5/10 if this wasn’t Abercrombie/First Law I would’ve DNF’d within the first 25% of the book. That being said, I enjoyed the rest a little more, but it5/10 if this wasn’t Abercrombie/First Law I would’ve DNF’d within the first 25% of the book. That being said, I enjoyed the rest a little more, but it’s still kinda boring...more
First read 2021. Reread 2024. This is hands down my favorite series, so I have nothing bad to say. I love Darujhistan, I love these char94/100 (reread)
First read 2021. Reread 2024. This is hands down my favorite series, so I have nothing bad to say. I love Darujhistan, I love these characters, I love Erikson’s writing. This book is significantly better on a reread with full series context, and it was already really fawkin good. Absolute banger from front to back. Every other writer wishes they could be half as good as this...more
Maybe I should've not reread this book and left it as a five star read in my memory. But in my excitement for Wind a67/100 First read 2021. Reread 2024
Maybe I should've not reread this book and left it as a five star read in my memory. But in my excitement for Wind and Truth, I decided I was going to reread all four Stormlight books this year before book five's release.
There's a lot to like here. The worldbuilding is truly original and incredibly creative, the magic system is cool, the action is good enough. Unfortunately I'm just not sure that what's there is for me anymore. At first I thought maybe I wasn't as excited about the worldbuilding and the different races and flora and fauna and all that because I'd already spent four books with it when I read the series the first time, however I'm also reread Malazan Book of the Fallen and I still absolutely love the worldbuilding and everything there. So maybe my tastes have just changed, and that's okay.
Unfortunately, there's a some of this book that I just don't think are very good this second read. Branderstans, please don't come after me. But my god the first 800 pages of this book are boring as hell. Sanderson attempts to save it with his "Sanderlanche" but I found it to be too little too late, for all that I enjoyed it. I could also see all the seeds being planted for things that I actually hate in the later books, and it severely hampered my enjoyment.
Also like, I don't like some of these characters nearly as much as I did the first time. I liked Kaladin the first time, and this time I was pretty meh about everything with him. The supporting characters in Bridge Four were really what made his parts not awful, not Kaladin himself. Dalinar is cool, and I like Adolin. But Shallan. Shallan fucking sucks. And it's amplified even more listening to the god awful Kate Reading narrate her sections of the book.
I appreciate this book for what it is and for getting me back into reading and fantasy a couple of years ago, but I would be lying if I said it was still one of my favorite books. It sucks, but sometimes tastes change. It is what it is....more
At first I thought, "Just how good could a book about building a cathedral be?" That's exactly what this book is, at the bare minimum. Overall, it is At first I thought, "Just how good could a book about building a cathedral be?" That's exactly what this book is, at the bare minimum. Overall, it is so much more than that.
This book is filled with romance, violence, and political intrigue. I thought it may be preachy before starting, as one of the main characters is a monk and the book is about building a damn church, after all, but Follett has stated that he himself is an atheist, so none of that here.
First and foremost, this is a masterclass in storytelling. The characters are so well developed and interweaved than any one of them can impact the story tremendously with each choice they make.
I wouldn't exactly say the book is a suspenseful page turning that you can burn through, but it certainly is addicting. It also has two of the most detestable characters I've ever read--one of which rivals even Joffrey Baratheon.
In addition to the masterful plotting and character work, The Pillars of the Earth has one of the most rewarding and satisfactory endings I've ever read. With Stephen King being my favorite author, a good ending is always a welcome sight....more