When are you going to review The Wheel of Time Season #2 Finale? PS, John Carter is magnificent as is Indiana Jones, the first 3 films and not the last 2.
My favorite part was, after his talk with the Cinder King, Nomad is like "aw hell yeah this guy is actually irredeemable, I wont have to feel bad about killing him"
I loved how, after that same convo, Nomad is just kinda like "This guy is comically evil. Like, stereotypically evil. He's not even original. What a waste." - paraphrased. The meta commentary about the Cinder King made me laugh
It's so hard to be a new Sanderson fan. My first Sanderson book was the first stormlight archive when it came out (due to your recommendation). But it's IMPOSSIBLE TO CATCH UP TO SANDERSON LORE WHEN HE WRITES FASTER THEN I CAN READ
@@gustavoalvarez9707 I assume you've read them all, I'm curious what order did you read them I'm always interested to see people starting with books that came out when I was already a fan or read Scadrial era 2 after era 1 sequentially and their reaction when they read WoR.
@@GhostEmblem I started with Elantris, then Era 1, Era 2 (secret history before the lost metal), Warbreaker, The emperor's soul, Silence, 6 of the dusk, White Sand, WoK, WoR, Tress, Edgedancer, Outhbringer, Dawnshard, RoW, Yumi and The sunlit man. I still think that WoR it's the best of the archive by far.
Regarding "Sunlit Man" being considered a ".5 Stormlight book", I think it goes even further than that. It is a ".5" *every single Cosmere book*! It has references to Warbreaker, Elantris, Mistborn 1st AND 2nd trilogy, even goddamned Shadows For Silence in the Forest of Hell, for god's sake!
@@feltrix334 You are not making it up!Aethers were absolutely mentioned and I'm almost certain Sixth of Dusk was mentioned (the jungles where people hadn't invented the wheel?).
I don’t think a potential reader of The Sunlit Man needs to read anything other than some Stormlight and maybe Shadows For Silence to understand The Sunlit Man though.
@@KarolinaK00oh I think this book lends a lot of weight to the idea the Kal is not gonna make it out of the first Brando Sando Stormlight hunger games.
@@masonguthrie1257 I want there to be real stakes, but if he had Kaladin battle depression and suicidal thoughts for 4 books only to kill him off in the 5th book I'd find that quite cruel and Sando's not a grimdark writer is he. I could see Kaladin tragically changed somehow (Marsh or Sazed style) because of some sacrifice though.
@@KarolinaK00 I personally think people equate death with failure a bit too much when it comes to Kaladin but there is definitely a possibility that he is tragically changed as well.
@@masonguthrie1257I don't think it's in as much as death is failure as that Kaladin's arc was about learning that living is important and his life has meaning. The meta message him dying after that gives is somewhat... Disturbing. Brandon may have more cojones than me but if I was the writer i absolutely would not have the courage to kill off a char via heroic sacrifice who many people have said inspires them to keep going irl.
Nomad’s character arc through his own self loathing and trauma and then the secondary um character…arc? Of Aux was the best part of this book for me and I was not expecting the emotional impact I endured.
Sounds really good, Ive been trying to get back into the cosmere ever sense my girlfriend passed away while reading Mistborn, which she was loving so much and Vin's charecter helped her through a lot.
Spoilers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I am of the opinion nearly everything needs to be read prior to this. Stormlight and Shadows are definitely the most important but without having read Warbreaker one wouldn't really understand the BEU's. Without mistborn force pushing his belt buckle would come out of nowhere. Lost Metal explains the importance of the jar of "The Dor". Elantris, and Sixth of the Dusk could probably be skipped but honestly why would you they're both fantastic!
I read shadows of silence, it barely even registered as cosmere didn't realize it was related until people online told me they were the same ghosts. So personally I disagree.
@@GhostEmblem I realized immediately they were the same ghosts and it was insanely hype to learn that the threnodites learned how to weaponize their greatest obstacles and became a strong force in the cosmere.
@@feliperodrigues5437Same! I was so excited over it and the different places in the book when they reference where they came from and what they went through to get where they are gave me goosebumps! It also made quite a few things make sense to me.
Sort of spoilery, but out of context: Its kind of interesting that the name given to the main character near the end won't have as much impact from people who come into the fandom later, given the buildup by the stormlight minis kickstarter.
@Phoboskomboa i did, i cant find anything specifically about how the tease of that character had such a large effect on the fandom because it was such an unknown factor, and then it is revealed to us afterwards
@@Lakefront_Khan I don't remember too much of the specifics. But he didn't really get into the reason. Just the context. He explained how important that name was to him and why it was a big deal to give it to Sigzil, and how that indicated how important he would be in the overall story.
I believe that BS says that Zellion is a online handle that he has used for many years when gaming. He said that the name doesn't get used very much, which is why he uses it.
Having started my Sanderson journey w/ Mistborn Era 1 and then going straight to Secret Projects w/o having touched Stormlight Archive, I still enjoyed Sunlit Man immensely. Knowing that it's part of a larger developed universe/storyline actually made all of the stuff I didn't yet understand all that much more interesting and exciting. Like "man, I can't wait to learn more about that!". As soon as I finished Sunlit Man I immediately picked up Way of Kings. I think it's been a while since a book made me this excited to get my hands on more!
As someone who's never read absolutely anything Brandon Sanderson, Tress & Sunlit Man were my favorites of his secret books, and am now definitely going to be starting Way of Kings
They aren't as good. Sanderson is in over his head when he attempts vast narratives (too much overshadowing + waaaay to much prose for the amount of content + shallow characters). He's good at whimsical books for teens that run on worldbuilding but in a 900+ pages book his "one draft, one layer, let's publish" style shows its limitations. Mistborn is better.
@@francescosirotti8178 To each their own, but for me, Brandon’s Stormlight Archive has my favorite books and characters out of everything he’s published.
@@ZaidPhyre I would love epics, it's just that it's really hard to find one that doesn't feel bloated. Even a masterpiece like Wheel of Time suffers from it. I distinctly remember reading the end of Words of Radiance by skipping whole pages of character banter and not missing anything crucial, and by the middle of Oatbreaker just going "oh no, another Shallan chapter, I'll just skim it". With good editing the first 2 books could have been made in a much better 500-600 pages book. Not going to get into spoilers for other commentors, but for example the whole "parshendi debating" plot line was 100% pointless. I think his writing is like his world building : vast, but shallow when you think about it - mostly because he rushes books out of the door.
