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Secret Projects
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Alexa
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Jan 04, 2024 06:40PM
How many secret projects have you read and what is your favorite? Are you planning to read them all?
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I've read Tress and Yumi. Now look, I love Tress of the Emerald Sea, and after 75% of both books I'd say that Tress is the better one, but in hindsight, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is absolutely my favorite. The way that book works reminded me a lot of a certain anime movie but I won't spoil. can't wait to hear your thoughts after finishing them so I can also share my own thoughts and not spoil for anyone!
And yes I'm getting the Sunlit man next so maybe it becomes my favorite idk
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I’m about 70 pages into Yumi and it’s so good the writing is amazing, I can’t wait to keep reading it!
I adored Tress SOOO much, I still need to read Frugal Wizard and the Cosmic Man!
Alexa wrote: "*Sunlit man lol"Cosmic man from the Cosmere XD.
I love Tress and her cups, she's one of my favorite female characters in the Cosmere and Yumi&Painter is the first book to make me cry in a while.
But since you haven't read the Sunlit man yet, I'd recommend you put it away untill you're a bit deep in the Cosmere because it's the most reference heavy secret project out of them all I believe. Haven't read it yet but very soon so I'll give an update when I get to that.
I want to get through the core series first before I get to the secret projects. I want to catch all the little Easter eggs
Yeah that is the certified best practice☻
Ahh ok! Thanks for the tip, I will deff table the sunlit man for a bit. I have the first two books of mistborn coming tomorrow so I’m planning to get into those soon too because I know that’s one of the core series and I’ve heard so much about it!
Also yes 100% Tress is such a good female character, she’s so loveable!
It doesn't ever get more exciting than a Mistborn novel! The Final Empire and the Well of Ascension are incredible. Remember to give us your thoughts as you're going through them✔
Mistborn is arriving today! I’m so excited I’ve been watching some videos on spoiler free basic info on the world and it seems so expansive and exciting! I will definitely log my progress through the series, I can’t wait to get into it and discuss
The world of mist and ash. Welcome to Scadrial
Hi everyone! I have been reading Tress and some nights have been reading it out loud to my girlfriend. She has really enjoyed the book so far and was wondering if anyone knows of any books with similar style/humor that can be listened to in audio book format. Does not have to be Brandon Sanderson. Any recs are appreciated!
Hi Cole! Books with exactly the same humor style would definitely be Sanderson books haha. The style of Yumi&Painter matches that of Tress because they're both narrated by the Cosmere character Hoid(He's a big deal).
Other than Sanderson though I guess you could read Rothfuss's the Name of the Wind. It's got everything from great witty humor to epic fantasy magics, a lot longer than Tress but an extremely fun read.
If you want something more Sci fi then I love Andy Weir's books so much due to his incredibly stylish writing. Especially Project Hail Mary and the Martian.
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Hi Cole! Brandon Sanderson himself has also directly compared Tress to the Princess Bride, so along with everything Marwan said, I’d check that book out as well if she hasn’t already read it!
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Disclaimer, I have yet to read Tress, so take this with a grain of salt… it’s just what I’ve heard from Brandons socials
I adore the Princess bride. Have read the William Goldman book three times and watch the movie regularly. I can definitely see the comparisons between the two with Tress and I loved it! “As you wish” is even said one time in the book!
I 100% recommend the Princess bride book by William Goldman if you love tress because it’s very similar in terms of the whimsical and quirky writing too
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SPOILERS CONTINUE BELOW BE WARNED
The relationship between Charlie and Tress is so dang cute, the metaphor about the gloves, the excepting each others quirkiness, the deep understanding of each others smiles and mannerism, AHHHHH
Also I can’t beleive the Narrator!!! I won’t say more because of a major Cosmere Spoiler but DAMN, if you know you know.
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Jaime wrote: "I officially started Tress everyone!! I am literally in LOVE with the whimsy and lighthearted humour so far..."Oh my God that is just so true. Tress of the Emerald Sea is a book Sanderson wrote for fun and because his wife asked him to incorporate more romance in his stories! So you can be sure that it's going to be a fun read. Tress is such a well written and loveable character that she convinced me that collecting cups is the most adorable thing ever xd.
Okay. So I'm finally reading the Sunlit Man!! Let me say first that I just LOVE the cover art! Like, seriously this one is my favorite out of all the secret projects, and that's saying something because Tress and Yumi's covers were gorgeous.
It hit me while I was looking at the acknowledgements that this will be the first time ever that I read a Cosmere novel without having another in my tbr! This is the last published Cosmere work that I haven't read yet, and while this makes me a bit sad, I'm so happy and grateful that I got to experience what I now consider my favorite work of fiction❤
I'm a few pages in, and the references and connections are already kicking in xd. I won't be discussing this book much as to not give any spoilers, but I will write what I think about it when I'm finished.
Mod
Okay so I’m further along in Tress and it’s still just as good as when I started!! I just caught another Easter egg (well it’s not really hidden at all…) that I’ll talk about below.
Cosmere spoiler
So Ulaam is a Kandra??? I mean it’s pretty obvious but if anyone can confirm that would be great.
