Dawnshard - Brandon Sanderson

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⭐ 7.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

This is a novella that takes places between Stormlight Archive 3 and 4, following Rysn, a plucky side character from the main series as she explores this world and expands the universe. I did appreciate that aspect, as I think the physical world of that series is the best part, and we get a look into some new races and places, while still leaving a ton of mystery.

Stormlight has bothered me more recently with its exhaustive character introspection. All the characters are constantly monologuing about their feelings and insecurities, instead of just showing us with their actions how they feel (which I think is why these books are also insanely long). Well the shorter page count meant less of that (but still some), which was a nice change. I like Rysn and her arc, and enjoy seeing her do things and not just think about how sad she is.

I also think Sanderson has a pretty adolescent sense of humour, and all of his humourous characters are not funny to me. This novella features a fan favourite, Lopen, and I find him incredibly annoying. He has a great arc as well, I just wish I could read his chapters without being annoyed.

Overall I like what this novella brought to the table, and I hope and pray the 5th Stormlight focuses on actions and not just feelings.

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