Scan barcode
novac_57's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
brocodywatson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
daumari's review against another edition
5.0
April 2024 thoughts:
My "reread" of this has taken two years (or maybe longer thinking about the timeline?), initially starting with Edgedancer as part of a reread for Rhythm of War, and then dipping back into Mistborn short fiction in my Mistborn reread for The Lost Metal and then an Elantris reread because I hadn't reread that since high school. Some of these short works are increasingly relevant to works (with Sixth of the Dusk even getting reworked into its future sequel).
I am almost caught up on Cosmere - just need to get to the White Sand omnibus!
Original review:
It's a tricky thing to rate an anthology, especially when you've read maybe a third of it previously. I hadn't tracked down all of the short stories, and never read the RPG books for Mistborn so those were new to me. I included this in my Hugos shelf because The Emperor's Soul won for Novella in the past, and is really a lovely piece of fiction.
Arcanum Unbounded includes star maps for each system with notes by Khriss, author of all the Cosmere-related ars arcanums at the ends of previous novels, and each story/novella ends with a postscript by Brandon on why and how he developed that tale.
Individual reviews (links to previous times I've read them, with additional commentary from this read:
The Emperor's Soul
"haaaaaah I forgot Shai just straight up discusses the whole physical, cognitive, and spiritual realm thing as the underpinnings of soulstamping (and really, pretty much all Cosmere magic)"
"The Emperor's Soul is such a lovely, quiet novella on the nature of art and what it really means to capture the essence of a person or thing. I also love the idea of chops as a means to magic."
The Hope of Elantris- really short, reminds me I'm overdue for an Elantris reread
The Eleventh Metal- still haven't read the adventure game books, but a nice snapshot of a young Kelsier
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes Twenty-Eight Through Thirty- Great way to introduce the steampunk'd Mistborn world, and the footnotes are hilarious.
Mistborn: Secret History
Notes from December 2022 (lol this second read is uh, taking a while because it's sporadic)- I advised Syl to read this after era 1 and he thought that was incorrect; that he should've done it in publication order after [b:The Bands of Mourning|18739426|The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450134973l/18739426._SY75_.jpg|26616838]. But, as a reread I think it fits well between eras 1 and 2, to show what was up to during the rest of era 1. It is definitely a steep learning curve for cosmere concepts (Shards, planets, the three realms, etc.) so I can see why he thought he shouldn't have gone there.
White Sand- "The excerpt of White Sand was interesting, but I do wonder if it lost some of its impact in grayscale form here (I also wonder if the ebook version has color? Someone can probably tell me)."
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell - still think this is a really interesting world.
Sixth of Dusk- I need to find the Writing Excuses episodes and the original anthology this came in- am curious to see how it changed over the brainstorming and refining process
Edgedancer- the main reason I'm finally reading this, as we learn more about one of Brandon's favorite Radiants and get a little bit more lore re: the Heralds and manifestations of the Knights Radiant orders. A cameo in this one also convinced me I need to reread [b:Warbreaker|1268479|Warbreaker (Warbreaker, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1240256182l/1268479._SY75_.jpg|1257385]before I get into [b:Oathbringer|34002132|Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, #3)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654573897l/34002132._SY75_.jpg|23840254] (and really should've done so before [b:Words of Radiance|17332218|Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659905768l/17332218._SY75_.jpg|16482835] if only because I didn't realize Vasher was hanging out under a different name)
All in all, a good collection of the various Cosmere short fiction. I'd previously purchased them here and there with Google Play credit, but it's nice having a physical copy for reference.
My "reread" of this has taken two years (or maybe longer thinking about the timeline?), initially starting with Edgedancer as part of a reread for Rhythm of War, and then dipping back into Mistborn short fiction in my Mistborn reread for The Lost Metal and then an Elantris reread because I hadn't reread that since high school. Some of these short works are increasingly relevant to works (with Sixth of the Dusk even getting reworked into its future sequel).
I am almost caught up on Cosmere - just need to get to the White Sand omnibus!
Original review:
It's a tricky thing to rate an anthology, especially when you've read maybe a third of it previously. I hadn't tracked down all of the short stories, and never read the RPG books for Mistborn so those were new to me. I included this in my Hugos shelf because The Emperor's Soul won for Novella in the past, and is really a lovely piece of fiction.
