Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

The Cosmere Universe

by Brandon Sanderson

An all-new 40,000-word Stormlight Archive novella, "Edgedancer," will be the crown jewel of Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection, the first book of short fiction by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

The collection will include nine works in all. The first eight are:

“The Hope of Elantris” (Elantris)
“The Eleventh Metal” (Mistborn)
“The Emperor's Soul” (Elantris)
“Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30” (Mistborn)
“White Sand" (excerpt; Taldain)
"Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” (Threnody)
“Sixth of Dusk” (First of the Sun)
“Mistborn: Secret History” (Mistborn)

These wonderful works, originally published on Tor.com and elsewhere individually, convey the expanse of the Cosmere and tell exciting tales of adventure Sanderson fans have come to expect, including the Hugo Award-winning novella, “The Emperor's Soul” and an excerpt from the graphic novel "White Sand."

Arcanum Unbounded will also contain the Stormlight Archive novella "Edgedancer," which will appear in this book for the first time anywhere.

Finally, this collection includes essays and illustrations for the various planetary systems in which the stories are set.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult

587 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2016

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with my favorite Worldhoppers: Celeste, Haifa, Mary & Sarah!

Arcanum Unbounded is without a doubt a must read for any Sanderson’s Cosmere fans. Every book in the Cosmere has always been my comfort read, I can always count on them to spark my love for reading again and this Cosmere collection of novellas and short stories holds true to that statement, it can be defined as the apt complimentary to my comfort food.

For those of you who don’t know, The Cosmere is the name of the universe where every single Sanderson’s adult fantasy books took place in. Yes, this includes The Stormlight Archive, Mistborn Saga, Elantris, Warbreaker, etc. Although each series settings are in their own individual world, their stories actually have cameos and secrets in the background for a huge overarching story in the future. The most famous example of this is Hoid’s appearances or what I would call the Stan Lee of The Cosmere Universe. As Kelsier said, there’s always another secret and the Cosmere has always been full of them. To provide some answers to those secrets is the purpose of Arcanum Unbounded.

Arcanum Unbounded endpapers (The Cosmere Solar System)



For the aesthetic factors, not only Arcanum Unbounded is probably one of the most gorgeous hardcovers I ever saw, every single novella begins with unique star maps for each System and an illustration that depicted an event in the respective story. Here’s one of the star map for example:

The Scadrian System (Mistborn saga)



Of course, those aesthetic factors means nothing if the content is unworthy of it. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about that, almost every novella in this anthology is a solid read. Each System is prefaced by an informational annotation from Khriss, the author of the Ars Arcanum. She’s the one who wrote the appendix section at the end of Elantris 10th anniversary edition, Mistborn saga, Warbreaker and The Stormlight Archive that provide details on each magic system in their respective world. Plus, all novellas ended with a beautiful (some inspirational) and important postscript by Brandon Sanderson himself.

Here’s my rating for the content of each novella:

The Emperor’s Soul = 5/5 Stars

The Hope of Elantris = 3/5 Stars

The Eleventh Metal = 3.5/5 Stars

Allomancer Jak & The Pits of Eltania = 2.5/5 Stars

Mistborn: Secret History = 4/5 Stars

White Sand = 3.5/5 Stars (Volume 1 edition since this book contained only 1 chapter & excerpts preview)

Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell = 3.5/5 Stars

Sixth of the Dusk = 3.5/5 Stars

And finally, the most anticipated novella in this collection

Edgedancer = 4/5 Stars

Although I rated most of the novellas inside here 3.5/5 stars, The Emperor’s Soul, Mistborn: Secret History and Edgedancer in a single book are more than enough to give this anthology a 4 stars rating. They’re amazing and they make up for around 400 pages (60%) of this book. The other novellas are pretty much sweet bonuses, while not amazing, they’re really good for a short read and the prefaces from each System provide important insights to the Cosmere.

Looking at the big picture of the Cosmere universe, we all know one day, it will eventually lead to full crossovers between all worlds in the future, it’s still a long way but it’s time to start getting into something that only the best of authors could envision. With Arcanum Unbounded finished, I finally caught up to the entire available Cosmere works, that’s 10 books, 1 graphic novels & 1 anthology (8 Novellas) read and now I’m more than ready to welcome my most anticipated book of the year, Oathbringer.

I absolutely recommend Arcanum Unbounded exclusively to everyone’s who caught up with Sanderson’s main books in the Cosmere already. Although you can actually read most of the novellas individually, you’re going to miss a lot of cameos and great experiences if you haven’t caught up to the entire available main stories yet. Well, what are you waiting for? Start reading them, they’re all worth it!

You can also find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at Booknest

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first thought after reading Brandon Sanderson’s Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection was that it was lots of fun!! I had initially been a little leery about how this collection was repackaging some older stories, but as soon as I began rereading The Emperor’s Soul, I was hooked. What I enjoyed most was the new sense of connection to all of Sanderson’s worlds that the stories and commentary provided. If you haven’t previously read Sanderson’s work, though, I wouldn’t start here. I enjoyed hearing more about Kelsier and the Mistborn milieu, but, even though one of the tales is a prequel, I’d still begin my Mistborn adventures with The Final Empire. Finally, Edgedancer was great! I’m looking forward to more of Lift and Wyndle in The Stormlight Archive!

[Luna. ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

BEST.BOOK.EVER.


Cosmere Solar System

It was so fabulous. That I died. This review was written from my grave. I swear I say this with every Sanderson book, but this one was actually incredible. I originally was given this book as a gift, the person who brought it for me brought the UK edition. Don't get me wrong I'm not usually this mean or selfish but I asked the person to return it and get the Tor hardcover instead... I know I'm a terrible person. But I just needed the addition with the illustrations, the person agreed (oops) and I got my wish. I'm so glad I'm a mean person because the Tor hardcover is honestly a lovely edition to any book shelf and I'm so grateful to own such a piece of treasure. Honestly one of my favourite owned books because of the cover and content. I love everything about it, like it couldn't be anymore PERFECT. It's so wonderfully glorious, that everyone should feel honoured for its existence. I'm an pernickety book hoarder and i like reading my hardcovers with the dust cover off and upon taking the dust cover off this book, my mouth gaped. It is so freaking beautiful! The pattern carved into the front is so goddamn gorgeous and I even gaped at the title on the spine. I know I'm a freak, but I stroked the front of the cover for like an hour. Everytime I picked it up to put the dust cover back on I needed one last touch. Even thinking about stroking it makes me want to stroke it. Oh and it smelt like heaven. I may or may not have cried tears of love at a few of the illustrations. Sanderson is a God and he is the God, I worship. I'm changing my religion to BS. I'm not even sorry for talking incoherent shit because this book is worthy of all admiration.

This book is an anthology of short stories in The Cosmere. I highly suggest reading Mistborn 1-6, Elantris & Stormlight Archive 1-2 before starting this book. Some of the novellas are continuations of the above series, so you must read this book last. This book was like a gift that just kept giving. Every story had a new secret. And in the edition I own of this novel at the start of every chapter there is an illustration for the story.
Sixth of Dusk

I loved this book... Just incase you needed to hear it again. One thing I just can't get over is Sanderson writing, like it is NEXT LEVEL GREATNESS. Every little thing in the plot has meaning and it's mind blowing good. I can't flail my arms and fangirl enough over it. I have done reviews for all the short stories within this anthology and you can find them here;
Emperors Soul
The Eleventh Metal
Allomancer Jak and The Pits of Eltania
Mistborn Secret History
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
Sixth of Dusk
Edgedancer

I must say I loved all novellas but definitely had four favourites; Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, Emperors Soul, Mistborn Secret History and my favourite was definitely Edgedancer. I love anything set in Rosher, so this book was like a special treat for a starving fan before Oathbringers release in Nov 2017. I suggest reading this novel before Oathbringer as it is pretty much a continuation of Words of Radiance, only from Lifts POV.

Note: there is also two other novellas including Hope of Elantris & a Whitesand Excerpt (Brandon's graphic novel). I haven't written a review for either, however I will say I loved the Whitesand excerpt and I am definitely rushing out to purchase the graphic novel.

Recommended to all Sanderson Cosmere fans.

This was a Buddy read with my children who are also voidbringersWhorefart , Dewi , Breadstick, Wifey & My brother from another mother.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandon Sanderson is more cannon than man. He fires out more works than any other author of fantasy. Not only does he write an awe inspiring amount of novels, but he also writes various short fictions that go alongside them. And in here, for the first time, all the major ones are collected together.

There is new material too. 'Edgedancer' has never been published before. It's the fastest short story in here, with its food obsessed heroine, despite it being one of the longest. Lift is a clever little rogue, and quickly gets into many scrapes as she plays with her magic. She is a character I think we'll be seeing much more of in the future. Of particular note for myself was 'Mistborn: A Secret History.' This has only been available previously on kindle format. It is such an incredibly clever resurrection of storytelling. The Mistborn trilogy is driven by mysterious powers; it's not until the end that we were given the full facts. Or were we? In this Sanderson reveals more of what happened beyond the mists.

If that was not enough reason to praise this collection, there's also the first issue of a comic called 'White Sand' in the middle. After I read the Reckoners series a few years back, I knew his writing would be perfect in this form. It just carries with it such flair and style. The issue is adapted from the first novel he ever wrote, one that remains unpublished. But that doesn't overly matter. In these first few pages is enough material to launch an entire series, one I'd gladly read.

I've read many of Sanderson's works, though not each and every last one. So I was very impressed to find spoiler warnings at the start of each story informing me of what series or book plots were exposed. I read them anyway, but I know some readers will be grateful for such warnings. Before this was also a preface, situating the story in relation to the rest of the cosmere. At the end of each was a postscript explaining the process behind the work along with hints for the future. I feel like I've just gone on a guided tour across Sanderson's universe and it was, certainly, a very good trip. I'm likely to go again sometime.

The collection showcases much of what the author does best though, as a returning reader, I already have a working knowledge of his world building. The stories I enjoyed the most were those that depicted characters I'd already read about. Readers who have never picked up a Sanderson book before will miss much of the subtlety and complexity of the situations. They have so many layers, and are always constantly expanding. You'd get more out of this if you read a few of his other books first. I would suggest starting with the Mistborn trilogy before moving on to other works.

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS is what you get when the author is not just skilled, imaginative, fun, socially cognizant and logical but a also perfectionist when it comes to keeping things organized: unlike every other series out there, Sanderson has gone that extra step to compile a thoughtful, systematic, and a very thorough collection of novellas to fill every nook and cranny between all major installments.