@@francescosirotti8178 I won't argue that there are parts that could have been cut down, especially parts of Rhythm of War. That being said the good far outweighs the bad. It's not nearly as bloated as the Wheel of Time or even a Song of Ice and Fire which I LOVE.
@@SauceMario this is seemingly post-Era 3 Mistborn, so definitely not a 7.5. Book 8 will take place quite a long time before this. I would say that this is probably most accurately Mistborn 10.5 (maybe 11.5 or 12.5--who knows?), but it also isn't super heavy on Mistborn stuff.
Only watched the first two parts as I am so far behind on Cosmere that I might get to this one by 2028. But really enjoyed the energy and the clear enjoyment you had for the book. Thanks, Daniel! And John Carter rocks. Even the movie. Sort of.
Glad to hear The Sunlit Man is lit 😅 I am caught up to Stormlight but I plan to read all cosmere books in publication order starting from Elantris and then mistborn era 2(already read era 1 ) , arcanum unbounded the eventually get to the secret projects. Very exciting reading road ahead
The Sunlit Man filled me with a burning desire to know more about the Night Brigade. It also makes me wonder if Sixth of the Dusk is set in the far future of the Cosmere.
FINALLY someone who appreciates all the Cosmere connections. I am *so* sick of being like, "Whoa, awesome!" and then finding nothing but wet-blanket reviewers. All like, "Yes, I've read the entire Cosmere and knew exactly what was going on, but I'm gonna have to knock my rating down by *at least* 2 full stars because I would not have understood it if I had not read the Cosmere. Even though I have. And I did understand it." What exactly is the complaint? Every single book in the world carries required prerequisite knowledge--even if the only such prerequisite is that you know how to read in the language it's written in. But a book written in French does not suck because English speakers cannot read it. And neither does a Cosmere book suck because people who are not Cosmere fans can't understand it.
I think part of the problem is that you're expected to remember so much at this point in order for you to understand everything. There were several times while reading this I had to stop reading to Google to remember which planet was which, who certain characters were, how certain magics worked, when things take place timeline wise. It's not to say the books would be better without that stuff or would be better if it held your hand through it all. But it does mean the books aren't going to connect with everyone the same way a fully standalone story might.
I can't believe you didn't even mention Zellion. Just for fun I went and looked at old forums discussing who this mysterious stormlight minifig character was that brandon wanted to introduce. The most popular theory was that he was this "El" guy from the "Musings of El" in RoW.
Speaking of the secondary characters (little spoilery for this book, so see below) . . . I kept expecting Thomos to resurface, and am upset he didn't-Nomad never even asked how he was doing, or if he was one of the ones who died! Yet Thomos was basically Nomad's inciting incident for starting to care, and the reason he showed his secret to the Cinder King. And, c'mon, he saved Thomos from becoming a charred! But I loved the book.
I actually can’t tell if your books are stacked behind you because you’re waiting for some shelves or if it’s a bold artistic choice. What I will say though is it actually ends up looking DOPE
it's driving me insane. he has the juniper jackets for wheel of time and there is only two books near each other so the image of the spines together is lost. I also really liked that i could always see age of madness behind him before.... that said i don't hate the new arrangement. I really want those jackets for my wheel of time books >.
I read the first third in the last few days, and then just breezed through the entire rest in a single sitting today. It's almost 7am and I haven't slept but it WAS SO WORTH IT Letting BrandoSando cook is making us cosmere fans eat as good as ever!
Joining the conversation late here but your guidance to not suggest this to friends first is a good one. I think up until the announcement before Lost Metal you could give anyone any of the series and it would be a great place to start. But not anymore!
While I have read almost all Cosmere stuff, at 3ish minutes. I disagree on having to have had to read a lot of Cosmere to enjoy it. Sanderson writes very clearly, and while there are absolutely concepts that might go underexplained in the book. You can read it as your first Sanderson. It'll just be closer to reading Gardens of the Moon than your typical Sanderson book in worldbuilding experience.
What a fantastic book, I just finished reading it! Would have liked to know more about the actual planet/sun interaction though, but nonetheless I'm saying this so that CZcams can get to the "read more..." part. Could it… “Kal?” he asked into the storm. Oh my days 👌
I haven’t read this yet but when I read the synopsis on Barnes and noble site, I instantly thought that this sounded like Chronicles of Riddick that planet he was on that fried you crispy. Husband says reminded him of Dune. I can’t wait to read this book tho!
Spoiler! When he did the chasm Kata I got goosebumps. When he said "Bridge Four" after it was the first time in a long time that I started tearing up! That part was so amazing!!! I'm so stoked to see where Sigzil goes and how he gets to this point! He goes from Windrunner to Skybreaker then to Dawnshard holder. What a journey!
I'm excited to hear your review of The Will of the Many. The Licanius Trilogy has probably become my personal favorite series, and feel like Will of the Many was just as good by itself as his whole first series. Stoked for the next books.
SPOILERS . . . . . . . . The scene and corresponding artwork where Sigzil flies out of the fiery sunlight maelstrom in full shardplate with the Bridge Four symbol in the sky behind... seriously, gave me chills like the first time watching Endgame and Steve saying "Avengers, assemble!" EDIT: Skybreaker
For me, Sunlit Man is very much my favorite Secret Project. Followed by Tress, Yumi and Frugal in that order. Frugal needed more material to round out its world and characters. Tress worked the whole time for me, but I do like Sanderson's non-Hoid voice better (despite really enjoying it). I did not like the first 1/3 or more of Yumi only for it to bounce back in a real way for me (and I would bet that on re-read I would like it better). Sunlit Man just really grabbed you, and ran ran ran the rest of the way.
