u/Speedwizard106

It’s hard to choose just one, but if I had to pick:

A description of Gorst in Sharp Ends - “He looked like a clenched fist.”

Also, Stour and Clover’s little tryouts looking for a magic user to contend with Rikke.

I had a couple:

- Weakest PoV of going to warn about the Shanka/getting executed by Calder

- A “little people” chapter during the Battle of Adua

- Glokta PoV, day in the life as a prisoner in Gurkhul.

- Sulfur, early in his apprenticeship to Bayaz

- Vitari or Shenkt PoV of how they met

- Gorst PoV of his preparation for/loss at the tournament.

- Something from a shanka’s PoV

New Sanderson fan here. After finishing Mistborn era 1 a month or 2 back, I was kind of underwhelmed. It didn’t grab me like some of the other fantasy novels I’ve been reading/listening to. But I liked it well enough to dig deeper into the Cosmere, deciding on Warbreaker as my next stop.

Idk if this is an unpopular opinion, but I liked Warbreaker much more than the Mistborn trilogy. While I didn’t have as good a grasp on the magic system as I did with Mistborn, it was the character work that really made the book sing for me. I was far more invested in Vivenna, Siri, Susebron, and co. than I was in the Mistborn cast. Overall, it feels more… mature, I guess?

• I loved Siri and Susebron’s relationship. They’re just so damn cute. I can see them cuddled up reading in bed and it warms my heart. I especially loved when they started ordering food and stuffing their faces. Siri’s rebellious, but good-natured spirit pairs well with Susebron’s earnest innocence. Their conversations, complicated by Susebron’s inability to speak, had an interesting flow to them that kept me engaged. The “sarcasm” bit got me every time. Overall, I really bought into them as a couple way more than I did Vin and Ellend. I swear I was close to tears near the end as they desperately tried to protect each other from the lifeless.
• I knew going into it there would be some kind of twist, that the God King wouldn’t be the boogeyman everyone expects, but the added wrinkle of him having no tongue and being so sheltered intrigued me. I was locked in on Siri’s chapters from that point on. Susebron’s quite expressive for a guy who can’t talk; I think special attention was paid to all his pauses and looks between writing. Somehow, he never came off as spoiled despite his privileged upbringing. Naive perhaps, but mostly innocent, earnest, heroic even. His reluctance to accept the corruption in his priests made sense and I enjoyed seeing him steadily come to grips with so much of what he knows being a lie. Honestly, his mom is the MVP for raising her son right in that kind of environment. Also, I just find it funny imagining this huge cinnamon roll of a man not knowing what sex or sarcasm is.
• I wasn't as interested in Vivenna’s viewpoint at first. Denth and Tonk Fa were funny, it was interesting to see Vivenna’s reactions to Hallandren society, but I just wasn’t drawn in as I was with Siri/Susebron. That is until the betrayal. I was shocked by Denth and Tonk Fa’s 180, didn’t see it coming at all. And I was greatly invested in Vivenna’s ensuing chapters. I can’t say I expected such a raw portrayal of what it’s like to live on the streets, but it was certainly effective. It was almost like reading a different book. But by the end of her brutal experience, I’d come to care for Vivenna far more and was rooting for her. Her character growth was clear to see. Also, when Vivenna shoulder checks Jewels while escaping the cellar, I can't help but picture that scene from Atlanta where Paperboy pushes that guy rapping at him into a glass panel.
• I'd say Lightsong was my least favorite of the viewpoints. I just didn't find him nearly as funny or witty as he thinks he is. And I wasn't all that invested in his relationship with Lifeweaver. I did like his and Llarimar's relationship though. And the last 25% or so of his story, when we learn about his past life, we see him at his lowest, and he gives his life to heal Susebron, was gripping. I always thought it was funny how he didn't view himself as particularly brave, yet he's constantly doing things anyone else would be too foolhardy/fearful to do.
• I like how Sanderson played with our expectations with Vasher. I first thought he was this badass Kelsier-like character, maybe even one of our main protagonists, then we think he's this intimidating villain that Denth's gotta throw down with. Then all that gets turned on its head and Vasher's the badass hero again. And Nightblood was such a treat. "Draw me! Draw me!"
• Shoutout to Alyssa Bresnahan for her performance on the audiobook. I preferred her narration much more over Kramer in Mistborn. There's just a little more energy/personality in her performance. I especially liked her voice for Nightblood and Susebron.

I've now moved on to Stormlight, in the middle of Words of Radiance, and I still think Warbreaker's my favorite book of Sanderson's so far.

