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White Sand [Dramatized Adaptation] #3
White Sand: Volume Three [Dramatized Adaptation]
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.
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.
Audiobook
Published October 22, 2019
6 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
396 books284k followersI’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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 29, 2021
In the final push Kenton still is looking for votes to save the DM, he is also fighting off assassins, preparing for a duel to the death and trying to figure out what kind of Mastral he wants to be going forward for the DM. Where are the lines he will and won’t cross for his people?
Khriss has been a great help to Kenton and she really wants to know what the secrets of the magical sand is to bring back to her people. The only trouble is that there may be a traitor in her midst and she really isn’t safe. She has her own reasons to make sure Kenton succeeds and those include having allies on Lightside.
There are some nice sized revelations and turnabouts in the last book of this trilogy. I really enjoyed how a few things played out for various people. The best by far was the revenge a certain drunkard was able to pull off.
The ending of this series leaves plenty of room for more stories in this world, but I found it really satisfying for most of the characters. All of the bigger players are left in a place where they could have their own book down the line as they deal with some of the repercussions from the events that changed them in White Sands.
Khriss has been a great help to Kenton and she really wants to know what the secrets of the magical sand is to bring back to her people. The only trouble is that there may be a traitor in her midst and she really isn’t safe. She has her own reasons to make sure Kenton succeeds and those include having allies on Lightside.
There are some nice sized revelations and turnabouts in the last book of this trilogy. I really enjoyed how a few things played out for various people. The best by far was the revenge a certain drunkard was able to pull off.
The ending of this series leaves plenty of room for more stories in this world, but I found it really satisfying for most of the characters. All of the bigger players are left in a place where they could have their own book down the line as they deal with some of the repercussions from the events that changed them in White Sands.
September 8, 2020
About the Series -I was very eager to read this from quite some time and why not?? Cosmere and Comic Books are two of my favorite things. The low ratings didn't bother me much because I had a fair idea about the reason. In my opinion its majorly because the target reader group for this book are quite used to Sanderson's great detailing. Whether it's magic system, world building, plot development or character development, he takes you on a journey with his novels. Obviously that level of detailing was not possible here due to this medium's limitations. So I read this keeping in mind all that and I actually loved it.
Yeah! People who complain that it feels a little rushed aren't wrong. But it wasn't supposed to be a graphic novel in the first place. This was the first novel Sanderson finished. Elantris was the sixth novel he finished although that became his first published work. Sanderson himself was not quite happy with the first version of "White Sand". In his own word he thought it was one part "Dune", one part "The Wheel of Time" and one part "Les Misérables". So he re-wrote the whole thing this time as his 8th novel and this time he was quite happy with the content. However, he didn't get any publisher for any of his work until that time. By the time he got published (via Elantris) "Mistborn" was taking shape in his mind so amidst all the MISTS the SANDS (white or black) were forgotten. See what I did there :3
Anyway! When he got the proposal of writing a graphic novel for Dynamite he offered them the white sands and they happily obliged. So actually it's an adaptation of that novel written by Sanderson in 1999. So if you are looking for an actual novel with all the detailing of Sanderson level then probably you should read the actual prose by him. It's easily available on his website. Also if you want something in-between then you can go for the audiobook adaptation by Graphic Audio, which is an absolute treat. I have read all three for good measure, but here I will talk about the graphic novel and audiobook.
This is a story set on a planet Taldain, which is one of the most bizarre planets in the cosmere. It is tidally locked between the gravitational forces of two stars. The smaller star is a weak white dwarf and the side facing that is known as darkside. On the other side of the planet is dayside, which is primarily a vast sandy desert. This side faces a blue-white supergiant star.
