Nanoreviews: The Factory Witches of Lowell, Quantum Shadows, Rhythm of War

Malerich, C.S. The Factory Witches of Lowell [Tordotcom Publishing]

It's somewhat not fair to read The Factory Witches of Lowell less than two months after finishing The Once and Future Witches. They're not the same story, except they both involve historical witchcraft and fighting for one's rights. There is enough similarity that taking The Factory Witches of Lowell on its own merits is functionally impossible because it comes across as part of a genre conversation and reexamination of witchcraft. The problem, such as it is, is that this novella has more to live up to and it doesn't get all the way there.

All of which to say that The Factory Witches of Lowell is a story about women, witchcraft, and labor unions. The magic is a means to an end, a means to claim power in the face of injustice. The story is smoothly and easily told - the novella is a quick read with real heart. There's plenty to appreciate here.
Score: 6/10

Modesitt, Jr, L.E. Quantum Shadows [Tor]

I've written a number of capsule reviews of L.E. Modesitt, Jr's fantasy novels, primarily in the Recluce and Imager settings. I frequently note how reading Modesitt is pure comfort and that while I generally know almost exactly what I'm going to get, it is that perfectly set expectation meeting execution that brings me coming back again and again for more. By now I've read thirty of his fantasy novels, but none of his science fiction work. Having read his fantasy across three series, I was confident I knew what I was getting into and was prepared for the science fiction version of his fantasy work. Readers, for perhaps the first time in thirty novels, my expectations were not met.

Quantum Shadows read like an unpolished draft of one of Modesitt's fantasy novels, though within a science fiction setting. I could not have been more disappointed. Perhaps it was that my expectations were misaligned with the story Modesitt intended to tell, but I simply bounced hard off of Quantum Shadows. Perhaps readers more familiar with his science fiction would find something to love here, but the writing was far more awkward and stiff than Modesitt tends to deliver with his fantasy. Quantum Shadows doesn't stand up to Modesitt's fantasy and it certainly doesn't stand up to the best of science fiction being written today.
Score: 4/10

Sanderson, Brandon. Rhythm of War [Tor]

If Rhythm of War isn't the longest novel I've read, topping in at over 1200 pages it is certainly one of the longest. Talking about page count when it comes to epic fantasy is a bit passe at this point given that the genre is sometimes affectionately known as "big fat fantasy". Not since his earliest novels (Elantris and Mistborn) has Sanderson been sparing with his word count, but Rhythm of War takes it to another level.

To a point, Brandon Sanderson has earned that trust and he doesn't abuse it - though I'm not sure if readers would have really noticed the difference had he turned in a 950 page novel instead.

Listen - Rhythm of War is the fourth novel in Sanderson's Stormlight Archive (a proposed ten volume series made up of two 5 book story arcs) and under no circumstances can it be said to stand alone. So, if you're even considering reading this book you've read the approximately 3000 combined pages of The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, and Oathbringer. You already know if you want to read this book. At most you want to know if it pays off the big ideas of the series and it absolutely does.

Much of the novel is the small steps towards (and during) the wider conflict the series has been building towards. It's not exactly "more of the same", but it is gradual narrative progression (or it feels like). Where Rhythm of War truly shines, though, is those moments where Sanderson gives something new and something big. We've known for years that all of his epic fantasy is part of a wider universe (truly) called the Cosmere and there have been easter eggs planted throughout all of his novels where they connect even though it doesn't matter to the individual novel. You still don't need to know anything about the Cosmere or the other novels (besides this series) - but Rhythm of War is the novel that actually introduces the concept of the Cosmere. There's been talk about traveling from other worlds but every time it is pushed to the forefront it becomes something cooler an something substantial in the series. Beyond that, there are a handful of other significant events that rise above the ordinary conflict of the novel and series that make the whole thing just a bit more interesting than it might have been.

As noted, this is for fans of Brandon Sanderson and specifically for readers of The Stormlight Archive. Rhythm of War is not the entry point, but it is a satisfying (if overly long) ride.
Score: 7/10

Joe Sherry - Co-editor of Nerds of a Feather, 5x Hugo Award Finalist for Best Fanzine. Minnesotan. He / Him

New Books Spotlight

Welcome to another edition of the New Books Spotlight, where each month or so we curate a selection of 6 new and forthcoming books we find notable, interesting, and intriguing. It gives us the opportunity to shine a brief spotlight on some stuff we're itching to get our hands on.

What are you looking forward to? Anything you want to argue with us about? 

 
Harrow, Alix E. The Once and Future Witches [Orbit]
Publisher's Description

In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in Alix E. Harrow’s powerful novel of magic and the suffragette movement.

In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters — James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna — join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote — and perhaps not even to live — the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.

An homage to the indomitable power and persistence of women, The Once and Future Witches reimagines stories of revolution, sapphic love, motherhood, and women’s suffrage–the lost ways are calling.

Why We Want It: When she wrote her breakout Hugo Award winning story "A Witch's Guide to Escape" Harrow dealt with both witches and portal fantasies. Her debut novel was all portal fantasy. This, her second, returns to witches. That's more anecdotal than anything, but interests me all the same. The real reason we're excited for The Once and Future Witches is because her previous novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January was fucking excellent and we'll read anything she writes. 

 

Kuang, R.F. The Burning God [Harper Voyager]
Publisher's Description

The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the sh
amanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

Why We Want It: Let's face, we're gluttons for punishment and want our hearts stomped repeatedly. Lucky for us, we have R.F. Kuang to do exactly that because the first two Poppy War novels have been brutal and perfect bits of epic fantasy filled with betrayal and incredible personal sacrifice. There's no way this ends well for any of the characters and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Lethem, Jonathan. The Arrest [Harper Collins]
Publisher's Description

From the award-winning author of The Feral Detective and Motherless Brooklyn comes an utterly original post-collapse yarn about two siblings, the man that came between them, and a nuclear-powered super car.

