DRAGONMOUNT

Hello Dragonmount! The Wheel has spun, and now it’s time for a new edition of Dragonmount’s Weekly Roundup! March is well underway. We’ve survived Pi day, the Ides of March, and now it is St. Patrick’s Day!   The Wolfkin monthly discussion about music and the monthly game, an acronym game, is well under way. It’s not too late to join the discussion or play with the Wolfkin in their home!   Aiel monthly activities include a Movies by the Alphabet game and a discussion of Art and inspiration.   Are you planning on going to Jordancon 2014? Talk about your travel plans!   Roleplayers: Are you interested in joining the Children of the Light? The new guidelines are available. Even if you don’t have an interest in the Children, but are generally interested in our Roleplaying boards, check the thread out, since it has some valuable information on getting started.   And don't forget, Hugo nominations are due on March 31st, so remember to submit your top picks.  Check out this article if you need inspiration or suggestions. Finally, an up date from Dragomnount’s Twitter account:   Remember, you can get daily updates about Wheel of Time, and other related subjects from our Twitter and Facebook pages.     That wraps up this week’s Weekly Roundup. See you next week!

[slight spoilers of The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance will follow.]   Brandon Sanderson's latest epic book, Words of Radiance, was released earlier this month.  At over 1,000 pages long, it took me a week and a half to make it through.  Not from lack of wanting to, only from lack of time.  I finished it on Friday morning, which was my goal, because Friday evening was Brandon's signing in Scottsdale, Arizona (the bookstore livestreamed the event; you can watch it here).   The book looks intimidating.  It's really, really big.  I think that could put many readers off.  But, if you can stick with it, the story is well worth the effort.   It picks up where The Way of Kings left off.  Kaladin and his Bridge Four gang have been taken in by Dalinar.  Dalinar is still experiencing his visions from the Almighty, trying to put them together for a plan to save the world.  Shallan—despite her betrayal of Jasnah—has been embraced as a full ward of the heretic, and helps research the Voidbringers.   The world is heading towards destruction, but all our heroes fight towards the goal of salvation.   Shallan's storyline was the most interesting.  Brandon has said that each book within the Stormlight Archive will be one person's story—The Way of Kings was Kaladin's book, sharing his past through flashbacks.  This was Shallan's book, and we were finally shown her whole story.  It was fascinating to see how she transformed from the timid girl of Jah Keved to the ward and confidant of one of the most powerful women in the world.  She finds her inner strength and grows into a very strong character.   This is helped by her bonding of a Spren.  We saw Kaladin make on bond with Syl, the Windspren, in The Way of Kings, and Shallan's bond with her Spren is similar.  Pattern, a Liespren (or Cryptic), helps Shallan build her powers.  With different typed Spren, though, come different powers.  Shallan's abilities are very unlike Kaladin's.  She is able to Lightweave, forming illusions.   Kaladin, though not the main focus of the book, still has a great story arc.  After being rescued from Sadeas, Kaladin and his bridgemen take the employ of Dalinar as personal bodyguards.  Kaladin soon finds himself protecting the whole Kholin clan, including the King.  Knowing his duty is the right thing to do, he is still torn at the prospect of protecting Lighteyes—people who think themselves raised above him.    Throughout the novel, Kaladin battles with himself over these mixed feelings.  He respects Dalinar, but can't seem to take that final leap in trusting him completely.  He is unable to confide his abilities to Dalinar, even though he knows he should.  Kaladin does a lot of regression in this book—going back to hating the world and the people around him.  It makes an interesting parallel to Shallan's story because they share experiences of overwhelming grief in their past.    Dalinar doubles his efforts to find Radiants.  He is convinced that the mythical figures will begin appearing to help save the people from the Desolation that is coming.  Sadeas still undermines Dalinar's beliefs and the Kingdom is nearly torn in half between the two Highprinces.   Still, Dalinar pushes on, despite the ridicule of the other Highprinces.  He is so firm in his beliefs that he doesn't let anything deter him from his duty.   He is such a great character.  He's strong of will and mind, and he is able to put aside his shame and focus on the bigger picture.  His goals are very ambitions, but he does everything in his power to make them come to fruition.    The book is divided into five parts, with interludes in between.  These interludes feature characters that are minor, or out of the way, but still offer insight to the state of the world.  The most interesting of the interludes was from the point of view of a Parshendi Shardbearer, Eshonai.  She wants to make peace with Dalinar and the Alethi people, and takes steps to meet with them.  However, something happens to the Parshendi, a transformation that changes Eshonai's intentions drastically.  We also see other people who have made bonds with Spren.  This is just a taste of all the abilities—all the Orders with the Radiants—that we will see as the series continues.    Exciting and captivating, this book is wonderfully paced—the interludes giving needed breaks from the thick intrigue of the main storyline.  It is humorous and sad, light and dark, hopeful and depressing.  Brandon has done a great job of making a world and characters that are realistic.   The rest of Brandon's tour dates are listed on his website.  The event was very well attended—not everyone could fit inside the bookstore!  He also had prizes to hand out, with Shardhunt codes—which will unlock goodies on Brandon's website if enough of them are activated.  My sister and I were given codes because we dressed up—we both wore our Aes Sedai shawls.  If he's stopping in a town that's near you, I really suggest trying to see him.

