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[Faiz]

Worth noting that most of these seem to have been left out of the audiobook version. There's a note about Secret History having major spoilers for the original trilogy and minor spoilers for bands of mourning, and I think there was a note for Hope of Elantris and 11th Metal, but elsewhere it seems to be absent. I specifically checked for Edgedancer and there's nothing there.

Shadows for Silence, Sixth of Dusk, White Sand, and Emperor's Soul don't having anything in the print or eBook editions either because they can be read anytime and don't need any warnings. So sounds like you actually do have most of them, but Edgedancer's is a glaring omission.

An audiobook seems like a weird edition for a book like this too. There's a decent amount of graphic content that's part of the draw (end papers with constellations and star charts) plus an excerpt of a graphic novel. In a way I'm surprised they did as much as they did.

 

[Imp the Dimp]

I'll just read the remaining Cosmere books I think. Ain't too many anyway.

 

[Veelk]

What about the Rosharan system? It's not a story, just an infodump of the planetary systems I think? Does that have Words of Radiance spoilers?

 

[Faiz]

What about the Rosharan system? It's not a story, just an infodump of the planetary systems I think? Does that have Words of Radiance spoilers?

I don't believe it does, no. Everything there can be either categorized as 1) restatement of basic information about the system/world that can be gleaned from Way of Kings, and 2) information that is new to readers in general. It doesn't mention anything story wise from Words of Radiance, and I'm 99% sure none of the world building / lore discussed in the essay was previously revealed in Words either.

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Holy cow this special edition Final Empire looks nice.

$100 is probably too steep for me though. Dang.

 

[Faiz]

Holy cow this special edition Final Empire looks nice.

$100 is probably too steep for me though. Dang.

Yeah I wish I could afford editions like this. I really wanted the Elantris one too, and I'm not even a huge fan of it as a novel.

Also found this interesting today, from a tor.com article on Arcanum Unbounded:

Brandon Sanderson’s new story collection Arcanum Unbounded made a big reveal: Most of the author’s works take place in a single “Cosmere” universe, and many of those fantasy worlds will crossover in the future!

Who the hell did they get to write that because, um...
Hahahahahaha.

 

[Woorloog]

Strictly speaking some cross-overing is happening already. And Sanderson has implied a proper cross-over work may happen.

Third MB trilogy will be scifi, so presumably that at least will deal with other Cosmere places.



Also, way too expensive. I might be willing to pay 40€ but no more, and that's twice to four times more than i usually pay for books...

 

[Faiz]

Strictly speaking some cross-overing is happening already. And Sanderson has implied a proper cross-over work may happen.

Third MB trilogy will be scifi, so presumably that at least will deal with other Cosmere places.



Also, way too expensive. I might be willing to pay 40€ but no more, and that's twice to four times more than i usually pay for books...

Strictly speaking it's been happening in subtle ways since the beginning. And in not so subtle ways for years.

That passage is just mind bogglingly clueless, starting with calling it a revelation.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I do think Arcanum Unbounded is the first book to explicitly acknowledge the existence of the Cosmere. Everything else forced you to connect some dots yourself, even if those dots were pretty obvious.

It's still a stupid blurb.

 

[Kaladin]

Yeah, Arcanum is the first book that spells out the connection of these worlds. It's possible someone who doesn't read the books wrote that quote and thought it was a big thing.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

The Arcanum Unbounded Star Charts were finally posted on Sanderson's website, so I can finally see them despite having the audiobook.

I was surprised at how few planets were in the Scadrian system, despite the fact that the Mistborn series is supposed to eventually feature space travel. I would have expected there to be more out there.

Also, what's with the circular orbits?

 

[Lirlond]

Probably just simplification.

I think STORMLIGHT

Spoiler

Surge binding draws its powers from the 10 surge planets, and that the desolations live there, and that the more surges are used the easier they can travel from their planet to Roshar. And vice versa, which is what the old Heralds did until they deserted.

