December 2023 Standalone BOTM - Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

[Alaina]

#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us a gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different worlds must compromise and work together to save their worlds from ruin.

Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?

**This BOTM thread will be open until January 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Part 1 (chapters 1-7)

(view spoiler)[The beginning is a bit slow and I'm looking forward to seeing things start actually happening. At the same time, it helped me understand more of both Painter's and Yumi's lives.

While slightly boring, Yumi's life seemed to be shown accurately, ie how boring, regimented and repressive it was.

Painter's life is solitary and while I think I enjoyed his world more, I was also more confused and had a slightly less clear understanding of it.

Painter and Yumi live in completely different worlds and I'm wondering if when each looks up at the sky, the star they see are the other's planet.

A spirit asks Yumi if she will do it a favour, and then everything goes black for her and in Painter's next chapter, the same thing happens to him. I'm assuming from the description of the heat that Painter has somehow appeared in Yumi's planet. Why? What does he have to do with the spirits? Are the nightmares a different form of spirits?

The illustrations are amazing and I look forward to seeing more of them.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 8 - 15

(view spoiler)[It was interesting seeing them both go into each other's worlds and I am curious why Painter is in Yumi's body in her world while in his world Yumi is in her own body.

I want to get to the part where they actually have a purpose as so far they're not really doing anything.

Also, I think what's making me want to get through this book quicker is that I'm not really liking Yumi. At first she was fine, but I really hate how self-absorbed she is. When Painter was in her world, he does what she says because she's so insistent about it. However, Painter asks her to do one thing (to warn the foreman of the almost stable nightmare) and yet she almost has a tantrum that she doesn't get her way, which is to teach him how to stack.

Yumi comes to Painter's world and makes him seem awful to his neighbour and then has the audacity to say that she's going shopping because he owes her. For what?? The tiny lie that didn't really get anywhere because it was found out almost immediately? Has he not done enough by following all her directions when they're in her world?

I know that that might just be her up-bringing but that doesn't mean I like anything about her.
(hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[As usual the worlds are very detailed. I wonder if the star in painter world is really actully a planet, that seems strange. Painter seems lonely, too. (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

25% : (view spoiler)[I keep thinking that if they don't get some sleep they'll die... Maybe they do sleep in between jumps? It is very unclear what they are supposed to do in each other's world, but at least there is a quest in Yumi's, not sure about Painter's? And why is she in her body in Painter's world?? I hope we'll get some answers, or the difference will feel random... (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

34%: (view spoiler)[I must say Yumi is annoying me slightly... Remind me of the girl character from stormlight archive that I also didn't love. It's the mix of helplessness and willfullness and self-assurance that annoys me... (hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Andy wrote: "34%: [spoilers removed]"

Yes!!! I completely agree with your description of her. It's making me a bit reluctant to continue the book

[Andy]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Andy wrote: "34%: [spoilers removed]"

Yes!!! I completely agree with your description of her. It's making me a bit reluctant to continue the book"

Ah! I'm glad it's not just me! I will continue... I hope changing will be part of her story, but I also agree with you, I look forward to when they actually know what they are doing!

[Andy]

Chapter 23 / 57% : (view spoiler)[I did start thinking they might ve capturing spirits! But is Yumi actually from the past then? It seems too conveniente that they'd trap spirits to for hion lines on a different planet...? It all sounds a lot like Stormlight Archive in Ny case... (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

66% : (view spoiler)[Painter ex friends are selfish assholes, though. Yes, your friend lied, but you should have some compassion for him, his dream completely shattered, and they only care about what it means FOR THEM. (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

83 % : (view spoiler)[what? What?WHAT??? Nooooo! (hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 16 - 22

(view spoiler)[Yumi is still acting spoilt, but maybe after what she found out about the other yoki-hijo she'll change a bit?

I loved how Painter decided to do his own thing in Yumi's world instead of following all the rules.

I liked that Design can see Painter and I'm curious what information she might find, although it doesn't seem like she knows much.

I'm curious about what happened in the past between Painter and the other painters that Yumi eats dinners with.

I feel like we're still no closer to finding out what the purpose of this is and what the spirits want. Could it be that the reform movement and the machines are what is making the spirits less free? Maybe they're being collected for a completely different purpose?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Andy wrote: "Chapter 23 / 57% : [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Me too! I was kind of imagining a big glass bowl with lots of spirits inside it.

Oh, I didn't think of that! If Yumi is from the past then maybe the spirit that said that they were trapped is talking about being trapped in the hion lines in Painter's world (the future?)

I haven't read the Stormlight Archive series, but if you say that the plot is similar, could it be happening in the same world?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Andy wrote: "66% : [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes, I agree. He did lie and make them believe that they would be Dreamwatch companions, but they didn't at all think about how he felt about what happened. They didn't consider why he might have done it. It felt like being the companions was the only reason they were friends with him, because they quickly got rid of him after they found out.

I'm warming up to Yumi a bit now with her rebellious acts, and I liked how she reacted when she found out.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 22 - 29

(view spoiler)[Could Painter not getting into the training program for Dreamwatch have been part of a bigger conspiracy? This is probably overthinking it, but his artwork was always amazing and he just scared off a stable nightmare. So, why wasn’t he accepted?

I kind of want Akane and Tojin to find out that Painter is a ghost and managed to scare the nightmare away - although they probably wouldn’t believe it.

Could the nightmares be disgruntled spirits that managed to escape from being used for hion lines?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 30 - 36

(view spoiler)[ I’m lost

The machine has a mind of it’s own? What is it’s purpose?

Why is the ground so hot in Yumi’s parts of the world?

So, is Yumi a nightmare? Or is she a person the machine uses to make nightmares?

I’m so confused, but I can’t wait to find out more.
(hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

Finished: (view spoiler)[I loved the ending - I liked the sad one, and then the reverse! Ah! So glad that Yumi gets to live a life for herself! (hide spoiler)]

[Andy]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Chapters 30 - 36

Spoliers"

I was lost, too - it does explain itself later and (view spoiler)[I was a little right about Yumi being from tbe past! Ah! (hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 37 - Epilogue

(view spoiler)[Okay, so I think I understand how things work and what happened now. At the end, I still preferred reading Painter's POV because there was more action, but I understood that Yumi's part was important.

I liked seeing Design and Hoid getting an ending too. Are they present in other books by this author?

It was definitely an interesting read, but I don't think I'd want to reread it.

While I liked that the author decided not to make this a sad story, I wanted to see more of how the people reacted to their world changing, if Painter would be friends with Akane and the group again, and what Yumi and Painter's lives look like now - well, I know that they have the noodle shop and a gallery attached to it, but I wanted to see a scene from their lives.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

I know you mentioned reading the Stormlight Archive, do you think it made the explanations in this book easier to understand?

I've only read The Final Empire so I'm curious how the Cosmere universe works/how it's linked. Is it just different planets in one galaxy?

[Andy]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "I know you mentioned reading the Stormlight Archive, do you think it made the explanations in this book easier to understand?

I've only read The Final Empire so I'm curious how the C..."

No, not really... It was more that Yumi reminded me of a character there... You would understand Hoid and Design a bit more, I guess.

[Andy]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Chapters 37 - Epilogue."

Oh, yes! It would have been interesting to see a bit more of how they adapted! Maybe a bonus chapter from a few years later?

[Alaina]

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