Hello again my lovelies! It's Friday, and that means it's time for fan art! Except, this week I don't have fan art to show you. Curious, yes?   This week I want to show you art that has made me think of Wheel of Time. I think you all will see why! Now let's dig right in, shall we?     Wanderlust by FoxFires   I will admit, basically any painting of gypsies could be seen as a depiction of the Tinkers. But this one just speaks to me so much. The brilliant colors, the peaceful atmosphere, and the relationship between the girl and the fox. The Tinkers had large wolfhounds after all, so a close relationship with a fox seems very fitting! I can almost hear the music, it looks like she's looking over at the musicians, watching others dance, and enjoying the comfortable warmth of her home.     Character Portrait IV - edit by Jinxiedoodle   Bad-ass Aiel girl, straight up. Okay, her hair is too long for how the Maidens wear it. Maybe she has given up the spear now? That defiant gaze, the red hair, the scars, this character is simply made to be an Aiel.     Blue By Fragmented   This is Logain, just like I see him in my head! Dark, menacing, but handsome. You can see this guy declaring himself to be the Dragon, can't you? The clothing is too modern of course, but it is a black coat!     Ethiopian Beauty by Dark-Adon   No doubt about this one, is there? This is Tuon, of course. She is perfect, just like she is described; an almost too full mouth, big eyes, heartshaped face, and a face that can look boyish at first glance, but when you look again, undeniably female. If I ever learn how to make paintings like these, I could never make Tuon, because this is my ultimate Tuon.       Opale by Melanie Delon   Moiraine, of course. She's truly ageless; she could be 20, she could be 40. Her eyes hold her age and you can see she knows too much, she's seen too much. Blue eyes, dark curly hair, and the blue kesiera. The only "flaw" is that the chain on the kesiera is silver, not gold. Melanie Delon is one of my favorite digital artists, and this is the image that made me find her. It's so beautiful.     That's it for this week! Next week I'll have another batch of art that could have been Wheel of Time-artwork to show you! As always, tell me in the comment what you think. Have a great weekend!

Is there Hope for "Hopper"?     (source)

Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  Sorry for the long delay, but we are getting back to the story now, reading chapters 19 - 21 of The Eye of the World.    Synopsis: Chapter 19, "Shadow's Waiting"   The group enters Shadar Logoth, a city full of ruins.  They pick out a building and make a place to rest inside, with the horses being stabled in a back room.  Thom, Rand, Mat, and Perrin take the horses and brush and feed them.  Thom goes to smoke his pipe, and Mat convinces Rand and Perrin to go exploring.   In their wanderings, a man calls out to them from the shadows of a building.  He says his name is Mordeth and he asks the boys to help him carry treasure.  Mat rushes after the man, and Perrin and Rand reluctantly follow.  Inside the building is a big pile of gold.  They mention that the others could come help and Mordeth questions them.  When Mat answers that they are going to Tar Valon, Mordeth grows angry.  Rand suddenly realizes that Mordeth doesn't have a shadow.  Mordeth inflates, cutting off half the room.  Mordeth shrieks and curses the boys, then stretching out like smoke, he disappears into a hole in the wall.   The boys run from the room, out of the building, and into the fading sunlight.  From the shadows around them, they feel watching eyes.  They rush back to Moiraine and the others.  Nynaeve scolds them, but Moiraine asks them what happened.  They explain about Mordeth.  Moiraine hisses and makes sure that Mordeth didn't touch them, and that they didn't take anything from him.  Rand says they didn't. Moiraine explains that Mordeth was an advisor to the king of Aridhol during the Trolloc Wars.  Mordeth corrupted the king with his words, and soon the whole city was using means as evil as the Shadow to hunt the Shadow.  Everyone in Aridhol was consumed and Mashadar—the evil power born of their hate and suspicion—was born.  Mashadar still lurks in the city, and Mordeth too.   They all try to sleep.  Sometime later, Lan returns from scouting and tells Moiraine that Trollocs and Myrddraal are in the city.  He wonders what could have forced the Myrddraal in.  The group decides to leave and make for the river—hoping for a boat to give them passage.   Chapter 20, "Dust on the Wind" The group heads out on their horses.  Rand notices he and the others are falling behind the Warder and Aes Sedai.  He quickens his step, but Moiraine tells him to stop.  A think tendril of Mashadar has blocked the path.  Moiraine tells them to follow the red star east and meet up at the river.  