight squad on hand to back her up so she's forced to make some new allies. I'll admit I missed a few of the old faces but M-Bot and Doomslug were on fine form and I loved some of the new characters she meets along the way too (watch out for the Kitsun who happen to be my favourites).

So much is revealed in this instalment about the Krell, about human history and about the entire universe that Spensa lives in. We find out more about her abilities which she ends up testing to the limits, and we spend time with some of the other alien species too. New allies, shock betrayals and so much action really made Starsight impossible to put down. This series is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment. Please don't make us wait too long Brandon Sanderson, I'm willing to beg or send bribes!

Source: Received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Defending Elysium - Brandon Sanderson

This story originally appeared in the October/November 2008 Asimov’s Science Fiction (in the US) and the UPC Science Fiction collection (in Europe).

"An image came to him. An image of humankind escaping into space. An image of human merchants trading and cheating, of human tyrants capturing the Varvax, Tenasi, and Hommar. Images of wars, of fighting, of a paradise destroyed."

Oddly enough, the ones who made first contact were an outdated, nearly bankrupt phone company. Second contact was made by the United Governments Military when they accidentally shot down a Tenasi ambassadorial vessel. The Phone Company negotiated Earth out of danger following the Tenasi incident. The Phone Company had brought FTL communication to humankind.

And Phone Company operative Jason Write has sworn to keep the galaxy safe from the barbaric humans who would ruin the Elysium that the galactic races currently enjoy.

Cytonic Series:
Defending Elysium (Free short story)
Skyward
Starsight

Visit the Brandon Sanderson's website for more information

Review:
This short story is set in the same universe as the Skyward series and can be read for free on Brandon Sanderson's website here or you can even listen to it via the StarShipSofa podcast (episode 339) here.

Although this story is set decades or centuries before the start of Skyward I would recommend reading it after that novel as it does contain answers to questions that are only raised in that book. I don't want to go into too much detail because it's far too easy to accidentally spoil a 40 page short story but I will say it gives more information about humanity's first interaction with alien species and it definitely explains certain things that we find out towards the end of Skyward.

Having really enjoyed this short I'm now even more excited to start the second book in the series, Starsight, I can't wait to see what happens next for Spensa and her friends.

Source: Read for free on Brandon Sanderson's website

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Review: Skyward - Brandon Sanderson

Spensa's world has been under attack for hundreds of years. An alien race called the Krell leads onslaught after onslaught from the sky in a never-ending campaign to destroy humankind. Humanity's only defense is to take to their ships and fight the enemy in the skies. Pilots have become the heroes of what's left of the human race.

Spensa has always dreamed of being one of them; of soaring above Earth and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's - a pilot who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, placing Spensa's chances of attending flight school somewhere between slim and none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, but she is still determined to fly. And the Krell just made that a possibility. They've doubled their fleet, making Spensa's world twice as dangerous . . . but their desperation to survive might just take her skyward . . .

Cytonic Series:
Defending Elysium (Free short story)
Skyward
Starsight

Visit the Brandon Sanderson's website for more information

Review:
I've been wanting to read more books by Brandon Sanderson ever since I read the last few books in the Wheel of Time series so what better place to start than with Skyward, the first book in his new YA sci-fi series. I'm happy to say that this has now solidified my position as a fan and I'm looking forward to working my way through his huge backlist!

Spensa grew up wanting to be a fighter pilot like the father who was a hero to her, even when he was killed in action after being branded a traitor all she wanted to do is follow in his footsteps and find a way to clear his name. Being the daughter of a coward has followed her everywhere, her family are looked down on and she is picked on constantly but she refuses to give up on her dream - no matter how many people try to stop her joining flight school and fighting to protect her people.

You see Spensa's people have been at war with an alien race for hundreds of years and their situation is getting more and more desperate. They have been under attack ever since they crash landed on their planet and the Krell seem determined to destroy what is left of the human race. Nobody knows quite why the Krell keep attacking but it is getting harder and harder to fight them off as they loose ships and fighter pilots more and more frequently. Flight school is dangerous and only a tiny percentage of cadets even survive the course but Spensa is determined to be one of them and she will do whatever it takes to earn her chance to fly.

Skyward was a fantastic start to this new series, the world building was brilliant and I loved the fight training missions and battles with the Krell, there were a lot of edge of your seat moments because things are so dangerous and Brandon Sanderson isn't afraid to sacrifice his characters so that heightens the sense of fear as you're reading. Spensa is such an interesting character, she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder thanks to the way she's always been treated and she puts on a layer of bravado to face the world so she can come across as a little aggressive and full of herself but underneath all of that she's scared and vulnerable and very, very easy to like. I loved getting to know her and the rest of the kids in the Skyward Flight, these characters were all very complex with their own motivations, fears and dreams and they all changed and grew throughout the story (well the ones who survived did anyway!).

