A hero with an incredible talent...for breaking things. A life-or-death mission...to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network...the evil Librarians.
Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutzines
A refreshing and original fantasy world, with an interesting, different magical system and likeable characters. I read this 650 page paperback in just two nights - liked the detailed world, the unusual details in how magic works, and in particular some of the plot twists that I didn't see coming. I'm glad to see there have been sequels written and I'll definitely be following up on those later!
I was really impressed by this book. The characters are vividly drawn, and the story is wonderful. The world-building that Sanderson has done is exceptional, both in its scope and his attention to detail. I've heard people compare it to a cross between Mieville's Perdido Street Station and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, and that's fairly accurate as things go. It conveys quite clearly the complexity, strangeness and oppression of Mieville's works, while maintaining the gritty, political, and character-driven work of Martin.
It's forced me to ask the question of whether I'd put it on the same level as my some of my favorite works of epic fantasy, such as Rothfuss' Name of the Wind, or even George R.R. Martin's work. The answer is that I'm not sure, but its so damn close that the distinction barely matters.
I cannot wait to read the next …
I was really impressed by this book. The characters are vividly drawn, and the story is wonderful. The world-building that Sanderson has done is exceptional, both in its scope and his attention to detail. I've heard people compare it to a cross between Mieville's Perdido Street Station and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, and that's fairly accurate as things go. It conveys quite clearly the complexity, strangeness and oppression of Mieville's works, while maintaining the gritty, political, and character-driven work of Martin.
It's forced me to ask the question of whether I'd put it on the same level as my some of my favorite works of epic fantasy, such as Rothfuss' Name of the Wind, or even George R.R. Martin's work. The answer is that I'm not sure, but its so damn close that the distinction barely matters.
I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I took a break to process the book I had just finished, and to jot down my thoughts in this review. I now intend to go immediately go back to my Kindle and start reading the second book in the series: The Well of Ascension.
