The Warded Man...opinions?

[silvercue]

I read this some time ago and kind of enjoyed it in a throw away sort of way. However, I decided before the end I would most certainly not be buying the next instalment.

Why? Well not because I think the book was awful, like some seem to, but I just had some fundamental issues with the inconsistencies of the magic/ward system. It also seems like a system from a children's show.

If you actually think about how the wards work - you start to think - well why don't they do this, or that - surely they would have thought about it?

I can't recall the girl's name now, but she was one of the drabbest characters you could imagine...though I vaguely recall the hag being kind of fun.

An OK book to read by a pool on holiday, with some decent ideas, badly implemented.

[Mark_P]

I just finished the book, and found it to be enjoyable. It certainly isn't a masterpiece of the genre, but I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a relatively fast-paced adventure. Despite what others have mentioned, I liked all three main characters, and it was interesting to see how they developed over the timeline of the novel (the book takes place over the course of about 15 years).

The only thing that bothered me was the somewhat awkwardly-written sexual content. For a book that might otherwise appeal to all ages (at least a "PG-13" audience), it had rape, infidelity, etc. Those things normally wouldn't normally bother me when handled by the right author, but it just didn't feel right in the borderline YA prose style of this book.

[Danogzilla]

I think Brett is one of a bunch of newer WAY overrated writers. Lots of valid criticism of Brett in this thread, so I'll name a couple others who are in this category. Brandon Sanderson is a YA author, pure and simple. His books all feel like they're written for 15 year olds and it gets really annoying really quickly. Someone who gets tons of praise is Joe Abercrombie. I couldn't get through one third of The Blade Itself. I thought it was horrible. Every character was a cartoony caricature. I have no idea what people find appealing about him. Maybe his later books are better, but that first novel of his was terrible.

[silvercue]

..... Brandon Sanderson is a YA author, pure and simple. His books all feel like they're written for 15 year olds and it gets really annoying really quickly. .....

I have literally just come back from lunch and was desperately looking for a book as I have two truly terrible ones that I can't get through at the moment (Janny Wurts to Ride Hell's Chasm and Robert Newcombe's The Fifth Sorceress).....but I wanted something new and was seconds from buying a Brandon Sanderson book and decided against it at the last minute and went for another author I know nothing about instead!!!

[End Of Disc One]

Brandon Sanderson is a YA author, pure and simple. His books all feel like they're written for 15 year olds and it gets really annoying really quickly.

Oh god, the YA criticism again

[Danogzilla]

Oh god, the YA criticism again

I don't want to stray too far off topic, but, legitimate criticism is legitimate criticism. His characters, his humor, and his dialogue are all juvenile.

[Rob B]

I don't want to stray too far off topic, but, legitimate criticism is legitimate criticism. His characters, his humor, and his dialogue are all juvenile.

That old gag.

[Seak]

I think it's true this book falls closer to Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, etc. than Erikson, Martin, or Abercrombie on the spectrum, but I really loved the setting so I was willing to forgive a lot.

[Werthead]

'YA' is a marketplace descriptor, not a perjorative term. All 'YA' means is that a book is marketed (or marketable) to youngsters, so will not have graphic sexual content, violence or swearing (and some YA fiction does in fact sail pretty close to the wind on all these counts).

Most of Sanderson's work is not marketed to children (naturally aside from his ALCATRAZ series, which was written for kids). I'd say it's YA-compatible - there's little or nothing unacceptable for children in it - but it's certainly not predominantly aimed at them.

The suggestion that all YA work has awful or 'juvenile' prose is a bad generalisation. Philip Pullman and China Mieville's YA work shows that is not the case.

I would agree, though, that there is something a bit juvenile in Brett's treatment of rape in the books, like he was including it to be edgy and cutting-edge but failed to consider the ramifications. In particular, by showing female characters being traumatised by rape but having male characters become unstoppable badass warriors after suffering through institutionalised paedophilia, he did send out a very disturbing message. Probably not on purpose, but it certainly comes through as being rather sexist.

[Michigan]

I think Brett is one of a bunch of newer WAY overrated writers. Lots of valid criticism of Brett in this thread, so I'll name a couple others who are in this category. Brandon Sanderson is a YA author, pure and simple. His books all feel like they're written for 15 year olds and it gets really annoying really quickly. Someone who gets tons of praise is Joe Abercrombie. I couldn't get through one third of The Blade Itself. I thought it was horrible. Every character was a cartoony caricature. I have no idea what people find appealing about him. Maybe his later books are better, but that first novel of his was terrible.