About this volume - The story in this last part is majorly dedicated to Kenton's fight to save the DIEM and uncover the mystery of attack on lord Mastrells. Along the road it also tell us the story of Khriss / Gevin, Aarik and Ais. So all the things I expect from a Sanderson story was there in the story - a great magic system, awesome new world, diverse characters, interesting political elements etc. The only thing which gives away the fact that it's one of his initial work is the climax (I am talking about the series climax here). It generally comes with the usual "Sanderson Avalanche", which was not the case here. Infact for the first time I was able to guess one out of two major mysteries of the book. Nontheless it was a well written and all aspect covered climax.
So overall - A good story with an average graphic novel adaptation and a more than decent audiobook adaptation. 4.25 Stars for the audiobook and 3.75 stars for the graphic novel.
P.S. Graphic audio is quite cool. It's a bit expensive but worth it.
Yeah! People who complain that it feels a little rushed aren't wrong. But it wasn't supposed to be a graphic novel in the first place. This was the first novel Sanderson finished. Elantris was the sixth novel he finished although that became his first published work. Sanderson himself was not quite happy with the first version of "White Sand". In his own word he thought it was one part "Dune", one part "The Wheel of Time" and one part "Les Misérables". So he re-wrote the whole thing this time as his 8th novel and this time he was quite happy with the content. However, he didn't get any publisher for any of his work until that time. By the time he got published (via Elantris) "Mistborn" was taking shape in his mind so amidst all the MISTS the SANDS (white or black) were forgotten. See what I did there :3
Anyway! When he got the proposal of writing a graphic novel for Dynamite he offered them the white sands and they happily obliged. So actually it's an adaptation of that novel written by Sanderson in 1999. So if you are looking for an actual novel with all the detailing of Sanderson level then probably you should read the actual prose by him. It's easily available on his website. Also if you want something in-between then you can go for the audiobook adaptation by Graphic Audio, which is an absolute treat. I have read all three for good measure, but here I will talk about the graphic novel and audiobook.
This is a story set on a planet Taldain, which is one of the most bizarre planets in the cosmere. It is tidally locked between the gravitational forces of two stars. The smaller star is a weak white dwarf and the side facing that is known as darkside. On the other side of the planet is dayside, which is primarily a vast sandy desert. This side faces a blue-white supergiant star.
About this volume - The story in this last part is majorly dedicated to Kenton's fight to save the DIEM and uncover the mystery of attack on lord Mastrells. Along the road it also tell us the story of Khriss / Gevin, Aarik and Ais. So all the things I expect from a Sanderson story was there in the story - a great magic system, awesome new world, diverse characters, interesting political elements etc. The only thing which gives away the fact that it's one of his initial work is the climax (I am talking about the series climax here). It generally comes with the usual "Sanderson Avalanche", which was not the case here. Infact for the first time I was able to guess one out of two major mysteries of the book. Nontheless it was a well written and all aspect covered climax.
So overall - A good story with an average graphic novel adaptation and a more than decent audiobook adaptation. 4.25 Stars for the audiobook and 3.75 stars for the graphic novel.
P.S. Graphic audio is quite cool. It's a bit expensive but worth it.
March 16, 2021
A conclusão das histórias de Kenton, Krissalla, Ais e todos os personagens que os cercam. White Sand foi melhor do que esperava, com história interessante e personagens carismáticos. Quero elogiar também o tratamento dos personagens femininos pelo autor, pois se sabe que no gênero literário Fantasia existem múltiplos exemplos de como NÃO escrever personagens femininos. Mas os personagens femininos de White sand eram fortes, seus recursos e atributos nada tinham relacionado a sexualidade, eram determinadas, tinham seus próprios planos e objetivos. Nota 10.
O protagonista também é carismático e eu gostei do desenvolvimento de seu personagem ao longo dos 3 volumes. Houveram riscos e houveram perdas, algumas me afetaram mais do que esperava. Em geral foi uma "aventura" bastante interessante e agradável.
O protagonista também é carismático e eu gostei do desenvolvimento de seu personagem ao longo dos 3 volumes. Houveram riscos e houveram perdas, algumas me afetaram mais do que esperava. Em geral foi uma "aventura" bastante interessante e agradável.