The Arrest isn’t post-apocalypse. It isn’t a dystopia. It isn’t a utopia. It’s just what happens when much of what we take for granted—cars, guns, computers, and airplanes, for starters—quits working. . . .

Before the Arrest, Sandy Duplessis had a reasonably good life as a screenwriter in L.A. An old college friend and writing partner, the charismatic and malicious Peter Todbaum, had become one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. That didn’t hurt.

Now, post-Arrest, nothing is what it was. Sandy, who calls himself Journeyman, has landed in rural Maine. There he assists the butcher and delivers the food grown by his sister, Maddy, at her organic farm. But then Todbaum shows up in an extraordinary vehicle: a retrofitted tunnel-digger powered by a nuclear reactor. Todbaum has spent the Arrest smashing his way across a fragmented and phantasmagorical United States, trailing enmities all the way. Plopping back into the siblings’ life with his usual odious panache, his motives are entirely unclear. Can it be that Todbaum wants to produce one more extravaganza? Whatever he’s up to, it may fall to Journeyman to stop him.

Written with unrepentant joy and shot through with just the right amount of contemporary dread, The Arrest is speculative fiction at its absolute finest.

Why We Want It: The description from the publisher is a touch pretentious because, really, fuck you about this not being post apocalyptic or dystopic when technology stops working. That's exactly the tradition Lethem is working with and he damn well knows it, regardless of how the the publisher wants to market the novel. I haven't read Lethem in thirteen years since the incredibly disappointing You Don't Love Me Yet - but his earliest work was inventive and exciting even as he slid farther away from genre while still touching its edges. Regardless of what the publisher wants to call The Arrest, it's the sort of thing I like to read.

Muir, Tamsyn. Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower [Subterranean]
Publisher's Description

When the witch built the forty-flight tower, she made very sure to do the whole thing properly. Each flight contains a dreadful monster, ranging from a diamond-scaled dragon to a pack of slavering goblins. Should a prince battle his way to the top, he will be rewarded with a golden sword—and the lovely Princess Floralinda.

But no prince has managed to conquer the first flight yet, let alone get to the fortieth.

In fact, the supply of fresh princes seems to have quite dried up.

And winter is closing in on Floralinda…

Why We Want It: Taking a pause between Harrow the Ninth and the forthcoming Alecto the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir has a shorter and completely unrelated work. I'm not familiar with her short fiction before Muir exploded on the scene with Gideon the Ninth - but I'm excited to see what else Muir can do.

Polk. C.L. The Midnight Bargain [Erewhon]
Publisher's Description

From the beloved World Fantasy Award-winning author of Witchmark comes The Midnight Bargain, a sweeping, romantic new fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency England, where women’s magic is taken from them when they marry. A sorceress must balance her desire to become the first great female magician against her duty to her family.

Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them, by securing an advantageous match before their creditors come calling.

In a stroke of luck, Beatrice finds a grimoire that contains the key to becoming a Magus, but before she can purchase it, a rival sorceress swindles the book right out of her hands. Beatrice summons a spirit to help her get it back, but her new ally exacts a price: Beatrice’s first kiss . . . with her adversary’s brother, the handsome, compassionate, and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

The more Beatrice is entangled with the Lavan siblings, the harder her decision becomes: If she casts the spell to become a Magus, she will devastate her family and lose the only man to ever see her for who she is; but if she marries—even for love—she will sacrifice her magic, her identity, and her dreams. But how can she choose just one, knowing she will forever
regret the path not taken?

Why We Want It: I'm not as familiar with C.L. Polk's fiction as I'd like to be, but Witchmark was superb, I have Stormsong on deck at home and I remember a long time ago she wrote several episodes of Shadow Unit. Shadow Unit, mind you, is one of my favorite things - which doesn't have a lot to do with the fiction she's written since Witchmark, but it built up an immense amount of goodwill on my part. The Midnight Bargain is also one of the first books published by Erewhon Books, the imprint founded by Liz Gorinsky (Hugo Award winning editor) - it's a pairing I don't want to miss.

Sanderson, Brandon. Rhythm of War [Tor]
Publisher's Description

The Stormlight Archive saga continues in Rhythm of War, the eagerly awaited sequel to Brandon Sanderson's #1 New York Times bestselling Oathbringer, from an epic fantasy writer at the top of his game.

After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar’s crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move.

Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin’s scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

At the same time that Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his changing role within the Knights Radiant, his Windrunners face their own problem: As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants. Adolin and Shallan must lead
the coalition’s envoy to the honorspren stronghold of Lasting Integrity and either convince the spren to join the cause against the evil god Odium, or personally face the storm of failure.

Why We Want It: The Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson's Magnum Opus, a ten volume series likely spanning decades of work even if we don't consider the other tangentially related  Cosmere based novels that will bring the total upwards of thirty. This is doorstopper fantasy and Sanderson is the truest successor to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time that we are likely to come across, for everything that entails.

 

POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Co-editor of Nerds of a Feather, 4x Hugo Award Finalist for Best Fanzine. Minnesotan. He / Him.

Reading the Hugos: Series

It's time for another installment of Reading the Hugos and it's time to either go big or go home. Since I'm already sitting at home while I write this, I think I'm going to go big and cover the abundance of excellence up for Best Series.

There is so much goodness here that it isn't even fair.

Best Series last year was a trial run, a special one time category (pending the ratification at the WSFS business meeting at last year's Worldcon) - which makes this the first full year of the category. I'm probably the only person who is going to think of things like this.

If last year was a proof of concept and this year represents the very high bar we should expect from the Best Series quality, we're looking at one of the strongest categories on the ballot year after year. The series I ranked lowest on my ballot is exceptional. The only challenge here is that there is a lot of reading to do to at least get a brief overview of each series, let alone do a deep dive.

Let's take a look at the finalists for Best Series.


