The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

All year I've had friends tell me that I need to read the Stormlight Archive series from Brandon Sanderson. We're in the middle of a pandemic, they said. What else do you have going on, they asked.

I'm a big fan of epic fantasies, but I seldom have the time to commit to reading these gigantic tomes. So I decided that since I wasn't making that 2020 book goal anyway, I may as well commit to finishing off my year with The Way of Kings. What's the worst that could happen, I don't like it?

Well it only took about 25 pages for me to really get into this book. And yes, at the end, I completely loved it and the world that Sanderson has set up here. I love Kaladin (duh), I loved Shallan (even though she's sneaky) and I loved Dalinar. I mean these are some great characters. Not overly virtuous. Full of mistakes and misunderstandings. But trying. Trying so hard to make a better world. Even when others don't want it.

In the back of all this is a system of magic and politics and a history only hinted at but barely understood. And all of this has giant ramifications for the events of the day as our heroes race to understand what is going on, before it's too late.

This book is a big lift. I write. Generally for myself. And I can't imagine the time and dedication it takes to write something like this - let alone four of the five (ten?!) planned books in this series so far. That Sanderson finished off the Wheel of Time series for Robert Jordan is no surprise. He seems to have an unending energy for world building and writing. And yes, in the last 100 pages I could not put the book down. Stuck in what I understand is the "Sanderlanche" when all the plot lines start to come together and a lot of the action happens.

I'm assuming more happens in the second book because there was a lot of world building and set up in this one. There was a lot of momentum at the back of this book, but since the next one is just as long, I doubt that kind of pace could be maintained through another 1,000 pages without some breathing room at the beginning. But I'll let you know, because I am totally going forward with the rest of this series

5/5 Stars. 

War of the Wolf - Bernard Cornwell

Oh Uhtred. What am I going to do with this irascible hunk of man? He's supposed to be 60 in this latest book (he'll always be 28 to me) but I digress, because no way a 60 year old man is riding his horse for days and then hopping off to swing a big sword around to kill Saxons. Just, not, happening. But he does it with such swagger that I'm willing to forgive him.

In the last book, Aethelflaed died and her brother Edward swept in to to snatch Mercia, because somehow this line of kings has it in their head that all of England is to be a English speaking, one God worshiping paradise. They have a very frank surprise coming in 1066 (pun intended). But for now, there are some Mercian's who are not satisfied with the idea of being ruled by Edward and in War of the Wolf, they show their displeasure by trying to overtake Caester in the name of Aethelflaed's daughter.

Uhtred, who is always stupidly giving oaths, promised Aethelflaed he would protect Aethelstan, the bastard/not-bastard eldest son of King Edward. So when he gets notice that Aethelstan may be in danger he rushes to Mercia to help. Surprise, Aethelstan is fine and Uhtred's love for people has been used against him to lure him out of Northumbria just as a new threat from the Norse threatens the last independent kingdom. (The TV show is called The Last Kingdom for a reason).

A Norse leader, thrown out of Ireland by the fierce Irish fighters, has taken refuge in Cumbraland, a lawless area to the west of Northumbria and North of Mercia, marginally held to be part of Northumbria. The leaders, Skoll, a warrior at the helm of a group of berserkers called the ulfhednar (wolf head), seeks to make Cumbraland and all of Northumbria his own. Well c'mon. He has to fight Uhtred first. And my man is not going to let some Norse dickhead roll over Northumbria unchecked.

True to Uhtred form, he underestimates at some point and overestimates at another and then gets a little lucky and... VICTORY. I'll leave the details to you. I will be DEVESTATED when Uhtred finally dies. We've had this thing going for a couple years now and I don't want to give him up. But all good things must come to an end. And a 60 year old man living in the 900s is not long for this world. Wyrd bid ful araed.

4/5 Stars.