April 26, 2025
AB|🇬🇧
3.25🌟
Ya know, I finally got into the story and its already over
3.25🌟
Ya know, I finally got into the story and its already over
May 11, 2022
This one's better than volume two but not as good as the first one.. Everyone's plot wraps up a little too nicely except Erik, poor guy. He had the best quote in the whole series for me -
Responsibility kills. It sucks the soul out of a man and leaves him a poor imitation of what he could have been.
Overall this series is like 3/5. Only read if you're binging the Cosmere. Once is good enough.
Responsibility kills. It sucks the soul out of a man and leaves him a poor imitation of what he could have been.
Overall this series is like 3/5. Only read if you're binging the Cosmere. Once is good enough.
October 15, 2023
This whole series would be better as a novel, with a bit better characterisation and depth, but a fun time on audio nonetheless.
April 26, 2025
O volume 3 da graphic novel de White Sand é eletrizante.
Excelente finalização dessa história que ainda nos deixa intrigados e querendo saber mais e mais sobre esse mundo e seu sistema de magia.
Achei um pouco acelerado em algumas partes, mas acho que por ser uma graphic novel e não um livro em si, soa como algo que é esperado. Novamente digo que se fosse um livro, tenho certeza que seria muito melhor conduzido e com um desenvolvimento gigantesco.
É provavelmente meu volume preferido, consegui criar um vínculo maior com os personagens nesse terceiro volume, a história começou a me deixar mais e mais intrigada e chegando nas partes finais, eu já estava bem apreensiva com o que poderia acontecer.
Em resumo, para uma pessoa como eu, que não consume graphics novels, eu achei White Sand ok, não é nada que você diga "nossa isso soa como Brandon Sanderson" mas é tipo um "ok dá pra ler" ou então "vou fazer esse esforço porque é do Brandon Sanderson e da Cosmere".
Não é tão bem desenvolvido, mas tem seu início, e seu fim, e ao mesmo tempo, Brandon também deixa algumas coisas em aberto para outros possíveis livros, e isso talvez se torne o suficiente para ser lido caso optem pela opção de "vou fazer esse esforço porque é do Brandon Sanderson e da Cosmere".
"The diem is changing, Khriss. you can be a part of that change. you should be."
"Sand mastery is something you feel, duchess, not something you write about."
"Knowing your enemy is a plan that can pay dividends."
"Take the sand, feel its grains.
Then you speak to it, from deep within, like projecting your voice when you make a speech in a large room."
"Nothing is worth the expectations, the responsibility for other men's deaths, to kill so that others do not have to. Nothing.
It destroys a man until he escapes (...)"
"Sand mastery and alcohol do not ."
"A leader must be prepared to take responsibility for his actions. Men live or die depending on his ability to make decisions."
"A man who is not buried in deep sand never finds his way to the sand lord's embrace, Delius."
"A warrior's burden is to carry the pain of others, duchess, as well as his own."
"No sand masters die under my watch, not today... not ever."
Excelente finalização dessa história que ainda nos deixa intrigados e querendo saber mais e mais sobre esse mundo e seu sistema de magia.
Achei um pouco acelerado em algumas partes, mas acho que por ser uma graphic novel e não um livro em si, soa como algo que é esperado. Novamente digo que se fosse um livro, tenho certeza que seria muito melhor conduzido e com um desenvolvimento gigantesco.
É provavelmente meu volume preferido, consegui criar um vínculo maior com os personagens nesse terceiro volume, a história começou a me deixar mais e mais intrigada e chegando nas partes finais, eu já estava bem apreensiva com o que poderia acontecer.
Em resumo, para uma pessoa como eu, que não consume graphics novels, eu achei White Sand ok, não é nada que você diga "nossa isso soa como Brandon Sanderson" mas é tipo um "ok dá pra ler" ou então "vou fazer esse esforço porque é do Brandon Sanderson e da Cosmere".
