Hark

A very lukewarm climax from an author who is know for his bombastic climaxes. Much like the previous book, Rhthym of War, it can feel like we're just biding our time until we get within swinging distance of the finale. Which for a thirteen-hundred page book is insane. I couldn't stop thinking about how Lord of the Rings, with only a thousand pages, gets so much done. When I had initially read the first three books in this series I believed this would be Sanderson's magnum-opus, one that could be compared to Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time, but now I'm not so sure.

The series had always done a stellar job of keeping the reader immersed in its unique but harsh feudal setting, with dialogue and cultural differences. But again, this has become less prevalent as the series has continued. We start off with a caste system, gender roles and slavery to conversations about therapy. To clarify, I'm not against this progression but when a culture is being reformed their should be character friction.

Speaking of character friction, there is almost none in this or the previous book. We have learned that some main characters have killed the loved ones of other different characters and yet we have never seen this discussed by the characters, opting instead to just keep them separated in some cases. To over simplify, world building such as different factions of religious groups, nations or alliances are their to create friction and force character choices. Some of which Sanderson actually undercuts here.

I love Stormlight and it will always have a special place in my heart but that is also why I feel such a deep disappointment from Wind & Truth. Also because I feel Sanderson could've done better. I sincerely hope he reduces his output, if anything to give himself and his team a break, but also to hopefully focus on the quality of his entries and be less concerned with setting up future projects. The Journey was enjoyable but not the Destination.

Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. Probably one of the most genre defining authors but certainly the least well known. Its a fact that Tolkien's shadow looms large over Fantasy literature even today with so many authors and stories standing upon the foundations he's set. That's partially why I enjoy older fantasy novels. Tolkien's legacy hadn't been fully cemented at the time and so we have authors that aren't afraid to try new and weird ideas. Thus Elric is born. The anti Conan, he's a moody introspective sorcerer prince of a morally neutral people. Although I enjoyed my time with this book, I wouldnt recommend this or any other of Moorcock's older writings to newbies of the genre. The novel is quite short and MM plays fast and loose with his ideas, each more strange and unusual than the last but never fully explored. It's almost as if he's bursting with ideas and trying to get them all out so he can move on with the next one. This novel feels like his ambitions outweigh the page count and i would say that about most of his novels. By today's standard I would give this 3 stars but alas this genre fiction book is almost 50 years old but has probably influenced your favorite fantasy author at some point.

Sadly this book has become more relevant than ever and it's not for the initial reasons you might think.

Most people talk about the book burning in this novel when in reality it's simply a by product of the sedation by overstimulation present within this society.

People, whether they're aware of it or not, all feel this deep unhappiness because they feel as if they're lives are pointless and lack meaning.

Thomas Ligotti, in his book The Conspiracy Against The Human Race, pointed out that the frequently prescribed antidote for this horror of our pointless existence is engaging in some mental gymnastics to simply not think about or to divert ourselves from this fact. This also aligns with a section in Dr. Victor Frankl's book Mans Search For Meaning. Within, Frankl states that once we are aware of this void of meaning some will look for outward stimulation in an attempt to fill or otherwise distract from it, instead of looking within and engaging in introspection, something which Faber alludes to.

How many times have we had a problem that we didn't want to think about? Then we whip out our pocket computer and begin scrolling on our preferred feed. We've all done this at some point and if I could take anything away from re-reading this classic, it would that we all need to un-plug a bit more. Sit with our thoughts, engage in some critical thinking and maybe even talk to someone we normally don't. Maybe then we would see the world for the millions of diverse human lives and ideas that make it up.

Desire, Denial, Destruction

Reading this book is like admiring a smashed stained glass window. A great gay novel.

Baldwin presents us with an impartial portrait of an expatriate in France grappling with his future and his identity. You learn early on how this story ends, allowing doom to permeate throughout the novel. There is some nuance presented through our narrator's eyes in how he speaks and views his fellow community members that really drive home how relevant this story still is. The poignant ending, while simple, left me with an eerie feeling that I couldn't shake long after I had finished it. In conclusion, please just read this and stop reading "A Little Life"

Short, meandering, and barely delivers on its premise as Earp and Doc are hardly in the book. That withstanding, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a smile on my face picturing an aged Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer bickering like the old married couple they are. Id say that alone was worth the price of admission.

Rest In Peace, Huckleberry