Going to go ahead and agree with you on these. I enjoy Sanderson and I will read his books and people might bash you for throwing out the YA criticism but it's pretty obvious what you mean. They come across as very juvenille at times. I guess if people don't like you calling it YA you could just say it wasn't very well written. As for Abercrombie, I have only read his revenge book and I wasn't impressed. Writing was fine, if a bit depressing, but the story was too formulaic.

[ArtNJ]

Sanderson's sentences are simple, and he never leaves anything unexplained for long. For example, if you start muttering to yourself "that is impossible, it doesnt work that way" within a few pages Sanderson will explain exactly how it works. His plots are, in over-arching details, somewhat simplistic, even over-simplistic, but he adds imaginative elements that are as creative as any, and there are surprises. Because of his workman-like approach, his plots, although simple, are *tight* -- no loose ends. Because of the imaginative elements, he is, for fans such as myself, able to carry a simple plot over a lengthy book without it wearing thin. His characterizations are often quite thin/superficial/somewhat stereotypical, although he did improve that in the first book of his new decology. And he injects an incredible measure of action into his tales, without, for some of us, breaking the story, thanks in large part to his ability to craft creative magic systems that support the action. He is a Mormon, and as you might expect his stories dont glorify violence, although plenty of death and violence happens, and sex is not detailed.

I am not sure what exactly in this complex of traits makes his writing "young adult". It is an imprecise, over-simplistic term. While I am a fan, I am sure that I agree with many of the beliefs of the critics -- I just dont really care, as for me Sanderson tells an imaginative story that crams in an insane amount of action while still - to me - allowing me to stay in the story. (Warbreaker has a bit less action, and I havent read Elantris -- speaking mostly about Mistborn and Stormlight.)

Brett shares some of the same flaws, but his work is, to me, not at Sanderson's level because his imagination and plotting are not on par. He manages to get the action and pacing more or less right -- and I can read the books -- but that is really all he does right.

[MattL22]

Just finished both books loved both much better then abercrombie!

[Khale]

Wow, I really feel like I entered Bizarro World with this thread. I thought The Warded Man was fantastic. I am also surprised at some of the criticism toward Sanderson, whose books I really enjoy as well.

Interesting the different tastes that people have. It would be interesting to see what books some of the Brett critics did like. For example, what were feelings toward a book like Tigana or even any of Tad Williams War & Peace endless novels. (I picked these for comparison purposes since I really didn't care much for either).

[Danogzilla]

Wow, I really feel like I entered Bizarro World with this thread. I thought The Warded Man was fantastic. I am also surprised at some of the criticism toward Sanderson, whose books I really enjoy as well.

Interesting the different tastes that people have. It would be interesting to see what books some of the Brett critics did like. For example, what were feelings toward a book like Tigana or even any of Tad Williams War & Peace endless novels. (I picked these for comparison purposes since I really didn't care much for either).

I was one of the critics of both Brett and Sanderson, and I adore Tigana and everything else I've read by Guy Gavriel Kay. Haven't read any Tad Williams.

[Michigan]

Wow, I really feel like I entered Bizarro World with this thread. I thought The Warded Man was fantastic. I am also surprised at some of the criticism toward Sanderson, whose books I really enjoy as well.

Interesting the different tastes that people have. It would be interesting to see what books some of the Brett critics did like. For example, what were feelings toward a book like Tigana or even any of Tad Williams War & Peace endless novels. (I picked these for comparison purposes since I really didn't care much for either).

I liked Tigana though I wouldn't put it as his best. It went off on a tangent somewhere in the middle that didn't really fit with the rest of the story. I might put it as his third best though behind Lions and Sarantium. In general I would say Kay was by far a superior writer to Brett or Sanderson or for that matter pretty much anybody. Fionovar was garbage though.

I've read a decent amount of Williams and that's a little different comparison. His stories are interesting and his prose is probably better but I have to admit he gets awfully slow and boring at times. I wouldn't say he was better or worse then Sanderson, just different. I'd probably rather re-read Sanderson though as he does a better job with pacing. I don't dislike Sanderson as an author, I will read pretty much everything he has written. It's just that I also see flaws in his writing which keeps him out of my top tier. I couldn't look past the flaws for Brett, he is relegated with the likes of Goodkind for me.