Karl Davis

Meh... Kinda Entertaining

Kind of poorly written, but somewhat entertaining. I'm willing to keep reading the series, anyways. Worth noting that it's a bit sexist.

Unexpected Delight

I did not expect much out of this book, and relatedly ignored recommendations for it. As it turns out, that was my loss: it's delightful. Full of heart and fun.

Could not Finish

Could only force myself through about 53% of the book. Very plot-driven, with shallow characters doing bizarre things to just move the plot along.

Surprisingly and Surpassingly Excellent

I read a lot of fantasy — embarrassingly so — and I don't rate many books at five stars, and I leave far fewer written reviews but this deserves both. Easily one of the best things I've ever read.

I will also mention that I despise grim-dark books and novels where the characters lack a moral compass. Despite the premise, this book is neither. I was surprised to find it one off the more heartwarming things I've read recently.

Delightful.

Just not well-written

Story was vaguely interesting, but writing was very shallow. Main character is also a bit of a sociopath, and it's not clear the author realizes that.

Very similar to Ender's Game, but more nerdy and less moralistic. Fun read, and I look forward to the sequels.

Needs to flesh out some of the side characters a bit more, but still a very solid series.

This dealt with a very difficult set of subject matter (i.e. Hell), very deftly. Gave more details than I wanted, but still left me curious. Kudos to the author!

I like the setting, and the writing. However, it seems like the entire book is an endless series of the main character doing dumb things– obviously dumb things. And not in a funny way, either.

This is one of the very very very few books that I've just stopped reading partway through.

I like the setting, and the writing. However, it seems like the entire book is an endless series of the main character doing dumb things– obviously dumb things. And not in a funny way, either.

Read this book and the next. It was alright, but a bit dark, and a bit weird.

Just not my thing, really.

Fun, light read.

Read this and one or more of the next ones on Erica's Kindle.

Just read the first three books in the series. They're a solid 4/5, all around.

One thing the books desperately need more of is humor. The lack of it really struck me... makes the characters less relatable than they ought to be.

Just an entertaining, standalone novel. Very similar theme to James Cameron's Avatar movie.

A rough start for the first... quarter or so of the book. Just a bit confusing until all of the threads and timelines being jumped between are pretty well solidified in your head.

That said, this was a fantastic novel. Not as fun as Snow Crash, but absolutely fascinating. Definitely deserves all of the praise it's received over the years.

Not great, but a quick & fun read.

Definitely a YA novel. As long as you aren't expecting something... more mature, it's an enjoyable enough series.

Cried like a baby for about half of the book. (Happy tears.) Still tear up just thinking about it.

Next time, Jim, please try to not release your book in the middle of the work week. I'm about to die from exhaustion today, because I couldn't put this down last night.

Absolutely delightful. Loved that it didn't take itself too seriously, but nonetheless had a fantastic amount of depth.

And naming the book's protagonist “Hiro” is just absolutely brilliant.

I'm going to call the competition now: Sanderson just won Book of the Year. Everyone else hoping to win that can pack it up and head home. Even though Brust's, Butcher's, and Pratchett's entries haven't been released yet, Sanderson wins. Hands down.

The sheer scope of this book is amazing. The execution is unparalleled. The story is gripping, the characters are real and engaging, and the world is incredibly vivid. It's a masterpiece.

While I enjoyed the prior book, The Way of Kings, it wasn't nearly this good (I'd give it a 4 out of 5). It's amazing how much Sanderson has clearly improved as an author since then. Words of Radiance is brilliant, top to bottom.

For those who read all the way through The Wheel of Time series, there's a scene towards the end of the series (not in the last book) where Egwene had me literally jumping up and down cheering. It took Jordan/Sanderson 12 books to get me that invested in a character. Sanderson has pulled it off here in just 2 books, with Kaladin's big fight scene.

This book was fantastic.

By itself, not great. The first three books of the series as a whole though, are 4/5 stars.

It deserves every bit of the praise it's gotten.