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Hoid's Travails [Dramatized Adaptation] #2
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter [Dramatized Adaptation]
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson―creator of The Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn Saga, and countless bestselling works of science fiction and fantasy―comes this gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different cultures must work together to save their worlds from certain disaster.
Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society―but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero―a goal that has led to nothing but heartache and isolation, leaving him always on the outside looking in. In their own ways, both of them face the world alone.
Suddenly flung together, Yumi and Painter must strive to right the wrongs in both their lives, reconciling their past and present while maintaining the precarious balance of each of their worlds. If they cannot unravel the mystery of what brought them together before it's too late, they risk forever losing not only the bond growing between them, but the very worlds they've always struggled to protect.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
Performed by Su Ling Chan, David Cui Cui, Stephanie Németh-Parker, Ashley D. Nguyen, Chris Davenport, Christopher Walker, Crystal Lee, Danny Gavigan, DeJeanette Horne, Joey Sourlis, Gabriel Michael, Holly Adams, Jacob Yeh, Karenna Foley, Ken Jackson, Khaya Fraites, K'lai Rivera, Matthew Pauli, Ryan Dalusung, Torian Brackett, and Yasmin Tuazon.
Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society―but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero―a goal that has led to nothing but heartache and isolation, leaving him always on the outside looking in. In their own ways, both of them face the world alone.
Suddenly flung together, Yumi and Painter must strive to right the wrongs in both their lives, reconciling their past and present while maintaining the precarious balance of each of their worlds. If they cannot unravel the mystery of what brought them together before it's too late, they risk forever losing not only the bond growing between them, but the very worlds they've always struggled to protect.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
Performed by Su Ling Chan, David Cui Cui, Stephanie Németh-Parker, Ashley D. Nguyen, Chris Davenport, Christopher Walker, Crystal Lee, Danny Gavigan, DeJeanette Horne, Joey Sourlis, Gabriel Michael, Holly Adams, Jacob Yeh, Karenna Foley, Ken Jackson, Khaya Fraites, K'lai Rivera, Matthew Pauli, Ryan Dalusung, Torian Brackett, and Yasmin Tuazon.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published January 10, 2025
10 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
396 books283k 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 19, 2025
Audiobook (11 hours) full cast narration
Publisher: Graphic Audio
GR doesn't have this version listed under the current editions as of 1/17. It was released on 1/10/2025.
This is a note that it is now available. I will record my review under this audiobook version until the new edition is listed, and will update accordingly.
Goodreads had the dramatized version in a different group and was able to combine them, however there is an interested conversation in the Librarians group about dramatized adaptations that I added feedback on, here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
🤞 that dramatized audiobooks are allowed to be called books, and that those like the graphicaudio versions are able to continue to be included with the editions list of the original books. I'm not sure if the original intent was to omit those that were re-written, as if a play, however with the plethora of re-tellings, that seems strange to me. While I am a guest and do not make the rules, I'm confused and... well, confused.
I happened upon the conversation due to a request about this book, and hope that I wasn't rude in my surprise. I think I was blunt, which may be rude, idk:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Oh, but you are probably here for a review, right? 😉
The narration is excellent, as is the audio.
GraphicAudio tends to do an awesome job with the scoring and narration of audiobooks. I have yet to find one that is awful.
Yumi is part of the Secret Projects series, which I absolutely love.
If you are not familiar, Sanderson crowdfunded this series, which he worked on during the pandemic. The kickstarter went viral and the rest is history, or delicious reading, or both. There's a blurb about it here:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/3804...
Yumi is beautifully written, creative AF, artistic, emotional, and just awesome. While it is clearly a Sanderson book with all of it's intricate workings, character and world building, etc. it's also different.
For a more professional and well thought out breakdown, I am going to point you to Anna's review. She is a true Sanderson aficionado:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If you do check out her review, and you should, please drop her a like.
Publisher: Graphic Audio
This is a note that it is now available. I will record my review under this audiobook version until the new edition is listed, and will update accordingly.
Goodreads had the dramatized version in a different group and was able to combine them, however there is an interested conversation in the Librarians group about dramatized adaptations that I added feedback on, here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
🤞 that dramatized audiobooks are allowed to be called books, and that those like the graphicaudio versions are able to continue to be included with the editions list of the original books. I'm not sure if the original intent was to omit those that were re-written, as if a play, however with the plethora of re-tellings, that seems strange to me. While I am a guest and do not make the rules, I'm confused and... well, confused.
