clar2d2's Reviews (501)

1st read: 4 stars

2nd read: 3 stars
I know I gave this book 4 stars on first read, but for some reason I'm feeling a bit more lukewarm about it on second read. I'll have to think about it a bit more, but I feel like it was a combination of plot holes and of details/mechanics being introduced and not really being used in the rest of the book.

3rd read: 4 stars
This time I read the book with the annotations, and they really add a lot, especially for someone with context of other books in the Cosmere!
I do think it's a 4 star reread, but a 3 star first read. I used to recommend this book as a first Brandon Sanderson book, but I do think the pacing and the number of things happening could be confusing (I think it was for me on my first couple of reads).
Because of the annotations and since it was a reread, I have so much more appreciation for the worldbuilding now.
If you've read this book before, and are a Cosmere fan, I highly recommend reading this book again with the annotations!

May 31, 2025 (Reread): 4/5 stars

I wasn't that engaged when reading the first story, primarily because the main character wasn't that likeable, and the characterization of the programmer's career didn't seem realistic (small details took me out of the story because I am a programmer myself and they didn't make sense).

But overall I really appreciated how the stories weaved into each other and was amazed by how even such short stories managed to make me so emotional.

May 4, 2021 (First Read): 4/5 stars

No real reason; I just became busy with other things

I had to return it to the library