Warbreaker review

Even a casual observer of my blog’s tag cloud will notice a pronounced disparity between the name Brandon Sanderson and all the other authors whom I’ve listed. This is primarily due to the timing of when I started my blog; Warbreaker is the seventh book by Brandon Sanderson I have read since I first met him in 2006. It is fitting therefore that my 100th post should happen to be about the latest release from one of my favorite authors, the world making and breaking Brandon Sanderson.

As big of a fan as I am, I chose not to read Warbreaker as it was made available on Sanderson’s website. I’m not a fan of reading on a computer screen, so I waited for the recent release of the handsome hard cover from the publisher Tor, and I’m glad I did. I own all of Sanderson’s books thus far in hard cover, so I would have bought it anyway, even if I had read it in its digital format at no charge. For more on why Sanderson decided to post the book as he worked on it, refer to the author’s explanation.

For more on the book itself, here goes: one of the things I like the most about Sanderson’s books is the practically-based magic systems he devises. In Warbreaker the system is known as BioChromatic Breath, a combination of color and life force that is transferable from person to person or person to organic object. I found this magic system harder to buy into than those used in his other books, although it does provide some spectacular imagery and terrific plot twists, two of the other elements I find so enjoyable in Sanderson’s writing. Initially I wasn’t really drawn in by the main characters, but that changed as they did in the progression of the story. Vivenna and Siri are sister princesses from Idris, a conservative country that broke away from Hallandren, the seat of power and those segments of society corrupted by power. Hallandren is ostensibly ruled by Susebron the God King, a man who Returned from death as a divinity endowed with so much BioChromatic Breath that he poses a threat to his own kingdom. Under his auspices the kingdom is actually run by groups of priests who ensure that he and the other Returned like him are kept occupied by indolence and indulgence. In order to perpetuate their means of governance the priests must see to it that the God King produces an heir, preferably one from the royal lineage that broke away and founded Idris. As stipulated by a treaty, the king of Idris must send his daughter to wed the God King and become the Vessel for his heir. It does not indicate which of his three daughters he must send, however.

Vivenna has been trained in court politics and etiquette all her life in preparation for this union, but imminent war between Idris and Hallandren causes her father to reconsider. In her place he sends Siri, the youngest and most free willed of his daughters to submit herself to the God King. This sister switch upsets the balance of the Court of the Gods and pushes the two countries closer to war rather than uniting them together. Lightsong the Bold, one of the Returned who does not believe in his own divinity, further upsets the balance by trying to undermine his own reputation of uselessness, and everything topples with the reappearance of the mysterious Vasher and his baneful black blade Nightblood.

In some respects Warbreaker is the antithesis of Elantris, Sanderson’s first published book, in which godhood has become corrupted into a curse. Here we have a pantheon of powerless gods living a privileged life where sacrificing their own BioChromatic Breath, their own life force, is the only true power they wield. As in Elantris, a complex religious structure and a seemingly inaccessible magic system combine with traumatized yet undaunted characters to yield a satisfying surprise solution to a masterfully perplexing entanglement. Unlike Elantris, this does have a serialized feel to it owing to the way it was released, reviewed, and revised through his website and lacks some of the depth I have come to expect from a Brandon Sanderson novel.

Winter Institute 2009

One of the highlights of my burgeoning book buying career took place right here in Salt Lake City on January 30th & 31st: the ABA’s Winter Institute.  Thanks to the ABA’s recognition of smaller markets (next year’s meetings will be in San Jose) I was able to attend along with hundreds of booksellers from across the country.  The ABA’s fourth annual Winter Institute (WI4) was my debut into the wide world of independent bookstores, and the experience was thrilling and enriching!

The programming was excellent, from the keynote address with Roxanne Coady (R.J. Julia) moderating a panel consisting of publishing executives Morgan Entrekin (Grove/Atlantic), Nan Graham (Scribner), and Bob Miller (HarperStudio) in a discussion of the state of the book industry to the presentations on using multimedia marketing (I lost count of how many times “every store should have a blog” was said) and taking your co-op to the next level.  The education provided by the ABA and the panelists was pertinent and permanent.  My manager and I attended separate sessions in order to soak up as much instruction as possible.

