Awakening

Infinity Blade #1

by Brandon Sanderson

Trained from birth in swordplay and combat, a young knight named Siris has journeyed to the Dark Citadel with a single purpose: fight through the army of Titans to face the tyrannical God King in one-on-one combat. This was his father’s sacred mission, and his father’s before him, going back countless generations in an effort to free their people from enslavement. But when Siris somehow succeeds where all those from his bloodline previously have failed, he finds himself cast into a much larger world, filled with warriors and thieves, ancient feuds and shifting alliances, Deathless immortals and would-be kings. His quest for freedom will take him on an epic journey in search of the mythical figure known as the Worker of Secrets – the one being in the world who can unravel the secrets of the Infinity Blade.

Based on the bestselling video game from ChAIR Entertainment and Epic Games, this all-new adventure from acclaimed fantasy author Brandon Sanderson digs deeper into the fantastical world of Infinity Blade, a world of mystery and intrigue where magic and technology are indistinguishable, and even life and death are not what they seem.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction, Novella, Short Stories, Adventure

123 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2011

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.

In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si no han leído a Brandon Sanderson no sé qué han estado haciendo con su vida todos estos años.

En esta ocasión, Sanderson nos cuenta la historia de Siris, un guerrero que ha entrenado toda su vida y que, como parte de una tradición de su pueblo, es escogido como el Sacrificio. Cada año, un hombre debe ir a luchar contra el Rey Dios con la esperanza de vencerlo; sin embargo, no llaman a estos hombres Sacrificios por nada... pues ninguno vuelve. Lo sorprendente aquí es que este libro empieza con Siris volviendo a su pueblo tras haber vencido y matado al Rey Dios, una hazaña hasta ese momento imposible.

Mientras Siris emprende su viaje de vuelta con la Espada Infinita que le ha arrebatado al Rey Dios, empieza a pensar que su destino le depara algo mucho más grande y, por eso, se le mete en su cabeza que su misión es acabar con todos los Inmortales y liberar de su tiranía a todos los pueblos del reino. Así pues, e ignorando que el Rey Dios realmente no ha muerto, Siris emprende la búsqueda del Hacedor de Secretos, travesía durante la cual conoce a una ladrona y guerrera muy astuta llamada Isa ( AMO QUE MI NOMBRE APAREZCA EN LIBROS ).

Si bien al comienzo el libro es MUY confuso, todo poco a poco va cayendo en su sitio. Tengo entendido que Infinity Blade es la adaptación a libros que hizo Brandon Sanderson de un videojuego, así que esa puede ser la razón por la que las primeras páginas se sienten como si ya debiéramos conocer algo del mundo en el que se desarrolla la historia. Pero, como les digo, una vez conociendo a Siris y sabiendo que ha sobrevivido a una batalla imposible, todo corre como la seda.

Para ser este un libro de menos de doscientas páginas, y aún enmarcado de alguna manera dentro del género de la fantasía épica, me pareció una historia muy bien conseguida. Si bien no tenemos esa enorme construcción del mundo de otras sagas, Infinity Blade se centra en los acontecimientos, en la acción y en el constante movimiento de los personajes en su búsqueda. Con batallas ágiles y diálogos muy astutos, Brandon Sanderson logra que Siris e Isa se conviertan en algo más que peones en un juego de dioses.

No puedo dejar de decir que adoré al personaje de Isa, no sólo porque comparte mi nombre, sino porque es una mujer guerrera, inteligente y tremendamente descarada. La amo.

Y, por cierto, si piensan que un libro de menos de doscientas páginas no puede evolucionar lo suficiente para tener un final absolutamente épico, inesperado y que te deja al borde de tu silla y entrando a Amazon para ordenar el segundo libro... bueno, estás muy equivocado.

Edit 2020: este fue mi quinto libro del Reading Rush.

[Luna. ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

“I like peach cobbler. Definitely like peach cobbler.”

As you all know I'm a mega Sanderson fan and will read anything and everything he has produced. So reading Infinity Blade was like receiving a big warm brain hug! I loved it & am truly glad it exists.

“Weak? Dizzy? A little peckish?”
Siris hesitated. “Peckish?”
“Sure. You know, like something has pecked you? Isn’t that what the word means?”
“It means hungry,” he said flatly.”

