Give Me More Cosmere!
351457
I just discovered the cosmere about 4 months ago and have since devoured every single book.  This is such a wonderful expansion of the cosmere, I normally struggle to finish short story anthologies but I read this in two days.
1657304
This graphic novel is supposedly set in Sanderson's Cosmere universe in which I have not read any other books of his with this particular world in it. I suspect that if I had, I might have enjoyed this graphic novel more, but unfortunately, that was not the case. The world itself just from this graphic novel is very elaborate. There are people of different backgrounds, races, and religions along with a well thought out magic system. Of course, I would expect nothing less from Brandon Sanderson, the master at fantasy word building and magical elements. I will not attempt to try and explain this world in detail because I found the information contained in this graphic novel did not allow me to fully understand the world and its elements fully, but I really liked the idea of each aspect of it nevertheless.

I think it is important for you guys to know that I am not one who has great luck with graphic novels. I can never really enjoy them as much as I enjoy full-fledged novels, but I had high hopes that this one would be the one. The one that opened my eyes to the idea that graphic novels don't always have to feel as if they are missing something important and can keep me engaged. White Sand had all the ingredients and potential with a great world, wonderful fantasy elements, and a great author, yet it still somehow fell a bit flat for me.

Some of the characters had the ability to control sand which I thought was awesome and gave me a The Last Airbender vibe. Their powers are great but still limited. There are dark and light-siders. We mostly explore the light-sider world in this book, and dark-siders are mostly characterized by their dark skin color. It is easy to tell that the world has its own story behind each of the different groups of people who have their own culture and politics. There are some who worship a sun god and some who are more or less atheist. There were even different languages. Talk about attention to details! There were so many elements and none were explained very closely (at least in this first volume), so I was left feeling like I had missed out on such a great, expansive universe Sanderson has created. Once again, maybe having read one of his other novels set in this world would have remedied all of this.

As for the artwork, I did not particularly enjoy it, but I feel like I cannot fairly judge it by just reading the eARC format I received from the publishers on Netgalley. In this format, most of the pictures were blurry and not well detailed, but I am sure they look ten times better in the finished copies. I probably would have had a better reading experience if the artwork had been clear and finalized as the artists and publishers envisioned it.

Overall, this was a book that had a lot of potential, but I think I expected too much before actually jumping in. I do have to say that it was still a great read and I'm sure those who read the finished versions will enjoy it much better. It was also good enough to have me wanting to pick up the next graphic novel in this series or one of Sanderson's other books written in this universe.
*Received book free in exchange for an honest review*
Originally posted on Blue Books and Butterflies
724067
OK Michael....where's the next one?  I am impatiently waiting here.  I love these books, I've galloped my way through all of them.  I know, I know....we can read'm faster than you can write'm....and I am TRYING to be patient.....really I am.  Anyway...ya'll....you need to read these books...I'd start with Empire, Confederation and Final Battle...but you don't have to...you could start with the beginning of the war in First Contact...and go through that trilogy.  Both trilogies are from the human relates to blue's perspective, but Chaos born is completely from the blue's perspective and that is so cool.  Anyway, read them read them read them.

and to you Michael...write more!  :)
3026131
Sanderson is incredible. His world building is some of the finest, and he has an unparalleled ability to create cohesive magic systems that just keep getting more interesting.
4112637
Fantastic! but whats next? does it end here? this series truly has me wanting more, the literary hook has been set. Magic without monsters, without fairy in the back ground, but still, evil lurks? count me in. A fun frolic in this fresh world by Larry Correia. This almost creates it's own genre of magical urbanism. Mr. Correia is right up there with Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne, The world is well thought out alternate realtyesque and deserves the discerning readers eye.
1985193
This has been a great fantasy series so far. I love Loren. I wish I knew where I could find an actual Nightblade so I could use it on people who take 20 items into the '10 items or less' aisle. My only beef is: Where is Book 4 ?!?!
2470402
I received an eGalley of White Sand in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

First of all, I'm a huge Brandon Sanderson fan.  I loved the Mistborn trilogy and Way of Kings.  I also own pretty much every other book he's written, even if I haven't read it yet, and most of them I got signed when I got the chance to go to a book signing two years ago.  But I still tried to approach this graphic novel from an unbiased place.

White Sand is billed as a missing piece of Sanderson's Cosmere (aka that grand plan he has for all his epic fantasy novels- go google it, it's awesome!) finally being released.  Sanderson himself said it works great as a graphic novel since the magic system is better seen than read and it also helped trim down the story.  It follows several characters, but most notably Kenton, a young, and rather talentless, sand mage who is trying to impress his father.  Tragedy strikes and sends him, and his world, into a tail spin.  He ends up traveling with a Duchess, Khrissella (better known as Khriss- and if you follow the Cosmere this probably means A LOT to you) from Darkside as she searches for answers.

Brandon Sanderson is the king of twists, at least for me.  I don't know how many times, when reading his books, where I just have to put it down and go "Did that really just happen?" in such a wonderful way.  Part of that is his fast-paced writing and exciting characters that don't give me the room to sit back and try to guess at what might happen, and part of it has to do with how good he is at timing and hiding things in plain sight.  Even knowing a little bit about what this was before starting, at the end of each chapter I ended up getting blown away and I couldn't stop reading.  The first chapter was a little rough for me, if only because I didn't care for any of the side characters and there were a lot of them, so it got a little distracting.  But then I read chapter two and I didn't put it down.

