White Sand, Volume 3

White Sand #3

by Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin, Fritz Casas (Artist)

Underpowered and overwhelmed, Kenton tries to hold the Sand Masters together as forces political and personal conspire against them. Now, in one final push, Kenton must tap the most dangerous depths of his own abilities to combat the enemies within his own guild and discover the truth behind the ambush that killed his father and almost destroyed the Sand Masters for good.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2019

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 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

This was better than the previous book, but overall,the quality of this series—the adaptation, to be more precise—was a huge disservice towards Sanderson’s imagination.

I’ve said what I needed to say before; Sanderson is one of my favorite authors of all time, and my criticisms regarding the previous volumes of White Sand still holds true in this final volume. It’s odd; when I’m reading Sanderson’s Cosmere novels, I tend to think that his novels would’ve worked really well in manga/anime format. However, that’s not the case with White Sand adaptation; maybe, in the end, it all comes down to the adaptation itself being a mess. I mean, the characterizations weren’t fleshed out at all, the changes in art directions felt off, and the dialogues weren't engaging. This adaptation relied heavily on poorly paced dialogues and the artworks weren’t enough to give justice towards the deep characterizations,magic system, world-building, and complexities usually contained in Sanderson’s Cosmere novels.

I’m just glad this series is finally over. Frankly speaking, if it weren’t for completion's sake (I have to read everything Cosmere related okay) and the fact that there are no more Cosmere novels for me to read at the moment, I really wouldn’t have bothered with reading this. Overall, White Sand graphic novel adaptions was a disappointment for me, and I hope in the future Sanderson will consider who he lent his work to adapt his brilliant imaginations more because right now, I truly believe that reading the manuscript of his unpolished WhiteSand would bring a better experience than this.

Series Review:

White Sand, Volume 1: 3.5/5 stars
White Sand, Volume 2: 1/5 stars
White Sand, Volume 3: 2.5/5 stars

White Sand: 7/15 stars

You can find the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Jonathan O'Neill · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐

White Sand, Volume 3 is marginally better than the previous instalment

Marginally in the same way that it would be marginally better for your wife to cheat on you with a stranger and not with your best mate. That is to say, it’s still shit beyond measure and you’re left angry and disappointed, but you won’t lose any friends over it.

I don’t have much to say that I haven’t already said in my ‘White Sand, Volume 2’ review.

The plot is unbearably boring.

The art is a C+ at best (at least they didn’t change the artist in the Final Chapter this time).

The dialogue is uninspired.

At it's best, this is a poor, sick and dishevelled man’s Dragon Ball Z.

At it's worst, it's a reverse kanga on the Graphic Novel landscape.


White Sand, Volume 1 - 1.5 ⭐

White Sand, Volume 2 - 1 ⭐

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been noticing a trend: people who have solely read and rated the graphic novel generally give this few stars (understandably so), while the few people on here who have listened to the adaptation enjoy Sanderson’s story in a format more fitting to his imagination. (He himself said that he doesn’t think the graphic novel manages to convey his world building adequately.) Do yourself a favor and get the GraphicAudio production (also available on audible). It might cost you three credits but they are so worth it!

You might also want to wait until the remastered omnibus is released if you want the graphic novel experience. From what I’ve seen in the Indiegogo campaign, the new look is really cool, more aesthetically pleasing and hopefully does manage to show off the world building better. I’m really excited to read it! And I really hope to see more of Kenton, Aarik, Khriss, and Baon - no matter if on Taldain or somewhere else in the Cosmere!

[EveStar91 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leadership is a burden.

Kenton, Khriss, Ais and Aarik all face difficulties in their chosen paths, growing into leadership and the responsibilities that come with their positions, as well as the tough choices they sometimes have to make in White Sand, Volume 3.

The final volume in the White Sand graphic novel series, this book sees several threads tied off, but also raises a few interesting questions on the magic system and the world-building. The character conflicts and plot arcs come to a head in the finale, with good foundations in the previous volumes and on the whole, there is a lot more action and plot twists here.

I read the unpublished prose version long ago, which can be accessed by emailing the author or signing up for his newsletter. It's been fun to read it again in this format, especially seeing the art around the magic system using, if you guessed it, white sand, but can't comment on the graphic aspects and structuring of the novel as I don't usually read this medium.

Recommended for anyone interested in Brandon Sanderson's work and the Cosmere worlds, though I would have probably appreciated a polished version of the prose novel itself, generally preferring characters' thoughts and background to visual depictions focusing on action.

