How far would you travel to meet an author?

[Maximus]

The Way of Kings is by far the best novel that's he's written, blows Mistborn out of the water. Don't judge it until you've finished it.

Think about it for a moment. The prelude is a battle, the prologue is a fight, the first chapter is a battle, the second chapter is a guy in a cage.

If you don't care about battles, there's not much there until the third chapter.

[crazy canuck]

Honestly, I think most people love him because he made the WoT series worth reading again, and people are grateful for that.

My impression is that for the bulk of his fans, him completing WoT was kind of cool but kind of annoying as it kept him from his real writing.

[katmai]

All the authors i like are dead.

[The Brain]

All the authors i like are dead.

OK. Here's what you do. Go wash up, and burn the clothes. Ditch the machete in a storm drain or something. How long did your spree take? A week? I'm sure the population of Languish can help you with an alibi, faking a Languish meet with some backdated FU Jaron pics shouldn't be too hard. You'll be fine, don't panic! We'll get through this. OK, big guy?

[jimmy olsen]

The Way of Kings is by far the best novel that's he's written, blows Mistborn out of the water. Don't judge it until you've finished it.

Think about it for a moment. The prelude is a battle, the prologue is a fight, the first chapter is a battle, the second chapter is a guy in a cage.

If you don't care about battles, there's not much there until the third chapter.

The prelude, though taking place in the aftermath of a battle really is not about the battle at all. It's all about the cosmology of the setting.

[merithyn]

The prelude, though taking place in the aftermath of a battle really is not about the battle at all. It's all about the cosmology of the setting.

Here, lemme lay it out for you, Tim. It's not all that for everyone. No, really. It's not. The first few chapters suck unless you're a war/battle junkie. Very little character development. No real idea of what's going on other than people want to kill each other, or die, or not go to hell. BFD.

I'm sorry that I don't find Sanderson to be a godlike writer. He's okay. Sometimes he's brilliant, but most of the time, not so much. It's okay if you think differently.

[Sheilbh]

The prelude, though taking place in the aftermath of a battle really is not about the battle at all. It's all about the cosmology of the setting.

Well, when you put it like that

[merithyn]

The prelude, though taking place in the aftermath of a battle really is not about the battle at all. It's all about the cosmology of the setting.

Well, when you put it like that

It's a guy talking about a battle he just went through, deciding that he doesn't want to go through hell again, and a bunch of other guys agreeing with him, and not going back. You learn next to nothing about the actual story, the guys who won't go back, what it all means. Nothing. Just... they won't go back and this could be bad. Dunno if it will, but it could be.

Dun-dun-DUN!!!

[jimmy olsen]

The prelude, though taking place in the aftermath of a battle really is not about the battle at all. It's all about the cosmology of the setting.

Here, lemme lay it out for you, Tim. It's not all that for everyone. No, really. It's not. The first few chapters suck unless you're a war/battle junkie. Very little character development. No real idea of what's going on other than people want to kill each other, or die, or not go to hell. BFD.

I'm sorry that I don't find Sanderson to be a godlike writer. He's okay. Sometimes he's brilliant, but most of the time, not so much. It's okay if you think differently.

I never said he was god like, I just said Way of Kings was a much better book than Mistborn, which it is. There's much more character development of Kaladin in WoK then Vin gets in the whole Mistborn trilogy.

There's one battle in the first few chapters, saying the prelude was about a battle is like saying the biblical chapters on the trial and crucifixion were about the Roman legal system in Palestine, it misses the whole point.

[Ed Anger]

HOUSEPLANTS OF GOR

The spider plant cringed as its owner brought forth the watering can. "I am a spider plant!" it cried indignantly. "How dare you water me before my time! Guards!" it called. "Guards!"

Borin, its owner, placed the watering can on the table and looked at it. "You will be watered," he said.

"You do not dare to water me!" laughed the plant.

"You will be watered," said Borin.

"Do not water me!" wept the plant.

"You will be watered," said Borin.

I watched this exchange. Truly, I believed the plant would be watered. It was plant, and on Gor it had no rights. Perhaps on Earth, in its permissive society, which distorts the true roles of all beings, which forces both plant and waterer to go unh appy and constrained, which forbids the fulfillment of owner and houseplant, such might not happen. Perhaps there, it would not be watered. But it was on Gor now, and would undoubtedly feel its true place, that of houseplant. It was plant. It would be watered at will. Such is the way with plants.

Borin picked up the watering can, and muchly watered the plant. The plant cried out. "No, Master! Do not water me!" The master continued to water the plant. "Please, Master," begged the plant, "do not water me!" The master continued to water the plant. It was plant. It could be watered at will.

The plant sobbed muchly as Borin laid down the watering can. It was not pleased. Too, it was wet. But this did not matter. It was plant.