• Ardee and Finree are quite the powerful duo.
• Sad to see Red Hat go. He was probably my favorite minor named man. A chill, straight edge who always had Dogman’s back.
• That Oxel dude was such a dumbass. Soon as Shivers walked in that circle I’d have been like, “my fault, OG. Whatever you say Rikke, you’re the boss.” I really don’t think anyone would blame him for bowing out at that point. Though I doubt he could have been trusted.
• Stour and Clover “interviewing” that first magician was hilarious. Very funny chapter as a whole. And I liked we got to see some more depth from Stour, with how he treated that lady with the long eye (purportedly). He’s a killer, but not a senseless killer.
• Leo may just be the most easily manipulated man in the whole circle of the world. There’s this clash between his honorable side that wants to do things the “right way” and his battle-hungry side just looking for any excuse to fight.
• In my post about ALH, I joked that Rikke, Savine, Leo, and Orso should just be a polycule. Hearing Orso say he’d jump at the chance for Savine to marry him and Leo at the same time left me feeling vindicated.
• Leo really pulled up on Stour like “wanna start a war? It’ll be fun!” The two of them are similar, but this book highlights their differences. Leo’s down to fight for fighting sake. Stour needs a good reason, he fights for power/status.
• Now that the idea’s out there, I HAVE to see Gorst fight Nightfall.
• Terez reuniting with countess Shalere was one of the most satisfying/wholesome moments in the series. I teared up. I was so appalled to see how Glokta treated the two of them in LAOK. I’m glad they have another chance to be together. What an amazing gesture on Orso’s part (even if it was just to get his mom out of the way).
• I see Jappo and Shev share similar sensibilities. Always go to the experts.
• Jappo was actually pretty interesting. I hope we see more of him in the next book.
• “We left lady Finree to fend for herself.” Ironic to hear that sentiment from Brint of all people. Finree would say she left Brint’s wife to fend for herself, though it really wasn’t her fault.
• When Iserni kills that guy in Carleon and starts talking about how he might have been a good man under the grit, it almost sounds like Abercrombie taking an ironic jab at his own character writing. “That guy probably had a tragic backstory, but oh well.”
• Leo was such an idiot, it was hard to feel bad for him as he lay there with his friends dead, carried away by Gorst. A pointless war from the start, based on lies, half-truths, and manipulation. He had so many chances to stop, so many people in his corner that tried to convince him this was a terrible idea. But all for nought.
• I gotta give Tunny his flowers. I thought he was a coward in the heroes, but seeing him now, he really is just being smart. Avoiding a fight when possible, but throwing himself into the fray when fighting is the only option left.
• The last third of this book reminded me a lot of the Heroes. Head hopping from one side of the conflict to another, seeing plans evolve, seeing a bloody mess of fighting. I quite liked it.
• I’m kind of shocked this is only the second book on the trilogy. This whole rebellion thing feels like it could have been the climax of another fantasy series. Very interested to see how Abercrombie tops this in TWOC.
• Orso dressing Leo down while he lay broken was satisfying. No lies were said. I kind of scoffed when Leo said his friends were good men who deserved proper burials. As if they were any more “good” than the thousands who lay dead in the senseless conflict he started.
• Savine does share the blame on this. If anyone could have talked Leo out of this madness beforehand, it would have been her. But when she caught a whiff of Leo and Isha scheming, she made a choice to throw herself into the mix, fueling the fire. I think, in another world, maybe she and Finree together could have swayed Leo.
• In the end, I can’t say I hate Leo, but I am deeply disappointed. He may have been manipulated by Isha, but at the end of the day his choices were his own. In that sense, I think I felt more sympathy for Logen than I do Leo. At least he has the excuse of the Bloody Nine taking over (however dubious it may be).
• Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I almost felt bad for Stour as Shivers cut at his knees. Never got his chance at a fight, and now will never be the swordsman he once was. At the same time, it was good to see him get dropped down a peg. He might actually learn something this time.
• Funny how both these books have ended with Stour and Leo sustaining grievous wounds to the legs. Really want to see what they have to say too each other, if they’re to meet again.
• Rikke’s plan may have seemed cold blooded, but then you remember that Savine had already sold her out to Stour before the fighting even started. And of course she’s not gonna work with Nightfall. “Break what they love.” She’s not forgetting that anytime soon. Thinking about it, I wonder if she specifically instructed Shivers to cut at Stour’s legs, knowing how much he valued his prowess as a swordsman. Either way, it seems Iserni did a better job at making Rikke’s heart a stone than anyone had thought.
• At the hanging, I first thought that Sulfur was telling Orso to spare Leo, but it looks like it was Orso’s choice. I fear the Young Lamb may be due a visit from Bayaz.
• I wonder how differently (if at all) things might have gone if Jezal, Glokta, Finree, and Calder had been more forthcoming to their children about Bayaz. Would the kids have made the same choices knowing Bayaz was the shadow leader of the union, pulling strings and willing to do anything for his own power?
• Pike being the leader of the breakers was a sick twist. To think Pike was just waiting for his moment since the end of LAOK, a chance to burn the Union down.
• I’ve got a feeling Vick may take Vitari up on her offer in the next book. And I imagine Styria will have some role to play as the Breakers/Burners try to take down the Union.
• It’s crazy to think about how Leo, Savine, Orso, and Rikke’s relationships have evolved since the end of ALH. I noted in my last post that I was surprised how they all mostly got along when meeting up in Adua, Savine and Rikke especially. But now:
  • Orso hates Leo and Savine for the rebellion. Or at least harbors very conflicted feelings towards Savine.
  • Despite not being each others first choice, Leo and Savine really grew to love each other. But who knows how their relationship changes now that they’ve lost everything.
  • Rikke’s betrayal’s all but shattered her ties to Leo/Savine. Whereas she and Orso must be on even better terms.
  • I’m sure Savine’s grateful that Orso spared Leo, but if they’re love story wasn’t already over, it sure as hell is now.
• I think I’m starting to understand why people say AoM is the best of the 3 trilogies. All that superb character work is still there, only now I think the plot is more satisfying than the First Law trilogy. Interactions and events feel more deliberate/meaningful. There are more twists, and they make sense when you really go back and think about it. I also think the web of relationships and how they develop are more intricate and compelling, like I highlighted in the last bullet.

