Published in 2016, “Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection” by Brandon Sanderson is an anthology of nine novellas and short stories set within the shared universe of the Cosmere. The collection includes works from several of Sanderson’s distinct series—Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, Elantris, White Sand, and others—each introduced with background and planetary information that ties them into the larger cosmere mythology. The stories expand on minor characters, present key events not covered in the main novels, and provide additional context that enriches the worldbuilding across series. While the pieces can often be read independently, they are interconnected by recurring themes, worldbuilding elements, and a few shared characters that move across worlds.
The Eleventh Metal, Allomancer Jack and the Pits of Eltania, White Sand, and Sixth of Dusk were all new to me. That just leaves White Sands 2 and 3 to go before I have read his entire collection. (To this point that is.)
Recommendation
Fun read. However, be sure to read Elantris, The Mistborn Series, and the first two books in the Stormlight Archive before you read it.
Published in 2013, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson is a novella set in the dangerous world of Threnody, where spirits known as shades violently attack those who break specific taboos. The story follows Silence Montane, an innkeeper and bounty hunter who secretly kills outlaws to claim their rewards. As her simple way stop inn is in forest haunted by vengeful shades, she must protect her family while still making a living.
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
My Thoughts
Honestly, my intro doesn’t do the book justice. It was a great read and worth the time and effort, which really wasn’t that much. At a mere 75 pages long, this book is a brochure by Sanderson’s usual standard. However, it was a great short story!
“Dark One: Forgotten” is a six-part audio drama set in the universe of Brandon Sanderson’s “Dark One” series. Developed in collaboration with author Dan Wells, this production is presented in the style of a true-crime podcast. The narrative follows journalist Christina Walsh as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of renowned violinist Leona McPherson, who vanished after a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Strangely, all memories of Leona seem to have been erased from the minds of those who knew her, including her own mother. As Christina delves deeper, she uncovers a series of similar cases, leading her on a cross-country journey filled with supernatural elements.
Dark One Forgotten
My Thoughts
This was difficult to listen to for me. I had a hard time relating to the characters and I never knew where the narrative was going. There were some glaring plot holes and it was difficult to read about protagonists that repeatedly make the same foolish moves. Having listened through it, I’m still no nearer understanding. Perhaps I’m just not a fan of the “true crime” style.
Published on May 18, 2021, “Dark One” is a fantasy graphic novel that follows Paul Tanasin, an 18-year-old haunted by visions of a world called Mirandus. Initially dismissing these visions as hallucinations, Paul discovers they are prophecies foretelling his destiny as the “Dark One,” a figure destined to shatter Mirandus. As he grapples with his role, Paul confronts themes of predestination and the duality of being both a savior and a destroyer.
Dark One
My Thoughts
I’m not generally a fan of graphic novels. I loved the X-Men and still couldn’t get into the comics about them.
This one wasn’t bad but I’m used to a lot more narrative. I thought the art was good, but still I’d rather use my imagination to detail the story.
The door is wide open for Sanderson to continue the story.
Recommendation
I’d wait till he is done before reading it. It went pretty quick.
Published on December 6, 2024, “Wind and Truth” is the fifth installment in Brandon Sanderson’s epic fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive. This novel concludes the first major arc of the series, bringing together complex plotlines and character developments. The story follows the Knights Radiant and the nations of Roshar as they prepare for a decisive confrontation with the malevolent god Odium, with the fate of their world hanging in the balance. Central characters, including Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, and Szeth, face personal challenges and pivotal battles that test their oaths and resolve.
Wind and Truth
My Thoughts
First off, I’m glad I read the physical book on this one for the illustrations. However, it is large enough to be used as a weapon. Just holding it was chore through the hours of reading.