The Books of the Raksura, by Martha Wells (Night Shade)
The Divine Cities, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Broadway)
InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by Marie Brennan (Tor US / Titan UK)
The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson (Tor US / Gollancz UK)
World of the Five Gods, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Literary Agency)

The Books of the Raksura: I've only just come to Martha Wells via her excellent Murderbot novellas, though I had long intended to get to her novel length work - whether her Ile-Rien novels or The Books of the Raksura. What better time than now?

This isn't necessarily a new thing for fantasy (or science fiction), but I don't read many novels with non human protagonists. The Cloud Roads is one of them. The Raksura are humanoid (sometimes), but are shapeshifters and I don't quite now how to describe their other (primary?) forms. Dragon birds? Ultimately, it doesn't matter. What matters is the story of Moon, a raksura who doesn't know what he is. The Cloud Roads serves as introduction to the wider world and the series as a whole. The reader discovers along with Moon what it means to be a raksura.

Wells is a fantastic and accomplished storyteller. I regret that I'm only able to evaluate the series based on the first (excellent) novel, but as with every series on the ballot, I've run out of time to read more than I have. The good news is that I've discovered another series that I'm really excited to read more of.

Incryptid: After a five year gap between reading the first and second volumes of McGuire’s October Daye I was ready to fully embrace the series and spend the summer immersed in McGuire’s world. That plan was shot to hell when Incryptid, one of McGuire’s other series, was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Series. With the inclusion of the Best Series category, there is a LOT of reading to do for the Hugo Awards and Toby Daye was just going to have to wait.

Discount Armageddon introduces readers to Verity Price, a cryptozoologist / ballroom dancer spending a year in New York City where she has to decide if she’s going to take up the family trade of studying and protecting “supernatural” creatures from humans OR if she’s going to embark on a full time career in ballroom dance. It’s a conundrum. All of those legendary mythological creatures we’ve read about? They’re real and many of them are living among us, some in disguise, some in hiding, and some just living in the sewers. They’re not like the myths, but they’re even more fully realized than what we might come to expect. They’re people, except a completely different species. Several species, actually. The Incryptid novels are so silky smooth, but tense and occasionally intense. There’s plenty of action and new monster trivia and deep dives into particular creature cultures. The first two focus on Verity Price, the third on her brother Alexander as he works in Ohio doing his own thing for the family. The change in perspective was initially jarring, but McGuire handles the new viewpoint character perfectly and midway through I realized Half-Off Ragnarok was my favorite of the three Incryptid novels I have so far read.

I thought this was going to be the summer of October Daye, but it may well be the summer of the Price family. I will only have read the first three novels in the series by the time Hugo voting ends, but I will be working my way through the rest of the series this year. I’m hooked and I’m ready for the next four (as of this year). Maybe I’ll get back to Toby Daye next year.

The Stormlight Archive: I wonder if there will be a point in the future where Brandon Sanderson's entire Cosmere will be up for Best Series. I can see it happening. Happily, this finalist slot is for the three books so far published in The Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer. These are each epic fantasy writ large. Sanderson's magnum opus. Each volume is approximately a googolplex of something long (words, pages, doesn't matter). They're great, but damn. It's a lot.

That's not really a complaint. Just a statement. At this point I've only read The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. Both were exactly what I was looking to read at the time I read them. Oathbringer has been on the nightstand by my bed since before it was published, looming, intimidating. I know I'm going to love it, but it's a commitment.

Regardless, The Stormlight Archive is an achievement of worldbuilding and long form storytelling. With only three books published thus far, the overall shape to the series is just beginning to form. Which is why, as good as these books are, I have a very difficult time saying this is the Best Series. It's one thing voting for an incomplete series that is mostly done It's another thing voting for a series that is only 3 books out of 10 complete. It's a good batting average in baseball, but it isn't good enough to push it to the top of my ballot.

The Memoirs of Lady Trent: There are two novels part of a Hugo Finalist series which I seriously regret not reading sooner. One is A Natural History of Dragons. The other is written by Lois McMaster Bujold and I'll talk about that one soon enough. Despite all of the praise Marie Brennan's novel received, there was something about the combination of the book cover (which is gorgeous, but not selling me as something I want to read) and the idea the series was "memoirs" of a "lady" that I found offputting enough to never pick up the book. Though, I did borrow it from the library once only to return it unopened. That was so very much a mistake. A Natural History of Dragons is absolutely wonderful and that wonder is tied to the glorious voice of Isabella Camherst.

Isabella is the titular "Lady Trent" of the series, and concept of A Natural History of Dragons being the first volume of "The Memoirs of Lady Trent" means that the much more accomplished Lady Trent is narrating her life and adventures. Late in life, Lady Trent is known as the foremost expert on dragons but in these early days, little is known by anyone. So, the first novel and presumably the series as a whole is a story of discovery and adventure. If the rest of the series is as good as A Natural History of Dragons, we're in for something special and I really, really should have been reading these books as they were published.

This does mean, of course, that I have only read the first volume of The Memoirs of Lady Trent and can only place it on my ballot based on one book rather than the full set of five. That's just the way this category goes, unfortunately. It is also a mark of just how good A Natural History of Dragons is.

The World of the Five Gods: Before the Hugo finalists were announced, I had read five of the six Penric novellas set in the World of the Five Gods, but none of the novels. So, I read The Curse of Chalion and re-discovered that I should always read everything written by Lois McMaster Bujold without question. My only defense is that I had not yet read anything by Bujold when The Curse of Chalion was first published in 2001 - but that's not much of a defense because she had published many books in the Vorkosigan series by that point (winner of the 2017 Hugo for Best Series, naturally).

The Penric novellas are very good. The Curse of Chalion is exceptional. With complete honestly, I was slightly angry when I finished it. Not because I didn't like it, but because I wasted so many years that I could have been reading this wonderful book and series. Next up, Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt. The truth is that readers should never sleep on Lois McMaster Bujold because she's always going to deliver a fantastic book and reading experience. As I mentioned, the Penric novellas are very good, but they only hint at just how good The Curse of Chalion was. The strength of Chalion pushes the entire series up the ballot.