🌟🌟🌟1/4
[Half star for the premise; 3/4 star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot; 3/4 star for the world-building; Half star for the writing/ graphics - 3 1/4 stars in total.]

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the best book of the series in my opinion. Brandon wrapped up just about all the story lines in a convincing and satisfying way. I'm still not enjoying the artwork. It gets the job done. The story is good, but for some reason it does drag a little for me. I don't think it's the story, I think it's simply the form. I don't know that a comic is the best way to convey this story across. I feel like details and connections were dropped.

I am impressed with how our protag saved the Diem and got all the votes he needed. It was well earned and well done. All the characters seemed to have acted from their own space and for their own purposes. I don't know if this is a 3 volumes and done, or if there is actually more story coming. It does feel like there is a door open for the story to go forward. What is dayside like?

This is about an underdog succeeding. It is a satisfying arc. I am looking to really dive into Brandon's work and this was a good place to jump off from. It was a great idea well executed.

[Wera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
*White-Sand spoilers ahead*

Story : ★★★.5
The story improved drastically over these three volumes. There were a lot of emotional and powerful moments here. Two that especially stood out to me as done very well were the battle between Drile and Kenton and the moment when Ais votes for the Diem. These moments wove the story, art, and writing together very well and actually made me really enjoy this third moment. The story itself was left quite unresolved. Although I didn't love this graphic novel series, I did enjoy it enough. If more will come out, I will be sure to pick them up. I am interested in seeing Darkside, exploring religion, finding out how Khriss becomes a world-hopper etc. I literally also just realised that Hoid made an appearance at the end when Baon shows a HUGE affinity for sand mastery. Overall, story was enticing and much better than previous instalments. That being said, there were a bunch of small moments that I really didn't care about. For example: Aarik turning all dark and emo. Like ok, but why then does nothing change later anyway? He turns and disappears. This is why I hope there is a Volume 4, I need explanations and more "fleshing out" of characters, the world, and other plot-lines.

Writing : ★★★.25
This is yet another aspect that kept improving. Where it was the worst by far element of the first volume, it is a strong element. The language is purposeful. Most of the dialogue is engaging and doesn't sound/seem fake. The writing's placement was also useful when it came to creating emotional moments and explanations that didn't seem like what happened in the first volume. Nice improvement.

Art : ★★★
I really have nothing new to add here, for thoughts see my review of Volume 2. (scroll down)

-----------------------
Books in Cosmere:
Mistborn: Era 1
#1 The Final Empire: ★★★.5
#2 The Well of Ascension: ★★★★.25
#3 The Hero of Ages: ★★★★.5
Era 2
#1 The Alloy of Law: ★★★
#2 Shadows of Self: ★★★.25
#3 The Bands of Mourning: ★★★.5

Novellas / Short-Stories:
Mistborn: Secret History: ★★★★.25
The Emperor's Soul: ★★★★.25

Standalones:
Elantris: ★★★.5
Warbreaker: ★★★.75

The Stormlight Archive:
#1 The Way of Kings: ★★★★★
#2 Words of Radiance: ★★★★.75

White Sand:
#1 Volume One: ★★
#2 Volume Two: ★★★
#3 Volume Three: ★★★.25

[Jenny Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kyriaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

Μου άρεσε περισσότερο από τον δεύτερο τόμο αλλά λιγότερο από τον πρώτο.
Ο πρώτος τόμος νιώθω μου έδωσε υποσχέσεις που εν τέλει δεν εκπληρώθηκαν. Ή μπορεί απλά εγώ να ήθελα παραπάνω πράγματα από την ιστορία. Δεν ήταν κακό, μια χαρά ήταν, απλά η πλοκή μου φάνηκε λίγο φτωχή και θα ήθελα να είχε πάει λίγο παραπέρα.
Ξέρω ότι δεν υπάρχουν σχέδια για συνέχεια αλλά εγώ θα ήθελα να δω κι άλλα πράγματα από αυτόν τον κόσμο καθώς θεωρώ ότι είχε πολλές δυνατότητες αλλά δεν αξιοποιήθηκαν και πολλά πράγματα έμειναν ανεξερεύνητα!