Rand is the first to move, so everyone follows him.   Rand and company run into a group of Trollocs and everyone scatters.  Rand runs through the streets alone, pursued by Trollocs and a Fade.  The Shadowspawn get caught by Mashadar, and Rand continues on.  He runs into Mat and they leave through a city gate.  Outside the walls, Thom rides by and yells them to run.  Rand does, but worries about Egwene.   Perrin sits by a city gate, weighing his options.  Egwene appears on the other end of the square and they leave together.  Outside, a Trolloc horn sounds behind them, and they race ahead.  Bela is slowing down, and Perrin yells at her to hurry.  Suddenly, he and his horse fall off a cliff into the river.  He takes off his cloak to keep from being pulled under, but won't take off his axe.  He finally makes it to the opposite shore.   Rand, Mat, and Thom are trying to find the red star to lead them to the river.  When they finally spot it, they head off in that direction.  Trollocs appears behind them and Mat kills some with arrows.  Thom kills some with his throwing knives.  As they approach the river, they see a lantern on a boat.  With more Trollocs behind them, they board the boat quickly.    As they do so, Rand accidently steps on Floran Gelb, the night watchman on the ship.  A Trolloc manages to knock Rand down and get aboard the ship.  As Rand thinks his luck is up, a boom comes loose and throws the Trolloc overboard.   The captain of the ship, Bayle Domon, appears and demands to know what happened. Gelb says that Rand attacked him, and that Rand was in league with the Shadowspawn.  Domon disagrees, saying that the Trollocs have followed him.  The captain takes Rand, Mat, and Thom below and wants to know how they came to be in Shadar Logoth.  Thom tells a fanciful story, which Domon seems to believe.  They arrange a price for their passage—Rand and Mat giving away the coins Moiraine gave them.  Thom asks Domon about the Trollocs following him, and Domon says they've chased the boat since Saldaea.   After leaving the captain's cabin, Thom berates the boys for giving away so much money.  He says he could have given them songs and entertainment as their fee.  Mat doesn't think so, and Rand is only worried about Egwene.   Chapter 21, "Listen to the Wind" Nynaeve wakes up alone.  She and her horse head down river, trying to read the tracks, but she is unable to read them clearly.  She remembers that the night before Trollocs had chased her, but when they caught her scent, they stopped.  They knew the smells of those they want.   She smells fire, and tying her horse up, sneaks close to the camp.  It's Lan and Moiraine.  She listens to their conversation.  Lan wonders how so many Trollocs came there so quickly, and where they all went to—only a small group heads towards Whitebridge.  Moiraine tells him that one boy is alive across the river, and the other two had given away their coins.  Lan wonders if the Shadowspawn heading towards Whitebridge had them, and Moiriane refuses to accept that.  She will expect opposition from other Aes Sedai, and the Amyrlin, but—she realizes Nynaeve is hiding in the bushes and calls her out.   Nynaeve demands to know what she is scheming.  Instead of answering, Moiraine says that Nynaeve can learn to channel.  Moiraine goes into detail about the experiences Nynaeve had when she first touched the Source, and that she must have Healed either Egwene or Perrin.  Nynaeve tires to deny it, but the evidence is too strong.  She asks Moiraine not to repeat any of this.  Nynaeve still demands to know what Moiraine wants with the boys.  Moiraine says that she will not let the Dark One have what he wants.   Nynaeve says she will come with, and Lan goes off to fetch her horse.  Nynaeve questions Moiraine about which boys they are going after, and why they don't try to find Egwene.  Moiraine says the boys are the most important at the moment.  Nynaeve is filled with sorrow, thinking that she is forced to pick between which of the children to rescue.  Lan comes back with her horse, and she gets angry at him for seeing her cry.  They set off, and Nynaeve realizes that if she can channel, she can use the Power against Moiraine.   My Take: I think this will be a Nynaeve heavy post.  I've made no attempt to hide my love for Nynaeve, though I know others don't find her nearly as enduring.  Despite her annoying tendencies, she is a strong and capable woman, with a big heart and a desire to help and heal everyone.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself.  We'll get into more about Nynaeve in just a bit.   First, I want to look at what Thom says about Mat's speaking of the Old Tongue.  He tells the boys that the "dead can be reborn, or take a human body, and it is not something to speak of lightly."  This is curious to me, because we know all people are reborn in the Pattern, but we don't yet know about the Dark One's abilities to put a dead person back into a human body.  