However, calling this a compilation of ‘novellas’ is not actually accurate, for, there are more than a few of those here which could be considered to be complete books by most readers’ standards, including Emperor’s Soul and Sixth of Dusk.

One of the unexpected benefits of Arcanum Unbounded was, at least for me, the clarity this brought to the overall arrangement of Cosmere. When we get in too deep with a single series, we tend to lose track of where we are and what else is there in the present system. Since this collection is categorized by different star systems, it gives us constant reminders as to what else is out there and what to expect in future.

Considering the non-trivial nature of most of the contents here, I strongly recommend any who are looking forward to getting into Cosmere to grab a copy of this in advance. You’ll save yourself a lot of confusion down the line,

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was pretty emotional.

It has taken me forever (almost exactly 1 year) to finish up my reading of Arcanum Unbounded! But hey, that's what happens when you want to read everything in order.

Instead of a huge review I thought I would say a little piece about each story & provide an individual rating for each!

The Emperor's Soul - ★★★★★

See my full review of this one here, as I read it last year!

The Hope of Elantris - ★★★

This is a cute short story featuring a behind the scenes moment during the climax of Elantris. I didn't mind the story, but I absolutely loved Sanderson's inspiration behind it. The Postscript was definitely what made this one stand out for me.

The Eleventh Metal - ★★★½

This story gives us a bit of background into Kelsier's initial training in Allomancy. Again, not a bad story for what it is but it's more of a foundational piece than a stand alone piece. I adore any glimpses of Kelsier that Sanderson will grace me with, though, so I'm not complaining!

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Elantria, Episodes Twenty-Eight Through Thirty - ★

As you may be able to tell by this ridiculous title, this tale is completely unnecesary. It doesn't add anything to my experience of Mistborn Era 2, and the only thing that made it readable was the humor present in the many (many, many, etc.) footnotes.

But it turns out I actually hate reading footnotes because it strains my eyes and breaks my concentration a ton. So yea, I could've done without this story.

Mistborn: Secret History - ★★★★★

WOW. THE TEARS. SO MANY TEARS. Ya'll I cried my little heart out reading this.

THIS is how you do a novella in conjunction with a completed series. This was a masterful & heartbreaking & glorious addition to Mistborn Era 1 all wrapped up beautifully in 168 pages. This is a story that I needed to read, and is definitely one of the most emotional experiences I've had with a book in a long, long time.

White Sand - ★★★

So my favorite part of this story was the magic system, which revolved around a person's innate ability to manipulate energy within sand. Once again, a little shorter than I like even my short stories to be, so I struggled connecting to it.

This was printed as an excerpt from a graphic novelization & followed by a written version of the same tale. I have to say, while the graphic novel was neat to see, I enjoyed the story more in written form. I would love to see more come out of this System for sure!

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell - ★★★★

This was one of my favorite stories from this collection! I found the characters & the world super intriguing, especially since we see an alternative type of metal use in this System than what we are used to seeing on Scadrial! Badass females, a terrifying planet, & some incredibly gruesome ways to die. I really loved it!

Sixth of the Dusk - ★★★ ½

This is an odd story. I definitely enjoyed it, and I'm hoping very much that another future story will add to this one. The mechanics of the magic on this planet are fascinating but the story ended in a way that didn't satisfy me.

I honestly think this story would've been served better in a full-length book rather than a novella, but overall a worthwhile read!

Edgedancer - ★★

So... *looks away* I really didn't enjoy this story which is a real shame, I know. I just? Lift is literally one of the most annoying characters in this series & while I understand this may be for purpose of giving her space to grow it doesn't change how unenjoyable she is in this moment of her development.

The snarky attitude & cutesy humor was just too much for me. Lift is 13, and so it makes sense that the tone of the narrative would reflect that. But I seemed to notice a bit of lack in the usual writing skill I've come to expect from Sanderson. Phrases & words repeated at awkward intervals & choppy dialogue.

Really, the only thing good about this novella for me was a return to Roshar & a bit of expansion on the background happenings of the main series.

Overall, this is a solid bind up of Cosmere stories that any fan of the series will absolutely want to get their hands on!

Buddy read with some of my Sanderson-loving besties: Celeste, Sarah, Petrik, Haïfa, and Tweebie!

[Bookwraiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection is Brandon Sanderson’s first short story collection. Yes, it does an amazing job collecting every previously released Cosmere story in one beautifully illustrated volume, but this collection is more than merely a convenient compilation: It is a mesmerizing study of the Cosmere Universe itself.

What is the Cosmere Universe, you ask? Well, Brandon Sanderson has always asserted his plans to unite all his adult fantasy books into one overarching story. Each “Shardworld” portrayed in his stories as part of a group of planets bound together by a shared creation. Hints and expositions of the true nature of the cosmere subtly inserted into the individual books until they eventually burst to the forefront in later stories. But this underlying theme has never been fully explored until now.

In Arcanum Unbounded, the cosmere is the focus. Every story is organized based upon its Shardworld. There are essays and illustrations on how magic works in each one, written by Khriss, the author of the Ars Arcanum in Mr. Sanderson’s books. Much of this information is new, never having been discussed or espoused exactly this way before. So for fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe, this book is more than a story collection, but rather a wealth of tantalizing tidbits which will feed their theories of Cosmere for years to come.

For those who are merely interested in the stories themselves, have no fear, because each and every one of them are amazing. They run the gamut of Brandon Sanderson’s amazing creative mind, filled with old familiar characters and introducing new faces, as well as adding further details to the worlds they inhabit.

Mistborn gets the most love here and had my favorite stories from the collection: The Eleventh Metal and Mistborn: Secret History. The former was an interesting prequel tale, which showed me a different side of Kelsier’s difficult past, and the later brings us back to Kelsier, following the events of the first Mistborn novel. Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania rounded out this trio with its homage to pulp fiction.

Next up with two entries is the World of Elantris. The Emperor’s Soul is a great standalone novella, and the fact that it’s set in the same world as Elantris gave it a little more meaning for me personally. The Hope of Elantris was fairly short, but did give a lot of background information regarding characters from Elantris itself.

White Sand was a unique look at both the graphic novel and written version of this story. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell was a dark standalone story, set in a haunted forest and centered on revenge, much more serious and gloomy than most Sanderson faire. Sixth of the Dusk was an interesting piece dealing with the struggles of a people as they deal with the societal stresses of an industrial revolution-like change in their land.

Edgedancer seems to be the novella most people desperately wish to read however, which is easy to understand considering it comes from the ongoing Stormlight Archive. And for fans of the series, they will not be disappointed, as the magic of the world is spotlighted, as well as Sanderson doing his usual great job of characterization, weaving sadness and humor into this story of Lift.

Overall, Arcanum Unbounded is a great collection, which is definitely a must read for long-time Sanderson fans and would be thoroughly enjoyed by new readers (though I would encourage them not to read Mistborn: Secret History and The Hope of Elantris until after enjoying the novels themselves.) Filled with great stories, amazing illustrations, prefaces by Khriss, and with postscripts by the author himself, this is a story collection not to be missed.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:

This gorgeous, nearly 700 page book takes nine short stories and novellas from Brandon Sanderson‘s COSMERE universe, and giftwraps them with hand-drawn maps of six different solar systems in the Cosmere, pen-and-ink illustrations, and enlightening comments from Sanderson on the history and characteristics of each planet, and how they all tie together. Each system and world is unique in its physical features, societies, plant and animal life, and magic.

Long ago in the Cosmere, Adonalsium, a god or power of creation, was shattered into sixteen shards, whose power was assumed by sixteen individuals. Each shard is named after a particular trait, such as Preservation, Ruin, Ambition, Devotion, Honor, and so on, and they contribute to, if not cause, the magic on each system and world in it. The people who hold the power of a Shard are effectively gods, but they can (with difficulty) be destroyed and the Shard’s power assumed by a new person.

The different solar systems, and the stories set in these systems:

The Selish System (Elantris): The planet Sel originally attracted two Shards of Adonalsium, Dominion and Devotion, but they were destroyed long ago and their powers now permeate the lands of Sel, powering the many types of magic on that planet, which are highly connected to physical locations and to language.

The Emperor’s Soul: This novella, like Elantris, is set on the world Sel, but its connection to the novel is only incidental: the events here take place in a different country on Sel. Wan ShaiLu, a magical Forger with a capital F, is captured while stealing a priceless scepter from the emperor’s palace and replacing it with one of her own magical Forgeries, created using a stamp system. She’s put under sentence of death for her crimes of forgery and theft, considered an abomination because she also Forges people, temporarily changing a person’s looks, personality and skills. But Shai is given an opportunity to escape her sentence: Emperor Ashravan was attacked by an assassin, who killed the empress and severely injured the emperor. His body has been repaired by healers, but he has complete and irreparable brain damage. Shan is charged with magically forging a new soul for the kingdom’s assassinated emperor, matching as closely as possible the emperor’s actual mind and personality. She is given only a hundred days to accomplish this near-impossible task. And there are those waiting to kill her if she makes a wrong step, or to try to subvert her task for their own selfish purposes.

The Emperor’s Soul won a well-deserved Hugo Award for best novella in 2013. It’s a fantastic and enchanting story, combining two intriguing central characters and an imaginative, intricate magical system based on Chinese-type stamps. These stamps can change the nature of an object or a person, but the change will take only if the Forger finds and respects the connection between the nature of the original and the new aspect that the stamp is imposing.

There are some fascinating touches that add depth to the story. When Shai needs a break from figuring out how to Forge a new soul for the emperor, she uses her Forging talents to turn her grim prison room into a lovely chamber, including a cracked glass window:

Attempts to Forge the window to a better version of itself had repeatedly failed; each time, after five minutes or so, the window had reverted to its cracked, gap-sided self.

Then Shai had found a bit of colored glass rammed into one side of the frame. The window, she realized, had once been a stained glass piece. It had been broken [and] rather than repairing it as it had been meant to be, someone had put ordinary glass in the window and left it to crack. A stamp from Shai in the bottom right corner had restored the window, rewriting its history so that a caring master craftsman had discovered the fallen window and remade it. That seal had taken immediately. Even after all this time, the window had seen itself as something beautiful.

Or maybe she was just getting romantic again.

