I want to be very clear about something. I'm not dismissing chronic depression when I discuss Kaladin. I'm commenting on Sanderson's character development from a literary analysis POV from just THE WAY OF KINGS. I obviously have not read the other books and I have no idea what Sanderson's goals are for character development. Also as someone who has struggled with depression, anxiety and has ADHD I would NEVER dismiss mental health EVER. We are discussing fictional characters from a writing perspective. So please be kind to myself and others in the comments. As I've also seen discussion on what Dalinar does to Elhokar. We all have different points of views and perspectives which makes for great debate over the books we love. So choice kindness first, and don't assume. We are having LITERARY DISCUSSIONS. THAT IS ALL.
Thus has been an issue with me too. I haven't elven started the video yet but I feel a realistic portrayel of mental illness doesn't necessarily equate to a good reading experience. Kalidins depression is realistic but it gets frustrating to read the same shit over and over
@@ayoo_wassup yes that’s essentially what I’m getting at. It’s hard when you’re writing a story and wanting to balance realistic characters but also telling a good story. It’s a hard balance to maneuver. I feel that in characters it’s best to share the experience and having a concluding arc of it to shed light on the topic you want to explore and create discussion. I find it challenging for Kaladin to continue this way throughout the entire series and not make some growth. Otherwise I feel your loosing the purpose of his character? And again for anyone else reading this, this is just my opinion from a literary perspective
And it's unfortunately an accurate reflection of how people sometimes treat those they know who struggle with depression. Like as the reader it's easy to be like "damn kaladin we're back on this again?" But I think it's important to be aware that that's exactly how we sometimes treat friends/loved ones with mental illness
The Glyph she writes and burns is a prayer. She is devout. She paints it huge because she is so angry and emotional and she wants the most people to see it. She prays for justice, it should make people ask why justice is required.
I understand the purpose it just seemed out of character for her since religion isn’t introduced as a part of her character. But it def has interesting meaning for sure
@@AlyLourim It didn’t need to be said specifically because when religion was introduced, it was with the idea that everyone followed it except Jasnah so unless stated otherwise a person is religious at least in the basic ways. Also since only women can write, it is considered their duty to be able to write good glyphs prayers. It is stated in the book here and there in offhand remarks that so and so had a glyph prayers tied to them that they had woman x write. It’s brightlady basic training.
@@AlyLourim I see where your coming from, when I heard you say that I got knee jerk defensive, but thought about all the scenes with her in it that show her religious side and it's mostly from book 2 on. I think Sando wanted to keep her on the sidelines for the first book. She's a great character though, definitely a power behind the throne.
I took it as her finally making it clear to everyone how she feels about Dalinar, after he had kept her at arms length for so long out of concern for how their potential relationship would be taken by others. It's less about exactly what she was doing, and more that it is very large and public.
The part where Navani paints the glyph for Dalinar isn't an expression of her emotions through art. The Vorin religion prays by writing the prayer and burning it, to send the essence of the prayer to the Almighty in the smoke. Navani paints and burns the glyph because she is religious, very much so. But also because she is very politically intelligent. She believes Dalinar has died and prays for justice, but also does so in a way that everyone assembled can see it. While practicing her faith, she also reveals her suspicions and intentions to the kingdom
@@AlyLourim The explanations are there, it's just not made explicit, but set up through small bits here and there that you can put together, but are also easy to miss if you don't notice them. Then on a reread, you find all these hints and build ups and foreshadowing that you missed the first time.
I've read well over 100 fantasy novels and don't understand why people blow the "slowness" of the first half of this book so far out of proportion. While it's true that the latter half is faster paced than the first half, that is how stories work. Also, the first half is not what I'd consider slow. Maybe a little but not much. For the beginning of a gigantic high fantasy series, it's actually quite well paced and stays interesting. It is, however, slower than shorter books, and shorter series, but, again, that's how stories work. A 14,000 page series will not move as fast as one that's a fraction as long. This is why a 3 hour movie's story will move slower than a 20 minute short film's story. I've read many fantasy books that were much slower paced than the first half of this book. Like half of the Wheel of Time books, Malazan book 1 (Gardens of the Moon), A Song of Ice and Fire book 4 (A Feast for Crows), and the Farseer trillogy are all slower paced.
ill be honest, when I started my channel, I was shifting careers and hadn't read a fantasy book this big- so it was A LOT. Now that its been over a year and I have read quite a few chunky fantasy books im more okay with the pacing and understanding of it. so much so, I started words of radiance!
@@AlyLourim Oh nice! I thought something like that might be the case. Going from not reading any massive fantasy epics in a while, to reading one, will definitely show you the contrast between pacing of shorter books and series to really big ones. I do still agree that much of The Way of Kings is on the slower side compared to more common length books, and could've probably been a little faster, but it's honestly not too bad compared to most other huge fantasy series. Especially for the amount of stuff it's setting up. The good news is that now that all of that foundation work has been laid out by the fist book, Words of Radiance is able to move at a better pace and is much more balanced. Words of Radiance and Oathbringer are both better overall books than The Way of Kings because of this. Everything just progresses better, now. I'd say Rhythm of Way is about on par with The Way of Kings (which is still great) but his next book, Knights of Wind and Truth, will more than likely be the best book out of the first 5. I mean, it's the last book in the 1st story arc and Sanderson is known for his amazing endings to his story arcs. It's going to be a mind-blower, for sure. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it (Words of Radiance). How you think it compares to The Way of Kings as well as other fantasy books/series you've read. Happy Reading! And enjoy Words of Radiance!!
Words of Radience is the best book Sanderson has written, quite possibly one of the best fantasy books ever written. Do not give up on it just yet. Words of Radience will unravel a lot and make you fall in love with the series
its quite possible that is happening. it took me a minute when I started words of radiance, but im a bit shocked haha. I have so many questions and so many theories!
@@AlyLourim Nice to see you pick it up again. WoR has some of my favorite moments in the series. In particular, the one who hates, the whitespine uncaged, and an amazing moment between Kal and Syl towards the end.
Pacing is a common complaint for Sanderson novels, and like, fair, as you put it so well Sanderson asks a lot from his readers, but I will gladly put up with some slower passages in exchange for the potent world-building, character drama and escalation of stakes that he is known for.
If you need something lighter in Brandon's cosmere I would highly recommend one of his short stories. Stay away from the stormlight and mistborn ones for now, but "The Emperor's Soul", "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" or "Sixth of the Dusk" are all great stand alone stories that live in the same universe and tell a full story in about the time it takes to read one of the interludes in Stormlight books. The Emperor's Soul in particular is a fantastic read. As for this book I also felt Shallan was the strongest character work Brandon did. She has that little bit of darkness to her, that works well with the bubbly yet witty illusion she wants to present her self as. Book two is Her book in the series and I think my favorite in the series so far. This is a deep rabbit hole you have started down :) As a side note, again if you want quick reads that are just fantastic, the Dunk and Egg Stories from the ASOIAF world are all must read if you have not gotten to those yet.
Thank you for the recs I appreciate them! And yay I’m glad you appreciate Shallan as much as I do. OMG i might do Game of Thrones for my winter read. I’m not sure yet. But the new show has gotten me hyped to wanna read the books finally!!
@@AlyLourim The GOT one is a weird recommendation atm, as the show is still really fresh for viewers so things that should be very surprising reveals and events are spoiled for the reader making the books less power as a result. It is still a must read imo, but more so for the way Martin tells the story with view points of a single character at a time, and for the plot lines the show did not include.
@@smaug1234 ohh im okay with spoilers. I actually LOVE watching a series and then reading a book and seeing how the show or movie chose to adapt a series. IT FASCINATES me to no end. Yes I love his world and his stories so I've very hyped to start the books soon!
Can i read The Emperor’s Soul without Elantris? I have had it in the Arcanum Unbounded for so long now, but i’ve been holding myself until i’m able to find and read Elantris
I remember standing up and cheering during the Tower chapter and when Dalinar gave up his sword. I'm in the last couple hours of book 2 and its very worth it to me. Mistborn was my intro to Sanderson, Vin is such a wonderful character, and of course the magic system can't be beat. Lookiny forward to hearing your thoughts, Cheers!
Omg I love that you stood up and cheered 👏🏻 👏🏻 I think I did a very loud “holy shit” to both the voidbringers/parshendi and the hospital 😂😂 So excited for Mistborn! Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the video ☺️🙏🏻
I can’t fault you for your feeling about the pacing of the book. (The Sanderlanch) I remember feeling that way as well when I was reading the book until I got to that last 100 pages. For me it paid off so well.
thanks for understanding :) It's a good story, I just prefer the ball rolling at least at midpoint. this could be due to books ive read in the past lol :) thanks so much for watching!
The last hundred pages?? I felt the same way about the last 400 pages but think it started to pick up a lot earlier than that, even. Pretty much when the stories began to converge which was before the half way point.
