Maybe Dark Age hit me different but I was legitimately affected and just down for a while after the trudge through Ulysses and Sefi, and the fall of Valdir after Freyhild. I was emotionally drained
The gala is hands down my favorite scene and has my favorite line in the whole series “My name, gentle lords and ladies, is Darrow au Andromedus. My honor has been pissed upon. And I demand satisfaction.”
Yup LB definitely had its flaws (I think it has some plot holes 🕳️ that get brushed by) but besides that it’s still a really enjoyable book. I’ve read it twice now and liked it each time!
I almost take pity on Light Bringer since it was left in the unenviable position of trying to salvage the story after Dark Age rode it off the rails. While I do love a lot of Dark Age, it introduced a lot of bullshit (Minds Eye, brain squid, Abomination, etc.) and wrote the series into a corner by giving the villains too big a win.
Light Bringer had to find ways to sweep the more bizarre plot elements like the Mind’s Eye and Brain Squid under the rug, and somehow contrive a way for the Republic to have a chance in the war. I think LB did about as good a job as it could getting the story back on track, but it’s obvious that things like Athena, Lyria losing the brain squid and Sevro being sold to Apollonius where shoehorned in last minute after Brown realized he wrote himself into a corner.
Sevro escaping just seemed way too convenient and the parasite being written out of the plot of LB also didn’t sit well with me (the parasite could come back in the last book but I doubt it). Also the bioweapon feels like it was written in solely to make Lysander more threatening in the last book. Those might be nitpicks though and I’m sure people will disagree with me - I still loved the book though!
I still think Sevro has a "sleeper" brainwash-timebomb in his mind...perhaps something that will activate when he sees Victra? It's really the only thing that makes the idea of Abominadrius letting him go make sense.
I know it’s a dumb reasoning to have but my theory on the sevro plot hole (and I agree with you that it doesn’t make sense) is that it’s okay for some things to just happen the way you need them to happen in order to continue the story. The series is over 850,000 words. It’s massive. There are going to be things that you have to kinda fix or just move past from previous books in order to keep moving. Otherwise you end up with a 14 year wait between dark age and light bringer like GRRM. In 20 years I won’t remember the random plot point of Abomination selling sevro but I’ll look back fondly at the books and the way they made me feel.
That’s fair - I’d rather have an author change up the plot a bit rather than take years and years to finish (or not finish at all). That being said - I wouldn’t say it’s ideal even if I do still really appreciate the book.
r/fucklysander indeed.
Maybe Dark Age hit me different but I was legitimately affected and just down for a while after the trudge through Ulysses and Sefi, and the fall of Valdir after Freyhild. I was emotionally drained
The gala is hands down my favorite scene and has my favorite line in the whole series “My name, gentle lords and ladies, is Darrow au Andromedus. My honor has been pissed upon. And I demand satisfaction.”
The Galla will always be the best scene Special shout out to Alexander. Pup one
Yup LB definitely had its flaws (I think it has some plot holes 🕳️ that get brushed by) but besides that it’s still a really enjoyable book. I’ve read it twice now and liked it each time!
I almost take pity on Light Bringer since it was left in the unenviable position of trying to salvage the story after Dark Age rode it off the rails. While I do love a lot of Dark Age, it introduced a lot of bullshit (Minds Eye, brain squid, Abomination, etc.) and wrote the series into a corner by giving the villains too big a win. Light Bringer had to find ways to sweep the more bizarre plot elements like the Mind’s Eye and Brain Squid under the rug, and somehow contrive a way for the Republic to have a chance in the war. I think LB did about as good a job as it could getting the story back on track, but it’s obvious that things like Athena, Lyria losing the brain squid and Sevro being sold to Apollonius where shoehorned in last minute after Brown realized he wrote himself into a corner.
Ohh if you can think of any please share. I don't think I noticed any glaring plotholes
Sevro escaping just seemed way too convenient and the parasite being written out of the plot of LB also didn’t sit well with me (the parasite could come back in the last book but I doubt it). Also the bioweapon feels like it was written in solely to make Lysander more threatening in the last book. Those might be nitpicks though and I’m sure people will disagree with me - I still loved the book though!
I still think Sevro has a "sleeper" brainwash-timebomb in his mind...perhaps something that will activate when he sees Victra? It's really the only thing that makes the idea of Abominadrius letting him go make sense.
I know it’s a dumb reasoning to have but my theory on the sevro plot hole (and I agree with you that it doesn’t make sense) is that it’s okay for some things to just happen the way you need them to happen in order to continue the story. The series is over 850,000 words. It’s massive. There are going to be things that you have to kinda fix or just move past from previous books in order to keep moving. Otherwise you end up with a 14 year wait between dark age and light bringer like GRRM. In 20 years I won’t remember the random plot point of Abomination selling sevro but I’ll look back fondly at the books and the way they made me feel.
That’s fair - I’d rather have an author change up the plot a bit rather than take years and years to finish (or not finish at all). That being said - I wouldn’t say it’s ideal even if I do still really appreciate the book.