I happened upon the conversation due to a request about this book, and hope that I wasn't rude in my surprise. I think I was blunt, which may be rude, idk:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Oh, but you are probably here for a review, right? 😉
The narration is excellent, as is the audio.
GraphicAudio tends to do an awesome job with the scoring and narration of audiobooks. I have yet to find one that is awful.
Yumi is part of the Secret Projects series, which I absolutely love.
If you are not familiar, Sanderson crowdfunded this series, which he worked on during the pandemic. The kickstarter went viral and the rest is history, or delicious reading, or both. There's a blurb about it here:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/3804...
Yumi is beautifully written, creative AF, artistic, emotional, and just awesome. While it is clearly a Sanderson book with all of it's intricate workings, character and world building, etc. it's also different.
For a more professional and well thought out breakdown, I am going to point you to Anna's review. She is a true Sanderson aficionado:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If you do check out her review, and you should, please drop her a like.
March 21, 2025
Absolutely Amazing! Both story and narrators were incredible. I highly recommend it and I suggest you listen to the dramatized version of this book. It will make the experience so much better.
June 4, 2025
This was way out of my comfort zone of reading. But someone had said they liked it and I knew it was out of her normal as well.
I was blown away by the end. It was really entertaining to have a live cast and music as the book went along on the audiobook. I’m not sure I’ll dive back in to something like this any time soon, but now I will not be so hesitant.
I was blown away by the end. It was really entertaining to have a live cast and music as the book went along on the audiobook. I’m not sure I’ll dive back in to something like this any time soon, but now I will not be so hesitant.
May 9, 2025
Heartbreakingly beautiful
July 11, 2025
I will always appreciate Sanderson's signature move: the princess saves herself.
Unfortunately, that's the best thing this book delivers.
This is a romance, but you could be forgiven for missing that detail given how little of it is featured in this story. It's to be expected though, as this is probably the place where Sanderson is weakest.
The real powerful message was about art, what it is, and how machinery can never replace the process of human expression. Which is an ironic message in this day and age, where AI is not so slowly taking over areas of creation that used to belong solely to us. That message would have been fantastic...
...but too much of this world and story was inadvertently delivered to the reader in exposition dumps disguised as Wit's narration, which felt incredibly lazy. I feel like Sanderson gets really excited to deliver these new worlds that he dreams up, but is too impatient, or too busy, or both, to hammer them out into something deeper than a book with as much depth as an MCU film. Fun, for sure, but don't expect something phenomenal.
The concept of this book could have easily been a singularly long epic, or even a duology. The world was fantastic and I would have loved to have been here longer to discover the nature and history of it organically, not it being told to me after the fact.
I'm starting to think that I may not continue to read future Sanderson works, at least not his standalones, if this is the best one can exepct from them.
Overall, this was a disappointment with vast potential and I'm really sad that this era of BrandoSando books just isn't hitting like his previous ones.
Unfortunately, that's the best thing this book delivers.
This is a romance, but you could be forgiven for missing that detail given how little of it is featured in this story. It's to be expected though, as this is probably the place where Sanderson is weakest.
The real powerful message was about art, what it is, and how machinery can never replace the process of human expression. Which is an ironic message in this day and age, where AI is not so slowly taking over areas of creation that used to belong solely to us. That message would have been fantastic...
...but too much of this world and story was inadvertently delivered to the reader in exposition dumps disguised as Wit's narration, which felt incredibly lazy. I feel like Sanderson gets really excited to deliver these new worlds that he dreams up, but is too impatient, or too busy, or both, to hammer them out into something deeper than a book with as much depth as an MCU film. Fun, for sure, but don't expect something phenomenal.
The concept of this book could have easily been a singularly long epic, or even a duology. The world was fantastic and I would have loved to have been here longer to discover the nature and history of it organically, not it being told to me after the fact.
I'm starting to think that I may not continue to read future Sanderson works, at least not his standalones, if this is the best one can exepct from them.
Overall, this was a disappointment with vast potential and I'm really sad that this era of BrandoSando books just isn't hitting like his previous ones.
March 14, 2025
What a beautiful love letter to art and artists. I had no idea how emotional I would feel throughout this story. Pushes you to find your passion and do things for you and no one else.
“Then you get into the real world, and find that it’s hard to be creative like that every moment. You realize they didn’t teach you important things, like how to work when you don’t feel passion, or when the whims of creativity aren’t striking you. What then? What good is theory when you need to feed yourself? “In the real world, you realize you can do your job by making the same thing again and again. Bamboo captures nightmares just fine. Whatever they say. All of those high-minded aspirations from school fade before the truth, Yumi, that sometimes… it’s just a job.”