Arcanum Unbounded includes star maps for each system with notes by Khriss, author of all the Cosmere-related ars arcanums at the ends of previous novels, and each story/novella ends with a postscript by Brandon on why and how he developed that tale.
Individual reviews (links to previous times I've read them, with additional commentary from this read:
The Emperor's Soul
"haaaaaah I forgot Shai just straight up discusses the whole physical, cognitive, and spiritual realm thing as the underpinnings of soulstamping (and really, pretty much all Cosmere magic)"
"The Emperor's Soul is such a lovely, quiet novella on the nature of art and what it really means to capture the essence of a person or thing. I also love the idea of chops as a means to magic."
The Hope of Elantris- really short, reminds me I'm overdue for an Elantris reread
The Eleventh Metal- still haven't read the adventure game books, but a nice snapshot of a young Kelsier
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes Twenty-Eight Through Thirty- Great way to introduce the steampunk'd Mistborn world, and the footnotes are hilarious.
Mistborn: Secret History
Notes from December 2022 (lol this second read is uh, taking a while because it's sporadic)- I advised Syl to read this after era 1 and he thought that was incorrect; that he should've done it in publication order after [b:The Bands of Mourning|18739426|The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450134973l/18739426._SY75_.jpg|26616838]. But, as a reread I think it fits well between eras 1 and 2, to show what
Spoiler
fucking KelsierWhite Sand- "The excerpt of White Sand was interesting, but I do wonder if it lost some of its impact in grayscale form here (I also wonder if the ebook version has color? Someone can probably tell me)."
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell - still think this is a really interesting world.
Sixth of Dusk- I need to find the Writing Excuses episodes and the original anthology this came in- am curious to see how it changed over the brainstorming and refining process
Edgedancer- the main reason I'm finally reading this, as we learn more about one of Brandon's favorite Radiants and get a little bit more lore re: the Heralds and manifestations of the Knights Radiant orders. A cameo in this one also convinced me I need to reread [b:Warbreaker|1268479|Warbreaker (Warbreaker, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1240256182l/1268479._SY75_.jpg|1257385]before I get into [b:Oathbringer|34002132|Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, #3)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654573897l/34002132._SY75_.jpg|23840254] (and really should've done so before [b:Words of Radiance|17332218|Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659905768l/17332218._SY75_.jpg|16482835] if only because I didn't realize Vasher was hanging out under a different name)
All in all, a good collection of the various Cosmere short fiction. I'd previously purchased them here and there with Google Play credit, but it's nice having a physical copy for reference.
nickgui's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
julieabe89's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-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 was delightful! I really loved seeing all the different pieces of the Cosmere. I can't wait to read more. It is fast becoming my favorite!
fantaseareader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
5.0
eesh25's review against another edition
5.0
Before I start, I wanted to let you know that several stories in this book work as standalone and contain no spoilers for any Cosmere book. But others are part of one or the other series and should only be read after a specific point. Don't worry though, there's a disclaimer of sorts before every story that contains spoilers.
Now, this is the first proper confirmation we've gotten about the existence of the Cosmere. Sure, there have been hints—like Nightblood showing up on Roshar and Hoid being fucking everywhere—but I'm pretty sure this is the first time Sanderson has, in publication, directly told us that several of his series are connected. And the book does a great job of showing us the connection while also giving us a bunch of great stories to enjoy.
The book is divided into sections based on systems in the Cosmere. Like the Scadrian system (Mistborn), Selish (Elantris), Rosharan (Stormlight Archive), etc. But it leaves the stories alone and instead includes a preface introducing each system. The prefaces are written by Khriss, a Worldhopper who's doing research on the Cosmere. That way, there's no pressure on the stories to include big-picture stuff that, at this point, no one on these planets is aware of. And I think it's the best way this book could've been done. Not to mention, I loved the short prefaces and the maps accompanying them.
Coming to the stories... they're absolutely fantastic. Though several of them were rereads for me since they were published before this book came out. I already have reviews for The Emperor's Soul, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, The Hope of Elantris and The Eleventh Metal.
But to briefly sum up the above: The first two are novellas. The Emperor's Soul is my all-time favourite novella. It has a very interesting magic system and an awesome protagonist. Shadows for Silence is also great with a creepy atmosphere and another great protagonist. The last two are short stories, they're both enjoyable, and they let you revisit old characters.