The Emperor’s Soul has some thought-provoking insights into the nature of art, how individuals’ desires and actions form their souls, and how people can permanently affect each other. Brandon Sanderson packed a marvelously imaginative story in the pages of this novella. I would have loved to have read more about Wan ShaiLu’s escapades, but this novella feels perfect at its length, complete and fully realized. I found The Emperor’s Soul enormously appealing; it may be my favorite Sanderson work so far. This one is an easy 5 stars for me (I’m much more enthusiastic about this novella than the other four reviewers who have reviewed it on Fantasy Literature).

“The Hope of Elantris”: This short story is set near the end of the events described in Sanderson’s novel Elantris, showing a key battle in the city of Elantris from the point of view of a minor character in the novel, Matisse, a girl who is charged with taking care of the children in Elantris. When soldiers attack, Matisse scrambles to protect them as best she can.

Like several of the other works in this collection, “The Hope of Elantris” hinges on one of Sanderson’s previously published novels, and contains major spoilers for events in the novel. More, it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to fully understand and appreciate the short work in this book without having read the related novel. “The Hope of Elantris” is in the nature of a bonus extra scene that sheds some light on the events that took place in the novel, rather than a fully realized story in itself. I’d recommend reading it while the details of the characters and plot of Elantris are reasonably fresh in your mind; personally, it’s been a few years since I read the novel, and I struggled a bit with trying to remember details about this world, like what seons are and why they’re important.

The Scadrian System (Mistborn): The planet Scadrial has repeatedly suffered cataclysmic events in its history. It was created by the Shards Ruin and Preservation, who have been in conflict ever since. Perhaps more than any other planet in the Cosmere, on Scadrial humans can gain access to vast amounts of magical power. The different types of magic on this planet ― Allomancy, Feruchemy and Hemalurgy ― show Sanderson’s power of creativity with respect to complex magical systems at its height.

“The Eleventh Metal”: This short story is a prequel to the MISTBORN series, showing Kelsier just coming into his powers as a Mistborn, one who can swallow flakes and bits of various metals and burn them at will to give himself brief bursts of magical powers, with different powers corresponding to different metals. Kelsier is being trained to use his Mistborn powers by Gemmel, an aging, unkempt man who seems to have a total disregard for whether Kelsier survives his training or not. As Sanderson mentions in the postscript, this story was originally written as a sweetener for fans who bought the Mistborn Adventure Game pen-and-paper role-playing game. It’s a good introduction to the MISTBORN world for newcomers, and a reasonably interesting story about Kelsier’s life for those already familiar with the series.

“Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes Twenty-Eight Through Thirty”: A tongue-in-cheek retelling of one of the many adventures of Jak, an intrepid explorer of dangerous lands and places. Jak narrates and publishes his adventures in local newspapers and periodicals for the fans of his sensationalized escapades; his dour Terris steward Handerwym edits Jak’s writings and makes snide remarks in footnotes. After a battle with a koloss, one of the monstrous beings on the planet Scadrial, Jak awakes to finds himself imprisoned in a remote, inaccessible cavern. But escape from the cavern only leads him into further danger. And what have the koloss done with Jak’s beloved, the fair Elizandra? Sanderson affectionately mimics the old pulp stories with this Allomancer Jak tale. It’s a slight but amusing piece, particularly Handerwym’s annotations, and reveals some secrets about the koloss for MISTBORN fans.

Mistborn: Secret History is a novella that is closely tied to the original MISTBORN trilogy, and contains major spoilers for that trilogy, and in any case would not, in my opinion, be particularly interesting for those who haven’t read at least part of that trilogy. Mistborn: Secret History begins near the end of the first book in that series, The Final Empire, and follows a particular character’s adventures in parallel with the events of the remaining two books in the trilogy. This novella, like the character’s experiences, dragged in places, but the pacing and interest level improved for me as the story continued.

The Taldain System: The planet Taldain is tidally locked between two stars in a binary system, a weak white dwarf and a blue-white supergiant. Darkside, the half of Taldain that faces the dwarf star, is in a constant twilight state, with many luminescent plants and animals. The other half, Dayside, is primarily a great sandy desert, with most plants and animals living below the surface of the earth. The Shard Autonomy gives Taldain its magic.

“White Sand” is a draft of a novel Sanderson wrote in the 1990s, but never published as such. It’s now being published as a graphic novel, and this collection includes an excerpt from both the graphic novel and the 1999 draft, covering the same scenes in the life of Kenton, one of the inhabitants of Dayside. In Kenton’s society, those with the power to magically command sand are called sand masters. As the story begins, the mastrells, those who have the highest level of ability, are testing boys for their magical ability with sand. Those with power are permitted to join the Diem, to be trained as sand masters. Kenton, youngest son of the Lord Mastrell, barely has enough ability to join the Diem. His insistence on doing so sets him at odds with his father. But as Kenton grows older, he faces his father and other challenges head on, learning to use finesse to offset his lack of magical power. The scene culminates in a magical test for Kenton, a type of obstacle course where the object is to find and collect five small red sandstone spheres within a set time period. The artwork in the graphic version of this story was attention-grabbing, but I enjoyed the more detailed written version of this story more. Hopefully Sanderson will polish it and turn it into a novel someday. I agree with Bill's point that this story reads more young and simple than Sanderson’s other work in this collection, but as a (presumably) coming of age story, the young adult approach makes sense to me.

The Threnodite System: The Threnodite system was warped long ago by a conflict between the Shards Odium and Ambition, and the entire system has been affected by the resulting ripples of destruction and change. The smaller of Threnody’s two continents is a frontier, with vast unexplored areas. People on Threnody also often become a destructive ghost or shade upon death (Sanderson explains this as a result of excess magical Investiture).

“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell”: Madam Silence is the widowed owner of a waystop, on the edge of the Forests where shades lie in wait. She runs the inn and tavern with the help of her fourteen year old daughter, William Ann. Silence is secretly a bounty hunter who stealthily hunts down criminals for the bounties on their heads, needing the money to keep her inn and her independence. When she spots a particularly dangerous criminal and four of his men in her waystop, she embarks on a risky plan to try to defeat them and collect the valuable bounties on their heads. Doing so means she will have to enter the Forests to follow them ― and William Ann refuses to let Silence go alone. The lurking shades will kill people who fail to assiduously follow certain Simple Rules: Don’t kindle flame. Don’t shed the blood of another. Don’t run at night.

One of the most compelling stories in this collection, “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” has the magical creativity that marks the best of Sanderson’s work, along with a particularly suspenseful plot. I’m with Bill in considering this tale and The Emperor’s Soul the best stories in this collection.

The Drominad System: The Drominad system has three planets with human societies and water as a dominant feature. There are no Shards currently residing in this system, but there is magic nonetheless, through the existence of what Sanderson calls a “perpendicularity.”

“Sixth of the Dusk”: Sixth of the Dusk, or “Dusk,” is an old-fashioned trapper on his world, where his Polynesian type of culture conflicts with the more advanced society on the mainland. Dusk travels with two Aviar, which are birds endowed with different magical talents that help to protect Dusk from the numerous deadly dangers on the islands and in the waters that surround them. Trappers are loners who cling to their traditions, but when Dusk runs into a lone woman on the island of Patji where Dusk traps, the magic of one of his birds makes it clear to him that he needs to work with Vathi to save their world from a grave danger.

This story is also among my favorites, with several thoughtful layers of intriguing conflicts ― between the humans and the natural dangers of their world, between Dusk and the more civilized people from the mainland, and between the people of this world and the offworlders from other stars who wish to trade with them. Once again, Sanderson’s trademark creativity with magical systems adds greatly to this story. I particularly liked the unique powers of his bird Sak, which gives Dusk highly realistic visions of his own dead body to warn him of dangers that will kill him if he doesn’t take care.

The Rosharan System (Stormlight): The Rosharan system, with three habitable planets and ten gas giants, has an ecosystem that includes self-aware Splinters called spren, which can bond with humans. Life on the planet Roshar has been shaped by the spren and by the planet’s many massive, magically Invested storms.

Edgedancer, a 230-page novella in the STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE series first published in Arcanum Unbounded, takes place after the second book in that series, Words of Radiance, and contains spoilers for that novel. Edgedancer follows the adventures of Lift, a young teenage girl with a magical power that she calls “awesome” (in more ways than one). Turning on the awesome enables Lift to make her body frictionless, gracefully (or not) sliding quickly over the surface of the planet, as well as other magical powers, though it uses a lot of energy. As the story begins, Lift is leaving the city of Azimir to go to Yeddaw, reluctantly accompanied by her spren Wyndle, where she plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a man she calls Darkness.

I took a chance on Edgedancer, since I haven’t read the STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE novels yet. I could tell I was missing out on a lot of background, but Edgedancer still worked reasonably well as a stand-alone read. Lift is a rather frustrating character, often stubborn and childish, with the street-smart behavior and attitudes of an orphaned waif, but she’s also courageous and intelligent.

As a group I would probably rate the stories in this volume as four stars average, but the impact of all of the bonus information and materials, including the strikingly illustrated end papers, the solar system maps, and the explanatory introductions and postscripts from Sanderson, impel me to bump this up to 4.5 stars. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Arcanum Unbounded is absolutely a must-have for any Sanderson fan.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

[TS Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: I should have mentioned this earlier but clearly I was so smitten by this book that it left me with half-a-brain functioning (the other half was probably floating around the Cosmere). I always find that a well-written postscript by an author truly elevates the reader's appreciation of the story. This happened to me for Elantris when I read the Postscript which was an addition to the 10th Anniversary Edition. In this precious collection, Sanderson wrote one for each and every story!! As if I don't love this book enough, that just floored me completely.

----------------------------------
There was absolutely no doubt that I will give this an all-the-stars rating and a spot on my favourites shelf. Just the Cosmere constellation end-paper, star charts and the brilliant solar system essays alone will earn such ravings from me. To cap it all off, I finally found what I needed to grace the walls of my geek sanctuary at home.





I've read almost all the published novellas/shorts in this collection. The following are firsts for me:
- The Hope of Elantris
- The Eleventh Metal
- Allomancer Jak and The Pits of Eltania
- White Sand
- Edgedancer (cos it's NEW!)

Amongst those which I've read before, The Emperor's Soul and Secret History were already on my favourites shelf. For Shadows of Silence in the Forests of Hell and Sixth of the Dusk, both earned 4-stars for the enjoyment that I never failed to obtain from reading anything written by Sanderson. However, this time around with the solar system essays, the experience was heightened as the knowledge of the system/world in which the story resides gives rise to a (slightly) better understanding and more burning curiosity.