The Divine Cities: Despite being my favorite of all the finalists up for Best Series (and the only one I had fully read prior to the announcement of the ballot), I have struggled to figure out my angle into writing about The Divine Cities. Each novel in the series was fully exceptional in its own right and, equally impressive, the sum of the series is even stronger than the individual volumes. The Divine Cities is urban epic fantasy with dead gods, magic, bureaucracy, and wretched tragedy (this could also be a description of a Max Gladstone novel). Each novel is self contained, but builds strongly off of the emotional beats of the previous work. You don’t need to have read a previous volume, but the emotion of City of Blades is strengthened by having gone on the journey of City of Stairs. The opening of City of Miracles works as a standalone set piece, but the rawest power comes from having lived the characters.

Somehow I have less to say about the Divine Cities than I expected, except to say this: City of Stairs, City of Blades, and City of Miracles were each among the best two or three fantasy novels published in their respective years. I can only give these novels my highest recommendation. They are absolutely fantastic. The trilogy hits the mark in telling a complete story spread across decades. If you like epic fantasy, you should read these books. If you like good books, you should read these books.


My Vote:
1. The Divine Cities
2. The World of the Five Gods
3. The Memoirs of Lady Trent
4. The Stormlight Archive
5. Incryptid
6. The Books of the Raksura


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POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Co-editor of Nerds of a Feather, 2017 & 2018 Hugo Award Finalist for Best Fanzine. Minnesotan.  

New Books Spotlight

Welcome to another edition of the New Books Spotlight, where each month or so we curate a selection of 6 forthcoming books we find notable, interesting, and intriguing. It gives us the opportunity to shine a brief spotlight on some stuff we're itching to get our hands on.

What are you looking forward to? Anything you want to argue with us about? Is there something we should consider spotlighting in the future? Let us know in the comments!

Corey, James S. A. Persepolis Rising [Orbit, 2017] 
Publisher's Description

AN OLD ENEMY RETURNS

In the thousand-sun network of humanity’s expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace.

In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and uncertain alliance still haunted by a history of wars and prejudices. On the lost colony world of Laconia, a hidden enemy has a new vision for all of humanity and the power to enforce it.

New technologies clash with old as the history of human conflict returns to its ancient patterns of war and subjugation. But human nature is not the only enemy, and the forces being unleashed have their own price. A price that will change the shape of humanity — and of the Rocinante — unexpectedly and forever… 

Why We Want It: Persepolis Rising is the eighth volume of The Expanse and at this point you're either all in or you're never going to get this far. If you're in, you know what's up. The duo behind James S. A. Corey puts out winner after winner with this series and it's some delightful science fiction. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they do with Persepolis Rising.

Grant, Mira. Into the Drowning Deep [Orbit, 2017]
Publisher's Description

New York Times bestselling author Mira Grant, author of the renowned Newsflesh series, returns with a novel that takes us to a new world of ancient mysteries and mythological dangers come to life.

The ocean is home to many myths, 

But some are deadly…

Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a tragedy.

Now a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price. 

Why We Want It: I'll be straight up with you. I've already read this and it is so very good. So very good. Grant's Newsflesh series was a delight, but Into the Drowning Deep is on another level entirely. It is deeply compelling, unsettling, and I did not want to put it down.

Martin, George R. R., ed. Wild Cards: Mississippi Roll [Tor, 2017]
Publisher's Description

Perfect for current fans and new readers alike, Mississippi Roll is an adventurous journey along Ol’ Man River, featuring beloved characters from the Wild Cards universe. 

Now on its final voyage, the historical steamboat Natchez is known for her super-powered guest entertainers. But after the suspicious death of a crewmember, retired NY police detective Leo Storgman decides to make this incident his personal case. His findings only lead to a growing number of questions. Is there some truth behind the ghostly sightings of the steamboat’s first captain Wilbur Leathers? What secret does the current captain seem to be hiding? And could the Natchez be ferrying mysterious – and possibly dangerous – cargo onboard?

 Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin, Mississippi Roll features the writing talents of Stephen Leigh, John Jos. Miller, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Carrie Vaughn (Martians Abroad), Hugo-Award winning author David D. Levine (Arabella of Mars), and Hugo and Nebula Award finalist Cherie Priest (Boneshaker). 

Why We Want It: We may be a touch behind on our Wild Cards, but a new novel is always a good thing and a reminder that it's time to jump back into the series. Though the 24th volume, Mississippi Roll looks to be a good entry point into the series for new readers as well as those who may be lapsed.

 
Sanderson, Brandon. Oathbringer [Tor, 2017]
Publisher's Description

The eagerly awaited sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Words of Radiance, from epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson at the top of his game. 

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance.

Dalinar Kholin’s Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar’s blood-soaked past and stand together—and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past—even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization. 

Why We Want It: Brandon Sanderson has proved himself to be a fantasy institution and each new novel, especially those of The Stormlight Archive are big event books, tentpoles of the fantasy reading year. Oathbringer has been one of my most anticipated fantasies since I closed the last page of Words of Radiance three years ago.

Scholes, Ken. Hymn [Tor, 2017]
Publisher's Description

Ken Scholes completes his five-book epic that began with his acclaimed first novel Lamentation. The battle for control of The Named Lands has captivated readers as they have learned, alongside the characters, the true nature of world called Lasthome.

Now the struggle between the Andro-Francine Order of the Named Lands and the Y’Zirite Empire has reached a terrible turning point. Believing that his son is dead, Rudolfo has pretended to join with the triumphant Y’zirite forces—but his plan is to destroy them all with a poison that is targeted only to the enemy.

In Y’Zir, Rudolfo’s wife Jin Li Tam is fighting a war with her own father which will bring that Empire to ruin.

