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A review by swordspoint
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
TL;DR, content breakdown, and recommendations at the bottom!
It's difficult to review Arcanum Unbounded like a normal novel, since it's really an omnibus of novellas about Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe. It's also difficult to review without spoiling any of the books, but suffice it to say that if you like Brandon's other books and want more of his stories with bonus Cosmere lore... this one has you covered.
I wish I could pick a favorite, but as with all of Brandon's writings each one has their own amazing pieces. Just read it, that's all I can say.
Individual ratings for each story:
The Hope of Elantris- 3 stars
The Emperor's Soul- 5 stars
The Eleventh Metal- 3 stars
Allomancer Jak and and the Pits of Eltania- 4 stars (would be 3 without the footnotes)
Mistborn: A Secret History- 4.5 stars
Shadows of Silence in the Forests of Hell- 3.5 stars
Sixth of the Dusk- 4 stars
Edgedancer- 4 stars
White Sand excerpts- 3.5 stars
Some spoilered theorizing for any fellow Cosmere folks: Does anyone else think that the Ones Above from Sixth of the Dusk are from third era Scadrial?
TL;DR: Arcanum Unbounded is a great omnibus of Cosmere content. There are spoiler warnings before the sections that could ruin books for you, but I'd suggest reading through most of the Cosmere before taking this on.
Content Breakdown: Some violence, death, mental disorders, disturbing death/paranormal scenes (particularly Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for Silence) but nothing more than what's normal for other Cosmere books.
Recommendations: If you're a fan of the Cosmere and all of its lore, or just looking for more of Brandon's fantastic storytelling.
It's difficult to review Arcanum Unbounded like a normal novel, since it's really an omnibus of novellas about Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe. It's also difficult to review without spoiling any of the books, but suffice it to say that if you like Brandon's other books and want more of his stories with bonus Cosmere lore... this one has you covered.
I wish I could pick a favorite, but as with all of Brandon's writings each one has their own amazing pieces. Just read it, that's all I can say.
Individual ratings for each story:
The Hope of Elantris- 3 stars
The Emperor's Soul- 5 stars
The Eleventh Metal- 3 stars
Allomancer Jak and and the Pits of Eltania- 4 stars (would be 3 without the footnotes)
Mistborn: A Secret History- 4.5 stars
Shadows of Silence in the Forests of Hell- 3.5 stars
Sixth of the Dusk- 4 stars
Edgedancer- 4 stars
White Sand excerpts- 3.5 stars
Some spoilered theorizing for any fellow Cosmere folks:
TL;DR: Arcanum Unbounded is a great omnibus of Cosmere content. There are spoiler warnings before the sections that could ruin books for you, but I'd suggest reading through most of the Cosmere before taking this on.
Content Breakdown: Some violence, death, mental disorders, disturbing death/paranormal scenes (particularly Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for Silence) but nothing more than what's normal for other Cosmere books.
Recommendations: If you're a fan of the Cosmere and all of its lore, or just looking for more of Brandon's fantastic storytelling.