17. DAWNSHARD

BY BRANDON SANDERSON

Fanart by @/Zirael_art (Instagram)

I don’t have too much to say about this one. I’m a big fan of The Lopen, and he’s front and center for a lot of this book. I feel like I know my cousin better than ever now. And I raise a glass to him. TO THE LOPEN!

It was a pretty fun read, and quick for a Brando Sando book. Lots of cool stuff at sea on a ship. I admit, I haven’t read much nautical-centric fiction. There’s some sailing in A Song of Ice and Fire but that’s a very small part of that enormous story. Here it was in many ways the setting of the novel.

I listened to this one exclusively on audiobook, and the narration was topnotch as always from Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.

The action was fun but relatively low stakes compared to the rest of the Cosmere, so it didn’t leave me emotionally wrecked or pumping my fist when thrilled. It was a fun romp.

It’s well written, but now that I’ve read a LOT of Brandon Sanderson, I’m definitely feeling the desire for some more layered prose from the man. It’s pretty much my only nitpick about his work, and it’s most people’s main complaint about it. Because of that I don’t think I could give this one a five out of five, simply because being shorter than the other works, he could’ve put a little bit more time into making the prose a bit better. He does write fast. Fast as hell. He puts out a book every six months or so.

But that just makes me feel like I’d be willing to wait another three to six months if it meant he could dedicate a bit more time and effort into the prose. He’d still be putting out a book per year.

Then again, maybe he just doesn’t like that part of writing very much and has chosen to chase his highest joys and has seen great success as a result and I need to just shut the hell up about it and become a better writer by following mine own highest joys in my art. That’s when true success will come.

Did I just have an epiphany while reviewing Dawnshard?

Shit…

TEN OUT OF TEN FLOATING WHEELCHAIRS!