*****Brandon Sanderson's the Cosmere Thread*****

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hunter2012
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12:37p, 10/1/19
AG
I figured since this picked up steam in the Cromwell thread we might as well start one. I believe the consensus on the other thread. I think it's best to assume that everyone in the thread has read the novels if they've been out for a few month but I suppose we can use spoilers if ya'll want especially for supplemental/ crossover stuff like the Arcanum Unbounded. For instance should Azure=Vivenna be considered spoiler material or public knowledge? Regardless I've thought about starting this thread for a while so forgive the wall of text.

Let's just establish rule number 1 for the Cosmere - it generally sucks to be Kaladin.
Favorite books:
Stormlight Archives(all of them) - I think this is the current anchor for the awesomeness of the Cosmere
Hero of Ages - Just as freaking epic as the 2nd book was slow especially epic when matched with the Secret History
Wax & Wayne books - metal magic in a Victorian era? heck yeah


Favorite characters, I'll hold off on my thoughts until we establish rules on spoilers:
Sazed
Kelsier
Wayne
Kaladin
Nightblood
Lightsong
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Quad Dog
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12:50p, 10/1/19
AG
Oh man, here we go. This is a rabbit hole.
The Cosmere is one of those things that you can dig into very deep and look for clues everywhere. However, you can also barely grasp it, but still enjoy all the books. "Hey look it's that name Hoid again, wasn't that name also in Mistborn?" Both are fine. But trying to find the line of spoiling and excluding newbies and satisfying the diehards is a hard one.
/r/cosmere does it well where you have to put what book you're reading, and spoilers outside that book aren't allowed. but we couldn't do that here.

I have a lot of favorite characters, but I love reading about Wayne mainly because you can tell Sanderson has so much fun writing him.

I've introduced a ton of people to his writing by recommending The Final Empire. What is everyone else's intro point for newbies?
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AgHawkeye
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1:14p, 10/1/19
AG
https://brandonsanderson.com/cosmere/

https://www.tor.com/2017/10/09/understanding-brandon-sandersons-cosmere/


Great little starting points including a list of the books included in the Cosmere.

From the site:
Quote:
For now, most books have only hints. If you're curious, watch for mentions of Hoid, a character who has appeared in all major books in the Cosmere. (Though he often goes by a pseudonym.) Look for mentions of Adonalsiuma god from long ago who was broken into sixteen piecesand his Shards, beings who have taken bits of Adonalsium's power and been elevated to deities themselves. Usually these are named after the intent of their powerDominion, Devotion, Ruin, Preservation, Honor, Cultivation, and Odium are Shards of Adonalsium.
Some novellas, such as Mistborn: Secret History dig further into relationships between Cosmere worlds. Read these if you want to dive in deeperthey are available as standalones, or in the collection Arcanum Unbounded. (As of the beginning of 2017, Arcanum Unbounded contained every piece of Cosmere short fiction I've written.)
I intend to keep writing short fiction like this, expanding on the Cosmere, though my focus will always be on the novels. Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy journey!


If you are new to this, also from Brandon:

Quote:
Recommended Reading Order for Cosmere Books
I recommended reading the books in sequential order rather than trying to dive into the second book in a series without having read the first book. That said, it really doesn't matter which Cosmere series you start with, which means any of these books are good starting points:
Mistborn: the Final Empire
The Emperor's Soul
The Way of Kings
Elantris
Warbreaker
There are tidbits in each of the books that inform the other books, but you don't have to notice these things to enjoy the story by itself. Finding these easter eggs is one of the things that makes re-reading the books so much fun.
The Alloy of Law is an okay jumping in spot for the Cosmere, but keep in mind that this book has spoilers for the original Mistborn trilogy.



If you are serious about doing a Cosmere thread I think the only way to do it is to not worry about spoilers at all and assume everybody has read the books. From the site it is clear this is not yet a well developed entity in itself and all hints to it are fairly subtle and require in depth knowledge of the worlds he has built.

All the stories and worlds are amazing on their own and many have been discussed in the fantasy thread or could be discussed in separate threads if desired.


Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.
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hunter2012
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In reply to Quad Dog • 1:19p, 10/1/19
AG
Yep the Final Empire was my first I then proceeded to use my overstock of audible credits to listen to 2 & 3, then stand alone novels(Warbreaker/Elantris/Emperor's Soul), then Stormlight, then the 2nd Mistborn trilogy. I still need to read White Sand but that needs to be a book since it's a graphic novel. I would highly recommend reading the short stories from Arcanum in the chronological reading order of the universe. For example Secret History is highly recommended after the 1st Mistborn trilogy and "Edgedancer" after "Words of Radiance". His depth of worldbuilding has been amazing when you add the short stories to the context of the novels.

also hooking up with a shapeshifter is totally a Wayne thing to do. I think Brandon's quirky characters are some of his best.
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Quad Dog
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In reply to hunter2012 • 2:44p, 10/1/19
AG
I read a crazy theory on Reddit that because Wayne was so good at voices and costumes that he was practically a Kandra anyways. The theory was that maybe transforming into a Kandra somehow was in his future.
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MW03
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3:34p, 10/1/19
AG
I've finished:

The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Oathbringer

and

The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages

I enjoyed all of these. Any others I should check out?
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Quad Dog
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In reply to MW03 • 3:53p, 10/1/19
AG
If you liked the original Mistborn trilogy, then you'll like the next Mistborn trilogy: Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, and Bands of Mourning. Followed by Secret History.
Elantris and Warbreaker I didn't like as much as the ones on your list, they dragged in parts imo. But still good reads with some great moments and characters/items
Arcanum Unbounded is a short story collection that is great, and really fills out the whole Cosmere concept. It contains Secret History and Edgedancer which is a novella set in the Stormlight Archive featuring Lift.

I read the Reckoners series too. More aimed at YA audience. But a good alternate superhero tale similar to a YA version of The Boys if you've read or watched that.
I also read Skyward. It is aimed at a YA audience again. I wouldn't put it in the required category, but still fun at times.

It feels like a cop-out, but if you've read that much, literally read anything else he's written.
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hunter2012
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In reply to MW03 • 3:53p, 10/1/19
AG
MW03 said:
I've finished:

The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Oathbringer

and

The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages

I enjoyed all of these. Any others I should check out?

All of them. Partially kidding but you've read the largest books in the series. So if you have any interest the rest should be a breeze.

I would recommend the 2nd mistborn trilogy especially if you like the magic system from the 1st one. The story/scale is different but the story is still excellent and the books are considerably shorter than Mistborn or Stormlight.

If you like the general universe and want to read more in them you might consider Elantris and Warbreaker, but both have much more intrigue than action if that's not your forte. They're also earlier works but I wouldn't consider them bad. As there are crossover characters especially in Stormlight you'll also get some history on some of the mysterious characters like Wit and Azure.

You also might consider reading selected stories from Arcanum Unbounded. It's an anthology of side stories mostly in the 2 series you've already read. I especially enjoyed Mistborn Secret History as it follows the 1st Mistborn trilogy from a different perspective.
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MW03
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4:07p, 10/1/19
AG
Thanks for the responses. I'll check out the 2nd Mistborn books. By the time I finished #3, I was a little burned out. That was several of years ago, though.

I will say that I love Kaladin and reading non-Kaladin chapters in the Stormlight series was maddening.
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hunter2012
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In reply to MW03 • 4:13p, 10/1/19
AG
You might checkout Elantris. One of the POV characters, Raoden, reminds me alot of Kaladin.
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HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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10:13p, 10/1/19
AG
So glad there is a thread on the Cosmere. Personally, I got to it relatively recently but I am already a fan boy. its just so nice that Sanderson is a machine that churns out amazing material every year (looking at you, George and Patrick...)

I actually read The Way of Kings first and almost wish I hadn't. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing. But it's like starting with the main course and forgoing any appetizers. Satisfying sure, but you miss a little of the whole experience.

