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  • The Beauty of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere

    The Beauty of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere

    If I had to describe Brandon Sanderson’s works, it would be like frequenting your local five-star escape room business, where every room offers you a distinctive experience, complete with a unique story, theme, and puzzles, yet you always get the sense that the same creative mind is behind every curtain.

    Now imagine all those rooms have puzzles and hidden story elements that subtly hint towards some sort of connected continuity with all the other rooms, despite their vastly different themes. This is the Cosmere.

    So, for the uninitiated, what is the Cosmere?

    Well, it’s a universe, quite literally. Well, more specifically, it’s a universe populated by dozens of planets and solar systems. Many of these planets are barren, however, a select number of them have a “god” (or multiple “gods”) tied to them. These “gods” were once part of a single god, however, a group of sixteen people killed and shattered the god into pieces. Each of them got a “shard” which represents a personality trait of the original god. These “shards” made these people gods in their own right, but it also slowly shifted their personalities to the shard that they held. They would soon disperse to different planets, or create their own new planets, dictating the systems of the planet, creating life, and investing themselves in the very ecosystems of the planet (also known as investiture).

    Each Cosmere series/novel takes place on a different planet. Like most escape room businesses, the stories are not directly connected. As such, the reader can start at any series or one-off novel within the Cosmere, and not feel lost.

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    Within the Cosmere, there are three planes of existence: the physical realm, the cognitive realm, and the spiritual realm. Without getting too into the weeds, the distance from one planet to another is immeasurable in the physical realm (at least before technology progresses into space), however, in the cognitive realm, one could simply walk between planets. The only problem? It’s not easy to get into the cognitive realm as a human. As such, each book within the Cosmere will have a few references to other worlds. There may also be a few characters that reoccur between books or may seem out of place. Thankfully, the first-time reader is not expected to understand these references. They don’t need to be understood. In fact, oftentimes, they aren’t meant to be understood in a first read-through.

    That is the beauty of the Cosmere. Sanderson writes his novels in such a way that all his systems intricately connect deep enough to allow for analytical-minded folks to chew on, while also providing an engaging story for the casual reader. Sanderson does this while also giving himself enough flexibility to create new stories, worlds, and magic systems without breaking the continuity of what has been built before.

    My Experience

    I first entered the world of Sanderson through his first Cosmere novel, Elantris. Many people consider Elantris one of the author’s weaker entries given it was one of his earlier works, however for me, it couldn’t be more of a delightful treat to get me back into the world of books. At the time, having not read a novel in a while, Elantris was my attempt to find something to draw me back into books. Consider it a success.

    (Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead)

    Elantris is told from three perspectives. First is Prince Raoden, a man who is next in line for the throne of Arelon and is to marry soon. However, one day, he wakes up to find himself covered in dark splotches and looking disfigured. He had been taken by the Shaod. Once, those who had been taken by the Shaod became glowing figures with incredible abilities. They would move to the glowing city of Elantris to be with others who had the same abilities. However, at some point before the start of the book, disaster struck the Elantrians when their skin turned to dark splotches and their city darkened and began to crumble. Now, those taken by the Shaod are covered with the splotches and locked in the disgraced city of Elantris. Raoden is forced to learn to survive within the city and find a way out.

    The second is Princess Sarene, the woman who was to wed Prince Raoden. Upon arriving in Arelon, she is immediately told she is a widow and that Raoden is dead. She soon becomes suspicious of the circumstances behind his “death” and is determined to find out the truth.

    Finally, we have Hrathen, a high priest who follows Shu-Dereth and is trying to peacefully (but forcefully) convert the country of Arelon to the religion while avoiding religious conflict.

    Throughout the book, the fates of each of the characters increasingly intertwine as the stakes grow higher and higher for what will become of Arelon.

    The magic system within this world (the planet, Sel) is called the AonDor. It involves drawing “Aon” symbols using energy from the “Dor”. These symbols give unique abilities like creating objects, healing, and much more. Most of the magic systems within the Cosmere are based around some form of spiritual “investiture” from the god associated with the world.

    There is also generally some form of religion within most of Sanderson’s worlds. Elantris is no exception. Within the planet of Sel, there are two major religions: Shu-Dereth and Shu-Korath, both of which derive from Shu-Keseg. There is also a more cult-like offshoot called the Jeskeri Mysteries.

