The Stormlight Archive, Book 1, Part 1

Synopsis: SPEAK AGAIN THE ANCIENT OATHS,

LIFE BEFORE DEATH.
STRENGTH BEFORE WEAKNESS.
JOURNEY BEFORE DESTINATION.

AND RETURN TO MEN THE SHARDS THEY ONCE BORE.

THE KNIGHTS RADIANT MUST STAND AGAIN.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars are fought for them, and won by them.

One such war is about to swallow up a soldier, a brightlord and a young woman scholar.

Widely acclaimed for his work completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga, Brandon Sanderson now begins a grand cycle of his own, one every bit as ambitious and immersive.

Review: I should know it: Melliane is often right. I did not say all the time, eh, do not exaggerate, but when she advises a book, she is mostly in the truth. Even when it comes to fantasy. Because you see, I’m full of apriori when it comes to this genre. Not a good thing, I know that. I fear the multitude of characters who drown you, the lengthening descriptions that put you to sleep and the infinite number of pages. For the number of pages, this volume 1 of the Roshar Archives does not deviate from the rule, but as for the rest …

The gallery of characters is varied, but remains reasonable. Each chapter is devoted to one of them, whether it be Shallan who aspires to become a scholar while concealing a gloomy design, from Kaladin, the man of deck with the greatness of soul or Dalinar, the warrior who becomes wise, and assembles little by little the pieces of the narrative.

It will be extremely difficult for me to summarize this story which is really dense, my words would not do justice to its complex web. The author has been able to recreate a completely separate universe, which alternates spaces like so many jumps on a map: the library where the beautiful Shallan waits for her time while drinking her thirst for knowledge, the Broken Plains which not only see Kaladin (how I loved this character…) who tries to survive by saving his companions in misfortune, but also Dalinar, haunted by dreams that he does not understand but that seem to open a new way for The kingdom, a way that will not be easy to borrow while the opposition is that fierce.

Add to this a bestiary composed of sprens of all kinds, monsters with hearts of gems and horses who choose their rider, armor that defy the laws of what is known and weapons that appear after ten heartbeat, and you will have but a very thin idea of the richness of the narrative.

And to top it off, wealth does not rhyme with confusion: the pen is elegant, precise and at no time have I lost the thread of my reading. The almost 1000 pages of this volume 1: pouf, flees … They parade one after the other and I savored this novel as the men of deck enjoy a good meal: hungry, enthusiastic and with the desire that it Never ends.

So here I am, I have to confess. From now on, I love fantasy. It’s my banker who is not going to be happy: who says fantasy says new genre in my shelves, and that says a new kind says buying books and so a bank account not frankly delighted. QED.

Celine

http://lelivrevie.blogspot.fr/

The Stormlight Archive, Book 2

Synopsis: Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive sequence began in 2010 with the New York Times bestseller The Way of Kings. Now, the eagerly anticipated Words of Radiance continues the epic story and answers many of your questions.

Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi.

Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin’s master has much deeper motives.

Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status “darkeyes.” Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.

Review: I must firstly say that I have not read the first book of the series and it is true that it is usually quite difficult to read fantasy novels out of order. Yet when I received the book, my friend Blodeuedd has lavished praise on the first volume. So after a little talk with her, I did not hesitate one second to get into this new story. I do not really know what happened in the previous volume, or if certain events are recalled here, but despite some points a little fuzzy on the world, I took great pleasure in reading this novel and I wasn’t as lost as I thought. I think, I also need to add that this novel is probably the biggest book I have ever read, yes because it is almost 1100 pages.

