Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Secret Project #4 by Brandon Sanderson

18 reviews

ilovewednesdays's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Overall Rating - 8.5/10

Plot - 9/10

Excellent. The Sunlit Man is Sanderson’s homage to “old westerns and their modernized versions, like the Mad Max films.” It’s fast-paced and dope as heck. I was gripped the whole time, eager to reach each beat. Plot, character, and world were intertwined in a way that improved each one and kept them all moving forward.

World-building - 10/10

Outstanding. Sanderson, as usual, masterfully creates a vibrant world here. It’s unique, complex, and creative. The Sunlit Man is set on

Canticle, a planet with one hemisphere always covered in deadly daylight that incinerates those unfortunate souls caught in the sunrise. The planet’s inhabitants must always stay on the dark side of the planet, so live in mobile cities that are constantly moving forward

. This is a standalone novel but I just know there are so many stories that could be told here.

Characters - 8/10

Very good. Reviewing Cosmere books can be a little weird, because I’m unable to know what the experience would be like if I didn’t have a self-awarded MCS (Master of Cosmere Studies). The main POV character, Nomad, is a side character from a different book, so I came into this already having thoughts and feelings about him. That said, I absolutely loved his arc in this book. Nomad is characterized pretty clearly, and his development is satisfying. And as usual, Sanderson weaves that development into the plot in a satisfying way. Rating would be 9/10 if so much of his backstory wasn’t “locked” behind spoilers for upcoming Cosmere novels. That made it more difficult for me to really dig into what motivates him.

Prose - 8/10

Very good. I’ve heard it said that Sanderson doesn’t have very good prose. That his writing is too simple/straightforward. And for his first few published novels, I would agree! Here’s the thing though: Sanderson is a veteran of putting out well-written, cohesive, creative, and compelling books (I think he said this is his 15th novel?). With that depth experience, his prose are far from lacking at this point. It’s not super flowery/poetic, true, but he uses language well, describes places and events in the perfect level of detail, and he conveys the emotional impact of character moments with skill. Also, he writes a DAMN good fight scene.

Theme - 7/10

Good. I don’t usually see conveyance of theme as one of Sanderson’s greatest strengths. I care enough about his plots, worlds, and (sometimes) characters that theme doesn’t really stand out for me. I think he’s starting to change that, however. Although I didn’t walk away from The Sunlit Man thinking about life in a new way or questioning my perception of morality, Sanderson did communicate themes of redemption, self-realization, and compassion well enough to add fuel to the fiery plot and character moments. Felt big feelings, y’all.

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apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense 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

3.5

Content Warnings

aidareads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

dkgreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Kinda bittersweet that this was the last of the Secret Projects. I am SO GLAD that I got to take part in the event that was the Kickstarter.

This is more fast paced than Sanderson’s usual work, but there is still a ridiculously strong connection to the characters, as per usual. It didn’t hurt that I already knew who Nomad really was, but it definitely made it easier for the tears to flow. Which they did. Thrice. I think my favorite part was how this book highlighted the enormous scope of what Sanderson is working towards for the greater Cosmere. To say it’s mind blowing would be an understatement.

Content Warnings

walkie_check's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

palmkd's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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

Also known as Secret Project 4, The Sunlit Man tells us the tale of Nomad, a wanderer, who finds himself on a new planet with confusing locals and a bullying Tyrant he doesn't have time for. To make things even more confusing, society literally has to stay ahead of the sun, (like physically) or fear melting from its overpowered rays.

This is a stand alone story which takes place in the Cosmere, same as secret projects 1 and 2 but with more direct connections to other Cosmere stories than projects 1 and 2. The Cosmere is the fictional universe where many of Brandon Sanderson's stories take place such as Elantris, the Mistborn saga, The Stormlight Archive series and Warbreaker, to name some of the bigger works.

I absolutely loved this one and strongly recommend it, either as a stand alone or as part of your Cosmere universe. You can best appreciate the references if you've read Books 1-4 of the Stormlight Archive but I do believe it stands on its own as well.

Content Warnings

jimfox14's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

iono's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

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