- How fitting that Dogman, greatest scout in the north, would have a daughter whom can see into the future/across great distances.

- Love seeing Isern-i-Phail. She’s one of the young characters I was quite looking forward to seeing all grown up.

- Leo was giving Bloody Nine/Gorst energy in that first battle.

- I understand why Orso is into Savine, but seeing how competent and ruthless she is, I have to wonder what she sees in him? Or maybe it’s about pissing off her parents.

- I locked the fuck in when I realized Leo was into Jurend. Used to pray for times like this.

- Interesting to track Shivers’ allegiances over the books:
Joins Dogman
Conspires with Black Dow to kill Logen in LAOK (and subsequently changes his mind)
Rolls with Monza on her revenge quest,
Tries to kill Monza at the end of said revenge quest
Returns to the North to work for Dow,
Kills Dow and joins up with Calder
Disobeys Calder’s order to kill Logen
Returns to the north and joins back with Dogman

- Oh god, Nightfall’s a Bloody 9 fanboy/tryhard. It’s giving Kylo Ren.

- I feel so bad for Brint. Seems like nothings gone well for the guy. Losing his wife, friends, arm, campaigns. He’s a sad man.

- The whole sequence with Savine surviving in Valbeck was excellently done. The constant PoV shifts really sold the chaos of the situation.

- It looks like Dogman and Rikke have a good relationship. Out of all the northmen we’ve come to know, Dogman’s always seemed like he’d be the best father.

- Orso is surprisingly competent when he tries. He knows how to talk to people and might be a better fencer than his father was at his age.

- I know Tunny and Clover would get along swimmingly. Very similar mantras.

- I know Calder was wishing he had Scale killed back in the Heroes while they argued over Nightfall fighting Leo.

- Got to hand it to Stour, he can back up the big talk. He was wiping the floor with Leo. Reminded me of how Dow was dominating Calder in the Heroes, only more impressive given Leo is actually a very competent fighter.

- I like how Stour's battle prowess was kind of up in the air for most of the book. We never see him fight up until the circle. His one claim to fame, killing Stranger Come Knocking, was repeated and downplayed over and over. Meanwhile, we see Leo fight in multiple battles, and hear about all the training he's down with a variety of weapons. I was almost thinking we'd get to the circle and see an anticlimactic easy win for Leo.

- Whether you agree with Leo sparing Nightfall or not, you have to admit he lives up to Logen’s example better than Nightfall. Remember, he spared 5/11 of the men he duelled.

- The way I see it, Stour wants to be the Bloody Nine, and thus comes off as trying too hard to be big and bad. Leo merely looks up to the Bloody Nine.

- Orso and Savine’s relationship always reminded me of Jezal and Ardee, but that marriage declaration cinched it for me. Very cute couple, that’ll undoubtedly burst into flames soon enough (can you tell I wrote this before finishing the book?).

- One of the more fascinating parts of this book is comparing and contrasting the parent/child relationships of the various characters. There’s a lot to get into that I may do a separate post on:
In some ways, Orso is a lot like young Jezal, living a shallow, debaucherous life. At the same time, he’s far more self-loathing than Jezal was in TBI. There’s a level of self-awareness, and maturity there. And there’s a genuine desire to prove himself in Orso, not fueled by spite like Jezal was training for the contest.
Savine is what you get when Arden’s sharp tongue is made all the more dangerous by Glokta’s ruthlessness.
Leo and Stour standout as being quite unlike their respective parent. Finree and Calder are shrewd, tactical, and deliberate. Their respective children are… very much not that.

- Rikke is (understandably) speaking from emotion on Nightfall. Though I do agree that he can’t be trusted. It’s kind of annoying how she won’t come out and tell her father or Leo about what she’d overheard Nightfall say about her. If only so they could better understand her hatred for the man. But I can acknowledge it as something traumatic she might not want to talk about.

- I feel similarly off put by the fate of Savine’s face maid as I was with fate of Brint’s wife in the Heroes. Relatively small characters, but the mystery of it, the fact that we’ll never know precisely what happened to them, gives me pause. She was mean, but she didn't deserve that. "I'm just the face maid!" has been repeating in my head for the past couple days, kind of haunting.

- I guess it’s been awhile since I finished LAOK, but it totally slipped my mind that Savine was Jezal’s kid, that Ardee was already pregnant when she married Glokta. Kind of glad I forgot though. Might not have enjoyed their relationship so much up to now…

- I loved seeing Savine, Orso, Rikke, and Leo all meet up in Adua. I thought there would be a lot of drama, but they all actually got along quite well. I especially loved Rikke and Savine's conversation where there swapped necklaces. Very wholesome. Rikke x Orso was also cute.

- I hate to be that guy but I couldn't help but picture the four of them as a poly couple. Idk, could solve some problems (and make a lot of new ones).

- Felt bad for Jurend, thinking he was gonna have some "alone time" with Leo in Adua. Still holding out for some hot, gay sex in the next book.