Now for the others. Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania is more of a joke (from Mistborn Era 2) and mostly made enjoyable via the (many) footnotes. White Sand is only an excerpt from the graphic novel. But afterward, there's also the story Sanderson wrote that the graphic is based on. So it's the same story in two formats. And it's good if a bit Dune-like. I will definitely read the graphic novel, but I wish it'd just been published as a normal novel since I preferred that format even here. Sixth of the Dusk was great too, very creepy, intriguing and atmospheric with potential for future books, and a lot to discover.
Finally, we have two left. The first is Mistborn: Secret History. Of the stories I hadn't read before, this was my favourite. I think I cried reading this. I love Kelsier, and I didn't think we'd get to see him again. So to know that he (kinda) survived and that he'll be around in the future made me so happy. Also, the story's great with revelations all-around and even more questions. It's gotten me super excited for the future of Scadrial.
Edgedancer is also a novella that I really liked. But I've perhaps come to expect too much with anything Stormlight, so I was a tad underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I loved being back on Roshar and exploring another part of it. I also loved seeing the aftermath of Words of Radiance. And the plot was good too. But Lift can be such a frustrating character to read about. I know she's thirteen and traumatized, but knowing that doesn't make it less annoying when she refuses to listen or think. And when she disrespects libraries. Also, the ending was kinda lukewarm. Still, if I had to rate it, I'd give it four stars.
And with that, we're done! I loved the book, obviously, and I'm excited to read Oathbringer soon.
Now, this is the first proper confirmation we've gotten about the existence of the Cosmere. Sure, there have been hints—like Nightblood showing up on Roshar and Hoid being fucking everywhere—but I'm pretty sure this is the first time Sanderson has, in publication, directly told us that several of his series are connected. And the book does a great job of showing us the connection while also giving us a bunch of great stories to enjoy.
The book is divided into sections based on systems in the Cosmere. Like the Scadrian system (Mistborn), Selish (Elantris), Rosharan (Stormlight Archive), etc. But it leaves the stories alone and instead includes a preface introducing each system. The prefaces are written by Khriss, a Worldhopper who's doing research on the Cosmere. That way, there's no pressure on the stories to include big-picture stuff that, at this point, no one on these planets is aware of. And I think it's the best way this book could've been done. Not to mention, I loved the short prefaces and the maps accompanying them.
Coming to the stories... they're absolutely fantastic. Though several of them were rereads for me since they were published before this book came out. I already have reviews for The Emperor's Soul, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, The Hope of Elantris and The Eleventh Metal.
But to briefly sum up the above: The first two are novellas. The Emperor's Soul is my all-time favourite novella. It has a very interesting magic system and an awesome protagonist. Shadows for Silence is also great with a creepy atmosphere and another great protagonist. The last two are short stories, they're both enjoyable, and they let you revisit old characters.
Now for the others. Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania is more of a joke (from Mistborn Era 2) and mostly made enjoyable via the (many) footnotes. White Sand is only an excerpt from the graphic novel. But afterward, there's also the story Sanderson wrote that the graphic is based on. So it's the same story in two formats. And it's good if a bit Dune-like. I will definitely read the graphic novel, but I wish it'd just been published as a normal novel since I preferred that format even here. Sixth of the Dusk was great too, very creepy, intriguing and atmospheric with potential for future books, and a lot to discover.
Finally, we have two left. The first is Mistborn: Secret History. Of the stories I hadn't read before, this was my favourite. I think I cried reading this. I love Kelsier, and I didn't think we'd get to see him again. So to know that he (kinda) survived and that he'll be around in the future made me so happy. Also, the story's great with revelations all-around and even more questions. It's gotten me super excited for the future of Scadrial.
Edgedancer is also a novella that I really liked. But I've perhaps come to expect too much with anything Stormlight, so I was a tad underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I loved being back on Roshar and exploring another part of it. I also loved seeing the aftermath of Words of Radiance. And the plot was good too. But Lift can be such a frustrating character to read about. I know she's thirteen and traumatized, but knowing that doesn't make it less annoying when she refuses to listen or think. And when she disrespects libraries. Also, the ending was kinda lukewarm. Still, if I had to rate it, I'd give it four stars.
And with that, we're done! I loved the book, obviously, and I'm excited to read Oathbringer soon.
picklesworth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
benyoda95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
4.0
I listened to this too quickly and it did give me a bit of whiplash switching between systems, but the stories are solid. I prefer good long form to his short form, but it's a good read.