For the size of this book, and the scope of the story, I did not find the beginning slow, at all. If it was a stand alone novel I'd agree with you, but for one of the longest series ever written (by word count it will be longer than The Wheel of Time when it's finished) it's pacing is above average even at it's slower parts.
Your Navani dance cracked me up! Kaladin is my favorite, he's the reason that I started therapy, reading him and going "I know exactly how he feels" was a big sign. My first time through this book I was going "huh I thought this would be over by now, or further along." But I thought it was a trilogy. I enjoyed Way of Kings quite a bit more on my second read. I really enjoyed your thoughts. I'm looking forward to what's next!
🤣🤣 I had to. They’re so cute. The way they both pined for each other 😂🙌🏻 Awe! I love that this book and Kaladin’s character did that for you 🥹🙌🏻 Thank you! Yeah I’ve already started reading ACOTAR. Can’t wait to share my thoughts with ya’ll on that book ☺️
@@AlyLourim Storms, there's a scene later on that I cannot wait for you to read (assuming you continue of course) I read ACOTOR around a month ago. Can't wait for the next video!
Sigzil is so slept on. He has a huge connection to Hoid but it's said in such passing that it falls out of focus when you turn to the next page. I can't wait for this to be revisited and explained.
There was so much to cover in over 500 pages lol. The story of Hold and Sigzil was so cool and very mysterious. Sigzil I love how he warmed up to bridge four!
thank for sharing another one of these. it's so refreshing to see some shallan/navani appreciation. i love an intrigue plot more than a hero's journey, so i'm right there with you. in deciding where you jump in next... mistborn: great, more succinct trilogy that's less heavy on the worldbuilding, with more obvious character development + heists and intrigue! with the added benefit of getting to read a series ending that will help you figure out if you trust sanderson to deliver something grand for other series. words of radiance: it's shallan's flashback book. we aren't done learning about her past and just how complicated she is as a character. whenever you get back to it, i think you'll only enjoy it more. twok has to do a lot of exposition for the entire series. while you will still have a structure that builds up to a big ending, you have enough of the foundation now that you get to jump right into our viewpoint characters starting to converge at last.
If I'm remembering right the glyph thing is a religious thing like a prayer that ardents usually do for ppl, in his scene I interpret it as Navani mourning Dalinar
yeah it was, it just threw me off cuz I know everyone is religious but to what level it wasn't super exposed. And Navani always seemed more into her scientific explorations and scholar work more. so I thought she was going to check if all the bridges came back. that made more sense to me lol
Regarding Navani and the Justice glyph. In their society women are supposed to be the only ones reading and writing, not to mention drawing etc. That's the background for her expressing herself through glyphs. With regards to why she didn't go and check the bridge crews. She lives in a different war camp (which is similar to a different city) and she never goes on bridge runs. Additionally even if she did attend bridge runs there are like 40+ crews, to remember each one would be extreme. Finally crews die during bridge runs and so even a missing crew wouldn't have told her anything. She is however smart enough to realise that Sadeas clearly betrayed Dalinar. Hence why she prayed to God for justice to be served. Long post sorry. Please do this again for skyward. I think you'll like it. Also thanks for the awesome videos. OK wall of text over.
haha always here for the wall of text, thanks for your great insight. so I actually decided to start words of radiance and keep going to this HUGE journey I have started haha
Not gonna lie, it's makes me a little sad that you might not be doing the other SLA books. I've really enjoyed this journey watching you discover the world. Though I do understand that high fantasy is not for everyone. Regardless, I look forward to your read through of Mistborn and Skyward, both great series!
Aly: I’m taking some time off from SLA, I might be back. Jasnah: Your 4 most popular post are the SLA, and your 5th most will also be the SLA after this is up for more than a day. You’ll return. Better to return now, because if you wait 6 months, that will be 6 less months that you were learning as my scholar.
Depression sucks. For Kaladin it can be devoid of reason and consequence, just like real clinical/seasonal depression. It can be frustrating to read because it feels like the math doesn't add up. But that is just not how depression works. And for that, I love it.
Hey. Saludos desde chile. Espero que sigas con el viaje que representa El archivo de la tormentas. Es realmente exigente con tu tiempo pero lo compensa a la larga. Mucha suerte y gracias por los videos!
I'm definitely partial to Kaladin and Sanderson's depiction of depression. It was the first time I realized that I suffer from depression. You'd figure I'd get it on the first read through but it was probably the third when I started thinking "Man I feel like I really understand Kaladin when he's down in the bottom of the well."I personally like that even after Kaladin does these awesome things he still has those feelings. This is definitely not a book I would recommend for someone who is only going to read one of them. As you said it requires a lot of trust from the reader to go through a thousand pages and only get a payoff in the last 100. However, that's what keeps bringing a lot of us back for more. He is so consistent in being able to deliver on his promises that when I pick up a 1200 page book I know I might not get any closure till page 1100 but I know that it will be worth it. The craziest part of this Sanderson community is how many times people have read these books but it's scenes like the hospital and the discovery about the void bringers that brings people back to read through the thousand pages again to pick up the little breadcrumbs they have missed. And believe me there are some crazy bread crumbs you've missed that won't be revealed for four books. Definitely a lot of commitment time and emotion but totally worth it. So glad you enjoyed this book really enjoy hearing first time impressions
Brandon is so good about making the reader feel smart. Everyone gets the reveals about half a page before the characters. And he does that over and over again.
The glyph with novani had nothing to do with art, there was set up in her grief and the writing of the glyph. I stopped near the end of the 3rd book so I won't say anything about the setup for that grief, as I don't remember what was after WoK, but more than one character wrote a glyph of prayer, and I saw her breakdown as both a confirmation of her not so hidden, but hidden, emotions toward dalinar, coupled with the fact that people who have very little family/friends left sometimes act erratically and out of character when greif and/or despair suddenly takes them. My take on it though. Or it's how I remembered it. It's interesting hearing your opinions and observations, as there are things that I never thought twice about, but you have so much to say about them.
This series was lovely and I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! I totally understand needing a break from Stormlight, these books are a lot of work! I’ve been re-reading through them with a friend that I convinced to read them and it’s been *months* but we’re finally on book 4(6?). Words of Radiance (book 2) is my favorite and if you love Shallan, you’ll love WoR. Excited for you to come back to it and looking forward to your Mistborn read through!
Yeah, there is a reason the end of Sanderson books has become famous as the Sanderlanch. Last few chapters the story just slams on the gas and does not let up. Glad you enjoyed this overall, can get the issues you had given you jumped right into the deep end of epic fantasy, but it only gets better from here, all of this was mostly just set up for what is to come. Do agree likely better to take a break, read something fun, and then hop into Mistborn to get a better feel for Sanderson, and also get some more grounding in the Cosmere as a whole. There are certain plot details and such that carry over, but it's more the Mistborn acts as a primer for how certain aspects of the Cosmere work in general. I'd also recommend reading Warbreaker before going onto WoR, since that has much more direct ties to Stormlight. Kaladin- Is never not going to be a Sad Boi. He just has way, WAY too many issues that he simply cannot get over. But he's handled so well and is one of the best portrays of a character with chronic depression and PTSD I've seen. But yeah, it's great to end this on him feeling hopeful and having a victory, but his journey is far, far from over. And again Syl's "I am Honor Spren" bit is just, the best line in this book other then Kaladin's Oath. Shallan- I do not get why people have issues with her here, I really liked her in this, and yeah there are SOOOO many hints about what is really going on that I just loved trying to pick up on and puzzle out as I went through. But next book, ohhhh does she get even better. Jasnah- I never got a "too perfect" vibe from her, but just that she is extremely confident and comfortable in who she is and has no time to worry or care about what others think of her. She knows who she is, what she believes, and has no desire to suffer fools. And then the 'lesson' that, I do love that nothing about either her or the story tries to say if what she did was right or not. She did it because she made the choice that it was something that should be done, and left how to feel about that up to others. She believed it was right, but that others would have their own idea. That it leaes it that open says a lot about her, and how well Sanderson can handle this sort of stuff. Dalinar- Yeah he was getting kind of mopey and sad and such, but damn that ending. His arc is just starting but damn did it start epicly. Navani- Is just, the best and needs all the love and support and you don't even know the half of it but she is just so amazing! Adolin- Is Best Boi but admittedly, it's not really that clear till the next book. Bridge Four-Is just, such an amazing group that it is wonderful to see come together through all this. Great thoughts, loved the reviews, eager for more!