I would rank this book at rank 2 after Yumi (then Tress and lastly frugal) for the secret projects. I was scared that i would not enjoy the spaceship era which we will get in the future, but this book showed me that i enjoyed it a ton and i am thrilled to see how each civilization has advanced. The whole substory about the nightbridage / scandrian research team and how their technology advanced was really exciting for me. Genereally this book made me much more excited for the future. One personal thought regarding action scenes: I am a big sucker for medieval fighting style (as in meele combat sprinkled with primitive balistic weapons). And if there is a magic system supporting this, this makes it more exciting for me. While i really loved the whole Mistborn Era 2 story I enjoyed the fighting scenes way less than in Era 1. Wayne being a bit more meele-oriented made some fights really interesting for me. The whole going behind cover, peeking and shooting your opponent is just not epic for me. I am keen to see how combat scenes will develop in the future cosmere novels. Interesting combatscenes are not a dealbreaker for me, but i just noticed after mistborn era 2 and now sunlit man that actionscenes with guns are not for me while scenes with meele weapons are very exciting.
The Sunlit Man has me very curious how SA5 is going to lead into this development.... then again I can say the same thing about Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.
I really like this format of review, there is enough stuff for everyone to enjoy and form their opinions on no matter if you have read the book or not, I would enjoy more reviews like this one.😊
This format is so good due to the fact that I hugely enjoyed the jump cut between mid-way Daniel and just finished Daniel declaring it a banger. It was awesome 🎉😃
Preview of video: I like this format. I always worry that I can't start watching a review by a book I haven't read yet. I am excited and interested in this book and wanted to see the goblin lord's take on it before getting it myself Post view of video: Gawd damn, I need this book. His enthusiasm for it is infectious. Also loved the editing in the video. Side note: Boberdibot Stigadibitl fucking got me. That was funny.
Loved this review format! Also I’ve been a huge fan of these secret projects book too, and the physical books are truly special at such a reasonable price.
After listening to the preview chapters last year, this was the book that I was most highly anticipating! The fact that it goes full gear from high fantasy to high science fiction/ fantasy is what I've been waiting on as far as escalation in the cosmere! The magical systems combining with innovation to create these miraculous technologies that not only fascinating but easily understood the deeper you are into the cosmere magic system as a whole. I am so excited to see where the cosmere goes from here!
So maybe I made a mistake but I've only read a few Mistborn books (having to wait for library holds is rough) and I read Sunlit Man anyway cause I didn't know the other Cosmere books were required reading for it. None of the other books required Cosmere reading to enjoy, nor does anyone outside of reviews ever mention what other books one should read or in what order. I came to this video after I read Sunlit Man just cause I didn't want spoilers. Maybe I'll reread it after I get a chance to enjoy more Cosmere novels. Still have no idea what order to read Cosmere in, but I'm starting with Mistborn.
Dawnshard is the only stormlight story I haven’t read, would I be okay going into this? Having recently read both Secret History and Emperor’s Soul, I know how much important Cosmere info Sanderson can pack into a novella. Edit: I just saw some comments that say Dawnshard is very important for this story, so I’ll read that first. I’ve been putting it off, cause I was gonna including it in my Stormlight reread next year 😃
I would hard disagree with those comments. There is enough context surrounding the nature of nomads abilities, the nature of what gave him those abilities, and what we know about certain characters that you can absolutely understand 95% of the story without it. The other 5% you can fill in on your own because of hints in the story. Dawn shard is one you'll need to read eventually I just wouldn't say you absolutely need to read it before this one. It's like the people who say you need to read warbreaker before words of radiance or oathbringer. No you really don't unless chronology is super important to you. You can get the jist whichever way you read them though.
I also haven’t read Dawnshard yet (read everything else) and I just finished reading Sunlit Man. Contextually, you can read and follow Sunlit Man without reading Dawnshard. I wasn’t lost or anything, knowing all I do about the Cosmere. But I do agree it would have been nice to have read Dawnshard first. However that just means I plan to read it next and am more excited to read it now (when I really was in no rush to even get to it before this) with the context of this book fresh in my mind. :)
I would disagree. I think that Sunlit Man does a good enough job introducing the dawnshards. It’s kind of a sparknotes version compared to Dawnshard, but as long as you aren’t waiting for a more in depth explanation in this book I think you’ll be fine
I read it probably about a year ago and since I thought it was pretty mid I could only recall what a Dawnshard was and the Sunlit Man does give that basic information to you so you'd be fine
I've only read Mistborn (and the other three secret projects) and I certainly felt like: Oh, that's probably very much tied to Stormlight and I will need to reread this after catching up with Stormlight. But I never felt like the story did not make sense within its own frame. But at least now I have to start with Stormlight...
Honestly, I think this could be read as a standalone without prior cosmere knowledge. The the guy running from town to town helping the local people then leaving and helping out the next set of people really lends itself to this. Brandon could have fleshed a few things out like giving us a chance to it more context when he names a few Rosharan counties or more about how Scaladreans have an affinity for metal. I mean Brandon goes over things in sequels to his books like there someone's first book, he could have explained a bit more for new readers. I know this was more for the fans but it wouldn't have hurt.
I’m like 100 pages in. I hopped over to lost metal after I read lightbringer which was gas and now I’m about to round it around to this then Tress then Yumi
The references, I believe, does not comes off as nostalgia grab, like so many references in recent Marvel movies. Marvel would name-drop for the sole purpose of the viewer reacting "Hey he's in that other movie". The many references in Sunlit Man felt more, to me, like glimpsing the path our dear Nomad has gone through. Like, the mention of his former friend and captain didn't have me thinking, "oh he's the traumatized boy from the other book," but a memory and/or connection to Nomad's past. It got an emotional respons, undoubtedly from every Cosmere nut reading this. Which really made me wonder if the aforementioned captain was solely a dear memory or if Nomad had reason to believe his captain (Oh Captain) to still be alive - it made me wonder the implication, as did every mention and connection to the wider Cosmere. Sunlit Man was simply lit, even by Canticle's standards :3 I'll see myself out.
Stopping at the spoilers section, since I haven't read this yet, but it sounds incredibly fun and interesting. So I'll be back for your final thoughts when I've finished the book myself!
Also awaken metal minds are wild 2 different magic systems from different invested worlds working together in such a was as to create a intratable memory bank
I always explain the cosmere as some sort of MCU. the first story's are stand alone, but over time every thing becomes intwined. currently we are at the start of the crossovers. I just can't wait for an "the adventures" type of story were characters from a lot of worlds team up (doesn't have to be known one's though) SPOILERS for lost metal, I would hope this will have something to do with the ghostbloods with Kelsier just being really invested with gathering powerful people to help safeguard Scadriel. and after that just cross over with cross over during the space age.