Now without the Heralds travelling to defeat the desolations they arrive on Roshar, the KR having to defend against them. The eventual end of the KR came about because they figured out they were calling the desolations. But now that Odium has interfered the desolations can travel on their own without the surges somehow. Probably something to do with Honor being splintered.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

My dad doesn't believe me that all the Cosmere books are connected.

 

[DieH@rd]

My dad doesn't believe me that all the Cosmere books are connected.

As a casual reader who has only read only Stormlight and Mistborn books over the period of several years, I agree with your dad. So far the interactions between worlds have been way easy to miss.

But I eagerly await until for more concrete interactions to start.

 

[VanWinkle]

As a casual reader who has only read only Stormlight and Mistborn books over the period of several years, I agree with your dad. So far the interactions between worlds have been way easy to miss.

But I eagerly await until for more concrete interactions to start.

Two big things off the top of my head are Hoid being in all of the Cosmere books, and a big character from Warbreaker being a minor character (under a guise) in Words of Radiance.

 

[Feep]

Absolutely loved Emperor's Soul in Arcanum. The next five were either meh or I'd read them already (Secret History, White Sand), but I have high hopes for Edgedancer and whatever's going on with "Threnody".

 

[kswiston]

Absolutely loved Emperor's Soul in Arcanum. The next five were either meh or I'd read them already (Secret History, White Sand), but I have high hopes for Edgedancer and whatever's going on with "Threnody".

I had only read Emperor's Soul in this collection before reading Arcanum Unbounded.

I was most excited for Secret History, but that ended up being just OK, despite some fan pleasing moments. I haven't read Bands of Mourning yet (I have read The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self), but I couldn't really tell what the minor BoM spoiler was supposed to be.

Spoiler

Does Kelsier come back in that?

I agree with you that the Hope of Elantris and the other two Mistborn short stories weren't anything amazing.

Other than the Emperor's Soul, the best two stories in the collection from my POV were Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell and A Sixth of Dusk. Both were really cool concepts, and I think both benefited from not being side content to larger novels/novel series.

Edgedancer was pretty good, but I don't know how much I like Lift in a longer role. She was funny in her short story that took place in Words of Radiance, but over 100 pages of that starts to stretch the concept. I've never been a huge fan of her character trope though.

 

[Strimei]

I was most excited for Secret History, but that ended up being just OK, despite some fan pleasing moments. I haven't read Bands of Mourning yet (I have read The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self), but I couldn't really tell what the minor BoM spoiler was supposed to be.

Spoiler

Does Kelsier come back in that?

Spoiler

Yes, though he isn't named. But its very obvious.

 

[VanWinkle]

I had only read Emperor's Soul in this collection before reading Arcanum Unbounded.

I was most excited for Secret History, but that ended up being just OK, despite some fan pleasing moments. I haven't read Bands of Mourning yet (I have read The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self), but I couldn't really tell what the minor BoM spoiler was supposed to be.

Spoiler

Does Kelsier come back in that?

I agree with you that the Hope of Elantris and the other two Mistborn short stories weren't anything amazing.

Other than the Emperor's Soul, the best two stories in the collection from my POV were Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell and A Sixth of Dusk. Both were really cool concepts, and I think both benefited from not being side content to larger novels/novel series.

Edgedancer was pretty good, but I don't know how much I like Lift in a longer role. She was funny in her short story that took place in Words of Radiance, but over 100 pages of that starts to stretch the concept. I've never been a huge fan of her character trope though.

My problem with Lift is she feels closer to a childrens to YA character. She doesn't blend in well with the Stormlight Archive universe. There are some neat ideas there, but the whole "awesomeness" and silly stuff like that doesn't jibe well with me.

 

[kswiston]

My problem with Lift is she feels closer to a childrens to YA character. She doesn't blend in well with the Stormlight Archive universe. There are some neat ideas there, but the whole "awesomeness" and silly stuff like that doesn't jibe well with me.

