When I eagerly await something—an upcoming trip, a new season of my favorite show, a long-anticipated social event—the hope runs rampant in my head. I feast on the image of the thing in my mind, considering all the ways it could be amazing, groundbreaking, spectacular. And then, when the thing arrives, that glistening sheen wears…
Continue reading ➞ Tress Of The Emerald Sea – Oceans Of Charm
Come one, come all to the Cosmere! That’s right folks, after years of Brandon Sanderson reviews and discussions, we’re finally laying down the law. Today, one and a half Brandon Sanderson experts (Andrew and Cole, respectively) shoulder the Herculean task of telling YOU the ideal Brandon Sanderson reading order. A few clean-up notes before we…
Continue reading ➞ Welcome To The Cosmere: A Brandon Sanderson Reading Order Guide
This article originally appeared on Tor.com. Warning: this post contains no deep interpretations of animal companions and their impact on story. I won’t philosophize on the essential nature of furry, fuzzy, or squishy familiars or ask why they exist in the first place. Bottom line: they’re cute as hell, and sometimes that’s enough. I’m writing…
This article originally appeared on Tor.com. Hello there, and welcome to The SFF Rival Academy! We’re thrilled you’ve enrolled in our educational program for youngsters of the generic magical/scientific arts. Did you know a courageous avatar of pure goodness will be joining you this year? How amazing! They may draw all manner of evil entities…
Continue reading ➞ Every Young Hero Needs An Archrival: Do You Have What It Takes?
That’s a wrap, folks! Brandon Sanderson closed out Mistborn era two with an explosive climax. Not only that, but The Lost Metal is by far the most Cosmere-aware book he’s released to date. With that in mind, I encourage you to steer clear of this review if you aren’t already deep into the Comsere’s many…
This review’s subtitle might throw you off if you haven’t read any of the Skyward series yet. Head to my review of the first book if you count yourself among the confused. For those of you who are caught up, we now turn to Cytonic the third installment in Brandon Sanderson’s high-flying, space-faring romp. Cytonic…
Brandon Sanderson’s Cytoverse, in which the Cytonic series takes place, just got a whole lot bigger. Starsight follows Skyward with another epic space adventure. There’s a lot to love in Starsight but the book suffers from some classic foibles. After discovering The Krell are humanity’s galactic babysitters, Spensa and her plucky flight crew bust through…
What’s a Brandon Sanderson fan to do after he’s all caught up on the Cosmere? Read Brandon Sanderon’s other books, of course. That’s how I found Skyward, a pleasant surprise of a book that explores ideas better left out of Sanderson’s Cosmere. I finished Rhythm of War some months ago, and I wanted some Sanderson…
This post originally ran on Tor.com. There’s a lot to be said about the intersection of fantasy and the insanely large pantheon of anime content, to put it mildly. Today, I’d like to focus on Death Note and its smart, if a bit on-the-nose, use of a hard magic system to tell its story. My anime sample size…
Continue reading ➞ Death Note Is The Perfect Beginner’s Guide To Hard Magic Systems
Seems only yesterday I reviewed The Way of Kings with the wide-eyed wonder of a freshly minted Cosmere initiate. Now, I've read all of the currently released Cosmere material, and I’m all in. Before I jump into my Rhythm of War review, I recommend you check out our full Cosmere Reading Order Guide. Where do…
