Sanderson's Secret Projects [#1: Jan - Mar 2023]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 32: (view spoiler)[OK... yea... Tress's legend is growing, lol... I can almost imagine a future where she becomes one of these mythical King's assassins, just from what she accomplishes through earnestness throughout the book... I wouldn't be surprised if she gets an opportunity to plead her case for the innocent crewmates on the ship, at this point...

Oh how far my tunes have changes in a dozen chapters or so :D (hide spoiler)]

I'm loving this book more and more, chapter by chapter...

Speechify is a real battery drain, tho... and i wish I had control over downloading the audiobook/chapters...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I just realized who Captain Crow reminds me of... feel like a bit of a fool, lol, for missing this sooner... (view spoiler)[Captain Barbossa in the early Pirates of the Caribbean movies, when we learn he and the crew are tentacle monsters cursed to live forever... (hide spoiler)]

The art reminded me... opened my ebook to check all the art I would have seen by now, if reading ebook instead of audio...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 35: CUPS... (view spoiler)[it's been so long since cups were mentioned, and I've been so engaged in the story that I barely noticed... I think the last mention was breaking Huck out of his rat cage?...

And now Tress is gonna use her cooking skills to improve the ship life... can't wait... (hide spoiler)]

[Monika]

Hmm... I'll wait as long as needed and will read it someday :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 38: (view spoiler)[The Transitive Property of Ineptitude... I kinda want to steal that one :D (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 39: (view spoiler)[Hoid just referenced that thing I said about the Shattering, in an offhanded manner... so many Cosmere references...

I loved Tress's solution to get training from the overexcited old assistant, here... if the cannonmaster is too lazy, why not?... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 42: Cosmere: (view spoiler)[ Sazed released the Kandra... that has to be an Era 3 thing, right?... or between Era 2 & 3... I know he didn't release them before the end of Lost Metal...

If they're getting weirder, I wonder if it feeds into our Discord theories... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 48: I am loving this book... it's a shame I won't be able to finish it today... between my ipod battery issues, and the time...

Maybe I'll stay up late... I have 78 minutes left, but it's about bedtime right now, and I also keep pausing to comment :D

Anyway... (view spoiler)[I love how much Tress has grown, how much she's learning about spores... (even if it's a bit unbelievable how much she's learning that nobody else seems to have figured out?)... how well she's integrated into the pirate crew... (hide spoiler)]

EDIT: I'll probably just save the 6th and final part for tomorrow...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 52: another great chapter... regarding Hoid: (view spoiler)[the only character we've seen refer to Hoid as Cephandrius, in the past, is the dragon from the epigraphs in Stormlight Archives... seems like decent confirmation that they are one and the same, to me... altho maybe all dragons know him by that name, among others... (hide spoiler)]

EDIT: never mind: (view spoiler)[the Coppermind wiki says that the dragon from the epigraphs is/was Frost, and little is known about him... I also just learned that Cultivation is a dragon named Korevellium Avast... I probably missed that, because her name was only revealed in art included in Rhythm of War, and I do audio... and her race as a dragon came from a livestream... don't think that's included in text, anywhere, yet... since she appears human in all known interactions we've seen... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 54: I guess I'm not stopping, just yet: (view spoiler)[I love that Huck has been revealed, and made an official crew member... can't believe Tress is now a pirate captain... but of course she is, if this is "Prince Groom" / Princess Bride, lol... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Cosmere question [spoilers removed]"

All that's really known, is ..."

Thanks for that Iain. There's a note on this in the author's note at the end too.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 56: NOOO... (view spoiler)[not Huck... the Huckster... my favorite talking rat... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

I finished. I absolutely adored this book. Definitely read/listen to the author's note at the end. This is one I would consider rereading in the future I enjoyed it so much.