Anyway, the story was good and I was really hoping for more closure only to find there will be another 5 books. This is why I like to read things from the past so I don’t have to wait for the rest of the series. Oh well! I could also do without the justification for Rlaine and Renarin for hooking up. Honestly, if the goal is to normalize homosexuality (and in this case interspecies homosexuality) then don’t spend so much time on it. It felt overdone and came off as pandering.
Recommendation
It was a good read though I was disappointed in parts.
Published in 2013, The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson is a young adult fantasy novel set in an alternate United States called the United Isles. In this world, a unique branch of magic called Rithmatics allows trained individuals to bring chalk drawings to life for both defense and combat. Joel, the “chalk-maker’s son”, is fascinated by Rithmatics but was never chosen to receive its powers. Instead, he studies the art obsessively, hoping to understand its secrets. When students at Armedius Academy begin disappearing under mysterious circumstances, Joel teams up with a struggling Rithmatist student, Melody, and Professor Fitch to investigate. As they uncover dark secrets about the nature of Rithmatics and the dangerous creatures called Chalklings, Joel finds himself at the center of a conflict that could change his world forever.
The Rithmatist
My Thoughts
This was a fun read and a new take on Sanderson’s “investiture” in the drawing of 2-dimensional images that come alive to protect or fight. Also, a fun take on what would happen if this power was given to the British government a few hundred years back. There were a lot of quasi-world references like stir fried spaghetti, St. Michelangelo, and so on.
The door was left wide for more books to be written, but there don’t seem to be any coming. Unlike the other standalone Sanderson novels, this one didn’t have anything to cross over into the greater Cosmere, or perhaps I just missed it.
Published in 2009, “Warbreaker” follows the intertwined fates of two princesses and sisters from the kingdom of Idris, Siri and Vivenna, as they become entangled in political and divine conflicts in the city of Hallandren. Siri, younger and more rebellious than her sister, is sent in place of Vivenna to marry the God King, a mysterious and seemingly all-powerful ruler. Meanwhile, Vivenna, the dutiful and trained heir, embarks on a mission to rescue her sister but finds herself drawn into a rebellion and forced to question everything she believed.
Warbreaker
My Thoughts
This really was a fun read. Sanderson has a gift to bring the reader into the story no matter what is going on in the plot. This book presents a different type of “investiture” in the form of “breath.” Treated as the soul of a person by the homeland of Siri, it is a commodity to be bought and sold in the world she comes to live in. This form is unique in the greater Sanderson Cosmere and made for some interesting plot points. Characters such as Vasher and Nightblood show up in later Sanderson works and it was fun to see their origins.
The door was left open for more books to be written, but 17 years later, I don’t know they will be coming.
Published in 2011, “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi follows Juliette Ferrars, as she navigates a dystopian world ruled by the oppressive Reestablishment. Imprisoned for accidentally killing someone, Juliette grapples with her guilt and fears while discovering her powers can be both a curse and a weapon. When she’s released to become a tool for the Reestablishment’s leader, she faces emotional and moral dilemmas, alongside a complicated connection with Adam Kent, her guard and former crush.
Shatter Me
My Thoughts
This book was recommended to me by a teenaged girl of a family I’ve known for years. We were talking about dystopian books and she mentioned this one. She said she loved the book and even her younger sister popped in saying she was enjoying it. I didn’t understand it was a romance at the time. My wife pulled up the cover and said I should have known while showing me the cover with a young woman in a white dress. Makes sense, I only saw the eye you see on this page when I made the reservation.
I’m not fond of romances. I believe this one makes #4 on this blog and I doubt I had read many others throughout my life. This book was no exception. I would class it firmly with the Twilight series. A grossly overpowered female for no particular reason, who everyone thinks is amazingly beautiful, for no particular reason (we don’t know anything other than her hair is long), and who blunders through the story while whining about her anxieties. Also as a special bonus, she falls in love immediately with the male protagonist who, of course, falls in love immediately with her. It’s ok though, they went to school together years before. Irrespective that they had never spoken, they dreamt of meeting one day. Oh, also in line with the Twilight series, there is a good deal of “mature themes” and sexual wording. In short, I don’t think anyone should read it, but I recognize my bias here. This book wasn’t written for my demographic.