Τώρα όσο αναφορά το σχέδιο....σε γενικές γραμμές μου άρεσε! Δεν υπήρχαν οι κουραστικές λεπτομέρειες που είχε το πρώτο (κατα τη γνώμη μου βελτιώθηκε και η γκαρνταρόμπα της Khriss) αλλά για να είμαι ειλικρινής υπήρχαν φορές που μου έλειπαν, κυρίως στις σκηνές που είχαμε έλεγχο της άμμου, γιατί νομίζω τις έκανε πιο εντυπωσιακές.

[Juraj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best of the three volumes. Art is better than the last chapter of Vol. 2, though I did prefer the original artist of Vol.1 and 2. Dialogues are somewhat improved. They're not as cringe anymore, except for Ais's inner thoughts. She's set up for a sequel which I will surely not touch.

[André Oliveira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely the best of the trilogy in my opinion.
My overall feeling after finishing this trilogy is confusion. I would 100% prefer to read this as a full novel. There were so many names and locations in so few pages!

[Manisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was unsure whether my lack of enjoyment of the series stemmed from the story being lacking or whether it was due to Brandon Sanderson’s work not being effectively translated into a graphic novel format. As I have completed this series, I can safely assume that it is a bit of both.

Elantris was my least favourite Sanderson story… until now. Considering the fact that my love for Sanderson’s work increases with each new book, I think the story of White Sands, although a compelling premise, is not as well-thought out, interesting, fun or brilliant as his later works.

The story would have benefited more from being a full fledged book series instead of being condensed into a heavy, confusing mess that was this graphic novel series.

Images and a few thought bubbles is not enough to convey the complex thought process of his characters, nor the intricate world and it’s magical rules.

Personally, I don’t believe that Brandon Sanderson can shine through the graphic novel format.

[nika.ex.libris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked the vibe and the idea, but it was kind of boring

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very strong comic. The story may not be totally unique, but it is pulled off well and it is definitely a trademark Sanderson. Happy ends and all. :)

All the threads are tied up and while it is left open for continued adventures, the core story was very satisfying.

My only complaint? I DO want more. :) But then, Sanderson's tales are perfect for that, no?

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brandon Sanderson's first novel, never before published, rewritten as a graphic novel. Our main character is Kenton, a sand mage of little power but great control. He's recently taken over the leadership of the Sand Masters guild and is struggling to win the approval of the other guilds before they can vote to disband the guild. Sanderson still provides us with a highly detailed, fully realized world, it's just that it is mostly presented to you visually instead of in words. The art is quite good. There's definitely some nice world building here. I think my enjoyment of the books would have improved had I read the entire story at once, instead of each volume being a year apart. There's a lot of characters to maintain track of and new words to remember the meaning of.

Received a review copy from Dynamite and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have started my foray into reading Brandon Sanderson and his well-known Cosmere books. For those who are new to reading Sanderson, the Cosmere is his fictional universe in which most of his fantasy books share a single creation myth, a single cosmology, that includes underlying theorems of magic for all those connected worlds. There is a large tapestry of history and cross-over of characters and storylines.

I am in the middle of my Cosmere journey, having finished “Elantris”, “Warbreaker”, “Mistborn” (Era 1 and the first three books of Era 2) trilogy, the first two books in the “Stormlight Archive” series, and “Arcanum Unbounded”.

Next up has been my search for the rare and very expensive three volumes of Sanderson’s “White Sand” graphic novels. Not an easy one. Luckily, my local library carries all three volumes, so I was able to reserve all three of them. When I got my hands on them, I was surprised by what good shape they were in.

“White Sand” is a fantasy graphic novel series that Sanderson worked with Rik Hsoskin to write; artwork provided by Julius Gopez, Cassandra James, and Fritz Casas; lettering by Marshall Dillon; and coloring by Sophie Campbell.

It was originally published in 3 volumes by Dynamite Entertainment - #1 in June, 2016; #2 in February 2018; and # in September 2019. An anniversary edition that collected all 3 volumes in a “White Sand Omnibus” was also published in December, 2022. These editions are rare and usually cost hundreds to even thousands of dollars, depending on the seller and availability. You can also buy an electronic copy of the “Omnibus” edition on the Amazon Kindle format.

Sanderson has been working on his unfinished “White Sand” novel manuscript(s) for many years. He originally wrote the first version back in 1998, revised it in 2001 and 2008, and still expects to publish it at some point in the future. For now, we have the graphic novels to read and enjoy.

Please note that rather than providing a review of each of the 3 volumes, I am writing a single review that combines all of them together since they are all one complete story with a beginning, middle and end. Call it an “Omnibus” review.

