The Way of Kings~Brandon Sanderson | Review

Title: The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 1258 Pages (Paperback)
Publication: August 2010
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review

"A story doesn't live until it is imagined in someone's mind."

Why have I not read this book before now? That's what I keep asking myself. I've been reading Sanderson for nearly two years and I'm only just now picking this book up. And boy am I glad I finally did. I knew I would get to it eventually, but this was the perfect read at the perfect time. 

What, you may ask, is so amazing about this book? Well, to be honest. Everything. I really cannot find a single fault in this novel. It was so much fun to read, the story was engrossing, the characters brilliant. I had a hard time putting this novel down. I would have read straight through if I were able. (Although that would have been really hard. This is a long book.) I said, multiple times while reading, "if this novel never ends and I just continue reading a hundred pages a day for the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure I would be happy."

So, let's get to some of the things that I loved most about this novel: the characters. Sanderson is brilliant in his story telling and his stories are often driven by beautifully flawed characters. 

• Kaladin: Kaladin is by far my favorite character. After personal tragedy drove him to become the best spearman in the army, Kaladin is enslaved and sold to work as a bridgeman for High Prince Sadeas. He is so easy for me to relate to. He struggles with depression and feels that he is cursed. As he starts to develop superhuman abilities he begins to face some of his personal demons. His struggles had me crying in several parts of the story. 
• Syl: Syl is the spren that now follows Kaladin and keeps him from falling over the edge of his personal chasm and into despair. She's so funny. 
• Dalinar: Dalinar is a high prince seeking to better himself and the kingdom he loves. He is often questioned by those around him, but remains true to the ideals he has set for himself. His character grew on me throughout the novel. I liked him from the beginning, but grew to like him even more as the story progressed. 
• Adolin and Renarin: These two are Dalinar's sons and I found myself drawn to both of them. We don't get as much time with Renarin, but I hope he shows up more latter on. Adolin is constantly finding new women to court, but remains strong and loyal. These two are great.
• Wit: The kings Wit reminded me a lot of the fools in Shakespeare's plays. In the best possible way. The Fool was always my favorite and Wit is great. He is funny with his insults of the princes and other important people. But not everything he says is in jest. 
• Shallan: I found myself drawn to Shallan at first, but then she kind of grew tiresome for me. I did still enjoy her, I just didn't enjoy her portions of the novel as well as I did several of the others. She grew on me again toward the end of the novel and I'm excited to see where her story leads. 
• Sadeas: This is probably the character that inspires some of the strongest reactions from me. I found myself both loathing and loving Sadeas throughout the story. I'm not sure what I want to happen with him next. 
• Szeth: While he was not nearly as large a part of the novel as several of the others, I found Szeth fascinating. He is forced to kill and go against his beliefs and we see him fall further and further away from himself as the story progresses. It's heartbreaking. 
• Elhokar: Really needs to be kicked in the chest more often. 

These are not all of the characters, but an overview of some of my favorites. Each of them has their own voice and story, all converging to one story line.

The relationships in this novel are beautiful. Kaladin and his bridgemen, Shallan and Jasnah, Dalinar, Adolin, and Renarin. And toward the end we get hints of even more great friendships and alliances forming in later installments.

There isn't a whole lot to be said about the story as a whole. It's something you need to discover as you go, piece by piece, alongside the characters. It's brilliantly developed and beautifully imagined. The descriptions are captivating and the action intense. Go read this book.

If you've read this novel let me know in the comments so we can discuss it! If you plan to read this novel, let me know! I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Words of Radiance, either in March or April so if you want to join me just let me know. Happy reading.

Guest Post: Kelly St. Clare | Writing Your Debut Book

On Writing your Debut Book

- Kelly St Clare (Author of: The Tainted Accords)

There’s a story in your head, and it wants to get out.