I saw you just supported me on Patreon thank you so much! I sent you a message on there :) Yes I keep hearing good things about Mistborn so I'm really excited to dive in and I appreciate its more YA friendly lol. Thank you for appreciating Shallan like I do haha. Yes I love Jasnah and I love how she handles choices in life. I just wish I would have seen her a bit more ruffled occasionally haha. But overall shes great. OMG I LOVE NAVANI. Sanderson wrote her so well. I left my thoughts out I had on Adolin because I'm still sitting on them lol. My character issues are more so how Sanderson wrote those moments. So glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the continued support. So glad you're enjoying them :)
The glyph navani burned is a religious practice. Like a prayer. Also, if you want more sanderson, you can read warbreaker, that is a standalone story (so far) and is kinda cool to read it before words of radiance (Stormlight 2), tho it is by no means necessary
I read the whole thing, too, and my favourite character was Kaladin. I overall really liked the bridge four history. Specifically the moment when Kaladin took a spear from a dead body and showed his team what he can do. I think that after that scene a lot of things started to change for bridge for and how they felt about Kaladin.
I love stormlight for this reason your favorite character is shallan cz she's the most relatable for you, for me it was kaladin cz I also suffer from depression and I take responsibility for absolutely everything I can relate to how he puts his own benefit aside and help others. And for other people I know they relate to other characters for their own reasons and experiences. I just love that
I agree that this book and the other storm light books are better on a reread just due to the amount of content. Biggest point was dalinar buying the bridge men for me. Can't wait for more reactions. Just got that new book on audible.
Yeah that def warmed my heart. So happy the bridge four boys could finally relax and no worry about dying constantly haha. Ohh wait you ACOTAR so you can follow along? Yayy 🙌🏻🙌🏻
i feel like with the jasnah killing scene, someone who can basically talk to the king personally and part of one of the most powerful families there was other avenues she couldve taken rather than just kerb stomping some poor people, for me it felt like an abuse of power and a lack of perspective
That’s a fair perspective. It’s def a hard choice to make. And considering how evil the King he is might have just taken them to his underground hospital 😂 it’s a tough call really
I love the parallel between kaladin and szeth in this book how they both have the same power and how one is using it to save everyone and the other using basically to destroy the world
For what it's worth, Words of Radiance is "Shallan's" book the same way Way of Kings is "Kaladin's." With your particular interests and likes in the first book, I think you'll like it better-probably even love it. I hope you come back to it eventually. I DO think you'll love both Skyward and Mistborn.
"Shallan is my favorite character," ^^^ This is also true for me in SA, and may even be true for me full stop. Shallan is an amazing character. And while I'm not going to push you to read Words of Radiance if you feel this series isn't for you (not that I have any right to as merely a person on the internet who enjoyed your video series), I'll just add that WoR really is Shallan's book. If you love Shallan it just might be worth slogging through it (and I will also add that the other books in SA develop a bit faster and have more mid-book climactic moments, so hopefully it would be less of a slog as well).
Get through mistborn and warbreaker, come back to stormlight later, and you'll get some connections and probably be more invested. Also book 2 spends much more time with Shallan and really let's her flourish.
Surprised you can stop after Way of Kings, as much as I love it, Words of Radiance is really when the story gets going and is my favorite. (Also we meet Lift which is the best character (after Rock)). But I can get the need for a pallet cleanse and Mistborn is fantastic and can't wait for you to dive in. Also Skyward is great and a really nice shift in style, maybe its YA for some reason but the story is quite thirlling
It's such a great book. I decided to pick up warbreaker before reading the second book (as per some recommendations online), and loved it! And now I decided to read all the cosmere books, so reading through mistborn trilogy and really enjoying it.
Even if you wait like a year between each book, PLEASE keep with Stormlight Archive. Oathbringer is SO DAMN GOOD (though you might like Words of Radiance a bit more if you like Shallan). Mistborn is also fantastic, and borders on YA so you'll enjoy.
Just wanna say that watching your impressions through this readthrough really showed your credibility and it'd be cool to see more about book recommendations that you have. Seems like you know what makes a good book :) I really loved the way of kings. I took about a 2-3 month break between it and its sequel, glad i did because as you said, it's asks a lot from you. Glad you enjoyed it!
Awe thank you so much for that kind comment. it means so much! We are doing A Court of Thorns and Roses next! So that'll be a fun new book for many of us :)
Honestly, Skyward might be more up your speed than Mistborn (though I think Mistborn is still going to be a closer fit than Stormlight, and it's the one I am looking forward to more). Good luck, and happy reading :)
Gotta read ACOTAR just so I could continue with this channel. I love your excitement for the books you read. And yeah, though am a bit bombed that Stormlight is on TBD now, I think its a better decision, you'll appreciate it more once youre in the know of the cosmere. Yaaayyy NAVANI GOT THAT BLACKTHORN
awe im so excited you're gonna read ACOTAR with me and stick around my channel. that truly means a lot. I know everyone has their favorite series so I appreciate that you're enjoying how I create videos and share them with ya'll :) Yeah im very excited to check out his other books and find out which series is for me. I enjoy his writing but I want more plot and characters and world building through characters POV which is why I love YA so much ahah. YASSS SO happy those two finally got together and Dalinar got over himself lol
Damn it’s so interesting to see who likes which characters, for me, I was just waiting for Shallon’s stuff to end and Dalinar’s to come back, idk why but Dalinar was my fav in WoK and still is after RoW lol (especially after Oathbringer ;p)
I read WoK to my kids (aged 10 and 12), and they asked me several times during the story who my favorite character was. Every time I said, "Dalinar", they were dumbfounded. My daughter loved Shallan and my son loved Kaladin, and neither of them thought much of Dalinar at all. But he is the BEST.
I really hope you’ll read Words of Radiance!! It’s my favourite of the Stormlight books and I believe one of the most highly rated fantasy books on Goodreads
I do think that you'll like mistborn, but I think you will REALLY like Skyward. I have liked all of Sanderson's books, but Skyward is just a more condensed (more personal?) experience. I didn't expect to like it so much, but I think it is my favorite Sanderson series.
This series was so much fun especially since its my favorite book series. I love the drama in the later books, but I feel like in the first one you get a really good sense for who the characters are, which I like.
finally got a chance to watch this! Glad to hear you liked it!! These videos are reminding me of plot points that have completely slipped my mind since I read it. Can't wait for the upcoming videos!
ppssttt sam! I have words of radiance videos coming... like starting today 😏 I changed my mind and decided to give it another show. it think I needed time, and glad I did!
I loved the video and the analysis. Keep up the good work. I did finish the book too not long ago and it was a phenomenal ending for me. I am an official fan of the kholin family. Can't wait to read from Jasnah's perspective... It was until the very end that made sense why we did not get any screen time from her side: the soulcasting mistery.
@AlysReadingCorner The Day has finally come..... I've been wandering through the dark for so long ... been secretly training my voice to reach even higher decibels! I will complete my mission
I've really enjoyed this series, and I truly hope you decide to read more of the Stormlight Archive! Mistborn is wonderful as well, probably more your series! Sazed is an all-time character!!
Just finished reading The Way of Kings not too long ago and Dalinar was definitely my favorite Character. Kaladin was my least. Now, I'm half way through Words of Radiance and Adolin has become my favorite. Kaladin is still my least.
I am interested in what you think about Mistborn I thought it was a much more accesible read than the SLA. Also I think you will like A Court of Thorns and Roses, its very different than Way of Kings and will be a good palatte cleanser.
Omg I'm loving ACOTAR so far :) Reaction series for that happening in the next video, I think it will be 3 parts. And then im gonna react to Mistborn in November I'm gonna react to mistborn so Im def excited to dive into that. Hoping its more of a fit for me :)
Great review. You are magnificent. If you do read/reviews of the remaining books, I look forward to seeing them. You are the kind of person I would love to see review my novels. Heck, You are the kind of person that would be splendid to know. Be well and stay awesome!
haha aw you're too kind. I'm so glad you enjoyed the series :) Well I'm making a discord so you can all still continue your discussions of SA in there. You're more than welcome to send me 1 chapter of your book, as ill be honest that's all I have time for :)
I absolutely love Shallan too. I love your take on her being the most real. It makes me happy for when you read her whole arc... after Skyward, and Mistborn of course. Might I add, that tossing in the two stand alone books Elantris and Warbreaker would be awesome for you too.
New subscriber here :). As a person that loves looooong books, I feel excited everytime I pick a series like the Stormlight Archive. I never felt that the first book was slow or dragged on but, as an incentive for you to pick up the next books, this is, for me, the book that moves slower. The others in the series “seem” to pick up speed and I read the last one in 2 days :D I think it’s because you start to progressively realize what is going on and feel even more invested in the story and its characters.
yes I agree so much! I actually just started words of radiance and my brain is on fire trying to connect everything and yeah def more attached to the characters this time around.
I hope that you go back to the series. I know it can feel like a little bit much, but I would personally recommend that you at least give Words of Radiance a chance, it’s my favorite. I think book 1 suffers a lot because it is a lot of introduction to a lot of things. Book 2 I feel doesn’t have that feel. Just my opinion, but loved the videos on your experience with Way of Kings. Thank you for letting us experience your journey!