I have to give a shout out to M-Bot and Doomslug who were both fantastic additions to the story, M-Bot was hilarious and I loved the way he looked at the world while Doomslug was just super cute. I really enjoyed the way Brandon Sanderson slowly reveals information about events surrounding the death of Spensa's father, and all the questions he raised about the Krell and why they were so determined to fight humans. Some of those questions are answered by the end of the book but others are left open for future instalments, I'm definitely going to be first in the queue for the sequel when it's published.

If you're looking for a book with daring aerial battles, fantastic characters, a talking spaceship, alien invasions and a character who just won't take no for an answer then you can't go wrong with Skyward!

Source: Received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review

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Review: A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

'And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died.' - Charal Drianaan te Calamon, The Cycle of the Dragon.

In the Field of Merrilor the rulers of the nations gather to join behind Rand al'Thor, or to stop him from his plan to break the seals on the Dark One's prison - which may be a sign of his madness, or the last hope of humankind. Egwene, the Amyrlin Seat, leans toward the former.

In Andor, the Trollocs seize Caemlyn.

In the wolf dream, Perrin Aybara battles Slayer.

Approaching Ebou Dar, Mat Cauthon plans to visit his wife Tuon, now Fortuona, Empress of the Seanchan.

All humanity is in peril - and the outcome will be decided in Shayol Ghul itself. The Wheel is turning, and the Age is coming to its end. The Last Battle will determine the fate of the world . . .

Wheel of Time Series:
New Spring (Prequel Story but it's recommended to read after Crossroads of Twilight)
The Eye of the World
The Great Hunt
The Dragon Reborn
The Shadow Rising
The Fires of Heaven
Lord of Chaos
A Crown of Swords
The Path of Daggers
Winter's Heart
Crossroads of Twilight
Knife of Dreams
The Gathering Storm
Towers of Midnight
A Memory of Light

Visit the Wheel of Time series website for more information

Review:
I still can't quite believe that the epic Wheel of Time series is actually over! 15 books (don't forget the prologue!), 12,097 pages and over a year of reading (I read one book a month with a group of friends) and it's done. I actually put off reading A Memory of Light because I didn't want to reach the end but I'm so glad it went out on a high note. This series is absolutely huge and I was nervous about making the commitment to it last year but I have really enjoyed the journey that Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson have taken us on, and I can see why this is considered a classic.

I'm running out of words to use in praise of this series, just go back and read any of my other 14 reviews and it'll quickly become clear how much I've loved this world though. The characters have alternated between infuriating and amazing but the world is just so huge and detailed that it was very easy to get lost in. There have been a lot of highs and lows along the way but that is only to be expected in something so huge and the last four books have probably been my favourites in the whole series.

I'm not really going to say too much about the final instalment other than to confirm that it was a worthy addition to the series. There is just so much going on in this book, so many different plot threads that all needed to be tied together, so many characters who needed to get their final moments of glory, enemies to be destroyed and friendships to be celebrated. There were moments that I celebrated and others that broke my heart but overall I couldn't have been more happy with the ending. Is it perfect? Probably not but it came pretty close and overall this is a series I think every fantasy fan should read. I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters and if I'm honest I'm a little disappointed we didn't get an epilogue to show how our favourites are doing a few years down the line but I think we were given just enough that we can use our imagination for the rest.

I'm sad that Robert Jordan didn't get the chance to finish his epic masterpiece but I'm thankful that Brandon Sanderson was able to do such a brilliant job of the final few books and I'm glad fans weren't left with a million unanswered questions.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

The end draws near....

The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight.

The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.

Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To prevail, he must seek answers in Tel’aran’rhiod and find a way--at long last--to master the wolf within him or lose himself to it forever

Meanwhile, Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life. The creatures beyond the stone gateways--the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn--have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets will reveal the fate of a friend long lost.

This penultimate novel of Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling series--the second of three based on materials he left behind when he died in 2007--brings dramatic and compelling developments to many threads in the Pattern. The end draws near.

Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice.

Wheel of Time Series:
New Spring (Prequel Story but it's recommended to read after Crossroads of Twilight)
The Eye of the World
The Great Hunt
The Dragon Reborn
The Shadow Rising
The Fires of Heaven
Lord of Chaos
A Crown of Swords
The Path of Daggers
Winter's Heart
Crossroads of Twilight
Knife of Dreams
The Gathering Storm
Towers of Midnight
A Memory of Light

Visit the Wheel of Time series website for more information

Review:
So I reached book 13 in the mammoth Wheel of Time series, the last book (and last battle) is in sight and I have to ask myself am I glad I started reading it? The answer is without a doubt yes. There was a sticky patch in the middle there where I almost gave up but at that point I was probably already about 6000 pages in and so invested that I needed to keep going. It felt like Robert Jordan had lost control a bit and the story had started to wander in so many different directions that it took away from the main story line but that has improved so much since Brandon Sanderson took over and I think his books have probably been my favourite books of the series (certainly of the later ones anyway).