This story is based on an IOS game called Infinity Blade. The book is a continuation of what happened in between game 1 & 2. However I feel you really don't need to play the game before reading. The book is basically about a boy named Siris who defeats the God King who is actually an immortal, after defeating the God King & taking the Infinity Blade, Siris begins to be hunted by the God Kings minions & it's literally like one big brawl, like Siris can take on 8 people at once. Pretty unrealistic but totally badass.

Things I liked about this book;
- The pacing was extremely fast.
- It was action packed.
- How humorous it was. Like I laughed out loud more then once.
- Siris character & character development .
- The AMOUNT OF FOOD REFERENCES. Call me crazy but I love food! I also love books, so when my two favourite things are combined it equals HEAVEN.
- The storyline was pretty cool.
- BS wrote it therefor it's a masterpiece and written by the hand of God himself.

Things I didn't like;
- The choppy writing.
- The ending (I hate cliffhangers).
- Sometimes the book was extremely confusing for a simpleton like myself.

I feel like shooting myself for having a dislike list ! Seriously it's blasphemy, however it wasn't perfect like some of his other books and definitely wasn't a favourite.

“I’ll trade you my very nice dictionary—”
“—for this sword, I assume?” he asked, taking a drink from his canteen.
“Nonsense. The sword is worth far more than that. I’ll throw in a pair of penis.”
Siris nearly choked, sputtering through the water.
Isa looked at him, frowning.
“A pair of them, eh?” Siris asked, wiping his chin. “Wow. Must have cost you a lot.”
Isa, looking confused, pulled two pens out of her saddlebags. “They were quite pricey, but are very nice. You are still laughing. I see. One pen, two penis? No?"

Recommended to all Sanderson fans.

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This was a strange little interlude of a novella. It doesn't begin at the beginning and it doesn't end at the end. It's like a weird little experiment that doesn't quite work.

So the important thing to know about this story is that it's a literary connector between two Infinity Blade swords-and-sorcery video games, transitioning you from the end of the first game, when a young swordfighter named Siris has fulfilled his lifelong mission of killing the tyrannical "God King," to the start of the second game, where I would guess Siris and his newfound frenemies go on a quest to find and do more . . . stuff. And maybe kill the God King for realsies this time.

What's the point of this novella? I don't even know ... Well, I guess I do know: try to capitalize on Sanderson's reputation to draw more people into the video game series, and give the gamers something more to flesh out the games.

There are some interesting moments here, with glimpses of past technology shrouded in mystery and ignorance, and the ending has a twist that I wasn't expecting, which almost made me want to keep reading whatever comes next.

But. Too much reliance on what happened in the video game, before the time the book starts, left me feeling pretty much non-invested in this world and the main character and whatever is going to happen to him, particularly with the limitations of the novella length. Some readers have enjoyed this even without being familiar with the Infinity Blade video games, but for me it just didn't work. I can't recommend it, other than to those already familiar with the games or the overall story.

Oh, and one more thing: You know how people try to turn video games into movies or books, but it still feels like you're watching/reading a video game? Yeah. That.

I'm rounding up to 3 stars because I just can't quite bring myself to give it 2, but it was thisclose.

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella much more than I thought I would. Much like Children of the Nameless, I don’t think you need to know the game it ties into. (Awakening serves as a bridge between Infinity I and II.) I was only able to get my hands on the audiobook (for free on audible), but the narrator did a great job so it was a really fun experience.

Siris is a warrior in a long line of warriors, destined to attack the God King and die as a sacrifice. Things don’t go as planned, however, and he actually kills the God King with his own sword, the eponymous Infinity Blade, which is said to kill even immortals. At this point it is important to mention that Siris killing the God King actually happens in the RPG Inifity Blade I and events continue in this novella from then on. I didn’t mind that but I can see why you would be bothered by that lack of action if you, like me, didn’t play the game.

Back to the novella: Here, it turns out the Blade didn‘t actually kill him, though, leaving the God King to be reincarnated. Now, Siris, with his newly-won Blade, embarks on a journey to find answers, unexpectedly gaining an unlikely companion in the assassin Isa, who covets the sword and cannot fully be trusted – it is unclear whether she is a freedom fighter or an opportunist.