I think Sanderson struck the perfect mix. I even enjoyed the humor :) I like Hoid's voice. I saw Nirkatze's review and agree this would be newbie friendly. It contains enough information to enjoy the spoiler with the extras for long time Cosmere fans. Plus I imagine reading this first and then making all the links back as you catch up on Cosmere books could be fun too.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 57: Cosmere Timeline: (view spoiler)[the Kandra have been free from constraint and growing weirder and more themselves for decades... that firmly places this as one of the 2 rightmost entries in the Cosmere timeline...

With the end of the 2nd Era of Mistborn, Sazed has taken the training wheels off of Scadriel, and technology is going to start zooming along... the 3rd Era of Mistborn should take place in the 15-20 year gab that's coming between Stormlight 5 & 6 in the Cosmere timeline...

The Kandra weren't freed by Sazed until sometime after Lost Metal, maybe even during/after the 3rd Era... it's expected for the 3rd Era to happen mere decades after the 2nd Era... some character like Wax might still be alive in the 3rd Era (altho quite old)...

Not sure how much further along the 4th Era will be, but that's irrelevent to this comment...

At this point, the furthest story in the Cosmere timeline is Sixth of Dusk, taking place during the Sci-fi era when factions (presumably Rosharan and Scadrian) are colonizing the Cosmere and harvesting magic for Power... one faction being the Hemalurgists like the Set...

It sounds like Tress is set sometime in that Era... not sure if it falls before or after Sixth of Dusk... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Chapter 57: Cosmere Timeline: ..."

(view spoiler)[I went over to the fan site for a bit. Speculation there is this is more likely in line with Era 4, when Scadrial is in the space age. Era 3 is supposed more similar to our 1980s right? (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Chapter 57: Cosmere Timeline: ..."

[spoilers removed]"

That's what I was saying... (view spoiler)[past Era 3, but probably before Era 4... Era 4 is the end of the Cosmere timeline... when Hoid & Kelsier and the crew they assembled seek to fix what has been broken/Shattered, and fix the Cosmere, once and for all... maybe remake Adonalsium from the 16 Shards...

I think Step 1 of that is taking place in Stormlight Archive... Adonalsium can't be reforged if there isn't a way to reforge the Shards that have been Splintered... the one on Nalthis, the one on Roshar, and a few others...

This is getting deep into Stormlight spoilers and theories, tho, and I know you haven't read those yet... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 60: (view spoiler)[Holy Technology, Batman... confirmed iPads, hacking, spaceships, etc...

The ship soul makes me think of the Cytoverse, even tho we know they're unconnected...

The talk of spaceships and "your planet", is making me think of Sixth of Dusk... no other world has had on-page spaceships landing, yet... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Final chapters: (view spoiler)[Charlie was a rat... I kinda spoiled that 2 chapters early, clicking spoilers on here I should have... still loved watching everything play out...

Tress really grew a backbone, over the course of the story... and she had her moment as a princess locked in a tower, with wild hair :D

Hoid: I knew them all when they were still Dougs :D
(hide spoiler)]

Riina: (view spoiler)[the wiki says she was one of the 5 people in Secret History, that Kelsier scared away from their plans to seize control of Preservation, when Leras died... when he took the leader's robe, and made it look like she disintegrated... (hide spoiler)]

Lots of fun... tempted to re-read, when other get their hardcover in April, if they really plan to wait that long to read it... but I'll probably still be busy with Buddy Reads...

[Choko]

Hahaha! I started the book and am up to Ch. 4, so I decided to check out the thread so far, and goodness gracious, you guys are reading machines!!!

I am enjoying the story so far. As you all said, it has that fairy tale cadence to it, and the storyteller is definitely our old friend:))) It reads sweet so far, but I am fascinated by the world and its peculiarities. Just as with all the other planets of the Cosmere Universe, it has a ton of flora and fauna which is very unfavorable for humans. I am excited to keep reading and find more about it...

About if the book is newby friendly - absolutely! I always used to tell Sanderson curious folks to start with Elantris and Warbreaker, then move on to Mistborn and only then begin Stormlight, but now I will add this book to the ones they could read before Mistborn. Little bits that will be enjoyable to connect as they go...

