Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

“My life to yours. My Breath becomes yours.” 

The Story

Warbreaker is a story that follows two sisters who are princesses, a handful of mercenaries, a powerful, deadly yet mysterious warrior, a flippant atheist god who seems to take nothing seriously, a group of other gods and goddesses all of whom have returned from the dead and finally, the God King of this world — the ultimate ruler.

The two kingdoms in this story are Idris, from where the two princesses come and Halladren, ruled by the silent yet powerful and fearsome God King. These two cities have been barely tolerating each other for three centuries.

Now the King of Idris needs to make good on his daughter’s marriage contract; you see, one of his daughters has been promised to the God King with the goal being to produce an heir to the God King while maintaining the peace treaty between the two nations. But things turn out a little differently than expected when one daughter is on route to Halladren to marry the God King and the other has undertaken a personal rescue mission to save her sister from the horrid ruler.

The rest of the story takes place in Halladren, where we’re introduced to living gods called The Returned because they have returned from the dead. Every once in a while, someone comes back from the dead and when they do, they are then worshipped as Gods.

We’re also introduced to the system of magic called Breaths revolving around breath and colors. A breath is a chromatic essence of a person – like part of the soul — and each person is born with one breath, which can be given by one person and taken by another. The person who gives away his or her breath then becomes a “drab,” in which the world appears gray and pretty much colorless. The person receiving the breath is bestowed with heightened senses in which they’re able to discern subtle distinctions of color and sound. They are also infused with magic, making them capable of animating objects such as clothing, rope, dead squirrels and even little men made of straw and commanding them to do your bidding. This system is called Awakening, and a person needs a lot of Breath to perform an Awakening.

There’s also the mysterious Vasher to whom we’re introduced immediately in the first chapter, and he repeatedly appears throughout the book. The thing is, is that we have no idea who he is or what he’s up to. Is he trying to assassinate someone? Start a war? The more he appears, the more is revealed.

As political chaos, conspiracies, backstabbing, and unrest in the streets begins brewing, we learn that someone is indeed trying to start a war and it’s up to only a few people to prevent it: a god who doesn’t believe in his own divinity, a princess who overnight become unimportant, another princess who overnight become all-important, an immortal wielding a sentient dagger whose primary goal is to kill evil, and the God King himself.

What I Liked

Given that magic system in this story revolves around colors, it’s no surprise that Warbreaker is a book vivid and vibrant with colors. I found it easy to picture the scenes in my head, and the lush descriptions really helped to give the novel a strong sense of place.

Additionally, the plotting and world-building were outstanding. In this story, Sanderson gives us a rich world filled with riveting history and mythology, fascinating politics, an intriguing mystery and numerous twists resulting in a truly immersive read. I especially enjoyed the political system in which the common people actually interacted one-on-one with the gods.

The gods themselves were also captivating, and I found it interesting how they remembered nothing from their past lives after they were “Returned” so in essence, they had to reinvent themselves when they began their second life. I loved the whole concept of “The Returned” and found it fresh and original. I also thought that the mythology surrounding the Court of Gods and the God King was utterly fascinating and would have loved to have learned more about them.

But the real treasures of this story were the rich, vivid and life-like characters:

• We have two princesses, Vivenna and Siri, who couldn’t be more different personality-wise, and both of whom grew enormously throughout the arc of the story
• A witty, sarcastic and irreverent god named Lightsong the Bold (my personal favorite character) — a multi-layered hero who doesn’t believe in his own divinity and whose main goal is to be as lazy and useless as possible
• Denth and Tonk Fah, two tremendously humorous mercenaries who popped into Vivenna’s life
• Vasher, the deadly and enigmatic warrior
• Nightblood, Vasher’s sentient talking sword who has one role: to destroy evil, though given that it’s is only a sword, its concept of evil is a tad cloudy, so it simply sets out to destroy everything
• Susebron the holy and majestic God King who we know nothing about until his personality slowly begins to unfold
• And the numerous other gods, goddesses and high priests, all of whom were entertaining with distinct, well-developed personalities.