Also the way that Tress is changing with all of her experiences is so cool but also kind of sad! Where did my timid, overly polite, shy girl go! Now there’s just this badass woman sticking up for herself and her friends! Go girl!
Some of my thoughts about the rest of the book:
I hope this isn’t the case but some part of me feels like these changes might impact her relationship with Charlie… with how much she has evolved, I feel like she might have outgrown him in a way? Will she be happy returning back to their little island and living how she used to? I guess I’ll find out!
Can Confirm Ulaam is a Kandra! (Mistborn Spoilers!!!)
Which raises questions about whats going on with Harmony/Discord since this clearly takes place in the more future timeline and clearly they are not actively controlling Kandra as much as they once were.
Mistborn era 2 and Cosmere SpoilersYeah, Ulaam is a Kandra. Actually, he was mentioned in era 2 of Mistborn!
He was one of the Kandra who warned Melaan about her relationship with Wayne in The Lost Metal, along with TenSoon.
As for Tress, I believe she was always this badass woman, just that her environment didn't allow her to show what she was truly made of.
She has a heart of gold, which makes her seem timid and overly polite when she's not faced with any challenges. Take away her love though? No more shy town girl, but a main character in a story that Hoid deems worthy to be told around the Cosmere!
And I love your remarks about the changes in Tress, very thoughtful. But as you said, you'll have to find out!
More spoilers for Era 2Very interesting Peter. The third era of Mistborn is something I'm waiting for only as hard as I'm waiting for book 5 of Stormlight, since the stuff happening on Scadrial seem to be about to escalate explosively.
The Secret projects all seem to be taking place in a much more advanced Cosmere, and the implications of some of the stuff said in these three books is just driving me crazy with anticipation.
Mod
Minor spoilers:
I guess in someway I was right that Tress outgrew Charlie! I just wasn’t expecting him to have grown right along with her!
The word play from Hoid throughout the book was so so so fun, I have never read anything quite like this… It felt intimate almost, idk how to describe it.
All the themes about discovering ones self worth, and place in the world, aghhh I just have no words. I will definitely be coming back to reread this book many many times.
Did anyone figure out the big twist at the end before it was revealed?? I think I had it figured out like one page before they revealed it, so I was very surprised HA!
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a beautiful beautiful book. You can tell that Brandon had fun writing it!Loved the themes of the book, and Tress's growth and plot arc matched those of characters that had so much more page time than her. I only wish that we get to meet her again in future Cosmere stories. And knowing Sanderson, we will probably do!
Hoid is such one of the most exceptional characters in fiction, and his influence on the Cosmere is extremely exciting and entertaining.
I did not figure out the twist at all, but it seems so obvious in hindsight lol!
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Yumi was really heartfelt and emotionally effictive. I'm going through the Sunlit Man right now and it seems like it will become my favorite secret project! They're all so good anyway so it's hard to pick a favorite. Enjoy your read!
Sunlit man has been fantastic. The connection to stormlight has me so excited to start my reread Each secret project has brought such a different energy and general tone. Sunlit definitely feels the closest to stormlight in that way.
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I’ve discovered who he is already haha, the scholar to soldier pathway he mentioned gave it away…
MAJOR SUNLIT AND STORMLIGHT SPOILER:
I can’t beleive how much Sigzil has changed if it is him (I’m hoping I’m right here hahaha, I still don’t know for sure!)! Excited to see more about his character growth and learn how he ended up breaking his oaths, safe to say I was shocked to hear about that!
I'm finishing it today or tomorrow. I'm so excited for this whole thing. Reading Stormlight 5 never felt more like an absolute necessity!
I just finished it, and I really enjoyed it. but it really makes me wish I could occasionally wipe my mind of the cosmere. I'll be very curious to think what it would be like to read this as an introduction to the cosmere, as a standalone novel. so much of my enjoyment of the book was seeing the continuation of a character from a different series. I wonder if it would like it without that familiar character. COSMERE SPOILER
Sigzil has such a great arc, but he is also not the character we knew as of the last stormlight book. so much has changed in the interim. This just makes me desire more stormlight. it also further confirms my belief that after stormlight five we are going to have a time jump of decades if not longer
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MAJOR SUNLIT MAN AND SA SPOILERS;
Despite that though, this was definitely my favourite secret project (Order goes; Sunlit Man, Tress, Yumi for me). Seeing Nomad/Zellion/Sigzil’s (lol) struggles with himself and his identity reminds me so much of Kaladin and his similar battle between his past and current self, and learning to accept and love the man he is and not blame himself so much for mistakes. I’m currently rereading the Way of Kings right now so these parallels stuck out to me even more!
I really want to hear more about how Sigzil came to Harbor the Dawnshard and how he ended up breaking his oaths… the true and final death of Auxillary was so sad but super inspiring, I can’t wait to see what is in store for stormlight 5!
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My order for the cosmere related secret projects has to be Yumi, Sunlit, and then surprisingly Tress, the further away I am from it the less I appreciate it. We'll see how I feel on my reread in a few years. COSMERE SPOILERS
There is such a beautiful undercurrent of lack of belonging and distorted self view that comes from so many of our Bridge Four team. I'm loving that we get to explore that more with each book. Kal of course being the standout. But Teft and his journey really affected me. Now Sigzil is high on the list as well. Plus with his significance in the cosmere to come I could see him being a long lasting character with a great journey ahead of him.
