P.S. Patton's Blog, page 3
April 19, 2022
Edgedancer | Book Review
https://youtu.be/pmyWBwLIMDcOk, so I'm neck deep in Starlight Archive right now in preparation for 2023 aka the "Year of Sanderson". I realize I haven't made reviews yet for Way of Kings or Words of Radiance—and I'm still planning on doing that—but I just finished Edgedancer, and I figured I'd make a better review if it's fresh in my mind, so here it goes!
Edgedancer is a Stormlight Archives novella that is meant to be read after Words of Radiance and before Oathbringer. It is included in 2016's Arcanum Unbounded, which is an enormous collection of Sanderson novellas and short stories all taking place in the Cosmere. It has also been published as a separate novella, but I opted for the Cosmere collection.
If you haven't read Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, you will want to read those before Edgedancer and probably before going forward with this review. It will contain major spoilers for Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, and Edgedancer.
One of my favorite parts of Words of Radiance was Lift's storyline in the interludes. I've heard Sanderson refer to the Lift interlude in WoR as a "novella", and I suppose it is.
Lift was such a refreshing character, and I love the way that Sanderson made her storyline fun and immature, even though it dealt with arguably some of the darkest and most central moments to the overarching plot that we've seen in the Stormlight Archives so far.
When her interlude ended, I was left with a feeling of excitement at the thought that there is no way this is the last we've seen of Lift. By the sheer genius of her character and the importance of her storyline to the overarching story, it seemed a sure thing to me that I would get more Lift at some point. Little did I know that there was already a full novella focused on Lift, and picking up right where we left her (well, almost).
Edgedancer started off with Lift and Wyndle making their way toward Yeddaw, for reasons unknown—at least to begin with. Lift gives some obviously dismissive answers to that question when Wyndle interrogrates her, citing her need to try all ten different types of pancakes that the city is famous for. Wyndle knows this is untrue. So do the readers. This is just part of Lift's charm. She tends to evade questions, never allowing herself to be nailed down or committed to anything or anyone.
Upon her arrival, she does a handful of things that seem to be almost accidental, but as you get to know Lift more and more, you realize that this is a deeply intelligent, observant, and reflective girl who prefers not to let her actions shine—she'd much prefer to play off her actions as some happy accident.
She speaks to Wyndle several times about how letting people see you and get to know you is bad because then they'll begin expecting things of you, and you'll be stuck. This goes against the very nature of Little Miss Friction-Bender, and this is apparently why she left her privileged new lifestyle with Gawx at the palace in Azimir.
Yes, she was treated like royalty, allowed to do whatever she wanted—allowed to miss class even, and play pranks on the nobility with no consequences—yet, Lift refuses to be tied down. She is very rough around the edges and deflects Wyndle's concerns with offhand remarks to make it appear as if she doesn't really take anything seriously.
If you read carefully though, you begin to notice that she really does consider things more than she cares to admit, and acts on the impulse to do what is right, but again deflects whenever Wyndle questions her about any of it. Wyndle begins to pick up on this and starts to read between the lines when she says she just wants to snatch Darkness’ lunch, and Wyndle realizes what she really means is that she wants to save the budding radiant that Darkness came to Yeddaw to murder.
The way Sanderson blasted this character with humor bursting out of every sentence, while at the same time, tackling some of the most troubling and difficult topics I've seen yet is incredible. Lift deals with her own mother's death, with the cruel reality of mothers abandoning their developmentally disabled children at an orphanage, where the hard-hearted woman who runs it simply uses the children as a front for laundering money to criminal organizations, and she once again watches the shockingly apathetic Herald Nale (or, Darkness, as Lift has dubbed him) give no thought to shoving his shard blade through a young girl's chest and tossing her aside like garbage.
There is some seriously dark stuff in this story, and we begin to see that Lift's immature way of speaking is more a defense mechanism than a sign of immaturity. This is a young woman who has lived a very difficult life thus far, and who views the world accordingly.
Lift's character arc in this is so well done. Not only does this short chain of events change how the reader views and understands Lift, but it also changes how Lift sees herself, Wyndle, and everyone around her. Without outright spoiling it, I will simply say that there is a major theme of listening to those who have been ignored, and for an orphan who has developed a sort of stockholm syndrome for the short end of the stick, this is an oath that hits particularly close to home. By the end, Lift makes a conscious decision to stop slipping out from the grip of her own destiny, but to be brave and to listen to those who have been ignored.
This is my favorite Stormlight story so far, and one of my top stories I've ever read. My love for Edgedancer probably a lot of that has to do with the pacing, Lift's unique viewpoint, and the very real threat of Nale/Darkness, who pulls no punches and sheds new light on the Skybreakers. It seems that Dalinar is going to have his hands full when he eventually crosses paths with Lift and Nale. This is a must read for Stormlight Archive fans, and sits nicely between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer.
April 15, 2022
"Into The Unknown" Rated, Reviewed by Clean Fiction Magazine
Well, today is Good Friday, and my family and I have a full weekend with observances and celebrations for Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Morning. It's likely to be a roller coaster of self-reflection, repentance, gratitude, and joy. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
In honor of Holy Week, Clean Fiction Magazine is giving away the eBook version of their Spring Edition 2022 during Holy Week ONLY!!! If you're a reader who also finds it important to guard your soul, this may be a great resource for you, as the editor spends time reading, rating, and detailing potentially questionable content so that you can find books that will work for you, or find the right book for the eager young readers in your family.