And on the Moon, Neb, revealed as one of the Younger Gods, takes the power of the Last Home Temple for his own. 

Why We Want It: After a five year wait, Ken Scholes is back and has delivered the fifth and final book in his Psalms of Isaak sequence. There's a lot going on here, with plots upon plots and, astoundingly, even a trip to the moon. I'm interested to see how he wraps this one up.

Weir, Andy. Artemis [Crown, 2017]
Publisher's Description

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.

Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.

So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.

The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.

Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.

Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.

That’ll have to do.

Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir. 

Why We Want It: You've read The Martian, right? Weir's story of an astronaut marooned on Mars was charming and thrilling enough that we want to see what he does next.



POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Co-editor of Nerds of a Feather, 2017 Hugo Award Finalist for Best Fanzine. Writer / Editor of the mostly defunct Adventures in Reading since 2004. Minnesotan.

DYSTOPIAN VISIONS: Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (Guest Dossier by Rob Bedford)

Dossier: Sanderson, Brandon. Mistborn: The Final Empire [Tor, 2006]

Filetype: Book.

File Under: Fantasy Dystopia.

Executive Summary: The Final Empire is the first installment in Brandon Sanderson's mega-popular, multivolume Mistborn Saga. The world presented is sugaring under the heel of the Lord Ruler, a creature believed to be evil for the power he wields over the populace on the world of Scadrial in the land known as the Final Empire. The Lord Ruler was once the Hero of Ages, a figure out of legend who became a god when he quelled an ancient evil at the mythical Well of Ascension. Of course quelling the evil force may have been the easy party. Keeping it at bay for a thousand years changed the Hero of Ages (doesn't that just sound optimistic?) into the creature who took the name Lord Ruler (less optimistic, no?). The novel begins here, as a group of rebels led by the charismatic Kelsier (the only known person to escape the Alcatraz-like Pits of Hathsin), try to break the Lord Ruler's tyrannical hold over the people he rules over as a creature just a half-step removed from being a god.

Dystopian Visions: The Hero of Ages thought he was doing the right thing by becoming a god to keep evil at bay, but now the people who know of the mythical Hero of Ages see him as an evil dictator. There are strange mists constantly floating in the shit, ash fall from the sky and the sun is blocked from view. Not exactly an uplifting setting. The Lord Ruler also has in his employee the Koloss, monstrous figures with spikes in their body who serve as the muscle as well as the policing force of the Inquisitors, imposing figures with spikes driven into their eyes. 

To put all this briefly, the Final Empire of Scadrial is oppressive to all but the most elite. 

Utopian Undercurrents: The Lord Ruler, like most “evil” antagonists think they are doing good and saving the world. By novel’s end and later in the series, what he was doing may just have been the right thing in spirit. Who doesn’t think vanquishing the force of evil and destruction is a bad thing? Unfortunately for the people who live under his rule, the execution and aftermath of the “saving moment” spiral way from the “right” thing drastically.

Level of Hell: 7th. The levels of hell embodied best in this book would be the Seventh (Violence) and Eighth (Fraud). The world is rife with violence through embodied by the Koloss and Inquisitors and Fraud by the Lord Ruler.

Legacy: Mistborn isn’t so much a dystopian work, at least the whole series, but The Final Empire runs strong with dystopic elements. In the grander Epic Fantasy field, the books are modern classics. Even though Sanderson’s first novel Elantris was a fine novel and received some nice buzz, when The Final Empire hit shelves, he took another leap. Fans of Heavy Metal music might make a parallel between Iron Maiden and Brandon Sanderson in that The Final Empire is like The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden was well-respected after two albums with lead singer Paul Di’Anno, but Bruce Dickson replaced him on The Number of the Beast, the album that launched them into the stratosphere of Heavy Metal music. Likewise, The Final Empire helped to set Sanderson on the path to one of the now elite practitioners of Epic Fantasy. As many fans of Brandon Sanderson may know, and fans of The Wheel of Time likely know, it was The Final Empire that Harriet McDougal read (Robert Jordan’s wife and owner of The Wheel of Time copyright) before agreeing with Tor publisher Tom Doherty that Brandon Sanderson was the person to finish The Wheel of Time.  

In Retrospect: In the decade since The Final Empire first published, Brandon Sanders has established himself as one of the brand-name powerhouses in epic fantasy. The venerable Adam Whitehead, purveyor of the estimable Wertzone blog, has been laboriously gathering lifetime sales numbers for SFF writers, with his initial list in 2008 and updates in 2013, 2015 and at the end of 2016. Sanderson doesn’t appear on the first list in 2008, which is not surprising since he was new to the scene with only three books on the shelves. In 2013, he ranks 48 with approximately 15 million in sales and the most recent ranking (three years later) he ranks at 40 with approximately 22 million in sales. Moving seven million books in with your name on them in three years is no small feat. Granted, three of those titles also had Robert Jordan’s name on top of them so had a built-in audience but Adam estimates nearly half of those sales (10 million) come from his solo titles. Suffice to say, a book with “Brandon Sanderson” landing on the bestseller list during its first week of publication is a safe bet. 

The series is often placed on “Best Fantasies/Series of the 21st Century” or whatever specifically the list-creator comes up with to differentiate his or her list from the three “Best of …” list the previous month. 

It is safe to say that The Final Empire is Brandon’s break out novel, the one that opened the door to The Wheel of Time for him, and led to his success. The great thing? It is only a hint of amazing novels of worldbuilding and storytelling to come from an author who will be regarded as a Master of the genre in the years to come, if he hasn’t already.


Analytics

For its time: 4/5
Read today: 4/5.
Oppressometer Readout: 8/10.

