Tyler Thomas

The book overall was pretty disappointing though the end and set up for the next arc in the series is quite well done. Many of the characters are set up to deal with new and unique struggles which should make for a great launch in book 6. The main problem with this book for me was the pacing and just a feeling of bloat like the book could have been under 1000 pages and not lost any of the emotional impact. The constant jumping between POV characters in each chapter got pretty annoying so I didn’t feel like some important character moments hit as hard.

Another thing I was not a big fan, as I am a Christian, is the inclusion/glorification of a gay relationship with one of the main characters. I'm fine with those things being present in books as a mention to describe a character but when it becomes a prominent part of the narrative where that scene is a climatic part of the book, then I start to wonder if this is a book I should continue reading. I am willing to give Brandon some leeway here as the vast majority of this books are not like this, but it will make me start to consider not reading his works if this trend continues.

I’m still looking forward to book 6 but there need to be some changes from book 5 for sure.

This was my introduction to Lord Dunsany's writing which probably wasn't the best place to start. Many of these stories were quite odd and ended abruptly with seemingly no satisfying conclusion. There were only 3 that I enjoyed out of the 14 or 15 total stories. I'll be continuing to read Lord Dunsay's works since I'm pretty sure they can only go up from here.

This was a fine conclusion to the series that wrapped up Spensa’s relationship to the Delvers. It was just good, but I wasn’t blown away by any of the revelations in the last third of the book. I’m probably used to Brandon’s more adult fantasy that have much more climactic ends.

As with most first novels in epic fantasy, this book was pretty slow at until the last 20% or so. Still, I knew this going in and I'm excited to continue this series exploring the world and the characters. Many of the characters didn't stand out to me except for the main ones so I'm much more interested in Simon's part of the story than the political intrigue bits between the nations of Osten Ard. Simon is a boy of 15 and he acts like it throughout the story. I loved watching him experiencing this journey and adventure that was thrust upon him which heavily mirrors the quest that Frodo must embark on and also Rand from the Wheel of Time which came after this book was published.

Great novel and setup for this world and story. It looses some stars because it was a bit too slow and the ending was good but not earth shattering.

Vinland Saga has been my favorite read of the year so far!

Jack and I were able to finish the entire Chronicles of Narnia in 2022! The Last Battle is certainly an interesting book but wasn't as engaging as some of the others. The last few chapters are such a joy to read as we get to see all of our favorite characters from the previous novels again in a new Narnia.

Here is my list of from favorite to least favorite.
1. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
3. The Silver Chair
4. The Magician's Nephew
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Last Battle
7. Prince Caspian

Fun short story to listen to in one sitting. I enjoyed the insights into Indian culture and some of the family dynamics. I would say this book is 3/4s family drama and then 1/4 thriller when it gets toward the end of the story.

The interesting twist at the end doesn't make up for how dark and sex laden this book is. Definitely not the kind of book I typically read and probably won't ever again. This book also reminds me of those horror movies with teenage protagonists where everyone just makes dumb decisions the whole time. Only, the characters in this book aren't teenagers.

This book gets an extra star just because of the twist at the end. I thought it was going to be Jeremey that had some sinister past or plot and Verity was just a victim, but I was only half right. They were both victims in a sense.

I think this was a great first entry novel from Shad. I love the potential of the world and the stories that can be told in it. The characters, for the most part, were interesting. The premise of the story was quite unique from what I've read following a former emperor and tyrant who get another chance at life to live and do better. Lastly, the magic system was really cool and has a lot of potential.

I think there are few things that really held this book back from being truly excellent, but I think they are mostly due to this being Shad's first published novel.

Enjoyed this book so much more than Prince Caspian. Voyage of the Dawn Treader had adventure throughout and Prince Caspian felt like a prologue that never got to the actual story. This is definitely on par with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe although still not as good as that first book.

Also, for anyone curious, I'm reading these in the order of publication, not chronologically so the next book Jack and I will be reading is The Silver Chair, followed by The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and, finally, The Last Battle.

It's been a long time since I've read this book and it just didn't do it for me. It felt like chapters 1-13 was a big prologue and then the last two chapters was climax and conclusion. Odd story structure as well. Idk not the best after The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Jack's first books had to be a classic! What a fantastic story!

Fun story about a self-aware robot. Some cool world building but though the story needed a little more for the ending. Felt very abrupt. I would have like 30 more pages or so.

This was a fun, exciting read in a unique setting for a fantasy series.

This was a good book outlining how Dr. Fauci became the most powerful bureaucrat in America after the COVID craze. There wasn't anything super earth-shattering about him in this book but I got some new insights into some of his involvement behind the scenes.

This book is more of a call to action for American patriots to take off the blinders, stand up for what is right. The country won't be free if the people aren't brave.