Não é tão bem desenvolvido, mas tem seu início, e seu fim, e ao mesmo tempo, Brandon também deixa algumas coisas em aberto para outros possíveis livros, e isso talvez se torne o suficiente para ser lido caso optem pela opção de "vou fazer esse esforço porque é do Brandon Sanderson e da Cosmere".
"The diem is changing, Khriss. you can be a part of that change. you should be."
"Sand mastery is something you feel, duchess, not something you write about."
"Knowing your enemy is a plan that can pay dividends."
"Take the sand, feel its grains.
Then you speak to it, from deep within, like projecting your voice when you make a speech in a large room."
"Nothing is worth the expectations, the responsibility for other men's deaths, to kill so that others do not have to. Nothing.
It destroys a man until he escapes (...)"
"Sand mastery and alcohol do not ."
"A leader must be prepared to take responsibility for his actions. Men live or die depending on his ability to make decisions."
"A man who is not buried in deep sand never finds his way to the sand lord's embrace, Delius."
"A warrior's burden is to carry the pain of others, duchess, as well as his own."
"No sand masters die under my watch, not today... not ever."
September 14, 2024
Дуже сподобалось!
Якщо чесно, не очікувала нічого особливого, але отримала типово хорошу сандерсонівську історію в межах космеру.
Тут традиційно для автора є оригінальний світ (чергова планета космеру, що зависла в просторі без руху, через що одна її сторона постійно під сонячним світлом, а інша - занурена в вічну ніч і темряву), класна «пісочна» система магії (пісок, як магічна субстанція тут чимось нагадує спори з «Тресс»), досить цікавий сюжет та персонажі.
Загалом це не та серія, з якої треба починати знайомство з автором і його всесвітом, але для фанатів і тих, хто збирає всі можливі пазлики космеру, однозначно варто ознайомитись і з цією історією.
Із задоволенням прочитала б повноцінний роман в цьому світі.
P.S. Слухала аудіокнигу. Цікаво тепер погортати і оригінальний графічний роман, бо я не впевнена, що ця історія в такому форматі сподобалася б так само сильно.
Якщо чесно, не очікувала нічого особливого, але отримала типово хорошу сандерсонівську історію в межах космеру.
Тут традиційно для автора є оригінальний світ (чергова планета космеру, що зависла в просторі без руху, через що одна її сторона постійно під сонячним світлом, а інша - занурена в вічну ніч і темряву), класна «пісочна» система магії (пісок, як магічна субстанція тут чимось нагадує спори з «Тресс»), досить цікавий сюжет та персонажі.
Загалом це не та серія, з якої треба починати знайомство з автором і його всесвітом, але для фанатів і тих, хто збирає всі можливі пазлики космеру, однозначно варто ознайомитись і з цією історією.
Із задоволенням прочитала б повноцінний роман в цьому світі.
P.S. Слухала аудіокнигу. Цікаво тепер погортати і оригінальний графічний роман, бо я не впевнена, що ця історія в такому форматі сподобалася б так само сильно.
February 7, 2024
Part of my great Cosmere Re-read via the Graphic Audio versions of the Sanderson's works. This went from a 3-star read (I'm not a fan of graphic novels) all the way to 5 stars with this great performance and adaptation that really fleshes out and milks details, story, and world building. If you're a Cosmere completionist and haven't ready White Sand yet, I highly recommend this version!
------------------------------------------------
The following is the original review I wrote after reading soley the original, graphic novel version Jan/Feb. 2021:
It pains me to give this only 3 stars, as everything else by Sanderson set in the Cosmere is worthy of five stars. I'm just not a huge fan of the graphic novel format. I mean, it's ok, I just have no experience with it. I'm not even a big fan of the artistic style in this one. It's kind of grainy, and not in the ooh, "grains of sand" type. Also, the magic system wasn't really set on display at all yet. I have no idea what a Sand Mage can even do other than levitate and a few can make water. Perhaps this will feature more in parts 2 and 3? I don't know. I guess I have to read the novella/short story now that this is based on.
