Books of 2018

I set a reading goal of 75 books again in 2018. Fell a little short, only managed 70. All in all I’m not too unhappy about that.

The full details of all the books read are available on Goodreads’s yearly review https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2018/19743140.

There are some books that need special mention.

Oathbringer

Oh my! I knew this would be good, and it was. From Kaladin’s fight with depression (In which I saw reflected some of my own struggles over the past decade) to the revelations of Dalinar’s past and of the history of the Radiants. Not to mention the declaration “I am Unity!” Absolutely spectacular.

The only downside is that my paperback copy is over 1200 pages and is too heavy to read comfortably. If there’s a split version as there was for the previous two books, I’ll probably buy them and donate the doorstop to the local library.

Starship’s Mage series

Imagine a world where technology has advanced to the point of kilometer-long starships and massive space stations, but where travel between the stars is only possible with magic. That’s the premise here, and it does make for a very interesting setting.

In the first book, he main character is a just-graduated jump mage looking for a ship to serve on. He finds a ship, and a lot more.

The Lions of Al-Rassan

I’ve been a fan of Guy Gavriel Kay for years, and this is another outstanding work from him. Set in a fantasy version of Spain, it follows characters from three different religions destined to clash and shows how the wars affect them and those around them.

Exquisitely written.

Redemption’s Blade

What happens after the Chosen One has defected the Dark Lord? How does a world torn apart by war settle back into its old ways?