"You have been well watered," said Borin.

"Yes," said the plant, "I have been well watered." Of course, it could be watered by its master at will.

"I have watered you well," said Borin.

"Yes, master," said the plant. "You have watered your plant well. I am plant, and as such I should be watered by my master."

The cactus plant next to the spider plant shuddered. It attempted to cover its small form with its small arms and small needles. "I am plant," it said wonderingly. "I am of Earth, but for the first time, I feel myself truly plantlike. On Earth, I w as able to control my watering. I often scorned those who would water me. But they were weak, and did not see my scorn for what it was, the weak attempt of a small plant to protect itself. Not one of the weak Earth waterers would dare to water a plant if it did not wish it. But on Gor," it shuddered, "on Gor it is different. Here, those who wish to water will water their plants as they wish. But strangely, I feel myself most plantlike when I am at the mercy of a strong Gorean master, who may water m e as he pleases."

"I will now water you," said Borin, the cactus's Gorean master.

The cactus did not resist being watered. Perhaps it was realizing that such watering was its master's to control. Too, perhaps it knew that this master was far superior to those of Earth, who would not water it if it did not wish to be watered.

The cactus's watering had been finished. The spider plant looked at it.

"I have been well watered," it said.

"I, too, have been well watered," said the cactus.

"My master has watered me well," said the spider plant.

"My master, too, has watered me well," said the cactus.

"I am to be placed in a hanging basket on the porch," said the spider plant.

"I, too, am to be placed in a hnaging basket on the porch," said the cactus.

"I wish you well," said the spider plant.

"I, too, wish you well," said the cactus.

"Tal," said the spider plant.

"Tal, too," said the cactus.

I did not think that the spider plant would object to being watered by its master again. For it realized that it was plant, and that here, unlike on Earth, it was likely to be owned and watered by many masters.

[merithyn]

I never said he was god like, I just said Way of Kings was a much better book than Mistborn, which it is. There's much more character development of Kaladin in WoK then Vin gets in the whole Mistborn trilogy.

There's one battle in the first few chapters, saying the prelude was about a battle is like saying the biblical chapters on the trial and crucifixion were about the Roman legal system in Palestine, it misses the whole point.

Yeah, well, if you can't get past Chapter Two, it doesn't really matter if it's ultimately a better book, does it?

As for the prelude, if you don't know anything about the story or the characters or anything else about the book, it's about a fight that just ended and some guys who don't want to fight anymore. That's it. End of story. If I can't get past Chapter Two, THAT'S what the Prelude is.

It may be the most amazing book on the planet, but I'll never know because I don't care to read it since the beginning sucks ass.

[jimmy olsen]

You've become much more negative on the subject in the space of a page, I hope I haven't turned you off from trying to finish it.

[merithyn]

You've become much more negative on the subject in the space of a page, I hope I haven't turned you off from trying to finish it.

The Way of Kings may get better, but I don't really see a point if you keep saying how amazing the book is - and how I should get that from the first few chapters - and I think otherwise. Why bother reading more? If it's all the same stuff, I'd be wasting my time.

[jimmy olsen]

You've become much more negative on the subject in the space of a page, I hope I haven't turned you off from trying to finish it.

The Way of Kings may get better, but I don't really see a point if you keep saying how amazing the book is - and how I should get that from the first few chapters - and I think otherwise. Why bother reading more? If it's all the same stuff, I'd be wasting my time.

It's not all the same stuff, nor do I think the beginning of the book is amazing with the exception of the prelude. Like all Sanderson books, WoK starts slowly, picks up steam in the middle and ends in a avalanche of plot developments and surprising reveals.

Now one of the main plot threads does deal with a war, so if you just don't like any stories set in a war zone, then maybe you should give it up. But the point of the battle scenes and the war in general is not the violence itself, though I think that those scenes are well written. It's about a how men deal psychologically with that violence. The themes being explored are hopelessness, faith and honor. Should a man act with honor, should he try to help others even when there is not only no hope of reward or even survival, but when one is often punished for attempting it. 

There are other major plot threads out there as well, involving magic, scholarly mystery and court intrigue. So the book isn't just about a war. You see a much broader slice of the world than the Shattered Plains where the fighting is being waged.

In the end though, this is the first book in what Sanderson envisions as his grand cycle. It's his answer to Lord of the Rings, A Song of Fire & Ice, Wheel of Time,  Malazan Book of the Fallen, etc. It's going to be an epic story involving dark gods, and I imagine lots of warfare, so if that's not your thing then this series might not be for you.

However, that's just my take. I'm sure there are lots of different interpretations of this book. If you know anyone personally who has read it, ask them about it and make your own judgement.

[frunk]

Now I want a houseplant so that I can live the Gorean life.