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A review by aleccjohnston
The Sum of All Men by David Farland
4.0
This is a difficult book to review. Not because I have nothing to say, but exactly the opposite.
I have so many thoughts about The Sum of All Men, and not nearly enough skill with words to do it justice.
I couldn’t say exactly why this resonated with me so thoroughly, but I spent so much of my time reading this book taking notes and thinking about it. If that isn’t the mark of something pretty special, then I don’t know what is.
The magic system is what drew me in, first and foremost. I knew nothing about the story and only the basic idea of what the system even entailed, and I was still so intrigued that the book immediately went on my TBR.
A person may grant an Endowment to someone else. They sacrifice their Brawn, Stamina, Wit, Glamour, or another quality, and give it to another. This leaves them a Dedicate, now lacking that quality, while he or she who was granted the endowment now has the Brawn, Stamina, etc., of two people.
I don’t believe I have seen a magic system that feels so HEAVY. Not in the sense that there is a physical weight to it, but in the sense that the ramifications of magic in the world and its people have such a visceral and weighty feel to them. This world is built around its magic. The politics, culture, war tactics. Everything functions with Endowments at its center.
Just one example can be seen when focusing solely on The Dedicates. Dedicates, in many kingdoms, are respected as those who have sacrificed for their leaders(who are usually the ones who are granted the Endowments). In other kingdoms, people are blackmailed into granting Endowments, and not seen as anything more than fodder.
As I said, I knew nothing about the story going into it. I didn’t know what to expect from it. I had no preconceptions about what the pages would hold for me. That being said, I was still surprised to discover that there is a complexity and depth to the themes in here that is both awe inspiring and deeply saddening. One man may have the strength of 10 men(all of whom are now bedridden, unable to summon the strength even to move). However, if that man then gives his Wit to another for some reason, his Endowments are now wasted. He is naught but a child, albeit one with the strength of 10 other men. So now those 10 who sacrificed their brawn are still bedridden, and their sacrifice amounts to nothing as the man to whom they entrusted their strength cannot make use of it.
This is just one example of the sadness present in this world.
I don’t see anyone speaking of this book, and I think that’s a shame. It really is something special, and I’m excited to read more.
I have so many thoughts about The Sum of All Men, and not nearly enough skill with words to do it justice.
I couldn’t say exactly why this resonated with me so thoroughly, but I spent so much of my time reading this book taking notes and thinking about it. If that isn’t the mark of something pretty special, then I don’t know what is.
The magic system is what drew me in, first and foremost. I knew nothing about the story and only the basic idea of what the system even entailed, and I was still so intrigued that the book immediately went on my TBR.
A person may grant an Endowment to someone else. They sacrifice their Brawn, Stamina, Wit, Glamour, or another quality, and give it to another. This leaves them a Dedicate, now lacking that quality, while he or she who was granted the endowment now has the Brawn, Stamina, etc., of two people.
I don’t believe I have seen a magic system that feels so HEAVY. Not in the sense that there is a physical weight to it, but in the sense that the ramifications of magic in the world and its people have such a visceral and weighty feel to them. This world is built around its magic. The politics, culture, war tactics. Everything functions with Endowments at its center.
Just one example can be seen when focusing solely on The Dedicates. Dedicates, in many kingdoms, are respected as those who have sacrificed for their leaders(who are usually the ones who are granted the Endowments). In other kingdoms, people are blackmailed into granting Endowments, and not seen as anything more than fodder.
As I said, I knew nothing about the story going into it. I didn’t know what to expect from it. I had no preconceptions about what the pages would hold for me. That being said, I was still surprised to discover that there is a complexity and depth to the themes in here that is both awe inspiring and deeply saddening. One man may have the strength of 10 men(all of whom are now bedridden, unable to summon the strength even to move). However, if that man then gives his Wit to another for some reason, his Endowments are now wasted. He is naught but a child, albeit one with the strength of 10 other men. So now those 10 who sacrificed their brawn are still bedridden, and their sacrifice amounts to nothing as the man to whom they entrusted their strength cannot make use of it.
This is just one example of the sadness present in this world.
I don’t see anyone speaking of this book, and I think that’s a shame. It really is something special, and I’m excited to read more.