[image error][image error]The Spring Edition 2022 also happens to be the issue in which "Into the Unknown: Seven Short Stories of Faith and Bravery" was reviewed and featured. "Into the Unknown" is a Christian Science-Fiction/Thriller anthology put out by Ambassador International, in which my short story "Safeship" has been published!
Clean Fiction's editor Amy Lynn McConahy had great things to say about the anthology, and gave it a rating of G/GASP. If you are unfamiliar with their rating system, let me break it down real quick-like:
[image error][image error]The ratings are as follows, in order from milder content to more inappropriate content.
N/NOTHING to worry about. Read this to your infant with a clean conscience.
A/Showing some ANKLE. A perfect book for the Puritan in your life.
P/Clutch your PEARLS. Grandma may raise an eyebrow, but keep on reading.
G/Will make you GASP. Both eyebrows will be involved in reading this book.
B/This is the full BLUSH, people! If you are prone to fainting, you will need a fan.
DB/You must Double Blink to clear your eyes from being contaminated. You will not find books of this rating in Clean Fiction Magazine.
From the review, it seems that the biggest contributing factor to the G/GASP rating was the level of violence at times.
"There is a fair bit of action in most of the stories," the editor writes. "They may be short, but the authors did not waste the time that was given to them. Space battles, attacks on alien planets, dire situations, and a fair amount of gunfire found within. There are a couple instances that most would find a bit gory, but following the "3 Strike Rule" they are few and far between."
[image error][image error]After breaking the anthology down according to content categories (Action, Adventure, Romance, Religion, as well as Availability), McConahy's final thoughts sum it up:
"As with all short stories, there is a sense of "there is more to this tale," but the authors of this anthology combat this with strong characterization and bright burning stories that will keep you turning pages and wishing for more. Within the intensity of these Science-Fiction segments can be found Biblical truth that can be applied to our own lives which, I think, was the most successful part of this book."
[image error][image error]I loved to hear that, because that is after all the entire reason I do what I do! I want my brand of entertainment to be healthy and beneficial for growing minds, and to cultivate virtue and courage into their hearts. My aim is always to entertain, but to do so in a way that points to the one who created me and redeemed me.
https://video.wixstatic.com/video/44718d_2e7500d2a30745bfb0c90b7b52db1580/720p/mp4/file.mp4Thank you to Ambassador International for selecting and publishing my short story Safeship in this anthology, and to Amy Lynn McConahy and Clean Fiction Magazine for reviewing and rating it! You can pick up your free edition of Clean Fiction's Spring Edition 2022 here (free through the end of Holy Week 2022), and you can purchase "Into the Unknown: Seven Short Stories of Faith and Bravery" here.
April 3, 2022
The Batman
As a boy, Batman was always my favorite superhero, hands down. I don't know what it was that has always drawn me to the Dark Knight over other superheros, but whatever it was, Matt Reeves apparently got his hands on the mother-load and mainlined it into the vascular system of his latest film, The Batman.First off, let me just say that this is not a kid's movie. There are F-Bombs, all kinds of other inappropriate language, frightening scenes, intense violence at times, and some sexual content surrounding corrupt politicians and young women who are not their wives. I will point out that this movie is not gratuitous, as all of this is central to the plot, yet it is still inappropriate for children in this dad's opinion.
I'm not going to beat around the bush. It's hard to say definitively, but this very well could be the coolest film I've ever seen. I am certain that many will disagree, but I truly felt that the cinematography was as mind-blowingly innovative as that of The Matrix. This film somehow managed to pull of the full, unadulterated cool factor of the Matrix without seeming the least bit pretentious. It pulled off a gritty film noir feel without feeling over-dramatic or contrived. This film took all of the right ingredients and knew exactly how much to add. It was somehow fantastical, romantic, surreal, and epic while at the same time, surprisingly humble and grounded.
I think a major contributor to that was the incredible cinematography. The first person-shooter style camera work, laced with stunning hero shots, at times seemed more like moving comic book frames than any sort of traditional movie scene. It somehow elicited the feeling of watching a comic book in virtual reality, or falling headlong into a video game.
The rest of this review will contain SPOILERS!!! If you have not yet seen The Batman, stop reading this right now and check your local movie times!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!Seriously, this is your last chance to avoid SPOILERS!
The acting in The Batman was exceptional. The portrayal of Batman as a detective grounds the Caped Crusader, and brings back so much of the hero's appeal that has been overshadowed for far too long by over the top villains and high tech gadgetry. Pattinson's Batman was the absolutely unstoppable force we all wanted to see, and Catwoman's effortlessly sexy anti-hero, the ever-on-the-verge-of-tears lonely girl who can take care of herself, but doesn't necessarily want to, was straight out of a graphic novel in the best way possible. The dynamic between the two was so satisfying, and felt absolutely right. Pattinson and Kravitz nailed it, and their chemistry was insane, from the kiss that came at the absolutely perfect moment, to the kiss that didn't come—also at just the right time—to the motorcycle ride out of the cemetery before each turning down their own path—everything about this was done very right.
