Mistborn: The Final Empire

What a long time has it been! I actually finished this book before starting Legion, but for some reason I just could not bring myself to post a review about it. But now thats over! Thankfully, so is the book.

Let me explain. 

If you are like me, it is inevitable you've heard a lot regarding Brandon Sanderson. More specifically, you've heard a lot of people singing his praises. You've read a lot of rave reviews of his books. You've ached to read him, and enjoy the panacea-in-book-form so wonderfully advertised among fantasy fans. And then you do read him. And all falls flat. 

Legion

First of all, I apologize for my absence. I never intended to leave this blog unattended for such a long span so shortly after having created it.But simultaneously attending college and having a job tend to do that to one´s plans, and to me they have proved to be an exhausting combination.

I wonder, however, if part of the reason I had not updated  was also that I had this review waiting for me here. How do you review something this short? I mean... Anyone even remotely interested can pick the book and just read it all and be done with it. No great loss, whether you end up liking it or not...

But enough of that. 

For what its worth, I really liked Legion. In terms of characterization, dialogue and prose it was flawless, even if not outstanding. It had me reading page after page. It definitely was entertaining. But for all that, I can´t help feeling the short story form killed what would have otherwise  been a greater novel. I say this mostly because the execution of the plot really falls short in basically every possible way, thought in pacing above all. Everything just feels... hurried. More like a prologue or even a summary of the story than the actual story.

And come to think of it, if I recall correctly, there is a tv series in the making based on the aftermath of the book, so...

Legacy of Kings (The Magister Trilogy, #3)

The plot basically centers on Gwynofar, Salvator, Kamala and Colivar as preparations are made and plans hatched not only to confront and finally vanquish the Souleaters that have trespassed the Wrath, but to come to peace with their past, their beliefs, and their future. It is mostly this group whom we follow through the novel, thought now and then we fortunately get glimpses from Siderea, who now stands in direct opposition to them. 

As the last book in the trilogy, LoK is supposed to be the climax in terms of plot and character development. However, for the most part what we find are overused words (Dark, for example. I get that magisters are dark and what-not, but there is really no need to describe every third damned thing any joe does with the word. ), overlong phrases, needless viewpoint characters, and awkward pacing and resolutions. In short, the book is a veritable letdown when compared to the first installment or even the second. And that in itself says a lot, because neither Wings of Wrath nor Feast of Souls were perfect.

Palimpsest

In essence, Palimpsest is a book reading a bit like poetry about a mythical sexually-transmitted city (yeah, you read it right!), and how four ordinary strangers happen upon, and are therefore affected by, it. Or, well, technically, how it happens upon them. You see, everyone who gains access to Palimpsest has tattooed, in some part of their body,  a map representing an area of the city they can visit without help. To visit other areas, however, one must have sex with people who have the place one wishes to mapped on  their skin. It doesn't help matters that the city is incredibly addicting, often being described as more real than the waking world, and far more beautiful. Thus, the city often indirectly (and its citizens often directly) wrecks the lives of all those who find it.

Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #I)

You know, in attempting to figure how to begin writing a review for such a beast as this, I think I've come to realize how much of a flawed masterpiece it really is. Or at least why people could refer to it as such.

Gardens of the Moon introduces us to the Malazan Empire. It throws us in the middle of their conquest of the city of Pale, a continent away, moments away from setting sight to the one last Free city, Darujhistan. It introduces us to a host of characters who are for or against these conquests, who hail from the empire, from the free cities, or from somewhere else. Who have agendas, planned betrayals, or seek survival. Even gods and ascendants  have a vested interest somewhere along the highway, and some are more than happy to personally join the fray.

Wings of Wrath (The Magister Trilogy, #2)

Wings of Wrath starts off a very little while after the end of Feast of Souls. By now, the story is mostly plot-driven as almost everyone´s business has been overtaken by the Souleater menace:  Kamala still needing to hide from the magisters, as well as Siderea´s continuing storyline are basically the only concessions done to character initiative, and even that is dubious, as for the most part Kamala´s hiding is irrelevant and never really comes to the fore. (Her hiding from Rhys is another issue entirely, and also felt a bit plot-forced) 

Its not that I have anything against plot-driven stories (I would have scarce Fantasy to read, if that were the case), but that, for the most part, FoS had me excited about following Kamala´s story and character in a more profound way than it was later delivered. My own fault for perhaps having preconceived expectations, granted, but it just seems like I can´t let go.

Feast of Souls (The Magister Trilogy, #I)

Me pregunto si hacer una reseña en español de un libro leído y originalmente escrito en ingles realmente tiene mucho sentido...  Bueno, demasiado tarde para eso, supongo que pueden tratar esta entrada como una especie de... experimento. Lo cual es, en mas de un sentido. 

A lo que vinimos: Feast of Souls (En español vendría a significar algo así como "Festín de Almas") es una historia de high fantasy que toma lugar en un mundo de corte mas o menos medieval-renacentista que ya una vez fue sumergido en las tinieblas por culpa de unas criaturas a las que se refieren comúnmente con el apodo de  "come-almas". Al comenzar la historia, los come-almas no son mas que una leyenda inquietante del pasado para la mayoría, pero todo esta a punto de cambiar...