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

[Narilka]

Just getting this thread ready for Sanderson's Secret Projects!

Secret Project 1: Tress of the Emerald Sea - Jan
Secret Project 2: Apr
Secret Project 3: Jul
Secret Project 4: Oct

[Nirkatze]

Coolbeans! I just happened to stumble across this. :) Posting in the Invite Thread for folks like me who have trouble finding things except by accident...

[Diana Stormblessed]

I'm in, as soon as mine arrives.

[Mel]

Following

[Tonari no Emily]

excellent, thanks Narilka :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Mine arrived... opened my email... installed Speechify (if you don't have an apple device, you'll need to use Spotify for audio... it said only iPhones, but iPod worked fine... not sure about iPad, as that was explicitly excluded, along with Android devices)...

I haven't REALLY started (just listened to the intro and 3 second dedication to test the app... I like the slider controls for speed... but the app is a bit needy about asking for ratings (I haven't done anything but sign in yet), rate my audiobook experience (3 seconds in), and ask to send notifications (nope) and track web usage (nope, but I kinda understand, since apparently this is a Text-To-Speech app, first and foremost, with audiobook functionality... so people can use it to read websites to them)...

Anyway, I have the audiobook, and ebook, ready and waiting, when everyone else is ready to start... I haven't looked at spoilers since filling out my questionairre last April... only learned title and blurb a few minutes ago...

[Narilka]

This is going to be my next book as soon as I finish my current one.

[Tonari no Emily]

I'll probably wait a little to actually start it, but yeah I'll have to use spotify.. Hopefully there are speed settings, I haven't looked yet

EDIT: okay I'm not seeing anything about speed at least within the web app...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Internet search says spotify has speed settings... but they probably vary in location by app/widget...

[Miche]

I am listening to mine using Smart AudioBook and it is working well there. Good quality sound and it has speed settings.

I have an android phone.

I am at around 24% mark and I am loving the book so far.

[Choko]

I don't think I have gotten mine... When did it arrive?

[Tonari no Emily]

Found the setting on the android app!

[Miche]

Choko, the email arrived around 2am Eastern Time.

[Choko]

Wow! I hope I didn't delete it...

[Miche]

Choko wrote: "Wow! I hope I didn't delete it..."

The subject was:

"New Digital Content for Surprise! Four Secret Novels by Brandon Sanderson on BackerKit"

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Go to kickstarter... the email just sends you there, anyway... either you have your stuff waiting, or you missed a step (follow-up questionnaire maybe), and need to do it, to confirm everything and get your stuff...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I got my email at 1:05am... probably a time zone thing...

[Narilka]

I'm doing the ebook. Just got the epub loaded to my kindle and all set.

[Diana Stormblessed]

Miche I'm also listening on Smart Audiobook. it's my go to player for non library books. I just started but i have a couple of book club books i need to get done this weekend so I'll either slowly listen to this one between those or I'll wait till after the weekend to really get started.

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

For those that have read a decent amount: How newcomer friendly is this? I've only read about half or so of the very first mistborn book.

[Nirkatze]

Dittoing Diana--going to try to knock out a few other BRs first, but then looking forward to jumping in to this one!

[Narilka]

I am starting tonight :D

[Chris]

I'm probably going to wait for my hardcover copy

[Narilka]

EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "For those that have read a decent amount: How newcomer friendly is this? I've only read about half or so of the very first mistborn book."

I saw this question pop up on Reddit today too. According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. There are supposed to be links and teasers though for greater Cosmere. Hopefully Iain and Nirkatze chime in as they read since I think they are our resident super fans ;)

@Chris - Be sure to come back and join us once it arrives :D I'm looking forward to my hardcover to check out the interior art but didn't want to wait haha

[Narilka]

Ch 1. I am loving the story book style. It gives me the feel of a fairy tale.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "For those that have read a decent amount: How newcomer friendly is this? I've only read about half or so of the very first mistborn book."

I saw ..."

