Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere |OT| Journey Before Destination

Murfield · Mar 15, 2018

Cruxist said:
I really love Warbreaker. I think Lightsong is a great balance between Brandon's normal "funny" characters and being more of an ass. I need to do a reread, see if knowing his origin changes that at all. Plus, I found the overarching plot to be fairly clever.

Warbreaker has several pretty amazing plot twists. It also has really good character development. Looking at reviews online I think a lot of people thought it was a weak entry into the cosmere series. For this reason I left it to last. Having read it, I think it might be my favorite.

Maybe people feel the premise is too similar to Elantris.

Zelenogorsk · Mar 15, 2018

Alright I've dropped Warbreaker and have instead decided to just read the entire Cosmere in publication order. Last night I started Elantris and so far I like it better than Mistborn and Warbreaker, that said the assassination prologue of Way of Kings is still the best Sanderson thing I've read.

Arthois · Mar 15, 2018

kadotsu said:
I wonder which shard is at war with Harmony?

I always assumed it was Odium. AFAIK there is no timeframe across the different series

H.Cornerstone · Mar 15, 2018

Arthois said:
I always assumed it was Odium. AFAIK there is no timeframe across the different series

I don't think it's Odium. In the letters between Hoid it indicates that Odium is captive and can't leave his current system.

Jest · Mar 15, 2018

Arthois said:
I always assumed it was Odium. AFAIK there is no timeframe across the different series

You can infer timeframe relatively. For example World Hoppers in Stormlight Archives that appeared in other stories generally place those other stories as earlier in the general Cosmere timeline as they weren't yet World Hoppers in their previous stories (with some exceptions like Hoid). In specific cases like Sixth of the Dusk, we know those events are after every Mistborn story currently published. Aside from that, I don't think we've yet seen a case of Shards warring directly in more than one location and series (though I could be wrong on this as I haven't yet gone full theory-hunt-lore-diving into the Cosmere).

Sulik2 · Mar 15, 2018

Jest said:
You can infer timeframe relatively. For example World Hoppers in Stormlight Archives that appeared in other stories generally place those other stories as earlier in the general Cosmere timeline as they weren't yet World Hoppers in their previous stories (with some exceptions like Hoid). In specific cases like Sixth of the Dusk, we know those events are after every Mistborn story currently published. Aside from that, I don't think we've yet seen a case of Shards warring directly in more than one location and series (though I could be wrong on this as I haven't yet gone full theory-hunt-lore-diving into the Cosmere).

I suspect that

we might see another shard show up in the last Alloy of Law book. The spike from the material that Sazed couldn't sense had to have come from another Shard or planet.

Jest · Mar 15, 2018

Sulik2 said:
I suspect that

we might see another shard show up in the last Alloy of Law book. The spike from the material that Sazed couldn't sense had to have come from another Shard or planet.

That seems most likely and Zeroneo's post earlier in the thread could be one possibility, I think. Especially given Secret History. A new shard slowly subverting Harmony through Kaladin is my cursory theory. It would explain why the Southern People's metals have entirely different functions to the Northern Peoples.

zroid · Mar 15, 2018

Jest said:
That seems most likely and Zeroneo's post earlier in the thread could be one possibility, I think. Especially given Secret History. A new shard slowly subverting Harmony through Kaladin is my cursory theory. It would explain why the Southern People's metals have entirely different functions to the Northern Peoples.

...uh do you mean Kelsier? lol

or is this some like next level crossover theorizing

Jest · Mar 15, 2018

zroid said:
...uh do you mean Kelsier? lol

or is this some like next level crossover theorizing

Lol yeah that's what I meant. I must not have been paying enough attention to what I was writing.

Poodlestrike · Mar 15, 2018

Pages like this are why I don't post much in here lol. Books that came out years ago under spoiler tags!

zroid · Mar 15, 2018

Poodlestrike said:
Pages like this are why I don't post much in here lol. Books that came out years ago under spoiler tags!

I mean a big reason for this thread's existence is to introduce new readers to the series, so...