The wardrobe, hair, and makeup styling was refreshing and inspiring—Selena Kyle's styling in particular. The visuals throughout were incredible, and delivered some of the most iconic moments I've ever seen on a big screen. This was a world I wanted to live in. The feel was moody and gritty and surreal, yet somehow tethered so firmly to reality. This iteration of Gotham City was absolutely stunning to look at, from start to finish. The only time I can think of feeling anything similar to this was watching The Matrix for the first time, and this film did more for me than that, and then some.
There are too many moments to highlight, but I'll hit the big ones. The absolutely coolest ones for me revolved around the Penguin/Batman car chase. When we first saw the orange and blue light glowing in the shadow, and the roar of an engine, I became a little boy again. The bat mobile lit up orange under the hood and blue from the jet engine mounted on its back, and I lost it. This absolute beast of a machine growled from the shadows, breathing fire like a dragon awakening from a deep slumber and planning on vengeance for breakfast.
The chase that ensued was chaotic, beautiful, and aggressive. Colin Ferrel's compelling portrayal of Penguin made this scene so much fun. His frustration, anger, and ultimately his gripping fear of his pursuer propelled this scene into the most iconic shot of the entire film: Penguin lying trapped, upside down in his flipped car as The Batman slowly exits the bat mobile and begins walking toward him, upside down from Penguin's perspective, an inferno behind him. Penguin had created that inferno himself, in hopes of killing the Batman, but the Batman not only survived, but emerged out of the air, unscathed, and absolutely destroyed the Penguin, flipping his car over and over again—we're treated to a backseat perspective of these destructive revolutions—and now all the Penguin can do is lie there and watch the shadow of vengeance march toward him, backlit by the blazing fire that—to the Penguin—rose downward as a blinding symbol of his own utter futility, burning as a backlight to the indestructible force that is The Batman.
Michael Giacchino's score was phenomenal, and refreshing. While is was just as intense as you'd expect it to be, it was surprisingly hopeful and romantic, lending an optimism to The Batman that I've never felt in a Batman movie before. This was not the ode to a God-forsaken cesspool that you might expect to accompany your journey through Gotham City. This was an ode to the hand reaching down into that cesspool and hoisting out anyone he can. This was an ode to the orphaned boy who still believes he may be loved by someone. This was an ode to the lost girl, who is surprised to have suddenly stumbled upon the way back home. Don't worry, it's manacing and quirky and eerie in all the right places, but it is also beautiful and hopeful and sweet where you might not expect it.
The songs featured throughout the film added even more depth. The film opens on a throwback text displaying the words "The Batman", and a very unexpected song playing over it: Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria". This set a very interesting tone from the get-go, and I was immediately thinking, "okay, this is different." In our current reality overflowing with formulaic superhero movies and overdone origin storylines, different is good. The song is featured several times throughout the film and threads its way in and out of Riddler's macabre storyline. By the time the film is nearing its climax, Riddler has been captured, yet his cryptic words warn us that the threat is far from over. Riddler taunts the Batman with his own rendition of Ave Maria as the bat tries unsuccessfully to get more information out of his foe.
The other standout piece of the film was Nirvana's "Something in the Way". This is the song which introduced us to Pattinson's Batman, and the moment it began to play was the moment I knew this was a very, very different kind of Batman film. The song played three times throughout the film, each at very personal moments for Batman/Bruce Wayne. Kurt Cobain's haunting vocals crooned out The Batman's anthem like a ghost from the past—a ghost from Bruce's past as well as our own.
The true star of this film was the writing. There were so many great lines, though I've only seen it once so I won't be able to recall all of those that stood out, and certainly not verbatim. One that really stuck out to me, however, was when Batman finally succeeded in reaching Selena and talked her down from the metaphorical ledge. As Selena pointed the pistol at her father, saying "he has to pay," Batman wrestled the gun down. Selena struggled to keep control of the gun, but then Batman uttered this line: "You don't have to pay with him. You've already paid enough." At that, Selena surrendered the gun, as well as her well-intended, but ultimately misguided quest for vengeance—one of the most prominent themes of the film.
The script was an absolute masterpiece, and it was the message this world desperately needs at the moment. The amount of players Batman, Gordon, and Selena were forced to deal with was ambitious, and it made for a complex web of corruption that resembled America's perception of its own so-called ruling class. The Riddler's methods of exposing said corruption while simultaneously murdering the person's reputation, as well as the person themself, portrayed cancel culture, as played out to its obvious logical end. The social media mob that Riddler goaded on with his no-holds-barred flavor of social justice exposes the cancer within our own culture that has been allowed to metastasize unchecked for far too long.
The Riddler's goal is to expose the lies of Gotham's political elite. He is the poster boy for the misguided, yet cathartic idea that "your words are violence", so I'm now entitled to hurt/kill you, because my echo chamber and I have decided that "my violence is justice". He is cancel culture incarnate and taken to its extreme, and just like in real life, it's a movement that spreads by the end of the film, leading to an interesting case in which the big bad of the movie has already been captured and incarcerated before the climax even happens. It's not the Riddler, but his social justice mob that end up being the real threat, and the one that brings Batman closest to his demise.