------------------------------------------------
The following is the original review I wrote after reading soley the original, graphic novel version Jan/Feb. 2021:
It pains me to give this only 3 stars, as everything else by Sanderson set in the Cosmere is worthy of five stars. I'm just not a huge fan of the graphic novel format. I mean, it's ok, I just have no experience with it. I'm not even a big fan of the artistic style in this one. It's kind of grainy, and not in the ooh, "grains of sand" type. Also, the magic system wasn't really set on display at all yet. I have no idea what a Sand Mage can even do other than levitate and a few can make water. Perhaps this will feature more in parts 2 and 3? I don't know. I guess I have to read the novella/short story now that this is based on.
September 20, 2023
The Graphic Audio versions made this a 5-star experience for me. I shame facedly admit that I even let my children listen to it. We all LOVED it.
Read
July 18, 2025Additional Thoughts:
Barely worth it for the Cosmere lore. Pretty forgettable.
Favourite Quote:
Barely worth it for the Cosmere lore. Pretty forgettable.
Favourite Quote:
Collin’s Big Feelings Rubric:
5.0 - That Feeling
5.0 - That Feeling
Unforgettable. Genome-Altering.
4.5 - Spectacular
Only missing that five-star feeling.
4.0 - Great
I loved this. Very small quirks.
3.5 - Good
I highly enjoyed this, small issues hold it back.
3.0 - Fine
I enjoyed reading this, but was left wanting more.
2.5 - Mediocre
Leaves little to remember, positive or negative.
2.0 - Flawed
I had major issues, but moments of interest.
1.5 - Bad
Nothing worked for me.
1.0 - Awful
I would dissuade others from reading this.
September 9, 2024
White Sand Volume 3 delivers a thrilling conclusion to the trilogy, filled with political intrigue, personal battles, and unexpected revelations. Kenton's struggle to save the DM is intensified by the constant threat of assassination and the internal conflict of determining his own path as a sand master.
Khriss continues to be a valuable ally, offering her expertise and support while navigating her own challenges. The introduction of a potential traitor adds an extra layer of suspense and intrigue to the story.
The final volume offers several satisfying character arcs and unexpected plot twists. The revenge exacted by a certain drunkard is particularly memorable, showcasing the series' ability to deliver unexpected and impactful moments.
While the ending provides a sense of closure, it also leaves room for future stories within this rich and complex world. The characters' experiences and the lingering consequences of the events in White Sands offer ample opportunities for further exploration.
Khriss continues to be a valuable ally, offering her expertise and support while navigating her own challenges. The introduction of a potential traitor adds an extra layer of suspense and intrigue to the story.
The final volume offers several satisfying character arcs and unexpected plot twists. The revenge exacted by a certain drunkard is particularly memorable, showcasing the series' ability to deliver unexpected and impactful moments.
While the ending provides a sense of closure, it also leaves room for future stories within this rich and complex world. The characters' experiences and the lingering consequences of the events in White Sands offer ample opportunities for further exploration.
February 23, 2025
once again, its okay.
something i didnt mention in the previous volumes is that sometimes there's repetition between the narration and dialogue. its like they were given descriptions of a scene but also wanted to recite the dialogue from the comic verbatim, some of which is there solely to describe the scenes. i havent fully read white sand prose yet, so im not sure if there are answers for this in there, but its odd. the story will go "y/n appeared in the [setting]. the sand was white and he is going to use it for something. 'man, the sand sure is white,' he said, 'and i am going to use it for something.'" and, if i can be so honest, it drives me a little insane sometimes.
something i didnt mention in the previous volumes is that sometimes there's repetition between the narration and dialogue. its like they were given descriptions of a scene but also wanted to recite the dialogue from the comic verbatim, some of which is there solely to describe the scenes. i havent fully read white sand prose yet, so im not sure if there are answers for this in there, but its odd. the story will go "y/n appeared in the [setting]. the sand was white and he is going to use it for something. 'man, the sand sure is white,' he said, 'and i am going to use it for something.'" and, if i can be so honest, it drives me a little insane sometimes.
