The Stormlight Archive - Why is it so popular?
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- I'm on a mission to help you find your next favourite book.
Welcome to the Stormlight Archive, one of the most successful fantasy series of all time. This is a spoiler-free introduction to help new readers get started, AND a deeper look into why these enormous books are bestsellers!
We'll talk about Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar, and their separate plotlines that are still focused on the same goals. We'll discuss how the massive length of these books are actually a big part of why they're successful. And we'll look into how Sanderson depicts real mental health challenges that affect us all.
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I think the introduction of Kaladin through someone else’s eyes is genius. Simple because it allows the reader to instantly fall in love with this heroic character. This could never work through Kaladin’s POV so fast, simply because he doesn’t view himself this way.
Oh! That's a very good point! :) Chapter 1 does a bunch of good stuff. It's just the weird jump to chapter 2 that makes it so disorientating.
excellent point omg
If I remember well, Kaladin had drepresive tendencies from childhood. He talks about how, during the rain season, he felt numb and unmotivated, and he wasn't completely ok the rest of the year.
I'm not expert, but I think he was suffering mentally before his PTSD
Yes
Yes, he had depression and seasonal affective disorder as a teen, even before he joined the military.
I love the Prelude and Prologue intros in TWOK. I think its actually part of why it is so good.
Prologue is ok, but I love the prelude. Brando started off his series with a promise that it would end, I appreciate that greatly.
Personally I think they gave a great preview for the kinda books I was about to read. Kind of a road sign saying, very chonky magic system and big world building ahead, proceed with caution.
The only time I didn't like Shallan is when she took a certain someone's boots, because it was pretty mean to do it to someone lower-class than her. But other than that she's great.
On the other hand, the audiobook version of that scene was hilarious.
I love Mappo and Icarium. They do be walking around taking a stroll though 😅
I just rewatched your video again. I am on WOR now. I saw the time table again of the series schedule. Gosh, I really hope I'm not dead by the time he finishes the series😂😂😂😂 I'm 63 now oy! 😂😂😂
This is so well thought out! Aside from obvious reads (LoTR, Harry Potter), Mistborn and Stormlight were my first deep dive into fantasy (36 yo M). They sparked my love of reading as an adult and have lead to my picking up many other books. My challenge is that I have had a really hard time enjoying my other reads and this video really helped me to understand why Sanderson books tend to be sooo much more enjoyable to me. I have read and can appreciate many other series (e.g. Three Body, Wheel of Time, Red Rising, Broken Earth, Gentleman Bastards, Poppy War, First Law, and Green Bone) but they all feel like 3 star series that I probably wouldn't pick up again. I have felt like there is something wrong with me for struggling to enjoy these wildly popular book series but this video has helped me to understand why Sanderson really elevates the reading experience for me. I just need a particular flavor in order to go crazy for it.
I think no matter how well rated or popular a book series is, it doesn't automatically mean everyone will love said series. I have tried getting into the Fifth Season but I ended up not liking it as much. Stormlight Archive on the other hand lived up to the hype and it's one of my all time favorites.
I'm currently on book 4 of Wheel of Time, while the first 3 books were all solid, book 4 is finally upping the stakes and now starting to feel epic in scope.
I’ve always thought of the way he written his trilogies as being the characters, so essentially each get a book. So with WoK you have the three stories of Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar.
God damnnn. Your tone and choice of words in speaking about mental health is so thoughtful, so full of heart and good vibes... I didn't expect such helpful inspiring vibes when I clicked. Much love to you, cat and the rest of your family!
One of the things I think makes it very popular, like most of Brandon's work it's not a overly complicated read and the story moves along at a good clip.
This was a really well thought out discussion of the Stormlight Archive and it's major themes and appeals to readers. Thank you for making this! I never knew Teft was considered to have ASD and went down a long rabbit hole on Reddit about it before coming back to finish this video XD The way Sanderson discusses mental health is so, SO important to me as a reader. The series as a whole has more relatable characters and, for me personally, tear-inducing moments than any other. Thanks again for the awesome video! I subscribed for more! :D
Thank you so much for starting this mission. I started reading Fantasy this January, and your guidance is a big help. So: big thumbs up!