The rest of the other stories (except Edgedancer) ranged between 3 to 4 stars, with The Hope of Elantris and The Eleventh Metal book-ending the range of ratings. The excerpt for White Sand (i.e. just the first two chapters) was intriguing. I really love how Sanderson puts his characters through trials by not giving them an easy way out by being overpowered or having them being affected by certain 'disorders' (for eg. depression).

Edgedancer - the most anticipated novella release of the year simply because fans were starving for anything new on The Stormlight Archive. The story picked up after the events at the end of Words of Radiance (so don't read it until you've finished WoR!). In just 40,000 words, Sanderson masterly expanded on the world of Roshar and the character of Lift and Wyndle, her spren. Wyndle was just as lovable as Pattern and Syl (Kate Reading narrated him perfectly!). Lift was still awesome but immature (almost annoyingly so sometimes), but the events in this story forced her to grow up a bit. Even then Lift will always be Lift A ShardFork!! Only she can think of that.. because food! For this novella, nothing less than 5-stars (come on, it's Stormlight - DUH!)

November 2017 just can't arrive soon enough.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...“All things exist in three Realms, Gaotona. Physical, Cognitive, Spiritual. The Physical is what we feel, what is before us. The Cognitive is how an object is viewed and how it views itself. The Spiritual Realm contains an object’s soul—its essence—as well as the ways it is connected to the things and people around it.” ..."

This is a collection of stories from the Cosmere Universe, the creation of Brandon Sanderson, which together or in parts has swept the Fantasy Genre Fandom and has created a following not unlike that of many of the old Fantasy Classics. I have read many of the works in this collection, but having them gathered together like this is a treat for the reader. For those who are not familiar with this author or the worlds he writes about, the Cosmere Universe consists of many worlds, all of them somewhat touched by magic and all the magic systems are different in some way, depending on the predominant sphere of influence that exists on the planet. All the many Magic systems seem to be written with one leading principle Sanderson employees : “Magic works best for me when it aligns with scientific principles.” I believe all of them are marvelous and intimidating all in same measures.

*** 5 ***

The first story is "The Emperor's Soul " from the World of Elantris and is about a master craftsmen forger, Shai, who can meticulously copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic, knowledge and will. The concept is that an object can be "persuaded" do believe ti is different to the point that it changes itself and could even become something completely different. However, that something has to be believable to begin with, only then would the forgery stick and persist. I loved the idea that the world depends on how we perceive it and what our vision and belief can do to the reality we live in, choosing to make it better or worse.

"...“People", Shai said, rising to fetch another seal, "by nature attempt to exercise power over what is around them. We build walls to shelter us from the wind, roofs to stop the rain. We tame the elements, bend nature to our wills. It make us feel as if we're in control. Except in doing so, we merely replace one influence with another. Instead of the wind affecting us, it is a wall. A man-made wall. The fingers of man's influence are all about, touching everything. Man-made rugs, man-made food. Every single thing in the city that we touch, see, feel, experience comes as the result of some person's influence.” ..."

This story packed a whole lot of emotion and thought in a very short space. A delight to the more cognitive-oriented reader. On to the next one ( will update this as I go... )


*** 3 ***

The second story, a very, very short 25 page one, is also from the World of Elantris and is called "The Hope of Elantris". It has some spoilers for the Elantris main book, but it is almost impossible to read and understand outside of the book's context. The main character is Matisse, who is charged with taking care of the children in the City of New Elantris while they are under siege. Nothing much new, just a slice of someone's life at that time. Not essential to the overall arc. Just a question for Ashe: ""Where were you during those last hours before Elantris was restored?" Raoden asked. "I don't remember anything of you for most of the night."


*** 4 ***

"The Eleventh Metal" is the third short story in the collection. It could be considered as a prequel short to the Mistborn original trilogy and is all about Kelsier and the moment he decided what to dedicate the rest of his life to. Although it is very short and might not be impactful outside of the Series, once you are familiar with the Mistborn books, this little short is a very telling and somewhat emotional moment of Kesier's life and what makes him the guy we all learn to like and trust.

"... “Glass broke and metal tools clattered to the ground.
“Have you any idea what all of that is worth?” Shezler growled, lowering his arm and advancing.
“Your soul, apparently,” Kelsier whispered.” ..."

Definitly a recommended read for all those who have read or plan on reading Mistborn!


*** 4 ***

The forth short story was written for a RPG game. “Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30” (Mistborn)" is completely over the top and I had a smile on my face throughout the whole time reading it! Loved it and although it is just a fun short having to do with the later Mistborn books, I would recommend it not for its content, but for the obvious fun B. Sanderson had writing it for us. Enjoyed every second of it!


*** 4.75 ***

The fifth work in this book is “Mistborn: Secret History” and we are once again in a pivotal moment for the Mistborn Original Trilogy... I would not recommend to read it if you have not read the first three books already, or if you have not, but plan on reading them... It would spoil the series for you, so don't do it!

"... “Oh, hell,” Kelsier said. “There’s actually a God?”
“Yes.”
Kelsier decked him.
It was a good, clean punch, thrown from the shoulder while he brought his other arm up to block a counter strike.” ..."

This was a very poignant and very telling story of the spirit of the original Mistborn Trilogy. It is told from the POV of Kelsier and I would not want to say anything about it, except that it is very much Kelsier and his stubborn refusal to do what is expected of him... Loved visiting with this beloved character once again and was very intrigued and happy by the postscript to this story, promising us more:):):)


*** 4 ***

The next story is “White Sand” (excerpt; Taldain) and it is a very new to me world, but apparently one of the first shorts Brandon Sanderson had written. Since it is very, very short and gives us just a glimpse of a world full of sand on its "Day" or sunny side, I have to say it piqued my interest quite a bit, leaving me wanting to have this character in something more major to read. I would love to read about this young and willful man who is trying to prove to his father and to himself that even with not much power, as long as you can think and use what you have optimally, you can be as successful as those with a ton of power but no ability to use it to its potential.

"... “Grains of sand will only flow with the winds, Kenton, never against them.” ..."


*** 4.75 ***

Wow! This was very unexpected!!! The seventh story in the collection is “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” on the shard world of Threnody, where vast Forests contain shades and monsters, inciting the natives of the world to liken them to Hell... In this place you have to be tough, and if you chose to live close to the Forests you had to be even tougher. Madam Silence is one of the toughest, being a proprietress of an Inn on the border with the land of the Shades. She is a widow and together with her daughter and a small orphan girl whom she fosters, they feed the weary travelers who stop in the place for the night. They also use their unique situation to note rode bandits and lawless men who stop by, and eventually find a way to turn them in for bounty, leaving no evidence of who the bounty hunters actually are.

"... “She swept her knife through the first shade, as Grandmother had taught. Never creep back and cower before shades. You’re Forescout blood. You claim the Forests. You are their creature as much as any other. As am I. . . .” ..."

This story had a very spooky feel to it and send shivers through me for all kinds of reasons. No wonder many are afraid of the Forests - generation after generation creates legends and stories to created the image of monsters in their debts, and this is Brandon Sanderson's addition to those created in our time...

"... “What would it take?” she asked. “For you to see a miracle instead of a coincidence?”
“It would take a miracle, obviously," Silence said, picking up her knife. "Instead of just a coincidence.” ..."


*** 3.44 ***

The eight story, "“Sixth of Dusk” (First of the Sun), reads like many a sci-fi stories I have read growing up. We are on a World far behind in technology than ours and an Island not unlike those in Polynesia. A boy named Dusk is a trapper, but in a sense a caregiver and guardian to the very specific Avion creatures who can mentally communicate with humans and are the primary source of finances for the people living on the islands. A big company decides to take over the birds by mapping out their habitat with a machine left over from a visiting Peoples of another planet, who are many times more advanced than the locals. Following the rules of the Universe, an advanced society is not allowed to trade with one just in the beginning of its progress. They are also not allowed to mess with their progress. This story is a ethical question as to what is better for a just developing, but very curious culture, should it follow its own path of development, or should it be pushed on its way, and what is the ultimate price the budding culture would end up paying in the end.

"...“The world is progressing. One man cannot slow it, no matter how determined he is."
He stopped in the path.
You cannot stop the tides from changing, Dusk. No matter how determined you are. His mother’s words.”..."

Interesting, but just too short and although it makes an impact, it leaves you wanting more...


*** 4.75 ***

And now for the crown jewel of this collection, the never before published Stormlight Archive novella, “Edgedancer”. It takes place right after the second book in the series, "Words of Radiance". lift, our "Awesome" thief is the main protagonist here and this is one of the reasons I was not looking forward to reading it. Not because of anything else, but I was not a fan of Lift's character. Although I know she is young and the author is giving her plenty of place to grow, and I mean miles and miles of space to grow, her selfishness and almost destructive tendencies are just too much for me... Yes she is funny and whimsical and kind of adorable at times, she is a pain in the ass and if I had to live with her, I would have killed her before she got to this level of pain-in-the-assery!!! What really, really makes me dislike this character, and with this word I imply a lack of respect on my part, is her complete lack of inquisitiveness and care about anything that goes on apart from her and her stomach. How can a young person be so totally self-involved and content that nothing around them can make them feel the excitement of wanting to find out more about it, or just to experience some awe of things around her, anything but her own awesomeness??? No thought for tomorrow, no thought for yesterday... At this level of her development, Lift is everything I find abhorrent about those who feel happy in their ignorance.

Then why am I giving this story such high rating? Because it is a very important part of the overall arc of the Stormlight Archives. We get to see more and more individuals converting Stormlight and their existence itself tells us about what our guys are going to be in for and how much we will need all of them on our side. The other reason is the transformation Darkness undergoes and its importance in the story as we go on. Same for Szeth, who is trying to find himself after the chance he has been given for a do over. But most of all, I am in love with Lift's Spren, Wyndle. The poor plant elemental from the Cognitive Realm is just a scholar, a very inexperienced in humans lives scholar, who is forced to work with this 12 year old kid, who wants no responsibilities and cares not for consequences... The way they interact is wonderfully humorous, but also very touching and Wyndle has his hands full with this wild thing, who holds his life in her hands. It is hillarious as well, that Lift thinks he is one of the Voidbringers, who are the bad guys and opposite of the Spren, which he really is. Her offering him a soul to eat, when this is all what the Spren stand against, is hilarious!!! I love him sooooo much!!!