Kaladin is my favourite character in the first book. Shallan's story, as for me, is a bit boring there (probably, lack of action?), but in the second book she is incredible. I will look forward for your reaction on it :) Mistborn is awesome book, I read it many times. Skyward, as for me, is not so great, but I still enjoyed a lot reading it. Also I would recommend to read Warbreaker, cause further in SLA there will appear some… characters related to the Warbreaker. (that's not necessary at all, but it would be great to know their background)
i like these videos, the quality is great(love the quote reading), and i enjoy your perspective on the series as you start to read it :) i hope it doesn’t take too long for you to pick back up storm light archive
I absolutely adore Shallan. Her role in Words of Radiance is probably my absolute favorite. I do wanna add though that Shallan and Kaladin do a lot of backsliding and having to learn the same lessons again. Their characters are suffering from trauma and mental illness, and recovery is not a straight line.
I started reading words of radiance and im seeing that, and theres def cause for it. but I also accepted their arcs will probably linger throughout the series vs in each book. enjoying it alot so far :)
These reactions have been really fun to watch! Now that you're done, I can recommend that you check out the soundtrack that was made for this book, 'Kaladin' by 'The Black Piper'. Really, really good, especially for reading other books!
I'm so glad that you liked TWoK! I understand if it is a little too long for you, that's true for a lot of people. Usually Sanderson recommends people start with something OTHER than Stormlight Archive just so they know he can actually deliver a solid plot. Then when you're used to his writing style, transition to SA. Still, I'm glad you liked it! It gets SOOOO much better as you get farther in!
@@AlyLourim WoR is a good book for sure. I think it's probably the weakest of the 4 in the SA right now, but it has very compelling pieces, especially Shallan's flashbacks. They're incredible!
i hope u give words of radiance a go its book 2 i personally didnt really care for the way of kings when i read it the pacing was just really bad for me but because ive read all of his other books i pushed threw it because at this point i trust brandon more then anyone else to deliver all that said words of radiance is a god tier book pretty much anything i had a problem with in the way of kings he fixed the pacing is unreal an the sanderlanche is really good i think u would like it even more
Congratulations on being monetized! Yeah I don't like kaladin as a character. I think he is well written for the most part but as someone who struggles with depression, I don't want to read about it. My favorite character is shallon by far. I hope you get back to this soon, can't wait to hear your thoughts. Although mistborn is really good too
Thank you! And I totally understand, things like this in literature can either be helpful or triggering ❤️ yay for another Shallan Stan! Excited for for Mistborn for sure. Hoping thats more my vibe ☺️
@@AlyLourim also keep in mind way of kings is not my favorite book by far. I almost didn't continue with the series but in the end I'm glad I did, it does improve and is well worth the read
Dalinar was the best character, but I really like Jasnah and Shallan also. Just finished this book last week. Kaladin’s story seemed so slow and the flashbacks really bogged down the pacing in my opinion. I think Kaladin is the most common favorite character, so I’m probably in the minority there.
You got through the homework investment. No reason to not continue now. Not only is book 2 the best one, but the flashback episodes now belong to your favorite character this time!
Navani is a scientist and a very rational person but she grew up very religious and these are contradictory parts of her personality. Navani gets better and better as the books go on.
You should check out “name of the wind”, which I think is a better series; however, some people disagree. Patrick is a better story teller over all, but Brandon is up there as well. I just love any book that gives me mini stories with in the main story, that goes with the story. The over all hero’s journey and pacing in “Name of the Wind” is better when it comes to a hero’s journey than this series; however, that is to be determined overall considering neither series is finished yet. “Name of the Wind” only has one book left, where storm light has over 5. I just wish there was a writer that took both minds and put them into one to write a series.
Name of the wind is great but that last book might not ever come out. Ive almost given up on it. However whenever it does comeout ill preorder it asap ofc.
I want to be very clear about something. I'm not dismissing chronic depression when I discuss Kaladin. I'm commenting on Sanderson's character development from a literary analysis POV from just THE WAY OF KINGS. I obviously have not read the other books and I have no idea what Sanderson's goals are for character development. Also as someone who has struggled with depression, anxiety and has ADHD I would NEVER dismiss mental health EVER. We are discussing fictional characters from a writing perspective. So please be kind to myself and others in the comments. As I've also seen discussion on what Dalinar does to Elhokar. We all have different points of views and perspectives which makes for great debate over the books we love. So choice kindness first, and don't assume. We are having LITERARY DISCUSSIONS. THAT IS ALL.
Thus has been an issue with me too. I haven't elven started the video yet but I feel a realistic portrayel of mental illness doesn't necessarily equate to a good reading experience. Kalidins depression is realistic but it gets frustrating to read the same shit over and over
@@ayoo_wassup yes that’s essentially what I’m getting at. It’s hard when you’re writing a story and wanting to balance realistic characters but also telling a good story. It’s a hard balance to maneuver. I feel that in characters it’s best to share the experience and having a concluding arc of it to shed light on the topic you want to explore and create discussion. I find it challenging for Kaladin to continue this way throughout the entire series and not make some growth. Otherwise I feel your loosing the purpose of his character? And again for anyone else reading this, this is just my opinion from a literary perspective
@@AlyLourim disclaimers are unfortunately necessary these days. But I'm just happy to see more people get into this series
@@ayoo_wassup 🙌🏻 hope you’re enjoying the series! Thanks for watching ☺️
And it's unfortunately an accurate reflection of how people sometimes treat those they know who struggle with depression. Like as the reader it's easy to be like "damn kaladin we're back on this again?" But I think it's important to be aware that that's exactly how we sometimes treat friends/loved ones with mental illness
The Glyph she writes and burns is a prayer. She is devout. She paints it huge because she is so angry and emotional and she wants the most people to see it. She prays for justice, it should make people ask why justice is required.
I understand the purpose it just seemed out of character for her since religion isn’t introduced as a part of her character. But it def has interesting meaning for sure
@@AlyLourim It didn’t need to be said specifically because when religion was introduced, it was with the idea that everyone followed it except Jasnah so unless stated otherwise a person is religious at least in the basic ways. Also since only women can write, it is considered their duty to be able to write good glyphs prayers. It is stated in the book here and there in offhand remarks that so and so had a glyph prayers tied to them that they had woman x write. It’s brightlady basic training.
@@AlyLourim I see where your coming from, when I heard you say that I got knee jerk defensive, but thought about all the scenes with her in it that show her religious side and it's mostly from book 2 on. I think Sando wanted to keep her on the sidelines for the first book. She's a great character though, definitely a power behind the throne.
@@hashgar4762 yeah I think he did that with her and then obv Jasnah so we didnt know about the Soulcasting mystery.
I took it as her finally making it clear to everyone how she feels about Dalinar, after he had kept her at arms length for so long out of concern for how their potential relationship would be taken by others. It's less about exactly what she was doing, and more that it is very large and public.
It surprises me hardly anyone mentions the recollection of Kaladin watching Tien die; that definitely hit hard.
The part where Navani paints the glyph for Dalinar isn't an expression of her emotions through art.
The Vorin religion prays by writing the prayer and burning it, to send the essence of the prayer to the Almighty in the smoke. Navani paints and burns the glyph because she is religious, very much so. But also because she is very politically intelligent. She believes Dalinar has died and prays for justice, but also does so in a way that everyone assembled can see it. While practicing her faith, she also reveals her suspicions and intentions to the kingdom
Thank you for explaining it. I wish Sanderson did because I had zero of that context lol
@@AlyLourim The explanations are there, it's just not made explicit, but set up through small bits here and there that you can put together, but are also easy to miss if you don't notice them. Then on a reread, you find all these hints and build ups and foreshadowing that you missed the first time.
Oh boy, Sanderlanche reaction let’s goooooo
🔥🔥🔥
I've read well over 100 fantasy novels and don't understand why people blow the "slowness" of the first half of this book so far out of proportion. While it's true that the latter half is faster paced than the first half, that is how stories work. Also, the first half is not what I'd consider slow. Maybe a little but not much. For the beginning of a gigantic high fantasy series, it's actually quite well paced and stays interesting.
It is, however, slower than shorter books, and shorter series, but, again, that's how stories work. A 14,000 page series will not move as fast as one that's a fraction as long. This is why a 3 hour movie's story will move slower than a 20 minute short film's story.
I've read many fantasy books that were much slower paced than the first half of this book. Like half of the Wheel of Time books, Malazan book 1 (Gardens of the Moon), A Song of Ice and Fire book 4 (A Feast for Crows), and the Farseer trillogy are all slower paced.
I agree completely.
Except A Feast for Crows is ASoIaF Book #4 😜
@@stilgen16 True. My bad. I'll edit that for accuracy. Thanks for the heads-up.
ill be honest, when I started my channel, I was shifting careers and hadn't read a fantasy book this big- so it was A LOT. Now that its been over a year and I have read quite a few chunky fantasy books im more okay with the pacing and understanding of it. so much so, I started words of radiance!