Something often bothers me in fantasy and this is the number of points of view, given my pretty terrible memory. Yes because I forget everything fairly easily, and I often only really enjoy one of the characters that we follow. Yet it was not the case here and I really liked all the POVs, and all the characters we meet. They all have something to show us, all different, and we always hope to discover more about them. The character I liked the most is none other than Shallan. This woman is really fascinating and always full of resources. After being abandoned by the only person who could help her, she finds herself having to manage her entire existence and many secrets that could save the world. And while she will also cope with her new powers and the lies she makes to achieve her objectives, she must also convince the king of the looming threat closer and closer. Shallan is a strong young woman, full of imagination and who never gives up. She evolves dramatically in the novel, from a young woman without insurance who does not really know how to enforce those around her, to a strong woman who does not let herself being pushed around. It was really interesting to see all the steps that she had to cross throughout the novel. We also learn many things through flashbacks, the story of her life and what her family has endured. I must say I was really surprised at the end of the history when we finally learns the truth about her father. I did not really expect that.

But that’s not only that, and I also took a great pleasure in following Dalinar, this man who is trying to save the kingdom as best as he can, although he does not really know whether his decisions are finally the best. And yet, many people follow him, including his son, a womanizer and who yet remains good in all circumstances. We also have Kaladin, this man who was betrayed by his friend and who can finally take revenge here. A man who has been broken, and yet who is trying to do the best thing. Despite his mistakes, he knows what he must do and will do anything to get there even if it is something very difficult for him. Fortunately, he will always be accompanied by Syl, who will help and advise him in all circumstances.

Many things are started here, and a large number of responses we are given. The world that the author has built is truly amazing and we can only admire all the details he has made ​​while he is letting us discover the story. I also let you discover for yourself the story built throughout the chapters, as it’s well worth it. The novel was a very nice surprise, and I must say I am curious to find out what the author has presented to his readers in the first volume. I’m also curious to see what he’ll reserve us for the future. We thus find here a great fantasy novel that will appeal to many people I’m sure.

Les Archives de Roshar, Tome 2

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : La séquence des Archive Stormlight de Brandon Sanderson a commencé en 2010 avec le best-seller du New York Times The Way of Kings. Maintenant, The Words of Radiance poursuit l’histoire épique et répond aux nombreuses questions.

Il y a six ans, l’assassin en blanc, un mercenaire de la Parshendi impénétrable, assassinait le roi Alethi le soir même où un traité entre les hommes et les Parshendi était célébré. Ainsi commença the Vengeance Pact parmi les highprinces de Alethkar et The War of Reckoning contre le Parshendi.

Maintenant l’Assassin est de nouveau actif, tuant les dirigeants du monde entier de Roshar, utilisant ses pouvoirs déconcertants pour contrecarrer tous les gardes du corps et pour échapper à tous ses poursuivants. Parmi ses objectifs premiers : le Highprince Dalinar, largement considéré comme le pouvoir derrière le trône Alethi. Son rôle de premier plan dans la guerre semble une raison suffisante, mais le maître de l’assassin a des motifs beaucoup plus profonds.

Prévue par ses ennemis à mourir en tant qu’esclave militaire, Kaladin a survécu pour faire partie des gardes du corps du roi, une première controversée pour un “darkeyes”. Maintenant, il doit protéger le roi et Dalinar de tous les périls communs ainsi que de la menace de l’assassin, tout en luttant secrètement pour maîtriser ses nouvelles compétences qui sont en quelque sorte liés à son honorspren, Syl.

Shallan, brillante mais troublée s’efforce de suivre un chemin parallèle. En dépit du fait d’être brisée de façon qu’elle refuse de reconnaître, elle porte un terrible fardeau : empêcher le retour des Voidbringers légendaires et la désolation de la civilisation qui pourrait y suivre. Les secrets dont elle a besoin peuvent être trouvées dans les Shattered Plains, mais y parvenir pourrait être plus difficile qu’elle ne l’aurait imaginé.

Pendant ce temps, au cœur des Shattered Plains, les Parshendi prennent une décision d’époque. Pressés par des années d’attaques Alethi, leur nombre diminue, et ils sont convaincus par leur chef de guerre, Eshonai, à tout risquer sur un pari désespéré avec les forces surnaturelles. Les conséquences possibles pour les Parshendi et les humains, sont aussi dangereuses qu’incalculables.