The pace is so much better now, he's tightened up the plot and is focused on the main characters we've been following since the beginning. The unnecessary side characters have all but been eliminated and that has made such a huge difference, there are still a lot of plots to follow but they're all interesting ones that are going to have an impact when it come to the final battle.

Rand has grown into his role as the Dragon Reborn and it feels like he might have a chance against the Dark One, Nynaeve is finally showing why she was named Wisdom of her village at such a young age (in fact she outshines Egwene in this book!), Mat attempts a daring rescue, Thom has an unexpected romantic encounter, Egwene has brought the White Tower back together with clever manoeuvring but she still drives me insane because of the way she treats Rand (they grew up together - surely she can give him a tiny bit of trust!?), Perrin makes some interesting discoveries in the Wolf Dream. The only character I still don't really care about is Elayne, she's not quite as bad as she used to be but it's still only Birgitte that make her chapters bearable.

While I'm excited to read A Memory of Light I'm also a little nervous, I think what I'm most worried about is how the Seanchan will be handled, their attitude to women who can channel is horrific and I'm finding it really hard to see a future where they'll willingly abolish slavery. I hope that whatever happens with them is a believable progression but I really need them to turn it around because I want to root for a happily ever after for Mat and Tuon! I guess I'm just sad that the series is nearly over, I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye to these characters yet and that's quite an achievement by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson considering how considering the huge amount of time I've spent in this world already.

Source: Purchased

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Review: The Gathering Storm - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.

The final volume of the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn books, and now Stormlight Archive, among others, was chosen by Jordan's editor--his wife, Harriet McDougal--to complete the final volume, later expanded to three books.

In this epic novel, Robert Jordan's international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward--wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders--his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.

Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack she knows is imminent, Egwene works to hold together the disparate factions of Aes Sedai while providing leadership in the face of increasing uncertainty and despair. Her fight will prove the mettle of the Aes Sedai, and her conflict will decide the future of the White Tower--and possibly the world itself.

Wheel of Time Series:
New Spring (Prequel Story but it's recommended to read after Crossroads of Twilight)
The Eye of the World
The Great Hunt
The Dragon Reborn
The Shadow Rising
The Fires of Heaven
Lord of Chaos
A Crown of Swords
The Path of Daggers
Winter's Heart
Crossroads of Twilight
Knife of Dreams
The Gathering Storm
Towers of Midnight
A Memory of Light

Visit the Wheel of Time series website for more information

Review:
Like a lot of fans of this series I was a little nervous going into The Gathering Storm because I wasn't sure if Brandon Sanderson would be able to capture the feel of the Wheel of Time series in quite the way Robert Jordan has created it. I'd never actually read a book by Brandon Sanderson before (although I'll certainly be buying some of them when I've finished this series!) so it wasn't a reflection on him as an author, just fears about a well loved series having a change in author. Of course I'm glad that Robert Jordan allowed someone else access to his notes so that the series wasn't left open ended but the nerves were definitely real when I picked up this book.

Luckily that worry turned out to be unneeded though because this ended up being one of my favourite books in the series. Yes there are differences in the writing style between the two authors but overall I think the changes Brandon Sanderson made to some of the characters (and certainly the increased pacing of the story!) were for the better. The things that have irritated me more and more in the most recent books were markedly absent here and I enjoyed the book so much more because of that. It takes us back to the good old days when there was always something interesting happening, no more boring filler chapters and three thousand side characters being added in every instalment that had pretty much no relevant role in the overall storyline.

The two characters who are really the main focus of The Gathering Storm are Rand and Egwene. Rand is on a difficult path and his storyline has been getting darker and darker as he tries to mold himself into someone who is capable of putting the greater good above the lives of individuals. It's completely against Rand's nature to allow people he considers under his protection, especially women, to get hurt in battle but he has come to the realisation that they won't be able to win at Tarmon Gai'don without casualties. It's quite sad to see Rand fighting against his instincts and also struggling with his madness in this book but his storyline is definitely interesting and I think he made a key realisation towards the end of the book that is going to make things a little easier for him going forwards.

Egwene really shines in this book, she really started to show her strength in the previous instalment and that just continues here. She has grown so much since she was raised as the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai and her wisdom and cunning shine through in this book. There is no doubt in my mind that she is going to make a fantastic Amyrlin and I can't wait to watch her bring all the ajas back together again under the white tower where they all belong. It's going to be an exciting time for the Aes Sedai and I'm particularly interested to see how they deal with the Seanchan after the betrayal in this book.

It's obvious that various plot threads are being woven closer together now that the end of the series is approaching. I can't actually believe there are only two books left but I am more excited about this series than ever and I can't wait to see how each of the character's stories end.

Source: Purchased

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