Poodlestrike · Mar 15, 2018

zroid said:
I mean a big reason for this thread's existence is to introduce new readers to the series, so...

Yeah, but it makes discussing things an enormous chore. Kinda feel like there ought to be a Spoilers thread out there, or make this a spoiler-neutral thread after X months of a new release and have the OP be dedicated to bringing new readers up to speed with a big honking warning at the bottom.

Maybe I'll make it, idk.

zroid · Mar 15, 2018

Poodlestrike said:
Yeah, but it makes discussing things an enormous chore. Kinda feel like there ought to be a Spoilers thread out there, or make this a spoiler-neutral thread after X months of a new release and have the OP be dedicated to bringing new readers up to speed with a big honking warning at the bottom.

Maybe I'll make it, idk.

A spoilers thread might be a nice idea, but IMO it's better to be inconvenienced a little than splinter an already small community. Perhaps it's something that ought to be put to a vote though.

edit: on a related note though, you know what would be a cool feature for the tech team to work on is an option to automatically reveal all spoilers in a given thread. Someone suggest it!

1000 Needles · Mar 15, 2018

Just finished Warbreaker, and I really enjoyed the twists and turns the plot took. But I do have a slight complaint about the ending: it

seemed so abrupt. I really wanted to see a big battle between the Lifeless and the Phantoms of Kalad. Alas, it was not to be.

The ebook from his site having all those sample chapters at the end inflating the page count did not help. I was surprised to see "Epilogue" right after Vasher turned over the army

But now, aside from the White Sand graphic novels, minus what was in Arcanum Unbounded, I'm caught up on the Cosmere to date. Several months well spent.

zroid · Mar 15, 2018

1000 Needles said:
But now, aside from the White Sand graphic novels, minus what was in Arcanum Unbounded, I'm caught up on the Cosmere to date. Several months well spent.

Congrats!

Kattbuss · Mar 16, 2018

How is that White Sand graphic novel? I'm debating on whether to start reading that or read the ebook of the old unpublished version. Any suggestions?

zroid · Mar 16, 2018

Kattbuss said:
How is that White Sand graphic novel? I'm debating on whether to start reading that or read the ebook of the old unpublished version. Any suggestions?

I really enjoyed the first volume, but I was a bit disappointed with the second. Also strangely the sixth (final) chapter of volume 2 has a completely different art style from the rest.

Kattbuss · Mar 16, 2018

zroid said:
I really enjoyed the first volume, but I was a bit disappointed with the second. Also strangely the sixth (final) chapter of volume 2 has a completely different art style from the rest.

Thanks for the impressions! I think I'll hold off on deciding until volume 3 is out.

PantherLotus · Mar 16, 2018

Did I sub to this yet? Commenting just in case.

-- Started with Stormlight, haven't read the new one yet.

-- finishing book 3 of mistborn now.

Amazing author.

nick shaw · Mar 17, 2018

yeah i just chewed through all these cosmere books in the last few months. actually kind of sucks to add yet another massive magnum opus to my endlessly growing list of incomplete fiction ive consumed

Emerson · Mar 18, 2018

nick shaw said:
yeah i just chewed through all these cosmere books in the last few months. actually kind of sucks to add yet another massive magnum opus to my endlessly growing list of incomplete fiction ive consumed

Well at least with Sanderson you can be pretty confident that he'll actually make significant progress and finish what he started.

zroid · Mar 18, 2018

Emerson said:
Well at least with Sanderson you can be pretty confident that he'll actually make significant progress and finish what he started.

The only thing you have to worry about is him getting sidetracked with writing different series :P

where is the Elantris sequel?!

Zelenogorsk · Mar 18, 2018

I'm halfway through Elantris and it's awesome. I drop a lot of books around 100 pages in but that definitely didn't happen here.

The premise of the fallen city is interesting and the constant POV switching keeps the story moving fast. I can't wait to finish and move on to Mistborn.