The character development in the book was terrific, especially with Siri, Vivenna, and Lightsong. It was fun seeing their growth as the tale progressed.

I thought there was a lot more humor in this book than in the other Sanderson novels I’ve read and caught myself laughing out loud several times during the story. Lightsong’s witty and wry humor was particularly fun, especially during his exchanges with the other Returned. I also enjoyed the endless banter between the two male mercenaries and even the exchanges between Vasher and his deadly talking sword were often amusing.

As is the case with other Brandon Sanderson novels, the magic system in Warbreaker, which uses a combination of breath and color to bring objects to life, was phenomenal. There were some fascinating scenes involving animated objects and zombie-like characters. The author certainly has a knack for creating creative magic systems that are intricate, clever, unique yet easy for the reader to comprehend.

Additionally, I liked the idea that magic is costly and not easy to master. I also liked how everyone has the potential to do magic in this world and not just a select few — it all depends on how many breaths you can gather up. The more breaths a person acquires, the longer they live and the more magic they can do. It’s also worth noting that a breath cannot be taken forcefully — it must be given freely.

What I Didn’t Like

Susbron, the God King, remained pretty much a mystery through to the end of the story. We learned a little bit about him but not nearly enough to be satisfying. I wish the author would have delved a little more deeply into his story and history. Likewise, I wish he had gone a little more into the history of the Manywar, the Returned and the Court of Gods.

The book also took a while to get going. My experience with Brandon Sanderson novels has shown me that they’re often slow-starting as the author spends a good portion of the book on world-building as the characters and story begin to take shape. So in this way, the middle dragged a bit. However, I felt the slow-buildup was totally worth it as the story took off like a bullet during the last 20% or so of the book.

Final Verdict

I really didn’t have any niggles with this and ended up loving it. Like the other Sanderson books that I’ve read, the world in Warbreaker is infused with a captivating magic system, compelling political scheming and plotting, unique and interesting religions and such rich history and mythology that I couldn’t help but fall in love with this novel. Sanderson expertly intertwines religion, culture, mythology, and history into a genuinely compelling narrative.

There were so many interesting themes that ran throughout the novel: religion, sacrifice, bravery, intolerance, self-discovery, compassion, empathy, and redemption. It also has an excellent cast of believable characters, a plausible world, an intriguing political system, and a thoroughly satisfying ending. I loved this epic, compelling, complex story of Siri, Vivenna, Lightsong, Vasher, and Susebron as they struggle through emotional, physical, and moral challenges. The intrigue and excitement grow steadily resulting in a perfectly balanced story which by the end, proved to be difficult for me to put down. All in all, a tremendous book that I absolutely loved.

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I was so excited when I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Summoned to Thirteenth Grave. This is the thirteenth and final book in the Charley Davidson series and I’ve followed this series since 2011 when Darynda Jones published the first book in the series entitled “First Grave on the Right.” Seven years I’ve been with these characters and the dreaded day finally arrived when I would have to say farewell to them, once and for all.

This series follows Charlotte Davidson AKA Charley Davidson who sees dead people and it’s up to her to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances — like murder for instance — they sometimes want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. She has her own investigation business but as it often turns out, most of her clients are the dearly departed.

As the series progresses and the tale unfolds, we meet all manner of interesting characters: ghosts, demons, angels and even Gods and the main characters of our story have all sorts of surprising secrets — some of which the characters aren’t even aware of themselves!

Now you may think that the series sounds spooky — and I guess it can be. But these books are filled to the brim with humor and snarky comments which at times, caused me to laugh so hard that tears were running down my face. In fact, a couple of times my partner would look at me while I was in the throes of hysterical laughter and ask,

“Are you reading Charley Davidson again?”

 “Why yes. Yes, I am.