I have actually never heard of this series until today lmao . . . I've been living under a rock for like ten years 🤣 Now I'm getting back into reading and I've got so much to catch up on
This was a super great video. You have successfully built up so much hype for this book. Now im seriously looking forward to reading it following me finishing the Mistborn trilogy so thank you for that lol
Really glad your channel got recommended, great stuff! I am in my research like a madman phase before book 5
Well done, my friend! I love your positivity and all around wholesome attitude in all your videos, no matter what series it is! All books should be treated with that kind of respect bc if it gets even only a few people reading, that's a good thing :) also, I laughed out loud at your cut outs/comparison of dalinar, shallan, and kaladin as those 3 holy figures. your sense of humor is perfect and not at all offensive!!!
thanks for making awesome content
Thank you!!! And you're so right. Imagine how boring books would be if every book appealed to every person? We all have preferences and there's no point beating people down for having different preferences to us.
Also I was a bit worried about the trinity joke, so I'm glad you liked it.
this video was so much fun!!! You encouraged me to start the series that was sitting on my shelf for a while now,
Great video. your excitement and overall look of joy over these books is great to see
What a great video!
I just started my Stormlight Archive journey in June and I am already on Words of Radiance. Yes the structure is sometimes weird but I end up enjoying every single chapter :D I learned about Sanderson just last year during the whole kickstarter thing and when friend shared with me the Tress book I was immediately hooked :D Went through Mistborn era 1, Warbreaker, Elantris, few short stories, and now I am reading through Mistborn era 2 and listening to Stormlight archive :D Thanks for talking about Shallan and dropping the M word, she is an amazing character and I love her even more in book 2 (just had a major thing happened in the story so I am all excited haha). I am also international reader and while English is not my first language I do read these in English and yes, it is very easy to read/listen to and understand BUT the Elantris book was atrocious 😂 I was listening to the audiobook and dang, never do that to yourself! I think it highlights everything wrong with the prose and it is my least favourite book so far, mostly because of this 😂 all the other books were amazing as an audio tho :D Thanks again for the great video! and sorry for the wall of text :D
Also, AMAZING Pratchett collection you're having there 👍
I am usually VERY critical whem people use this word to dismiss any criticism of female characters, but in the case of Shallan its undeniable.
Okay, this is a really good review and analysis. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
your cat at the end :') adding this series to my tbr!! thx for all your amazing content!
What a series and another great video! Can’t wait for what’s next.
As for 1 of the 2 people who haven't heard of this series, thank you for this intro, I'll definitely be reading this.
Thanks for another great video! I love the way you introduce these books with so much info for different types of readers. It's been very helpful. Cant wait for the next one!
P.S. KITTY ❤
Always a great time watching your videos ❤
I really enjoyed the depth you go to in your analysis! Subbing and looking forward to the next videos! :D
Yesss another video 🌻 really enjoy your video’s, there so positive and non-judgemental. So thank you for the content, looking forward to the next one! 😊
Also Nyenaeve is such a cool name (haven’t read WOT…jet, but really like naming pets as characters we love/like my cat’s called Geralt of Kittia🤣) and I appreciate the very cute cats always. 🌻
Omg Geralt of Kittia is such a good name!!! Kudos to you! And thank you for your lovely comment. ❤️
classic! good naming
I think the whole theme for the stormlight archive is the fact that like all these people are broken mentally in some way or another and I think that has something to do with why Spren exist.
The Way of Kings took me a while to get into. I had just read Mistborn and then Elantris and absolutely loved both.
But I didn't have the same experience when reading TWoK. I read the first 3 chapters, and while Chapter 2 was insanely interesting, I wasn't hooked. I then paused for a few weeks, when i picked it back up on Chapter 4 and Kaladin was.. somewhere else. I thought I was going crazy and thought I missed a chapter or 2.... So i stopped. Didn't pick it up again for about a year.