When The Batman hears one of the social media mob repeat his own line back to him, "I am vengeance", Batman finally sees the error in this system of exacting vengeance on whoever he deems worthy of it. He recognizes it for the cancer it is, and that he, not the Riddler, was the one who stated its spread—first to the Riddler, then to his online social justice warriors. He decides that fear and intimidation are not the answer.
With that, the bat starts looking for people to help. He frees a group of trapped orphans and leads them to safety, holding up a torch as he wades through the darkness, a new generation following in his path as he lights the way to safety, the way forward out of this mess he's created. These are the images that are going to stick with us and make a difference in our cultural subconscious.
When I saw The Dark Knight in theaters, then The Dark Knight Rises in theaters, at the time when a storm was brewing in the minds of the American public, I remember loving both films, but in both cases thinking "oh, no." The reason being that art imitates life, and life imitates art. Films like this are a gauge for the subconscious of the culture—where we are at in our attitudes and where we are going as a nation. The questions raised by Christopher Nolan's trilogy—in particular the third film—were the right kinds of questions for that time, questions that we were all struggling to answer in our own subconscious minds. The foreboding kind that really brought to light the mistrust of our institutions and the feeling that, perhaps it would be better to dismantle entire systems, occupy entire cities, and build a new and better world from its ashes.
This was the undercurrent of our culture at its 2012 release, and over the next decade, that current swelled into a tidal wave of twitter mobs, social justice warriors, organized riots, burning down of cities, police forces succumbing to citizen mobs occupying "autonomous zones", meme stocks and the takedown of hedgefunds by organized Reddit trolls, meme coins going to the moon, the exposure of corrupt individuals and institutions, as well as hoaxes, collusion, and conspiracies to fabricate false charges of corruption for political gain, that came crashing down on us hard in the end. It brought a lot of filth to the surface, which is good, though it also caused a lot of pain and hardship. It goes without saying that the past two years in particular have been especially difficult for all, save for the ruling class, who essentially created a world-wide sales funnel and named it COVID-19, which became the mechanism for a monumental transfer of wealth from the bottom of the economic ladder straight to the top.
First, art imitated life. The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises were mirrors reflecting our own subconscious struggles and asking our own subconscious questions. Then, life imitated art. It was all too satisfying to watch Joker dismantle institutions, to watch Gotham's D.A. Harvey Dent abandon the institution of justice as a whole, to hear Catwoman's scathing rebuke of the elite, and to watch Bane occupy Wall Street and dismantle the Police. These ideas marinated in our minds and began to surface shortly after. It didn't take long for these romanticized evils to saturate our everyday lives, then take our lives over completely.
The problem was that for every corrupt elitist that was cancelled and removed, there was a corrupt elitist wearing the "right" colored jersey ready to fill that vacuum, a fact that Selena Kyle points out at the end of The Batman. She warns Batman that he can't change it, and that it will kill him eventually. After all of that social justice, the only thing accomplished is a complete and inadvertent surrender of your own freedoms to a new regime—because those wolves wore the right color jersey and spoke the right language, so those demanding change trusted them.
Ten years after The Dark Knight Rises, The Batman's Riddler is playing a similar game, but it's no longer as romanticized as it once was—not by a long shot. This film exposes these ideas for the misguided and evil delusions that they are. Again, I believe this is a case of art reflecting life. Though there are many who won't see it this way, there is no denying that there is a shift in the current, and the social justice warrior way of doing things is no longer as palatable as it was a few years ago. Even to those who once supported these ideas, they've grown tired and distasteful.
We don't agree on much, but we agree that we no longer trust those who would seek to rule us. We've been trying out opposing methods of dealing with that for some time now, and fighting has only dug us all a whole lot deeper. It's allowed the wolves to grab onto power, lock us in our homes, and take away our livelihoods until we inject our children with state-approved drugs so the elite can profit.
We can agree that our rulers hate us, and we can agree that fighting with each other is not the answer. We know that there's a torch to be lit, a light to follow, a path through the darkness to a better way of life.
Art imitates life, and these are the ideas now brewing beneath the surface of our culture in 2022. It gives me hope that soon, life may in-turn imitate art. We don't have the answers yet, but we're searching for them, and we know now what they don't look like. Perhaps in the next decade we'll see these more reasoned and constructive ideas bubble up and begin to surface, then swell into a tidal wave of hope that crashes over us and washes us clean of the mess we've created for ourselves. Maybe that's a foolish hope, but it's hope nonetheless. In my opinion, a foolish hope beats a misguided sense of vengeance any day of the week.
https://youtu.be/mqqft2x_Aa4
March 11, 2022
Book Review | MISTBORN: THE FINAL EMPIRE
https://youtu.be/2Q0Sy4AGvnwComing fresh off of back-to-back reads of Patrick Rothfuss' fantasy masterpieces, The Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear, I spent the next few weeks scouring the Reddit boards for theories and speculation. One of the most common questions in the board, of course was something along the lines of:"I just finished The Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear, and I am going crazy waiting for Doors of Stone... what should I read next to keep my mind occupied so I don't go crazy waiting for book 3?"
