Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson starting on November 7, 2023.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

Definitely recommend reading Defending Elysium, Sunreach and ReDawn before (or during) Cytonic, and Evershore after (or with the ending).

EDIT: I've seem some people on Reddit recommending reading Cytonic through the final chapter, then Evershore, then the Epilogue... or read Cytonic until the overlap happens, and then go read Evershore, and finish up Cytonic. Which might be in the same place, I don't quite remember.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter, it's all enjoyable either way.

Started this on my way to work this morning… spoilered alot ahead of time…

Favorite thing in nearly the first half, was Spensa viewing Satan as the hero of Paradise Lost :D

Starting! Through Chapter 8. (view spoiler)[Finding M-Bot's rating system a bit more annoying this time through--but the fact that Spensa also finds it annoying makes me kinda ok with it.

I like he captain they find. I remember at this point both thinking he could be M-Bot's old pilot, and feeling like it was too much coincidence, and could be a red herring... (hide spoiler)]

This reminds me! If y'all haven't read (or reread) the short story Defending Elysium, this is a good time to do it! There are several ties in Cytonic.

Through Chapter 24--yeah, reread the short before Chapter 24! (view spoiler)[I like seeing Spensa step into a leadership role for pretty much the first time--she's been the hotshot, the mascot, the support... but hasn't really been a leader yet. Stepping into the teaching role, and helping plan, is showing her growth. And I like how ... was it Peg? Chet? mentioned that being a good teacher is just repeating what you have learned... and patience and empathy.

I enjoy this bit with the pirate group. ^^

Also, the little hints at the bigger world--the visions of ancient humans... building pyramids?? And the whisper of Jason White... (hide spoiler)]

I don't remember much about my first read of this, even though it wasn't that long ago... Chapter 28--(view spoiler)[Dark Shadow sounds like a Kitsen name... and with a small ship! I don't think I can hope for Hesho to still be alive... but another Kitsen? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 29--Oh, M-Bot--(view spoiler)[I FEEL HAPPY TOO! HESHO!!! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 42--(view spoiler)[A portal to Earth... I wonder if the last book will go to Earth? I feel like it has to...

Chet being a Delver--I was thinking his mannerisms were a lot like Spensa's--his connection to stories, his similar methods of speech.

Remembering the short story--I loved the twist at the end, where his "handler" that he was always griping with, was actually his wife... and they had a loving happy relationship. Knowing he made the first AI in his wife's image, makes this little tidbit that much more painful... (hide spoiler)]

Finished! (view spoiler)[The white dust Spensa is covered in--acclivity dust? Reality ashes? I wonder if that will come back into play.

I love the reveal of the taynix hiding as important inanimate objects.

I hope we see the Pirate crew again.

The question of the Delvers, M-Bot missing, possibly Earth... and of course, freeing Detritus and everyone from the tyranny of the Superiority. Only a few weeks left to Defiant! (hide spoiler)]

I have started and I am enjoying but it starts much slower than the other books so I was surprised

until chapter 19 (view spoiler)[ not much to stay but when we found chet was MBots pilot I was surprised

It's also nice to get some answers like cytonics being mutated by the nowhere and how Spensa is more cautious since Brandes betrayal. Time flying away is honestly terrifying (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ yeah, I was also annoyed by MBot a bit. He was talking and wanting to rate things when they were in danger, but I guess he's newly found emotions are difficult to control

I agree, its suspicuos that MBots old pilot is there. Maybe he took the jumpsuit with the name from the pilot, but his memories are harder to fake, unless he is lying but he doesn't appear to be (hide spoiler)]

Loved the book.

(view spoiler)[When Chet goes for his suicide mission: "The light inside him expanded, consuming his body. A shimmering light emerged from our ship." M-bot says "So that's how they do it...How they exist without circuits or body..."

Anyone know what's going on here? (hide spoiler)]

@Paula--re: M-Bot--(view spoiler)[You put the finger on why he was annoying me! I was having trouble defining it exactly! (hide spoiler)]

Grats on the finish, Ryan!! I don't have any ideas for your question though...

I hope to start this soon. Just finished Sunreach last night so I'll need to read the second novella before this one...

Finished! This wasn't my favourite, I loved books 1 and 2 but I got a lit lost with this one honestly, just didn't feel the pull.

That said, some of the reveals at the end were very cool. Like you guys have said (view spoiler)[, Chet being a delver - I didn't see it coming exactly but I did think that him being Mbot's pilot was too neat.

The reality icons being Taynix was great, I absolutely loved that and I hope we meet more of Doomslug's friends in the future.

Delver's being AI is a terrifying thought, I hope Mbot, our friend and HERO doesn't break bad, I'll be devastated. (hide spoiler)]

Ryan wrote: "Loved the book. ..."

Pure guess, but something parallel to how fiber optic cables work?

(view spoiler)[Fiber optic cables transmit data as pulses of light, and can compress alot of data... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber-o... (hide spoiler)]

Charlie wrote: "Finished! This wasn't my favourite, I loved books 1 and 2 but I got a lit lost with this one honestly, just didn't feel the pull.

That said, some of the reveals at the end were very cool. Like yo..."

(view spoiler)[it's always Skynet ;) (hide spoiler)]

finished! more or less. I havent read the epilogue. What do you guys recomend, read the epilogue first or the last novella first?(view spoiler)[ I liked it, but it was quite different from what I expected, more adventuorus except the ending, so I liked it a bit less than the others

the reveals were as awesome as always. Chet being a delver and how MBot is going to be one. It was also funny that in the first book MBot wondered if he was a delver and now we know he is

MBot sacrificing himself was sad but I am glad he is alive though I am not sure how. Did he became a delver?

Doonslug being the pin and mentally talking to spensa telling her she is her home was heartwarming (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ I was glad Hesho was alive too!

I bet earth is still there (hide spoiler)]

Charlie, I agree, I didn't liked it as much as the others (view spoiler)[ me too! I want MBot to be happy and feel emotions and dont go against humanity (hide spoiler)]

@Paula, re: ending--I'd recommend just going forward into the Epilogue for your first readthrough and experiencing it the way the authors first intended--but if you're on reread, maybe doing the novella then the epilogue to try it out.

Defiant comes out today! I'm excited!

In general, I agree with everyone's thoughts--(view spoiler)[I thought Chet being M-Bot's pilot was a little too convenient, but never suspected he was the Delver.

Hesho being alive and the Taynix being the reality icons were some of my favorite parts, though I also put the team-building with the misfit alien "pirate" group right up there too.

The next book'd better have a Save M-Bot arc and Visit Earth arc. And I'm also hoping that all the romance practice Sanderson got in the Secret Projects will pay off in some Spensa & Jorgen time. He's still got a ways to go, but I do think he improved on his romance work. (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze, thats i did read the epilogue and it only opens up more questions . Epilogue spoilers (view spoiler)[ so now spensa is a hybrid of herself and chet. That's really weird. But it answers the question of why the delivers fear her so much. I wonder what else she can do now that she is more or less half delver. And she is covered in reality Ashes, I wonder if that's because she is now like a fragment and coexist in the two planes (hide spoiler)]

regarding your spoilers (view spoiler)[ yeah, me either. Chet being a delver took me by surprise. And hesho. And the taynix

I agree, all those arcs sounds pretty amazing to me and also more romance. I am exited to read defiant now with all the different places it could go (hide spoiler)]

Ooh, thanks for that note on the questions, Paula, I'd forgotten almost all of that. ^_^ Really looking forward to picking up the conclusion!

Paula wrote: "Charlie, I agree, I didn't liked it as much as the others [spoilers removed]"

SAME. I am so rooting for Mbot. All hail Mbot, King of Mushrooms!

LOL King of Mushrooms!! I just read Evershore yesterday, so will probably pick up Defiant when I finish System Collapse today.

Also, was just flipping through my copy of Defiant today, and saw a chapter refer to him as "Mushroom-Bot"... I don't remember if that was actually what the "M" stood for in the beginning....

I think spensa named MBot like that because she liked murder bot for a name but I don't exactly remember. I think she also liked other M words with a murdery connotation

I can't remember where the name came about but I do remember a fondness for mushrooms!

Ah, I love searchable ebooks! Found it, start of Chapter 17, Skyward: (view spoiler)[“My designation is MB-1021, robotic ship integration,” the ship said.

It didn’t just talk⁠—it seemed to have trouble stopping.

“But humans prefer ‘names’ to designations, so I am commonly referred to as M-Bot. I am a long-distance reconnaissance and recovery ship, designed for stealth operations and unsupported solo missions in deep-space locations. And . . .”

The machine trailed off.

“And?” I asked, lounging in the cockpit, trying to figure out what in the stars this thing was.

“And my data banks are corrupted,” M-Bot said. “I cannot recover further information⁠—I can’t even retrieve my mission parameters. The only record I have is the most recent order from my master: ‘Lie low, M-Bot. Take stock, don’t get into any fights, and wait for me here.’ ” (hide spoiler)]

M-Bot mentions mushrooms soon after. So it looks like it originally didn't stand for anything--or at least, M-Bot doesn't remember what, if it did.

I like the idea that she was originally designed to scavenge mushrooms, before she became a spy ship.

LOL That is a great theory..

Thanks for searching that Nirkatze! I thought spensa gave Mbot his name, but I like Charlie's idea too

Or maybe the fondness for Mushrooms is just a personality trait that Mbot developed all those years alone, one of her first signs of sentience.

I think it was mentioned somewhere, that the pilot was looking for slugs, knowing they hang around mushrooms, and this is why M-Bot was supposed to scout for them...

Both of your comments go together pretty well, with what this book theorizes about how AIs turn into machine-born people/delvers....

Didn't enjoy this as much as the first two, but agreeing about the slight twists. Looking forward to Evershore and Defiant now in the next week or so :)

I definitely felt like Defiant stuck the landing well, and Evershore was a lot of fun! Hope you enjoy!

I really enjoy MBot. His referring to humans as noodle brains gave me a good chuckle.