Glad I did because I was eventually hooked!
Kaladin also suffers from seasonal affective disorder, you see it whenever the weeping comes around.
Dude!! Just discovered your channel. Love that intro!!
Love your energy and in-depth detail. Subscribing!
What a coincidence, i just picked up the first book!! Thank you for this video. I have been dipping my toe into fantasy recently. I just started The Farseer series. I absolutely love big thick books! I feel they take hold and become a part of me. (Such as historical fiction by Margaret George...great author)
Looking at your videos I feel I have just found several hours of UA-cam. Love it
I already had It in my TBR BUT your video was justo amazing!! Now I want to jump right into It 😃
Amazing video! Keep up the hard work 💜
This makes me so happy! THANK YOU!
@@cronkthebookguy 💜😋
First time viewer ... I enjoyed watching. Thank you :)
Love this series! If I could inspire just one person with my work as he has for so many it would be a dream come true :)
Love the breakdown! I always struggle to describe the series to people and you did such a good job!
Also, as someone who doesn’t love Shallan, let me just say I do think she’s very well written and I love reading about her story. But she still is a character I don’t love, and I think sometimes there’s characters we just don’t click with. Not sure there’s a book where I love every character. Now if they don’t see how she’s well written and just wanna hate her that’s different. But I understand if people don’t like her. Or any of the characters. I’ve heard some who don’t like Kaladin and many who don’t love Dalinar, and they are my personal top favs, Outside Hoid. But I don’t count him cuz he’s well. Hoid.
Subscribed! Great video sir, I liked the pacing, content and delivery...very fun and informative, I am already caught up in Stormlight and have read almost all of the Cosmere! Brandon is a beast of an author, love his works! Thank you for this video, hopefully more people will dive deep into Roshar and the other planets. The only thing I would like to critique/suggest is that you need to give spoiler warnings, This is by no means spoiler-free and I shouldn't elaborate further since that would bring spoilers to the comment and defy the purpose of writing this haha, I can give you one example though..what you mentioned that happens at Rythm of War is a huge nope (min 27:55)
love love this content. earned a sub for sure.
18:10 this vulnerability is exactly why i find it hard to share my visual art. For me it's showing my mental and emotional insides to ppl.
I dont have the ability that some do to push off outside opinion. I know all artists of all outlets feel this way, but only some can push through it.
Subbed! because i love your intro. :)
Oh great! I barely started to read those books, did not been introduced to Delinar really, and idea of him looking like Pedro Pascal already lives in my head rent free...
I literally just got a tattoo of The Dog and the Dragon last week as a helpful reminder to keep a perspective that isn't so hopeless.
Great video! This was very thorough, and while I’ve not been as big of a Stormlight enthusiast after Rhythm of War, I think you’re right on about the “gateway prose” description. I can’t wait for your First Law video (I’m currently reading Wisdom of Crowds)! Beautiful cat! 😻
Edit: is there a way to email or message you? I’d love to have you as a guest on my “Why Read?” discussion series, if you’re interested!
He'd be a great guest!
Omg! That sounds amazing! Yes, yes, a million times yes! ;)
I do have an email available for business enquiries, in the about section. ❤
We can talk about why you don't like Rhythm of War?😢
Also so cool that you're up to Wisdom of Crowds. It's...probably his best work.
This is a great video and you are very likeable.
Thanks
Man 😮 wow, this video is awsome... love it ❤
I’ve had WoK on my shelf for 2 years. Read all of Mistborn in the meantime but WoK was just so intimidating for some reason. I’m doing a TBR Jar thing this year and I pulled WoK. I’m only 130 pages in but kicking myself I waited so long to start. I already love it and excited to keep reading.
Regarding the first chapters… maybe because I’m not a new fantasy reader but the time jumps didn’t bother me at all. I was pretty much like “8 months and whoa this character really hit rock bottom in the meantime… I’m sure it’ll be revealed over time what happened” and continued on.