[Nirkatze]

Narilka wrote: "Re: Hoid connection [spoilers removed]

Ch 53 I had wondered that too! [spoilers removed]

Ch 54 fonts - I cannot wait to see that in the hardback :D Reading the epub I didn't notice at all."

re: Fonts--I ended up going through the whole epub and tidying up some things for my reader, and one of what I did was actually compare the fonts embedded with those shown in the PDF, then go find them and install the "correct" ones... only two fonts are in the epub--the font for the chapter opening sentence and 1 font for the iPad.. but there are three other fonts in the PDF... so yeah, I'm turning into a bit of a font/design geek... I'm so excited to see the print version too. Can't wait to get my tracking #...

re: Kandra & Death (view spoiler)[I'm pretty sure you're right about this being set after Lost Metal for the same reasons... I don't think Harmony's Kandra ever left the world until it--though I think there have been potential non-Harmony Kandra sighted in other worlds...

It would be interesting if Marsh had done some world hopping, but I'm guessing not? First, didn't in Lost Metal Saze say something about not having any worldhopping connections? Which was why he was sending out the Kandra? (Though if that's the case--is Kelsier not sharing any of his Ghostbloods info with Saze?) And then also--doesn't Marsh have to spend most of his time sleeping? Limited atium for longevity and all that... but I am really curious about this!

This could be a good question, if one of us ever gets a chance to ask something in a livestream... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Narilka wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 60--with Cosmere thoughts..."

I really appreciate that note on technology--(view spoiler)[it does seem a bit clash-y doesn't it? I agree--I'd really like to see how it develops organically from his worlds... and the fact that he has an iPad from Nalthis (Warbreaker) and a laptop/spaceship probably from Sel (Elantris)--both cultures that were in medieval level tech last time we left them really rubs that in.

I know he has a planned Elantris and Warbreaker sequel, I think even for the span between Stormlight Arc 1 & 2--post Mistborn 3 I think?--and now I'm hoping those won't be immediate sequels, but bring us closer to the tech levels we're seeing here... (hide spoiler)]

re: chapter 61--I loved that crew moment!!

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Cosmere question [spoilers removed]"

All that's really known, is Hoid was there at the..."

Going to add to that two things--(view spoiler)[it seems that there are multiple ways to become functionally immortal in the Cosmere... and that with looking at the books timeline, and the technology levels in Tress etc...

It suggests that most of the worldhoppers we've been seeing, like the Nalthis folks in Stormlight, or the Sel folks in Lost Metal, are potentially much much older than they seem...

I think there was a conversation about this during Lost Metal? And there was some talk about Brandon leaving it open and vague so he could make the timeline work how he needed too...

Also, I just really like that one quote from chapter 56: (view spoiler)[
“So far as I can tell,” he said, his voice growing very soft. “I’m sorry, Tress. I can’t let you face the Sorceress. I can’t. For your own good, you see.”

Ah, those words.

I’ve heard those words. I’ve said those words. The words that proclaim, in bald-faced arrogance, “I don’t trust you to make your own decisions.” The words we pretend will soften the blow, yet instead layer condescension on top of already existent pain. Like dirt on a corpse.

Oh yes. I’ve said those words. I said them with sixteen other people, in fact. (hide spoiler)] It's just kind of cool to get a direct-ish reference to the Shattering... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Started today, on the drive to work... took small notes on each small chapters, might expand a bit, while pasting now:

Chapter 1. [spoilers removed]

Chapter 2. [spoilers removed]

Chapter 3. [sp..."

Loved reading all of your little thoughts as you went through--most of those were also ones I noted and smiled at while reading...

Adding to your world list: (view spoiler)[Narrator mentions that Fort's iPad is That’s Nalthian tech, with Awakened predictive Connection circuits. so that's Warbreaker too. (hide spoiler)]

And thank you for the Silver information in a lower comment! I was thinking of the Threnody bit, wanted confirmation on the Scadrial info, but had totally forgotten the Rosharian stuff...

I don't think I'm more up on Cosmere than you are Iain--I don't really read message boards at all... but I do watch some of the signing livestreams sometimes... they made good company while working before y'all got me into audiobooks.

re: Midnight Mother--(view spoiler)[the midnight essence that the Midnight Mother uses works more or less the same as it does in this book, from what I remember. I remember featureless black mimics reenacting scenes during the murder investigation... and spies... so there's two questions if I ever get to ask in a livestream: how the image of Death spanned the worlds, and the connection between midnight essence in Tress's world (Luna something?) and that on Roshar, under the Midnight Mother's control... then again, it is said that the Aether is interplanetary--so having some visit Roshar is not outside of reason... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Dang, you know when you start going to click through all the comments you missed, and start answering them, only to realize that there's A WHOLE NOTHER PAGE and that people have moved on and already answered all of the questions you were trying to respond to?

Yeah, I did that twice today. Note to self--refresh first.

Love seeing all the ending love, and tech speculation! TY for all the research Iain--very cool to get that note on Riina.

We're going to have to do a full Cosmere reread in like 20 years, when everything is out. XD In chronological order by timeline.

I was also thinking of Sixth of the Dusk--making me want to reread that short and just see if we can see any hints in that technology...

[Nirkatze]

Narilka wrote: "Elantris is June. Here's the full schedule for easy reference:


January – Secret Project #1
February – Hoid Themed Swag Box
March – Cytoverse Themed Swag Box
April – Secret Project #2
May – M..."

Almost missed this--thank you!

I'd be down for a year of Stormlight... for all they're monsters though, they go down pretty quick...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Cosmere question [spoilers removed]"

All that's really known, is Hoid was there at the..."

Going to add to that two things--it seems that there are multiple ..."

Yea, that was great... so many great quotes, really...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Started today, on the drive to work... took small notes on each small chapters, might expand a bit, while pasting now:

Chapter 1. [spoilers removed]

Chapter 2. [spoilers rem..."

(view spoiler)[the wiki confirms the Midnight Essence on Roshar / with the Midnight Mother... I was just worried about the Midnight Mother on Lumar... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I definitely rambled for hours, yesterday :D

Now I'm typing, when I should be getting ready for work...

[Narilka]

Nirkatze wrote: "Dang, you know when you start going to click through all the comments you missed, and start answering them, only to realize that there's A WHOLE NOTHER PAGE and that people have moved on and alread..."

I definitely know that feeling :)

Timelord Iain: "Yea, that was great... so many great quotes, really..."

Absolutely! I was highlighting like crazy all the fun and clever quotes lol

[Narilka]

Something else I saw when I was surfing the fan site last night and just remembered.

Cosmere (view spoiler)[Who do you all think Hoid is telling this story to? There are supposed to be hints but I have no idea. I actually thought it was being told to us up until the very end when he mentioned (view spoiler)[ships landing on your planet (hide spoiler)]. (hide spoiler)]

Not sure that's really a spoiler but tagging in case. The nested spoiler is an actual spoiler for near the end of the book.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

My guess was 6th of dusk

[Choko]

Just finished part 2... Very easy read so far. I find myself more interested in the world's peculiarities more than the characters at this point and I hope I actually get swept in the story eventually, but not really yet... Funny, I kind of have the same feeling as while reading The Grimm Sisters, and by this point in that book I was much more invested. What keeps my attention here is the hunting for Cosmere connections, and apart from Hoid, there aren't many by Ch. 13... Will keep on reading:)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Cosmere connections kick into high gear around c20

[Choko]

Up to Ch 16 and we have the deaf quartermaster with the "invested" pad and a shout out to the weird Librarians and their love life from Alcatraz S:)))

[Choko]

Ch. 27... The Captain... (view spoiler)[ is a gestator of a verdant aether parasite... It eats the spores.... Very interesting!

