Spensa is one of my all-time favorite main characters. She's so full of bravado and a bloodthirsty desire for battle, but this book delved deep into her adventurous explorer side, bringing to light her profound loyalty to her friends and family, and matured her in a way that was both beautiful and provocative. She was made to question her choices from the first two books and her choices moving forward, but it was refreshing at the same time to see a heroine that was plenty sure of herself. Spensa's courage, wit, and unexplainable glee when faced with daunting odds is enlivening. She's such a role model for me. There were so many moments in this book where I was screaming, "Yeah, GET IT GIRL!" I want nothing more than to be her best friend. I think too much of a good thing may not necessarily be a good thing and this was the case with the world-building here. Sanderson is a genius when it comes to creating new worlds but I believe it was too technical in this series that it became a bit of a chore trying to follow it. I think the book was best at the start and ending and it stalled a bit in the middle with all the follower things I mentioned before. Also, Spensa reading the "trashy romance novel" was bloody HILARIOUS. I love those little Easter eggs BrandoSando left throughout this book that allude to modern earth, like Spensa's misinterpretation of Paradise Lost. Sanderson is fully aware of every aspect of his world and plot in his writing, but he also expertly unleashes Spensa's unique personality with an underlying tone of humor at the same time.

It physically pains me to give a Sanderson book a rating this low but I must be honest... this was definitely my least favourite of all the books I've read from him. I both enjoyed it but was also super disappointed if that makes sense?? Brandon originally wanted to call the book Nowhere, but the publisher opposed that idea and he ended up deferring to their request. [6] [7] Reception [ ]From the dogfights to the interactions between the characters. All of it was so enjoyable and exciting, so enthusiastic, and it filled my heart. After all, this series has always had a lot of energy and good cheer.

Add to it the way that these new details intertwine with the ones we have been exploring from the beginning, courage, and the nature of war, and it just makes for a very good connecting bridge for past and future steps. And honestly even with my complaints on Cytonic being dragged out and a filler book, I can only imagine how hard this especially was to write?? With having to describe the crazy place that is the Nowhere literally how did he even do it and with the so many different elements he included + that plot twist—SEE NOW THIS IS WHY I ADMIRE THIS MAN SO MUCH.I enjoy world building, but I prefer it in smaller doses—and I suppose that comes from reading a lot of fantasy. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell—the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What's more, she travelled light-years from home as a spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home. Now, the Superiority—the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life—has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa has seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant. In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024. The way everything fit together at the end was literally mind-blowing. BrandoSando always manages to write endings to his books that make me scream (*cough* Starsight *cough*), cry (*cough* The Hero of Ages *cough*), or both. Occasionally he makes me do a victory whoop. I think the ending to Cytonic had me doing all of these to some extent. It was sad, empowering, and satisfying at the same time. I will be biding my time in the days until Defiant comes out. If it's not later this coming year, BrandoSando and I are going to have some words engage in a pleasant discussion about his release schedules. Book Genre: Adventure, Aliens, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space, Space Opera, Young Adult