Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

i happened to stumble across it in the library and just couldn't resist trying out one of brando sando's books. i never expected this one to be the first one tho, considering i own the entire mistborn trilogy (i'll get to it, i promise 🫢)

anyway, this was utterly charming! i loved the story and the characters so much. they were relatable and heartfelt, and their struggles felt realistic. i adored the vividness of the world and all of the colour imagery -- it really helped me visualise and imagine the world in my head.

another good thing about this book is that it's a standalone -- so u don't need to be familiar w/ the cosmere to understand what's happening! yea, there were a few references that i didn't understand, but it didn't impede my understanding of the narrative. i highly recommend this book if u enjoy
• character driven story with a fun storyline
• a very slow burn romance
• cool magic systems
• pretty obvious themes, but written in a very realistic and relatable way (ESPECIALLY as an artist)

this will certainly be a story i'll be returning to in the future (💸), and i am so excited to read the rest of sanderson's books

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gopanini's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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penguinsandbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was recommended to me by at least two different people, and I can see why! The only Brandon Sanderson I've read before this is the Skyward series and Mistborn, but you don't have to have read other Sanderson to jump into this book. I think there are some connections to other books, but the story works if you don't pick up on those.

I listened to this, so I'm definitely going to have to pick up a physical copy just to look at the art. From the world building to the characterization to the narration, I don't think there was anything about this I didn't love. The little comments throughout from the narrators were great. The audiobook narrators also do an excellent job bringing the story to life!

Listening to Sanderson explain why this might be his favorite book he's written and the reasoning behind it also just adds to the book, in my opinion. If you like manga, this is very heavily manga inspired, and though I'm still just getting into the manga scene, even I could see that influence on the story. And it's so enjoyable!

I have Tress of the Emerald Sea also on hold, so this has made me excited to listen to that!

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readandfindout's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Stye/writing: 4 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars

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apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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novella42's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

My favorite of any Brandon Sanderson book I've ever read! I think, more than his other books, you can feel his playfulness in this story, his love of art and the philosophy of art, and just the joy of relaxing into the telling of a story he finds fun and intriguing for its own sake. The story certainly picks up momentum as it goes, but I was grateful for the peaceful aspects of it.

I'm a fan of the anime Your Name and loved the similar themes here. Also, having just finished a rewatch of my favorite K-Drama, the period piece The King's Affection, helped me imagine certain parts with more clarity and appreciation.

Anyway, I just loved this story, and was immensely impressed with the worldbuilding and the way he managed to incorporate it into his cosmere. I'm trying to figure out if I can recommend it to people who haven't read any Stormlight books.

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