Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson

4 reviews

da3m0nic's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

purplepenning's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I gather that this is the most Cosmerey of the secret projects? Although it was my least favorite of the four, it was still an interesting, entertaining read. An astrophysics-based sci-fi story with an almost superhero feel to it. It dragged a bit for me — I think I would've rated it higher if it had been shorter.

Content Warnings

ilovewednesdays's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Overall Rating - 8.5/10

Plot - 9/10

Excellent. The Sunlit Man is Sanderson’s homage to “old westerns and their modernized versions, like the Mad Max films.” It’s fast-paced and dope as heck. I was gripped the whole time, eager to reach each beat. Plot, character, and world were intertwined in a way that improved each one and kept them all moving forward.

World-building - 10/10

Outstanding. Sanderson, as usual, masterfully creates a vibrant world here. It’s unique, complex, and creative. The Sunlit Man is set on

Canticle, a planet with one hemisphere always covered in deadly daylight that incinerates those unfortunate souls caught in the sunrise. The planet’s inhabitants must always stay on the dark side of the planet, so live in mobile cities that are constantly moving forward

. This is a standalone novel but I just know there are so many stories that could be told here.

Characters - 8/10

Very good. Reviewing Cosmere books can be a little weird, because I’m unable to know what the experience would be like if I didn’t have a self-awarded MCS (Master of Cosmere Studies). The main POV character, Nomad, is a side character from a different book, so I came into this already having thoughts and feelings about him. That said, I absolutely loved his arc in this book. Nomad is characterized pretty clearly, and his development is satisfying. And as usual, Sanderson weaves that development into the plot in a satisfying way. Rating would be 9/10 if so much of his backstory wasn’t “locked” behind spoilers for upcoming Cosmere novels. That made it more difficult for me to really dig into what motivates him.

Prose - 8/10

Very good. I’ve heard it said that Sanderson doesn’t have very good prose. That his writing is too simple/straightforward. And for his first few published novels, I would agree! Here’s the thing though: Sanderson is a veteran of putting out well-written, cohesive, creative, and compelling books (I think he said this is his 15th novel?). With that depth experience, his prose are far from lacking at this point. It’s not super flowery/poetic, true, but he uses language well, describes places and events in the perfect level of detail, and he conveys the emotional impact of character moments with skill. Also, he writes a DAMN good fight scene.

Theme - 7/10

Good. I don’t usually see conveyance of theme as one of Sanderson’s greatest strengths. I care enough about his plots, worlds, and (sometimes) characters that theme doesn’t really stand out for me. I think he’s starting to change that, however. Although I didn’t walk away from The Sunlit Man thinking about life in a new way or questioning my perception of morality, Sanderson did communicate themes of redemption, self-realization, and compassion well enough to add fuel to the fiery plot and character moments. Felt big feelings, y’all.

Content Warnings

walkie_check's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

More...