I am already eager to listen to Infinity Blade: Redemption next, hoping it will also deliver another fast-paced, immersive story.

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time that I've read a book based on a video game. It's not so much as a story written on the game itself (like Assassin's Creed) but more as a bridge between, i.e. filling up the story/events between Infinity Blade I and Infinity Blade II.

I've not played the games so was completely unfamiliar with the world. The story was written in the manner that I've come to expect from Sanderson. Effortless writing that flows without weighty verbosity, he has a knack of painting a scene with words and I felt that the moment I read the Prologue. It was not difficult to imagine the exact scene re-enacted as a trailer of a video game. The touch of humour laced throughout the narrative made the read even more enjoyable. Sanderson was also able to draw upon the existing worldbuilding from the game and make it sound like his own.

He also managed to flesh out the character of Siris, the main protagonist, and make him relatable. You feel for him at the loss of his childhood and purpose in life after he achieved what he was born and raised for. While his simple and short diary entries seem funny, they also evoke a sense of pathos for this young man who had not known anything more than fighting.

Definitely glad that I've finally read this even though it's not exactly the creation of Sanderson's own genius. It was a short read, but engaging and fun.

[Rodrigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro ligero de Sanderson que se basa en el videojuego Infinity blade, no está mal y evidentemente le falta profundidad, ya que es cortito. Fue un encargo de la compañía del videojuego a Sanderson ( y como este hombre escribe como churros...) para hacer un libro, bueno una bilogía.
Sinopsis: Adiestrado desde su nacimiento en esgrima y combate, un joven caballero llamado Siris ha luchado ferozmente para poder enfrentarse al tiránico Rey Dios en un combate cara a cara.
Esta es la misión que ha heredado de toda su estirpe y que se remonta a incontables generaciones, en un continuo esfuerzo por liberar a su pueblo de la esclavitud. Pero cuando finalmente parece lograr su cometido, Siris se verá de pronto arrojado a un mundo mucho más peligroso, lleno de guerreros, ladrones, antiguos conflictos, peleas y alianzas cambiantes, entre mortales, inmortales y aspirantes a reyes.

Sus ansias de libertad le llevarán a un viaje épico en busca de un ser –el único ser en el mundo– que podrá desentrañar los verdaderos secretos de Infinity Blade, la Espada Infinita.
La verdad es que estaba siendo un poco flojo, pero el giro del final lo hace mas interesante.
6/10
# 44. Una duología (parte 1). Reto popsugar 2022.

[Deborah Obida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing! Better than expected. I just have one problem with this book, its just not long enough, a 100+ pages is just too damn short.

Even at that BS did his usual magic.
Worldbuilding, writing, plot, great characters are all in this. Don't even get me started on the magic system, it was amazing and original.

The dialogue between Siris and Isa is just the best.

“I’ll trade you my very nice dictionary—”
“—for this sword, I assume?” he asked, taking a drink from his canteen.
“Nonsense. The sword is worth far more than that. I’ll throw in a pair of penis.”
Siris nearly choked, sputtering through the water.
Isa looked at him, frowning.
“A pair of them, eh?” Siris asked, wiping his chin. “Wow. Must have cost you a lot.”
Isa, looking confused, pulled two pens out of her saddlebags. “They were quite pricey, but are very nice. You are still laughing. I see. One pen, two penis? No?”

[Iloveplacebo · Rating 3 out of 5]

NO tiene Spoilers.


El peor libro que he leído de Sanderson.

¿Es un libro malo? No.
¿Es un libro bueno? Dejémoslo en entretenido.

Y es que acostumbrada como estoy a que me flipen las historias de este autor, este libro me ha dejado un poco... ¿Decepcionada? No se si tengo derecho a quejarme, porque el autor no me debe nada, pero esperaba algo un poco mejor.
Pero insisto, no es malo. Creo que es imposible que Sanderson escriba algo malo. Flojo sí, malo no.



El mundo no está muy elaborado; apenas sabemos algo de donde se sitúa la acción. No es que nos perdamos en la narración, pero hubiese sido más fácil o cómodo si se conociese mejor el mundo que rodea la trama.