The divide and conquer strategy did not avail us at the author reception, however; not when we were outnumbered 38 to 2!  The quantity and the quality of the writers present was somewhat daunting!  I was hard pressed to meet all of the authors I hoped to, and did not manage to speak to our local standouts Shannon Hale (The Actor and the Housewife) and Brandon Sanderson (Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener’s Bones).  I was rather pleased to meet Joseph O’Neill (Netherland), Joanna Smith Rakoff (A Fortunate Age), Jonathan Stroud (Heroes of the Valley), and Carlos Ruis Zafón (The Angel’s Game).  I reminisced about the glory days of Hall of Famer Bruce Smith and the Buffalo Bills with Greg Ames (Buffalo Lockjaw),  and held up the line while speaking with Katherine Howe (The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane).  I was already an admirer of her outstanding book, and now that I’ve met her I am an ardent advocate!

In previous posts I wrote of my anticipation of meeting Katherine Howe as well as my mild apprehension of attending a dinner with Mehmet Murat Somer (The Kiss Murder).  Howe met all of my expectations, but I didn’t know what to expect from Somer.  His book was translated into English by a person who originally hailed from Salt Lake City, so there was a chance that he would be accompanied by his translator.  He wasn’t; not only did Somer speak impeccable English, he had memorized the names of the dinner guests in alphabetical order!  He was a cosmopolitan gentleman, holding the door open for the rest of the party, witty and amiable.  Somer crosses continents and cultures with a first class deportment.

The valuable training and the opportunity to meet such esteemed authors are two wonderful parts of Winter Institute, but the true worth of attending is interacting with fellow booksellers.  We are independent by nature, yet surprisingly co-operative.  After meeting so many creative and open booksellers from across the country (and one from far off Sydney, Australia) I was left with a strong desire to roam from state to state, visiting as many independent bookstores as I could!  One store owner was particularly helpful to me, which stands to reason since she was on the panel that discussed customer service!  At the conclusion of the session I approached Kelly Justice, owner of the Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia.  I introduced myself and told her that I would like to visit her store when I come to Richmond to research the novel I am writing, which is set in Virginia.  She asked me if I had any contacts in Richmond and I said that I did not.  Kelly said “You do now!” and handed me a business card.  She inquired further about why my story was set in Virginia and in which time period.  When I told her that Grandpa Art is set in the near future she plucked her card from my hand and wrote The Watch by Dennis Danvers on the back of it.  Kelly recommended it to me because it is also set in Richmond in the future and Danvers, a Richmond resident, nailed the ethos of the city.  I have not yet located a copy, but I will continue to search.  Even if it takes me on a cross-country trek to every independent bookstore along the way!

Alcatraz is Back!

The anti-heroic autobiographer Alcatraz Smedry returns with a new supporting cast in Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener’s Bones (ostensibly) by Brandon Sanderson!  There are new Smedrys with new talents – meet Kazan, the uncle with the ability to get lost, and Australia, the cousin with the gift of waking up looking hideous!  Alcatraz isn’t the only one with family members crawling out of the glasswork – Bastille’s mother Draulin is also along for the ride in the glass Dragonaut!  This motley crew travels all the way to the Library of Alexandria to face new foes, the ghostly curators of Alexandria and the ghastly Scrivener’s Bones, and to find Alcatraz’s grandfather, Leavenworth Smedry, who is on the trail of his long lost son Attica, Alcatraz’s father!  Can Leavenworth, whose talent is arriving late, catch up to Attica before he sells his soul to the curators in exchange for the stores of knowledge held in the Library of Alexandria?  Can Alcatraz escape from the insidious clutches of the Scrivener’s Bones without sacrificing one of his friends?  Can you wait for the third Alcatraz book to come out?

Merry Christmas … to me!

Okay, so two of the four books are actually for my son (I suppose I ought to verify whether or not he reads my blog), but the other two are for me!  And since the image is too small to read the titles, I’ll just tell you that the four books are Alcatraz versus the Scrivener’s Bones and Elantris by Brandon Sanderson and The Candy Shop War and Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull.  A week ago we were fortunate enough to have both Brandons as well as Robert C. Steensma, author of Wallace Stegner’s Salt Lake City, signing books in our store as part of our annual Staff & Faculty Night.  The event was a success for the store and for me personally, as I now have signed hard cover copies of every title currently available from Brandon Mull and Brandon Sanderson!

