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A review by nicktommasini
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
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
4.25
What I liked: As usual for Sanderson, the world-building is super unique and draws from a mix of great inspirations (ancient Korea, modern Japan, FFX, etc.). The magic system here feels fairly organic, rather than grafted onto a fantasy world the way I felt with Mistborn. Similarly, I enjoyed the characters of Yumi and Painter, who both felt distinct and realistic - and flawed - without getting on my nerve. The romance likewise was sweet and not overwhelming or in your face, and didn’t have the expected trough late in the second act that I usually dread in stories like that. Finally, Hoid was an enjoyable narrative voice and I appreciate the fairy tale style and tone that he approaches this story with. Pacing was generally well done and built over the course of the book effectively with a strong mystery through most of the book. Also - some surprisingly poignant and great quotes from narrator Hoid.
What I didn’t like: Still feels like Brandon’s prose and dialogue is a bit unfinished or unrefined at parts. His humor misses for me more than it hits but not in a groanworthy way, so it’s pretty easy to forgive (and also subjective). Pacing was generally good but felt a bit info-dumpy at the end with the explanation of how the world works — I think there was probably a more organic way to introduce all of that. Finally, most of the cosmere connections and references went way over my head and didn’t have the same degree of handholding for a relative newcomer like Tress, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this as someone’s first Sanderson like I would that book — won’t necessarily hold it against the book from a quality perspective but it made it slightly less accessible to someone like me.
What I didn’t like: Still feels like Brandon’s prose and dialogue is a bit unfinished or unrefined at parts. His humor misses for me more than it hits but not in a groanworthy way, so it’s pretty easy to forgive (and also subjective). Pacing was generally good but felt a bit info-dumpy at the end with the explanation of how the world works — I think there was probably a more organic way to introduce all of that. Finally, most of the cosmere connections and references went way over my head and didn’t have the same degree of handholding for a relative newcomer like Tress, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this as someone’s first Sanderson like I would that book — won’t necessarily hold it against the book from a quality perspective but it made it slightly less accessible to someone like me.