I actually struggled with Sanderson's opening for the Mistoborn series once into the story the flow is a great adventure . Side-bar love the cat introduction
Oh interesting! That's true, the opening of mistborn is a bit random too.
Thank you I love your videos
Great work!!!!
I see Steelheart back there. Please please please PLEASE make a Reckoners video! It’s my favorite young adult series, and it genuinely deserves more attention. The audiobooks are also fantastic. Whether you like the series or not, I’d still just love to hear your thoughts on it. You are an amazing channel and a Diamond in the rough.
Excellent!! Bravo!!
The intro to this video 😂 Bravo.
Great video, sweet kitty!
Tha WoT Spoiler just killed me 😒
Never google anything whatsoever about WoT
I have just read the 4 books (that are currently out) in a couple of months which is the most reading time that I have given to a book or series of book since I had children. It obviously means that I loved them but my main issues with Stormlight Archive are:
1. Opening: As you said, the first 4 chapters are confusing. If you add to this, the background exposition which means that nothing is explained to you but you just face new vocabulary, concepts, species (it took me a full book to understand what rockbuds were), plus the transition chapters in between acts, the first half of the first book is not easy to get into. Not everyone wants to read 500 pages before understanding what the main plot lines are about. I almost did not pursue and just insisted because of the positive feedback I had read about the series and Sanderson' s reputation.
2. Transition POV between acts: I hate them and like them at the same time. I like them for the lore but hate how they interrupt the flow of the story, how they spend time with characters that we don't care about and that we will never see again. Some are better than others but overall I just wanted to pass them.
3. Flashbacks: I love a good flashback in a TV show or a movie. I even love when a movie or a series plays going back and forth between timelines. But It does not work for me in a book, or at least, not done this way. The same as for the transition POV, they break the flow of the storytelling and ruin my engagement. I like to extend my knowledge of the lore or world building reading a separate book. I would love to have read a full book about Dalinar's past but I hated these long chapters sprinkled around.
Really, it tells maybe more about me and my impatience when I read a book and binge reading habits; but I want a book that makes me want to keep reading, the next page, the next chapter even late at night. With Stormlight Archive, so many times after finishing a chapter when I was really into it, I was really disappointed to start a new chapter and discover that it was a slow flashback or or a random POV. I found myself reading the chapters out of order to skip what I did not want to read and come back to them when I was done with a specific plot element.
Just reading the brand of mourning from mistborn. I think this series will be the next one in line
I’ve literally never heard of this series! I am the two people!
🙋♀️ I'm one of the two people who has never heard of "The Stormlight Archive"
ETA: Yes, Nainee (sp?) is absolutely adorable 😻
Kitty!!!! Personally a book under 500 pages is rarely a book. Adding to TBR.
I remember actually hugging the book at various points while reading The Way of Kings. That's how much I enjoyed it 😅
Aww! I think I hugged oathbringer at one point. Teft's oath...🥹
I like elephants.
Now I'm really interested in reading those books, and will, once it has an end. by the way would you say that it does backflashes well? I'm looking for a book that is good at backflashes
Hurray! 😃
Yeah absolutely there are great flashbacks here. In Oathbringer in particular, the flashbacks were world shattering. Very much a show-don't-tell type of backstory reveal. And the way it ADDS to the main plot instead of distracting is very satisfying.
People don't hate shallan because they are misogynests, it's because her humor is extremely hit or miss, your love or hate of her is going to be based on whether you think she is clever and funny or not. A lot of these people who don't like shallan love jasnah, for example, who is basically the same character type, but more refined and serious.
100% love Jasnah, and almost every other one of Sndersons female characters, but find shallan very annoying.
Although she does have some great moments.
I like shallan but I find his misogyny explanation very reductive. There are many reasons why someone wouldn't like shallan and that could be one but its definitely not front and center
I'm loving Way of Kings so far, but for anyone who's coming directly from reading the Mistborn trilogy, be warned: It's MUCH slower paced. For comparison, I'm currently at around pg. 541, and there hasn't been any explanation of the revealed magic systems so far. If I remember correctly, The Final Empire had already explained most of the main magic system before pg. 200
Great intro haha
Do you think this would be ok to start right after finishing mistborn trilogy?
