mannis

This short story collection was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the “Tower of Babylon,” “Hell in the Absence of God,” and “Liking what you see,” but the rest fell flat. The ones I dislike focused more on the convoluted scientific concepts they were exploring and had rather flat characters, whereas the ones I had an easier time with felt more grounded in human issues.

I really liked the world and magic of Elantris, as well as certain characters (Hrathen, Galloden), and I'm excited to pick up the sequel whenever Sanderson eventually gets to it. However, it was also very clear that this was his first published work. Some of the characters felt rather one dimensional, the pacing was a bit all over the place, and Sarene's POV chapters in particular had a lot of narrating exactly what everyone was thinking/going to do. Definitely still a worthwhile read though. As always with Sanderson, the last 100 pages was a wild ride!

Just like the first book, this one introduced a lot of really cool concepts in the magic and worldbuilding, then spent most of its time not following up on them. It also suffered a lot from middle book syndrome and setting up for the final book, and it didn't help that I don't love either of the main POV characters. However, there was still some stuff to enjoy (especially the White London plot), and I'll probably finish the trilogy. 

I found the first 90% of this book fascinating and mysterious, if a little confusing for a while. The ending then seemed fitting, but it felt like there was something missing that I can't put my finger on. The magical atmosphere, poetic prose, and fantastic characters still made the whole thing well worth it though. 

My opinion on this book may well  change if and when I reread it.

After a mediocre middle book, this one really hit it home and at least partially redeemed the trilogy for me. It put more focus on the characters I liked best, the plot felt meaningful and without many dull moments, and the ending was nearly perfect.

Everything about Holland and White London was easily my favorite part, from his flashback chapters to his struggles with the other Antari in the present day. I cried at his ending in the best way