I kinda loved the Princess of Mars books! *at least the first two. ERB started writing Tarzan (or had just come up with it?) when he was writing the final princess of mars book … and you can tell he was excited to finish and start the new series. Also I LOVE this book review format :)
Sunlit tops Yumi and Tress for me because the ending was done better imo. Yumi’s was satisfying but also very convoluted and unpredictable. Tress’ wasn’t satisfying for me because there were two major villains and there was like a whole act between them not to mention the blindingly obvious big reveal. This was an ending up there with the Stormlight books for me
I was bummed that Sanderson said at the end that he probably wouldn’t write a sequel. But the fact that Zellion is gonna be an important character going forward has me excited for the Cosmere era that exists at the time of the sunlit man full on space sci-fi.
I definitely agree you need to be caught up before reading this book! I've only read the first two SA books and felt lost in places, but was glad I'd read as much as I had. There's also *looks it up again* Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell that should probably be read ahead of time. I haven't read that one either, but it's referenced. And Warbreaker (which I have read) would be helpful, too.
I don't see anyone else mentioning this do maybe I'm wrong, but isn't Aux a Highspren? Sigzil mentions he swore a second set of oaths, meaning he became a Skybreaker. Which is fascinating, cause at the moment Nale and his Skybreakers are allied with Odium
I like the idea about having the lights themed for the book you're reviewing. I noticed it before you pointed it out and hoped that's what you were doing. I also enjoy the new format for the video. I read Stormlight Archive, but not Dawnshard, and Mistborn Era 1 before reading Sunlit Man, and felt like there were references I was missing. Sunlit Man gave me Mad Max vibes too. Overall for me, Tress and Yumi are great, Sunlit Man is good, the story in the drawings in the margin of Frugal Wizard is good, and Frugal Wizard is decent. I'd be interested in seeing a video recapping the Year of Sanderson and how you felt the overall value was. I did the physical books only, and while I haven't received book 4, I'm confident in saying I felt the value was worth it.
There were a couple references to Warbreaker (the origin of Breath, as in Breath Equivalent Unit), as well as couple that you would get from either Elantris or The Lost Metal. And of course the people often reference their home world of Threnody, which appears in Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hel. That one gives you a good description of what the shades are normally like
Thanks so much for the review Daniel! I've finally read Sunlit Man now, and I LOVED it! I haven't read Stormlight yet, but even with that, I was able to digest all the info, and I really look forward to finding out what it means. I think you're right, that so many of the tidbits would have a heavier importance had I read them, but it was still awesome!
Daniel, Now that Brando Sando put out The Lost Metal and the rest of the secret projects since your last sci-fi/fantasy tier list, would you put the Cosmere back in your top ten?
Since I started reading again about 5 years ago Frugal Wizards is the only book I have bought and never finished. I'm glad Sunlit Man is so much better.
Checkout Sunlit Man and support local book stores here: bookshop.org/a/89948/9781250899712
...Scadrial...Sca-dree-ale
When are you going to review The Wheel of Time Season #2 Finale?
PS, John Carter is magnificent as is Indiana Jones, the first 3 films and not the last 2.
My favorite part was, after his talk with the Cinder King, Nomad is like "aw hell yeah this guy is actually irredeemable, I wont have to feel bad about killing him"
💯
I loved how, after that same convo, Nomad is just kinda like "This guy is comically evil. Like, stereotypically evil. He's not even original. What a waste." - paraphrased. The meta commentary about the Cinder King made me laugh
The Kaladin name drop gave me goosebumps.
"And you should *never* break an oath to a Rosharan."
That gave me goosebumps!
It's so hard to be a new Sanderson fan. My first Sanderson book was the first stormlight archive when it came out (due to your recommendation). But it's IMPOSSIBLE TO CATCH UP TO SANDERSON LORE WHEN HE WRITES FASTER THEN I CAN READ
He waits for no man.
You have one year until Stormlight 5. (Plus there will probably be a Rock novella a couple months before SA5)
I started the Cosmere in January this year. Yesterday I got to the end of The sunlit man, Sanderson writes fast, but I CATCH HIM
@@gustavoalvarez9707 I assume you've read them all, I'm curious what order did you read them I'm always interested to see people starting with books that came out when I was already a fan or read Scadrial era 2 after era 1 sequentially and their reaction when they read WoR.
@@GhostEmblem I started with Elantris, then Era 1, Era 2 (secret history before the lost metal), Warbreaker, The emperor's soul, Silence, 6 of the dusk, White Sand, WoK, WoR, Tress, Edgedancer, Outhbringer, Dawnshard, RoW, Yumi and The sunlit man. I still think that WoR it's the best of the archive by far.
Regarding "Sunlit Man" being considered a ".5 Stormlight book", I think it goes even further than that. It is a ".5" *every single Cosmere book*! It has references to Warbreaker, Elantris, Mistborn 1st AND 2nd trilogy, even goddamned Shadows For Silence in the Forest of Hell, for god's sake!
Don't forget Sixth of the Dusk and Tress of the Emerald Sea! (I think aethers were mentioned, but I might be making that up.)
@@feltrix334 You are not making it up!Aethers were absolutely mentioned and I'm almost certain Sixth of Dusk was mentioned (the jungles where people hadn't invented the wheel?).
@@Bobqwt plus some of the larger politics, particularly involving Scadriel, was set up in Sixth of the Dusk.
YES YES YES YES. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!
I don’t think a potential reader of The Sunlit Man needs to read anything other than some Stormlight and maybe Shadows For Silence to understand The Sunlit Man though.
I loved the scene with Wit! Such character development and deep feelings, I love him so much
His initial reaction seeing Wit and thinking it was Kaladin made me kinda scared for Kaladin ngl.
@@KarolinaK00oh I think this book lends a lot of weight to the idea the Kal is not gonna make it out of the first Brando Sando Stormlight hunger games.
