If there were such a diagnosis, I could probably be identified as a closet fantasy fan. No, I don’t mean Harry Potter. There are no judgments placed upon the HP fans that make up 95% of the population. J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit are also exempt due to a mainstream fan-ship. However, once the reader ventures into Tolkien’s expansive works, such as The Silmarillion, new labels are frequented more and more, “nerd” and “geek” being the most common. I, myself, have often avoided the self-termed “heavy” fantasy and elongated sagas. Yet, Brandon Sanderson has breached my attempts to eschew the genre. Indeed, after reading Elantris and The Mistborn Trilogy, I have been magnificently drawn into his Stormlight Archive, including The Way of Kings and newly released Words of Radiance.
Admittedly, the Stormlight Archive is, or is to be, lengthy, to say the least, but Sanderson has shown his ability to provide just enough crumbs to keep the reader searching, but also withhold enough of the story to prevent any indulging. Frustrating? Sure. Artistic? I suppose. Working? Yes.
With the emergence of Sanderson, I have come out of the metaphorical “fantasy closet.” I read really long books full of magic, mystery, adventure, and intrigue. Additionally, I plan on reading eight more 1,000 page novels in order to tie all the strings together, but that is what we Fantasy lovers do. We read and we don’t care.
Do yourself a favor and discover the brilliance in Brandon Sanderson’s storytelling by reading one of his nationally acclaimed books during your excess time this summer.
- Luke
- Luke
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