- Despite his protests, I wonder if part of Calder is proud/happy Scale is gone. He may have spared him all those years ago, but I get the sense Calder still resented not wearing the chain for himself. Although, Stour is likely to be even less receptive to counsel than Scale was.

- Wow, I was surprised by how much of a bastard Clover is, killing Wonderful like that. Although, given some of Wonderful's less than honorable actions in the Heroes, she'd probably have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. Once again, this idea of a “straight edge” in the north is called into question. Honor seems a rather flexible concept in the North.

I’ve been getting into Fantasy novels over the past few months, mostly audiobooks. I loved Abercrombie’s First Law and Great Leveler trilogies and decided to give Sanderson a try, starting with the Mistborn era 1.

I’ll be honest, I thought it was just okay much of the time. I liked the magic system, both allomancy and feruchemy. I enjoyed the revelations/action during “sanderlanches” at the end of each book and thought the ending of Hero of Ages was clever. But I think the characters weren’t working for me.

- Kelsier was cool, but we only got one book with him. That said, I do like how he kind of continued to haunt the narrative/characters all the into book 3. You can feel the impact he left on everyone who knew him (and some who didn’t).

- Vin and Ellend came off as bland and I didn’t much care for their relationship. Though I appreciate that they’re actually a couple by the start of book 2, instead just pining over each other.

- I never bought Zane as a serious love interest and rolled my eyes at the love triangle plot.
- I did love the scene in book 2 when Ellend told off Tindwyl. “Don’t speak to my wife that way!” And declaring his trust in Vin.

Most of the crew didn’t interest me:

- Ham felt very one note. The whole “I’m a thug, but also a philosopher” thing got old fast.
- Spook was kind of a nothing character to me up till the end of book 2. I wanted to see how he’d “redeem” himself to Ellend, but was disappointed when they never saw each other again in book 3. I think a better job could have been done to set up Spook as a bigger character prior to book 3. Can’t say I was all that invested in him.

- Breeze was a standout. Actually entertaining and charming (though I can’t help but side-eye his relationship with Allriane). I wish we could have explored his trauma from the end of WoA more, felt hand waved away in book 3.

- I actually quite liked Allriane, despite her small role. There’s a fun energy she brings to any scene she’s in, an energy that’s usually missing for me. And I liked seeing her more shrewd, rioter side.

- Sazed was easily my favorite character. His arc is just so much more interesting than anyone else’s. I already liked him in book 1, but watching him wrestle with his whole world view in book 2/3 was a treat. It was fascinating to see someone who was once so full of wisdom/faith feel so utterly lost, having to regain his hope for the future. And to then become a god? It was very poetic.

All that said, I’m still interested in the world and how it changes post time-skip, so I look forward to starting era 2. Also, I’ve since finished Warbreaker and found I liked it a lot more.

I’ve started ALH not long ago (no spoilers please) and wanted to get the timeline straight. As I’ve heard, The Age of Madness books takes place 30 or so years later, but I’m not clear on whether that’s 30 years since the end of LAOK or 30 years after Red Country. I’m assuming the former, but correct me if I’m wrong.

My ranking of the short stories, from most to least favorite:

1. The Fool Jobs
2. Made a Monster
3. Hell
4. Two’s Company
5. Small Kindnesses
6. Yesterday, Near a Village Called Barden
7. Three’s a Crowd
8. Tough Times all Over
9. Skipping Town
10. Some Desperado
11. A Beautiful Bastard
12. Wrong Place, Wrong Time
13. Freedom