I won't lie, being many years late to the party in the Four Corners, I was thinking the same thing as these other newbies. There were a variety of answers to this question, but one stood out as the clear favorite: the original Mistborn trilogy.
In a way, I understand how Mistborn was recommended almost invariably to fans of Rothfuss, but there is another part of me that thinks the two authors could not be more different in their approach to the same type of story. Where Rothfuss is visceral, flowery, superfluous, and (sometimes overly) self-indulgent, Sanderson is direct, informative, maticulous, and (sometimes overly) tedious. While I'm on the topic of contrasting the two authors, I might also point out that they are polar opposites when it comes to quantity, with Sanderson pumping out an unbelieable amount of books—nay, tomes—every year, and Rothfuss pumping out a book at a present rate of one every 5.3 years (and I'm being extremely generous here by counting 2014's The Slow Regard of Silent Things. It may be a novella, but it's brilliant and beautiful, and I'm counting it, so deal with it). In any case, Rothfuss and Sanderson like peanut butter and jelly. Do they go together? Absolutely! Do they have the same flavor? Not even close, and yet I love them both.
But let's backup a bit to the moment I begrudgingly tore my curious and anxious mind away from the comfortable home it had made in the Four Corners (and the Fae), and I embarked on my maiden voyage into the Cosmere with Mistborn: The Final Empire.
SPOILER-FREE SECTION
When I first entered the world of Scadrial—a depressing world plagued by falling ash and haunted by mist—I was a bit shocked at how drawn out the plot was. This is chess, not checkers—The Godfather, not The Dark Knight. It was a little off-putting at first, but only because I had not yet experienced the extremely satisfying payoff once that slow burn hit its crescendo, then flared up, then roared, then fully exploded, then melted everything in sight. I didn't realize it at the time, but this sort of character, plot, and world-building development that under-promises and over-delivers has become Sanderson's signature brand of storytelling.
For those of you who don't want spoilers, let me give you the broad overview. The Final Empire takes place mostly within the city of Luthadel, the capital city of the Central Dominance—a society which operates within a strict and harsh caste system. The skaa are mistreated, overworked, and brutally beaten down when needed, or on a whim, in order to keep them in their place. Over the skaa are the nobility, belonging to one of eight great houses of nobility. Ruling over all of them is the god-like and seemingly immortal Lord Ruler who has been reigning for the past 1,000 years. The Lord Ruler's unmatched and overwhelming power is somewhat of a mystery, though he uses unnatural creatures called Steel Inquisitors who have their own powers along with spikes driven into their eye sockets to enforce the Lord Ruler's will.
Though no one is any match for the Lord Ruler, there are those who do have their own supernatural abilities—various powers fueled by burning metals. These are called Mistings and Mistborns. These abilities used to be more common, but have faded and are exceedingly rare at the time of the story's start. The nobility are descended from the mistings and mistborns of old. Mistings are the more common of the two—those who can utilize one of the known abilities. Mistborns are more rare, and far more powerful, as they can harness all of the abilities.
Kelsier is a Mistborn, and a skaa who has been through some of the harshest circumstances imaginable, and has lost everything—yet survived despite all odds. In doing so, he's earned a reputation for himself that causes others to follow. When we meet him, he is reunited with his old thieving crew who are loyal to him, but Kelsier's not interested in small scores anymore. After what he's been put through, he's interested in one thing, and one thing only: overthrowing the Final Empire.
This story is so much more than advertised. The plot was intricate, complex, incredibly well-thought out, masterfully executed, and just a whole lot of fun. It does get a bit brutal at times, but there is little-to-no swearing and sexual content. Based on the level of brutal violence, however, I would still only recommend this to adults, or possibly older highschoolers at the youngest.
Though the entire story was very well-done and I loved all three books, The Final Empire was my favorite of the three—probably due to the awe and wonder with which I entered this new world. I think most readers would agree that this trilogy is an absolute must-read for fans of fantasy. I give The Final Empire 10/10 hands down.
Okay, so that's enough to give you a feel for what this book is going to be about, so I'm going to move on to the spoilers, so if you haven't read The Final Empire, you'll want to stop reading right now and go rummage your local used bookstore!
WARNING: SPOILER SECTIONONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL BEYOND THIS POINT
Okay, so if you've gone past my spoiler warning, you've (hopefully) already read The Final Empire, and you don't need a recap. Let's talk about what Mistborn did right and what I could have done without. I'm going to start with what I could have done without, but don't worry, it's a very short list.
As I said before, the plot seemed overly drawn-out, and while it was absolutely worth it, I still think we could have done with a little less tedium. I understand it. I really do. My novel, The Withering, is about half the word count of Mistborn, and I couldn't keep anything straight. I tried very hard to make sure I went though and took out any redundancies so that readers never had to deal with being hammered with the same information over and over again. It seems to me that Sanderson took the opposite approach, making sure you remember in each chapter who that person was, and where Vin had met him/her before, or how that power works again, just in case you forgot even though you've seen it used multiple times already. This really didn't bug me very much, and it was actually quite helpful in a story with so many different moving parts and an enormous cast of characters. I actually found myself thinking maybe I need to incorporate this tactic into my own stories, though probably to a lesser extent. While I do feel like it could have been pulled back a little, I'm not mad about it.