I’m no expert on the subject, but I have published my debut book, Fantasy of Frost, back in January 2015. Now I’m sharing my experiences in a blog series called Dear Aspiring Author, so people like yourself can learn from my successes and, more importantly, my mistakes, to kickstart the creation of your very own debut novel.

Now, I’ve trawled through a number of blogs and books on the subject, including Stephen Kings - On Writing. There are some great resources available which I’ll mention later on. However, if you’re like me, then you’ve read all of these, hoping there will be some magical way to write your book.

*Brief pause while I laugh manically*

There isn’t one. Or if there is, I don’t know about it. Here’s how I went about writing Fantasy of Frost.

Dun, dun, dun. The Elusive First Draft.

Firstly, you need to love a story to be able to write it, because there are so many times you want to just shove the story in the cupboard and forget about it. The story has to nag you. If you’ve got one of those already, then perfect! If not, then get to work on that idea, whether you dream it up or get inspiration from real life.

Next, develop the stories details. Get to know your characters. The better you know them, the easier it is to find their voice and make them believable. There’s a whole heap of character lists out there. Here’s a good one I found at Writers write.

The same goes for your setting. What does it look like? Smell like? Sound and feel like? Is it a fantasy world? If so, what are the names of the places, the clothing and the animals? I didn’t do enough of this and I suffered for it. You’ll hear why soon.

After you have an outline (and for want of a more dramatic phrase), you begin. It doesn’t matter if you start at a random scene, at the start, or at the end. Just keep writing. Don’t worry about whether the facts add up, if the plotline is good, or if the dialogue right. That’s for future drafts. For instance, I started out on my first draft calling one of my characters Ric and by the end of the book he was called Sanjay. It’s surprisingly hard to keep yourself from reading over what you’ve done. But I really think this advice is gold: Don’t look back. And in three weeks, six months, or a year down the track when your first draft is done, celebrate like you just landed on the moon….

…because, you’re about to cry when you read over it. Fat, ugly tears.

98% percent of author’s first drafts are crud. Okay, I don’t know the exact percentage but I’m told it’s rare for them to be good. If you read through your first draft and it’s questionably the worst thing you’ve ever read, don’t worry, it’s normal.

Wow. The second draft was H.A.R.D for me. I told you I suffered for not planning and this was where it hit me. Every time I read my work I cringed. I wanted to give up. But the story was nagging me. So, I smoothed out the facts, the names, and the setting. I realised I had started the story too far back. Chop, chop. Off with five chapters (and another three after the fifth draft). The chapters weren’t necessary for the reader and therefore not necessary for the book.

Third draft. Back to the start. Again. This draft was to fix the technical bits. I had a look at the pacing and realised I had introduced too much information, too quickly. It was slow. Some chapters resembled a boxing match between turtles. Each chapter then had to be left on what I hoped was an interesting note, a hook. Something which would entice the reader to continue.

This is where I started wondering when I should show the novel to someone else? Research told me ‘when it was as good as I could possibly make it’. Greeeeat. My advice? Given as a person who has just gone through this. Assess what you know about yourself. For example, I’m someone who looks at my published book and still wants to edit, so I ended up cutting myself off at the fourth draft. If you know you tend to jump ahead, then force yourself to do a couple more drafts.

Yay! I had a half-way-there manuscript which I was rather proud of. I was going to show someone! Then I realised.

I didn’t want to show anyone.

Dear Aspiring Author, I could yap on about how to get over this, but in reality, you just need to. This isn’t about you. It’s about the book being as good as it can be. This means swallowing the humility pill.

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.”

- Erma Bombeck.

Now I was on a budget, but I didn’t want to lose quality. I selected twenty people to beta read my work. Of that number, twelve said they had time to do it. I was lucky enough some of these people had experience with writing. If you use this strategy, then make sure the group is from a wide pool of people, don’t just select people from your knitting circle.

I sent it out to my readers in parts and attached a list of questions to each part. I really think this made it easier for them. Remember most people haven’t got reviewing experience. It also helped to remove the ‘too nice’ tendency (although I only selected people I thought would be honest). The result? A massive heap of valuable feedback. I can truly say their criticism took my book from half-way done to PUBLISH.

