While of a lot of this story is pretty standard fantasy fare (politics, magic, medieval setting, etc.), the amount of detail available is astounding. To be fair it's a very long book and it's hard to tie everything together, but that's part of the fun. There's also a tremendous amount of originality in the magic system. Add in the numerous plot twists and character surprises - all of which are thoroughly believable - and you've got a fantastic read. If I had to pick a minor quibble, it's a very dense story. It's easy to forget details that are more important than they first seem. That said, Sanderson does an excellent job of reminding readers of previous facts and making the important connections.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, Book One of the Stormlight Archive begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and…
Master of Furies is the 3rd book in the Firemane Saga. I'll admit that the first two books were harder for me to read. They marked Feist's first departure (discounting Faerie Tale from the 1980s) from the Midkemia Universe. The style in the earlier books, particularly the first one, was much grittier than the Midkemia works. If they were a movie, they'd be rated-R rather than the PG-13 of his other titles (again except for Faerie Tale, which I'd rate as R). For whatever reason, that level of grittiness drops in the third book which made it more enjoyable for me to read. My favorite aspects were the character reveals and the details connections between them. Additionally, there's a wonderful surprise at the end. The weakest (or at least my least favorite part) was the climax felt a bit rushed for my taste. Still, if you like Feist and want to see a different aspect of his imagination, this is a great series.
The final volume in New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist's epic heroic fantasy series, The Firemane Saga.
War has swept across Marquensas. Ruthless raiders have massacred the inhabitants of Beran's Hill, including Gwen, the beloved wife of Declan Smith. Hollow of heart, his hopes burned to ashes, Declan swears to track down and destroy the raiders, an ambition shared by Baron Daylon Dumarch, whose family was massacred as they fled the capital.
Meanwhile Hava, whose gift for piracy has seen her acquire the treasure ship Borzon's Black Wake and the swift Azhante sailing vessel, Queen of Storms, and…
To be fair this was part of my re-read of the entire LotR series, but I hadn't read them in over 20 years. I had seen the movies quite a few times, and while I love them but there's something about reading the originals. This is especially true for scenes either altered or left out of the films. I'm not knocking Jackson, even with the deletions and alterations his adaptation of the story runs over 9 hours. However, meeting the original characters and reading the unaltered scenes provides an even deeper picture of Middle-Earth. The pace may be a bit slow for some - Tom Bombadil does sing a lot - but that's part of the charm, too. It's understandable that songs and old tales covered in the Council of Elrond didn't make the films, but they enhance the immersive experience of reading the books. If you've only seen the movies or haven't read the LotR in a while, do yourself a favor and dive into Middle-Earth.
This brand-new unabridged audio book of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings, is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.
In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power - the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron's evil dominion.
Thus begins J. R. R. Tolkien's classic tale of adventure, which continues in…
Forced to leave the elven forest because of his barbarian heritage, half-elven Toran finds work in a rundown tavern in Eridan's thieves' quarter. Combining his keen elven senses and barbarian fighting skills, he thwarts an assassination attempt on a visiting princess. His actions earn him an invitation to join the Warders a secret-service-like organization that protects Eridan. When the assassin succeeds in poisoning the princess, Toran joins her lady-in-waiting and a veteran Warder agent on a quest to find the antidote.