Maybe spoilers if you haven't read Arcanum and are sensitive to author talk about future Stormlight books:

Spoiler

I suppose we will have to get used to her, since it seems like Sanderson plans on making her a major part of future Stormlight novels. I'm guessing that most or all of the vignette characters from the first two books will become radiants

 

[Veelk]

I know that edgedancer is supposed to be read after Words of Radiance, but how severe is the spoilers for it really?

If they're fairly insignificant, I'd rather read a novella rather than the brick that is WoR. (though just for reference, I already know one WoR spoilers:

Spoiler

I know that Jasnah doesn't die as the beginning implies

.)

 

[VanWinkle]

Maybe spoilers if you haven't read Arcanum and are sensitive to author talk about future Stormlight books:

Spoiler

I suppose we will have to get used to her, since it seems like Sanderson plans on making her a major part of future Stormlight novels. I'm guessing that most or all of the vignette characters from the first two books will become radiants

Spoiler

I'm hoping they'll age her up, at least to a point where she doesn't call it awesomeness. Her character has the potential to be good, but it will require some rejiggering.

 

[kswiston]

I know that edgedancer is supposed to be read after Words of Radiance, but how severe is the spoilers for it really?

If they're fairly insignificant, I'd rather read a novella rather than the brick that is WoR. (though just for reference, I already know one WoR spoilers:

Spoiler

I know that Jasnah doesn't die as the beginning implies

.)

There's a novelette featuring a young surgebinder girl named Lift that acts as an intermission between parts of Words of Radiance. Edgedancer fully spoils that novelette, and sort of spoils one of the main plot twists of the second book.

 

[Veelk]

There's a novelette featuring a young surgebinder girl named Lift that acts as an intermission between parts of Words of Radiance. Edgedancer fully spoils that novelette, and sort of spoils one of the main plot twists of the second book.

All I wanted to do was read a SA novella before jumping back into the series, but Sanderson fails me yet again.

 

[kswiston]

All I wanted to do was read a SA novella before jumping back into the series, but Sanderson fails me yet again.

Haha. If you actually liked the Way of Kings (especially the world building), Words of Radiance is a quick read despite the 1000 page count.

 

[Faiz]

My problem with Lift is she feels closer to a childrens to YA character. She doesn't blend in well with the Stormlight Archive universe. There are some neat ideas there, but the whole "awesomeness" and silly stuff like that doesn't jibe well with me.

That's pretty much my take on her as well. I enjoyed Edgedancer despite the silliness of the character. I hope she grows up (although

Spoiler

maybe she can't given her background

) and loses some of that before

Spoiler

she becomes a more major character in the second half of SA.

 

[kswiston]

That's pretty much my take on her as well. I enjoyed Edgedancer despite the silliness of the character. I hope she grows up (although

Spoiler

maybe she can't given her background

) and loses some of that before

Spoiler

she becomes a more major character in the second half of SA.

Spoiler

If she isn't a major player until the second half of Stormlight Archive, isn't she apt to be much older? I was under the opinion that book 5 was going to wrap up most of the current storylines and the second set of books (6-10) were going to do a time skip and focus on new characters.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

My problem with Lift is she feels closer to a childrens to YA character. She doesn't blend in well with the Stormlight Archive universe. There are some neat ideas there, but the whole "awesomeness" and silly stuff like that doesn't jibe well with me.

Haven't read Edgedancer yet, but I really liked Lift from the interlude in Words of Radiance. Yes, she thinks like a child, but that's because she is in fact a very young character. No reason the Stormlight universe can't have children.

I'm sure she'll act more mature once she's older.

 

[Lirlond]

You're all forgetting that lift STORMLIGHT/EDGEDANCER

Spoiler

Asked the Nightwatcher to never change and grow old.

 

[Faiz]

You're all forgetting that lift STORMLIGHT/EDGEDANCER

Spoiler

Asked the Nightwatcher to never change and grow old.

We aren't all forgetting that. This is why I said:

I hope she grows up (although

Spoiler

maybe she can't given her background

)

It's also worth noting

Spoiler

she has some doubts about exactly how that request is being fulfilled

.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

You're all forgetting that lift STORMLIGHT/EDGEDANCER

Spoiler

Asked the Nightwatcher to never change and grow old.