Easily the best in the series so far. It will be a tough challenge for Brandon to top this in the series finale, Defiant. This book is what makes the series a true science fiction series as it explores what it means to be human and how we can rise above our desires and emotions to do what is right.

Podcast Episodes on The Eye of the World
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zRqpaG5ybE
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7RiLaNpqzQ
Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qcjtbi_S9Y

Short Review
I think this is a good opening to the world of The Wheel of Time. It is a pretty slow and plodding book. It's like Robert Jordan is going somewhere with the story and characters but he isn't in a hurry to get there.

This isn't to say that it's a bad book but just be prepared for what you're getting into when you start the wheel of time. There will be long stretches of the book with no action. Instead, Robert Jordan is putting us in this world and just exploring it as the characters visit different places and meet new characters.

If you love slow-moving, worldbuilding, epic fantasy, then this is definitely the book/series for you. If you love fast-paced, action, fantasy, then you'll probably not have a good time with this first book of the series.

Just a nice story about what the seon Ashe was doing during the climax of Elantris. Doesn't really add anything crazy to the world except knowing what Raoden and Sarene have been up too after the events of Elantris. Looking forward to the Elantris sequels when Brandon is able to write them!

Super slow burn on this book but probably one of my favorites from Brandon Sanderson. This is a very character focused and philosophical book that was a bit of a drag at the beginning but as I got deeper and more engaged with the characters, thoroughly enjoyed reading each characters' inner monologue about the events unfolding.

There isn't a lot of action in the book but when it hits at the end, it really hits. Well done Brandon. Warbreaker is still probably a better entry point to the Cosmere but Elantris is a great read.

Listened to this during a road trip to Indiana and back. I thought it was pretty good overall. The character were interesting and engaging. I did enjoy the mystery through out and trying to figure out what happened to the main character along with her. This gets 3 stars because it was good, just nothing that blew me away or made me think everyone who listens to this would enjoy it. I felt there could have been more things explored in the story if it was a little longer but I the story felt a little wanting in terms of the complexity of how the mystery was unraveled.

This was my first foray into audiobooks and I'd say it was a good first experience. I look forward to more project from Mainframe.

I decided to read this book after a co-coworker had been asking me to read it for years now. I can say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There was not near as much romance as I thought there would be and since I'm not really a romance reader, that kept me from reading it sooner. There were some scenes that were super cheesy as we get the inner thoughts of Feyre but it isn't enough to make you stop reading.

The thing I enjoyed most was learning about the world and the history of the different factions and courts. It almost has a Game of Thrones vibe going with how the court politics works and I hope there is more of that in the next books.

I think the characters were all very interesting and had reasons for being there. (Harry Potter Spoilers) Rhysand felt to me like a Snape-like character where he seems to be an antagonist, but in the end, is someone who saves Feyre on multiple occasions. He seems to be playing his own game but his game is always in pursuit of the end goal.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Tamlin, Lucien, and Feyre while at the Sping Court Manor. The dialogue felt polished and it flowed well. There was some good humor as well with the High Faes (mostly Lucien) taking the opportunity to poke fun at the human.

Feyre does feel like she never fails for most of the book but the last third throws that out the window as she only survives based on the goodwill of others or making deals with Rhysand.

I think this was a good first book and I will plan to pick up the next ones.

I think this book had a lot of potential. The world and characters interesting but I felt that the plot needed some work. I found myself getting lost in the switching between characters which is surprising because of how much Brandon Sanderson I read.

It might just be that this books lacks the polish I'm used to with Sanderson. The writing felt a bit clunky at times and some of the dialogue was a little cheesy.

Still I think I would pick up the sequel to see how the authors improve and where they take the story.

This was a good short story to give some added background to Fred Johnson. It is really short and I wish it was a little longer but I enjoyed learning more about what makes this character tick.

This was a good book if you're interested in understanding a basic overview of the differences between Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology. The first 2/3's of the book were pretty enjoyable but I think it got a little bogged down towards the end straying from initial goal of the book. It really was focused on in-depth descriptions of the Dispensational side and less about how Covenant Theology would answer the objections raised by Dispensationalists.

Another spectacular entry in the Stormlight Archive from Brandon Sanderson although this was probably my least favorite of the four released so far. I was not a big fan of flashbacks with Venli and Eshonai and I would have preferred another character (maybe Navani or Raboniel?). I think some of the other characters took a big back seat in this book that I enjoy specifically, Shallan and Dalinar. I get that they each had their books already but there just was not a whole lot happening to them as characters in this book.

The best thing about this book was the worldbuilding and the Cosmere implications that result from some of the discoveries made by Navani and Raboniel. Another great part of this book is Kaladin's arc who had the best arc of everyone in the book.

I am super pumped for book five which will end this first arc of the Stormlight Archive! While this was my least favorite of the series so far, it was probably necessary to set up a lot of things for book five.