Absolutely, my friend! Mistborn and Stormlight can entirely be read without reading the other. :) In fact on my first read through of the Cosmere, I did the first Mistborn trilogy then started Way of Kings. So I can vouch for that option personally!
@@cronkthebookguy thank you!
Your videos are so good! I just started a book tube/outdoor channel. My first videos are pretty cringe… but excited to keep growing! Look forward to learning more from you as I dive more into my Fantasy journey.
Congrats on getting started! Everyone's first videos are cringe. My first two were messy in so many ways. Keep practising!
Editing on this video is peak XD
Just started and omf this is so good, literally had to get back to work in the middle of the first big battle scene, but boy can I not wait to see how Cenn gets out!
Omg 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I personally disagree with people who criticize Sanderson because of his simple writing style. It's not inherently bad; it could be *better*, but he puts so much focus on dialogue and character development that it hardly feels like his prose takes away from the story as a whole.
Also I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought the first chapters were really... weird. Lol
So i guess Mappo and Icarium do okay in Deadhouse Gates. Probably should have waited a day or two before watching this
I don't know if I'd say they do OK exactly... But fair point.
Because is good.
My reaction as soon as you said Pedro Pascal as "Daddy Dalinar":
- LOL "Daddy Dalinar"...
- OMG, Pedro Pascal would be amazing! (although maybe when he has a few more years on him lol)
Ha! Great minds! 😉
Not how I see Dalinar. When I see Pedro Pascal, I think I would love to have a beer with him. Dalinar should be the last person in the world you want to have a beer with. The opposite of fun. Physically more imposing then pascal as well, and most likely older. Maybe not older but old fashion and stuck up. Pedro Pascal is definitely too cool and charming.
This is a great review / explanation that helped me get others to give Stormlight a chance. I have to disagree about the narrators you mention on the Audible versions. I found their narration horrible. I prefer the Graphic Audio versions. One million times better and the GA team actually took the time to give the characters appropriate accents. The Australian sounding voice for Lopen and other Herdazians makes me cringe. They have a Spanish like base using many Spanish nicknames and words as accents and a Latino accent is a much better fit. There are other voices that bug me and I get that they are only two people with limited voice options versus a whole cast but I feel the series wasn’t done justice by their narration. I would highly recommend to anyone that gets a chance check out the Graphic Audio versions of the Stormlight Archives, especially if the length of the books is intimidating or you don’t normally like audiobooks. Absolutely amazing and hard to stop listening. Full cast with very different and distinct but appropriate voices and sound effects. ❤
I argree with everything , but man shalan is cringy af......
and its not misogny , i love Lift and Jasnah as a character.....
Cause it’s great 🤷♀️
I'm currently at the middle of oathbringer. I do like shallan but I don't like her when she's on her own. Like I found really boring the parts of her history on word of radiance. I love jasnah
You're thickly talking up Kate Reading's performance. I frequently wonder if I'm listening to Glados during her parts of the book.
Am I number one or number two? 0:54
Seeing as how it's sold so much, I don't think the part about it being hard to get into is not true, and fancy pros aren't everything. There's books praised as best in fantasy even though the story, characters, and world are flat out bad, but because of the "pros," it's good. I'd rather have a good story. Characters and world building over fancy writing.
I really enjoy your videos and introductions to series, as a Stormlight reader and Shallan fan, I do find it a bit disingenuous to write off all criticism of the character as being based in sexism, is there a vocal group that hates shallan simply for being a woman, of course, but to make a broad generalization that any criticism of her is coming from a sexist view is wrong in my opinion. Anyway keep up all the great work this video outside of that was great.