Well, that and the next few drafts. The final drafts were all about fine-tuning dialogue; changing parts based of beta-reader suggestion, making sure there were no boring parts, and then writing all of the front matter. I did seven drafts in total, three more after getting it critiqued. How many you do on your book is entirely up to you. Some authors do thirty drafts. Some do three. Again, take into account what you know about yourself and tailor it.

I had a book. Now what?

I stumbled across this great site called Fiverr, which includes extensive resources for authors wanting to publish work of good quality for low cost. Here I found a cover designer, a copy editor and a formatter. I decided not to hire a content editor due having beta-readers. I will say here though, if you’re unsure about your writing technique or style I would definitely use one. I’m going to play around with this in my second book. I’ll let you know how it goes!

All that’s left after jumping through these hoops, is to hit publish and feel a tidal wave of accomplishment, my friend, because you are now an Author! Seriously, there is no better feeling than reaching the finish line.

Hopefully this blog saves you a few dead ends! By all means stick to it religiously, but I would recommend taking it as advice and seeing what works best for you. Writing a book by trial and error is the best learning tool at your disposal. Trust me, I know!

You want to know the best part? The second book is easier. **Cue fireworks**

I wish you all the best with your writing endeavours! Please post your success stories on Facebook or my website, where I will be continuing to add to my DearAspiringAuthor series. I’ve already discovered so many new tips and tricks while writing my second book. And really this blog is the tip of the ice berg. Remember there is still the marketing, getting the reviews and using social media to consider, let alone, how to select copy editors and the like.

If you’re looking for more information, I recommend Joanna Penn from the Creativepenn.com who has some really thorough advice. There are also some great, quick tips at Goins, Writer by Jeff Goins.

Check out another of my guest blogs titled ‘From Manuscript to Publish’. It goes into more depth about the obstacles you’ll need to get through before showing the world your quality book.

Massive thanks to Courtney at CourtneysReads for having me,

Kelly St Clare

When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is dreaming up a story in her head; the cause of many headaches for her friends and family, who have struggled to encourage her participation in normal activities - such as everyday life.

Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing. Her aim: To write stories she would want to read. 

A New Zealander in origin, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her soon-to-be husband.

Follow her via Newsletter at www.kellystclare.com, and find her on Facebook or Goodreads.

If you would like to read her coming-of-age epic fantasy novel, Fantasy of Frost, then you can view it here.

Tuesday Talks | Dating Non-Readers

Dating Non-Readers

Personally, it's difficult for me to form strong bonds with people who do not share my passions. I love reading, I love horses, I love math, I love art, music, and nature. I love many things. One thing I love about reading and writing is that using words, I can express my love for all of those other things. The written word holds great power.

I've gone out with guys who were not readers. I've discussed books with them. I've suggested things they might enjoy reading. All of them gained something from what I said. At least, I'm pretty sure they did. Some of them have even picked up the books I've suggested and enjoyed them. I can't have a conversation and not mention reading. It's almost impossible. 

That being said, I think it would be difficult for me to date someone long term or marry someone who didn't enjoy reading. Reading and writing are so important to me and I would need someone who understood where I was coming from in my love for words. They don't have to enjoy the same type of reading or books, but they would have to have some appreciation or I don't think we would click well enough to have a strong relationship.   

I think it's also important to consider different forms of reading as well. I read mostly fiction. A lot of that fiction is fantasy. I know people who read mostly non-fiction or newspapers, magazines, comic books. There are many forms of written word that can qualify as reading. Even people who say they are not readers generally enjoy some form of reading. They just don't sit down with a novel. 

I definitely would not let my love for reading get in the way of forming a relationship with someone that I really liked, I just think that I am unlikely to bond with someone who doesn't at least enjoy an occasional read. They don't have to share my passion, they just have to understand and appreciate it. 