Really that's it for the negatives. This book did practically everything right in every way. It was absolutely fascinating. Kelsier became pretty much my favorite book character of all time, and (SERIOUSLY LAST WARNING FOR MAJOR SPOILERS) I spent the entire novel thinking he was the main character, so I was absolutely rocked when he went and died on us. I don't know if it's the fact that the book opened on Kelsier, or the fact that he was the head of the whole operation and the most proficient with his powers... and perhaps it was by design by the ever sneaky Mr. Sanderson, but to me, Kelsier was the main character. When the Lord Ruler killed him, it was a real gut-punch to Vin, the crew, and to me as a reader. It didn't take long at all though for Sanderson to sell me on Vin as being able to carry the rest of the trilogy. Her subsequent battle with the Lord Ruler was so exciting and incredibly well-written. It quickly solidified Vin as the hero in my mind, and I loved following her for three enormous books.
How Sanderson created so many different characters who all felt so distinct and flushed out is going to be a matter of study for me for some time. My favorite characters were Kelsier, Vin, and Sazed. Some of my favorite moments in the entire trilogy were of Kelsier teaching Vin to use her newfound mistborn powers. I love the way this beautiful sequence captured the thrill of those first nights experimenting with burning metals and soaring through the mists over Luthadel. There were more epic moments, there were more shocking moments, there were more powerful moments, but after reading the entire trilogy and letting it sit for some time, those were the moments that really stuck with me. Sanderson really has a gift, and somehow he wrote those scenes in such a way that I truly felt like I was learning to use allomancy alongside Vin—to push and pull and soar over the city walls and back down with the cool mists soaring through my hair as I landed safely, burning my pewter of course. Incredible.
I loved the friendship and the trust that developed between Vin and Sazed, and his analasys of everything that was going on. He was clearly a vessel for Sanderson to explain to the audience some of the more nuanced mechanisms of his unique world and magic system, and I'm here for it. Though Sazed was clearly a device, he was so much more than that, and is the favorite of many readers. Kelsier still sits at the top of my list, followed by Vin, but Sazed takes the bronze, at least for The Final Empire. The rankings will change as we get into The Well of Ascension, and we meet another favorite of mine.
The world is so detailed that it really makes you feel like you're there, that you can see the mistwraith churning bones in the night, or that you can feel that overwhelming pressure in your head as the Lord Ruler enters the square with his entourage. The settings were so vivid, from the bright and cheery ballroom of House Venture, to the grim and dreary spires of Kredik Shaw—the "hill of a thousand spires."
Finally, I have to say that the magic systemsssss—plural—that Sanderson created for this world are so well-thought out, so well-executed, and just so much dang fun. The magic system of Mistborn is the gold standard for authors to attempt to live up to. I don't know if there's much else I can say, because this is most definitely a case of "If you know, you know."
Okay, so I've blathered on and on about my favorite characters and moments of Mistborn: The Final Empire, and now it's your turn to let me know what I forgot to talk about. What were the moments that stuck with you? Which characters, places, or details did I leave out that really made this book special? Let me know in the comments so I can try to hit them in my next Mistborn review where I'll review Mistborn: The Well of Ascension.
#Mistborn #thefinalempire #brandonsanderson #sanderson #kelsier #whattoreadafternameofthewind #mistborntrilogy #originalmistborntrilogy #mistbornreview #mistbornsummary #ismistborngood #vin #sazed #luthadel #allomancy #ferrochemy #lordruler #cosmere #cosmerebooks #bestbrandonsandersonnovels #books #fantasy #fantasynovels #bookreview #mistbornbooks
March 2, 2022
Dangerous But Good
I started writing fiction because I was entranced with the true story of the Bible. I've always said that God is the first, and best author.
As far as us humans go, I was fascinated by the way C.S. Lewis was able to craft stories that were moving, thought provoking, infused with spiritual truths, and made me want to be a stronger man of faith.
I aim to craft my stories after these examples.
It’s also inspiring to see other types of creatives doing the same in other realms. I loved the message, the mission, and the aesthetic of Dangerous But Good since the first time I came across their gear.
When they invited me to become an ambassador for their company, I was honored to represent a company whose mission aligns with my own so perfectly. It’s a beautiful thing to find others who serve the same Kingdom, who have been adopted into the same family, who have undertaken the same mission.
We are the branches, and Christ is the vine. Apart from Him, we accomplish nothing.
If you’re about that Faith, Family, and Freedom, check out Dangerous But Good and save 10% by using code “PSPatton” at checkout.
“He’ll be coming and going . . . One day you’ll see him and another you won’t. He doesn’t like being tied down . . . He’ll often drop in. Only you mustn’t press him. He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.” – Mr. Beaver.
#faithfamilyfreedom #faith #family #freedom #dangerousbutgood #aslan #2a #bible #menofGod #patriot #
January 26, 2022
The Key—a novelet by Isaac Asimov
Back in November, my wife planned a weekend away in the quiet little town of Morro Bay for my birthday. It's just a quick 30 minute drive to the coast, so it was more like a stay-cation, and it was so peaceful and perfect. We spent Sunday walking up and down the embarcadero and perusing antique and thrift stores. In one of those stores, I found a basket filled with old issues of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine put out by Doubleday books in the 1960s. I picked one up, but got distracted and hadn't opened it until last night.