I really love the Kandra:))) He is hilarious! His conversation with Tress in this chapter is fun:) (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Narilka wrote: "Cosmere question [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I think Sanderson has said that he isn't exactly immortal so much as long lived. No one is immortal in the Cosmere, as we have learned. Even Gods die. But Hoid is very invested in many types of investiture so it keeps him going. (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Nirkatze wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Re: Hoid connection [spoilers removed]

Ch 53 I had wondered that too! [spoilers removed]

Ch 54 fonts - I cannot wait to see that in the hardback :D Reading the epub I didn't notic..."

Lost Metal Spoiler(view spoiler)[In Lost Metal MeLaan breaks up with Wayne cuz Harmony has sent her to another planet for a task, so Kandra are getting off world during the end of Era 2 at least. They're world hopping has at least started to happen at that point (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Narilka wrote: "Something else I saw when I was surfing the fan site last night and just remembered.

Cosmere [spoilers removed].

Not sure that's really a spoiler but tagging in case. The nested spoiler is an act..."

Maybe (view spoiler)[Sixth of Dusk? I guess depends on where in the timeline this is (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "My guess was 6th of dusk"

I'd like that... that was my favorite short story... Love to see more Sixth around. Even by proxy.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "My guess was 6th of dusk"

I'd like that... that was my favorite short story... Love to see more Sixth around. Even by proxy."

I think i posted in the wrong thread at work yesterday / this morning... I posted a 17th Shard link that basically confirmed my theory...

https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic...

There's a quote about (view spoiler)[a ship voyage without an Aviar in chapter 24 (hide spoiler)]

Left me feeling pretty sure, anyway... people online haven't reached a consensus...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Cosmere question [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

I mean... not to nitpick... but immortal doesn't mean undying... just that you don't die of natural causes like cell degeneration... Highlander... there can be only one :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Re: Hoid connection [spoilers removed]

Ch 53 I had wondered that too! [spoilers removed]

Ch 54 fonts - I cannot wait to see that in the hardback :D Reading the ep..."

Yes, but (view spoiler)[that's worldhopping at Sazed's direction... the leash is still on... Hoid indicates the Kandra are free of control / leadership in the future, free to make their own decisions & shape their own future / personalities, instead of being tied to human norms... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Something else I saw when I was surfing the fan site last night and just remembered.

Cosmere [spoilers removed].

Not sure that's really a spoiler but tagging in case. The nested s..."

(view spoiler)[the fact Riina has a spaceship and iPads and security cameras places it pretty firmly in the present/future technology phase of the Cosmere... until now, Sixth of Dusk has been the more futuristic story (despite being on a pretty low-tech world, they're being invaded/colonized by space-faring factions that want their Aviars, mind-meldy bird familiars (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "My guess was 6th of dusk"

I'd like that... that was my favorite short story... Love to see more Sixth around. Even by proxy."

I think i posted in the wrong ..."

Ah, I do remember that line in Ch. 24... just didn't stop to consider it. :)

[Narilka]

I have a short story to read.

[Choko]

I just finished and I hate to say it, but I was a tad let down... Maybe I went into it with too high of an expectation, maybe I wasn't expecting a fairytale for very young readers, which I don't mind, I love middle grade books. I think the only reason it kept my attention were the connections to the rest of the Cosmere Universe and Hoit. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't special... There were the moments of Hoit Wit I loved, but the rest was a bit of a drag... Sorry if I am messing up the energy of the read... I am glad I got to read it though:)))

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I went and doublechecked that Princess Bride is categorized as YA or Middle-Grade, and it is...

If you went in with that context, I think it tempered expectations reasonably...

Sorry you didn't love it, Choko...

[Choko]

That's OK. You know how much I love BS and I always expect a whole a lot from him... It might have been my mood as well. Who knows? Also, maybe one day, when we reread it, it will click better with me knowing what to expect this time around:)))

[Narilka]

Aww, I hate when that happens. Wish you'd enjoyed it more Choko.

[Choko]

Narilka, you know, through the beginning of the book I was comparing it with the book you are reading right now, about the Grimm Sisters, and it kind of fell short of it in reading enjoyment. As I said, I was supper - concentrating in order to catch the world specifics and the Cosmere connections, I kind of lost the story itself... Next time might be better:)