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This book is the first in a new epic fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson, known for the Mistborn epics and completing the Wheel of Time saga. Here, Sanderson creates a novel medieval and partly magical world. His key characters are i) Dalimar, the uncle of the king of Alethkar, a military kingdom constantly at war. Dalimar is considered the best knight in the world, but is visited by visions calling him to a higher purpose, and there is a sense of foreboding that a far worse enemy may soon reveal itself. ii) Kaladin, a young man of middle rank enslaved into the worst unit in the Alethkar army: the bridgemen, who carry bridges to the front under heavy fire from the enemy. A wind spirit becomes attached to him, and encourages him to take the lead, and help give his fellow bridgemen some hope in their miserable lives. iii) Shallan, the daughter of a minor noble, who travels for months to become the ward of one of the greatest female scholars in the world (all non-religious scholars are women here). However, her brothers have given her a secret mission to steal a magical jewel from her new mentor to restore the family fortunes. Novel features of Sanderson's world include periodic storms from the East, rapid changes of season, strange bull-like crustaceans and flying eels, a caste system based on eye colour, and the ability of nobles to `soulcast', or create simple objects and structures out of thin air using the gemstones found in the hearts of huge crustacean beasts. The main weak point of this book is that the characters all seem to be in their own little worlds. There is little friendship or love, and it is hard to warm to the characters here, despite their undoubted nobility and determination. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great writer, great story!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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