Published in 2006, The Hope of Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is a short story that serves as a companion piece to his novel Elantris. The story is set during the climax of Elantris and provides additional perspectives on the events from the point of view of a minor character, Ashe, a seon, who plays a critical role in aiding the protagonists. The narrative expands on the magical and political intricacies of the world, offering a deeper understanding of key moments in the main novel.
The Hope of Elantris
My Thoughts
This was a quick short story and a welcome diversion as I am wading through the Ancient Greek philosophers and their thoughts. Luckily, it hasn’t been long since I read Elantris and I could easily recall the plot points and characters to quickly come up to speed in the story. Typically, I don’t include short stories into this blog but this one seemed good enough to include.
Sanderson is a master of bringing the reader into a story and making them care about the personalities in the book. This short story was no exception. Who wouldn’t care about what happened to the children in Enlantris after they were all healed?
Recommendation
A good read but it wouldn’t stand alone. You must read Elantris first or it won’t make any sense.
Believed to date from the 8th century BCE, “The Odyssey” is attributed to the poet Homer. The Odyssey is an epic poem that follows the Greek hero Odysseus as he attempts to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Over the course of ten years, Odysseus encounters numerous obstacles, including mythical creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, the enchantress Circe, and the Sirens, as well as divine interventions from gods like Poseidon and Athena. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus contend with suitors vying for Penelope’s hand, believing Odysseus to be dead. The poem explores themes of loyalty, perseverance, cunning, and the human struggle against fate. Written in dactylic hexameter, The Odyssey remains a cornerstone of Western literature, reflecting the values and culture of ancient Greece.
The Odyssey
My Thoughts
I have read this before but this time I listen to it on audio book. I believe I was able to enjoy it much more this way as I wasn’t forced to sound through all the names and places. If I were to do it again, I believe the best way would be to read it while listening to the narration for the best effect.
However, I can’t really say I enjoyed it. My reading of this work is much more in line with wanting to have a familiarity with the story rather than deriving joy from the process.
Our hero ‘Odysseus’ is consistently helped along by Athena herself and given several reassurances from Zeus. Odysseus is a manly man who is the Greek ideal. Smart, cunning, and extremely strong. If this were the 1980’s, he would be lifting his sword and saying, “By the power of Greyskull!” And then give us our moral for the day. Poseidon is angry with him because he had the nerve to blind the cyclops rather than be eaten like several of his crew. (While tragic in the moment, the loss of so many didn’t seem to be truly felt.) Unfortunately, men are hanging out at Odysseus’s home and are making a play for his wife. During which, they are all eating Odysseus’s food and bullying his staff. His son, Telemachus, is a pansy who can’t manage to throw them out. (In fairness, Telemachus does eventually get the nerve to help out, but he had wait for his father to return and clean house.) Now, does Odysseus just show up and toss them out? Of course not! He shows up as a beggar, gets abused, and then shows up everyone in a test of manhood. Then he kills the suitors, the staff who didn’t seem to miss him, and leaves again to fulfill the prophecy given to him in Hades.
As a modern reader, several of the ideals seem to be very familiar. A sense of justice for one. However, I would qualify it as Disney justice though because only the main protagonists receive justice. Some of the staff continued to pray for the return of Odysseus and they were rewarded, yet this is the exception. Most characters felt the sword of justice rather than rewards.
What was striking to me was the ancient world’s view of the gods. The sacrifices at every meal, the ability to offend one by pleasing another. That must have been a very confusing time to live.
All that said, I’m sure I missed a great deal as there are entire courses on this work. I will have to look into it a bit more.
Recommendation
It is worth the read. Not only is a cornerstone of Western thought, it is a mark of education and culture to understand the names and references.