Oh F, I clicked the spoiler because I figured I'd read both main Stormlight books... my own fault.

Yeah, I did forget that because, as I said, I hadn't read Edgedancer yet.

 

[Aiii]

Well then, just finished Warbreaker.

I feel I should reread Words of Radiance all over again now.

Spoiler

Vasher being Zahel just blows my mind. How does Sanderson keep all this shit straight in his mind?

 

[Woorloog]

Well then, just finished Warbreaker.

I feel I should reread Words of Radiance all over again now.

Spoiler

Vasher being Zahel just blows my mind. How does Sanderson keep all this shit straight in his mind?

He doesn't, i think... He does often note that he needs to check his wiki or check with his assistant or editor or something like that.

 

[kswiston]

We aren't all forgetting that. This is why I said:

It's also worth noting

Spoiler

she has some doubts about exactly how that request is being fulfilled

.

Spoiler

The beginning of Edgedancer implies she got her period, and she's getting taller, so she's physically aging at the very least. She's not just going to stay looking like she's 10. It would be weird if Sanderson keeps her mentally 10.

Oh F, I clicked the spoiler because I figured I'd read both main Stormlight books... my own fault.

Yeah, I did forget that because, as I said, I hadn't read Edgedancer yet.

It's a very minor spoiler

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson, but I've been itching for something epic along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire. A series I can really immerse myself in, with strong characters, good pacing, and an ever-evolving plot with intrigue, surprises, and mystery. None of the last few fantasy books I've read (The Book of the New Sun, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Lies of Locke Lamora) has blown me away, which is why The Way of Kings and its sequel look mighty tempting.

Don't know why I'm posting this, maybe I'm looking for some guidance or reassurance that this is the kind of series I'm looking for right now.

 

[Jest Chillin]

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson, but I've been itching for something epic along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire. A series I can really immerse myself in, with strong characters, good pacing, and an ever-evolving plot with intrigue, surprises, and mystery. None of the last few fantasy books I've read (The Book of the New Sun, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Lies of Locke Lamora) has blown me away, which is why The Way of Kings and its sequel look mighty tempting.

Don't know why I'm posting this, maybe I'm looking for some guidance or reassurance that this is the kind of series I'm looking for right now.

Probably not going to be your thing. ASoIaF is generally a lot heavier than anything Sanderson writes. I honestly can't think of much that might match your description but I also don't like too much of the heavier stuff.

Maybe The Black Company by Glenn Cook? They're much shorter than Martin's stuff but a bit closer to the mark in other ways.

 

[suzu]

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson, but I've been itching for something epic along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire. A series I can really immerse myself in, with strong characters, good pacing, and an ever-evolving plot with intrigue, surprises, and mystery. None of the last few fantasy books I've read (The Book of the New Sun, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Lies of Locke Lamora) has blown me away, which is why The Way of Kings and its sequel look mighty tempting.

Don't know why I'm posting this, maybe I'm looking for some guidance or reassurance that this is the kind of series I'm looking for right now.

You'll probably enjoy the series. As for being blown away? Maybe not. It's nothing like ASOIAF. lol

 

[Incandenza]

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson, but I've been itching for something epic along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire. A series I can really immerse myself in, with strong characters, good pacing, and an ever-evolving plot with intrigue, surprises, and mystery. None of the last few fantasy books I've read (The Book of the New Sun, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Lies of Locke Lamora) has blown me away, which is why The Way of Kings and its sequel look mighty tempting.

Don't know why I'm posting this, maybe I'm looking for some guidance or reassurance that this is the kind of series I'm looking for right now.

IIRC prose is pretty important for you and if that's the case Sanderson might not be the right pick. Maybe try Malazan if you want a really big, complex series. For better or for worse it might be the most "epic" fantasy series ever written.