Los personajes no están muy desarrollados. Es cierto que al ser un libro tan corto no da tiempo a conocerlos tan bien como en otros libros más largos, y que este es la primera parte (hay una segunda parte), pero aún así parecen flojos.

Me ha costado imaginarme a ciertas criaturas no-humanas que aparecen. Quizás los daerils (que son algo así como trolls) son fácil de imaginar, pero los gollem u otras criaturas me ha costado.


Y la historia, la trama, pues... nada del otro mundo.
Se nota que está basado en un videojuego, y no quiero decir que por eso sea una historia sencilla o común. Personalmente hay ciertos detalles que hacen tan pero tan obvio que se basa en un videojuego que no me han gustado. Son detallitos tontos, pero que se notan; vamos, que a veces solo hacía falta que pusiese algo sobre una barra de energía encima de su cabeza o algo así xD.

Es cierto que hay cierto "giro" en la historia de Siris -el protagonista- que no me esperaba, pero tampoco es algo que te vuele la cabeza.




Lo que más me ha gustado es el inicio, que ha sido bastante prometedor. Me he sorprendido pensando: "Me recuerda, de momento, un poco a Nacidos de la bruma. El hombre forastero, misterioso, con capa..."
Pero todo se queda en eso, en el comienzo. No tiene nada que ver con Nacidos de la bruma. Nada.

Parecía interesante el que tuviesen un Rey Dios, y que fueran esclavos de este;

"Esa espada. Larga y fina en los costados, con una serie de tres agujeros en el centro… todo un símbolo que cualquier niño de la tierra había aprendido a reconocer. Un símbolo de poder, autoridad y mando.
Era la propia espada del Rey Dios."

pero el Rey Dios parece que ha muerto a manos del Sacrificio. Ahora los más ricos o recaudadores se van a aprovechar de eso.

"El forastero finalmente se enderezó y se quitó el yelmo, exponiendo su cabello castaño claro y su rostro juvenil. Siris. El Sacrificio. El hombre que había sido enviado a morir.
—He vuelto —le dijo a la gente del pueblo."

Después de ese inicio el nivel baja, pero se mantiene más o menos hasta el final.



Si es la primera vez que vas a leer al autor, por favor, lee otro libro, este no le hace justicia.
Si ya eres fan, bueno, queda en tu mano leerlo o no. Personalmente no lo recomiendo, aunque en ningún momento crea que es perder el tiempo (además, es un libro que no llega ni a las 200 páginas, se lee en un suspiro).

[Caleb M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first goodreads buddy read with a couple of awesome people! Thank you TS and Luna. You guys are awesome!


This is a perfect example of Sanderson not being able to do any wrong. I think one of the reasons Sanderson is such an impressive writer is because he is constantly pulling and stretching himself to do new and different things all the time. This book he decided he was going to write based on a video game. And an iPad game at that! Granted it was a huge iPad game, but still never thought I would see big name Sanderson do a book like this.

Well the short version is he nailed it. Knocked it out of the park. What a fun story this was about a young man named Siris. He was the Sacrifice and instead of dying like he was supposed to, he slayed the God King. Now he goes back to the town and nobody wants him there. The poor guy is confused and hurt and tries to find himself from there.

The banter between Siris and Isa is just so much fun. In a lot of ways it is reminiscent of Wax and Wayne from Era 2 of the Mistborn books. It's different to be sure, but expect some giggles and smiles along the way. For me this book had the perfect amount of seriousness and humor. The story is not a light one and there are some serious duels that are fought, but Siris and Isa are still able to crack jokes after all is said and done.

In typical Sanderson style there is a bit of a magic system here and to me it is very impressive. I'm not going to get to into it, but I was super impressed with how he made a magic system out of things that you come across in the game. It was melded together beautifully. And not just that, but every time there was a duel it was the same thing, you could see how they came up to each other just like in the game. Wonderful.

My one complaint about this book was the ending. I haven't read a Sanderson book yet where he leaves things on a massive cliffhanger. He usually wraps everything up nicely with some questions unanswered if he plans on writing more, but there is a super satisfying ending. Not so with this book! Which in a way makes sense, this book was a gap between this first game and the second, so I'm sure that the second iteration of the game picks up right where this dropped you.