After dinner, I found my kids both sitting at the kitchen table reading quietly, so I went to the bookshelf in search of something to read that didn't require a long commitment. I opened Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine and flipped to the first story, The Key: "a new novelet by Isaac Asimov".
I had heard Dr. Asimov's name so often over the years and had always planned on getting around to reading some of his work, but had never quite gotten there. It was one of those things where you hear an established name so often, that you already feel like you know it and don't feel excited about it—like how many people who grow up in New York have never visited the statue of liberty, or how I live in an area known as "wine country", and couldn't care less about wine.
Well, I'm so glad I finally cracked open an Asimov story, because The Key was so clever, fun, and inspirational. Fortunately there is another Asimov story at the back of this edition, and I'm also thinking I may need to make another jaunt over to Morro Bay in the near future to pick up a few more copies of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine.
October 6, 2021
Dream of Two Beasts
The Holy Spirit is MovingHey all! The spirit is moving.
God is giving His people dreams, the Holy Spirit is giving visions, and God gave me a dream last night. Now I've had dreams before—very powerful visions and dreams, but usually they are more personal in nature and have something to do with my life, and a big move God's going to make in my own life—and usually they come true that very day, or they start to go into effect that very day. Even if I don't realize it at the time, I can look back late and realize that there was clear even that very day when I woke up that put God's vision which he gave me into motion.So I had a dream last night—I've never had a dream like this where it was on a Biblical scale, on a world-wide scale. It was not a personal dream meant for me—it was meant for the world. Because of the way these sort of dreams have come to pass before, it seems to me that this is something that happened or is happening or will happen today. So I want to share this dream with you guys.
I was in a big temple of some sort, reminiscent of the Legend of Zelda video games. I know that God sometimes give you familiar imagery to work with, so in my dream there was a pool in the middle of the temple, and sconces with fire on the walls. There was a portal in the corner, and I couldn't see into it because it was perpendicular to me.
There was a figure across the pool from me. I got the feeling that meant across the ocean, but I'm not sure about that. It was standing on the ground on the other side of the pool. It was a sickly-looking, gray clay figure—almost like if Celebrity Death Match made a twisted and gross version of Gumby. It wasn't Gumby though. It was just a lifeless clay figure.
Out of the portal came the spirit of the devil—that ancient dragon—and it entered the clay figure and brought it to life.
Immediately I was in the ocean, swimming in the waves, and there was a figure next to me that I couldn't really see. It was under the water, but I could feel it up against me. The spirit of the devil—the dragon—came out of the portal and into this figure. This figure was more like a woman, and I grabbed it by the ankles and dragged it like a fish out of the water, and I put it back into the portal. That was the end of the dream.
I woke up and it immediately seemed clear to me that this was the beast of the land and the beast of the sea from the Revelation Jesus gave to John, and that the spirit of the devil—that ancient dragon—had officially entered into the two beasts of Revelation.
These thoughts were going around in my mind all morning, and as I dropped off my kids at school, we were listening to the Legend of Zelda playlist on Spotify that my kids like to listen to in the car. That playlist was playing, but when a playlist ends, Spotify will start playing random songs from other playlists that it thinks you will enjoy...
So after I drop off my children, I'm on my way back home, alone in the car, contemplating the dream and asking God to make the meaning clear. I think I know what it means—it seems pretty self-explanatory, but I'm asking God to tell me if that's really the true meaning or if it's something else. As I'm praying and contemplating the meaning of the dream, I look up at the dash and I see the name of the song that is playing. It's not a song that's on our playlist—the playlist had ended and Spotify had found another song for me at that very moment. The song was Dragonborn Theme from Skyrim.
Dragonborn.
It seemed clear to me that God played that song at that very moment to confirm to me that it was in fact that ancient dragon—the devil—who had given life to the two beasts in my dream, just as Jesus said in the revelation he gave to John.
If you aren't familiar with the Revelation, this might seem confusing and strange. God is telling me this morning not to hide His light under a bowl—it was given so that all may see by it. Do with that what you will, and feel free to reach out if you want to know more.
Love you guys!
https://youtu.be/2MMosBRkyn4September 21, 2021
New Original Song - Hard Knock School
Here's another brand new original song for you guys! I say brand new because I haven't put it out there for everyone to hear until now, but it's a song I wrote about three years back. The original lyrics said "thirteen years", not "sixteen years", but as time goes on, I find myself just updating that line as I play it. It's pretty self-explanatory, but it's a song I wrote to celebrate my marriage and to reflect on all God's given my family and me.This is a very personal song to me, so maybe this is a good time for me to share a few personal notes...
My wife Andrea and I got married at nineteen years old, and while our immediate family was supportive (although visibly nervous and unsure), we did face a ton of skepticism and scoffing from all around us, especially kids our own age who just couldn't understand it.
On my honeymoon, my wife and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where one of the most memorable events from our trip was riding horses through the jungle.