You can download the ebook, and it has color art... and that's probably what the downloadable desktop/phone backgrounds are, too...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Front Endpapers:

[Narilka]

Hmm. I'll try checking the PDF out on my computer. My Kindle is black & white and tiny.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

That's with calibre's epub reader functionality... not sure what Kindle for PC is like...

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. There are supposed to be links and teasers though for greater Cosmere. Hopefully Iain and Nirkatze chime in as they read since I think they are our resident super fans ;) ..."

I'm not too worried about spoilers as much as I am concerned about how much it expects you to know going in. I'm afraid that it's gonna be very meta.

[Narilka]

The PDF is like any other PDF and easily loads in a web browser. The artwork looks lovely.

[Narilka]

Something I noticed while clicking through the PDF to find the artwork... (view spoiler)[the plant (and other decorations) around the chapter numbers grows steadily larger as the book progresses. (hide spoiler)] There are also color accents throughout the text. This is going to look amazing in hard back.

[Narilka]

Finished Part 1 and I'm really enjoying it. (view spoiler)[This almost feels like it could be a T Kingfisher book. Collecting cups and knitting socks! Some very clever phrasing too. Plus a Hoid sighting already! I didn't realize he was our narrator. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. There are supposed to be links and teasers though for greater Cosmere. Hopefully Iain and Nirk..."

I've heard similar things to Narilka--I believe that Tress takes place somewhere in the Cosmere (on Roshar, I think), but it is a story being told by Hoid... and even knowing that isn't necessary. I think one of the later ones actually features characters from other books, but not this one. Will be able to answer better once I actually start. I got my ebook copy, but a considering waiting for the physical to arrive since the artwork looks so pretty, and my ereader won't be able to do it justice...

[Nirkatze]

Narilka wrote: "Something I noticed while clicking through the PDF to find the artwork... [spoilers removed] There are also color accents throughout the text. This is going to look amazing in hard back."

I was reading the Acknowledgments and just flipping through the ebook, and I had forgotten that Sanderson had envisioned these books as an artists showcase, (view spoiler)[and that each book has an artist who has not only provided original artwork for the text, but also done nifty design things like the chapter numbers, and section pages... color coordinating... (hide spoiler)] just wow! Very glad I splurged on the physical copies. These are going to be really nice in my library...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. There are supposed to be links and teasers ..."

This is an entirely new planet... I checked the wiki...

When I read the blurb, I wondered if it was the Sixth of the Dusk planet, myself...

[Narilka]

Through Ch 16 (view spoiler)[I learned something new - fluidization! Or I probably relearend something I forgot from science class lol So neat.

Hoid explains his... quirks. That's interesting.

Spores that create crystals... I am put in mind of TwoSoul. Are the spores perhaps called Aether in another part of the world? Are we seeing his planet or is this a different link? Are there other people like TwoSoul who can use the other spore types in their magic? TwoSoul did need a lot of water to create his crystals which matches up with what has been explained and we saw with the smuggler ship.

I'm glad Tress has a friend in Huck. Everyone needs a talking rat. (hide spoiler)]

I found it hard to put the book down and go to sleep last night :)

[Diana Stormblessed]

EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. There are supposed to be links and teasers though for greater Cosmere. Hopefully Iain and Nirk..."

I am still early on, about 10% but so far it's pretty new user friendly.

[Diana Stormblessed]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. There are supposed to be l..."

Intersting that it's a new planet. I looked on 17th shard and they don't mention anything about what planet it's on. The book mentions the Iriali and their blonde hair in the first chapter or so so i thought it was somewhere on Roshar. Though I guess it could just be that Hoid has contact with Roshar so he can make the reference. I'll need to reread that part.

Hoid also says this book has no talking parrots so i don't think it's the Sixth of Dusk planet lol.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. Ther..."

Coppermind says (view spoiler)[it's on Lumara or Luminara... can't remember (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing pl..."

Found it. Thank you. This is very timely as I had just started reading Aether of Night, though i know that one isn't cannon.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Coppermind is definitely the more thorough wiki... and has time travel settings to avoid spoilers, I think... can hide edits past specific dates...

[Nirkatze]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Narilka wrote: "According to Redditors, there are no spoilers for any ongoing plots in current series. Ther..."