This is a pretty easy recommendation. For anybody. It's short, it's well written, it's a lot of fun and worth the time spent on it. And other than the cliffhanger ending you will enjoy the twists and turns the book takes to get there.

[Tina Rafii➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Silver Stars

first half I was confused what was going on!
then I gently comprehended the whole story.
fascinating ending.
I think a re-read will reveal all the parts I got confused.
the literature & how it was written: epic, but sometimes confusing.
anyhow, it was a bit too bloody for me.

World building: ★★★/5
Writing style: ★★★★/5
Characters: ★★★(★)/5
Plot: ★★★(★)/5
Idea: ★★★/5

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was familiar with the iOS mobile game, or the Infinity Blade franchise in general. As it were, I've never played it, I don't even know the first thing about it, so I was not surprised at all at how often I felt lost while reading this and at the many questions I had after I finished.

I admit I picked this up because it was penned by Brandon Sanderson. But despite being written by one of my favorite fantasy authors, I didn't find anything too impressive about this novella. The franchise isn't Sanderson's own creation so he obviously had certain limitations to work within and guidelines to follow. I could tell he wasn't "stretching out" as much as he could with his writing talents, possibly due to the fact that he didn't have his usual freedoms.

I'm proof that this book is readable even if you don't play or if you are not a fan of the game, but a lot of it will end up being confusing. As this short story is meant to be the bridge between the first Infinity Blade and its sequel, it is really meant for those who want more background into the story of the game it's based upon.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leído y comentado en 2013:
Para saber bien qué no leemos os dejo parte de una reseña que podéis encontrar en “la espada en la tinta”.
*************
En estos tiempos modernos en los que todo el mundo tiene un dispositivo móvil en el que poder instalar miles de juegos, podemos encontrarnos con verdaderas sorpresas, como puede ser Infinity Blade, para dispositivos iPhone y iPad. El juego, creado por Chair Entertainment y Epic Games mediante el motor Unreal Engine 3, sorprendió por su calidad gráfica al igual que por la sencillez de su mecánica de juego. Para aquellos que no hayan podido jugarlo, puedo decir que el juego se basa en ir con tu espadachín, llamado Siris, venciendo a miles de esbirros de su archienemigo, el Rey Dios. Este "malo" será el que deberemos vencer cada vez que emprendamos nuestra aventura por los distintos castillos. En el momento en el que le venzamos y consigamos la llamada Espada Infinita, un nuevo nivel aparecerá en el juego para que podamos vencerlo y de esta forma pasárnoslo, o bien volver a empezar desde cero con todos los niveles reiniciados, como hijos del antiguo espadachín (al que se conoce como "El Sacrificio").

El juego, convertido en un auténtico éxito de ventas, hizo que millones de personas se descargasen de la tienda de AppStore su copia, haciendo por lo tanto historia, y terminando por cautivar a tantos a lo largo del mundo que Brandon Sanderson fue propuesto para escribir una historia sobre el propio juego. Como bien podréis comprobar, esto es algo que también ha hecho historia, no ya por la calidad del escritor dedicado a la tarea de hacer una novela de videojuegos –las cuales no suelen tener una gran calidad–, sino también porque es la primera novela realizada sobre un videojuego de este tipo de plataforma.

En La espada Infinita: El despertar podréis conocer los acontecimientos tras el momento en el que Siris vence al Rey Dios y vuelve a Drem's Maw con la espada mágica. Como podréis imaginar, el hecho de que el que ha sido educado como "El Sacrificio" vuelva a su casa tan campante con la espada del que consideran un ser inmortal no es visto con alegría por el pueblo, aunque éste siga siendo tiranizado constantemente, sino que lo ven como un signo de mal agüero, ya que creen que al tener en su poder la espada, los otros inmortales podrían destruir el pueblo hasta los cimientos para poder encontrarla. A raíz de este instante, Siris es consciente del peligro que le rodea, por lo que comienza un peregrinaje para poder alejar a los que busquen la espada de sus seres queridos.

*************************************

Todo la anterior es para situaros ante la idea de que esta no es una novela “normal” de Sanderson. No se bien por qué se ha prestado a hacer algo así, pero a mi me parece que la calidad de la obra baja bastante respecto a lo que cabe esperar de este autor (que a mi me encanta).