• “He looked like a clenched fist” is hilarious as a description of Gorst.
• It’s amazing how similar pre-torture Glokta is to early Jezal. They’re both pompous assholes looking to make themselves bigger by putting everyone else down. The main difference being that Glokta was actually competent (at least as a swordsman).
• With how OP Javre is, I really want to know who/what could have fucked her up so bad in Westport.
• Shev reminds me a lot of Temple. Cowardly, but well meaning. And they both say “Oh God,” a lot. Shev has more of an edge to her though. And she really leveled up in those last two chapters, on some assassins creed shit.
• The chapter with Craw and co was one of the funniest in the series. Everyone bounces off each other perfectly. When Craw’s mind was wandering while they infiltrated the village, I couldn’t help but relate as a person with ADHD.
• Temple’s chapter was a standout. Very serious chapter in a rather comedic book. But it perfectly captured why Cadia was such an influential presence in Temple’s life. I admired Cadia’s approach to religion/God, that one always has a choice. It’s a breath of fresh air. So many characters in the series lament their lot in life saying “I had no choice,” or the like. Cadia rejects that, and stands on his convictions. It especially stood out to me in contrast to Jubear in Red Country, who explicitly used God as an excuse to say all his actions were preordained. Also, “I would have done it for any one of them” had so much aura.
• The Barden chapter set during The Heroes was nice, but I was more invested in that Northman protecting his kids than I was in the soldiers. I teared up when he was holding his daughter, unable to let her go even as he’s urging her to run. Again, Abercrombie gets me to care immensely about characters that I barely know for only a short amount of time.
• It seems a big part of this collection is about humanizing the nameless characters that we would never think about otherwise. We don’t think about the unnamed characters who live, and fight, and die on the margins while our heroes(?) partake in all kinds of adventures. But when we get their PoV, we see that these characters, Wrongside, Anna, Pendle, etc. have lives and personalities just as deep as any one of our main characters. They’re humanized, and now we have to reckon with the fact that so many people just like them suffer because of the events set in motion by main characters like Gorst or Monza.
• It was a novelty to hear Abercrombie voice a chapter, but Freedom also reminded me just how great a job Pacey does with these books. I missed his voice during that chapter.
• It’s good that we got to see Logen in his… prime, as Bethod’s right hand. It’s one thing to hear Logen lament his past misdeeds, but seeing it in real-time, from Bethod’s perspective no less, is something else. Logen really is monstrous in that last chapter. The way he killed/mutilated Rattleneck’s son was unlike anything we’d seen in the series so far.
• That last chapter also made me look at Bethod differently. We never really got much time with him in the First Law. After a brief appearance in TBI, he doesn’t show up till LAOK, and that’s just for a few chapters before Logen kills him. He’s not such a boogeyman here, doesn’t seem anymore fearsome than other northmen, less so even. It’s fascinating to learn more about his and Logen’s dynamic: Bethod says not to do something rash/violent, Logen does said rash/violent thing, Bethod reaps the ill-gotten rewards but silently resents Logen for it, Logen feels justified and emboldened to continue with violence and escalation. While I don’t buy that one man “made” the other into a monster, there was certainly a viscous cycle. Honestly, after reading this chapter, I can’t say I blame Bethod for betraying Logen. The man was an animal. If anything, I’m surprised he had the courage to try it, given how unstoppable Logen can be.
• Going back to LAOK, I wonder if Logen’s talk of peace in that book was modeled after Bethod’s attempts at peace in Sharp Ends.
• I wonder, how differently would we as an audience receive Logen in The First Law trilogy if the last chapter of SH was instead the first chapter of TBI?

I just finished Sharp Ends last night and this came to mind. For much of The First Law, we only have second hand accounts of how much of a bastard Logen was back in the day. But Made a Monster shows us Logen at his worst. How do you think your perspective on Logen and his quest to be a “better man” would have changed if you, for some reason, read Made a Monster before starting the trilogy?

I've just finished my first playthrough, which was an all in physical build (5,1,1). It's kind of the opposite of what I usually go for in games like this, but ended up really enjoying it. Ready to try a different build though.

My take on the best and worst fighters in the series up to Red Country (and a bit of Sharp Ends). I’m ranking them based on feats/statements on martial combat skills. If a character isn’t known to fight hand to hand or with weapons, I didn’t include them (hence no magi). My thought process is, characters have a ~50% chance of defeating someone in the same tier and ~10% chance of beating someone in the tier directly above them. Within tiers, fighters are ranked in no particular order.

Eater tier: Enhanced by magic, can easily wipe out whole squads of soldiers

• Most of Mamun’s eaters
• Shenkt
• Ferro (post LAOK)

S tier: Supernaturally or near supernaturally gifted combatants

• The Bloody Nine - he carries too many of Logen's fights to the rank them the same
• Javre - don’t have a ton to go on as I’m not done with Sharp Ends, but she seems quite OP based on her first two short stories.
• Fenris the Feared
• Stranger Come Knocking - no feats, but I’m taking his statements at face value

A tier: Masters renowned (or feared) across the circle of the world

• General Ganmark - His fight in BSC is how imagine Glokta was moving in his prime.
• Ferro Maljinn
• Bremer Dan Gorst
• Whirrun
• Logen Nine Fingers
• Black Dow
• Shivers
• Friendly
• Tul Duru Thunderhead
• Rudd Threetrees
• Monza (pre-injury)
• Glokta (pre-injury)
• Lord Marshal Varuz
• West

B tier: Experienced and skilled fighters. Exceptional.

• Monza (post-injury)
• Savion
• Waerdinur
• Cosca
• Vitari
• Glamma Golden
• Scale (pre-injury)
• Frost

C tier: Good fighters, well above average

• Jezal
• Pike
• Jalenhorm
• Craw + most of his dozen
• Severard
• Dogman
• Grim
• Shy
• Dab Sweet
• Crying Rock
• Most named men

D tier: Lacking skill and/or experience, no greater threat than an average soldier, if that