Rob Bedford lives in NJ with his wife and dog. He has been a site editor and book reviewer for SFFWorld since 2000, wrote for SF Signalfrom 2013 since it sadly closed in 2016, occasionally for Tor.com, and has a slowly dying blog about stuff. He is also, as his wife calls him, a beer snob. If you want to read random thoughts about books, beer, or his dog you can follow him on Twitter: @RobHBedford

Discussion: Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Series

Having recently read and reviewed both installments in the Mistborn series, Zhaoyun and I (Tia) decided to have a chat about the characters, themes, and our general feelings of this wonderful world. You can read my reviews of the original trilogy here, here, and here, and Zhaoyun's reviews of the Wax and Wayne series here and here.

Tia

In the first book, of course, Vin was my favorite character. She was my favorite for all the usual reasons, all the reasons we tend to love the young protagonist in any heroic fantasy...namely because we are supposed to. Second to Vin, was Kelsier. I found him mysterious and intriguing, as he was the major source of world building in the first novel. I always had a fascination with Sazed as well, though it’s hard to explain why. I guess he too was mysterious and a source of untapped knowledge. Sazed took over as my favorite character in the second book. His travels and search for information on the hero of ages added a level of intrigue to a story that otherwise didn’t have much going on. In the third book, while Sazed was going through his existential crisis, Spook became my favorite character. I found his passion exciting and his story line intriguing.

But there was a thread running throughout the trilogy that I couldn’t shake, and that was Marsh. Looking back, I think Marsh is by far the most tragic character in the first Mistborn trilogy (or Mistborn proper if you will). When we are first introduced to Marsh, he is enigma. He is someone the crew talks about with an air of respect and awe, but he doesn’t show up for a while, despite having been the one who found Vin in the first place. He is the former leader of the failed Skaa rebellion and the former lover of Kelsier’s late wife. He is, essentially, a man with nothing to lose but hope for a better world, which is something he holds on to, no matter how tenuous the grasp, until the end. Kelsier may have sacrificed his life for the people, but Marsh sacrificed his humanity. He put himself at great risk to infiltrate the system, he permanently disfigured his body--an act he knew there was no turning back from--and then was transformed into a non-human magical, somewhat evil, creature. But through it all Marsh found a way to hold on to a piece of his old self, and he never gave up on his mission. At the end, it was Marsh who saved them all by ripping that darn earring out of Vin’s ear. So, across all of Mistborn proper, I’d have to say that Marsh is my favorite character.

Zhaoyun

I liked Vin way more than any other character, so much so that I was crushed and not a little disappointed when she a) started wasting her time with Elend, and b) became a glorified guard dog for him. I see what you’re saying about Marsh, but to me Kelsier, whose own death is so meticulously self-planned, is an even more impressive semi-tragic figure. Everything was taken from him, but still, with a savage smile, he continued to struggle, even outwitting the Lord Ruler (in a sense) in how he chooses his death. My least favorite character of the series, meanwhile, is Ruin, as there doesn’t seem to be any reason to personify destruction in such an insidious way. N.K. Jemisin, for example, personifies chaos/destruction (Nahadoth) in a far more amoral, and appealing, way in her Hundred Thousand Kingdoms series, but with Sanderson’s characterization, nobody can harbor any doubt that Ruin is pure evil, supervillainy personified.

On the other hand, Sanderson’s treatment of the Lord Ruler, and the unexpected complexities of his character, was a pleasant surprise. He may not be the sort of person you’d invite over for tea, but his faltering attempts to solve the planet’s problems in his few moments of godhood certainly sounded plausible to me, and his tinkerings with hemalurgy are remarkable (if cruel). In Sanderson’s world-building, to every evil act or concept there is a saving grace, so for example the kandra balance the Inquisitors/other yucky Hemalurgic stuff. But then even within the kandra there is a spectrum of morality...this brings me to my second-favorite character of the original trilogy, namely Ten Soon. Ruff ruff!

Elend sucks, and the stupid deus ex machina of the magic pebble that turns him into a mistborn (indeed, one supposedly more powerful than my beloved Vin, no less!) was infuriating. If Sanderson wanted to make the point that non-magical characters are people too, he should have stuck with Elend as an Inspirational Figure, but instead he cheated and gave him enormous powers too. I couldn’t really buy the love story between him and Vin, because of the huge gap in awesomeness-and I’m not talking about Allomancy, either!

I gather you haven’t read the Wax and Wayne trilogy, set hundreds of years after Vin’s lifetime? My understanding of Allomancy--and Hemalurgy--as well as the Cult of the Survivor is colored heavily by the mythology that has sprung up around Kelsier (and others) in the intervening centuries, and I was quite impressed by the way Sanderson eventually wove that mythology back into the story, especially in the third Waxillium book (and sixth overall in the Mistborn universe). That book is, I would (and have) argue(d), the best set in the Mistborn world since the original Mistborn book, because in it Wax et al have finally come into their own as nearly as interesting as Vin and co. were in book one.

Tia

I agree that Kelsier is also a tragic figure, and if my assessment were based solely on the first book, then I would say yes, he is the most tragic. I really felt Kelsier’s absence in the remaining installments, as of course did many of the characters themselves. We don’t get a lot of Marsh either, but every time he showed up I felt a little pang. Yes Kelsier meticulously planned his own death as an intended sacrifice, but Marsh got way more than he bargained for and still never gave up. I also agree that Ruin as the personification of destruction is quite superficial, and I found it particularly strange and confusing (but at the same time mudane) that bodies fell out of the sky when Ruin and Preservation “died.”

I’m glad that I’m not alone in my detest for Elend. It’s a shame because he really wasn’t that bad of a character in the first book. I still hold to the notion that the story would have been a lot more compelling if Vin’s and Elend’s ‘love’ was not acted on. It would have given their interactions some of the tension and excitement they lacked.

As for the magic system, I find Hemalurgy the most intriguing. It is interesting to think of it in terms of balance, because it is quite true. Inquisitors and Kandra are on opposite ends of the spectrum with Koloss in the middle, being neither inherently good nor inherently evil, just kind of primal. But I shouldn’t downplay the appeal of Allomancy, also based off of a balanced system, and I would love to see a mistborn in action. Some of my favorite scenes are when Vin comes flying into a battle and flocks ish up. The literary choreography of those moments is quite beautiful.