@@AlyLourim Oh nice! I thought something like that might be the case. Going from not reading any massive fantasy epics in a while, to reading one, will definitely show you the contrast between pacing of shorter books and series to really big ones.
I do still agree that much of The Way of Kings is on the slower side compared to more common length books, and could've probably been a little faster, but it's honestly not too bad compared to most other huge fantasy series. Especially for the amount of stuff it's setting up.
The good news is that now that all of that foundation work has been laid out by the fist book, Words of Radiance is able to move at a better pace and is much more balanced. Words of Radiance and Oathbringer are both better overall books than The Way of Kings because of this. Everything just progresses better, now. I'd say Rhythm of Way is about on par with The Way of Kings (which is still great) but his next book, Knights of Wind and Truth, will more than likely be the best book out of the first 5. I mean, it's the last book in the 1st story arc and Sanderson is known for his amazing endings to his story arcs. It's going to be a mind-blower, for sure.
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it (Words of Radiance). How you think it compares to The Way of Kings as well as other fantasy books/series you've read.
Happy Reading! And enjoy Words of Radiance!!
@@separator94 awesome can’t wait! I hope you enjoy the videos ☺️☺️
Words of Radience is the best book Sanderson has written, quite possibly one of the best fantasy books ever written. Do not give up on it just yet. Words of Radience will unravel a lot and make you fall in love with the series
its quite possible that is happening. it took me a minute when I started words of radiance, but im a bit shocked haha. I have so many questions and so many theories!
@@AlyLourim Nice to see you pick it up again. WoR has some of my favorite moments in the series. In particular, the one who hates, the whitespine uncaged, and an amazing moment between Kal and Syl towards the end.
@@Flacopro40 new video out today 👀 and omg you’re getting me so excited for what’s to come!
Pacing is a common complaint for Sanderson novels, and like, fair, as you put it so well Sanderson asks a lot from his readers, but I will gladly put up with some slower passages in exchange for the potent world-building, character drama and escalation of stakes that he is known for.
haha thats totally fair and I respect and appreciate thats how you enjoy your fantasy :)
Reading wheel of time breaks every pacing barrier
If you need something lighter in Brandon's cosmere I would highly recommend one of his short stories. Stay away from the stormlight and mistborn ones for now, but "The Emperor's Soul", "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" or "Sixth of the Dusk" are all great stand alone stories that live in the same universe and tell a full story in about the time it takes to read one of the interludes in Stormlight books. The Emperor's Soul in particular is a fantastic read. As for this book I also felt Shallan was the strongest character work Brandon did. She has that little bit of darkness to her, that works well with the bubbly yet witty illusion she wants to present her self as. Book two is Her book in the series and I think my favorite in the series so far. This is a deep rabbit hole you have started down :) As a side note, again if you want quick reads that are just fantastic, the Dunk and Egg Stories from the ASOIAF world are all must read if you have not gotten to those yet.
Thank you for the recs I appreciate them! And yay I’m glad you appreciate Shallan as much as I do. OMG i might do Game of Thrones for my winter read. I’m not sure yet. But the new show has gotten me hyped to wanna read the books finally!!
@@AlyLourim The GOT one is a weird recommendation atm, as the show is still really fresh for viewers so things that should be very surprising reveals and events are spoiled for the reader making the books less power as a result. It is still a must read imo, but more so for the way Martin tells the story with view points of a single character at a time, and for the plot lines the show did not include.
@@smaug1234 ohh im okay with spoilers. I actually LOVE watching a series and then reading a book and seeing how the show or movie chose to adapt a series. IT FASCINATES me to no end. Yes I love his world and his stories so I've very hyped to start the books soon!
Can i read The Emperor’s Soul without Elantris? I have had it in the Arcanum Unbounded for so long now, but i’ve been holding myself until i’m able to find and read Elantris
@@Mega2chan yes read away, it will spoil nothing that I can think of in either direction you read them.
I remember standing up and cheering during the Tower chapter and when Dalinar gave up his sword.
I'm in the last couple hours of book 2 and its very worth it to me.
Mistborn was my intro to Sanderson, Vin is such a wonderful character, and of course the magic system can't be beat. Lookiny forward to hearing your thoughts, Cheers!
Omg I love that you stood up and cheered 👏🏻 👏🏻 I think I did a very loud “holy shit” to both the voidbringers/parshendi and the hospital 😂😂
So excited for Mistborn! Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the video ☺️🙏🏻
I was the same, I lost my mind during the Battle of the Tower
My favorite part during the scene with Dalinar and Elhokar was that after he beat him up, he was just like "Oh yeah, btw I'm doin' your mom"
🤣
I can’t fault you for your feeling about the pacing of the book. (The Sanderlanch) I remember feeling that way as well when I was reading the book until I got to that last 100 pages. For me it paid off so well.
thanks for understanding :) It's a good story, I just prefer the ball rolling at least at midpoint. this could be due to books ive read in the past lol :) thanks so much for watching!
The last hundred pages?? I felt the same way about the last 400 pages but think it started to pick up a lot earlier than that, even. Pretty much when the stories began to converge which was before the half way point.
@@bill8856 that’s totally fair :) each person experiences storytelling differently
For the size of this book, and the scope of the story, I did not find the beginning slow, at all. If it was a stand alone novel I'd agree with you, but for one of the longest series ever written (by word count it will be longer than The Wheel of Time when it's finished) it's pacing is above average even at it's slower parts.
Pacing with the wheel if time...oh my gosh.
Definitely faster than WOT
Your Navani dance cracked me up! Kaladin is my favorite, he's the reason that I started therapy, reading him and going "I know exactly how he feels" was a big sign.
My first time through this book I was going "huh I thought this would be over by now, or further along." But I thought it was a trilogy. I enjoyed Way of Kings quite a bit more on my second read.
I really enjoyed your thoughts. I'm looking forward to what's next!
🤣🤣 I had to. They’re so cute. The way they both pined for each other 😂🙌🏻
Awe! I love that this book and Kaladin’s character did that for you 🥹🙌🏻
Thank you! Yeah I’ve already started reading ACOTAR. Can’t wait to share my thoughts with ya’ll on that book ☺️
@@AlyLourim Storms, there's a scene later on that I cannot wait for you to read (assuming you continue of course)
I read ACOTOR around a month ago. Can't wait for the next video!
@@AslanisJc oh yay!!! Perfect timing 😀
if you want some more stormlight, the words of radiance journey has started!
Sigzil is so slept on. He has a huge connection to Hoid but it's said in such passing that it falls out of focus when you turn to the next page. I can't wait for this to be revisited and explained.
There was so much to cover in over 500 pages lol. The story of Hold and Sigzil was so cool and very mysterious. Sigzil I love how he warmed up to bridge four!
If you love Shallan, you're REALLY going to love Words of Radiance.
I have started!! :)
@@AlyLourim Let's goooooo
@@priceeverett9102 new video out right now! Let’s gooooo 🙃
thank for sharing another one of these. it's so refreshing to see some shallan/navani appreciation. i love an intrigue plot more than a hero's journey, so i'm right there with you.
in deciding where you jump in next...
mistborn: great, more succinct trilogy that's less heavy on the worldbuilding, with more obvious character development + heists and intrigue! with the added benefit of getting to read a series ending that will help you figure out if you trust sanderson to deliver something grand for other series.
words of radiance: it's shallan's flashback book. we aren't done learning about her past and just how complicated she is as a character. whenever you get back to it, i think you'll only enjoy it more. twok has to do a lot of exposition for the entire series. while you will still have a structure that builds up to a big ending, you have enough of the foundation now that you get to jump right into our viewpoint characters starting to converge at last.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed them ☺️ and right? I’ve seen a lot on the internet of ppl not appreciating her 🥲
so its been decided... words of radiance is where I jump in next.. or have already 😏
@@AlyLourim YESSSSS one of us!
@@spunlines4557 one of you!! Heheh
You will NEVER expect what taravangian becomes. You still got no clue what the true depth of the man.
HORRIFYING haha. thanks for watching :)
If I'm remembering right the glyph thing is a religious thing like a prayer that ardents usually do for ppl, in his scene I interpret it as Navani mourning Dalinar
yeah it was, it just threw me off cuz I know everyone is religious but to what level it wasn't super exposed. And Navani always seemed more into her scientific explorations and scholar work more. so I thought she was going to check if all the bridges came back. that made more sense to me lol
Absolutely fair to not finish SA right now. Personally I think people enjoy it way more after reading mistborn, war breaker and elantris first.
Regarding Navani and the Justice glyph.
In their society women are supposed to be the only ones reading and writing, not to mention drawing etc. That's the background for her expressing herself through glyphs.