@@masonguthrie1257 I want there to be real stakes, but if he had Kaladin battle depression and suicidal thoughts for 4 books only to kill him off in the 5th book I'd find that quite cruel and Sando's not a grimdark writer is he. I could see Kaladin tragically changed somehow (Marsh or Sazed style) because of some sacrifice though.
@@KarolinaK00 I personally think people equate death with failure a bit too much when it comes to Kaladin but there is definitely a possibility that he is tragically changed as well.
@@masonguthrie1257I don't think it's in as much as death is failure as that Kaladin's arc was about learning that living is important and his life has meaning. The meta message him dying after that gives is somewhat... Disturbing. Brandon may have more cojones than me but if I was the writer i absolutely would not have the courage to kill off a char via heroic sacrifice who many people have said inspires them to keep going irl.
BOBITIBOPSKIBITIBIBLE is my favorite writer.
I know right!
Agreed I listened to him say that again and again
Nomad’s character arc through his own self loathing and trauma and then the secondary um character…arc? Of Aux was the best part of this book for me and I was not expecting the emotional impact I endured.
Same. I never liked/cared for Nomad before that much, but man… I have all the feels after this
Sounds really good, Ive been trying to get back into the cosmere ever sense my girlfriend passed away while reading Mistborn, which she was loving so much and Vin's charecter helped her through a lot.
Sorry for your loss mate ❤ hope you are feeling as good as you can atm, and dealing with the grief in a way best for you 🙏🏼
Shadows of Silence in the Forest of Hell is also I think a useful read before getting to this one.
Absolutely critical imo 💯
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I am of the opinion nearly everything needs to be read prior to this. Stormlight and Shadows are definitely the most important but without having read Warbreaker one wouldn't really understand the BEU's. Without mistborn force pushing his belt buckle would come out of nowhere. Lost Metal explains the importance of the jar of "The Dor". Elantris, and Sixth of the Dusk could probably be skipped but honestly why would you they're both fantastic!
I read shadows of silence, it barely even registered as cosmere didn't realize it was related until people online told me they were the same ghosts. So personally I disagree.
@@GhostEmblem I realized immediately they were the same ghosts and it was insanely hype to learn that the threnodites learned how to weaponize their greatest obstacles and became a strong force in the cosmere.
@@feliperodrigues5437Same! I was so excited over it and the different places in the book when they reference where they came from and what they went through to get where they are gave me goosebumps! It also made quite a few things make sense to me.
How exactly did you so smoothly pronounce that misspelling of Brando Sando at the beginning?? That was impressive
?
@@47eoghan47 What are you confused about?
@@SaidByTy I get it now like brandow sandoo
@@47eoghan47 No, they mean at the start when Daniel says "Boobadobop Stigidabiggle"
Had to rewatch the beginning multiple time just to listen him saying that 😅😂
Sort of spoilery, but out of context:
Its kind of interesting that the name given to the main character near the end won't have as much impact from people who come into the fandom later, given the buildup by the stormlight minis kickstarter.
Brandon does talk about his reasoning in the post-script if you missed it.
@Phoboskomboa i did, i cant find anything specifically about how the tease of that character had such a large effect on the fandom because it was such an unknown factor, and then it is revealed to us afterwards
@Phoboskomboa what was the reason?
@@Lakefront_Khan I don't remember too much of the specifics. But he didn't really get into the reason. Just the context. He explained how important that name was to him and why it was a big deal to give it to Sigzil, and how that indicated how important he would be in the overall story.
I believe that BS says that Zellion is a online handle that he has used for many years when gaming. He said that the name doesn't get used very much, which is why he uses it.
Having started my Sanderson journey w/ Mistborn Era 1 and then going straight to Secret Projects w/o having touched Stormlight Archive, I still enjoyed Sunlit Man immensely. Knowing that it's part of a larger developed universe/storyline actually made all of the stuff I didn't yet understand all that much more interesting and exciting. Like "man, I can't wait to learn more about that!". As soon as I finished Sunlit Man I immediately picked up Way of Kings. I think it's been a while since a book made me this excited to get my hands on more!
As someone who's never read absolutely anything Brandon Sanderson, Tress & Sunlit Man were my favorites of his secret books, and am now definitely going to be starting Way of Kings
They aren't as good. Sanderson is in over his head when he attempts vast narratives (too much overshadowing + waaaay to much prose for the amount of content + shallow characters). He's good at whimsical books for teens that run on worldbuilding but in a 900+ pages book his "one draft, one layer, let's publish" style shows its limitations. Mistborn is better.
@@francescosirotti8178 To each their own, but for me, Brandon’s Stormlight Archive has my favorite books and characters out of everything he’s published.
@@francescosirotti8178 Gotta disagree, but I love epics. Stormlight is my favorite hands down. His magnum opus
@@ZaidPhyre I would love epics, it's just that it's really hard to find one that doesn't feel bloated. Even a masterpiece like Wheel of Time suffers from it. I distinctly remember reading the end of Words of Radiance by skipping whole pages of character banter and not missing anything crucial, and by the middle of Oatbreaker just going "oh no, another Shallan chapter, I'll just skim it". With good editing the first 2 books could have been made in a much better 500-600 pages book. Not going to get into spoilers for other commentors, but for example the whole "parshendi debating" plot line was 100% pointless. I think his writing is like his world building : vast, but shallow when you think about it - mostly because he rushes books out of the door.
@@francescosirotti8178 I won't argue that there are parts that could have been cut down, especially parts of Rhythm of War. That being said the good far outweighs the bad. It's not nearly as bloated as the Wheel of Time or even a Song of Ice and Fire which I LOVE.
Yes, I agree this is a .5. I'm curious whether it will be thought of 4.5 or 5.5 depending on what happens in Stormlight 5
I thought 5.5, but clues while I was reading made me change my mind. I think it's actually 10.5.
@@DanielSClouser Yeah this definitely seems like a 10.5 thing to me.
5.5 or 10.5, prabobly more 10,5
@@DanielSClouser Does that make it Mistborn 7.25 or Mistborn X.25?
@@SauceMario this is seemingly post-Era 3 Mistborn, so definitely not a 7.5. Book 8 will take place quite a long time before this. I would say that this is probably most accurately Mistborn 10.5 (maybe 11.5 or 12.5--who knows?), but it also isn't super heavy on Mistborn stuff.