 

[VanWinkle]

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson, but I've been itching for something epic along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire. A series I can really immerse myself in, with strong characters, good pacing, and an ever-evolving plot with intrigue, surprises, and mystery. None of the last few fantasy books I've read (The Book of the New Sun, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Lies of Locke Lamora) has blown me away, which is why The Way of Kings and its sequel look mighty tempting.

Don't know why I'm posting this, maybe I'm looking for some guidance or reassurance that this is the kind of series I'm looking for right now.

I mean, I think it's worth trying The Way of Kings, at least. I can't speak for everyone, but I do know two people in real life, whose opinion I trust, that love The Way of Kings/Words of Radiance even more than ASoIaF (which they also love).

 

[BlueDogAnchorite]

I got 400 pages into Warbreaker. I'm really loving it so far. I got passed the part with

Spoiler

Hoid telling a story to Siri. So, there was that connection to the cosmere.

After Warbreaker, I need to start reading the Mistborn series, White Sand Volume 1 and Elantris. I'm planning on reading Arcanum Unbounded last since I want to read the rest of the cosmere books before I start this one.

 

[Veelk]

I haven't read anything by Brandon Sanderson, but I've been itching for something epic along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire. A series I can really immerse myself in, with strong characters, good pacing, and an ever-evolving plot with intrigue, surprises, and mystery. None of the last few fantasy books I've read (The Book of the New Sun, The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Lies of Locke Lamora) has blown me away, which is why The Way of Kings and its sequel look mighty tempting.

Don't know why I'm posting this, maybe I'm looking for some guidance or reassurance that this is the kind of series I'm looking for right now.

Um...techncially, his Stormlight Archive series has all that except maybe strong characters. I feel they technically meet the qualifications, but Sanderson has a very bland prose style, and he is more forthright about the characters internal state some of the time than would be advantageous. As a result, his characters feel a tad more robotic than truly alive. But they are also interesting and he can do scenes really well.

I recommend trying it out. I can't promose you'll like it, and I consider everything that I've read in what you mentioned to be superior (ASoIaF, Lies, some of Book of New Sun), but who knows, maybe you'll enjoy this. And if even if you don't, I think it's useful to read books that aren't to your tastes sometimes. It keeps your mind sharp as to what you like, don't like, and why. Stormlight Archives are, if anything, a sharp contrast in many ways to ASoIaF. Where ASoIaF zigs, Stormlight zags. You could find it very useful.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Interesting post that I stumbled upon in a Reddit thread, about classism and justice on Roshar:

WoR draws a weird circle around systematic injustice and incompetence, treating them as something that should be forgiven and even protected [because] the unjust have the power to decide what justice within their society is.

I understand that having someone who is beaten and broken by the world around him doing good [...] is powerful and cathartic. The magic of these books is that it takes that powerlessness and unflinching humanism and actually rewards it in a way that the real world does not.

[But] Kaladin now has power and [still isn't] allowed to dismantle the system around him... because according to the books, that act would be destructive and the people he would kill are doing their best. Which feels unsatisfactory after two books [of] racial and class-based abuse. Kaladin's story as it is written in WoR really fails to adequately adjust its philosophy to overcome status quo bias. [...] Kaladin has been directly abused and betrayed by the systems that Elhokar, Amaram, Sadeas, and Dalinar embody. [And this forms] a very familiar sentiment with regards to those who experience systematic injustice in the real world: Don't complain, do something... oh but when you do do something, don't be disruptive or challenge the status quo [...] or else you're just hurting your cause. [This] is an impossible standard that actual minorities have to deal with [...] all the time. [And] in the real world, these people are still branded and enslaved and all this jazz.

Sanderson has a real problem in my mind writing villains. And that problem stems, as I've been able to tell, from the fact that nearly all of his heroes are villains. They kill, they destroy, they make mistakes that kill others... but they are all "good people" in that they are kind and treat their friends well and help and put others before themselves. [...] For some reason, these books [want] to draw a line around good people and bad people, ignoring the very important fact that you can be a "good person" and yet still be complicit in mass injustice and suffering. And yet those things don't seem to be given the weight in this book that they were when Kaladin was suffering them.