With regards to why she didn't go and check the bridge crews. She lives in a different war camp (which is similar to a different city) and she never goes on bridge runs. Additionally even if she did attend bridge runs there are like 40+ crews, to remember each one would be extreme. Finally crews die during bridge runs and so even a missing crew wouldn't have told her anything.
She is however smart enough to realise that Sadeas clearly betrayed Dalinar. Hence why she prayed to God for justice to be served.
Long post sorry.
Please do this again for skyward. I think you'll like it.
Also thanks for the awesome videos. OK wall of text over.
haha always here for the wall of text, thanks for your great insight. so I actually decided to start words of radiance and keep going to this HUGE journey I have started haha
@@AlyLourim it IS a rather large journey xD I hope you enjoy the ride! :) I look forward to hearing your thoughts :)
@@carlriggs5413 thanks! first video is out now :)
Not gonna lie, it's makes me a little sad that you might not be doing the other SLA books. I've really enjoyed this journey watching you discover the world. Though I do understand that high fantasy is not for everyone. Regardless, I look forward to your read through of Mistborn and Skyward, both great series!
that's totally understandable. we all have our favorite series. I hope you enjoy the other videos as well :) Thanks for the support and watching!
Can’t blame her. Oathbringer is almost insurmountable.
Aly: I’m taking some time off from SLA, I might be back.
Jasnah: Your 4 most popular post are the SLA, and your 5th most will also be the SLA after this is up for more than a day. You’ll return. Better to return now, because if you wait 6 months, that will be 6 less months that you were learning as my scholar.
this is true, Jasnah is a genius, and I waited maybe too long. but the journey of words of radiance has finally started :)
Depression sucks. For Kaladin it can be devoid of reason and consequence, just like real clinical/seasonal depression. It can be frustrating to read because it feels like the math doesn't add up. But that is just not how depression works. And for that, I love it.
Hey. Saludos desde chile. Espero que sigas con el viaje que representa El archivo de la tormentas. Es realmente exigente con tu tiempo pero lo compensa a la larga. Mucha suerte y gracias por los videos!
LOVE Navani. Good you highlighted her struggle
Yeahhh! She’s amazing 💪🏻🥹
Thanks for watching!
I'm definitely partial to Kaladin and Sanderson's depiction of depression. It was the first time I realized that I suffer from depression. You'd figure I'd get it on the first read through but it was probably the third when I started thinking "Man I feel like I really understand Kaladin when he's down in the bottom of the well."I personally like that even after Kaladin does these awesome things he still has those feelings.
This is definitely not a book I would recommend for someone who is only going to read one of them. As you said it requires a lot of trust from the reader to go through a thousand pages and only get a payoff in the last 100. However, that's what keeps bringing a lot of us back for more. He is so consistent in being able to deliver on his promises that when I pick up a 1200 page book I know I might not get any closure till page 1100 but I know that it will be worth it.
The craziest part of this Sanderson community is how many times people have read these books but it's scenes like the hospital and the discovery about the void bringers that brings people back to read through the thousand pages again to pick up the little breadcrumbs they have missed. And believe me there are some crazy bread crumbs you've missed that won't be revealed for four books. Definitely a lot of commitment time and emotion but totally worth it.
So glad you enjoyed this book really enjoy hearing first time impressions
yeah I just started words of radiance and I feel like theres soooo many breadcrumbs. my brain is on fire trying to figure them all out haha
Brandon is so good about making the reader feel smart. Everyone gets the reveals about half a page before the characters. And he does that over and over again.
The glyph with novani had nothing to do with art, there was set up in her grief and the writing of the glyph. I stopped near the end of the 3rd book so I won't say anything about the setup for that grief, as I don't remember what was after WoK, but more than one character wrote a glyph of prayer, and I saw her breakdown as both a confirmation of her not so hidden, but hidden, emotions toward dalinar, coupled with the fact that people who have very little family/friends left sometimes act erratically and out of character when greif and/or despair suddenly takes them. My take on it though. Or it's how I remembered it. It's interesting hearing your opinions and observations, as there are things that I never thought twice about, but you have so much to say about them.
Thanks for sharing that bit with me. That’s a good point how grief does cause out of character choices. Glad you enjoyed the video 🙌🏻
And the chilling part is.... that's not the biggest reveal regarding the enslavement of the "Voidbringers".
(Told you I'd watch this too).
Haha thanks Petros 🙌🏻🥰 oh dear… it felt so chilling! Haha
On a first read, most people I know really don't like shalon's first arc. So if you like her this much right now, you'll like her even more later.
Two and three are even better imo
This series was lovely and I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! I totally understand needing a break from Stormlight, these books are a lot of work! I’ve been re-reading through them with a friend that I convinced to read them and it’s been *months* but we’re finally on book 4(6?). Words of Radiance (book 2) is my favorite and if you love Shallan, you’ll love WoR. Excited for you to come back to it and looking forward to your Mistborn read through!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the series and yes looking forward to Mistborn too 🙌🏻
I started words of radiance and im getting the hype!!
@@AlyLourim Ooooh yay, can’t wait for your videos!
@@shannonweeks3008 yayy ☺️☺️
Yeah, there is a reason the end of Sanderson books has become famous as the Sanderlanch. Last few chapters the story just slams on the gas and does not let up. Glad you enjoyed this overall, can get the issues you had given you jumped right into the deep end of epic fantasy, but it only gets better from here, all of this was mostly just set up for what is to come.
Do agree likely better to take a break, read something fun, and then hop into Mistborn to get a better feel for Sanderson, and also get some more grounding in the Cosmere as a whole. There are certain plot details and such that carry over, but it's more the Mistborn acts as a primer for how certain aspects of the Cosmere work in general. I'd also recommend reading Warbreaker before going onto WoR, since that has much more direct ties to Stormlight.
Kaladin- Is never not going to be a Sad Boi. He just has way, WAY too many issues that he simply cannot get over. But he's handled so well and is one of the best portrays of a character with chronic depression and PTSD I've seen. But yeah, it's great to end this on him feeling hopeful and having a victory, but his journey is far, far from over. And again Syl's "I am Honor Spren" bit is just, the best line in this book other then Kaladin's Oath.
Shallan- I do not get why people have issues with her here, I really liked her in this, and yeah there are SOOOO many hints about what is really going on that I just loved trying to pick up on and puzzle out as I went through. But next book, ohhhh does she get even better.
Jasnah- I never got a "too perfect" vibe from her, but just that she is extremely confident and comfortable in who she is and has no time to worry or care about what others think of her. She knows who she is, what she believes, and has no desire to suffer fools. And then the 'lesson' that, I do love that nothing about either her or the story tries to say if what she did was right or not. She did it because she made the choice that it was something that should be done, and left how to feel about that up to others. She believed it was right, but that others would have their own idea. That it leaes it that open says a lot about her, and how well Sanderson can handle this sort of stuff.
Dalinar- Yeah he was getting kind of mopey and sad and such, but damn that ending. His arc is just starting but damn did it start epicly.
Navani- Is just, the best and needs all the love and support and you don't even know the half of it but she is just so amazing!
Adolin- Is Best Boi but admittedly, it's not really that clear till the next book.
Bridge Four-Is just, such an amazing group that it is wonderful to see come together through all this.
Great thoughts, loved the reviews, eager for more!
I saw you just supported me on Patreon thank you so much! I sent you a message on there :)
Yes I keep hearing good things about Mistborn so I'm really excited to dive in and I appreciate its more YA friendly lol. Thank you for appreciating Shallan like I do haha. Yes I love Jasnah and I love how she handles choices in life. I just wish I would have seen her a bit more ruffled occasionally haha. But overall shes great. OMG I LOVE NAVANI. Sanderson wrote her so well.
I left my thoughts out I had on Adolin because I'm still sitting on them lol.
My character issues are more so how Sanderson wrote those moments.
So glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the continued support. So glad you're enjoying them :)
So many times in the video I would hear you say something, and I would start chuckling and thinking, wait until you get to book X.
The glyph navani burned is a religious practice. Like a prayer. Also, if you want more sanderson, you can read warbreaker, that is a standalone story (so far) and is kinda cool to read it before words of radiance (Stormlight 2), tho it is by no means necessary
I read the whole thing, too, and my favourite character was Kaladin. I overall really liked the bridge four history. Specifically the moment when Kaladin took a spear from a dead body and showed his team what he can do. I think that after that scene a lot of things started to change for bridge for and how they felt about Kaladin.
I love this channel. It reminds me of being in a bookclub but a bookclub with books I'd actually read lol
haha awe! highest of compliments :) Well I hope you're excited for A Court of Thorns and Roses next! More fantasy :)
I love stormlight for this reason your favorite character is shallan cz she's the most relatable for you, for me it was kaladin cz I also suffer from depression and I take responsibility for absolutely everything I can relate to how he puts his own benefit aside and help others. And for other people I know they relate to other characters for their own reasons and experiences. I just love that
I agree! That's why I love reading or watching movies or shows. We attach ourselves to character we see some of ourselves in
yeah I started words of radiance and im really loving Shallan's journey so far!