"...“All right. Maybe I can get you one soul. Perhaps a tax collector...'cept they ain't human. Would they work? Or would you need, like, three of them to make up one normal person's soul? -Lift” ...

So, if you plan on reading the third book in this series, "Oathbringer"m you have to read this before it! It is a must read!!!

In conclusion, this whole collection was totally worth it and I would recommend it to ANY and EVERYONE!!!!

Now I wish you Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arcanum Unbounded is a wonderful compilation of stories from throughout the Cosmere, spanning several worlds familiar and unfamiliar. And not just that, but it includes a brief introduction to each world with descriptions of its environment and importance, as well as postscripts where Sanderson speaks about the creation of the various stories.

I read the collection in chunks; some of the stories I'd read before, independently or in other anthologies, but most of them were new to me. Overall it's a really enjoyable collection, easily read and compiled in such a way as to provide a treasure trove for any Sanderson fan.

Brief reviews of individual stories:

The Emperor's Soul (Elantris)
This is arguably Sanderson's best work to date. He has a tendency to write comfort reads, although sometimes quite intelligently. The Emperor's Soul, however, is a masterpiece of a novella on a whole new level.
Rating: 5 stars.

The Hope of Elantris (Elantris)
A somewhat sweet, but ultimately pointless short story. It adds little new, but has a good story behind it.
Rating: 2 stars.

The Eleventh Metal (Mistborn)
A brief little origin story for Kelsier, set shortly after his 'incident' in the Pits of Hathsin. Here we get to see the future hero training as a Mistborn in a short, but fun little tale.
Rating: 3 stars.

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes Twenty-Eight through Thirty (Mistborn)
As if taken straight from a pulp fiction magazine, this is an excellent little first-person heroic adventure story from the second Mistborn era. It reminded me of The Silver Shroud from Fallout 4 more than anything.
Rating: 4 stars.

Secret History (Mistborn)
I had read this story before, and as much fun it is, and as much as I love the protagonist more than anyone else in the Mistborn world, I do not appreciate its existence. For me, this is one of those stories where I would absolutely have rather been left to wonder. It also should absolutely not be read by anyone who has not read The Bands of Mourning, as it spoils the quality of that entire book.
Rating: 3 stars.

White Sand Vol. 1
I just skimmed through this, so no rating here. I will pick it up in full at a later point. The series seems to have quite an interesting premise, though, as all Cosmere series do.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hill (Threnody)
This is another story I had read before, and I was not particularly impressed. It might be interesting if Sanderson provided some more development in this particular world, however.
Rating: 3 stars.

Sixth of the Dusk
A fascinating new Cosmere world is revealed, and I was particularly intrigued to read Sanderson's descriptions of life in and around the ocean, something I don't believe I've really encountered in his works before.
Rating: 4 stars

I did not read Edgedancer as I'm holding off on the Stormlight Archive series for now.

[Haïfa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with my favorite Sprens in the Cosmere : Celeste, Mary, Petrik and Sarah
*****************************************************

I'm going to skip the part about Brandon Sanderson's genius and mastery, baffling imagination and creativity, vivid worlds, unforgettable characters, remarkable and intricate systems... and get straight to this beautiful collection of Cosmere stories :)

The Arcanum Unbounded includes 8 novellas and an excerpt of a graphic novel (White Sand), taking place on 6 different solar systems of the Cosmere ! This book is one of the most beautiful physical books I own and includes a beautiful star map as well as illustrations of a scene and of the planetary system of each story ! 😍 Khriss' notes on the different planets and Sanderson's postscripts are a fantastic bonus and give a whole new understanding of the stories and the Cosmere !

For more information about the Cosmere, the Shards, the different Realms... check this excellent post.

I'll include tiny-reviews (more like impressions) for the novellas but I want to note something important about Sanderson's writing first and that just struck me because I was reading independent stories successively in Arcanum. With each new story, not only do we have a new world and set of characters. But also a new atmosphere and a new writing style. Sanderson deftly plays with tones, giving each of his new characters a voice, a way of talking but, most importantly, a distinctive way of thinking, acting and seeing the world. If you put Lift or Silence or Dusk or Kelsier in a given set and given course of events, you'll end up with completely different stories with different perceptions et interpretation.

The Emperor Soul : ✯✯✯✯✯
My favorite ! This novella was set in the same world as Elantris and yet, Sanderson featured a new Empire, new characters and a new and very creative magic system! This is the story of 100 dire days in Shai's life. Shai is a Forger, a heretic and a thief, but more importantly, she's the only one capable of saving the Emperor's life. You can check my full review here here.

The Hope of Elantris : ✯✯✯✯
The Hope of Elantris takes place a few moments before the final climax in Elantris and tells the story of a young Elantrian that saved the city's children. The story isn't particularly innovative or substantial but it left me really nostalgic since Elantris is one of my favorite Sanderson's books !

The Eleventh Metal : ✯✯✯✯
Ohh I loved reading this ! Especially because it featured Kelsier and gave a few details about his early training in Allomancy and the seeds of his revolution. Though the story didn't add much to the Mistborn world, the Nostalgia factor alone made the read very exciting !

Illustration of Kelsier and Gemmel, included in the Arcanum Unbounded. I love to imagine that this town with its wavy rooftops was inspired by Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona !

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30: ✯✯
This is the story of one of Jak's adventures (if you read Mistborn Era 2, you'd have noticed a few journal entries telling some of his stories). I can never state this enough: Jak is one of the worst and most vain and insufferable characters I've read about! I can't believe I'm saying this but it was a torture to go through his "adventure" ! Luckily the funny footnotes were there (thus the additional star)... though they just made the main story look weak and pointless.

Mistborn: Secret History : ✯✯✯✯
I can't tell anything without ruining the fun and surprises of this one !! ;) This novella is full of secrets and revelations so you definitely should go into it blind (but only after reading Mistborn Eras 1 and 2!). If you've already read Secret History, you can check my review here here.

White Sand : ✯✯✯ 1/2
Arcanum included an excerpt of White Sand (the graphic novel) as well as the original draft ! I'm not a fan of the graphic novel and found it a bit confusing since Sanderson's magic systems are very intricate and are, in my opinion, better experienced in a classic narrative than in graphic form ! As for the story, I'm definitely intrigued ! This planet is peculiar and very interesting to explore and I would like to know more about young "padawan" Kenton's journey and how he will compensate for his lack of magical skill !

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell : ✯✯✯✯
This is probably the bleakest work and creepiest world written by Sanderson, up to this point! Set in a world half-eaten by a mysterious "Evil", the story follows Silence Montane, a seemingly ordinary innkeeper who tries to protect her family and save her home while hiding her background and abilities. There is no magic system in this novella but there are "magical" beings (Shades) roaming the world and devouring those who break one of 3 simple rules : never kindle a flame, never shed another's blood and never run in the dark. I loved Khriss' explanation of the true nature of the Shades 😍 and Sanderson's inspiration for the forbidden acts!


The stunning cover of this novella.

Sixth of the Dusk : ✯✯✯ 1/2
Sixth of the Dusk made me travel far, far away ! Dusk is a trapper who chose the huge and inhospitable island of Patji (populated with magical birds, living plants, killing ants, and predators that hunt not by smell and sight, but by sensing their preys' minds!) to make a living and who's about to discover a huge threat to himself, to his way of living and more globally to his people's culture and technology. This was a very captivating, though slow, story and I'm still not sure how it fits in the Cosmere (despite a mention of beings coming from other worlds), especially since there would probably not be a sequel (PS: read TS' comment below for the interesting clarification).

"Never move without asking yourself, is this too easy?"

Edgedancer : ✯✯✯ 1/2
YES! I'm clearly on the unpopular opinions' side right now so please don't hate me, my fellow Sanderson's lovers ! But I just can't seem to like or care for Lift. AT ALL. I can't tell much about the story because the novella is set after the closing events of Words of Radiance. But what I can say is that I had a lot of hope for Lift's development and I didn't get much. I understand that due to her background (I wish it was more developed in this story), she couldn't develop much but only discover and accept herself. But I was just disappointed because despite all she learned and all she accomplished, she was still acting dumb, ignorant, carefree and silly. Those traits felt too forced to make her likable (to me). But there were enough references to the main series to make my heart beat faster and make me even more eager for the upcoming re-read in anticipation of Oathbringer. Special mention to the new city (amazing!), Wyndle the spren (always whimpering and brave at the same time) and the humor !

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

➽ The Hope of Elantris (Elantris) -

➽ The Eleventh Metal (Mistborn) - ★★★★
This is a prequel story to the Mistborn series! It’s very short, but I absolutely loved the story. And, to be completely honest, I love seeing anything that stars Kelsier! This story centers around a man named Gemmel who is teaching Kelsier to use his Mistborn powers. And his powers are eventually put to the test when he is required to fight another Mistborn who is up to some no-good deeds. Again, this story obviously takes place before the events in The Final Empire, where Kelsier is already a confirmed badass with his powers. And just seeing Kelsier’s dynamic with his Allomantic teacher, who is obviously talking to someone who plays a much bigger part in this trilogy, brought such a smile to my face the entire time while reading.

➽ The Emperor's Soul (Elantris) -

➽ Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (Mistborn) -

➽ White Sand (excerpt; Taldain) -

➽ Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (Threnody) -

➽ Sixth of Dusk (First of the Sun) -

➽ Mistborn: Secret History (Mistborn) - ★★★★★
This review will contain major SPOILERS for the original Mistborn trilogy! Please do not continue on if you have not read The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages!

“There’s always another secret.”

Okay, so I completely and promptly started to lose my ever loving mind when I realized that this novella was going to star Kelsier in the in-between. Then, seeing his death again, and from his point of view, I was completely rebroken all over again.

But seeing this original trilogy take place quickly in Kelsier's perspective was something that I never expected and completely loved. And seeing his interactions with Preservation were something of magic. It also helped explain a lot, like the scene when Elend was stabbed at the well. Oh my God, I have no words for what this amazing new perspective gave me. And how the earthquakes were from Kelsier and Ruin fighting!? Oh my Lord. Who did Brandon Sanderson sell his soul to, to be able to write like this? Seriously, so impressive.