Speaking of the Kandra, what a nice surprise it was to discover their origins and relationship to the Terrismen. Learning about the Terris religion was one of the highlights of the trilogy for me, as I found the Terrismen mysterious and intriguing. It was definitely one of my favorite story lines, even though Sazed spent (almost) the entirety of the last book brooding.

Finally, the uprising in Urteau is (obviously) a thinly veiled allegory for how individuals and organisations distort the teachings of religion to serve a particular agenda. It was quite obvious and has of course been done before, but the Citizen, influenced by Ruin, essentially turned into the thing he was preaching against (the Lord Ruler’s reign). In conjunction, Sazed’s brooding on religious truth was so ceaseless that the philosophical purpose could not be ignored. Though the safe bet of ‘faith be the answer’ was sweet but not at all novel.

The Wax and Wayne trilogy may in fact be in my future. I’m not sure if I find it compelling or daunting that the final of the series is the best. While the last two of the original series weren’t as good as the first, I think I would have enjoyed them more if they didn’t have Elend dragging them down. As long as Wax and Wayne doesn’t have something like that, I may well enjoy it.

Zhaoyun

In Wax+Wayne, the fundamental relationship of individuals to magic has changed in the intervening centuries, so there are no more true Mistborn, only Mistings. That probably sounds like a major bummer, and it is in some ways, but Branderson (my nickname, copyright 2015) offers something in compensation: a dramatic increase in Feruchemical abilities has given rise to a number of intriguing combinations of Allomantic + Feruchemical twin powers. On balance, despite the interesting developments Branderson lays in store in the sequel trilogy, I still prefer the high fantasy Mistborn-style swashbuckling of Vin et al (but who are we kidding, mostly just Vin), but I was very impressed with Branderson’s interweaving of the mythology surrounding the original trilogy’s events and characters. This mythology has palpable effects on later centuries. Like N.K. Jemisin, Branderson also somehow manages to handle the near-omnipotence of a familiar character (Sazed/Harmony is roughly comparable to Jemisin’s Yeine) without letting the reader grow complacent--threats apparently exist that rival even Harmony’s awesome control. This is all by way of saying that the victory of Vin et al over Ruin, and even the Lord Ruler, may not have been as total as it seemed, and the villains of the original trilogy, menacing as they were, might not even be the worst baddies out there. Even Hemalurgy, long thought to be a lost/disavowed art, makes a surprising reappearance. To quote everyone’s favorite mystery solver: “Jinkies!”

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Posted by: Tia in cahoots with Zhaoyun

Nanoreviews [books]: Sin du Jour, All the Birds in the Sky, Perfect State

I'd like to take a brief moment to introduce our newest feature here at Nerds of a Feather. By now you've seen our "Microreviews", which is our take on the review format while acknowledging that it is notably shorter than a full on proper review. We'd like to take that one step farther with our new "Nanoreview" format. Here we will focus on three* books / movies / etc which we would still like to talk about, but perhaps not with the longer format of a proper microreview. Hence, the nanoreview. 

*for the sake of holding format, today we're going to count Matt Wallace's Sin du Jour novellas as just one thing.

Wallace, Matt. Envy of Angels. [Tor.com Publishing, 2015]
Wallace, Matt. Lustlocked [Tor.com Publishing, 2016]

Let's not mess around or bury the lede here: Matt Wallace's Sin du Jour novellas are two of the most whacked out, amazing, balls and ovaries to the wall, freakishly imaginative, gloriously wonderful stories I've read. They're friggin delights, people. You should read them. Envy of Angels requires the team to prepare a dish like non other, one that has a very distinctive flavor. Lustlocked, on the other hand, brings us a goblin / human wedding where the Goblin King is exactly who you think he might be. Wallace writes with incredible audacity and bitingly funny humor. Sin du Jour is not to be missed.
Envy of Angels: 9/10
Lustlocked: 9/10

Anders, Charlie Jane. All the Birds in the Sky. [Tor, 2016]

Publishing does not seem to have the thing the film industry does where the movies expected to contend for awards are most often released in the last quarter of the year, even just in a couple of select theaters so as to qualify for that year's Academy Awards. Seldom does a movie premiere in January and manage to be recognized by the Academy the following year. Even so, there is still a tendency to say in reference to a novel, "we'll still be talking about this at the end of the year when it comes to awards or best of lists" All the Birds in the Sky is that sort of novel, published in January and putting a stamp on the entire year that it must be considered as one of the year's best. It's about magic versus technology, about growing up, about alienation and finding someone or something to connect with, about optimism amidst growing despair. All the Birds in the Sky is wonderful.
Score: 9/10

Sanderson, Brandon. Perfect State [Dragonsteel Entertainment, 2015]

Each of is the hero of our own story, right? That's one of the ideas Sanderson is playing with in Perfect State, a weird blending of science fiction and fantasy where in some future of ours we all have our own virtual worlds to conquer, built for our individual happiness and there is no need to interact with anybody, ever. Sanderson has so many fantastic ideas to build worlds and stories around, but there's something about the execution of this one that just falls flat.
Score: 6/10


POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Writer / Editor at Adventures in Reading since 2004, Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2015. Minnesotan. 

Microreview [book]: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #3)

Naturally, this review contains general plot spoilers for the previous Mistborn novels, The Well of Ascension  and The Final Empire.