“Regardless, here’s the thing: art doesn’t need to be good to be valuable. I’ve heard it said that art is the one truly useless creation—intended for no mechanical purpose. Valued only because of the perception of the people who view it. The thing is, everything is useless, intrinsically. Nothing has value unless we grant it that value. Any object can be worth whatever we decide it to be worth. And to these two, Yumi’s painting was priceless.”
“Then you get into the real world, and find that it’s hard to be creative like that every moment. You realize they didn’t teach you important things, like how to work when you don’t feel passion, or when the whims of creativity aren’t striking you. What then? What good is theory when you need to feed yourself? “In the real world, you realize you can do your job by making the same thing again and again. Bamboo captures nightmares just fine. Whatever they say. All of those high-minded aspirations from school fade before the truth, Yumi, that sometimes… it’s just a job.”
“Regardless, here’s the thing: art doesn’t need to be good to be valuable. I’ve heard it said that art is the one truly useless creation—intended for no mechanical purpose. Valued only because of the perception of the people who view it. The thing is, everything is useless, intrinsically. Nothing has value unless we grant it that value. Any object can be worth whatever we decide it to be worth. And to these two, Yumi’s painting was priceless.”
February 27, 2025
Ok wait this is my actual favorite Brandon Sanderson book so far. (Tress is a close second.) This book was so cute and so unique and just an all around good story. The world building was beautiful. The love story was so sweet. The whole concept was so fun and I loved all the characters. It is very anime vibes which is very different than anything I’ve ever read but I really enjoyed it. As a girl that usually reads romantasy books it had all the romance I’ve missed from other Sanderson books. It is definitely the book to start with for my romantasy girlies. 💕
And as always the graphic audio was a 10/10. 🎧 I absolutely recomend this version if you’re going to listen to it in audiobook format.
🪨🍜🎨💫💜🩷
And as always the graphic audio was a 10/10. 🎧 I absolutely recomend this version if you’re going to listen to it in audiobook format.
🪨🍜🎨💫💜🩷
October 16, 2025
I think this is my favourite Brandon Sanderson book, or at least, it is my favourite stand-alone book.
It is weird, it is mystical, it is mind-bending, it is touching, it has loveable, flawed characters, it has science, and mysticism. It is Sanderson at his best, doing what he does best, crafting a beautiful and unique world for the sheer pleasure of taking you for a ride. It will keep you guessing, trying to figure it out. And once or twice, when you think you know what's going on, he'll throw a curve ball from where you least expect it.
But as any book from Sanderson, it all makes sense in the end.
It is weird, it is mystical, it is mind-bending, it is touching, it has loveable, flawed characters, it has science, and mysticism. It is Sanderson at his best, doing what he does best, crafting a beautiful and unique world for the sheer pleasure of taking you for a ride. It will keep you guessing, trying to figure it out. And once or twice, when you think you know what's going on, he'll throw a curve ball from where you least expect it.
But as any book from Sanderson, it all makes sense in the end.
January 21, 2025
The dramatized audiobook version was fun to listen to. I would give the story itself three stars only because there were some loose pieces of the plot that I felt still needed to be explained. I also feel like it’s stagnated a bit in the middle. However, the sheer originality of it, and colorfulness of the characters, earned an extra star. Overall, a very enjoyable listen.
May 31, 2025
Was this perfect? No. But I haven’t read a book this fast in a long time. The graphic audio was insanely amazing, and the story a hell of a good time. I will be coming back to this one in the future.
February 2, 2025
So darn uninteresting?? Didn't like the part in the end where the narrator (Hoid) have the need to explain the whole book/plot. Why not let us experience the reveals etc?
July 21, 2025
3,75. A cute romance story 🥰 this is my second secret project read from Sanderson. It was great to find the same humorous and wise Hoid. I do prefer Tress’ story
July 2, 2025
4.50 ⭐️
July 24, 2025
Just awesome
August 5, 2025
What an amazing story! It starts cozy, but it does pick up and ends with a blast!
And the audiobook version of GraphicAudio is very well done too.
And the audiobook version of GraphicAudio is very well done too.
August 12, 2025
2,5⭐
I liked the first 2 thirds more than the end.
I liked the first 2 thirds more than the end.
September 4, 2025
It's official, Brandon Sanderson is my favorite author.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews