The Obsessive Bookseller Reviews: “Arcanum Unbounded” by Brandon Sanderson

Book review: “Arcanum Unbounded” by Brandon Sanderson

Series: The World of Cosmere Genre: Fantasy

If you can’t tell by now, I am a huge Sanderson fan. To have all of these amazing short stories in one collection is awesome. This compilation includes everything from maps of the Cosmere to behind-the-scenes expansions for some of our favorite Sanderson works (ahem … “Mistborn”). In this review, I’ll briefly explain what I liked about each story (In ascending order by rating).

“Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania,” epsiodes 28 through 30

Okay, I’ll admit the blasphemy that I didn’t read this one. But I hear if you liked the introductions to each chapter of Mistborn Era 2, you’ll like this too. It’s very reminiscent of the golden age of radio era in the 1930s (not my thing), and I couldn’t get past the presentation long enough to appreciate the story.

“The Eleventh Metal”

This is a prequel short story for the Mistborn Trilogy, Era 1. It gives a little glimpse into how Kelsier coped after escaping the Pits of Hathsin (don’t panic if you haven’t read the series — this happens before the first book). I enjoyed it even though it didn’t add anything new to the series. Moving on.

“The Hope of Elantris”

This felt like a deleted scene from “Elantris” but has very little to do with the main story … it’s more of a tangent. I honestly don’t think it added much to my enjoyment of the world as a whole, but I did like it. Interestingly enough, my favorite part of this segment was actually the author’s note at the end explaining how the story came about. It has to do with one of his fans … way cool.

“Edgedancer”

Edgedancer was a great short story, but it’s one I think I’ll need to go back and reread once I’ve finished my reread of “Way of Kings” and “Words of Radiance.” It has been so long since I read those two that some of the references in “Edgedancer” went over my head. This is a problem because if I have holes in my memory, I wont be ready for “Oathbringer,” due out in November 2017. So I will reread all the things, then review this one again. All you need to know is that this short story might help curb your craving for “Oathbringer” and help fill in some gaps.

“White Sand”

I freaking loved this short story. What a cool culture! It presents a magic system that involves using moisture in your body to manipulate sand (a cost/reward system I found particularly clever). Its about a young man who wants to run the trails of skill but doesn’t have enough traditional magic strength to do it “properly.” I liked it so much that I immediately went out and bought the graphic novel. Honestly, even though I’d just read the short story, I was hoping for a detailed expansion of the exact same scenes in graphic novel form. Instead, it breezed past it too quickly for my tastes. With that said, if you plan on reading the graphic novel at any point, I’d highly recommend this short story first. It’s a marvelous introduction to this world and these characters.

“Sixth of Dusk”

Sanderson is known well for his epic world building (among other things), but he really outdid himself with “Sixth of Dusk.” It was an experience, to say the least. Inspired by Polynesian culture, it takes you to the ridiculously dangerous jungles of an isolated island. Everything from the beasts that prowl the island to the most minute flora and fauna was fascinating. On top of that, the character had these cool, albeit disturbing, hallucinations and premonitions of the future that help him see (and survive) the dangers around him. Even though the plot lacked a little resolution, it’s still one of the coolest short stories I’ve ever read. We all should badger him for more things set in this world (as if he doesn’t have enough to work on).

“The Emperor’s Soul”

I read this short story ages ago but apparently never wrote a review for it. It’s a well-woven tale infused with Asian culture, includes a neat magic system centered around calligraphy, and provides truly unique character exploration. It stands on a pedestal as one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever read.

“Mistborn: A Secret History”

“Mistborn: A Secret History” is definitely my favorite new read from “Arcana Unbounded” (I’d already read “Shadows for Silence” and “Emperor’s Soul”). This short story provided tons of insight to the events that took place on the periphery of Mistborn, Era 1. Sanderson offers so many layers to his storytelling! Knowing all of this extra information about what really happened completely enhanced the main trilogy. Seriously, if you read nothing else from this collection, pick this one up. You’ll want to read it before picking up the fourth Wax and Wayne novel.

“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell”

If you only read one novella from Brandon Sanderson, “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” would be my top pick (by a smidgen — they’re all awesome. And really, why would you limit yourself to just one?). It’s just one more example why Sanderson is one of my favorite authors — his novellas are every bit as good as his full-length novels. I loved this one because it had the perfect mix of characterization, setting, story, pacing, action, and resolution. It felt like a snippet out of a fully developed novel but was self-contained enough to stand complete on its own. Silence, the main character, really struck a chord with me. Her decision making during the most intense scenes of the story still has me reeling months later. I want to get into the nitty-gritty details and geek out about all of them, but I can’t discuss it to my satisfaction without spoilers. So just take my word for it — this is definitely worth reading!

Overall, “Arcanum Unbounded” is a brilliant compilation that I deem essential for any fan of Sanderson’s Cosmere. One of my favorite elements was the introduction to the planet systems within this universe and allusions to how the shards affected each one. I love how I learned about the Cosmere from this collection and look forward to discovering even more in his future works.

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