• Calder
• Weakest
• Tunny
• Yolk
• Beck

• I immediately disliked Jubear. He uses the idea of God and everything being preordained to take no responsibility for his actions. So many characters try so hard to shirk responsibility for their actions, all in their own way. Jubear blames God, Logen says he has to be what he is. They can choose to change, to do something different at any point, but they continue on with their excuses. Its Shivers who breaks the mold. He came so far, looked so long for Logen, and in the end, changed his mind. He chose to do good despite Calder’s order or his own grudge, he didn’t lock himself in as others do. Also Cosca can at least acknowledge problems as his own fault, even if he doesn’t go on to change his behavior.
• Shivers’ most defining moments in the series so far, killing Dow and sparing Logen twice, have all been him doing the exact opposite of what’s expected of him. “It feels good to let go of something.”
• Cosca’s fall from grace was sad to see. We see him at his lowest point in more ways than one. His callous slaughter of the dragon people was hard to watch. He sounds so pathetic and feeble whining about the money he lost. By the end it almost seemed a mercy for him to be put out of his misery. “I want a chance to do it all over again.” “I won’t be disappointed again.” Those lines stung. I feel for Friendly, who’s lost maybe his only friend. I’m not convinced he would have killed those kids, even for Cosca.
• This book blurs the line between Logen and the Bloody Nine. Or rather, it showed that Logen can be violent and ruthless all on his own. When he murders Sanjeed, when he says it’s not about the children, how he felt joy on seeing the farm burned down. All of these moments weren’t in the midst of battle, unlike with all the other times the Bloody Nine comes out. There’s something very wrong with Logen. And the sad part is, he knows that, all too well. I really do think he wants to be a good man, a better man, but he sees himself as condemned, cursed with a bloodlust that threatens to destroy everything and everyone around him. So he gives in, settles for “being what he is” and leaving everything behind. Another thing, the Bloody Nine came out in almost every one of Logen’s fights in this book. Contrast that to the main trilogy, where I believe he comes out 6 times total or so? It’s like swearing off violence for so long has made the BN come back with a vengeance, like bingeing after denying yourself food for too long.
• I liked Temple and Shy’s relationship. It reminded me of Jezal and Ardee, only without the heartbreak. Temple’s earnestness and Shy’s playful jabs balanced out nicely. Every conversation between the two was a treat. Loved when Temple was ready to kiss her in the morning after Shy was vomiting. I feel the series has lacked actual lasting, loving romantic relationships like this one. Crying Rock and Sweet also add to that score, though we didn’t really see much of them as a couple.
• Doubts really are Temples worst enemy. He’s so hard on himself for never “sticking,” about bumbling through job after job. But when push comes to shove, he’s actually quite good at at least three of them (priest, carpenter lawyer). He’s far more competent than he thinks he is. I’d say he’s one of the smartest viewpoint characters we’ve had so far. His development was handled well, seeing him take the “hard way” more and more hen it counted.
• I wonder if Shivers ever truly planned on killing Logen. His motivations seemed threadbare to me. In my mind, he already had let go of his grudge against Logen for killing his brother, way back at the end of LAOK.
• Shy reminds me a lot of Monza, though less jaded I’d say. She went through some horrible things, did some horrible things, but came out of it still with a conscience and an ability to trust. She actually allows herself to be close to people and form bonds like with the fellowship. She doesn't push people away so hard like Logen, Ferro, or Monza tend to. It’s refreshing. I also liked her scrappy fighting style. She lacks the training of other characters, but still manages to scrape by. I’d still like to know a bit more about her time as a bandit, maybe in Shard Ends, but the bits and pieces we get still paint a good picture.
• I ended up very conflicted on the dragon people. Of course their practice of kidnapping/buying children is wrong. And to kill children that are too old to indoctrinate is horrible. But their massacre brought me no pleasure. I kept thinking, all these dead people were at one point children taken from their homes just like Roe and Pit. At what point do the victims become villains?
• Seeing Roe fight so hard to escape back to to the dragon people was tough. I’m not sure how many months she and Pit spent with them, but I think part of their attachment is a function of their upbringing. Their mother died and they were left with Lamb, only “kind of” their father. So they quickly took to their new father with the dragon people. It’s sad to think they lost two fathers in such a short span of time.

Finished The Heroes audiobook last night. My thoughts:

- The structure of this book is so different from Best Served Cold. We went from a continent-spanning story with all the main viewpoints in a single party working towards the same goal to following multiple factions in opposing sides of a single, huge battle, all with their own motives and agendas. It’s funny how The Heroes feels like such “bigger” story despite only being three days long whereas I believe BSC took place over months.

- The battle scenes were amazing. I’ve never read anything quite like that first day of fighting where we jump from soldier to soldier as they kill and get killed.

- I wish we had gotten more time with Craw’s dozen. As it is, only Craw, Whirrin, and Wonderful left much of an impression on me. The rest either died early on or didn’t get a lot of lines.

- I was immediately endeared to Beck. I knew he was about to be put through the wringer after leaving his mom and brother. Was very invested in his arc. Teared up when he made it back home.

-Calder was born on the wrong side of the Whiteflow. He’d fit in better as a southern nobleman. It was nice to have a northern viewpoint that’s not at all accustomed to battle. Now that I think about it, he kind of reminds me of Jezal early on in the trilogy (if a bit more competent). I enjoyed seeing how much he loved his wife and how conflicted he felt about his brother. I got flashbacks to the end of LAOK during that dinner scene with Bayaz.

- Bremer came a long way from lifting up Jezal in celebration after losing the tournament. I was increasingly shocked by how that squeaky little voice hid a depressive killing machine. Despite the praise his fighting skills earn him, he’s actually quite pitiable in his self-loathing and desperation for Finree’s affection.

- I see Craw and Beck as the inverse of each other. Craw always said he was ready to leave the warriors life, that he’d had enough after all the war and death. But when he finally got a taste of a normalcy, he realized it wasn’t worth it. That the battles and comrades he made along the way were his life, not an unfortunate detour. It gave him meaning. Beck, on the other hand, always dreamed about becoming a named man like his father, but as soon as he had to face real battle, he realized it wasn’t at all the life for him. He gained a newfound appreciation for a “boring” life with his mother and brother. These two end up in opposite positions at the end of the story, Craw back to war, Beck back home, but both feel like a happy ending given their circumstances.