I can't wait for stormlight 5 just to figure out the origin of all the breadcrumbs dropped in Sunlit. The fact that Sigzil broke his oaths but also was a member of the Skybreakers really shakes things up for me. It makes me really worried that the honor spren are going to be the uptight spren they appeared to be in Lasting Integrity and may not remain on the side of our heroes.
I also am going to reread all the Stormlight Books before December 6th, I had to read 18 pages a day to do all of them plus Sunlit and Yumi, I'm currently 583 pages ahead of schedule. I don't know if I should jump into Way of Kings tonight, or bang out out a non cosmere read before diving into the beast that is SA.
No SpoilersA bit late to the party I guess. but that's natural when I'm alternating from work, to studying for my college exams, and most importantly, reading the Cosmere!
So I've finished the Sunlit Man, which means that I'm finally caught up with the series, a goal I set for myself 11 months ago. phew, what a ride that was! And the longest book series that I have ever read as well.
Now for some rankings!
Yumi was in my opinion exceptionally paced, beautifully written, and emotionally, the most effective out of the three, making it without a doubt my favorite of all three secret projects.
I'm a bit conflicted over which to rank higher, Tress or Sunlit. On one hand, Tress was just so beautiful and heart warming, and Hoid being narrator brings an incredible style to the writing, on the other hand though, the Sunlit Man was just too exciting because of all these little hints and tidbits from around the Cosmere, and also it's massive connection to Stormlight 5.
I guess I'll give it to Sunlit after all. Being able to understand every reference mentioned felt like a real treat from Brandon to people who stuck around for the whole deal, and I appreciate that greatly. So my order will be Yumi, Sunlit and then Tress.
Peter wrote: "There is such a beautiful undercurrent of lack of belonging and distorted self view that comes from so many of our Bridge Four team. I'm loving that we get to explore that more with each book..."I love this so much Peter. The way these characters suffer just feels too real, and this is a recurring theme in the Cosmere that I found very refreshing compared to other stories in the genre.
They're just too relatable. which makes them feel more like real people, enriching the story and making it feel much more than fantasy.
SUNLIT MAN AND COSMERE SPOILERS
Jaime wrote: "I really want to hear more about how Sigzil came to Harbor the Dawnshard and how he ended up breaking his oaths…"
Did I need another reason to be excited for Stormlight 5? No.
Did Brandon give me another massive reason to be excited for Stormlight 5? Absolutely!
Sigzil is a character that was mostly overlooked in the past books. Now he's probably going to become a major character in the overall Cosmere story, which leaves me burning with excitement for his role in Wind and Truth!
Also there seems to be a major conflict going on the Cosmere, with Rosharans, Scadrians, people from Nalthis, Sel and all the advanced worlds being a part of, not to mention the mysterious Silverlight that I want to know more about. Mad stuff that feeds my excitement even more!
Hi all! Finally got around to finishing Tress after being distracted with other life things for the last few weeks.I absolutely loved this book! The themes presented throughout were really intriguing and I really liked what the cups came to represent. I also thought the narration from Hoids perspective was really unique and added a fun and even more whimsical element to and already whimsical story. The twist was also really great and unexpected to me and normally I am able to pick up on those things ahead of time, so I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
Mistborn/Tress SPOILERS -
I really liked the connections to mistborn here with Ulaam being a kandra and all. Also, not sure if anyone else picked up on this but when tress was working with the verdant and crimson spores with her silver and iron tools, the tools affected them in the same way those metals work in mistborn! I.e. pushing and pulling. I thought that was so cool when I caught it. I’m sure there are plenty other references I missed, but I am still new to the cosmere and have a lot to learn!
Hi Cole!Glad you enjoyed Tress. If you read it again after reading era1 and 2 of Mistborn and maybe the Way of Kings you'll pick up even more references.
I suggest rereading the secret projects after finishing the main Cosmere works.
Aaand here's a reading order that I really like and could be useful if you feel lost as is usual in new Cosmere readers haha!
https://thequilltolive.com/2023/10/13...
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—dont read the rest until you watch the video!!!—
This is MASSIVE news, to be honest I 100% thought we were only getting SA 5 this year and no really big news for any other books would be dropped, let alone another SECRET PROJECT. Jaw absolutely on the floor…. He can’t keep doing this to us, it can’t be good for my heart…
I heard the news right after I finished my reread of oathbringer, so truly my emotions are all over the place… Can’t wait to hear more about this secret project and listen to the reading of the first chapter!!!!
Let me know your thoughts on this!
ERG! Brandon Sanderson knows how to keep his readers on there toes...
The guy is addicted to writing as much as we are addicted to his writing which is just CRAZY.I've never seen a writer with the same output as Brandon except maybe Stephen King and I'm not even sure prime King could beat Sanderson in a 'how many great books can you write in the shortest time' competition xD
He's just too good. I get attached too quickly and get sucked in for days!
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