Tag: Wheel of Time
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Five Types of Magic Systems
Although magic is not a requirement for fantasy settings, they are a staple of the genre. When it comes to how new and unique a novel’s magic system is, well, they can be just as varied as fantasy as a genre. Yet there are a few categories that most magic systems either fall into or…
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The Craft of Bookish First Lines
First lines are difficult no matter the genre, and although fantasy allows for a wider range of topics to start off the book, the variety of choices can make it harder to pick which one is best. I’ve taken some of the fantasy books off of my shelf, a mix of urban fantasy, YA fantasy,…
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Book Blogger Confessions Tag!
I haven’t done a blog tag before, but what better one to start with than the confessions tag? The questions come from bookidote’s confessions post. 1. Which book, most recently, did you not finish? Like a lot of the other book bloggers that do this tag, I really hate starting a book and then not…
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The Wheel of Time and What it Has Taught Me About Reading
Wheel of Time is a massive series. I know, because I’m almost finished reading them, and adding fifteen books–none of which are thin by any means–to my bookshelf meant I needed another bookshelf. It’s a daunting task to write a series so lengthy, and that Jordan manages it so well will never cease to inspire…
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Eight Character Archetypes, Then and Now
Four years ago, I wrote a blog post on my old Mad Chronicler site called “Who’s Who? The 8 Character Archetypes.” I’ve been thinking about it a lot, lately. Four years is a long time for any individual writer, and even in the bookish community, our understanding of tropes and archetypes can shift in that…
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Book Review: Towers of Midnight (WoT #13) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Never once in Towers of Midnight does the story let you forget how close the Last Battle really is. After twelve books that covering roughly two years’ time, full of meanderings as the characters tried and failed to rally, it’s finally time. And I have no doubt it’s going to be epic. But we aren’t…
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Book Review: The Gathering Storm (WoT #12) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
The end is drawing near. As the characters are preparing for the impending Last Battle, the narrative grows more intense and the stakes grow higher. The Gathering Storm focuses primarily on Rand al’Thor and Egwene al’Vere as they try to rally their people towards peace and unity; chaos and bloodshed will only provide the Dark…
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Book Review: Knife of Dreams (Wot #11) by Robert Jordan
After the slow-moving narrative of the previous book, Knife of Dreams is all it’s hyped up to be. Many of the plotlines that dragged Crossroads of Twilight are officially brought to a close as everyone steels themselves for the last battle. I’ll talk about the pacing of the overall series below, but first, let’s dive…
Katie Bachelder 