In fact, I don't think the Dark One has had the access to the world to do that in a very long time.  How would Thom know about this dreadful power?  Just through old stories passed down?  Very curious.   I'm also a little fuzzy on the connection—at this point in time—between Mordeth and Mashadar.  Mordeth was a corrupt man, who bewitched the King of Aridhol into using evil methods.  For this corruption, Mashadar was formed.  Yet the two are separate beings.  Mordeth has some of the same abilities, like the tendrils of smoke, but Mashadar is a mindless parasite (almost like the Machin Shin).  But Mordeth must have some unnatural powers from Mashadar, or else how could he still be alive to haunt the ruins of Shadar Logoth?  So is there a connection at all?    Doing a search on Theoryland's wonderful interview database doesn't pull up a single question asking about the two of them together.  There's Mashadar and Fain, and there's Mordeth and Fain, but not Mashadar and Mordeth.  This is very odd to me.  It seems they would logically be grouped together, both being the last citizens of a dead city.  We'll find out more about the connection with Fain later, but I'm still left wondering about other two.  Perhaps one rules the days and the other the nights?   And when Rand, Mat, and Perrin come back from their encounter with Mordeth, Nynaeve scolds them so fiercely, stating that, "Lan is out looking for you now, and you'll be luckier than you deserve if he does not pound some sense into the lot of you when he gets back."  All I can hear when she says this is, "Wait until your father gets home!"  They're not married yet, but Nynaeve sure acts like it.  This makes me giggle each time I read it.   And so we move onto the Nynaeve bits.  I think Moiraine confronting her about her channeling is one of the best-written scenes in the series.  It seems so inconsequential at the time, at least to us.  For Nynaeve, it's a life changer.  She goes from being a respect woman, to having a terrible secret, one she never wants anyone to find out.  This changes her drastically.  We learn a lot of her personality here.  When Moiraine is describing the first unconscious channeling, she says, that there was something that Nynaeve "wanted more than anything else in the world."  And what was that?  Healing Egwene.  We see later that Moiraine's first channeling was to eavesdrop.  Most Wilders in the Tower had similarly selfish desires.  Nynaeve only wanted Egwene to get better.    And before you argue that Rand used his first channeling to save Egwene too, look at the details between them.  Rand has believed for the past six or eight years that he's going to marry Egwene.  Nynaeve just babysat her on occasion.  Rand has a deep love for Egwene at this point.  Nynaeve had no special connection, probably no more than to any of the other village children.  That takes someone with a very pure and noble heart to have that be their top concern.  She didn't want a pretty dress, or her father to buy her things, she only wanted people to get better.   This scene is also wonderful in the way it parallels Rand's own channeling experiences.  This is the work of master storyteller Robert Jordan once again.  We are so caught up in the experience as it relates to Nynaeve that we overlook the same things happening to Rand.  It's so simple, and staring us straight in the face, but it's easy to overlook.  It's clever and really gives a great reveal at the end when we are able to put all the pieces together.   It's interesting that we meet Bayle Domon so early in the series.  He's so easy to dismiss, but he does wind up playing a more important role later.  And it's not obvious now, but we do learn later that the Trollocs actually are following him because he has one of the Seals to the Dark One's prison.  Too bad Rand didn't know more about his true self and his goals by this time.  It might have saved him some trouble.   And there's one last thing I question about these three chapters, why does Moiraine expect opposition from the Amyrlin?  She says, "Opposition from within the White Tower, even from the Amyrlin Seat, I accept. There are always Aes Sedai who will accept only one solution."  The one solution is Gentling Rand, and I do believe many Aes Sedai insisted on that course—even Verin hints towards that in The Great Hunt.  And other Aes Sedai do doubt her, and fight her.  But why would Siuan?  They've been plotting this for the past twenty years.  There's no way Siuan would go against her in any fashion.  The only answer I have is that she suspects that Siuan won't be Amyrlin for much longer.   That's all I've got for today.  With this first switch in point-of-views, the story really picks up the pace!  Join us next time for the next few chapters of The Eye of the World.  Thanks for reading!