At my wedding, I was unexpectedly forced in front of a microphone and made to play a song for the audience, so I played a song I wrote for Andrea called "Roses".
When I was small, my late Great Grandma Bonnie used to tell me that she was going to put a brick on my head to stop me from growing so quickly.
When I was in eighth grade, my family moved. I was at a new high school with new friends, and I really missed my old life. I did make new friends, some of whom I am still very close with, but at that time I still missed my old friends—one girl in particular. In my junior year of high school, I went through a phase where I really wanted to move back to my hometown of Moorpark. I even invited the aforementioned girl to my junior prom, and she was my date. My heart was set on moving, and my parents didn't like it, but were considering letting me move in with my grandma to attend my senior year in Moorpark. Through all of this, something in my gut was telling me it wasn't right.
I prayed, and I prayed like I never had in my life, and I prayed that God would send me a girl who loved the Lord as much as I did. In the days following that time of intense prayer, I met my wife Andrea. We became best friends very, very quickly. That was 2003, and we're still best friends. Even then, it was immediately clear to me that she was a direct answer to my prayers. Praise God for answering my prayers and bringing me the best thing that ever happened to me!
Well, there you have it! Here's the song and I included the lyrics below. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/6Kk73AzoFEcLyrics:
When I picture you in Mexico it feels like a lifetime ago,
Riding through the jungles
Just a child, I was a child too, and everyone around us knew,
but already we were one soul,
So we rented tents and tables, And believed in every fable,
And I fell like petals into you,
And I played for you a song I wrote Where I compared you to a rose,
What a childish thing to do…
Well this hard knock school Really isn’t all that hard,
If I could keep my cool, If you could take some heart,
It’s been sixteen years now Since we said our vows.
God bless this house, And may He feed our mouths.
When I hear our children talking To each other from the other room,
My heart fills to capacity,
And I watch as they go off to school And grow out of hugs when they’re too cool,
Oh, the Bard ne’er penned such tragedy.
Oh, no, no! I need a brick, So I can put it on your head
Just like my Grandma Bonnie said, and I know...
Oh, I know that time moves quick! One minute they’re both in my lap, then
I can’t figure out what happened.
Well this hard knock school Really isn’t all that hard,
If you can keep your cool, If I could take some heart,
It’s been sixteen years now Since we said our vows.
God bless this house, And may He feed our mouths.
Yeah we made a few mistakes, And I’ve fallen on my face,
There’s no way around it.
But I won’t get upset, Let’s just throw back our heads,
And just laugh about it.
Can’t we just about it?
Well this hard knock school It really isn’t all that hard,
If I can keep my cool, If you can take some heart,
Oh, It’s been sixteen years now Since we said our vows.
God bless this house, And may He feed our mouths.
When I tried leaving town, I turned around and you were there.
In my time of doubt, You were an answer to my prayer,
And in the coming years, I want to make it count.
As for me and my house, We’ll make a joyful sound.
For we once were lost, Oh, but now we’re found.
God bless this house, And may He feed our mouths.
September 13, 2021
Anthology - Thrice Cover
Acoustic cover - Anthology by ThriceThis song is amazing on a couple different levels. First, it's just a beautiful song. Second, It's called "Anthology" because every line is an allusion to another one of their songs, so for someone like me who has loved Thrice since their beginnings, listening to this song is like a high speed roller coaster through some of my favorite moments of their musical career. Third, even though you get the sense (especially from the context of the many easter eggs) that it is more of a love song, you get the sense it was left sort of intentionally ambiguous whether this is a song Dustin wrote to his wife or to God, or more than likely both. Whenever I sing it, it's directed toward God—that's just how it feels right in my mind. Let me know your thoughts on it, and enjoy!
https://youtu.be/F4p8DKy4ZdALyrics:[Verse 1]
Our life's built of tin cans and string
But the cornerstone laid is a wondrous and beautiful thing
Sure in the ground
And while the north wind has taken its toll
You have helped me to find my way back and to anchor my soul
Safe in the sound
[Chorus]
Oh, you know me
Oh, and I know you
And I know that
We can see this through
[Verse 2]
I bragged of baring my bones
Said if we heard the howling I'd run out to face it alone
To meet it halfway
But I've still got badges to earn
So keep sifting my soul cause I think that I'm starting to learn
To love you that way
[Chorus]
Oh, you know me
Oh, and I know you
And I know that
We can see this through
[Bridge]
It's true that you could snap my neckBut I trust you'll save my life insteadCause our love is a loyalty swornIf we hold to our hopeThen I know we can weather the stormWhatever they sayCome what may
[Chorus]Oh you know meOh and I know youAnd I know thatWe can see this through
September 11, 2021
September 11th: 20 years later
Twenty years later, watching footage of that day still takes me right back to watching the events unfold in real time. Today’s challenge didn’t really fit my story or the mood today, so instead of sharing a math lesson from my story, I’m covering a song for you. Here’s “Broken Lungs” by Thrice.
https://youtu.be/eJGTOJlttyM#brokenlungs #thrice #september11 #911 #twintowers #9112021 #20yearslater #acousticcover #coversong #dustinkensrue #conspiracytheory #saturday #septemberwriterschallenge2020 #songwriter #writer