Mountain-Con 2008

A couple of years ago I had the good fortune of sitting between Brandon Sanderson and Dave Wolverton (aka David Farland) during a booksigning.  Throughout the evening I was able to pose questions which they graciously answered.  Brandon advised me to attend the large scale science fiction and fantasy conventions in order to network with authors, agents, and editors.  Last month I got my first taste of the pagan ritual that is the sci fi/fantasy convention at Mountain-Con 2008.  This was a local convention, so there were no agents or editors in attendance, but there were plenty of local authors, both up-and-coming and breakthroughs like the Brandons Sanderson and Mull.  I wanted to promote my book Orlando and Geoffrey, so I contacted the committee to find out if I could sell copies at the convention.  They responded with two alternatives: I could purchase dealer space or I could try to be added to the guest list.  I didn’t want to invest money in a dealer space and end up missing out on the writing workshops, but I didn’t feel like I belonged on a guest list with the likes of the two Brandons, either.  So I plopped down the registration fee and went as a regular fan.

The first day I attended workshops led by Paul Genesse, Rebecca Shelley (published under the collective pseudonym R.D. Henham), Eric James Stone (whom I also met at the aforementioned signing), and Patrick Tracy.  I spoke to them between workshops and swapped books with Rebecca.  I felt like my place was on their side of the table, and I intend to see that happen next year.

A range of activities were going on all night long, so there weren’t that many people up and moving at 9 AM on Saturday when Brandon Mull gave his main address.  That worked out nicely, because he went around the room and had us introduce ourselves and explain why we were there so that he could tailor his remarks accordingly.  That gave me a chance to bring up Orlando and Geoffrey and talk about my experience as a book buyer as well.  When I came back to his table at noon to get a couple of books signed he recognized me and we talked about having an event on campus for him.  We have exchanged e-mails since then, but have not firmed up any plans yet.

I attended Brandon Sanderson’s afternoon workshop, then had him sign my copy of The Well of Ascension.  After grabbing a bite to eat I went to Sanderson’s main address on how fantasy enthusiasts do themselves a disservice by trying to be assimilated into mainstream fiction on terms not of their choosing.  That was followed by the recording of a podcast Sanderson does with Howard Tayler and Dan Wells for their website www.writingexcuses.com.  They recorded four episodes featuring guest authors John Brown (whose book Servant of a Dark God is forthcoming), Brandon Mull, and Eric James Stone (who has a piece in the new seasonally apropos anthology Blood Lite).  A two hour workshop conducted by John Brown with Sanderson’s assistance capped off the day.  All in all, I got some writing tips from authors I respect and did some useful networking, so I consider it money and time well spent. Mountain-Con was a nice introduction into the convention circuit for me, and I think I’ll be coming back for more!

Epic Ending: The Hero of Ages review

When I asked Brandon Sanderson what creative control he had over the artwork for the covers of his novels he said that he had little say in the matter, but he did request that The Hero of Ages, the third and final book in the Mistborn series, be given a cover with more of an epic feel.  Judging a cover by its book, the artwork isn’t epic enough!  The world of ash and mist has reached its zenith and utter destruction is imminent.  The magnitude of the peril that has encompassed Vin and the empire she protects is not completely conveyed in the scene depicted on the cover, although it is a scene of tremendous impact!  I’m in awe of the magnitude of planning that Sanderson put into this series.  As things fell into place and many (but not all) secrets were revealed, I got the sense that the series was written in reverse order, all portents culminating in a truly epic ending.  Sanderson’s writing has a tendency to be repetitious and the phrase “homicidal hat trick” seems out of place in a society that doesn’t play hockey, but those are very minor flaws and are easily offset by his exceptional depth and inventiveness.  Sanderson has demonstrated he has the planning capability necessary to finish Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, and I look forward to his next original series!

Second Act

I don’t suppose it is possible to post a spoiler for a book that came out last year, but with the third book in the series (The Hero of Ages) due out next month, I’m inclined to be a little guarded with my review of The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson.  Let it be sufficient then to say that this book holds its place well as the second act of the drama known as the Mistborn Series.  In the tradition of Orwell and Zamyatin, Sanderson’s revolutionaries who succeeded in toppling the Lord Ruler in Mistborn: The Final Empire have become the new government in The Well of Ascension.  The former gang of thieves now serve as counselors to the young king Elend Venture, an idealist whose entrenched faith in equality before the law threatens his own rule.  In addition to the threat from within, Elend’s throne is threatened from without by two human armies (one led by his own father) and an army of giants.  All four groups are afflicted by The Deepness, a devastating force held at bay by the Lord Ruler which seems to be returning in his absence.  It’s up to Vin, a young Allomancer who slew the Lord Ruler, to protect the man she loves and his foundling kingdom by discovering the secret of the fabled Well of Ascension.  The Lord Ruler used its power to create new races, drastically alter the landscape, and establish his cruel imperial rule over it all.  How will Vin use it, if she can even locate it?  Will she sacrifice all that she holds dear in order to save it?  And what will I read between the second and third acts of this terrific series?

