Book reviews 10/12

Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra: The fourth installment in one of the most original series I've ever read is perhaps the finest. I honestly don't have any idea how Obert Skye can invent as much as he can and still put it in a fun adventure that keeps the pages turning, but he definitely can. Skye has a real talent for what he does and it's evident from the first page. The story of Leven Thumps' escapades in the land where dreams are made is impossible to explain and impossible to put down, and I'm going to be the first in line to get Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder, the conclusion.

My rating: 10/10

Isle of Fire: It's a real joy to read one of Wayne Thomas Batson's novels, and this is a fine example of how diverse he can be. He moved from writing a magnificent, solid fantasy trilogy to a two-part pirate adventure. It's what a summer blockbuster would be like on the page. I can even imagine Hans Zimmer's bombastic score as the action escalates. Cat and Anne's journeys, as well as the journeys of Brandon Blake, Declan Ross, and Bartholomew Thorne are gripping from page 1 and just begging to be made into a movie (but The Door Within is much more likely).

Fantastic.

My rating: 10/10

Mistborn: The Final Empire review

This is the first in a wonderfully original trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time fans will know him as the guy who's working on finishing the series after Robert Jordan's death). Book Two, The Well of Ascension, is already out in paperback, and the concluding volume, The Hero of Ages, hits stores soon. I got this book because I wanted to see if Sanderson had the writing chops to undertake finishing a project so massive as A Memory of Light. And he does.

Mistborn is mostly about Vin, a street urchin and a member of the skaa (think slaves) race. The skaa serve under the Lord Ruler, who, after vanquishing the evil that threatened the land, became corrupted himself. Vin is spotted by a group of thieves led by Kelsier, the only man to ever survive the Lord Ruler's most devastating punishment. She's told she's a Mistborn, one of the uniquely talented magicians whose strength relies on metals, and recruited into Kelsier's plan to overthrow the Final Empire-- and the Lord Ruler himself.

Brandon Sanderson doesn't waste time getting to the heart of the story, and there are enough twists and turns in it to keep you on the edge of your seat. The Mistborn fights are a real treat to read. And the book gives a great deal of closure while still making you curious, anxiously awaiting The Well of Ascension.

My rating: 9.5/10

P.S. I apologize about the spacing problems. I can't get blogger to work right.