I have since read both Mistborn trilogies, Arcanum Unbounded, and the rest. I have successfully gotten two friends of mine hooked, but had them all start with The Final Empire(which I agree is the perfect starting point). One of them has already gotten 2 tattoos based on the cosmere (a bridge 4 tat and Lift's Edgedancer glyph). Personally, I h r a real soft spot in my heart for Warbreaker. Something about it really resonated with me. Lightsong is such an amazing character.
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heddleston
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In reply to MW03 • 7:08a, 10/2/19
AG
The 2nd Mistborn series is much more fun and breezy compared to the original trilogy.

I started with Way of Kings and then worked my way through everything else, I'd recommend starting with either The Final Empire or Warbreaker, since both of them can be read as one-offs.
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KALALL
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8:48a, 10/2/19
AG
I've been down too many Cosmere Rabbit holes on the 17thshard and Coppermind. I've always appreciated Brandon's status bar on his website so readers can follow along with his progress. Even if there's a long break between books at least you know he's making progress, unlike a few other fantasy authors I can think of.
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hunter2012
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In reply to KALALL • 10:25a, 10/2/19
AG
The State of Sanderson is always a great read to go along with the progress bars. It's amazing how productive the man is with how many books/projects he's working on at any given time, he must have a hell of a support team because I don't see how he does it.
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Quad Dog
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10:29a, 10/2/19
AG
What is everyone's favorite "aha moments" when they made a connection or a personal theory?
My favorite was in Sixth of the Dusk when I realized that one of the birds was basically burning copper, and the other was burning atium.
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Quad Dog
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10:37a, 10/2/19
AG
I recently reread the first Mistborn trilogy. It's funny how many hints, foreshadowing, and sometimes obvious statements there are in those books about the upcoming major reveals. I just read right over them the first time. One of the first sentences in the book is "They say I will hold the future of the entire world on my arms."

I've described the Mistborn trilogy as the tightest trilogy I've ever read to people. There are hints at things in the first book that don't pay off until the third. And plot reveals in later books that explain earlier books. That statement still was true on the reread.
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hunter2012
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11:10a, 10/2/19
AG
I will say on of my favorites was the mere fact that Kelsier would have his followers build a massive Indiana Jones booby-trapped type temple in a remote and dangerous location and then put the Bands where he did. I laughed when the realization hit Marasi because it confirmed for me who the Sovereign was. The epilogue was just icing.

I am curious though if Odium is gathering to attack Scadrial or if it's another "evil" shardbearer... I would think Sazed bearing 2 shards could keep it at bay but who knows...

I also loved Sazed's appearances to Wax, his personality is still very much intact even if he's bound by the power...
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Quad Dog
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3:54p, 10/3/19
AG
The man is a machine
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bearamedic99
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4:22p, 10/3/19
AG
That's great but what about books 6 & 7?
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hunter2012
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In reply to bearamedic99 • 4:44p, 10/3/19
AG
bearamedic99 said:
That's great but what about books 6 & 7?
Might as well ask about books 8, 9, & 10 while we're at it. He's going to have to add some R.R.s to his name at this rate.
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Hudson2508
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7:05p, 10/3/19
AG
The Way of Kings is my favorite book of all time. Read everything of his other than the teen focused books. Kaladin is by far my favorite, his story of survival and leadership is inspiring.

I'm pumped for Book 4. Sanderson is a machine.
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HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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In reply to Hudson2508 • 8:04p, 10/3/19
AG
Hudson2508 said:
The Way of Kings is my favorite book of all time. Read everything of his other than the teen focused books. Kaladin is by far my favorite, his story of survival and leadership is inspiring.

I'm pumped for Book 4. Sanderson is a machine.