March 6, 2025
Read the graphic novels first. An agonizing obligation to finish the entirety of the Cosmere.
Listened to the graphic audio adaptations with a grudge, because I hadn't realized they'd existed in the first place.
Much, much more enjoyable. The story itself is an interesting one and I find myself not upset if Sanderson were to continue the storyline at large (leaves off with surprising cliffhanger).
The series would be best delivered with extensive novelization, but the artwork does serve as a welcome foundation to the narrated details of the audio and together create an enjoyable accounting at large.
Listened to the graphic audio adaptations with a grudge, because I hadn't realized they'd existed in the first place.
Much, much more enjoyable. The story itself is an interesting one and I find myself not upset if Sanderson were to continue the storyline at large (leaves off with surprising cliffhanger).
The series would be best delivered with extensive novelization, but the artwork does serve as a welcome foundation to the narrated details of the audio and together create an enjoyable accounting at large.
March 11, 2025
I've thoroughly enjoyed this series. Sanderson is excellent at creating unique magic systems. This also proves (along with some of his short stories) that he can write well even when that writing is condensed. I don't love dramatized or full-cast audiobooks usually, but this one was descent and was a great way to consume the series.
September 6, 2024
There was a lot going on in this. I felt like the action was incredible. The voice cast did great. I did like how it finished, but I think I took to long between books to really remember what all of the characters motivations and goals were.
August 7, 2024
A conclusion with some twists I didn't see coming.
February 19, 2025
Oh what a satisfying ending. I actually really enjoyed this dramatization of the graphic novel. There were quite a few twists in this part which were very fulfilling!
February 26, 2025
Everyone shut up Brandon Sanderson did it again 😭 I’m having such a blast reading through the Cosmere, so excited to read more
April 11, 2020
A decent conclusion to the story. My memory is that the unpublished prose version ended really abruptly. There seemed to be more here, though my memory is vague. Not up to Brandon's usual standard of wrapping up a story, but better than the first two volumes.
I won't continue to solely complain about the Graphic Audio format, except to point out that at one important, emotional point in the story, the music crescendoed so loudly that it was virtually impossible to tell what was being said. I know lots of people love GA, but I won't be spending my money on it again.
I hope if Brandon decides to expand the story from Taldain that future stories will be more suited to being broken into separate volumes. I'm not sure I'll be reading them, but I'm guessing I'll be tempted because of my love of the Cosmere and overall trust in Brandon.
I won't continue to solely complain about the Graphic Audio format, except to point out that at one important, emotional point in the story, the music crescendoed so loudly that it was virtually impossible to tell what was being said. I know lots of people love GA, but I won't be spending my money on it again.
I hope if Brandon decides to expand the story from Taldain that future stories will be more suited to being broken into separate volumes. I'm not sure I'll be reading them, but I'm guessing I'll be tempted because of my love of the Cosmere and overall trust in Brandon.
February 9, 2022
This review is for the GraphicAudio version of the trilogy, which is really just one longer story, since volumes 1 and 2 just sort of end abruptly. I enjoyed the story overall, and there were some cool world building elements like the implied root of the technological differences between the dark side and day side. It’s got the typical Sanderson features like a cool magic system and multiple twists. Still, I’d put it below most of the main Cosmere books, maybe on par with Elantris. The main thing I didn’t like as much is that Kenton seems too noble, given his early motivations. He starts off just wanting to prove his father wrong, and later demonstrates extreme selflessness that didn’t seem believable to me. Still, a worthwhile Cosmere entry and recommended.
February 9, 2023
A slow opening act prevents the final (TBD?) chapter in the White Sand saga from being spectacular, but elevates it above previous entries.