“White Sand” is an essential part of Sanderson’s Cosmere connected novels and short stories. It takes place on a desert world of Taldain, where half of the planet is covered by darkness every day, and the other half is covered in sunlight and a lot of sand. It is full of typical Sanderson elements – multiple characters and storylines, magic systems, history and culture, and strong worldbuilding

The story involves multiple characters and plotlines that intersect and collide in typical Sanderson style:

-Kenton, a Daysider young man is training to become a Sand Master by harnessing an arcane magic that manipulates sand, including turning it into water.

-Khrissalia (or “Khriss”), a mysterious scholar from the Darkside of Taldain, has traveled to Dayside searching for her missing fiancé, as well as the secrets of sand mastery/

- Ais, a senior Kerztian law enforcement agent, searching for a criminal mastermind that has been terrorizing her people while battling personal guilt over her feelings towards sand mastery.

Surprisingly, this is a pretty ambitious project to take on, trying to bring Sanderson’s Cosmere into a graphic comic format. Not an easy thing to do by any means, but I can see why Brandon specifically choose “White Sand” as his first experiment in such a visually focused medium.

For me, there were some things that worked and some things that didn’t work as well. Let me also, add that my comments are based on reading the three volumes, and not the omnibus, in which I understand several corrections were made to fix and strengthen continuity and presentation issues.

I liked the overall characters, storylines, and worldbuilding. I liked Kenton and the conflicts he faced with several challenges to overcome in a very short period of time. Sanderson created some really strong conflict and Kenton’s weak sand mastery added to the tension of the story. I also liked Khriss. I really “liked” Khriss. She was smart, analytical, and to be honest, absolutely beautiful in comic form. She was mesmerizing, and knowing that she will likely play a key role in the “Cosmere” universe only added to her allure. Just be aware that this was pretty much presented as a one-off story and did not address Khriss’s greater “Cosmere” role that has been insinuated in Brandon’s other works, so we’ll have to wait on any future developments.

I also enjoyed the multiple plotlines and how they intersected and connected throughout the overall arc of the story. We had magic systems, history, political intrigue, culture and religious conflict, environmental influences to name a few. The concept of a world that stays half covered by the sun and half covered in the dark (my guess is that the planet does not revolve like the earth does) creates several interesting differences for the two cultures living there. That’s for sure

At the same time, there were some things that I struggled with. The art and wording had moments that came across as really busy. I had to slow down my reading multiple times to make sure I was reading in the right direction and confirm who was saying what. Also, when the artists changed, it was hard on the eyes adjusting from one to the other. It was a tough distraction.

Another thing I struggled with was the pacing. At times it was smooth (especially in Volume I), but at others, it was rushed, and the payoffs didn’t always seem to deliver the emotional impact that I was hoping for. I am not sure if it was how Sanderson delivered the story to the comic writer, or if it was how the comic was written, but for me it feels like the latter. I would also add that a major factor for most of my complaints is that this graphic novel project was done earlier in Sanderson’s career, and if he were to do it again now, the overall art and quality would be significantly improved.

Let’s wrap up. Overall, I was rather surprised that most of Sanderson’s style was able to show up as well as it did. Even with my constructive comments, it was an enjoyable read and left me wanting to read the novel version when Sanderson finally gets it published.

[Etienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the better on of the three. Even if not that good, there was more action, some characters finally grow a personality and the story evolve a bit more. Unfortunately the art was not able to pass the action scene at a high enough level and some parts of the story just seem very repetitive. I thoughts it was suppose to be a third volume series but the ending seem to have place for a continuity, which if it happens, I won't continue with, I've seen what I want to see with this series...

[Clare Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listeennnnnnn....Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors of all time, but reading this just told me I really gotta go back to reading his books because this was just...NOT IT YA’LL. I truly think that Sanderson’s work is just too big for something like a graphic novel, even if it is 3 volumes. I felt constantly lost during this third one, and the pacing was super off. I was constantly going “uh who? Uh what? Uh HOW?” the entire time.

Also, the freaking characters were like white sand like IDK they just didn’t stick out to me at all. The one guy I liked (honestly don’t remember his name all of the names start with K or D in this and THEY ALL SOUNDED THE SAME) randomly turned into like a totally different person with zero explanation?? Basically, I think if someone had picked this up to be published as a book-book, it probably wouldn’t have been my favorite Sanderson book (I mean it’s the first thing he ever wrote, the story isn’t going to be as grand or developed as today’s stuff), but it would have been so much better. I would have really seen the world and the characters, and in this format I never really felt any development whatsoever.