I agree that this book and the other storm light books are better on a reread just due to the amount of content. Biggest point was dalinar buying the bridge men for me. Can't wait for more reactions. Just got that new book on audible.
Yeah that def warmed my heart. So happy the bridge four boys could finally relax and no worry about dying constantly haha. Ohh wait you ACOTAR so you can follow along? Yayy 🙌🏻🙌🏻
i feel like with the jasnah killing scene, someone who can basically talk to the king personally and part of one of the most powerful families there was other avenues she couldve taken rather than just kerb stomping some poor people, for me it felt like an abuse of power and a lack of perspective
That’s a fair perspective. It’s def a hard choice to make. And considering how evil the King he is might have just taken them to his underground hospital 😂 it’s a tough call really
@@AlyLourim yea i like that all decisions werent morally right ij the end and that it characterised all characters involved great moment all together
Jasnah seems to have some trauma based on some of her actions here (this is not mentioned or telegraphed anywhere else) and is taking revenge.
be aware of the Sanderlanche in all the Brandon Sanderson books
The Brando avalanche kinda starts in book 2, when you get there you'll discover that in book 1 it was not that huge
thanks for watching :) I always enjoy your play by play comments hehe!
I love the parallel between kaladin and szeth in this book how they both have the same power and how one is using it to save everyone and the other using basically to destroy the world
yeah! I saw a spoiler looking for art which im FINE with lol but they're both super interesting!
Congrats on the monetization! Loved hearing your thoughts on Way of Kings, I hope you eventually return to the Stormlight Archives.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them! ☺️☺️
For what it's worth, Words of Radiance is "Shallan's" book the same way Way of Kings is "Kaladin's." With your particular interests and likes in the first book, I think you'll like it better-probably even love it. I hope you come back to it eventually. I DO think you'll love both Skyward and Mistborn.
VERY excited for Mistborn and especially Skyward :)
I started "Shallan's" book :)
shallons got enough depth to be 3, maybe 4 characters
"Shallan is my favorite character,"
^^^
This is also true for me in SA, and may even be true for me full stop. Shallan is an amazing character. And while I'm not going to push you to read Words of Radiance if you feel this series isn't for you (not that I have any right to as merely a person on the internet who enjoyed your video series), I'll just add that WoR really is Shallan's book. If you love Shallan it just might be worth slogging through it (and I will also add that the other books in SA develop a bit faster and have more mid-book climactic moments, so hopefully it would be less of a slog as well).
I have started words of radiance 🙌🏻
She looks like shallan
Get through mistborn and warbreaker, come back to stormlight later, and you'll get some connections and probably be more invested. Also book 2 spends much more time with Shallan and really let's her flourish.
eeeppp I started book 2! really enjoying it :)
Surprised you can stop after Way of Kings, as much as I love it, Words of Radiance is really when the story gets going and is my favorite. (Also we meet Lift which is the best character (after Rock)).
But I can get the need for a pallet cleanse and Mistborn is fantastic and can't wait for you to dive in.
Also Skyward is great and a really nice shift in style, maybe its YA for some reason but the story is quite thirlling
I think I just needed some time and to read more books, cuz im finally back and I feel really good about it. words of radiance journey has started :)
It's such a great book. I decided to pick up warbreaker before reading the second book (as per some recommendations online), and loved it! And now I decided to read all the cosmere books, so reading through mistborn trilogy and really enjoying it.
Voidbringers head explosion : 1/many incoming :D
😂😂 thanks for watching!
I can't say much without spoilers, but there is more to this part of the story.
Yep, even cant write exact total number of explosions, because it will spoil everything
Even if you wait like a year between each book, PLEASE keep with Stormlight Archive. Oathbringer is SO DAMN GOOD (though you might like Words of Radiance a bit more if you like Shallan). Mistborn is also fantastic, and borders on YA so you'll enjoy.
so its been almost a year, and I finally started words of radiance... and more videos for it :)
@@AlyLourim that's so exciting! :)
@@telchar new video out right now 👀
Just wanna say that watching your impressions through this readthrough really showed your credibility and it'd be cool to see more about book recommendations that you have. Seems like you know what makes a good book :) I really loved the way of kings. I took about a 2-3 month break between it and its sequel, glad i did because as you said, it's asks a lot from you. Glad you enjoyed it!
Awe thank you so much for that kind comment. it means so much! We are doing A Court of Thorns and Roses next! So that'll be a fun new book for many of us :)
Honestly, Skyward might be more up your speed than Mistborn (though I think Mistborn is still going to be a closer fit than Stormlight, and it's the one I am looking forward to more). Good luck, and happy reading :)
Hahah yes I bought Mistborn so we are giving it a chance. But I think you’re probably right about Skyward 😆🙃 thanks for watching!
well I chose words of radiance and im actually here for way more this time :)
@@AlyLourim I saw the video in my feed and can't wait to have a little bit of time to go watch it!
@@_argent yayyyy!!!!
You and I finished our first read of WoK around the same time! I enjoyed reacting with you :)
thats so cool we read it together hehe. I finally started words of radiance!
@@AlyLourim you’re in for quite the ride. Enjoy!
Gotta read ACOTAR just so I could continue with this channel. I love your excitement for the books you read.
And yeah, though am a bit bombed that Stormlight is on TBD now, I think its a better decision, you'll appreciate it more once youre in the know of the cosmere.
Yaaayyy NAVANI GOT THAT BLACKTHORN
awe im so excited you're gonna read ACOTAR with me and stick around my channel. that truly means a lot. I know everyone has their favorite series so I appreciate that you're enjoying how I create videos and share them with ya'll :)
Yeah im very excited to check out his other books and find out which series is for me. I enjoy his writing but I want more plot and characters and world building through characters POV which is why I love YA so much ahah.
YASSS SO happy those two finally got together and Dalinar got over himself lol
Damn it’s so interesting to see who likes which characters, for me, I was just waiting for Shallon’s stuff to end and Dalinar’s to come back, idk why but Dalinar was my fav in WoK and still is after RoW lol (especially after Oathbringer ;p)
YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN!
I read WoK to my kids (aged 10 and 12), and they asked me several times during the story who my favorite character was. Every time I said, "Dalinar", they were dumbfounded. My daughter loved Shallan and my son loved Kaladin, and neither of them thought much of Dalinar at all. But he is the BEST.
I really hope you’ll read Words of Radiance!! It’s my favourite of the Stormlight books and I believe one of the most highly rated fantasy books on Goodreads
well I have indeed started it, and it took me a minute but im really enjoying it now. I have so much to say and so many questions haha
I do think that you'll like mistborn, but I think you will REALLY like Skyward. I have liked all of Sanderson's books, but Skyward is just a more condensed (more personal?) experience.
I didn't expect to like it so much, but I think it is my favorite Sanderson series.
omg thats got me so excited! I def love when a story feels more personal which is why I enjoy YA so much :)
This series was so much fun especially since its my favorite book series. I love the drama in the later books, but I feel like in the first one you get a really good sense for who the characters are, which I like.
Love that this is your favorite series! Yeah overall I feel we get a good exploration of them all too ☺️
Ive had skyward on my shelf for months now. Maybe I start when you do your coverage.
finally got a chance to watch this! Glad to hear you liked it!! These videos are reminding me of plot points that have completely slipped my mind since I read it. Can't wait for the upcoming videos!
Awe yay thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed them and they gave you a refresher haha. Yass! New video this Sunday 🙌🏻
ppssttt sam! I have words of radiance videos coming... like starting today 😏 I changed my mind and decided to give it another show. it think I needed time, and glad I did!
The word "Shardblade" appears 194 times in Way of Kings. Shard sword had me dying. XD
It’s still technically a sword 🗡 lol my brain switched it up. I filmed this in a heatwave lol 😂
I loved the video and the analysis.
Keep up the good work.
I did finish the book too not long ago and it was a phenomenal ending for me.
I am an official fan of the kholin family. Can't wait to read from Jasnah's perspective... It was until the very end that made sense why we did not get any screen time from her side: the soulcasting mistery.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them Victor. Yeah I agree, he had to keep the mystery of Jasnah 🙌🏻
Oh almost forgot. MOAR!!!!!!!
It would not be a WoK video without your MOAR comment Logan 😂 I hope you enjoyed the last video 🙌🏻
and you shall finally have MOOARRR Logan :) thanks for your patience. The Words of Radiance journey has finally begun!
@AlysReadingCorner The Day has finally come..... I've been wandering through the dark for so long ... been secretly training my voice to reach even higher decibels! I will complete my mission
I've really enjoyed this series, and I truly hope you decide to read more of the Stormlight Archive! Mistborn is wonderful as well, probably more your series! Sazed is an all-time character!!
Awe thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed them ☺️ thank you!