- Black Dow: “The clay used to make me hands so soft.” There’s something about this line, and the greater conversation Dow has with Craw in this scene, that really got me emotional. Even someone like Black Dow can imagine a peaceful life as a potter for himself, in a different world perhaps.

- Whirrin was wildly entertaining. Loved the scene where he invented the sandwich. But as an audiobook listener, it was quite distracting how similar he sounded to Cosca.

- I was kind of on the fence with Finree in the first half of the book. But let me tell you, when she matched Dow’s shouting, she jumped way up in my list of favorites in this book. We see named men shrink away from his outbursts all throughout the book. Yet it’s this Union woman who faces him head on and wins. Great stuff. I also like her interactions with Bayaz, another imposing figure who is rarely challenged. I was disturbed by Aliz’s fate and was not surprised by how it haunted Finree. Aliz suffered one of the darker fates in the series so far.

- While Tunny and co’s chapters were funny, in the end, I’m not sure they added much to the story. I could take it or leave it as far as his viewpoint.

- We didn’t see much of Ishri, but I always enjoyed her presence. Loved how much she freaked people out, skulking around, disappearing/reappearing like Batman.

- This concept of being a “straight-edge” stuck out to me. Characters like Craw, Ten Ways, and Wonderful are described as “straight-edges” yet they don’t always live up to that reputation. They’re praised for being honest and loyal, yet you have Ten Ways trying to kill Calder, and Wonderful turning her back on Dow without a second thought. It seems Craw and Hard Bread are the only two who really care about honor. And even then, we see with Craw how complicated it can be to be good or “straight edge” in their world, agonizing over telling Dow about Calder’s treachery.

- Overall, I really liked this one, though maybe not as much as BSC. I’m only now learning that this one is kind of polarizing compared to the rest of the First Law books. I can understand why, given its unique structure, but it didn’t bother me.

I can’t get enough of Bremer Dan Gorst’s voice. It’s so adorable (though I have to imagine he’d hate to hear that)! I don’t know why I didn’t appreciate it in the trilogy, or did Pacey change it a bit? Kind of reminds me of Day in BSC. Just want to reach over and pinch his cheeks.

I’ve just finished the Last Argument of Kings audiobook a week or so ago. Lots of thoughts, but one character I can’t stop thinking about is Ferro Maljinn. I can see how she might not be an easy character to like. But nevertheless, I do. In fact, I'd say she's my seond favorite character, right under Jezal.

Much of Ferro’s dialogue and inner thoughts paint her as a deeply unpleasant person. She’s so singularly focused on vengeance that everything else is just an obstacle to be avoided or cut down. She seems to hate everyone around her and treats them accordingly. That’s one thing that sets her apart from the rest of the cast. There are many scenes in the trilogy where other viewpoint characters must hold their tongue and only fantasize about what they really want to say to someone. There’s less of this with Ferro, who’ll berate (or beat) whoever vexes her, consequences be damned. It can be a breath of fresh air coming out of a chapter in the Agriont with Glokta or Jezal, where everyone is two-faced and fake.  

Still, I’m sure her abrasiveness can wear on a reader after a while. It helps that there is a clear motivation around her goals and outlook on life. Who wouldn’t come out poorly adjusted after coming out of Gurkish enslavement? Why should she trust anyone when it’s so often led to disappointment or death? Why should she bother forming connections when she’s been routinely used and abused by others? These feelings, if not the dire circumstances, are something I and I’m sure some other readers can relate to. It’s a kind of pessimism that Ferro constantly exudes. I also wonder if her devil's blood, along with enhancing her physical abilities, has an effect on her temperament.

What I find truly compelling about Ferro is that, despite her pessimism, despite her utter contempt for the world at large, she still values and attempts connection with others (however clumsily). You can see it even in the first book, more often in Ferro’s actions than words:  

• When we first meet her, she’s going out of her way to bury her fallen comrades. Three men she kind of hated by the way.
• Despite her show of attacking, insulting, and running away from Yulwei, by the end of their journey to Adua, she doesn’t want him to leave and even accepts the old magi’s embrace (I teared up a bit). It’s one of my favorite bittersweet moments, hearing how alien a simple hug from a friend feels to Ferro. Yulwei became something of a father/big brother figure to her by the end of the trilogy, driven home by how reluctant she was to leave him in the house of the maker and her fury at Bayaz for locking him in. I’m not sure there’s any other character Ferro would call a “good man” as she did Yulwei.  
• She fought desperately to push Logen forward as they were chased by practicals. There were several points during the pursuit where you wouldn’t blame her for leaving Logen behind. Yet she mostly persisted (I think there was one point on the rooftops where she kinda just left), dragging the Northman to his feet and urging him along time and time again.

 

But even so, after all the abuses she suffered in the past, she can’t quite seem to go there as far as meaningful relationships go. She keeps people at arms length and pushes away anyone that gets too close. This is most evident in her and Logen’s messy relationship. It’s clear in the text that she cares for Logen, longs for him in her mind, but can’t express it. She’s had to harden herself so much that emotional vulnerability is a foreign concept. She couldn’t even say “sorry” after accidentally elbowing Logen, not because she wasn’t apologetic, but because the word simply wasn’t in her vocabulary (at least not in common language). To be fair, Logen’s no expert communicator either. It’s heartbreaking and almost frustrating to see two characters who have a genuine connection just… miss each other, like during Ferro and Logen’s “breakup” as they begin the journey back to Adua.