The only reason I read this was to finish the story up...I think this was the last one, anyway. I kinda hope so lol. But also, this entire series was spent in one section of the world? Like we never went to the dark side of the world or whatever????

Basically, just stick to Brandon Sanderson’s books, because I think that’s where he shines. I really need to get back into them and remind myself of why I love him and his writing so much.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Sand Volume 3 is the third and final instalment in the White Sand trilogy. I flipped back and forth between rating Volume 3 four or five stars. After writing this review, I settled on four star.

The reason I rated Volume 3 four stars instead of five is that the story is tied up too quickly and conveniently. Though it leaves the door open for future stories, the political obstacles Kenton had to overcome were set up too high to be brought down that quickly believably.

However, I enjoyed the political obstacles Kenton had to overcome immensely. They were difficult and forced Kenton to think differently and grow as a character.

One of the reasons I enjoyed White Sand so much was seeing a new world in the Cosmere. Taldain is a tidally locked planet, meaning that half of the planet is constantly dark while the other light. I wish we could have explored more of the planet since we never see Dark Side, but because of the nature of the story and format there was no space or time for such exploration.

As for the artwork, it grew on me. When the art changed in the second volume, I was incredibly disappointed. However, in this volume I enjoyed its simplicity, especially in the action heavy scenes. I honestly forgot the artwork changed, even having reread it the day before.

Overall, White Sand is another great addition to Sanderson’s Cosmere. I hope we get more from this world in the future because there is still a lot to unpack.

[Rian *fire and books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is still just an okay series. I’m grateful we got a good artist to complete the series and it was nice to have some mysteries laid to bed. The downside is there’s a lot of stuff dropped in the ending so book 2 feels lacking in plot due to this.

It doesn’t dive into the cosmere, investiture, or anything that really screams “Brandon Sanderson” beyond the magic either. And while it’s obvious Kenton is the main character here, I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone else just considers this a backstory for Khriss.

As with any graphic novel finale, it was a mostly clean ending and decently wrapped up. (We’re just gonna ignore Arrik apparently?)


Overall the series is just average for me. The initial artwork and the choices they made with the first volume turned me off from buying it. I’ll consider buying an omnibus for the series... but I’m unlikely to pick this up again. It lost a lot of the humor of a BS work for me and it’s not something I’d be able to pick up and read anytime (see artwork volume one and most of 2).



And not to drive the point home further... this really does not introduce anything to the cosmere lexicon. It is very much a stand-alone series and I’d personally consider it to be cosmere adjacent more than anything. About the only thing you learn is sand magic can only be used on Dayside and Khriss’s backstory.

[Eli24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

این ولوم در کل به نسبت دوتا قبلی خیلی بهتر بود ولی اخرش چندتا سوال کوچیک بی جواب برامون موند. نمیدونم سندرسون برنامه داره که باز از وایت سند و این سیاره بنویسه یا نه ولی امیدوارم که بنویسه چون تازه جادوی شن داشت خودشو پیدا میکرد🚶🏻‍♀️
از اونجایی که رو شخصیت کریش کراش زدم بازم میگم که کریس خیلی خوبه😁

پ.ن: این اتونومی دقیقا چه مرگشه؟ نمیفهمم🚶🏻‍♀️

[Marnie (Enchanted Bibliophile) · Rating 2 out of 5]

”You are striding atop a very thin wall, my friend. Loyalty is a difficult thing to divide.”



I’m still not sure how this fits into the Cosmere. Because that is the only reason that I kept reading these Graphic novels. It doesn’t seem to belong to the awesomeness that is Brandon Sanderson.

I’ve seen some people got the unpublished novel for White Sand, and that interest me much more than these Graphic novels. SO if anyone can tell me where I can find the novel?? I would love to see if my opinion of the story will change once I have a fuller view of everything.

[Matías Racedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still firmly believe it would have been so much better to read this as a novel. I liked the story, there's a lot of potential here, it's just hard to compress that into the graphic format. I definitely want to know more about Taldain, and these characters, so I can't wait to read whatever Sanderson throw at as next haha.