Just finished reading The Way of Kings not too long ago and Dalinar was definitely my favorite Character. Kaladin was my least. Now, I'm half way through Words of Radiance and Adolin has become my favorite. Kaladin is still my least.
SOO fascinating! I love this. Everyone is so different in who they connect with ☺️
I am interested in what you think about Mistborn I thought it was a much more accesible read than the SLA. Also I think you will like A Court of Thorns and Roses, its very different than Way of Kings and will be a good palatte cleanser.
Omg I'm loving ACOTAR so far :) Reaction series for that happening in the next video, I think it will be 3 parts. And then im gonna react to Mistborn in November I'm gonna react to mistborn so Im def excited to dive into that. Hoping its more of a fit for me :)
Oh man I am so excited for you to read the next book.
its happening!!! new words of radiance video drops today :)
@@AlyLourim Oh sweet! Thanks for the reminder comment!
@@Liesmith424 of course, it’s been a min so I was like I should go tell people haha 😅
Great review. You are magnificent. If you do read/reviews of the remaining books, I look forward to seeing them. You are the kind of person I would love to see review my novels. Heck, You are the kind of person that would be splendid to know. Be well and stay awesome!
haha aw you're too kind. I'm so glad you enjoyed the series :) Well I'm making a discord so you can all still continue your discussions of SA in there. You're more than welcome to send me 1 chapter of your book, as ill be honest that's all I have time for :)
Kaladin is my favorite character
Kaladin is awesome! So sad how Tien died and he saw it 🥹
I absolutely love Shallan too. I love your take on her being the most real. It makes me happy for when you read her whole arc... after Skyward, and Mistborn of course.
Might I add, that tossing in the two stand alone books Elantris and Warbreaker would be awesome for you too.
New subscriber here :). As a person that loves looooong books, I feel excited everytime I pick a series like the Stormlight Archive. I never felt that the first book was slow or dragged on but, as an incentive for you to pick up the next books, this is, for me, the book that moves slower. The others in the series “seem” to pick up speed and I read the last one in 2 days :D I think it’s because you start to progressively realize what is going on and feel even more invested in the story and its characters.
yes I agree so much! I actually just started words of radiance and my brain is on fire trying to connect everything and yeah def more attached to the characters this time around.
I hope that you go back to the series. I know it can feel like a little bit much, but I would personally recommend that you at least give Words of Radiance a chance, it’s my favorite. I think book 1 suffers a lot because it is a lot of introduction to a lot of things. Book 2 I feel doesn’t have that feel. Just my opinion, but loved the videos on your experience with Way of Kings. Thank you for letting us experience your journey!
Awe thank you Jeremy I'm so glad you enjoyed them! It was fun making them and I'm glad I experienced the book :)
wwooo I did it! I have back in! started words of radiance :)
I’m ready!!
🔥🔥🔥
You would make a great audio book reader.
Omg thank you 🥹 I had fun with these last quotes.
Kaladin is my favourite character in the first book. Shallan's story, as for me, is a bit boring there (probably, lack of action?), but in the second book she is incredible. I will look forward for your reaction on it :)
Mistborn is awesome book, I read it many times. Skyward, as for me, is not so great, but I still enjoyed a lot reading it. Also I would recommend to read Warbreaker, cause further in SLA there will appear some… characters related to the Warbreaker. (that's not necessary at all, but it would be great to know their background)
the time has come for the words of radiance reaction :)
That face says it all
😂😂
Skyward is so freaking good
Yay!
I love that you liked the voidbringer and parshendi connection! You’re in for a real treat if you continue reading ☺️
omg I started words of radiance and its really so intense!
i like these videos, the quality is great(love the quote reading), and i enjoy your perspective on the series as you start to read it :) i hope it doesn’t take too long for you to pick back up storm light archive
Thank you!
I mean is 9 months too long? haha cuz I finally started words of radiance :)
I absolutely adore Shallan. Her role in Words of Radiance is probably my absolute favorite. I do wanna add though that Shallan and Kaladin do a lot of backsliding and having to learn the same lessons again. Their characters are suffering from trauma and mental illness, and recovery is not a straight line.
I started reading words of radiance and im seeing that, and theres def cause for it. but I also accepted their arcs will probably linger throughout the series vs in each book. enjoying it alot so far :)
These reactions have been really fun to watch!
Now that you're done, I can recommend that you check out the soundtrack that was made for this book, 'Kaladin' by 'The Black Piper'. Really, really good, especially for reading other books!
Thank you I'm so glad you enjoyed them. And thank you! I love music playlists and soundtracks curated for books!
I'm so glad that you liked TWoK! I understand if it is a little too long for you, that's true for a lot of people. Usually Sanderson recommends people start with something OTHER than Stormlight Archive just so they know he can actually deliver a solid plot. Then when you're used to his writing style, transition to SA. Still, I'm glad you liked it! It gets SOOOO much better as you get farther in!
so I started words of radiance, and im actually pretty invested now. theres soooo much happening!!
@@AlyLourim WoR is a good book for sure. I think it's probably the weakest of the 4 in the SA right now, but it has very compelling pieces, especially Shallan's flashbacks. They're incredible!
@@GrimBTemplar so interesting! Excited to figure out which one I like the most
i hope u give words of radiance a go its book 2 i personally didnt really care for the way of kings when i read it the pacing was just really bad for me but because ive read all of his other books i pushed threw it because at this point i trust brandon more then anyone else to deliver all that said words of radiance is a god tier book pretty much anything i had a problem with in the way of kings he fixed the pacing is unreal an the sanderlanche is really good i think u would like it even more
Congratulations on being monetized! Yeah I don't like kaladin as a character. I think he is well written for the most part but as someone who struggles with depression, I don't want to read about it. My favorite character is shallon by far. I hope you get back to this soon, can't wait to hear your thoughts. Although mistborn is really good too
Thank you! And I totally understand, things like this in literature can either be helpful or triggering ❤️ yay for another Shallan Stan! Excited for for Mistborn for sure. Hoping thats more my vibe ☺️
@@AlyLourim also keep in mind way of kings is not my favorite book by far. I almost didn't continue with the series but in the end I'm glad I did, it does improve and is well worth the read
@@marcbennett9232 appreciate your honest thoughts and opinions on the series. Thank you 🙌🏻☺️
its words of radiance time! 😏
oh..cmon!!!!, from the first second you said the biggest spoiler ever!!...i didn't finished the book!
It’s sad if you just read this mammoth of a book which is basically just set up and not continue …….
but what if I am continuing.... new words of radiance video drops today. I know, its been almost year haha
Great reaction. Can’t wait to see more Sanderson stories on the channel. I hope you enjoy your time reading them 😃
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them. Excited to check out Mistborn in a couple months. Hope you enjoy the other books I cover too ☺️
Dalinar was the best character, but I really like Jasnah and Shallan also. Just finished this book last week. Kaladin’s story seemed so slow and the flashbacks really bogged down the pacing in my opinion. I think Kaladin is the most common favorite character, so I’m probably in the minority there.
Yup you and I are in the minority of that for sure haha. Are you continuing to the second book?
@@AlyLourim yup! I’m taking a break for the new Stephen King but I’ll get to the second after that.
@@brock5932 nice! I’ve seen a lot of ppl loving the new King book a lot so far 🙌🏻
Hey I read that book. That makes you pretty cool
do I get more cool points for finally starting words of radiance? 😏
@@AlyLourim yes
@@Grux_ASG yay!
You got through the homework investment. No reason to not continue now. Not only is book 2 the best one, but the flashback episodes now belong to your favorite character this time!
I personally liked oathbringer more, the character development is astounding!
@@jonathanechevers6265 I can't fault you for that, and its Sanderlanche is a real treat.
@@blakecurry3880 "YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN" goosebumps, literal goosebumps
I have started words of radiance! the break was good, I needed it. cuz now im hyped!
Here we go!
yayyy! thanks for being in the live chat :) excited for you to follow along with my other reads. so fun!
Now in the end, when you know the truth, how you would feel about the phrase "Honor is dead, but I can see what I can do"?
Navani is a scientist and a very rational person but she grew up very religious and these are contradictory parts of her personality. Navani gets better and better as the books go on.
Woo! Great read and series, well done!
awe thank you! so glad you enjoyed it :)
You should check out “name of the wind”, which I think is a better series; however, some people disagree. Patrick is a better story teller over all, but Brandon is up there as well. I just love any book that gives me mini stories with in the main story, that goes with the story. The over all hero’s journey and pacing in “Name of the Wind” is better when it comes to a hero’s journey than this series; however, that is to be determined overall considering neither series is finished yet. “Name of the Wind” only has one book left, where storm light has over 5. I just wish there was a writer that took both minds and put them into one to write a series.
Name of the wind is great but that last book might not ever come out. Ive almost given up on it. However whenever it does comeout ill preorder it asap ofc.
I am upset that you felt as you did