Only watched the first two parts as I am so far behind on Cosmere that I might get to this one by 2028. But really enjoyed the energy and the clear enjoyment you had for the book. Thanks, Daniel! And John Carter rocks. Even the movie. Sort of.
Glad to hear The Sunlit Man is lit
😅
I am caught up to Stormlight but I plan to read all cosmere books in publication order starting from Elantris and then mistborn era 2(already read era 1 ) , arcanum unbounded the eventually get to the secret projects. Very exciting reading road ahead
The Sunlit Man filled me with a burning desire to know more about the Night Brigade.
It also makes me wonder if Sixth of the Dusk is set in the far future of the Cosmere.
I'm still hungover from this book, help.
FINALLY someone who appreciates all the Cosmere connections. I am *so* sick of being like, "Whoa, awesome!" and then finding nothing but wet-blanket reviewers. All like, "Yes, I've read the entire Cosmere and knew exactly what was going on, but I'm gonna have to knock my rating down by *at least* 2 full stars because I would not have understood it if I had not read the Cosmere. Even though I have. And I did understand it." What exactly is the complaint? Every single book in the world carries required prerequisite knowledge--even if the only such prerequisite is that you know how to read in the language it's written in. But a book written in French does not suck because English speakers cannot read it. And neither does a Cosmere book suck because people who are not Cosmere fans can't understand it.
I think part of the problem is that you're expected to remember so much at this point in order for you to understand everything. There were several times while reading this I had to stop reading to Google to remember which planet was which, who certain characters were, how certain magics worked, when things take place timeline wise.
It's not to say the books would be better without that stuff or would be better if it held your hand through it all. But it does mean the books aren't going to connect with everyone the same way a fully standalone story might.
The Sunlit Man was a 9/10, and it was my third favorite Year of Sanderson book. I feel spoiled this year 😭
I can't believe you didn't even mention Zellion. Just for fun I went and looked at old forums discussing who this mysterious stormlight minifig character was that brandon wanted to introduce. The most popular theory was that he was this "El" guy from the "Musings of El" in RoW.
Nice. Yumis art was incredible, and hearing them explained while reading yumi in the audiobook was really fun having the hardcover with it helped lol.
Bubidibap Stidigibibble has a bright future ahead of him
My favorite of the 4 I think
You know Daniel is excited when the hand-talking takes over! 😂 the straight up intense energy made me stay for the spoiler filled parts!
Kaladin vs Kelsier is a legitimate possibility and thats so awesome!
Speaking of the secondary characters (little spoilery for this book, so see below)
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I kept expecting Thomos to resurface, and am upset he didn't-Nomad never even asked how he was doing, or if he was one of the ones who died! Yet Thomos was basically Nomad's inciting incident for starting to care, and the reason he showed his secret to the Cinder King. And, c'mon, he saved Thomos from becoming a charred!
But I loved the book.
I thought it was okay, not as strong as Yumi or Tress in my opinion
Loved aux tho
Lets fucking go right now.
Glad to see todays thumbnail is a bit toned down and not so over the top with the “CZcamsr faces” 👍🏻👍🏻
I actually can’t tell if your books are stacked behind you because you’re waiting for some shelves or if it’s a bold artistic choice. What I will say though is it actually ends up looking DOPE
it's driving me insane. he has the juniper jackets for wheel of time and there is only two books near each other so the image of the spines together is lost. I also really liked that i could always see age of madness behind him before.... that said i don't hate the new arrangement.
I really want those jackets for my wheel of time books >.
@@damp2269 Yeah that giant OF from WoT is killing me lol
I read the first third in the last few days, and then just breezed through the entire rest in a single sitting today. It's almost 7am and I haven't slept but it WAS SO WORTH IT
Letting BrandoSando cook is making us cosmere fans eat as good as ever!
Joining the conversation late here but your guidance to not suggest this to friends first is a good one. I think up until the announcement before Lost Metal you could give anyone any of the series and it would be a great place to start. But not anymore!
While I have read almost all Cosmere stuff, at 3ish minutes. I disagree on having to have had to read a lot of Cosmere to enjoy it. Sanderson writes very clearly, and while there are absolutely concepts that might go underexplained in the book. You can read it as your first Sanderson. It'll just be closer to reading Gardens of the Moon than your typical Sanderson book in worldbuilding experience.
What a fantastic book, I just finished reading it! Would have liked to know more about the actual planet/sun interaction though, but nonetheless I'm saying this so that CZcams can get to the "read more..." part.
Could it…
“Kal?” he asked into the storm.
Oh my days 👌
The way the city/ships moved reminded me of Mortal Engines movie a bit
I haven’t read this yet but when I read the synopsis on Barnes and noble site, I instantly thought that this sounded like Chronicles of Riddick that planet he was on that fried you crispy. Husband says reminded him of Dune. I can’t wait to read this book tho!
Crematoria is 100% the vibes I got from the planet, although there was of course much more to the world than just that as it always is with Sanderson.
Man the cover looks awesome and the authors name is just incredible 😂 0:03
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Really like the 3-stage review format!!
Spoiler!
When he did the chasm Kata I got goosebumps. When he said "Bridge Four" after it was the first time in a long time that I started tearing up! That part was so amazing!!! I'm so stoked to see where Sigzil goes and how he gets to this point!
He goes from Windrunner to Skybreaker then to Dawnshard holder. What a journey!
I'm excited to hear your review of The Will of the Many. The Licanius Trilogy has probably become my personal favorite series, and feel like Will of the Many was just as good by itself as his whole first series. Stoked for the next books.
SPOILERS
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The scene and corresponding artwork where Sigzil flies out of the fiery sunlight maelstrom in full shardplate with the Bridge Four symbol in the sky behind... seriously, gave me chills like the first time watching Endgame and Steve saying "Avengers, assemble!"
EDIT: Skybreaker
It's not the Bridge Four symbol, it's the Skybreaker symbol.
For me, Sunlit Man is very much my favorite Secret Project. Followed by Tress, Yumi and Frugal in that order. Frugal needed more material to round out its world and characters. Tress worked the whole time for me, but I do like Sanderson's non-Hoid voice better (despite really enjoying it). I did not like the first 1/3 or more of Yumi only for it to bounce back in a real way for me (and I would bet that on re-read I would like it better). Sunlit Man just really grabbed you, and ran ran ran the rest of the way.