Avis · Mar 18, 2018

Finally started on Alloy of law recently, after finishing Era 1 Mistborn a few years back. And I gotta say, I'm pretty hooked right now. The main characters are good so far but the power sets and fight scenes are MAGNIFICENT. Definitely didn't feel this way with era 1, which I wasn't too hot on. It feels like the potential of this world and masterfully crafted magic system is finally being realized. Can't put it down.

Randdalf · Mar 19, 2018

Whew in the past 3 months I've read

Oathbringer
Mistborn #1-#6
Elantris
Arcanum Unbounded

Quite the ride! I've only got White Sand to go before I'm fully caught up on Cosmere shenanigans (already read Warbreaker and the previous two Stormlight).

I really liked the Emperor's Soul.

I'm pretty hyped for when all these stories start to coalesce.

nick shaw · Mar 20, 2018

Emerson said:
Well at least with Sanderson you can be pretty confident that he'll actually make significant progress and finish what he started.

i feel the same way about one piece and berserk, the wait is just unbearable. but youre right, at least it isnt a song of ice and fire

Deleted member 2834 · Mar 20, 2018

Warbreaker is excellent. Not sure why it's not held to the same regard as the others.

zroid · Mar 20, 2018

Imp the Dimp said:
Warbreaker is excellent. Not sure why it's not held to the same regard as the others.

If anything that's probably Elantris and/or Mistborn Era 2 (depending on taste).

Every Cosmere work has its detractors, maybe the Warbreaker ones stand out a bit more because the book is free and more people have read it

Poodlestrike · Mar 20, 2018

Warbreaker is probably my favorite Cosmere book that isn't in the Stormlight series, tbh. Lightsong remains Sanderson's best written character, even now.

H.Cornerstone · Mar 20, 2018

Poodlestrike said:
Warbreaker is probably my favorite Cosmere book that isn't in the Stormlight series, tbh. Lightsong remains Sanderson's best written character, even now.

My favorite character is Nightblood and he's awesome in that book.

Soulstar · Mar 21, 2018

Vivenna and Shai are my favorite Cosmere characters.

zroid · Mar 21, 2018

Soulstar said:
Vivenna and Shai are my favorite Cosmere characters.

Shai <3

Vivenna is awesome in Oathbringer especially!

Soulstar · Mar 21, 2018

zroid said:
Shai <3

Vivenna is awesome in Oathbringer especially!

I am not ashamed to admit that I shouted out in joy when I realized who she was. I hope there is a lot more of her in future books.

DieH@rd · Mar 22, 2018

What is next on the Sanderson's release list?

Deleted member 1759 · Mar 22, 2018

Should be Skyward (first book of a new series). Releases November 6. But maybe we'll get a short story or something before then.

VyechnayaSlava · Mar 22, 2018

Pumped to see this thread featured! Love the Cosmere and Sanderson's general style

Lirlond · Mar 22, 2018

Just finished the first two white sand graphic novels and man it's so messy, I can easily follow even the more intense action in the novels but every time there's a scene with a lot of motion in the comic it's handled so poorly, requiring arrows to guide me across the page. Whoever is doing the art needs a masterclass in panelling, it's such a mess.

Poodlestrike · Mar 22, 2018

Lirlond said:
Just finished the first two white sand graphic novels and man it's so messy, I can easily follow even the more intense action in the novels but every time there's a scene with a lot of motion in the comic it's handled so poorly, requiring arrows to guide me across the page. Whoever is doing the art needs a masterclass in panelling, it's such a mess.

I've noticed this about a lot of tie-in comics. They tend to find people who can draw well, but they neglect the fact that comics are a sequential medium so you end up with a lot of pretty panels that don't in any way tell a coherent story.

Wowfunhappy · Mar 24, 2018

Poodlestrike said:
Yeah, but it makes discussing things an enormous chore. Kinda feel like there ought to be a Spoilers thread out there, or make this a spoiler-neutral thread after X months of a new release and have the OP be dedicated to bringing new readers up to speed with a big honking warning at the bottom.

Maybe I'll make it, idk.