Now there is so much more to this story than a young woman who sees ghosts — hell, it took 13 books to tell this tale — so I can’t say too much about it since I don’t want to ruin anything for those of you who haven’t read it. Let me just say that the author did an excellent job of wrapping up this series. At the end, it felt like I was saying goodbye and farewell to much beloved old friends.

This last book was phenomenal and I really, really hated to see it end. This is probably my all time favorite series and this is one that I may even consider rereading. Heck, I actually pretty certain that I’ll reread it at some point.

So if you follow the series, know that this final book will be released in January of 2019 and it is a very satisfying conclusion to the series.

If you haven’t yet discovered Charley Davidson and if the premise intrigues you, then you’ll want to start with the first book “First Grave on the Right”. It’s the perfect time to dive in as you won’t have to wait for the next book in the series. They’re all finished. Let me tell you, it was hell each year waiting for the next book to come out.

I don’t really need to say that I gave this book five stars. A huge, grateful thank you to St. Martin’s press and Darynda Jones for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy.

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This is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy and takes place in the mid-fourteenth century.

The Story

The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the events of the first book, The Bear in the Nightingale. Vasya is on the run after being accused of being a witch and cast out by her village. Deciding against life in a convent or a life with a husband, Vasya takes off on her trusty stallion Solovey to see the world, a thirst for adventure in her blood.

Given that during this time period it is unheard of for a maiden to go off exploring on her own, Vasya disguises herself as a boy for protection. But she soon learns that the world is not without its cruelties as she stumbles upon village after village which has been burned down by Tartar bandits, many of the occupants murdered and their young daughters stolen away.

She eventually ends up in Moscow on the doorstep of her sister Olga and her brother Sasha, the monk. She plans to stay for a short visit in fear that her masquerade may endanger her siblings, but she inadvertently ends up catching the attention of her cousin Dmitrii, the Grand Prince of Moscow. Dmitrii is captivated by the brave and fearless young man named Vasilii he believes Vasya to be, which puts her, Olga’s and Sasha’s lives in danger as well as thrusts her in the midst of political intrigue and treachery. Then there’s the new mysterious lord, Kasyan Lutovich, who seems to have taken a particular interest in Vasya and she must now determine whether he’s friend or foe.

Soon she’s caught up in an intricate web of lies and deception, while carefully guarding the secret of her true gender and attempting to remain in Dmitrii’s good graces. This proves more difficult than she could have imagined once she learns that there’s a new evil force threatening her cousin’s kingdom and she is the only one who can stop it.

What I Liked

Like the first book, I adored Vasya’s character. I loved how she left her village with nothing and ended up falling in the good graces of the ruler of Moscow and becoming known to the people as a brave and fearless hero. Her strength, cunning, and bravery are truly admirable, and it was a treat watching her grow and develop into the strong, powerful, spirited and feisty woman she has become by the end of this second book.

I clearly got the feeling that Vasya was no longer a child and in this book, we’re introduced to Vasya the adult. This was especially evident in her reunion with Olga and Sasha. It was nice to see them together as adults, and it pleased me that after being alone and on her own for so long, Vasya was once again surrounded by the love and support of her family (even though they often didn’t see eye-to-eye).

What really resonated with me was the feminist statement the book made about the role of women in society. In this world, women had two choices: marriage or, if she couldn’t find anyone to marry her, a convent. This was a world in which women have no say, women did not ride horses, women did not go out on adventures, women did not dream of bettering themselves, women did not complain, and women often did not even leave the building. The role of the women was to bear her husband an heir and to manage the household. And here we have Vasya: a fiercely independent woman who ignores all of these societal conventions and decides to live life on her own terms, no matter what the ultimate cost to her. In this way, she is indeed a courageous and admirable character.

