Review - The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England (Secret Projects, #2) by Brandon Sanderson

 

 

 Title: The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England (Secret Projects, #2)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Pages: 366

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: 27th June 2023

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the "real world" should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Orion*

Note - I ended up listening to the dramatised audiobook version of this book.

A man awakens in a clearing with no memory of how he got there, or who he is, but he does know that he doesn't belong there.

Using the scattered pages of a book, the man pieces together that he has somehow travelled to what appears to be medieval England.

As his memories slowly return, the man allies with some of the locals and works with them against a shared enemy.

I had been meaning to read a book by the author for a very long time, and the blurb for this novel intrigued me enough to request a copy through NetGalley.

The protagonist, whose name we do learn as well as his past, was likeable and relatable. I felt sorry for him upon learning some things, but I found his constant need to review things annoying and didn't think his jokes were particularly funny.

There were several of the supporting characters that I liked and enjoyed finding out more about.

There were some very interesting concepts in this novel, and I did enjoy the world that the author created.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped. However, I did like the character development and the relationships that formed between the characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Review - Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Skyward (Skyward, #1)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Pages: 528

Publisher: Gollancz

Release Date: 6th November 2018

Blurb from Goodreads:

Spensa's world has been under attack for hundreds of years. An alien race called the Krell leads onslaught after onslaught from the sky in a never-ending campaign to destroy humankind. Humanity's only defense is to take to their ships and fight the enemy in the skies. Pilots have become the heroes of what's left of the human race. 

 

Spensa has always dreamed of being one of them; of soaring above Earth and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's - a pilot who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, placing Spensa's chances of attending flight school somewhere between slim and none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, but she is still determined to fly. And the Krell just made that a possibility. They've doubled their fleet, making Spensa's world twice as dangerous . . . but their desperation to survive might just take her skyward . . .

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My Review:

 

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley*

Spensa's ancestors came to the planet of Detritus while escaping an alien race called the Krell.

Ever since, the survivors have been struggling to defend their new home and pilots have become heroes.

Spensa has always dreamed of being a pilot, but she is the daughter of the only pilot to flee a battle, something that she is never allowed to forget.

Can Spensa achieve her dream of becoming a pilot?

Can the inhabitants of Detritus win against the Krell?

Skyward was my first Brandon Sanderson book and, after hearing so much praise for his books, I'm very disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

I liked Spensa overall but there were times when she was very juvenile - although I think this was probably a defence mechanism.

My favourite character was M-Bot the talking spaceship. I would like to find out more about where/when M-Bot came from.

I found the setting interesting, especially the debris that formed a protective layer around the planet.

I feel like Skyward could have been a lot shorter. I know that this is the first book in a series so it was setting up the series, but not much really happened. Some of the cadet training was a bit repetitive. The twist at the end was interesting but I'm not sure if I'll read the next book.

I liked the writing style and I do want to try another Brandon Sanderson book.

Overall this was an enjoyable but disappointing read.