[aria ✧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm. Definitely Sanderson’s weakest series

[Marta Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've heard so much about this author and when given the opportunity to read this graphic novel I jumped at the chance to sample some of his work. I'm honestly disappointed as I just didn't really connect with any of the characters although I will admit its not the first instalment in this series so it's possible that affected my judgment. To be blunt I'd expected a lot more action. I do realise the plot of this book revolves around Kenton learning how to master his powers over sand but it's bogged down a lot by all the political machinations around him. I think I just found Kenton wanting and the only character I even half liked was Ais because she's capable and loyal.
As for the artwork I thought it was stylized and quite stark. It was colourful but at times I struggled to connect the dialogue with which character was saying it. That all having been said I thought the vibrant use of ochre tones went exceedingly well with this world with magic controlling sand.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

[Caleb M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐ overall

Listen, I love White Sand. Sure, this isn't Sanderson's typical format, and sure, the artist changed partway through. But story? And great characters? And twists and turns? This stuff is all here! I love how Taldain (the world here) has a lightside and a darkside. It's interesting and already creates a unique planet. Sand powers!? Oh yes please! And I'm pretty much a fan of every single character on this book! It was especially nice to get closer to princess Khrissala as she is the one who writes the Ars Arcanum in all the other Cosmere works.

My only complaint with this book (series) is that it ends in a spot where there is so much more to, obviously, tell! I don't want to spoil anything but it really felt like we were just getting started in Taldain!

So pleeeaaassee! Sanderson, pleeeaaassee, I need more White Sand/Taldain books.

If you like Sanderson read these. Go in knowing it a different format. Go in knowing the artist changes partway through. And then just sit back and enjoy this awesome world with it's awesome characters.

[Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know if this was badly adapted or if Sanderson’s work doesn’t translate well to this format but this series has been disappointing. It’s not terrible but it’s not half as good as I was expecting it to be.

Sanderson’s books are packed with imagination, style and character – White Sands feels lacklustre in comparison. As the final volume in the series it tied everything up and parts of it were entertaining, but overall it wasn’t particularly engaging and the pacing was off. It’s a shame as there are some great ideas here!

I probably wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re a die-hard Sanderson fan.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dynamite for providing this book in return for an honest review.

[John Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out the cover of White Sand, Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson:



White Sand, Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson will be released on June 25, 2019.

[Jay Targaryen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 5/10


White Sand: Volume 3 is the best volume of the series. There were some great twists and revelations, some were predictable and some I completely didn't see coming. This volume also answers all lingering questions and wraps up the series in a nice way. White Sand is easily the weakest of Brandon Sanderson's works, but I at least had some fun with this last volume.



Image: Kenton and Khriss


[Pros]:

-Great twists and revelations

-Nice conclusion and wrap-up of the series


[Cons]:

-Cringy dialogue

-Not that engaging of a story


*My Rating System*

5 Stars (9-10): Amazing
4 Stars (7-9): Really Good to Great
3 Stars (5-7): Average to Good
2 Stars (3-5): Bad to Mediocre
1 Star (1-3): Terrible

[Cami L. González · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admito que ya para el tercer volumen estaba metida en la historia y me preocupaba por sus personajes. No tanto como con otros, pero aún así. En especial Khriss que ahora puedo ver su aporte al Cosmere (me gusta, al fin, después de tanto tiempo estar viendo las conexiones).

Entiendo que Sanderson sacara esta historia en novela gráfica porque así seguía avanzando en la construcción del Cosmere sin requerir tanto trabajo con nuevos libros, pues la historia la tenía escrita. Según entiendo, la segunda versión es su octavo libro. Así que no tengo quejas al respecto, además, poder entender el uso de la arena en batalla fue mucho más cómodo y sencillo con los dibujos.

Ya con eso dicho, repetiré que los personajes tardaron en encariñarme. Leí el prólogo y el primer capítulo tipo novela del Arcanum y confirma mi idea de que así hubiera sido mejor, pero como dije antes, lo entiendo. De todos modos, para el final me cayeron mejor y disfruté mucho más de la historia y los hilos. Aunque varios quedaron bastante abiertos como Aarik, que quizá no comprendí del todo, sí entendí lo que sucedió con él, pero no lo comprendí. O con Ais y toda su duda espiritual. Quedó bastante abierto para el futuro.

Al final lo que más rescato de las novelas fue haber conocido a Duchess Khrissalla, poder hacer la conexión con otros relatos y con el mismo Arcanum. Me gustó mucho como personaje, más que el mismo Kenton que quizá caía más en lo típico del héroe.

[Shelby M. (Read and Find Out) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall rating: 2 stars

Style/writing: 3 stars
Themes: 2.5 stars
Characters: 2 stars
Plot: 1 star
Worldbuilding: 3 stars
Art: 1 star