I also loved watching the evolution of Vasya’s relationship with Morozko and her sassy magical Bay Stallion Solovey. To my delight, Morozko the Frost Demon (AKA The Winter King or The Russian Death God) plays a much bigger part in this novel than in the first, and the scenes between him and Vasya were some of the most emotionally-intense and heart-wrenching in the book. We also learn quite a bit more about Morozko: his origins and his complicated role in Vasya’s life.

I once again enjoyed the supernatural aspect of the story and seeing Vasya’s interaction with the various spirits in the book, some of which help when things become dire. In addition to Morozko’s larger-than-life presence in certain scenes of the novel, we also have a tortured ghost, a sorcerer, a Firebird and several domovoi (local spirits/beings).

The world building in this book was phenomenal. I could almost taste the food the characters enjoyed at the feast and feel the frosty chill of the cruel Russian winter air upon my bare skin. The gorgeous descriptions and details in the book are vivid and lush, resulting in a truly atmospheric novel that’s moody, immersive and alive.

What I Didn’t Like

I am hard-pressed to come up with anything I disliked about this story. My only real niggle was that I would have liked to have learned more Koshchei the Deathless, who is the villain of our story. My knowledge in Russian folklore lacks in this department so a little more backstory on this character would have been helpful in understanding his role in the story. I would have liked to know more about his motivations and his reasons for doing what he did, which I felt were absent.

There were also a couple of scenes when Vasya acted way more immature than her years, and her treatment of others often had a bit to be desired, especially in regards to Morozko. I felt that her excessive harshness towards the frost demon was mostly unwarranted and undeserved, especially considering everything he did for her and how many times he saved her life.

Verdict

The vivid descriptions and thrilling storytelling resulted in an immersive and enchanting story. Arden managed to expertly infuse fascinating historical facts with fantastic elements giving us a spellbinding tale of political intrigue and uprisings, dark magic, deadly bandits, fantastical creatures, religious extremism, adventure, deception, betrayal and the dangers of hubris.

But moreover, the author gives us a brave, kick-ass and undoubtedly flawed heroine to save the day — a character you can’t help but fall in love with. We see how the fate of an entire country rests in the hands of a young girl who, without even realizing it, steps into the boots of a warrior.

All in all, The Girl in the Tower is an enthralling tale of folklore and magic with characters that are vivid and wonderfully rendered, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to read the final book in this bewitching series.

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So I finally finished the third book in the Mistborn trilogy and wow, what a ride that was. It’s been several years since I’ve read a huge, epic, sweeping fantasy and I was just blown away by this one.

There’s so very little I can say about this book without giving anything away except that the world is dying and dying quickly and that the Emperor and his wife are tricked into releasing an evil entity who is hell-bent on destroying the world. Now it’s up a brave few to try and stop the creature — that is, if it isn’t already too late.

The Hero of Ages was superb though it completely destroyed me and wrecked. The bittersweet ending was both a thing of absolute beauty as well as heartbreaking. It’s one of those situations where you’re outrageously happy and completely devastated at the same time, and though it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, the ending felt right to me, which is quite a feat for an author to pull off. And just to be clear, there were no unanswered or unexplained questions at the end of this trilogy so, in this way, the conclusion was satisfying.

This series had amazing characters with a super kick-ass heroine whom I adored. The characters grew to be so much more than they had ever dreamed possible and their growth throughout the arc of the story was phenomenal: Elend, Vin, Sazed, Spook — even the Kandra. What I loved about this novel was the message that people are neither good nor evil, and even those whose actions appear to be evil and malicious in nature, may not entirely be so, once we dig further down to unearth the truth. There is also the theme of “nothing is as it seems” which happens to be one of my favorite tropes.

There are so many characters that I grew to love in this story, and at around 2,000 pages, it’s going to be difficult for me to leave them behind. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be thinking about this story for a long time to come. Now there is another Mistborn trilogy referred to as Mistborn Era 2, so I do get to return to this world. However, I do believe it takes place 300 years after the first trilogy, so there’ll no doubt be new characters for me to love.

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