Sequences of action and combat are genuinely engaging and suspenseful, but political scheming by the city council and religious sects serve as the main antagonizing forces. The story feels satisfactorily concluded but, of course, there is enough wiggle room for possible follow up.
As an aside, for the audio book version, there are a few....distracting instances where obvious allusions to The Force Theme from Star Wars or Concerning Hobbits from The Lord Of The Rings played in the background. This, obviously, doesn't detract from the work itself, but is distracting in an audio format.
Sequences of action and combat are genuinely engaging and suspenseful, but political scheming by the city council and religious sects serve as the main antagonizing forces. The story feels satisfactorily concluded but, of course, there is enough wiggle room for possible follow up.
As an aside, for the audio book version, there are a few....distracting instances where obvious allusions to The Force Theme from Star Wars or Concerning Hobbits from The Lord Of The Rings played in the background. This, obviously, doesn't detract from the work itself, but is distracting in an audio format.
August 7, 2023
This review is for the GraphicAudio version of the trilogy, which is really just one longer story, since volumes 1 and 2 just sort of end abruptly. I enjoyed the story overall, and there were some cool world building elements like the implied root of the technological differences between the dark side and day side. It’s got the typical Sanderson features like a cool magic system and multiple twists. Still, I’d put it below most of the main Cosmere books, maybe on par with Elantris. The main thing I didn’t like as much is that Kenton seems too noble, given his early motivations. He starts off just wanting to prove his father wrong, and later demonstrates extreme selflessness that didn’t seem believable to me. Still, a worthwhile Cosmere entry and recommended.
December 25, 2020
Very good. I like how everything related to the Diem was resolved. Especially liked the part where we mess with Sand Mastery to try to figure out how it works.
Not okay with how these guys broke Aarik and then it ended?! WHAT? At least someone talk to him! Don't leave the most cheerful character in depression 🙄
Hoid showed up twice and Khriss described him as a pretty young man 😂 pleaseeee, that's too much! So he's following Khriss became he's also trying to figure out how Sand Mastery works.
Not okay with how these guys broke Aarik and then it ended?! WHAT? At least someone talk to him! Don't leave the most cheerful character in depression 🙄
Hoid showed up twice and Khriss described him as a pretty young man 😂 pleaseeee, that's too much! So he's following Khriss became he's also trying to figure out how Sand Mastery works.
April 7, 2021
Review for all three volumes:
I listened to the Graphic Audio version. While not Sanderson's strongest work, I still enjoyed this series. It's a fun and quick fantasy story with action and political intrigue. The unique nature of the planet Taldain being tidally locked made for some fascinating world-building. Overall, it's a good read if you're looking to explore more stories in the Cosmere.
I listened to the Graphic Audio version. While not Sanderson's strongest work, I still enjoyed this series. It's a fun and quick fantasy story with action and political intrigue. The unique nature of the planet Taldain being tidally locked made for some fascinating world-building. Overall, it's a good read if you're looking to explore more stories in the Cosmere.
December 30, 2021
Ultimately I just didn't enjoy this series. It's clear that this was a very early Sanderson story as it has some of his signature elements, but in a much clunkier form than in his novels. The graphic novel and graphic audio adaptations both leave a lot to be desired (see: clunkier), though I found the audio more engaging than the visual, despite its flaws.
February 13, 2020
Mwah.. not that enthousiastic about this series. That's not usually my reaction to finishing a Brandon Sanderson series.
November 1, 2020
Listened to the full prose editions. Not one of my favorite in the Cosmere, but I still enjoyed the characters. I definitely think I enjoyed it more in this format than I would have enjoyed a graphic novel.
May 23, 2021
The Audiobook was very entertaining but the story, even with an interesting premise, wasn't developed to its full potential. I think that a Novel would have fleshed out the characters, world and magic system better.
January 4, 2022
I listened to this as a Graphic Audio production and thoroughly enjoyed how a cast of voice actors breathed life into this satisfying conclusion of the arc started in volume 1.
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