Liked Way of Kings? HATED Elantris? Pls help.

[drizzt_scimitar]

I've read most of Sanderson's stuff (except Elantris and Alloy of Law, haven't gotten around to them yet). I really enjoyed Mistborn. All three were good, although the first was my favorite by far. Way of Kings was also quite good, although I felt it was a bit too long for what it accomplished. That said, the possibilities the series holds, and the characters... I'm really looking forward to more of the Stormlight Archive.

 

Honestly, I didn't really like Warbreaker all that much. Definitely some cool concepts and ideas in it, but I felt almost bored near the beginning and rushed near the end, if that makes sense. In fact, one thing about BS that I've heard brought up that I agree with is that sometimes he isn't very good at giving events the weight and impact that they deserve. It's hard to define exactly how really important scenes are given weight, from a writing perspective, but some authors do it really well; RJ, for one, and Steven Erikson also comes to mind. I'm not saying BS always has this problem, I just think it happens sometimes, and I especially felt it in Warbreaker.

[Luckers]

I tried reading the Covenant books when I was about fourteen, and couldn't deal with them. Went back last year and loved them. First and third series especially (the second was alright, but not great). The rape, and the result Unbelief is a central point in the First Chronicals, but its not put out there as something that your supposed to forgive or condone.

[peregrine al thor]

I have to agree with Reeve and peacesells on the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. He is absolutely an anti-hero in my opinion. His very unique situation, which the majority of us would have a hard time relating to, "prevents" him from being able to act like someone "normal" in the interest of self preservation. All that being said, there is no justification for rape. It does happen early in the 1st book and the ramifications play out through the rest of the series. I read the 1st two trilogies for the first time before I was 16 and while I found the rape detestable and shocking, it did not deter me from finishing what I still consider a very good series. Thomas Covenant is very hard to like but his situation is unique and the Land and the people from there are very much worth knowing.

As to the works of Brandon Sanderson, I have only read Elantris and the Mistborn trilogy. I liked Elantris for the most part and thought it was pretty good for a 1st book. I thought the Mistborn series was brilliant and felt that Brandon was the most impressive "new" author I had read in a long time. I found allomancy to be a quite unique and ingenious "magic system", even though I had to check often to keep straight what did what during the action scenes.