And Vin, such a perfect little brave cinnamon roll, who was always too good for this world. Her choosing to go, when Kelsier feels unable to leave, God, I can't. Brandon Sanderson is able to evoke such much pure emotion from me, because of these amazing and realistic characters he creates.

“She brought destruction to the destroyer”

Seeing, and actually talking about, the Cosmere universe was amazing, too! Brandon Sanderson is such a talented author, and seeing him talk about this elaborate universe that he has created, with his stories that link it all together, made me awestruck. I also loved how we are slowly learning that there are greater problems surrounding this universe, even though we as readers are always just so heavily invested with the story at hand.

This was a wonderful addition to this world, and I can't recommend enough! I am so thankful to have read it, and it really made an amazing story even more spectacular! And that epilogue with Spook made me want to run to my bookshelves and pick up The Alloy of Law immediately.


➽ Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive) - ★★★★
First and foremost, I haven't read The Way of Kings or Words of Radiance, and I know this had some spoilers for me and I'm a horrible person, but I really needed to read this for the BooktubeSFF Awards. Plus, after reading I don't really think it had that many spoilers. Like, I know there is obviously a resolution that happened after book two, and I know a new Desolation is about to cause a bunch of havoc in Oathbringer, but I still think I can enjoy all the books and still know very minimal.


(Art by Marie at jurassicpencil!)

This story surrounds a side character named Lift, who is freakin' awesome! I was a little apprehensive, knowing that the main character was going to be a twelve-year-old, but she completely won me over and quickly. I also loved her spren, Wyndle, who is a plant elemental, which everyone knows I'm a sucker for any magical companion! They were such a cute pair, and I loved the visual of them traveling together, on the hunt for different kinds of pancakes.

The adorable pair travel to a new city, where Lift is very adamant about using her Edgedancer powers so she can catch the attention of a man named Darkness, who she believes is hunting someone else who has powers. During her stay in the new city, she meets a strange woman that runs an orphanage for sick children who are no longer wanted.

Darkness was a wonderfully complex villain, especially for only a 130 page story. I never thought he was purely bad, just significantly misguided, and I really can't wait to actually read this series so I can read more about him and his questionable direction.

The only negative thing I will say is that I understand that Lift is young, but I'm not sure how problematic/unproblematic the mental health topic is in this book. I'm not the best judge of this, but a few of the things said in this book seemed like they could at least make someone else feel uncomfortable, so I think it's important for me to note it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and it made me really hyped to start The Way of Kings! This was a really beautiful story that warmed my heart and made me giggle on many occasions. Lift and Wyndle were so easy to love, and I want to know anything and everything about them!

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[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review (finally) posted!
Original review can be found on Booknest.

I started this book over three months ago. And I really enjoyed it! But I couldn’t bring myself to finish it for the longest time. You see, whenever I finished Edgedancer, the last story and the only original tale in the collection, I would be completely caught up with Sanderson’s Cosmere until he publishes something else. Being caught up with a series I love is something I can’t stand. It makes me sad, and leaves me feeling at a loss until the next installment is released. That’s why I hardly every finish a series, because I can’t help but put off closure for as long as I can.

But I could only hold off for so long. This was by far one of the best short story collections I’ve ever read, and I’m not generally a short story fan. Not every story was a five star story, but the collection was pretty solid. Of the nine stories in the collection, one was perfect (The Emperor’s Soul), two were fantastic (Mistborn: Secret History and Edgedancer), one was cringe-worthy (I wish I could unread that Allomancer Jak story…). The rest were pretty solidly good, though some were stronger than others.

The Emperor’s Soul was life-changingly good. The philosophy was incredibly deep, and was conversational fodder for my family for weeks after I made them read it so I would have someone to discuss it with. Mistborn: Secret History was incredibly nostalgic, and reading it gave me so many feelings. Seriously, there were tears. Sixth of the Dusk, White Sand, and Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell all introduced us to fascinating new worlds and compelling characters within the Cosmere. But all of these stories had been published before. The star of this collection was Edgedancer, a never-before published novelette in the Stormlight Archive.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Lift in Words of Radiance, but she grew on me so much in this story. Yes, she can be obnoxious, but she’s a kid! The sass is strong with this girl. And her spren, Wyndle, was adorable. There was a lot of character development here. If you’re a fan of Stormlight Archive, regarded by most as Sanderson’s magnum opus, and you haven’t read this novelette, it’s worth buying Arcanum Unbounded for that story alone. Plus, it’s pretty! This is a solid collection, that deserves to be on the shelves of every fantasy fan.

A buddy read with some of my favorite people: Sarah, Petrik, Haïfa, Mary, and Tweebs.

[Eon Windrunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Did you even doubt that it would be?

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good way to start off the year, with a mini-Brandon Sanderson marathon in book form. I spent a cozy day on my couch yesterday visiting the Cosmere, and it was lovely.

This collection is more than just a collection of all of Sanderson's short fiction set in the Cosmere (a shared universe world that a majority of Sanderson's works are set it in). It's also a mini-study of the Cosmere itself. Each system (i.e. the Roshar system, where the Stormlight Archive books are set, or Scadrial, where the Mistborn books take place) is prefaced by an essay about that system. Each essay is written by the Cosmere scholar Khriss (a character from White Sand who is a "worldhopper", or a person who can travel between the planets/systems that make up the Cosmere). I wanted those essays to be longer than they were, but I suppose Sanderson has decades of storytelling to go, so he can't spill all his secrets in one go). Each story is also accompanied by a postscript, where Sanderson gives background on each story.

Honestly, I would have bought the book for those essays (and their accompanying illustrations) alone, but this book also happens to contain a wealth of great stories to read. I'd read most of them before this, but it's really nice to have them all in once place. Particularly The Emperor's Soul, which is still maybe the best novella I've ever read. But also included are several Mistborn and Elantris short stories that flesh out those novels, as well as the years-in-the making novella Secret History, which goes behind the scenes of the Mistborn books and fills in a bunch of blanks, as well as being complete catnip for Cosmere fans. "Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell" and "Sixth of the Dusk", novellas previously published in anthologies, also make an appearance, as well as an excerpt from both the White Sand graphic novel, and the never before published novel draft it's based on (I like the novel much, much more, and plan on reading it this year). I've previously reviewed most of these stories, so I don't really want to spend time here talking about them.

The main draw of the collection is Edgedancer a never before published novella set in the Stormlight world. It follows Lift, a character introduced in Words of Radiance in an in-novel novella (Sanderson structures the Stormlight books like they are actually trilogies with novella interludes in between each novel, and Lift was introduced in one of those). Edgedancer takes place during the events of Words of Radiance, and is mostly a character study of Lift, a thirteen year old street kid, who is learning how to be Knight Radiant. But she just calls those powers "her awesomeness".

This is really a book meant for people already familiar with the Cosmere, so if you're looking to check out some of Sanderson's books, I wouldn't start here. My first Sanderson was Elantris, and that's as good a starting place as any, although I'd actually recommend starting with Mistborn or The Way of Kings (if you're the sort to like 1,000 page books). I really liked Elantris when I read it, and it's a good teaser for what's to come, but since it was his first published book, it doesn't really give you an idea of what he can do now as a writer and how satisfying his books can be.

I'm giving this one five stars, not only because I five-starred a large portion of the stories inside it, but also because the whole thing comes together so nicely.

Pre-Review: Gonna have to buy this one. Can't pass up the chance to have all these in one place, especially since I don't own The Emperor's Soul yet. Urgggghh I can feel the urge to do a Cosmere re-read creeping up on me . . . I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT NONSENSE.

[Jonathan O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

With ‘Edgedancer’ finished, I’ve finally completed ‘Arcanum Unbounded’!

This is a collection of nine novellas/short-stories based in various systems within the Cosmere. Individually they vary in quality, though none of them are horrible, but as a Collection they’re almost essential if you had planned to read the Cosmere in its entirety.

Having all nine works in this one collection, as opposed to owning them all individually, has a number of advantages. One, it’s much cheaper. Two, ‘Arcanum Unbounded’ is split into sections reflecting the System of the Cosmere that the books belong to. At the start of each of these sections is a really interesting short (page or two) essay on that System. It makes the Cosmere feel much bigger than if you had only read the main novels. There is also a postscript, written by Brandon, for each of the works explaining a bit about why he wrote it or what he was trying to achieve by doing so.

Below are links to my reviews for each of the works in this collection. The only one I didn’t review was ‘White Sand’ as it is only an excerpt of a graphic novel, and a small one at that.

The Emperor’s Soul 4 ⭐
The Hope of Elantris 3 ⭐
The Eleventh Metal (Mistborn #0.5) 3 ⭐
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (Mistborn, #4.5) 3 ⭐
Mistborn: Secret History 4.5 ⭐
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell 4 ⭐
Sixth of the Dusk 3.5 ⭐
Edgedancer 3.5 ⭐

Arcanum Unbounded = 28.5/40 ⭐

[Paul O’Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of stories, a must for all cosmere enthusiasts.

I love the diary entries by Khriss for each world, it gives you such a deeper insight into Sandersons cosmere and the sheer potential for all the systems involved. It boggles the mind as to just how epic Sanderson's world is and speaks volumes that he can write consistently at a high level.

All of the stories within are worth reading, Edgedancer and Mistborn Secret History are the best but there is not a dud story in this collection.

One I think I'll have to read again once I read Bands of Mourning and then the original Mistborn trilogy, then the second Stormlight book again before the third comes out, and then reading Elantris again...argh! There's so much Sanderson to reread and so little time!!!

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 [No Rating]:

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 1930’s (not my thing) and I couldn’t get past the presentation long enough to appreciate the story.

The Eleventh Metal [2.5/5 stars]:

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 alright even though it didn’t add anything new to the series.

Moving on…

The Hope of Elantris [3/5]:

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 [3.5/5 stars]:

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, this short story might help curb your craving for Oathbringer and help fill in some gaps.

White Sand [4/5 stars]:

I freaking loved this short story. What a cool culture! It presents a magic system which 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 tradional magic strength to do it “properly.” I liked it so much 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 fast 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 [4/5 stars]:

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/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 [4.5/5 stars]:

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: Secret History [4.5/5 stars]:

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 4th Wax and Wayne novel.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell [5/5 stars]:

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 have 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 elusions 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.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller www.NikiHawkes.com

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheesh!

Sometimes I make bad decisions... like putting off a so-called short story collection by Sanderson for YEARS after it was published because I'm more of a fan of his big novels rather than in-between stuff.

