Sections
The Shadow of the Gods, the first book in The Bloodsworn series, is a competent Nordic-inspired fantasy that presents a fascinating world rife with monsters and violence, where characters learn to be brutal to survive. The novel, however, is let down by a problematic structure that makes some plotlines take too long to get moving, while others suffer from the lack of a proper conclusion.
The story starts with a hunt. While young Breca is preparing to throw a spear at a reindeer, his mother, Orka, teaches him that “Death is a part of life.” He misses the shot, however, because a wolf startles the deer: in The Shadow of the Gods, there will always be a creature lurking in the [...]
Despite being part of the Cosmere, Brandon Sanderson’s shared universe, Tress of the Emerald Sea is not a typical Sanderson book: instead of an epic fantasy boasting a huge cast of characters and told in a didactic voice, we have a whimsical fairy tale with a playful narrator that focuses on the story of a single figure.
“In the middle of the ocean, there was a girl who lived upon a rock,” the novel starts, immediately framing its narrative in the realm of fairy tales. This is the story of Tress, a girl who lives in a world with talking rats, cunning dragons, cruel sorcerers, and ships that sail over clouds of spores that burst in contact with water. One day, Tress’ loved one [...]
The Traitor Baru Cormorant tells the first chapter of a story about identity and betrayal, with a protagonist that is willing to do anything to change the system from within: it’s a fantasy novel concerned with political change, and the sacrifices necessary to propel it.
The story starts when Baru is a little girl on the island of Taranoke, living with her two fathers and her mother Pinion. One day, Taranoke is visited by the Masquerade Empire, which proclaims to have come in peace, offering progress instead of war. But Baru quickly learns that dominion can occur without violence, as the subjective progress came with political and social control attached. Vowing to avenge [...]
The third book in The Wheel of Time series, The Dragon Reborn is a bit reluctant to move the story forward, recycling old themes, personal struggles, and even climactic fights. Its narrative strength, then, comes in the decision to abandon Rand to focus on his friends, finally giving them a chance to shine.
The story follows the events of The Great Hunt: Rand has been declared the Dragon Reborn and is surrounded by a small but devoted army. Convinced that he must act alone and quickly, Rand flees his camp and travels to the city of Tear to acquire a mythical sword that has the power to end the war with the Dark One once and for all. But the novel doesn’t follow Rand, turning [...]
The first novel of The Stormlight Archive series, The Way of Kings, offers a compelling “underdog” story with memorable set-pieces and a world brimming with mystery – even if it fails to fully justify its length and the focus on some of its characters.
The Way of Kings opens with the death of a king and follows the resulting conflict. After the Parshendi people agrees to form an alliance with the Alethi king Gavilar, they send an assassin to dispatch him during the night, leading Alethkar to a long, drawn-out war. The battles are being waged in the aptly named Shattered Plains, a barren and vast labyrinth of rent plateaus, filled with deadly chasms and crevasses. Due to the [...]
The Great Hunt finally allows The Wheel of Time to become its own thing, breaking free from most of Tolkien’s structure, which so hindered The Eye of the World. It’s a competent fantasy novel that focuses on fleshing out its world, introducing and developing elements that make the series stand on its own feet.
As its title implies, the plot of The Great Hunt revolves around a big chase. Darkfriends, led by Padan Fain, have stolen the mythical Horn of Valere and a sinister dagger that is magically linked to Mat Cauthon, who is bound to perish without it. With the intention to save his friend, Rand sets out with him, Perrin, and a bunch of soldiers from Faldara, pursuing Fain to [...]