Tyler Thomas

This was my introduction to Lord Dunsany's writing which probably wasn't the best place to start. Many of these stories were quite odd and ended abruptly with seemingly no satisfying conclusion. There were only 3 that I enjoyed out of the 14 or 15 total stories. I'll be continuing to read Lord Dunsay's works since I'm pretty sure they can only go up from here.

As with most first novels in epic fantasy, this book was pretty slow at until the last 20% or so. Still, I knew this going in and I'm excited to continue this series exploring the world and the characters. Many of the characters didn't stand out to me except for the main ones so I'm much more interested in Simon's part of the story than the political intrigue bits between the nations of Osten Ard. Simon is a boy of 15 and he acts like it throughout the story. I loved watching him experiencing this journey and adventure that was thrust upon him which heavily mirrors the quest that Frodo must embark on and also Rand from the Wheel of Time which came after this book was published.

Great novel and setup for this world and story. It looses some stars because it was a bit too slow and the ending was good but not earth shattering.

Super slow burn on this book but probably one of my favorites from Brandon Sanderson. This is a very character focused and philosophical book that was a bit of a drag at the beginning but as I got deeper and more engaged with the characters, thoroughly enjoyed reading each characters' inner monologue about the events unfolding.

There isn't a lot of action in the book but when it hits at the end, it really hits. Well done Brandon. Warbreaker is still probably a better entry point to the Cosmere but Elantris is a great read.

Podcast Episodes on The Eye of the World
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zRqpaG5ybE
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7RiLaNpqzQ
Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qcjtbi_S9Y

Short Review
I think this is a good opening to the world of The Wheel of Time. It is a pretty slow and plodding book. It's like Robert Jordan is going somewhere with the story and characters but he isn't in a hurry to get there.

This isn't to say that it's a bad book but just be prepared for what you're getting into when you start the wheel of time. There will be long stretches of the book with no action. Instead, Robert Jordan is putting us in this world and just exploring it as the characters visit different places and meet new characters.

If you love slow-moving, worldbuilding, epic fantasy, then this is definitely the book/series for you. If you love fast-paced, action, fantasy, then you'll probably not have a good time with this first book of the series.

I decided to read this book after a co-coworker had been asking me to read it for years now. I can say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There was not near as much romance as I thought there would be and since I'm not really a romance reader, that kept me from reading it sooner. There were some scenes that were super cheesy as we get the inner thoughts of Feyre but it isn't enough to make you stop reading.

The thing I enjoyed most was learning about the world and the history of the different factions and courts. It almost has a Game of Thrones vibe going with how the court politics works and I hope there is more of that in the next books.

I think the characters were all very interesting and had reasons for being there. (Harry Potter Spoilers) Rhysand felt to me like a Snape-like character where he seems to be an antagonist, but in the end, is someone who saves Feyre on multiple occasions. He seems to be playing his own game but his game is always in pursuit of the end goal.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Tamlin, Lucien, and Feyre while at the Sping Court Manor. The dialogue felt polished and it flowed well. There was some good humor as well with the High Faes (mostly Lucien) taking the opportunity to poke fun at the human.

Feyre does feel like she never fails for most of the book but the last third throws that out the window as she only survives based on the goodwill of others or making deals with Rhysand.

I think this was a good first book and I will plan to pick up the next ones.

I thought this was a good book that emphasized conversation and asking good questions to evangelize the people around us instead of giving long monologues about why Christianity is true. The book started feel a little repetitive towards the ends but I think his main point is excellent. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for an introduction to having conversations about faith with your friends and family.

Full Review on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz1WuEg0lIo

Overall, a good book with some potential for a great series. The premise of the book is interesting but there was a little too much mystery for my taste. Had some pacing issues with the book feeling a bit sow in the middle and the climax of the book was mediocre. Character work was pretty good with Caeden being my favorite by far.

Enjoyed this book so much more than Prince Caspian. Voyage of the Dawn Treader had adventure throughout and Prince Caspian felt like a prologue that never got to the actual story. This is definitely on par with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe although still not as good as that first book.

Also, for anyone curious, I'm reading these in the order of publication, not chronologically so the next book Jack and I will be reading is The Silver Chair, followed by The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and, finally, The Last Battle.

I felt that this book was too simplistic in it's desire to “rebirth Christianity” and it neglected the importance of the Gospel over things the author, Matthew Kelly, calls “Holy Moments.” Holy Moments are great and all but those won't change the mind of unbelievers. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do that.

He seems more concerned about the actions each of us take and less concerned with what God does through us. Towards the end of the book, it turns into a self-help book talking about living your best life and doing things that create the best version of your self.

The books has some good points but it gets quite repetitive for a book that is only 100 or so pages.

This was a good book if you're interested in understanding a basic overview of the differences between Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology. The first 2/3's of the book were pretty enjoyable but I think it got a little bogged down towards the end straying from initial goal of the book. It really was focused on in-depth descriptions of the Dispensational side and less about how Covenant Theology would answer the objections raised by Dispensationalists.

I think this book had a lot of potential. The world and characters interesting but I felt that the plot needed some work. I found myself getting lost in the switching between characters which is surprising because of how much Brandon Sanderson I read.

It might just be that this books lacks the polish I'm used to with Sanderson. The writing felt a bit clunky at times and some of the dialogue was a little cheesy.

Still I think I would pick up the sequel to see how the authors improve and where they take the story.

I think this was a great first entry novel from Shad. I love the potential of the world and the stories that can be told in it. The characters, for the most part, were interesting. The premise of the story was quite unique from what I've read following a former emperor and tyrant who get another chance at life to live and do better. Lastly, the magic system was really cool and has a lot of potential.

I think there are few things that really held this book back from being truly excellent, but I think they are mostly due to this being Shad's first published novel.