What do you think of dating non-readers? Does being a reader or non-reader have an affect on your relationships? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Tuesday Talks is a weekly discussion created by Janie and Janelle. You can find the goodreads group here. It's always fun to have bookish discussions with other readers, so join in the fun!

The Formats of Books: Physical, E-book, and Audio

I haven't written a blog post in a few days and it will be another few before I have a review ready to post, so I decided to write a quick post about my thoughts on various formats of novels.

Physical Books

Personally, I love having a physical book in my hands. I don't mind if it's paper or hard back, I just like having the paper in my hands when I read. I've always loved the smell of books, and yes, occasionally I smell the books I'm reading. I don't know what it is, but something about ink on paper is just appealing to me. 

I also love being able to see how far I've gotten in a book. I like being able to feel the pages pile up as I read them. I just feel more accomplished every time I flip a page. It just makes me happy. And you don't have to worry about a battery dying. All you need is light and you're good to go. 

E-Books

I've only recently acquired a kindle (in December, I think). Before that I wasn't really interested in reading electronic books. When I started becoming interested in reviewing for authors in November, I decided it was time to get a kindle. And I do enjoy my kindle, even if it doesn't have paper. 

E-books are so easy to carry around. It's convenient to have ten or more books with you when they only take up the space of maybe one physical book. Particularly for traveling, e-readers are the way to go. And if you don't like the novel your reading, you can always switch to another one.

The thing I miss from physical to e-book is the feel of the paper in my hand and the pages piling up as I read them. The kindle telling me my percentage kind of makes me feel the same way, but it's still not quite the same.

Audiobooks

I've only ever listened to a handful of books. My auditory sense is rather interesting. I'm a very visual learner in general, though I'm an auditory learner as well. When I have something to look at, I tend to remember what I hear. I can recall most conversations I have face to face, lectures from school, and lines from movies. When I don't have that visual stimulus as well, I tend not to remember. This makes listening to audio books hard for me.     

I listened to two or three books in a five book series once. The other novels I read physical copies. A few months later, when I was trying to recall the story from each of the novels, I could remember the ones I read physically in great detail. The ones I listened to, however, were foggy in my mind. 

Again, I think audio can be very convenient. I've listened to a couple of novellas recently while driving to and from work and church and things and those have gone well. I think I can remember more when I have something I'm doing at the same time. Just trying to listen tends to leave gaps in my memory. Driving while listening is nice though. 

Overall I prefer reading physical books to e-books or audiobooks, although all three have their merits. So what do you prefer? Let me know your thoughts and which format is your favorite in the comments. 

Tuesday Talks | Over Hyped Books

To learn more about the discussion group Tuesday Talks, visit the goodreads group here. This weekly discussion was created and is organized by Janie and Janelle.

Over Hyped Books

I tend to walk the line where over hyped books are concerned. Sometimes I hear all the hype and go grab the book to see what it's all about. I've gotten lucky and read some really great books that way. I've also read some not great books that way.

Reading over hyped books at the peak of all the hype can be a very bad thing in my experience. It's hard not to go into a very popular book thinking that it will be fantastic. This attitude, however, tends to leave us wanting more once we've finished the book. It can turn what would have been a really nice read into a disappointment. That's why I tend to avoid reading overly hyped books at their peak. 

I also understand where the book hype comes from. We all want our favorite books and authors to be known. The best way to help someone is to put stuff out there about their books. When a large enough group starts talking about the same books and authors we start verging into the realm of over hyping. As a reader and reviewer I try not only to get the book out there for more people to see, but also explain why I like it so much. I think the trap we fall into most often, and the one that ultimately leaves us disappointed, isn't so much that the books is over hyped, but rather that those so set on the book don't explain why they enjoy it so much so we go in with unrealistic expectations. Nothing is perfect and not everyone likes the same thing. Read what you are truly interested in reading, not what someone else says you should be interested in reading. That's what I try to do. 