Kal is definitely one of my favorite characters in literature. I get annoyed when he gets "mopey" but damn if that isn't one of the more human and "real" reactions to all the **** he has had to endure, to say nothing of the pressure and expectations thrust upon him at such a young age. IMHO, one of the marks of a great writer is how real the characters feel as you read. Those layers of gray. Those faults. Can you almost sympathize with your antagonists? Can your protagonists make you question what they are doing? Sanderson does such a great job with that, even in some of his early stuff.
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Hudson2508
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In reply to HummingbirdSaltalamacchia • 8:49p, 10/3/19
AG
Bridge 4 for life.
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YouBet
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1:42p, 10/5/19
AG
Quote:
Recommended Reading Order for Cosmere Books
I recommended reading the books in sequential order rather than trying to dive into the second book in a series without having read the first book. That said, it really doesn't matter which Cosmere series you start with, which means any of these books are good starting points:
Mistborn: the Final Empire
The Emperor's Soul
The Way of Kings
Elantris
Warbreaker
There are tidbits in each of the books that inform the other books, but you don't have to notice these things to enjoy the story by itself. Finding these easter eggs is one of the things that makes re-reading the books so much fun.
The Alloy of Law is an okay jumping in spot for the Cosmere, but keep in mind that this book has spoilers for the original Mistborn trilogy.
Why anyone would ever do this with any book series blows my mind. That you even have to say that is ridiculous!
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Karrde
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4:06p, 10/5/19
AG
The Dresden Files starts off slow, and gets better over time. You'll often see recommendations to start on book 3. Those aren't as interlinked, at least not early on.
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mazag08
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8:53p, 10/5/19
AG
I literally just started The Way if Kings. My first Sanderson book. I'm not a big reader. I get ADD quickly. So I've been reading a couple chapters a week. It's so immersive. It has its own vocabulary. It's not easy for someone like me. But I enjoy the heck out of it.

Can someone explain the order of his books? Are all of his series connected? Sorry if I missed it, but I'm not far enough in for this thread to not confuse the hell out of me.
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hunter2012
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In reply to mazag08 • 2:43a, 10/6/19
AG
the basics are that each series is a seperate world in the author's universe. So the magic on each world while unique is also tied with the magics on the other worlds. So far the worlds do not interact with each other. All of the novellas and short stories each take place on the same planets as the novels. so while nice for completetionist should read everything the novels are where the stories are at.

However there are characters that cross over and some are in multiple series though they are largely cameos and have little plot significance in each book other than how they're part of the story in each book separately.
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AgLiving06
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In reply to MW03 • 7:51a, 10/6/19
MW03 said:
Thanks for the responses. I'll check out the 2nd Mistborn books. By the time I finished #3, I was a little burned out. That was several of years ago, though.

I will say that I love Kaladin and reading non-Kaladin chapters in the Stormlight series was maddening.

I get that..I was that way too...but I mean, by the end of Oathbringer, Dalinar is the best character in the series.

I don't want to spoil it, but wow what he goes through and does is insane.
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maverick2076
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In reply to hunter2012 • 7:53a, 10/6/19
The only one of the short stories that is a must read is Edgedancer, and you should read it right after Words of Radiance.
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H6RBW
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In reply to AgLiving06 • 11:54a, 10/6/19
AG
Quote:
I get that..I was that way too...but I mean, by the end of Oathbringer, Dalinar is the best character in the series.
I love Kaladin, but have a hard time disagreeing with this.
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BigBrother
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1:02p, 10/6/19
AG
Me if Sanderson kills Kaladin OR Dalinar:



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HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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In reply to H6RBW • 8:16p, 10/6/19
AG
H6RBW said:
Quote:
I get that..I was that way too...but I mean, by the end of Oathbringer, Dalinar is the best character in the series.
I love Kaladin, but have a hard time disagreeing with this.

I will third this. Also, Shallan becomes fascinating (when she isn't acting like a hormonal teenage girl), especially after her chapters in TWoK made me want to hit fast forward.
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maverick2076
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In reply to HummingbirdSaltalamacchia • 8:47p, 10/6/19
Shallan's growth through her emotional trauma is often painful to watch, but it is so rewarding when she does overcome herself and her past.

What I love so much is the decay of the secondary characters: Teft, Moash, Lopen...even Sebarial. No one is one dimensional.

And I love Lift. She's freaking awesome.
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H6RBW
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11:04p, 10/6/19
AG
Quote:
And I love Lift. She's freaking awesome.

I see what you did there.
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hunter2012
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In reply to maverick2076 • 3:13p, 10/7/19
AG
maverick2076 said:
The only one of the short stories that is a must read is Edgedancer, and you should read it right after Words of Radiance.
Agreed, that's what I did and it showed what Lift was up to between books and what caused the shift in Nale's philosophy.

For the ones hyping Lift, be sure to checkout Edgedancer as Lift is the main character.
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