We should cast pedro pascal 🤣 lmao
I think you're a little unfair on the fans who don't like Shallan. The biggest reason I've heard is that her humour is 'cringe'. I personally think she's an awesome character and I love her story, but if you don't get on great with Sando's humour, you won't like Shallan at all.
Good video, abysmal take on Shallan. Most of the criticism of her character is because she starts as a bratty teenage girl who thinks she is way smarter than she is, not because everyone who dislikes Shallan is misogynistic.
She is beautifully and intentionally written to excellently portray this kind of naive, annoying, think-she-knows-it-all child where everything she says sounds witty and smart in her own head and every idea she has she thinks is genius, but is not that funny or smart to those around her. It's extremely grating if you don't happen to find her very childish, very Wit-style humor enjoyable. Luckily I do enjoy her humor, so I like Shallan, but lots of people who just want mature perspectives and dialogue, very understandably do not. This is especially true in the first book where it is the most glaring, before she has time to mature a little. Words of Radiance is my favorite partly because of just how much growth and improvement Shallan's character makes in it
I think WoKs turns a lot of people off to Shallan. Her sections were so slow compared to Kaladin and are much better on re-reads when you aren't at the edge of your seat during each Kaladin section only to be let down when it is time to read a Shallan section.
NINE acts? NINE unmade? Idk seems like a bad omen...
X-files theme intensifies... ;)
Ah, Shallan Davar, how much I dislike it when it cuts to her perspective.
Her story isn't bad, per say it's just the other 2 had a lot more interesting things going on. That is until part 17. When it went back to Kaladin, I actually wanted to stay. Up until that point, it was "Oh finally the build up for some future important event ended we can get back to the real story."
Isn't Mistborn one of the most loved Sanderson's series? And the main character in arc 1 is a girl?
.......just because you like Shallan and other don't doesn't mean they are mysoginistic. 🤨
I think ive made it 700 pages in to Way of Kings twice. Then i just got bored. Extremely bored
It is so curious to see someone that exited about this series, I read half way through the way of kings and hated it with passion, every single page except for Shalan, her chapters were quite enjoyable and I liked her character, but her dialogs were atrociously cringe, I can see how some people may dislike Shalan just for this cringe fest of dialogs.
I don't like shallan in book 1. I find her dry and boring. In later books as her mental state starts to crack she becomes much more interesting. About halfway through WoR she becomes much better.
See that Mulan joke isn't it. For me, she started off at massively high stonks, then plummeted, and granted, given her situation, it's totally fair, but it's incredibly sad to see her become less hilarious each book, she needs her sense of humor reinvigorated, Lift just does not fill that void
And that's not to say she isn't an interesting or compelling character, she definitely is and is finely developed over time with enjoyable climaxes to her story chunks, however I still like her less, and besides the humor, Jasnah coming back alive felt like a tremendous blow to her character. She felt like she was just beginning to make strides to fill her master's shoes, with the discovery of Uretheru, and then, like nothing Jasnah is back, I even both hoped and figured that she was still alive, but i was hoping she continued to have a distant, background role, helping Dalinar and the main cast with affairs from afar, or always having something more critical she was working on
Great summary. 1 thing I do not agree with in the plot section. You are saying that compared to other book series we do not get lost in side plot lines and focus on the 3 main plot lines. I disagree! There is a lot of time spent on single POV chapters that are unrelated to the main plot lines, characters that we do not know, we do not care about and are very frustrating to read. At every main part transition, (3 times per book) you get 100 pages that are not related to the main plots. You compared to Lord of the Ring or ASOIAF but in those books, the side plot lines are more interesting to me because they are still with characters that we know and care for. Here, a quarter of each book is disconnected from the rest and only provides value in the next book, 800 pages later. Martin does that in ASOIAF but only in the prologue which is much easier to digest.
Overall, Stormlight is excellent for characters and world building,.....weaker with the plot.
I finished the 4th volume and gave up.
Couldnt get past the first 5 pages. Just unbelievably bad
The "real world" of this world has been races kept continents apart and hardly ever meeting, except in cross roads, such as the Middle East.