My favorite thing, beyond the amazing and unique magic system (do you expect anything else from Sanderson, though?) and crazy awesome world building (I really, really hope we get to explore this world more!), were the characters.  Kenton immediately draws the readers attention, but all the major players, revealed by the end of the book, are ones I'd love to read about even if it was just them.  Particularly Khriss.  I didn't know how I would feel about her when she was first introduced, but within two lines she has made herself a favorite of mine.

I can't wait to pick up a final copy of this one.  It's already released, so the only thing holding me back really is cost (and how much money I've been spending on books lately is getting ridiculous).  If you're a fan of Sanderson, or epic fantasy, or graphic novels, or just good stories, pick this one up!  The wait between them might kill you, but it will also give you the perfect opportunity to read the other books in the Cosmere (or reread them, whatever the case may be).
4764302
This is some exceptional writing. I couldn't put the book down! The characters and ambiance were seductive and complex. Once I reached the end of the book, I was eager for more story. The ending is somewhat unsettled with loose ends, but that is the only dissatisfaction I have with Stygian. Also, considering the current climate of series writing, my complaint feels a bit petty, but I want MORE dammit. Also, I don't think the book would have worked with some condensed form of the story crammed in to provide the perfect resolution that readers often want. Stygian was paced well & the perfect length to stay true to its purpose. Just hopeful there will be more volumes to continue the saga.
4907356
The richness and details of the art is what you pay for.  I love Sanderson's Cosmere and the richness he creates with his normal novels.  In this graphic novel I trade long prose and dialog for the artwork.  This is also the first of three expected volumes.  So at the end of Act 1, I want to rush ahead to find out what happens next.  But Act 2 is not available yet.  As this is Volume 1, it is a good set up for the rest of the story.  It only took me about 2 hours to read the words.  I think I spent another 2 hours enjoying the art.

For those that follow his Cosmere, we get to meet Khriss - I already know more about her than before.  I'm looking forward to learning more.

Sorry to the fans expecting a novel.  The beauty of the artwork in this graphic novel is amazing.  Well worth the price.
2831809
I'm completely in love with the idea of a King Midas retelling, and wish this book were longer! A unique magic, high seas adventure, betrayals, monsters, and a little bit of romance? Definitely a fun read!

While I loved the book's premise, the opening half, and the second half and ending lost me a little. It just went by too fast, and I don't think there was enough development or tension for me to fully believe everything that happened. It was all resolved a little too quickly. The characters are very good, with Kora being a strong character doing her best in rough situations, Aris being mysterious, and Royce being a brood-machine. While I didn't wish harm on any character, I wanted Kora to struggle a little more. I also did not find the main villain intimidating at all.

As far as romance, there was a lot of that. While I found Rhat and Hettie to be completely adorable and was fairly engaged in Kora and Aris' budding romance, I really struggled with Kora's romantic tensions with Royce. His character turn pretty much gave me whiplash, as did another character midway through.

I'm not sure the writing style fit, either. It's not bad at all, but for most of the book I'd forgotten that it was supposed to be taking place in ancient Greece. The dialogue, that which wasn't awkward at times or heavy with exposition, seemed a little too modern for the time period. I confess I'm ragging on this book a lot, but I honestly did enjoy it and am super glad I got another take on the King Midas legend. I think there's a tease for another book, since this one ends with a few open plot lines, but it's hard to know for sure. I would like to hope so, because there's so much potential here, so many aspects that can be discovered not just about Greek lore, but about Kora herself.

I recommend A TOUCH OF GOLD to anyone who loves classic Greek lore and is looking for a new spin on it. This is a light read and with its high seas adventures, it's perfect to take to the beach and relax under the sun. Give it a chance so we can get that sequel!
2967325
I picked this book up after seeing the good reviews to help fill my time while waiting for the next George R.R. Martin book... and I was very pleased! I feel really spoiled after GRRM and have had a hard time getting into other fantasy stories, but this book was definitely up to par. It took me a bit to get into it, like 80 pages or so, but once I was hooked, I was hooked! I read the first 80 pages in about a week, and the remainder of the book I polished off in like 3 days! ha. But of course the other books aren't released yet, so it's another series that I am (im)patiently waiting to be finished...

Point is, I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Kvothe is a great character with a fascinating story. I also must mention that magical elements in the book (sympathy, etc) are really, really well thought out and described in believable detail. The world-building is notable too. Great debut for Rothfuss!
698944
I like this little story, it feeds my need for more from the Farscape universe. I feel there is so much untapped potential with the Farscape universe, how about some full length novels, or a movie follow up or spin-off!
2301894
I've read many of Sanderson's works, including his work on The Wheel of Time, and I've always meant to dive into Elantris. I'm glad I finally did! Kolo?
1353999
Loved it! Quite a few funny bits, some good action, and an interesting magic system. I especially liked that the main character was a 40-something academic sorceress!

My only complaint would be that it wasn't long enough! That is, it was long enough for the price, but I really wanted to see more of this world and these characters!
3721792
I really hope that someone puts these series on the big screen! I truly enjoyed, appreciated, and loved the first two novels. I have to read the last one like ASAP!
381512
I could not wait for this book to be released. Queen of Shadows was amazing! Aelin has developed so much as a character. And Rowan. Ahhh. I am so in love with Rowan. After reading this book, I was left wanting more.

What more could you want from a series?! You have assassins, romance, magic, and mystery all in one series! I am looking forward to the next book.
729398
This is probably one of my most favorite Warhammer Novels I have ever read.  They need to do more novels of the Knights of The Blazing Suns.