I loved this story. Originally intended to be a 17,000-word novella, at roughly 40,000 words, Brandon Sanderson's Edgedancer approaches novel-length, and I couldn't be more pleased. Edgedancer is expected to be released in Hardcover on October 3, 2017; no doubt to generate excitement and anticipation for the November 14th release of Oathbringer, the 3rd book in the Stormlight Archive series.
Lift was a charming character when she popped up in Words of Radiance, and though it was only briefly, I desperately wanted more. In Edgedancer, Lift gets to take center stage and I was more than happy to go along for the ride. Part of what I love so much about Lift is how well she's written. Her voice remains very distinct not only through her dialogue, but in the narration, as well. This was a fine example of how Sanderson excels at crafting unique and distinct characters.
Lift's humor might be unintended, but it is equally unavoidable.
"People gave Darkness lots of space, moving away from him like they would a guy whose backside couldn't help but let everyone know what he'd been eating lately."
Although the stand-alone novel isn't set to be published until October 3, 2017, you can find this story in Arcanum Unbounded, both in hardcover an audio. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator, Kate Reading, is the same narrator used for the audio books of the previous Stormlight books; Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. The audible performance was a solid 4 stars and I think Kate Reading did a much better job reading Lift's voice than she has some of the other female characters in the Stormlight series.
If you read the story in Arcanum Unbounded, you'll enjoy a couple of extra "treats". There is an illustration at the beginning of the story of Lift running to the city where this story takes place. Sanderson's descriptions are always inclusive and complete, but if you're struggling to picture the bizarre layout of the city (which is commented upon multiple times throughout the story), having this illustration can really help. At the end, there is also a brief blurb by Sanderson, explaining his goals and motivations behind writing this story. I won't go into detail, here, because that would reveal spoilers.
And speaking of spoilers...if you have not yet read The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, be forewarned that Edgedancer does contains spoilers for those books. My suggestion is you start reading those books immediately, as you should have just enough time to finish them before the November release of Oathbringer.
Finally, be sure to order a stack of pancakes to have at the ready while you read this. Trust me.
No comments:
Post a Comment