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians review

I gave Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson to my son for Christmas and recently had the chance to read it myself. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Brandon’s adult fiction and was curious to see how he would adapt his style for children’s literature. The pacing and descriptions are appropriate for his 13-year-old narrator, but his hallmark originality is still in tact! Alcatraz (the narrator) goes to great lengths to stress that he is not a nice person and proves it with some highly amusing asides about the cruelty of writers. “Cruel Writers Versus Evil Librarians” doesn’t have the same ring to it, but it does raise some intriguing conjectures! In addition to being named for a prison (I won’t give away the explanation given for that), Alcatraz is also unique in that he has the ability to spontaneously break things. When he turns 13 and events unfold rapidly, revealing his true identity, he learns that his ability is a highly regarded Talent, as are being late, tripping, and speaking gibberish, among others! Alcatraz also learns that an evil cult of Librarians has been hiding the truth about the world by controlling the knowledge disseminated about it. Their reach is so extensive they have even concealed continents! In order to stop them from gaining even more power Alcatraz must infiltrate their library headquarters to recover the inheritance that was stolen from him. Full of humor and innovation, this book really speaks to kids and adults who refuse to grow up alike!

Suspended Disbelief

Why storytellers can’t come up with a better way to describe this key element of what they do, I don’t know, but, as clunky as it sounds, suspended disbelief is important. My friend Ryan is a pilot and an engineer, so when he sees a trailer for the Iron Man movie that depicts the hero in flight evading jets, he immediately begins calculating the fuel burn rate compared to the storage capacity of Iron Man’s armor. I don’t know what it would take to sustain that speed in a suit of armor, but I do know it’s not enough to suspend my friend’s disbelief. I have a similar problem with the new Indiana Jones movie: in the third film, Indy drank from the Holy Grail and became immortal. That kind of takes the suspense out of his next adventure, doesn’t it? Am I to believe his life is in jeopardy, or am I to believe he found the true grail? It would seem the storytellers put themselves in a bind. Without suspended disbelief, a story falls flat.

This also applies to books, of course. When my young nephew read my book Orlando and Geoffrey he went outside and attempted to replicate one of Orlando’s physical feats. He failed in the attempt, as he does not share Orlando’s physical characteristics, but up to that point his disbelief had been suspended. I recently had a similar experience, although I didn’t go so far as to attempt the actual feat. I just read Mistborn: The Final Empire, the first book in a series by Brandon Sanderson. I was impressed by the practical system of magic that Sanderson devised in Elantris, and he outdid himself with the new system employed in Mistborn. The new system, Allomancy, is based on using the properties of certain metals and their alloys to accomplish specific feats, which, though magical, still follow the laws of physics. As I read I found myself wishing I was able to Ironpull, to feel the satisfying smack of a metal object summoned into my hand. I never actually attempted it, but it was a powerful desire. Sanderson succeeded in suspending my disbelief, and for that I call him by that most magical appellation: Storyteller.

Universal Appeal

After reading a healthy dose of non-fiction, I’m ready for another science fiction binge. Coincidentally, one of yesterday’s new releases was The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I’m one of the minority of readers in Utah who has not read her immensely popular Twilight series for young adults, so I had no expectations that might affect my opinion of her first book for adults. I checked out a copy yesterday and began reading it on my lunch break.

As a bookseller, one is forced to accept the realization that not every book is right for every reader. A good bookseller is a matchmaker in a sense, using their first-hand knowledge to match the right book to the right reader. A book can be like one of Meyer’s alien souls, moving in and taking possession of the reader’s mind. Sometimes the soul and its host are a good match, and other times they are not. This book is not a good match for me. I do not doubt that it will be right for many, many people, but I will have to remain in the minority on this one. I read the first 90 pages before deciding to stop. Rather than reading Meyer, I am turning to another LDS writer of science fiction: Brandon Sanderson. I enjoyed his Elantris and have successfully matched it to other readers. His Mistborn series has been steadily moving up my reading list, and I’m ready to see if it is a match.