A Memory of Light, the fourteenth and final book in the Wheel of Time series is on the Long List for the David Gemmell Legend award. This award honors the best of fantasy fiction each year and is named in honor of the late David Gemmell. Gemmell was a prolific British fantasy author, with thirty novels published in his career. After his death, this award was established both to recognize the best works of fantasy fiction each year and to honor Gemmell's legacy.   The Long List is selected by an international slate of professionals in the field each year, while the Short List is determined via internet poll. If you'd like to see A Memory of Light on the Short List, you have until April 13th to vote. In addition to the recognition this award bestows, the prize itself takes the form of a wicked cool battle axe. Brandon Sanderson won this award in 2011 for The Way of Kings, the first book in his The Stormlight Archive series.   The link to vote is here.   Also, as a reminder the nomination period for the Hugo Awards is still open until the end of the month. We believe the entire Wheel of Time series is eligible for an award based on the current rules regarding serialized works. If you joined this year's WorldCon by January 31st, you are eligible to nominate. This is Robert Jordan's final opportunity to receive either of these awards, so if you feel strongly about this, be sure to participate!

It's Friday, and time for fan-art!   I never did get any requests last week, so I get to decide again what to show you! Yay!   Since the spoiler-ban has been lifted, I wanted to show you art from A Memory of Light. This post WILL contain spoilers, so if you have not yet read A Memory of Light, I suggest you either ignore this post, or at the very least ignore the text!     Demadred 3 by CloodSama   I don't know about you guys, but my jaw dropped to the floor when the Sharans appeared. We'd been wondering for books and books about what exactly Demadred was up to, and then BOOM, there he was. I think he looks a bit young in this image, but otherwise it's really cool. The armor is stunning! I also really like the red background, very fitting.     November image teaser by Ariel B   For those that didn't know, Ta'veren Tees and Ariel Burgess launched a 2014 calendar with Ariel's art (she's the one who made the images for the card deck), and this is a teaser/preview of the November-image. It's Lan fighting Demandred. Lan is seriously bad-ass as always, and this image is packed full with movement. Lan's jump, Demadred's cloak flaring out, the clouds in the sky, and then all contrasted with the Sharans standing there in the background (creepy). Ariel is an exciting artist to follow!     May image teaser by Ariel B   Another image from the calendar, this one is of course The Flame of Tar Valon. I know I teared up pretty heavily at this scene (okay, fine, I didn't tear up, I broke down crying; my husband thought I was crazy). And I love, love, love this capture. The expression is strong and so full of emotions. I really want to see this in full-size and hope I get to buy the calendar soon!     Olver and the run with the horn by thuvia   Olver and Bela fleeing the the Horn of Valere. Poor Bela! That broke my heart a little bit too. The artist really knows horses, the anatomy on Bela is really good, and the detail of the sweat foam and her labored breath is very good. It's not exactly how I imagined the Horn; I've thought it was golden and more elaborate, but it fits very well into the context of this picture.     The living and the dead by Alsdale   Or Peregrine, as we know her as here on Dragonmount, a former Fan Art blogger, and the wonderful artist who made the banner on our Front Page! This is Elayne, Aviendha, and Min at Rand's funeral pyre. Her style is so unique and wonderful! The dresses are beautifully detailed and the frame adds extra depth do it.     But it was an end by TheLastRonin   Rand, riding off into the sunset, smoking his pipe. It's a perfect ending to this post, just like it was perfect for the book in my opinion.     And now it's time for us all to ride into the weekend! Enjoy yourself dearies, and as always, tell me what you thought about the art in the comments!

Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog!     It is March, 2013. This means one thing, and one thing only, to my mind, anyway--we nearly made it! We nearly made it two-thirds of a year without the magic of HBO's epic A Game of Thrones series, an adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books, which has proven wildly popular across the world. The wait is almost over, in just a few short weeks, on April 6, Season 4 will premiere and I and many others cannot wait. Here is a sneak preview of what is in store:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSg_gJkU7ko   And here is another video with extra information and interviews etc, but even if you don't want to watch that, then the opening sequence has the trailer clips set to music and is worthy of a view.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5iS3tULXMQ   What are you most looking forward to seeing? Which arc are you looking forward to following? Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how Arya gets on.   I. Can. Not. Wait.     I hope you are as eager as I am. If you haven't yet seen the previous seasons, do so now! Or maybe you fancy getting a re-watch in before the new series begins.   That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

On March 4th, The Words of Radiance, the second book in Brandon Sanderson's epic The Stormlight Archive series, came out. So this month the review will be on the first book in the series.   The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson   This post will contain slight spoilers.   Synopsis: The world of Roshar is a rocky and hostile place, with fierce highstorms sweeping over the land, and with plants that withdraw into the ground to protect themselves from the elements. We meet several people, from the Alethi nobility, to low slaves. The story centers around these characters: Kaladin, once a surgeon's son, now a slave and a bridgeman in the kings army; Shallan, a young noblewoman, who's looking for patronage with Jasnah, who is the king's sister and a world-famous scholar and heretic; Dalinar, the king's uncle, who is plagued by mysterious visions during highstorms, and his son Adolin, convinced his father is losing his sanity; and Szeth, a mysterious assassin.   Each book in The Stormlight Archives will center around one character and their back story, and this is Kaladin's book.   Some years ago, the current Alethi king was assassinated by Szeth, and a race of people called the Parshendi claimed responsibility. Since then, war has raged on the Shattered Plains. The king and all the highprinces live in permanent camps there.  This is where we first meet Kaladin, in a slave transport on it's way to the Plains. He ends up being sold to Highprince Sadeas as a bridgeman, the lowest of the low in the army. The Shattered Plains live up to its name; it consists of plateaus that can only be traversed with bridges, and bridgemen die in the dozens on every run. Kaladin starts to feel a responsibility for his crew, but the demons from his past haunt him. In addition, a mysterious spren has attached herself to him, and he starts to discover he has unknown powers.   Dalinar is a soldier, now forced to play political games as the uncle to the king. He is dissatisfied with the war and the Alethi way of thinking and competing. His brother, the last king, directed him to a book called The Way of Kings with his dying words, and Dalinar is starting to realize things about the past--about the Voidbringers--through the visions that he receives when he blacks out during highstorms. He wants to unite Alethkar, and end the war, but he does not have the political power to do so, yet.   Shallan has traveled far to meet with Jasnah Kholinar, a scholar and the sister of the king. Shallan's official story is that she is there to learn and study with Jasnah. In reality, she is there to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster, a powerful magical device, to save her family from economic ruin. But Shallan is a scholar at heart, and she soon finds herself torn between the responsibility for her family and her own desires. We also find out Kaladin isn't the only one who's starting to learn about having mystical powers. And what exactly is it Jasnah is researching about the Voidbringers?   The Pros: It's a Brandon Sanderson book, so we know that the worldbuilding will be great. The world is complicated and confusing, yet makes all kinds of sense, and it feels real. The Alethi society is built up around the male arts and the female arts, and divided between lighteyes (the nobles) and darkeyes (the common people). It's very divided and the rules are strict, and it both engages and enrages you as a reader. The magic system is intriguing, logical, and very exciting. Although we don't understand everything yet, you are left with the feeling of craving to know more and more. The characters are well fleshed out, interesting, complicated, and their stories, although they seem unconnected at the beginning, slowly becomes intertwined. The interludes between parts of the book introduces other minor character in other places of the world, fleshing out the world even more. Worldbuilding truly is Brandon Sanderson's biggest strength, and here he does his best work to date.   The Cons: It's a very long book, and it takes a little while to really knit together the stories. That is the only critique I can manage to find for it.   Conclusion: This book is amazing, and a must-read for any fantasy fan. Sanderson slowly unveils what will be his major saga. I will rank this up in my top three favorite book series ever, together with Wheel of Time and Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles. I do not have enough praise for this book. I will simply use the words of Patrick Rothfuss to describe it: "I loved this book. What else is there to say?"   My rating: 5/5 stars   This book is available in Dragonmount's eBook store, here.  You can also pick up Words of Radiance here.

[The following is excerpted from Narg: A Memoir, found in the excavation of New Manetheren by archeologists in the Fifth Age.]           (Source)