Does marking something as a spoiler really require that much effort? Just because it came out years ago doesn't mean everyone has read it.

To be quite honest, I wish we did this site-wide.

Poodlestrike · Mar 24, 2018

Wowfunhappy said:
Does marking something as a spoiler really require that much effort? Just because it came out years ago doesn't mean everyone has read it.

To be quite honest, I wish we did this site-wide.

Marking a spoiler isn't hard - following a discussion where every entry is under spoiler tags is a chore, though.

random88 · Mar 24, 2018

kadotsu said:
I wonder which shard is at war with Harmony?

White Sand, both prose and 2nd volume of graphic novel

There is a character named Trell. Might be a coincidence. Might not.

Autonomy

Avis · Mar 25, 2018

Question though I don't know if this really matters - which should I read first, arcanum unbounded or bands of mourning?

Weird question, I know, but bands released before unbounded and I want to make sure not to spoil myself.

zroid · Mar 25, 2018

Avis said:
Question though I don't know if this really matters - which should I read first, arcanum unbounded or bands of mourning?

Weird question, I know, but bands released before unbounded and I want to make sure not to spoil myself.

I assume you're referring to Mistborn Secret History here; with that the official stance is it is recommended to read it after Bands.

this is just my opinion however, and i think the best time to read Secret History is after Hero of Ages. i just feel that it complements it better that way. yes there is a spoiler for Bands in there but i think it's pretty trivial all things considered. but since you're already at the point where you've finished Shadows of Self (i assume) it's best to just jump into Bands now!

Avis · Mar 25, 2018

zroid said:
I assume you're referring to Mistborn Secret History here; with that the official stance is it is recommended to read it after Bands.

this is just my opinion however, and i think the best time to read Secret History is after Hero of Ages. i just feel that it complements it better that way. yes there is a spoiler for Bands in there but i think it's pretty trivial all things considered. but since you're already at the point where you've finished Shadows of Self (i assume) it's best to just jump into Bands now!

Sounds good, will do.

Edit: (as in, I'll read after Bands.)

Deleted member 9479 · Mar 26, 2018

zroid said:
I assume you're referring to Mistborn Secret History here; with that the official stance is it is recommended to read it after Bands.

this is just my opinion however, and i think the best time to read Secret History is after Hero of Ages. i just feel that it complements it better that way. yes there is a spoiler for Bands in there but i think it's pretty trivial all things considered. but since you're already at the point where you've finished Shadows of Self (i assume) it's best to just jump into Bands now!

Just have to note that I disagree considerably, it's not trivial in the least, and Brandon released it with Bands and said you should read it after Bands for a reason.

zroid · Mar 26, 2018

Faiz said:
Just have to note that I disagree considerably, it's not trivial in the least, and Brandon released it with Bands and said you should read it after Bands for a reason.

That's fair, and I respect that. It's my 100% subjective opinion. I read MSH after Bands of Mourning, but I am entirely certain that my enjoyment of Bands would not have suffered at all had I known that spoiler, and similarly, I think MSH is more enjoyable when the events of the original trilogy are fresh in mind.

nick shaw · Mar 26, 2018

i read secret history after bands and i wish id read it before

DarkChronic · Mar 26, 2018

omfg at "the duel" in Words of Radiance. Mid-50s chapters. Y'all know which one I'm talking about.

Read it for the first time over the weekend. Holy smokes, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

MDSVeritas · Mar 26, 2018

DarkChronic said:
omfg at "the duel" in Words of Radiance. Mid-50s chapters. Y'all know which one I'm talking about.

Read it for the first time over the weekend. Holy smokes, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I go to that point in the audio book about 2 weeks back and hoooo boy what a moment. One of the most riveting segments of a book I've read yet.

"Honor is dead, but I'll see what I can do"

Hot. Damn. what a scene

Deleted member 9479 · Mar 27, 2018

nick shaw said:
i read secret history after bands and i wish id read it before

Can you articulate why?

Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere |OT| Journey Before Destination

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