It’s no wonder Ferro and Logen took a liking to each other. Beyond their mutual fighting prowess, they seem to share a similar worldview. They’re both broadly pessimistic, or “realistic,” as Logen would say. And who could blame them? It’s likely neither of them would have lived so long if they weren’t realistic about their respective environments. It’s a matter of survival. Still, it’s that very worldview that stifles them, leading them away from the emotional risks that go along with meaningful relationships. I so wish they had gotten another chance to talk after the battle of Adua, without the devils in Ferro's head getting in their way.

Okay, that’s all I got. Just had to gush about one of my favorite characters for a bit. I hop to see more of her in the standalone books or sequel trilogy (no spoilers please).

Also,

How ironic is it that Ferro, the most antisocial viewpoint character in the trilogy, would be cursed to live with voices in her head?

About two weeks ago, I sent my GPU (Gigabyte Aorus Master 5090) in for RMA. Basically, I was getting lockup crashes (black screen, PC on but unresponsive, gpu fans ramped up) whenever I tried to play an intensive game within a few minutes. I just got the replacement from Gigabyte last night.

Slotted/plugged everything in… and the GPU didn’t turn on. Everything else was on and I boot into Windows with my CPUs IGPU, but the GPU’s fans/rgb/lcd screen didn’t turn on. And it’s not detected in device manager or anywhere in software. Mind you, the original gpu i rma’d was having major crashing issues, but it never failed to turn on at startup.

Things I tried last night:

1. Reseating it in the pcie slot
2. Plugging/unplugging the power cables
3. Tried multiple different power cables (psu native 12v, psu dual 8-pin to 12v, cable mod native 12v, and nvidia 4x8pin adapter)

I gave up for the night and went to bed. This morning, I turned on the PC on a whim and the GPU actually turned on! Fans were spinning, lcd screen/rgb was on. However, as I went to move my hdmi cable from the mobo to the gpu, it went dead, no fans/rgb just like before. And no signal of course. Turned the PC off and on again; GPU wouldn’t turn on at all, just like last night. Tried reaseating the 12v cable on both sides, no dice. Hasn’t come on at all after some more restarts/troubleshooting.

Tried calling Gigabyte’s rma department but they just redirected me to tech support, which was no help, didn’t offer anything I haven’t already tried.

Honestly really baffled and pissed off now, more so than if the GPU never turned on at all. The replacement gpu had some dirt smudges and bits of thermal putty where there shouldn’t be, so I suspect they sent me defective refurbished model. All I can think to do now is RMA again.

About two weeks ago, I sent my GPU (Gigabyte Aorus Master 5090) in for RMA. Basically, I was getting lockup crashes (black screen, PC on but unresponsive, gpu fans ramped up) whenever I tried to play an intensive game within a few minutes. I just got the replacement from Gigabyte last night.

Slotted/plugged everything in… and the GPU didn’t turn on. Everything else was on and I boot into Windows with my CPUs IGPU, but the GPU’s fans/rgb/lcd screen didn’t turn on. And it’s not detected in device manager or anywhere in software. Mind you, the original gpu i rma’d was having major crashing issues, but it never failed to turn on at startup.

Things I tried last night:

1. Reseating it in the pcie slot
2. Plugging/unplugging the power cables
3. Tried multiple different power cables (psu native 12v, psu dual 8-pin to 12v, cable mod native 12v, and nvidia 4x8pin adapter)

I gave up for the night and went to bed. This morning, I turned on the PC on a whim and the GPU actually turned on! Fans were spinning, lcd screen/rgb was on. However, as I went to move my hdmi cable from the mobo to the gpu, it went dead, no fans/rgb just like before. And no signal of course. Turned the PC off and on again; GPU wouldn’t turn on at all, just like last night. Tried reaseating the 12v cable on both sides, no dice. Hasn’t come on at all after some more restarts/troubleshooting.

Tried calling Gigabyte’s rma department but they just redirected me to tech support, which was no help, didn’t offer anything I haven’t already tried.

Honestly really baffled and pissed off now, more so than if the GPU never turned on at all. The replacement gpu had some dirt smudges and bits of thermal putty where there shouldn’t be, so I suspect they sent me defective refurbished model. All I can think to do now is RMA again.

Ironically, I had started studying for the A+ like a year ago, but went the CCNA route instead due to things I'd heard about the A+ not being that valuable anymore. Now that I have a CCNA but no IT experience, I've noticed that most of the roles I apply for at entry level (help desk/NOC) list the A+ as a desired cert. Makes me think I might be getting filtered out by ATS even with a CCNA.

I can't imagine getting the A+ cert would be too difficult/time-consuming. I'm a PC builder/tech enthusiast, I got a pretty good grasp on the hardware + Windows side. And ofc networking has been drilled into me by the CCNA. My main blindspot is printers, Mac, and Linux. Tried some practice quizzes and

So do you think it would make sense to knock out the A+?