So overall, I don't avoid over hyped books, but I also don't generally seek them out. Sometimes I will put them on my TBR and leave them there for a while before I get back to them. At that point I'm usually more open to the story and not just the idea of the story or the hype it's received and can have a more enjoyable reading experience. 

What do you think about over hyped books? Do you read or avoid them? Tell me in the comments!   

Firefight~Brandon Sanderson | Review

Title: Firefight (The Reckoners #2)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Dystopia
Length: 416 Pages
Publication: January 2015
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review

"My name is David Charleston. I kill people with superpowers."

This novel picks up shortly after the events of Steelheart with David and his Reckoner friends helping to stabilize NewCago. David is set on hunting down Firefight, but not to kill her. He has other plans for this Epic. 

We don't spend too much time in NewCago this time around. David finds his way to Firefight when Prof takes him along on a mission to stop Regalia-the Epic who rules Babilar (Manhattan).

There are so many things I enjoyed about this novel. The characters are fun, smart, and extremely flawed. I find it fun to be in David's head, laughing at his botched metaphors. He's young, impulsive, and thoughtful. He never stops thinking, considering new possibilities about Epics and their powers. 

One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was being able to see more into the minds of the Epics. In Steelheart we didn't really get to see what the Epics thought. Here we get more inside information from the minds of the Epics. Hearing about their struggles and their fears is really interesting. The story is set in a world where people gained superpowers and turned into villains. Honestly, that seems like a likely outcome. But it's interesting to find out what these people were like before they were Epics and the struggles they face now that they have these powers. Not all Epics are the same. 

One thing I love about Sanderson is that his stories are always so character driven. I'm not sure how he manages to get me hooked on every single character he introduces, good or bad, but he does. One of my favorites in this novel was Obliteration. I just found his character fascinating. He was only in a few short pieces of the novel, but I was still attached to him. 

There are so many questions raised in this novel and I can't wait to read Calamity when it's released next year. The exploration of the Epics and their weaknesses is one thing that really has me intrigued. And man that ending was insane. I really could barely put the book down for the last hundred pages. There was just so much action, so many questions asked and answered, revelations made, the list goes on. 

So basically what I'm saying is that you should read this book. Right now. Well, actually, read Steelheart first if you haven't already and then read this book. 

 

Awakening~C.B. Stone | Review

Title: Awakening (Absence of Song #1)
Author: C. B. Stone
Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy
Length: 105 Pages (Kindle)
Publication: February 2015
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Review

I really enjoyed the Unbelief Trilogy so when C. B. Stone announced this upcoming trilogy, I was really excited. When she mentioned that there was going to be some blends of fantasy in the dystopia world, I was even more excited. I love fantasy. And I was not disappointed.

Jaelynn lives in a world where music is banned and the Ministry controls everything. But she can't stop herself from dreaming about music and singing when no one else is around. And when she meets Noah, a fellow dreamer, Jaelynn's world begins to change.

I think this is where Stone excels. The story starts out like any other dystopia, but we soon learn that music has more power than we realize. And sometimes what happens in the realm of dreams doesn't always stay there. The blend of this dystopian world with elements of fantasy was just brilliant.

The characters were very beautifully developed and Jaelynn was a great character for a first person narrator. Sometimes certain narrators don't work out well, but she is a good one. Noah was interesting and I can't wait to see more about his character as the story unfolds in the next novel.

The novel ends with a cliffhanger (the usual for any novel by Stone) and I am eager to see where this ending will lead our characters. Obviously something more than meets the eye is going on in this world. And the Ministry has more of an idea about things than they will admit to the public.

I honestly don't know what else to say. I don't want to get too involved with the story out of fear I will give something away. This is a great novella if you enjoy fun, quick dystopia/fantasy reads. It has a unique take on many elements of these genres and the blend is just beautiful. Stone gets better with every novel she writes. I cannot wait for the next installment.

You can purchase the novel on Amazon here. It will soon be available through other platforms as well. Happy reading!