Los personajes no tiene ni la profundidad ni el tirón al que no tiene habituados, la historia es simple –aunque con un trasfondo que puede dar cierto juego- el alcance breve (139 pags) y el final abrupto. Eso sí, se lee del tirón y sin ningún esfuerzo.

¿Merece la pena leerlo?. Para mi sí porque ya digo que me reconozco fan de cómo escribe este tío, pero conste que la nota le llegaría un 7 y siendo indulgente.

[Andy Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella shows why Brandon Sanderson is one of the best storytellers of his day and will be for many years to come.
The story is a "filler" between two video games but, most importantly, you don't need to have played the game to be able to enjoy the story.
Set in a fantasy setting with strong science links, it is the story of Siris, trained from childhood for only one purpose - to be the sacrifice who will travel to the dark citadel to fight the immortal God King. It begins with the unthinkable - Siris returns to his village after killing the God King and taking his sword. His people are not willing to accept their freedom so send him away and Siris sets off on a quest for the answers, starting with a return to the Dark Citadel.
The characters are well written and interact well together, the banter is good and the author draws a vivid picture with his words.
My only downer on this is that it is only going to be a one off - I really didn't want this to end and would love to go back and find out more about Siris and Isa (and the quite amazing TEL - what a creation he is)
Well done again Mr Sanderson

[Alicia Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Popsugar Reading Challenge #44: Una duología (parte 1)

Al principio no pude simpatizar con el protagonista, pero el final me gustó mucho.

[Shaghayegh · Rating 4 out of 5]

خب من بازی رو انجام ندادم و شنیدم کتاب از روی بازی نوشته شده.
چی جذبم کرد؟؟؟؟ تشابه ابتدایی این کتاب با واربریکر، در حدیکه فکر میکردم شمشیر ابدی احتمالا باید نایت بلاد باشه و گادکینگ، جد سوسبورن. شبیه به نظر میرسید 🤔
اما اینطوری نبود.

[Theresa Ijachi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite novellas ever. I love that plot twist at the end.

[Alba Turunen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Estrellas. ¿Se nota que está escrito por Brandon Sanderson? Sí, entonces, si es mi autor favorito ¿Por qué no valoro más este libro? Fácil, que sea mi autor favorito no significa que sea una talifana que no ve más allá de las maravillas que puede crear la imaginación de este señor. El por qué no puedo decir que sea una obra redonda es porque se nota que la historia original no es suya, si no que es un encargo, de editorial, o de los creadores del videojuego, o de quien sea, no lo sé. No he jugado al videojuego y tampoco conozco su funcionamiento, entonces imagino que por eso no he podido ir mucho más allá de la historia.

Tampoco ayuda mucho que este libro sea poco más que un relato corto. Es una novela muy cortita, sencilla y que va al grano. Solo tiene 184 páginas y puedes leerlo de una sentada. Quizás lo que le ha faltado es mayor profundidad, o una historia más complicada, a lo que Brandon nos tiene acostumbrados.

Sencillamente, "La Espada Infinita. El Despertar" es una novela de espada y brujería al 100%, que sigue fielmente el procedimiento de un videojuego de rol, y del crecimiento personal y espiritual de su personaje.

Ahora vamos a lo que cuenta este libro. De nuevo en otro mundo mítico, un joven caballero llamado Siris, vuelve al pueblo que lo vio nacer. Siris no estaba destinado a volver y mucho menos a sobrevivir, durante generaciones, los varones de su familia han sido llamados los Sacrificios, aquellas personas que llegado a un punto de su vida deben partir para combatir con el Rey Dios que gobierna sus tierras. Ninguno de ellos ha sido nunca capaz de derrotar al Rey Dios, y mucho menos conseguir su arma primordial; la Espada Infinita.

¿Qué ocurre una vez Siris vuelve a su pueblo? Su gente no lo acepta, por miedo a las represalias que puedan venirles, de modo que Siris emprenderá un viaje en busca de su destino, donde aprenderá la maldición que supone la espada y el modo de deshacerse de ella, pues ¿Qué bien puede esperarle a alguien que ha sido capaz de matar a un Inmortal? Ganarse más enemigos.

