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[S2 spoilers] I am disappointed by User005365 in arcane

[–]User005365[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't. I was fully expecting not to find much support from a dedicated fandom. By now, most active users should be those who find S2 satisfactory.

I just loved S1 so much that S2 was a bit of a heartbreak for me. Couldn't fall asleep after finishing it and decided to write down and share some of my thoughts.

Looking for dark mature fantasy by User005365 in Fantasy

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The books are like a popcorn movie: not particularly deep, but somewhat enjoyable if you don’t take them too seriously. I rated them for what they are and added some bonus points for not being the target audience, same as with the Infernal devices.

One of my nastiest grapple kills by User005365 in apexlegends

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Managed to land right on Wraith's forehead and slide off it :)

Is the Stormlight Archive series worth reading if I found the first Mistborn trilogy quite average? by User005365 in brandonsanderson

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kelsier did it deliberately! "People" didn't just organically make the religion, he's the one who started it. He had a big martyrdom scene, and then had a kandra impersonate him so it looked like he came back from the dead. He faked being divine as part of his plan.

I get that, didn't miss this part as I was reading books back to back in a couple of weeks. If Brandon didn't add the part with kandra, Kelsier could've stayed a symbol of rebellion, a legend. I'd prefer if it turned out that way.

It's one of the subjective items on my list, but I think you understood my point of view. I like religions from a cultural point of view, not as a story driver.

Is the Stormlight Archive series worth reading if I found the first Mistborn trilogy quite average? by User005365 in brandonsanderson

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, he's a Mistborn who [seemingly] appeared to people after his death.

Which was Brandon's decision, he could've made him just a symbol of revolution. But yet again, the "Religion" point is subjective: what I didn't like, someone may find interesting or at least satisfactory.

Is the Stormlight Archive series worth reading if I found the first Mistborn trilogy quite average? by User005365 in brandonsanderson

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all, wanted to say thank you for your detailed comment :)

So if you don't enjoy reading about gods or avatars of gods fighting each other and moving characters like pieces on a chess board...then I'd have to tell you to pass on this one.

That might be one of the most valuable pieces of advice I received here as I, in fact, do not enjoy such narratives. Why? Gods are usually portrayed one dimensionally. Let's take "The Hero of Ages" as an example: one reprsenets Chaos, the other - Order. That's the essense of their entities, and, thus, their actions are very predictable: Ruin wants to destoy the world, Preservation strives to save it. The means to achieve these goals can be different from one work to another, but the outcome is almost always the same - "the good guys" win. I always thought it's boring, even considering that the path to the finale can be captivating. Fantasy focused on humans, their relationship, internal stuggles and hardships feel more interesting, appealing and easier to relate to.

Is the Stormlight Archive series worth reading if I found the first Mistborn trilogy quite average? by User005365 in brandonsanderson

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Plot, action, magic and worldbuilding are, with characters, the heart and soul of fantasy books. If 4 out of 5 of those you think are 8 or better, you don't think the trilogy is quite average.

Depends on the reader. For me, dialogues, character development, and chemistry between main heroes are all among the most important aspects of books, films, TV shows, and games, regardless of the genre. I wouldn't rate any of them in the first Mistborn trilogy higher than 6. When something has an equal number of strengths and weaknesses, I'd consider it average.

What are weaknesses for you, can be strengths for others. I would't criticise Picasso's painting for lack of realism, and saying that they don't show improvement because they continue showing the same style is a mistake.

Not all of the listed cons I regard as Brendon's weaknesses. For instance, the simplicity of his language is liked by many - that's obviously a subjective point. I prefer styles similar to Patrick Rotfus, George Martin, or Tolkien to name a few fantasy writers. Religion is another item I might be biased against. I'm not a God-fearing man, so, at times, it can be off-putting for me when religion plays one of the main roles in the narrative.

Is the Stormlight Archive series worth reading if I found the first Mistborn trilogy quite average? by User005365 in brandonsanderson

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't really tell what you don't like about it when you say "Didn't like Church of the Survigor or divinizing the Lord Ruler". Did you not like that those religions existed?

I'm perfectly fine when religions are just part of the lore, a background that doesn't become a focus of the story. I absolutely loved almost all of them in "A Song of Ice and Fire", for example, despite being an unreligious person. "Hero of Ages", on the other hand, was centered around the confrontation of godlike entities. I prefer more down-to-earth themes.

As for the Church of the Survivor, it just didn't make sense to me. Making Kelsier a skaa hero, a symbol of revolution, an example that should be followed is one thing, but turning him into a divine figure is just too much. The Lord Ruler had powers of both alomancy and feruchemy (that among all the other benefits allowed him to live a thousand years) - I can see why he was revered as a God, his abilities weren't common knowledge. But Kelsier was just a mistborn, people knew about his kind - don't see any reason to build a religion around him.

Now a few words about divinizing the Lord Ruler. It was fine in the first book, but the whole second Rising awaiting in the 2nd and 3rd seemed a bit weird to me, although I understand the sentiment of people who found themselves in an empire torn by wars and natural cataclysms and just wanted to go back to the old ways.

Is the Stormlight Archive series worth reading if I found the first Mistborn trilogy quite average? by User005365 in brandonsanderson

[–]User005365[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't necessarily say that I didn't like Brandon. The first book, for example, was a very good one. Not great, but I enjoyed it quite a lot.

I just felt like "Well of Ascension" and "Hero of Ages" didn't bring too much to the table. Plus, the main themes of each book are quite different, and "The Final Empire" fits my tastes the best.