there's no doubt that this is the best book I've read in an age. The hairs on my arms prickled at all the right places, my anticipation peeked at all the high points and my heart sank when things went wrong. I found myself thinking 'oh, that's a good quote, I can use that in my review', then before I knew it I was pages and pages ahead, swept up in the story.

Kaladin, most haunted of men, yet most stubborn and brilliant too. he's portrayed very well, the emotional tempest within fuelled so ferociously that we can't but help lock ourselves to him. I found myself speeding up as I hit a chapter from his viewpoint, and even those from his past are expertly placed and written so brilliantly - such that when in the 64th chapter and things are grinding away to the ultimate battle of this volume, I was literally on the edge of my seat. he's a very complex, very powerful character and this really is his book.

Shallan is also focused on, of course, her story runs parallel to the main body of action. We learn a lot about her from her own viewpoint sections, but there's this amazing intertwinedness about everything. I liked how shallan was painted, how she was willing to sacrifice anything for her family, but there's this aura of mystery about her yet.

then there are the others, the backdrop, the characters who don't feel like second fiddles because they have so much place in their own right. Dalinar, Szeth and Adolin spring to mind. I am glad that there are many mor novels to come in this series, I sincerely hope that a thousand pages is but the tip of the iceberg.

Of the writing, I can only say it is excellent. The very world is so unique as to be entirely Sanderson's own, and it's so different from ours that we don't feel the need to try and place things, geographically or technologically. I can honestly say that this is the first book where I regret not being able to see the artwork, as it's not only an important part of the story, but the world is so vast that some geography to look at may have helped some. The battles and magic all feel very natural and smooth, each coming from an appropriate character's view means that it's easy to compartmentalise who can do what, in terms of spirituality.

To summarise, whilst this book works and feels very much like a fantasy epic, it's deftly written with such aplomb that one sometimes gets the impression one has a window into a real world far away where all this is happening. Not only do we get to see it from numerous viewpoints and angles and perceptions, but we as readers also gain great insight into the character's motivations and rationales for what they do. not all of them, and not entirely, of course: where'd be the fun in that? There are many questions that remain unanswered, things that have yet to happen, and more information we want on things that have already gone. When I first opened the book and saw the table of contents, complete with parts, interludes, artwork and chapters, I thought I'd be hopelessly lost within a few short pages. But I wasn't. I loved it. There will always be enough in my bank account to cover the next one - I just hope my patience lasts.