    Even in his earlier novels, Sanderson is able to masterfully weave religion in such a way that it does not feel out of place or preachy and is often instrumental in the plot of his stories.

    Personally, I really enjoy the way Sanderson intertwines his character-centric storytelling with the world itself. In many novels, the author will either focus on the worldbuilding at the cost of the characters themselves, or they will focus too much on the characters, only using the world as a backdrop/playground for the characters, making the world almost immutable.

    Sanderson writes in such a way that the characters take center-stage, where their actions leave a mark on the world while still allowing time for the world itself to breathe. There is a sense that the world is not just a stage for the characters, but an active force that shapes them just as much as they shape it. In many of Sanderson’s stories, there is a clear layer of interplay between the world and the characters.

    (Warning: MAJOR Spoilers Ahead)

    In Elantris, we discover that the Shaod became a curse because an earthquake reshaped the continent’s landscape. Since the symbols of the AonDor are drawn to mirror the surrounding geography, this shift broke the magic system entirely. The world itself changed, and the characters suffered the consequences. In this way, Raoden’s journey towards discovering and fixing this directly links him to the world, and by extension, the magic systems that dictate it. This really emphasizes the worldbuilding Sanderson has done while keeping the focus on Raoden.

    This interplay between the worlds becomes even more apparent in some of the other series within the Cosmere. In both Sanderson’s first Mistborn Trilogy and the Stormlight Archives, we see worlds that are literally crumbling around the protagonists as they do what they can to influence and change the fates of these worlds.

    By tying the actions of the characters to their worlds, when a character does appear in another series, it feels like they are bringing a piece of their world to another world. In fact, this is often how the reader can tell there is a character out of place. It isn’t through name dropping (unless it’s Hoid…) but rather through subtle references of dialogue or physics that seem out of place for the series.

    Conclusion

    Like the escape room, Elantris is only one experience of many. If you’re looking for a story epic in scope, the Stormlight Archives is the way to go. If you’re looking for a more contained, but high stakes story, Mistborn is the way. Each of these series is their own unique experiences, but in one way or another, they are all connected, whether through the Cosmere or by Sanderson’s unique storytelling. All in all, I encourage you to step into a room and experience it for yourself!

  • Book Review: Catching Fire

    Book Review: Catching Fire

    After finishing the first Hunger Games, it took me a little bit to get into the second book, Catching Fire. In between these books, I’ve been starting the Riyria Chronicles as well as wrapping up Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Era 1 series. It was in this hiatus that I came to realize my favorite books are those that are grander in scope, with a lot of moving parts. Perhaps that’s why my favorite book/movie series of all time is the Lord of the Rings. I’m always open to more recommendations along those lines! Anyways, with the Hunger Games being a more singular character focused story of survival, I wanted a change of pace after finishing the first book, so I took a brief hiatus before getting started on Catching Fire.

    However, upon starting Catching Fire, I was pleasantly surprised. Catching Fire is a book that takes the opportunity to really expand the scope of the world of Panem, giving a much greater picture of what is going on. Katniss’ actions in the first book have now spiraled beyond her, resulting in a much more dynamic world where events don’t necessarily revolve around what the main character does. In fact, one of the primary transformations in the book that will likely also carry into the third book, Mockingjay, is Katniss’ acceptance that she has started something that is out of her control, and only with her acceptance of this, can she take back control and lead what she has started.

    As the book develops, we hear about rebellions throughout Panem, many of which Katniss never even witnesses, only hears about. We also get our first true introduction to President Snow, a seemly calm, but threatening figure, who wants to be seen as having a grasp the situation developing in Panem. But as the rebellion continues, it becomes clear even he has lost control of the population, forcing him to retaliate. It is this invisible power struggle between Katniss and President Snow that defines the majority of the book. With the next Hunger Games considered a “Quarter Quell”, Snow orchestrates a game where previous winners from each district must compete. This means sending Katniss and Peeta back into the arena, with a clear intention of killing them off, essentially cutting out the figureheads of the rebellion.

    Throughout the book, and even to the end, Katniss feels a lack of control. She seems to only see people at a surface level, resulting in confusion that is evident to the reader. As she is tossed back in the arena, she wonders why people are helping her survive, what does those outside the arena think of her, or in general, what is going on. This constant stream of confusion as to what is happening around her allows the romance established in the first book to take a backseat, with Katniss forced to protect both Gale and Peeta, not out of love, but necessity and to keep her sources of stability alive.