What I should have remembered is Sanderson's penchant for writing... and writing... and writing. His short stuff is usually nothing like short stuff. There are two short NOVELS in this "collection". Good ones, too. Like the secret history of Mistborn that ties up all the events of the first trilogy from the Cognitive Realm. :) SO Good.

Or, even better, a short novel based in the Stormlight Archive world. With a certain always-hungry 10-year-old Knight Radiant proving to be just as impulsive and LUCKY as elsewhere. I'm LOVING the big plot additions and twists showing up here in the grand scheme of Sanderson's Epic. :) It's actually kinda necessary to read this. It ain't no fluff piece. Serious changes happen here.

So am I glad to read it?

Amazingly so. :)

Oh, yeah, and there's a few others that are fantastic in here, but they're re-reads for me. Like Sixth of the Dusk and Emperor's Soul. But for Emperor's Soul, I really didn't mind re-reading. That one is really good. It was when it came out and it's the same now. REALLY GOOD. :)

As for the rest, they're all quite interesting and span 6 worlds of Sanderson's Cosmere. I particularly liked the one with Sand. :) It has all of Sanderson's goodness with rule-based magic. :)

Worth it? It's not really something you can miss.

HOWERVER, if you're just wanting to read Secret History, know that the entire thing is duplicated in this. Arcanum Unbounded is a completionist's dream.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so since this is a collection of his novellas and "short" stories, I'm just going to do a breakdown of how I felt about each. I can't go into detail about most because you have to read some of his books before you read these. I do love the prefaces that give you hints and some explanation about the Cosmere, and this is a must have for any Brandon Sanderson fan unless you've collected them all individually and are super good at making small connections.

Selish System (Elantris)

The Emperor's Soul (5*s): This doesn't have to be read after any of his books, so you could go ahead and pick this one up right now. I have read this story twice now, and it remains one of my favorite novellas ever.

The Hope of Elantris (4*s): This has to be read after reading Elantris, and for me, the afterward really made this "short" story. I was a bit curious about the contents (trying not to spoil) seeing how this take place during a very important section of Elantris, but I do think the backstory on the character's name was super sweet and awesome.

Scadrian System (Mistborn)

The Eleventh Metal (4*s): This can be read before any of the Mistborn books, and it would be fine. This goes into a bit of detail of how Kelsier first gets started on the path he is on in The Final Empire (Mistborn #1). It was great to get back to Kelsier who was one of my favorites in the series beside Tensoon.

Allomancer Jack & the Pits of Eltania (3.75*s): My least favorite in the collection but still worth the read. I love the style this was written in and how ridiculous Jack is. You'll want to wait to read this until after Allow of Law (Mistborn #4).

Mistborn: Secret History (5*s): Woah this was amazing. You have to have read all the way through Bands of Mourning before you should read this but totally worth it. The Cosmere implications and the direction of the overall plot of his universe are so exciting!

Taladin System

White Sand (5*s): I haven't read all of White Sand since only a snippet of the graphic novel is included, but I can tell that I am going to love the rest when I read it. I love that the main character doesn't have a lot of power to use, so he must be clever and quick to keep up with more gifted people. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one.

Threnodite System

Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell (4.5*s): I originally read this out of the Dangerous Women anthology, and I found it equally entertaining here. I find it's ability to be visited without a shard intriguing and hope we learn more about it in the future.

Drominad System

Sixth of Dusk (5*s): I loved Sixth, and the way the birds are in this system makes me a little bit less afraid of them. This is another world where I hope we get some more stories from particularly to find out what happens after this story in terms of culture change and technological advances.

Rosharan System (The Stormlight Archive)

Edgedancer (5*s): Probably the most fun novella to read in the collection. I absolutely love Lift. It's too bad you should read both Way of Kings and Words of Radiance before reading this one.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like anyone doubted I would give this 5 stars

[Mogsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/11/28/...

Huge Brandon Sanderson fan that I am, I try to read everything he writes, but especially the works that take place in his fictional universe of the Cosmere. But while I have read all the novels, somehow many of the novellas seem to have slipped through the cracks. When a lot of the stories have only appeared online or in other anthologies, it can make tracking down every single one a challenge.

Enter Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection. It feels like I have been waiting my whole life for this. Collecting eight previously published short stories and novellas plus one new never-before-seen tale that takes place in the world of The Stormlight Archive, this anthology is a must-have for every Cosmere geek.

The Emperor’s Soul

The Emperor’s Soul is the only story I’ve read previously before coming into Arcanum Unbounded. It remains one of my favorites of all time, the only novella I’ve ever rated a full five stars and I was ecstatic to see that it was the first story in this collection. Taking place in the world of Elantris, it follows a thief and forger named Shai who is captured by agents in a foreign land and made to craft a new soul for their emperor. Re-reading this story reminded me all over again why I loved it the first time; clocking in at just over one hundred pages, it manages to encompass everything I would expect from a full-length novel—intricate world-building and incredible character development, with a unique magic system to boot. Few authors can manage a feat like this, but Sanderson captures my imagination whether he’s penning short fiction or thousand-page epic fantasy tomes. Certainly The Emperor’s Soul shows he is not only a writer but an artist, or at least someone who understands how making art feels, based on his excellent characterization of Shai. This is a brilliant novella with a touching and powerful message.

The Hope of Elantris

This short and sweet tale was meant to fill a gap in the plot of Elantris, giving readers some backstory into the book as well as a brief look at what happened after its climax. It would have very little impact and meaning if you have not read Elantris yet, and the author’s note even recommends not reading this until you have finished the novel in case of spoilers. As it was not meant to be any more than just a quick filler story, I was not surprised to find it somewhat lacking in substance. For the purpose it was meant to serve, however, it succeeded marvelously, and I also liked it more once I read the nice postscript that explained how the idea for The Hope of Elantris came about.

The Eleventh Metal

This was a story written specifically for the Mistborn tabletop RPG, so it was no surprise that it read very much like an introductory primer to the world, magic, and characters of the series. It also takes us back to a much younger Kelsier, so those who are interested in his past will likely enjoy this look at his training days with his mentor Gemmel. Fans of the original Mistborn books will probably like this more than readers unfamiliar with the trilogy, despite it being very short and containing more exposition than your typical short story.

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30

If you’ve ever read his Alcatraz series, then you know that Brandon Sanderson has an interesting sense of humor. It definitely comes out again here in this second short story written for the Mistborn RPG, except this one takes a much different tack. Chronicling the adventures of Allomancer Jak with helpful (and hilarious) footnotes provided by his faithful Terris steward Handerwym, this story is Sanderson’s tribute to the classic pulp tradition. Jak reads like an over-the-top, satirical version of Wax from the later Mistborn novels, which was apparently the author’s intent. A delightful and entertaining read complete with a dash of unique humor, giving this one considerably more “personality” than The Eleventh Metal.

Mistborn: Secret History

This was perhaps my most highly anticipated story of this collection, and it did not disappoint. Intended to be a companion novella to the original Mistborn trilogy, this shouldn’t be read until you complete those first three books or else you will be utterly confused, not to mention the presence of major spoilers. Also, you won’t be able to fully appreciate what a touching, emotional tale this is. Secret History tells the story of what happened to Kelsier after his death at the hands of the Lord Ruler, and as such, it features strong mystical themes dealing with fate and the afterlife. I’ve never made it a secret how I feel about The Hero of Ages and how it ended (it was a punch in the gut) which has always soured me somewhat on the entire trilogy. I have to admit though, this novella changes things. The void I have felt inside of me for so long has been filled in a bit, and my appreciation and understanding of the series has increased. No question about it, Secret History is a must-read for Mistborn fans.

White Sand

An eighteen-page excerpt of the White Sand graphic novel is included with this collection, followed by the written draft which formed the basis of the comic adaptation. It follows Kenton, the youngest son of a Sand Master but shows weak affinity for the magic himself. This is an older story, and as such you can some of the roughness around the edges, and the magic system is a lot more straightforward relative to Sanderson’s later work. However, I did like that we got to read about a character who had little magic power; much fun was had watching Kenton come up with creative ways to overcome challenges and defy the masters. This was also a highly action-oriented tale.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell

Originally published in the Dangerous Women anthology, this story features an innkeeper named Silence who shelters travelers passing through the gloomy, haunted forest. Revenge is the name of the game as we follow our protagonist and her daughter into the wild to track down and kill bad folk. There’s also a strong sense of frontier lawlessness to the setting, which is crawling with bounty hunters, corrupt enforcers, and vengeful ghosts. This was admittedly not my favorite of Sanderson’s novellas, but it does show a darker side to his storytelling that we don’t get to see often.

Sixth of the Dusk

Again, I did not find this novella to be among Sanderson’s best, but many of the ideas in here are very interesting. It follows a Tracker whose main trade are magical birds found only on the sacred islands of the Archipelago, with his life being increasingly disrupted by the gradual encroachment of society and technology. I love the setting established in this story as well as the mysteries surrounding the Aviar, though I wish there had been more time spent on the birds’ special link with their owners. I didn’t feel like I had enough time to get to know the characters either; all told, this story could have afforded to be a little longer but I enjoyed it for what it is.

Edgedancer

Of the entire collection, Edgedancer is the story Cosmere fans will be mostly likely talking about. For starters, it’s completely new, and it’s also from the world of the Stormlight Archive. Sanderson shines the spotlight on Lift, the scrappy young urchin with a special gift who first appeared in Words of Radiance. We plunge headfirst into adventure with Lift and her spren Wyndle in this sort-of origin story, though she’s also not the only familiar face to turn up within these pages. We’re given a closer look into her life and personality, and you can tell she’s definitely being built up for a larger role in the main series. I also really enjoyed getting a more detailed picture of Tashikk and its culture. This final story will make you smile, and if Lift hadn’t made an impression on you before, well then she sure will win your heart here.

Closing Thoughts: Arcanum Unbounded is a must-read for every Brandon Sanderon fan, though for best results it is recommended that you have already completed Elantris, the Mistborn series, and the Stormlight Archive series in order to enjoy the full impact of this anthology. But even if you are a reader who simply enjoys spending time in Sanderson’s worlds without being all that concerned with how they fit together, you will be amazed by the all-encompassing and in-depth quality of this collection. The stories themselves are fantastic of course, but you are also guaranteed to walk away from this with a better understanding of the immense and epic macrocosm that is the Cosmere. Arcanum Unbounded is now one of the most treasured books on my bookshelf.

[Lamaleluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandy Sandy, lo has vuelto a hacer 👍🏽

Arcanum ilimitado es una colección de novelas cortas del Cosmere. Una lectura obligatoria para quienes quieran entender este maravilloso universo creado por el autor. Voy a reseñar cada una de ellas a continuación pero antes voy a hablar un poco en general de este libro.
Algunos de estas historias son independientes, otras están estrictamente vinculadas con ciertos libros del autor que necesitás haber leído. Es por eso que recomiendo leer Arcanum una vez que ya hayan avanzado bastante con el Cosmere.
La edición es hermosa, cada sistema tiene su mapa, sus ilustraciones y símbolos. Y después de cada historia corta nos encontramos con una nota del autor de qué lo llevó a escribir esa historia.

Las 9 historias de Arcanum ilimitado ⬇️

El alma del emperador
- 5/5 ⭐
- Sistema Sel 💛
- Historia independiente
.
Amé completamente esta historia. Nuestra protagonista Shai es una falsificadora y justamente por eso es encarcela al principio del relato. Los consejeros del emperador le piden lo imposible a cambio de su libertad. Shai deberá falsificar el alma del emperador que actualmente se encuentra inconsciente después de un golpe. Para eso debería estudiar todo sobre la vida de este hombre hasta el punto de conocerlo más que a si misma.

La esperanza de Elantris
- 3/5 ⭐
- Sistema Sel 💛
- Posterior a Elantris
.
Nos situamos en la batalla final de Elantris pero está vez desde el punto de vista de Matisse, una joven elantrina encargada de cuidar a los niños. La historia está simpática pero no aporta demasiado.


El undécimo metal
- 4/5 ⭐
- Sistema Scadrial 🧡
- Precuela del imperio final
.
Tenemos a Kelsier descubriendo como ser nacido de la bruma y aprendiendo de su maestro. Esta historia forma las bases de lo que después será la trama principal del primer libro de nacidos de la bruma. No es ultra necesario leerlo pero si fue gratificante conocer un poco del pasado del personaje.

Alomante Jak y los pozos de Eltania
- 3/5 ⭐
- Sistema Scadrial 🧡
- Situado durante la segunda era de Nacidos de la Bruma
.
Jak es un aventurero y semanalmente publica sus historias en el diario de Elendel. Fue divertido tenerlo a él como personaje, muy extravagante y el típico aventurero fanfarrón. Y más divertidos eran los comentarios de su mayordomo sobre lo exagerado que era Jak.

Nacidos de la bruma Historia secreta
- 5/5 ⭐
- Sistema Scadrial 🧡
- Libro 3.5 de Nacidos de la bruma
- Debe leerse después del Héroe de las eras
.
CLARAMENTE lo mejor que tiene el Cosmere es esta historia. No puedo revelar mucho los sucesos porque todo sería Spoiler pero digamos que volvemos a vivenciar todos los hechos de la primera era de nacidos de la bruma desde otro punto de vista. Esta novela corta logra conectar TODO, logra darle sentido a un montón de cosas. Te abre los ojos. Además de que es indispensable para entender el final de Brazales de duelo (nacidos de la bruma 6).

Arena blanca
- 4/5 ⭐
- Sistema Taldain 🤍
- fragmento de Arena blanca
.
Leí este fragmento sin haber leído Arena blanca y me enamoré de la historia del protagonista con tan solo dos capítulos. Necesito saber más de Kenton. Me gustó leer tanto la parte en novela gráfica como la que está en formato de texto. De cada una de ellas puedo destacar algo distinto y siento que Taldain es un mundo con muchísimo potencial.

Sombras por silencio en los bosques del infierno
- 4/5 ⭐
- Sistema Treno 🖤
- Independiente
.
Sin duda la historia más oscura que leí del autor. En este caso tenemos a Silencio, una mujer que aprendió a sobrevivir en los bosques y que se encargará de unos asesinatos que le darán una buena recompensa. Hubieron partes que me dieron hasta escalofríos y hay mucha crueldad en algunos de los personajes.

Sexto del Ocaso
- 4/5 ⭐
- Sistema Drominad ❤️
- Independiente
.
Necesito que esta historia tenga su segunda parte ya. ¡¿ Cómo me vas a dejar ese final tan abierto?! Ocaso es un trampero y está acostumbrado a trabar solo, en la selva hay muchos peligros y sus aviares lo protegerán siempre. Pero conoce a Vathi, una mujer que le cuenta que la compañía en la que trabaja está tramando algo que podría acabar con la isla y juntos se toman la responsabilidad de ir a detenerlos.

Danzante del filo
- 5/5 ⭐
- Sistema Roshar 💙
- Novela 2.5
- Debe leerse después de Palabras radiantes
.
Amé completamente! Tener a Lift como protagonista fue un lujo. Ansiaba conocer más de ella y me encantó todo sobre su historia. Además de que suceden muchas cosas en este relato que serán importantes a lo largo de la saga, no tengo dudas al respecto!

[vin .ᐟ (hiatus)]

📜୭˚. oh how i love some good ol' cosmere lore

────

# pre-read - 4 yrs ago i told myself i would revisit this collection once i had read all of sanderson's up-to-date cosmere books.... well, i still haven't accomplished that YET (only 1 more book I SWEAR!!), but i'm satisfied enough to finally dive into the rest of these short stories ^_^

first read:

loved reading the mistborn related stories! i will undoubtedly revisit this again :)

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, detailed book with really interesting short stories in it.
(Well, if 150 pages per average can be considered as short stories... but it's Brandon, so no one expected them to actually be as such.)
If anything else, this book for me, with The Emperor's Soul and Mistborn Secret stories, is a clear reminder why that Elantris sequel is long overdue and why we need that world expanded. But, again, I adore Elantris, so I'm biased. I would trade every other of his work for Elantris 2 - Judgement Day. (I have no idea why sudden Terminator reference, I was born like that, shut up.)

One more story I adore and world I find fascinating with amazingly interesting characters in it is Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.
You know how I complained and complained and complained (yes it was needed to be said three times, hexes people, hexes!) about Brandon writing almost all of his main female characters by the same Vin - Shallan - Jasnah pattern?
Well, I still stand by what I said, but I did asked for one world where main female character isn't defined by her magical powers.
And I totally forgot that he created such character called Silence Montane, a middle-aged innkeeper/bounty hunter.
Alas, life is too short, so probably I will never get to read full novel about this Threnody Shardworld. (more like, when he finally writes it, I'll be in my fifties, and who knows if I'm gonna be as interested in fantasy as I am now, in my blossoming youth, hmm?)

It was nice to be reminded how much I miss Kelsier.
I did have such feeling, so it was nice to learn that Hoid is nothing more than a prick.
And it was nice to meet Kriss and Nazrilof. To learn more about Shards, Adonalsium and usual Cosmere things.

I did planned to reread Mistborn series immediately after this anthology... but after binge-reading Elantris and Warbreaker as well, I need to rest from Sanderson before I tackle Stormlight Archives for the fourth time.

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't plan to reread so many of the stories in this collection. I've read most of them and own quite a few already so I expected I would just check out the star maps, read the annotations for each system and skip on over to Edgedancer. Well, that didn't happen. It started when I decided to reread The Emperor's Soul. One thing led to another and before I knew it I couldn't stop. I underestimated the pull that Sanderson's worlds have on me.

As for Edgedancer, it was the perfect story to finish up the collection. Roshar is my favorite world in Sanderson's universe, and any little bit of discovery we are able to make into that world and the coming events is very exciting. There's at least one familiar face, and the mention of another that has me wondering even more now what he could be up to. But Lift is ultimately what made it a great experience. She is such an entertaining, funny and refreshing character. She actually reminds me a little of Wayne from Mistborn. And I just love her sidekick Wyndle. I can't wait to see them again, and I'm even more excited now for the release of Oathbringer.

[Zitong Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting in that I was able to explore a lot of the Cosmere including places that i haven’t read about yet, as well as going to back familiar planets and systems. I also really liked the artwork and the way it features illustrations of all the systems which I just found to be cool because I’m a nerd like that. It wasn’t quite a five star as some of these short stories were weaker than others(there were several that I loved as well) and due to that, I think a four star rating is fair.

Here’s my thoughts are each story in here.

The Emperor’s Soul - 10/10. This was the only reread for me in this collection and my goodness I love it so storming much(wrong planet, IK, but same universe). It’s probably one of, if not my favourite short story of all time, it’s fantastic.

The Hope of Elantris - 5.5/10. This was fine and I liked being back for a little while with familiar characters from Elantris. It was pretty short and while it was interesting to read, I found that it didn’t really add much.

The Eleventh Metal - 5.5/10. Much like the Hope of Elantris, it just didn’t read add anything for me and wasn’t very meaningful and I wasn’t too invested in it. It was good seeing Kelsier again however.

Allomancer Jac and the Pits of Eltania - 7/10. This was amusing to read and the footnotes were funny. I just wasn’t overly engaged and while I liked the more humours way of story telling it was’t my favourite things ever. It was nice to see more of Era 2.

Mistborn: Secret History - 8/10. I had no idea that this was about Kelsier and that we would see so much more of Kelsier, who is one of my favourite characters from the Mistborn trilogy. It also explores much more of the inner workings of the Cosmere which I thought was super cool and interesting.

White Sand - 7/10. I don’t normally read a lots of comics/graphic novels. I thought that this was was fun and interesting. I actually do think I preferred reading the part in prose that tells the same story as the comic novel however.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell - 7.5/10. Like Sanderson noted in the postscript, the start is weaker than the core of the story. I was initially slightly confused, but also wasn’t very invested in what was going on. The main arc though was really interesting and I liked that a lot. It’s also just a really cool world.

Sixth of the Dusk - 8/10. I found this to be pretty cool and I really liked the two main characters which I thought were really interesting and written quite well. The world was also interesting and it was cool seeing a world that is slightly more developed in some aspects of tech, much like Mistborn Era 2 is.

Edgedancer - 9/10. Lift is so great. She’s such a fun and fascinating characters to follow and Wyndle, her spren is also really cool. Roshar is simply such an amazing world and I love being in it. It’s also interesting seeing how the ending events in Words of Radiance had in the rest of the world as that wasn’t really addressed in WoR. It almost felt a bit too long, but I’m not really complaining as Lift is just so much fun.

And that, are my thoughts on all the stories featured in Arcanum Unbounded. 8/10