I have to admit I'd never even heard of Brandon Sanderson before Harriet announce on dragonmount.com that he was who she had chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series.
I'm very picky with my fantasy writers. I find that while some have good concepts, they tend to almost forget that while the book can be all bout magic, and strange enigmatic problems, you need people to tell the story through, generally. I find some books particularly painful to read, and before Brandon, there were only 3 authors that were able to get me to hang onto their every word, and finish 800 page books in a single weekend.
When I picked up Brandon's first book, I ,honestly, thought I would have to force myself through another mediocre writer, in an attempt to find out more about his writing style, so that Wheel of Time 12 wouldn't be a complete shock. I have to say I was more than simply pleasantly surprised. I couldn't put the book down.
I started with Mistborn, finished very quickly, and picked up Well of Ascension. Couldn't find Elantris anywhere, so I downloaded Warbreaker, and finished in a matter of days. I'm now desperately awaiting WoT12, Mistborn 3, and am desperately hoping for a Warbreaker sequel, as I need to know what happens next!
Brandon Sanderson is now part of an elite group of writers that I will be keeping close tabs on, waiting for new books, preordering if necessary. He came around just in time, as the other writers I enjoy have just finished their series.