Luthadel has been saved, but much loss occurred, including some central (but not so pivotal it makes you really sad) members of the crew. Vin found the Well of Ascension and released the power within, an act that was a result of her choosing not to keep the power for herself and save Elend’s life, but it turned out to all be a ruse perpetuated by Ruin (the bad force) to allow himself to be set free on the world. But don’t get too excited, Elend isn’t dead. Preservation (the good force) provided him with a magic pill that transformed him into a mistborn and thus gave him superior healing powers. Sazed, as per usual, rocked socks and selflessly saved Vin's backside. Now, in the final installment of this Mistborn trilogy, Empress Vin and Emperor Elend, along with the remaining crew members and the Empire’s army, are on a search for treasure coves created by the Lord Ruler, who knew that one day Ruin would return, to help the population survive the impeding apocalypse,.

Okay, so Elend is a mistborn now, which is pretty much unnecessary. Of course (eye roll) his powers are superior to Vin’s, but he’s not as good at using them. He fights a little bit, but primarily uses his new power to cower those he is about to conquer and to control the Koloss enough to add them to his army. And as a result of the Emperor’s good fortune, we still have the Velend (Vin + Elend = annoying) though it is not quite as bad as before because now Vin spends a lot more of her time thinking about saving the world and a lot less thinking about Elend. But their interactions are still forced, unromantic, and unbelievable. There is one scene in the beginning where they are “fighting” but it’s all done very calmly. However, everyone knows that a romantic couple under tense stress (like trying saving the world) does not fight in a calm and rational manner, because passion flows on both ends of the spectrum. Part way through the book the Velend attends a ball, and all the memories from The Final Empire come rushing back and we get a hint of the old Elend and it’s pretty satisfying. I wish Sanderson would have kept that guy around.

Sazed, my favorite character from The Well of Ascension is going through an existential crisis in this book, and he spends all of his time brooding which makes him unfun to read. We do, however, get Spook, who from his first line in his first chapter easily became my new favorite character. There was always something special about Spook in previous installments and here he really shines. His story line is engaging and exciting and I found myself looking forward to his chapters most of all. Breeze and Ham are both fantastic secondary characters, as they have been through the whole series, though I miss their interaction, which is scant following the first book. And I can’t forget TenSoon, dear TenSoon, one of the greatest characters in this whole series.

The Well of Ascension furthered the magic building, but The Hero of Ages really ties it all together, leaving no questions unanswered. Which brings me to the end. Everything that annoyed me about the last two books in this series was forgiven at the end, which was beautiful and surprising and perfect in every way.

So, is this ‘must read’ series really a must read? The first book, yes. Like I said previously, Mistborn, The Final Empire is the heroic fantasy of this generation, putting a grim twist on the familiar subgenre. But the subsequent novels have a hard time living up to their predecessor, and I thank the gods for inventing the trilogy, because I don’t think I could have taken the Velend any further. I am excited though to try the other books in this Mistborn world to see if maybe it’s just Elend that brought the series down for me.

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 6/10

Bonuses: +1 for Spook, +1 for the end, +1 for the earring

Negatives: -1 for the Velend, -1 for Sazed not getting his ish together sooner

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10 pretty good, but pales in comparison to the first in the series

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POSTED BY: Tia

Microreview [book]: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #2)

9This review contains general plot spoilers for Mistborn, The Final Empire

The Lord Ruler has been defeated, killed by Vin herself, drawing on the power of the mists. But revolution comes at a cost, and that cost was Kelsier, the famed Survivor of Hathsin. So now what? The Well of Ascension tackles the age old question of how to rule and keep the kingdom now that you’ve usurped the throne. Most of the predominant noblemen have left Luthadel and Elend Venture takes over rule, trying hard to balance maintaining order with his philosophical ideals, while Kelsier’s crew serves in his council. But Elend’s reign is not uncontested and self-proclaimed kings are knocking down his door, laying siege to Luthadel and imposing threats never before encountered.

I called Mistborn, The Final Empire the heroic fantasy of this generation because it hit all the high notes of a hero’s tale while including the grit and grimdarkness so intrinsic to the current movement in the genre. But in The Well of Ascension, much of that is lost. Sure, there is war and gore, but our protagonists are no longer rebel thieves living on the fringes. Now, they are just the good guys, struggling to do what is right and to make everyone happy. How passé.

Elend especially, what a dull, drab character he is. In the first book he was snarky and rebellious, reading banned books and discussing revolution. Now, he’s trying to live up to his ideals but has frustratingly lost his edge, which makes him boring to read. And because of his childish relationship with Vin, he really drags her down with him. Vin spends most of her time thinking about how she loves Elend and how she trusts Elend and how she wants to protect Elend, rendering her inner dialog excruciating at times. Their relationship, which is flat even through a YA lens, has zero chemistry or sexual tension. The age difference is also quite unsettling. Even though they are only a few years apart (Vin in her late teens and Elend in his early twenties), Elend is much more mature than Vin, her having only just begun to find herself and uncoil from hiding in corners. I still hold to the notion that in the end of The Final Empire, Vin should have walked away instead of jumping down to Elend. It would have giving their future relationship and desire for one another time to build. As it stands, Vin and Elend’s romantic musings add a level of juvenility to the story that I think even the YA audience would find contrived.

Lucky for the reader though, Sanderson writes incredible secondary characters. Sazed in particular is fascinating and his journey adds much more to the story than just entertainment. In fact, all of the secondary characters are a pleasure to read, and I found myself looking forward to chapters with Sazed, Spook, and Marsh far more than to those containing Vin, to my surprise.

What is most exciting about this sequel is learning more about the magic system and products thereof. Sanderson introduces us to new creatures, like the Koloss, and gives us a more in depth characterization of the Kandra through the brilliant character TenSoon. And, of course, we still have Vin’s fight scenes, which are choreographed so beautifully with the written word that they beg to be seen on screen.

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 7/10

Penalties: -1 for the Velend, -1 for the culmination of the Velend which is a spoiler so I have to keep it vague

Bonuses: +1 for Sazed’s arc, +1 for TenSoon

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10 “an enjoyable experience, but not without its flaws”

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Posted by: Tia

Reference: Sanderson, Brandon. The Well of Ascension [Tor, 2007].