I would rank this book at rank 2 after Yumi (then Tress and lastly frugal) for the secret projects.
I was scared that i would not enjoy the spaceship era which we will get in the future, but this book showed me that i enjoyed it a ton and i am thrilled to see how each civilization has advanced.
The whole substory about the nightbridage / scandrian research team and how their technology advanced was really exciting for me. Genereally this book made me much more excited for the future.
One personal thought regarding action scenes:
I am a big sucker for medieval fighting style (as in meele combat sprinkled with primitive balistic weapons). And if there is a magic system supporting this, this makes it more exciting for me.
While i really loved the whole Mistborn Era 2 story I enjoyed the fighting scenes way less than in Era 1. Wayne being a bit more meele-oriented made some fights really interesting for me. The whole going behind cover, peeking and shooting your opponent is just not epic for me.
I am keen to see how combat scenes will develop in the future cosmere novels.
Interesting combatscenes are not a dealbreaker for me, but i just noticed after mistborn era 2 and now sunlit man that actionscenes with guns are not for me while scenes with meele weapons are very exciting.
I did not enjoy Mistborn Era 2pretty much at all, and this made me hopeful I'll enjoy the space travel Mistborn Era 3 a lot more
Sunlite Man - Were the Postscript makes you cry just as much as the story itself.
Did not expect a Goblin surprise on my Sunday afternoon XD
Goblin slayer
You're European, aren't you?
The Sunlit Man has me very curious how SA5 is going to lead into this development.... then again I can say the same thing about Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.
Looking forward to reading it...
I like this review format. I haven’t read this one so I’ll watch the first two parts and come back later once I read this
I really like this format of review, there is enough stuff for everyone to enjoy and form their opinions on no matter if you have read the book or not, I would enjoy more reviews like this one.😊
This format is so good due to the fact that I hugely enjoyed the jump cut between mid-way Daniel and just finished Daniel declaring it a banger. It was awesome 🎉😃
Preview of video: I like this format. I always worry that I can't start watching a review by a book I haven't read yet. I am excited and interested in this book and wanted to see the goblin lord's take on it before getting it myself
Post view of video: Gawd damn, I need this book. His enthusiasm for it is infectious. Also loved the editing in the video.
Side note: Boberdibot Stigadibitl fucking got me. That was funny.
The creativity aside, the world building is awesome because the world itself provides a never ending conflict.
Love the review format, I always get sad that most reviews need to pick between spoilers or not, nice to have both
Loved this book, easily my favorite of the secret projects.
Love the idea of going through all the secret project art. Be looking forward to it!
Really enjoyed this book! Can’t wait to see the 17th Shard discuss it
Loved this review format! Also I’ve been a huge fan of these secret projects book too, and the physical books are truly special at such a reasonable price.
After listening to the preview chapters last year, this was the book that I was most highly anticipating!
The fact that it goes full gear from high fantasy to high science fiction/ fantasy is what I've been waiting on as far as escalation in the cosmere!
The magical systems combining with innovation to create these miraculous technologies that not only fascinating but easily understood the deeper you are into the cosmere magic system as a whole.
I am so excited to see where the cosmere goes from here!
I’m currently waiting for Sunlit Man on Hoopla. Just finished Yumi. I’m glad you picked this format so I can watch 2/3s if it.
So maybe I made a mistake but I've only read a few Mistborn books (having to wait for library holds is rough) and I read Sunlit Man anyway cause I didn't know the other Cosmere books were required reading for it. None of the other books required Cosmere reading to enjoy, nor does anyone outside of reviews ever mention what other books one should read or in what order. I came to this video after I read Sunlit Man just cause I didn't want spoilers. Maybe I'll reread it after I get a chance to enjoy more Cosmere novels. Still have no idea what order to read Cosmere in, but I'm starting with Mistborn.
Dawnshard is the only stormlight story I haven’t read, would I be okay going into this? Having recently read both Secret History and Emperor’s Soul, I know how much important Cosmere info Sanderson can pack into a novella.
Edit: I just saw some comments that say Dawnshard is very important for this story, so I’ll read that first. I’ve been putting it off, cause I was gonna including it in my Stormlight reread next year 😃
There are some common threads between the two, but you could happily read them in either order imo. Slight bias for Dawnshard first.
I would hard disagree with those comments. There is enough context surrounding the nature of nomads abilities, the nature of what gave him those abilities, and what we know about certain characters that you can absolutely understand 95% of the story without it. The other 5% you can fill in on your own because of hints in the story.
Dawn shard is one you'll need to read eventually I just wouldn't say you absolutely need to read it before this one. It's like the people who say you need to read warbreaker before words of radiance or oathbringer. No you really don't unless chronology is super important to you. You can get the jist whichever way you read them though.
I also haven’t read Dawnshard yet (read everything else) and I just finished reading Sunlit Man.
Contextually, you can read and follow Sunlit Man without reading Dawnshard. I wasn’t lost or anything, knowing all I do about the Cosmere. But I do agree it would have been nice to have read Dawnshard first.
However that just means I plan to read it next and am more excited to read it now (when I really was in no rush to even get to it before this) with the context of this book fresh in my mind. :)
I would disagree. I think that Sunlit Man does a good enough job introducing the dawnshards. It’s kind of a sparknotes version compared to Dawnshard, but as long as you aren’t waiting for a more in depth explanation in this book I think you’ll be fine
I read it probably about a year ago and since I thought it was pretty mid I could only recall what a Dawnshard was and the Sunlit Man does give that basic information to you so you'd be fine
8:12 "take some breaths" I see what you did there
I wish you didn't point out the light. I won't have known, but now I kept looking at them
well said Daniel. Love your content
I've only read Mistborn (and the other three secret projects) and I certainly felt like: Oh, that's probably very much tied to Stormlight and I will need to reread this after catching up with Stormlight. But I never felt like the story did not make sense within its own frame.
But at least now I have to start with Stormlight...
