Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Way of Kings

Not content with spending his time completing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series Brandon Sanderson has started his own called The Stormlight Archive. The first book has now been released and it is called The Way of Kings.
And it's a big book. Sanderson is from the 'sweeping detail', 'large cast' school of fantasy writing, but because this is the first book in the series things start of small, (relatively speaking). We are introduced to three main characters who obviously will have a part to play in the unfolding story.

Sanderson is a great writer and knows how to create a believable world, but this book is too long. It's as if Sanderson had all these things he wanted in his story and decided to cram them in to the first volume. As much as I enjoyed reading this, it did become a chore towards the end. (Sometimes authors need an editor who isn't afraid to tell them to make cuts to their baby.) If each book in the series is this long then it is in danger of drowning under the weight of words it will produce.

And lets not mention the cover. Really Golanz you thought this cover would make people buy the book? Lucky that Sanderson is such a great writer, if someone isn't put off by the cover. Hopefully book two is a little shorter, and a new cover art style is used.