A whole new way to write fantasy, this book has a scope and scale that exceedes most peoples understanding of the genre. Erikson drops you right into a massive conflict with complex characters, plots that won't make sense until later chapters and books in the series. For a casual reader the scope of the story can be daunting. The payoff however once you grasp even the basic structure and plot points is extremely gratifying. And once you gain that basic grasp on the story, you are left wanting more.

Mr. narrator sounds exactly like a bitter experienced soldier which is only perfect since this book is dedicated to this sort of people. The book itself has very organic dialogues and most interesting vocabulary.

Fantastic

This book is a heard read/listen. The first few chapters are definitely super hard to follow because you are thrown in the middle of a war and you are not told much about who is who and what is going on. However, if you stick with it, the story begins making sense and the whole thing becomes super rewarding. Be warned though, this is a slow burner. Think Breaking Bad (I know I’m comparing a drama TV show to a fiction book), where you see people and groups make plays, like chess pieces. Slowly but surely, a pattern emerges and you start seeing what’s going to happen. If you have the patience for this book, I highly recommend it, and even more so if you are willing to pick up a guide (there’s at least one I found on Reddit) or podcast to get you through the rough parts. The narration is great. My only caveat is the apparent inaccurate pronunciation of a few names, which might not be the the reader’s fault. The voices he makes are great though.

the first book of my favourite series, highly recommended to experienced listeners of the genre

The narrator was fantastic. Distinct characters clearly indicated by him changing his pace, accent, tone and expression. Just fabulous!

Very hard to grasp, too many characters, too much magic, and the narrator is too dramatic.