Haven't finished the video but I like the sound of the new format
That was probably my favorite way to pronounce "Brandon Sanderson"
As a person just getting into the Cosmere this type of spoiler free review is great, keep up the great work!
Honestly, I think this could be read as a standalone without prior cosmere knowledge. The the guy running from town to town helping the local people then leaving and helping out the next set of people really lends itself to this. Brandon could have fleshed a few things out like giving us a chance to it more context when he names a few Rosharan counties or more about how Scaladreans have an affinity for metal. I mean Brandon goes over things in sequels to his books like there someone's first book, he could have explained a bit more for new readers. I know this was more for the fans but it wouldn't have hurt.
I’m like 100 pages in. I hopped over to lost metal after I read lightbringer which was gas and now I’m about to round it around to this then Tress then Yumi
Wait no I'm not ready 😭 I've been putting off reading it because I'm not ready to be crushed 😭
The references, I believe, does not comes off as nostalgia grab, like so many references in recent Marvel movies. Marvel would name-drop for the sole purpose of the viewer reacting "Hey he's in that other movie".
The many references in Sunlit Man felt more, to me, like glimpsing the path our dear Nomad has gone through.
Like, the mention of his former friend and captain didn't have me thinking, "oh he's the traumatized boy from the other book," but a memory and/or connection to Nomad's past. It got an emotional respons, undoubtedly from every Cosmere nut reading this. Which really made me wonder if the aforementioned captain was solely a dear memory or if Nomad had reason to believe his captain (Oh Captain) to still be alive - it made me wonder the implication, as did every mention and connection to the wider Cosmere.
Sunlit Man was simply lit, even by Canticle's standards :3 I'll see myself out.
Stopping at the spoilers section, since I haven't read this yet, but it sounds incredibly fun and interesting. So I'll be back for your final thoughts when I've finished the book myself!
Also awaken metal minds are wild 2 different magic systems from different invested worlds working together in such a was as to create a intratable memory bank
orconomics is fenomenal
Spoiler
My favorite part that made me scream out loud was the chasm kata. Then the mutter of Bridge 4! I lost my mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always explain the cosmere as some sort of MCU. the first story's are stand alone, but over time every thing becomes intwined. currently we are at the start of the crossovers. I just can't wait for an "the adventures" type of story were characters from a lot of worlds team up (doesn't have to be known one's though) SPOILERS for lost metal, I would hope this will have something to do with the ghostbloods with Kelsier just being really invested with gathering powerful people to help safeguard Scadriel. and after that just cross over with cross over during the space age.
The description alone from this book wants me to go and a copy up. I am new to the cosmere.
Grab Tress. This is an advanced cosmere text, fortunately and unfortunately.
I kinda loved the Princess of Mars books! *at least the first two. ERB started writing Tarzan (or had just come up with it?) when he was writing the final princess of mars book … and you can tell he was excited to finish and start the new series.
Also I LOVE this book review format :)
8:15 - takes some breaths - nice.
Sunlit tops Yumi and Tress for me because the ending was done better imo. Yumi’s was satisfying but also very convoluted and unpredictable. Tress’ wasn’t satisfying for me because there were two major villains and there was like a whole act between them not to mention the blindingly obvious big reveal. This was an ending up there with the Stormlight books for me
Hi 👋 nice seeing you reviewing a book!! Happy reading to you!! 🎉
I was bummed that Sanderson said at the end that he probably wouldn’t write a sequel. But the fact that Zellion is gonna be an important character going forward has me excited for the Cosmere era that exists at the time of the sunlit man full on space sci-fi.
Yeah, this was my first Sanderson book and I feel that I missed some aspects of continuity connection. But, man, it was a good read!
I always considered The bands of Mourning the indy Jones book
I definitely agree you need to be caught up before reading this book! I've only read the first two SA books and felt lost in places, but was glad I'd read as much as I had. There's also *looks it up again* Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell that should probably be read ahead of time. I haven't read that one either, but it's referenced.
And Warbreaker (which I have read) would be helpful, too.
Boobabadop spigadabigle has been on fire 🔥
"Serious looking title card"
Daniel is, as always, killing it with the quality of his content.
I don't see anyone else mentioning this do maybe I'm wrong, but isn't Aux a Highspren? Sigzil mentions he swore a second set of oaths, meaning he became a Skybreaker. Which is fascinating, cause at the moment Nale and his Skybreakers are allied with Odium
I like the idea about having the lights themed for the book you're reviewing. I noticed it before you pointed it out and hoped that's what you were doing.
I also enjoy the new format for the video.
I read Stormlight Archive, but not Dawnshard, and Mistborn Era 1 before reading Sunlit Man, and felt like there were references I was missing. Sunlit Man gave me Mad Max vibes too.
Overall for me, Tress and Yumi are great, Sunlit Man is good, the story in the drawings in the margin of Frugal Wizard is good, and Frugal Wizard is decent.
I'd be interested in seeing a video recapping the Year of Sanderson and how you felt the overall value was. I did the physical books only, and while I haven't received book 4, I'm confident in saying I felt the value was worth it.
There were a couple references to Warbreaker (the origin of Breath, as in Breath Equivalent Unit), as well as couple that you would get from either Elantris or The Lost Metal.
And of course the people often reference their home world of Threnody, which appears in Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hel. That one gives you a good description of what the shades are normally like
Thanks so much for the review Daniel! I've finally read Sunlit Man now, and I LOVED it! I haven't read Stormlight yet, but even with that, I was able to digest all the info, and I really look forward to finding out what it means. I think you're right, that so many of the tidbits would have a heavier importance had I read them, but it was still awesome!
i still need to read rythm of war... but i'm looking forward to this. Yumi was my favorite so far
I really enjoyed the review format. I also agree with your struggle to categorize the Cosmere between sci-fi and fantasy. Haha
Always look forward to your and merphy Sando reviews of SP
Daniel, Now that Brando Sando put out The Lost Metal and the rest of the secret projects since your last sci-fi/fantasy tier list, would you put the Cosmere back in your top ten?
"I'm not that bright but I do have ideas." If that isn't relatable then I don't know what is
Bridge Four. [GOOSEBUMPS]
Since I started reading again about 5 years ago Frugal Wizards is the only book I have bought and never finished. I'm glad Sunlit Man is so much better.