I had heard the same about the Iriali. I wonder if that makes them an interplanetary people?

[Miche]

Gorgeous illustrations at the ebook. I am glad they kept those for this format too.

[Nirkatze]

Miche wrote: "Gorgeous illustrations at the ebook. I am glad they kept those for this format too."

Really makes me wish my ereader was color... but that would kinda defeat the whole epaper thing... it's so pretty... I can't wait to hold it in my hands...

[Miche]

Nirkatze wrote: "Miche wrote: "Gorgeous illustrations at the ebook. I am glad they kept those for this format too."

Really makes me wish my ereader was color... but that would kinda defeat the whole epaper thing....."

My ebook is also epaper, so I checked the illustrations at the app.

Do you have the Kindle app in your phone or tablet if you have one? It also works with the Google Books app. :)

I can only imagine how gorgeous the physical book will be, if the ebook is already killing it!

[Nirkatze]

Miche wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Miche wrote: "Gorgeous illustrations at the ebook. I am glad they kept those for this format too."

Really makes me wish my ereader was color... but that would kinda defeat the who..."

I have an ipod, but I don't have the kindle app... I keep thinking I should give it a try.... I actually format my own ebooks for reading--I can't stand the cookie-cutter default formatting--but I am drooling over all the pictures on my computer! Which... is not safe for my electronics. Gotta stop that.

And I went ahead and just started the book. It's so pretty even in B&W and I just didn't want to wait... I have two days before the October Daye BR, I can do this. :)

[Nirkatze]

Narilka wrote: "Ch 1. I am loving the story book style. It gives me the feel of a fairy tale."

Ditto this--just right from the start, I'm enjoying the narration (and by that, I mean narrative voice, not audiobook, I'm doing ebook)--including very Hoid-like descriptions like (view spoiler)[the moons "dominating your view, like a wart on your eyeball." (hide spoiler)]

I also really like the description of Tress from the first page--(view spoiler)[it is very true that a lot of descriptions of women tend toward food names... Honey. Cupcake. Sugar. And such terms have always made me uneasy. I like that Sanderson points this out, and describes it as "predatory."

And I love the bit about the family name. (hide spoiler)]

Silver... Cosmere question. (view spoiler)[Isn't Threnody--Forests of Hell etc--an Autonomy planet? And silver plays a major part there. I wonder if his Lunagree is also an Autonomy planet? Also thinking--silver is allomantically inert isn't it? I can't remember it ever being mentioned in Mistborn, except in making electrum. (hide spoiler)]

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Still hoping that someone that's at least halfway through the book can answer me:

I'm curious how newcomer friendly this book is.

I'm not too worried about spoilers as much as I am concerned about how much it expects you to know going in. I'm afraid that it's gonna be very meta.

Also, if I missed someone giving a clear answer to this question, I apologize, please point it out to me.

[Nirkatze]

Chapter 2--I love (view spoiler)[ the friendship between Tress & Charlie, very sweet and genuine, a little sad too. (hide spoiler)] And even just two chapters in, the book is making me laugh and smile a lot. In that way, so far at least, it feels like a COVID book--or rather, the books of comfort and humor that we're seeing more of (Legends & Lattes, Kaiju Preservation Society) written by authors during COVID.

Iriali, Cosmere question--(view spoiler)[a ha! So this is where they came from. We know that most folk on Roshar aren't native there--is it just Parshendi who are natives?--but how did all of the Iriali just "disappear"? I wonder if we'll get that answer or story. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter titles--(view spoiler)[I'm noticing that each one is "The blah blah blah"--and they seem to be people titles. I wonder if each chapter will have Tress encountering someone new? A fun little way to tell a story... definitely fairy tale vibes. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4--Ha! (view spoiler)[Yes, we see you Hoid! Your name totally gave you away. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5--Oooh! (view spoiler)[is this going to be a young-girl-goes-on-an-adventure-to-save-her-prince story? I'm in! (hide spoiler)] Also, the title of this chapter makes me think of Kill Bill. 2nd book this week to do that.

Yay on to Part 2!