    This book in general, feels like it is a buildup for the third book, where Katniss likely will have to accept her role in the rebellion and take charge. The invisible showdown between President and Katniss will likely come to a head with the stakes higher than ever. This is a book that got me excited to start Mockingjay and I look forward to seeing how the story concludes.

  • Book Review: The Hunger Games

    Book Review: The Hunger Games

    Recently, I was reintroduced to YA fiction with a recommendation to read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Now, this was a book I remember reading years ago, likely around the time people begin hyping up the first movie, so around 2012. In light of the new book of the prequel series, “Sunrise on the Reaping”, releasing on March 18 of this year, I followed through with the recommendation as now is as good of a time as ever to get back into the series. So, let’s talk about it!

    The story of the Hunger Games is set in the land of Panem, an alt-history dystopian landscape of what was once the American continent. In this version of history, the North American continent was devastated by natural disasters and wars, resulting in the rise of the “Capitol” as well as 13 separate districts specialized in specific industries. The capitol ruled Panem with an iron fist resulting in one of the district rebelling, district 13. The rebellion led by district 13 resulted in other districts rebelling, leading to what’s known as the “Dark Days”. The Capitol would ultimately win out, restoring order, while also wiping out district 13. They would also establish the Hunger Games, where one boy and one girl are selected as tribute to fight to the death in an arena as a reminder of the Capitol’s power. This becomes the status quo of Panem leading us to where the book starts.

    The story of the Hunger Games is told from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl chosen as tribute for district 12 in the 74th Hunger Games. The tone and style of writing is simplistic and straight to the point. This isn’t necessarily a choice to fit the YA category, but rather, reflective of the narrator, Katniss, and her personality. Within the first couple of chapters, the reader is already given an idea of why Katniss is the way she is. With her father dying while she was young and left to take care of her little sister, Prim, without the help of her despondent mother, survival is at the core of her personality. Early on, everything she does revolves around survival, with little time for dilly dallying. This is reflected in the straightforward writing, which in my opinion, does a good job of moving the story along at a pace that doesn’t feel like it’s dragging on for the sake of it. There are no deep internal dialogues or intricate prose. The narration early on gives us an idea of Katniss’ thoughts and what comes next. Background is provided only where it’s needed and similarly, does not overstay it’s welcome.

    Something that did catch my attention early on was the fair amount of adult themes that surprised me for a YA fiction novel… though to be fair, based off my recollection of the YA fiction I did read in the past, many probably also had strong adult themes, they just didn’t quite stick with me.

    Here, in the Hunger Games, some themes are incredibly blatant. Katniss is a walking representation of the loss of innocence, and her sister, Prim, as well as Peeta – the other tribute of district 12 – are meant to contrast that loss of innocence. In fact, their innocence is what drives Katniss’ character development throughout the novel. This is further driven home by the character, Rue, who Collins seemed to want to develop further, but instead, killed her off before she could get the spotlight in favor of further driving home the contrasts between Katniss’ lack of innocence compared to those around her. Story wise, it is used as a plot device to give Katniss another advantage, Thresh. Is this a good thing? In my opinion, it misses the mark. Rue’s lack of development makes her death unemotional and makes it hard to emphasize with how Katniss must feel, as well as finding Thresh as a later ally not really rewarding.

    Now, I want to talk a bit about the romance in the novel. Overall, the romance in the Hunger Games feels quite natural and isn’t overbearing. It is clear that a love triangle of sorts is being setup between Gale and Peeta vying for Katniss. Certainly, at least in the first book, Peeta is the focus, with Katniss’ confusion playing a fake love story conflicting with her true emotions leaving Peeta, as well as the reader, equally confused as to how she ultimately feels. Again, Collins succeeds in making the inner conflict feel natural. After Peeta’s initial confession before the Hunger Games, Katniss realizes she’s going to have to play a narrative. After faking something long enough, it can become hard to separate what’s real and what’s fake. Clearly, Katniss has to deal with this distinction, but ultimately, is left to be resolved in the next books in the series.

    Overall, the Hunger Games starts off strong, developing Katniss as a character the audience can reliably root for. The world of Panem is also introduced, grand in scope, but localized in the story so that a narrative can be told. I look forward to see what happens next in Panem.

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