Dalinar made an agreement with Sadeas in book 1 to

Spoiler

try using some bridge crews in his runs. Why is there not blood on his soul? He sacrificed the same lives that Sadeas did for his own ends.

This wouldn't be a problem in a Joe Abercrombie book because [...] his characters [are] all hypocrites, [and that's the point]. These books obviously have something to say about honor and justice, but they seem solely able to explore those themes with the perspective that all actions begin and end in a weird little bubble around the characters that determines whether it would be just to hold them accountable for the suffering they cause.

From: https://www.reddit.com/r/Stormlight...kaladins_anger_different_from_moashs/dar6dcp/ I took a bit of liberty in editing the above excerpts to fix grammar and improve clarity.

 

[Veelk]

Well, as I mentioned before, I only read the first book and Words of Radiance will happen eventually, but for now I don't know how it's actually portrayed.

But as far as the justice system of Roshar goes, yeah, it's a warrior society where the people making the decisions are a bunch of meatheads who idealize a lifestyle of violence. Very few seem to see anything attractive about finding a way to end the war in a way that doesn't end with the slaughter of the Parshendi. I interpreted it being fundamentally changed as being abandoned as an impossible dream when Dalinar decided he couldn't do it unless he became a different kind of violent himself and ascended as the prince of war.

Personally, I don't have anything significant to say, but I have noticed that the archtypes of Dalinar and Abercrombie's Logan Ninefingers are similar. Both are warriors who had been considered psychotic monsters in the past, but now are trying to be better. Except Logan adapted an extremely friendly persona to try to tame down his violent urges that still subliminally guide him subliminally into violence (making him a hypocrite, as they say), while Dalinar seems to have well and truly abandoned his "thrill" of violence, but still chooses to engage in it because he doesn't see other options.

Sanderson said he wanted to do a character like Dalinar for ages, but felt he should wait years before he did so he could do him justice. Yet as much as Sanderson tried, I just felt Logan was a more believable take on the same archtype.

 

[Woorloog]

Well, there is more to Dalinar than we've seen yet, i think. I mean, Sanderson sees the whole character, who he was, is and will be we. We see but part of that yet.
(Also never got an impression that Dalinar was a psycho, not really. A warlord, certainly. Also, Thrill is clearly an outside influence, note the capitalization.)

This reminds me of Robert Jordan's claim that Asmodean's killer was obvious... of course it would be obvious to him since he knew it.


I really don't understand that "Sanderson has problems writing villains because his heroes are villains" claim. The poster makes a false assumption that Sanderson's heroes are supposed to be 100% pure heroes. While Sanderson's work isn't grimdark, i don't think he tries to make it a pure black and white. Dalinar is heroic compared to others but is naturally lacking compared to others. The books are told from a limited narrative viewpoint, of course the books's Dalinar (or people who are his allies and friend) sections treat him as a good person.

 

[Aiii]

That's a wrap, folks. Oathbringer is done at 461,223 words. Still much work to do, but we have a first draft. November 2017 release date.

!

 

[Faiz]

!

Woohoo!

 

[Vincent Grayson]

!

Damn. And to think I was impressed with myself for writing 50k once.

 

[Kaladin]

Can we put Sanderson in charge of Song of Ice and Fire?

 

[Woorloog]

Can we put Sanderson in charge of Song of Ice and Fire?

Nah, he wouldn't write it, and even if he did, i wouldn't write it right.
IIRC Sanderson thought GoT was good but not the sort of book he can read.

 

[Kaladin]

Nah, he wouldn't write it, and even if he did, i wouldn't write it right.
IIRC Sanderson thought GoT was good but not the sort of book he can read.

If he wrote SOIF, the magic wouldn't be as suppressed as it is, Jon Snow would hate everything, and the conflict with the white walkers and the north wouldn't take six books or more to reach the main cast.

We'd still have family in fighting, but it would be on a much different and more political scale with less violence and incest.