Como viene siendo habitual en este autor, o quizás por exigencias del guión que le pudieran pautar a Brandon para escribirlo, los giros argumentales son bastante buenos y sorpresivos, y admito, es lo que me ha tenido enganchada hasta el final de la trama, pues en Brandon Sanderson nada es nunca lo que parece.

De modo que me ha parecido una novela bastante correcta, escrita magistralmente; sobre la pluma y el estilo del autor jamás tendré quejas, pero me ha sabido a poco, por la brevedad del relato o por la falta de profundidad, sinceramente no lo sé, pero aún así voy a continuar leyendo esta historia con el siguiente volumen. ¿Quién sabe? Lo mismo los dos libros de esta serie debían haber sido publicados juntos en un único volumen, y siendo más completo habría tenido mejor valoración.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is a Sanderson book which I really haven't heard much about before picking it up, although I did know that it was based around a video game. I am not a gamer and I have no intention of playing the game, but I wanted to give this a go anyway because of it being by Sanderson and I believed that it would not matter if it was based off of a game or not when it comes to his writing style, and I was right.

I would not say it's necessary to have played the game, and I would say that if you do play them game surely you'll enjoy this book. I went into it knowing nothing about the story, world or magic, but I came away having enjoyed the short read and being surprised along the way at some of the twists and turns the story takes. It's a true Sanderson in style and very similar in some ways to his Cosmere books which I enjoyed a lot. Some of the powers (which I assume are from the video game) were very Sanderson-esque and therefore felt as though they belonged in the book, and overall it was a really fun and action-packed story.

We follow the story of the Sacrifice, Siris, after he has defeated the God King (a supposedly immortal and un-defeatable ruler of the land) and the troubles that he faces along the way. I will say no more than that as it's a short story and I do not wish to spoil it for others, but it's a really fun romp with lots of cool magic and powers throughout.

The one thing I felt it lacked was a little more explanation about 'why' all of these things were possible as many of Sanderson's other books do this better, but that may be due to the link with the games or possibly it will be revealed in book 2 (which I have picked up and am looking forward to reading soon).

Overall I think it's a fun addition to the Sanderson collection and I'm quite happy to read anything which is by him. I would recommend it for a short, fun read, and I will read the next one soon! 4*s

[Sajeev Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been long since i visited the fantasy genre, got turned off of it thanks to JK Rowling and the steaming pile of dog shit she called "the deathly hallows" But i played Infinity Blade (on the iPhone) which almost seems open ended and storyless - like an RPG version Punch-Out, but the comparison is just the gameplay, one-on-one arcade style fighter. Comparison on any other level would be unfair since Infinity Blade is one of the most beautiful games i have seen for the iPhone.
Given that the developers do not have the luxury of making a full fledged game with elaborate cutscenes and complex gameplay on such a limited platform, i can definitely say that this book(/novella) adds that missing dimension. Most elements of the game are tied in perfectly and leads into an ending that would serve as a springboard for the next installment, Infinity Blade: II.
The role this book plays in the Infinity Blade universe is also my criticism towards it. It brings a lot of potential to the series and consequently a lot of expectations as well. I would like to see the book standing out on its own, with the game being the "add-on", i.e. the game playing out major action scenes from the book as opposed to the book filling up missing plot points from the game.
Brandon Sanderson is an incredible story-teller and i would really like to see him, chair entertainment and epic games turn this into a modern-day classic like the Lord of the Rings.

[Franco Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho. El final es bastante predecible, al menos en parte. Pero muy buen libro.

[Ana M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela muy cortita basada en el videojuego para iPhone y iPad del mismo nombre. La verdad, cuando supe que estaba basado en un videojuego y que fue un encargo de los desarrolladores, me echaba un poco para atrás leerlo. Al final, siendo una novela de Brandon, no pude resistirme. La historia es entretenida y, para la longitud que tiene, está bien desarrollada. También es un punto en contra, no todo se desarrolla como debería y hay cosas a las que le falta más profundidad. El final, aunque rápido, me ha gustado bastante y tengo curiosidad por leer su continuación. Es una novela que recomiendo si te gusta el autor y si quieres leer algo ligero ya que se lee de una sentada, pero no busques profundidad y desarrollo, porque aquí no la vas a encontrar.