Avis : Je dois tout d’abord dire que je n’ai pas lu le premier livre et c’est vrai que c’est assez difficile de lire des romans de fantasy dans le désordre. Pourtant quand j’ai reçu le roman, mon amie Blodeuedd n’a pas tari d’éloges sur le premier tome. Aussi après avoir un peu parlé avec elle, je n’ai pas hésité une seule seconde à me lancer dans cette nouvelle histoire. Je ne sais pas vraiment ce qu’il se passe dans le tome précédent, et si certains événements sont rappelés, mais malgré quelques points un peu flous sur le monde, j’ai pris énormément de plaisir à lire ce roman et j’étais loin d’être perdue comme je le pensais. Je pense aussi pouvoir ajouter que ce roman est sûrement le plus gros qu’il m’ait été donné de lire, oui parce qu’il fait presque 1100 pages.

Quelque chose me gêne souvent en fantasy et c’est le grand nombre de points de vue, étant donné ma mémoire assez terrible. Oui parce que j’oublie tout assez facilement, et il m’arrive souvent de ne vraiment apprécier qu’un seul des personnages que l’on suit. Pourtant, ici, ce n’était pas le cas et j’ai vraiment aimé tous les changements, et tous les personnages que l’on découvre. Ils ont tous quelque chose à nous faire découvrir, sont tous différents, et on espère toujours en découvrir plus à leur sujet. Le personnage que j’ai apprécié n’est nulle autre que Shallan. Cette femme est vraiment fascinante et toujours pleine de ressources. Après avoir été abandonnée par la seule personne qui pouvait l’aider, elle se retrouve à devoir gérer son existence entière ainsi que de nombreux secrets qui pourraient sauver le monde. Et alors qu’elle devra aussi faire face à ses nouveaux pouvoirs et aux mensonges qu’elle fabrique pour atteindre ses objectifs, elle devra aussi convaincre le roi de la menace qui se profile de plus en plus à l’horizon. Shallan est une jeune femme forte, pleine d’imagination et qui ne baisse jamais les bras. Elle évolue énormément dans le roman, d’une jeune femme sans assurance qui ne sait pas vraiment comment imposer le respect à ceux qui l’entourent, à une femme forte, qui ne se laisse pas marcher sur les pieds. C’était vraiment intéressant de voir toutes les étapes qu’elle devait traverser tout au long du roman. On apprendra aussi par des flashbacks, l’histoire de sa vie et ce que sa famille l’a fait endurer. Je dois dire que j’ai vraiment été surprise en fin d’histoire quand on apprend finalement la vérité au sujet de son père. Je ne m’y attendais vraiment pas.

Mais il n’y a pas qu’elle, et j’ai aussi pris énormément de plaisir à suivre Dalinar, cet homme qui essaie de sauver le royaume du mieux qu’il peut, bien qu’il ne sache pas vraiment si ses décisions sont finalement les bonnes. Et pourtant, de nombreuses personnes le suivent, notamment son fils, un coureur de jupons et qui pourtant reste brave en toutes circonstances. On retrouve aussi Kaladin, cet homme qui a été trahi par son ami et qui va enfin pouvoir prendre sa revanche ici. Un homme qui a été brisé, et qui pourtant essaie de faire au mieux. Malgré ses erreurs, il sait ce qu’il doit faire et fera tout pour y parvenir même si c’est quelque chose de très difficile pour lui. Heureusement, il sera toujours accompagné par Syl, qui l’aidera et le conseillera en toutes circonstances.

Un grand nombre de choses sont mises en route ici, et un grand nombre de réponses nous sont données. Le monde que l’auteur a construit est vraiment incroyable et on ne peut qu’admirer tous les détails qu’il a réalisés et qu’il nous laisse découvrir tout au long de l’histoire. Je vous laisserais d’ailleurs découvrir vous-même l’intrigue qui se construit au long des chapitres, car elle vaut largement le coup. Le roman était une très belle surprise, et je dois dire que je suis assez curieuse de découvrir ce que l’auteur a présenté à ses lecteurs dans le premier tome. Je suis aussi curieuse de voir ce qu’il nous réservera pour l’avenir. On retrouve donc ici un très bon roman de fantasy qui plaira à de nombreuses personnes je suis sûre.