[Jeraviz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pequeña novela creada para dar un trasfondo más amplio al videojuego. La historia en sí es interesante pero no tiene la profundidad de personajes y desarrollo habituales en las creaciones de Sanderson.

[MisskTarsis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo este tipo de historias. De caballeros, de honor, de peleas por existir. Mi único reclamo es que se me hizo extremadamente corto, disfruté tanto de la historia que literalmente me la bebí, y por supuesto lo cortan en un momento que DEBES leer el segundo sí o sí. #SIRISIAMINYOURTEAM Pero lo que más curiosidad me da es saber, cómo Isa sabe TANTO sobre los inmortales y sobre el mundo en general.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Como anillo al dedo.-

Género. Narrativa Fantástica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Siris había sido enviado para luchar y morir en combate contra el Rey Dios como Sacrificio, labor para la que había entrenado toda su vida, una responsabilidad que simbolizase que su pueblo no estaba totalmente sometido al tirano. Pero, contra todo pronóstico, ganó, por lo que sus conciudadanos prefieren que se aleje de la localidad porque eso atraerá problemas en busca del guerrero y de la espada que ahora porta, la Espada Infinita, la asesina de dioses que perteneció al Rey Dios. Pero el tirano ha vuelto de la vida, aunque hacía mucho tiempo que nadie le causaba tener que reencarnarse. Primer libro de la serie La espada infinita, basada en el videojuego homónimo.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Признавам си, че не съм запознат с ролевата игра, по която е създадена тази фентъзи повест, но дори и да бях това едва ли щеше да повлияе особено на читателското ми мнение. В един наглед средновековен сетинг има няколко Безсмъртни - същества, които управляват обикновените човеци, владеят разни високи технологии и ако не бъдат убити по специална метода се прераждат в нови тела, които ги чакат в едни вани... Ся, това вече сме го чели, пък и препрочитали, даже за последно преди няколко месеца и Сандерсън, колкото и сладкодумен разказвач да е, а тук и нивото му на писане е посредствено, не може да стъпи на малешката на Роджър Зелазни и Господарят на светлината :) Среден три!

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 звезди. Приятна кратка смес между фентъзи и фантастика. Не е самостоятелен разказ обаче, предвид че има и втора книга, и е част от вселената на някаква игра. Просто лека интерлюдия, без ясно начало, и с край в нищото.

[✨Skye✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Sanderson's books, and this one was no exception! I'm not very into video games and haven't played Infinity Blade, but didn't find this to be distracting at all. Sanderson does a good job of ensuring we know about previous events without making it an info-dump.
I found the world building fun and the plot easy to follow. I listened to this as an audio, and liked the style of narration too. It's a really intricate world with the Deathless and how our main characters find out about theirselves and their pasts. It's not my favourite Sanderson ever, but I will read the 2nd one and I'm very intrigued!

[Paloma orejuda (Pevima) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pues… uno de los más flojos de Sanderson. Y no me vale la excusa del videojuego.

**Alerta Spoiler!!

1.-La historia. Siris, el sacrificio, derrota al rey dios. Pero como el rey dios es inmortal y Siris tiene la espada infinita, parte en busca del hacedor de secretos para terminar lo que empezó.

2.-Los personajes. Siris, alias bigotes, un héroe aburrido, que no es lo que parece.
Isa, una ladrona y a veces a asesina que acompañara a Siris para poder robarle la espada infinita.
Y el rey dios y ETCB y poco más… la verdad es que el desarrollo de personajes es casi nulo.

3.-La pluma, la trama y demás. Libro corto, capítulos normales, historia ágil y rápida, pero muy simple. Se lee bien, pero no brilla ni destaca.

4.-El final. Lo mejor. Una revelación y ganas de ver cómo va a terminar todo en su segunda parte.

En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque es una historia made in Sanderson muy pobre. No es a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados.

**Popsugar categoría 44. Una duología (parte 1)

[Rosanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was pretty damn amazing. After about 70 % the hits just kept coming. One after another.
I. Never. Saw. It. Coming.
Pretty much sums it up, but that's pretty normal for a Brandon Sanderson book. Brilliant!

[Nimrod Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I like all of his works, I haven't expected much from this book, but it was a quite good short story.

3.75-4/5