White Sand – Welcome To Sandyland

Welcome to Taldain, the Cosmere’s sandy desert planet! I’ve long basked in Brandon Sanderson’s web of interconnected fantasy worlds, saving the graphic novel adaptation for last. But rest assured, this story still has value even if you aren’t already immersed in the Cosmere. If you are, there’s a lot to love. Not for lack of…

Dawnshard – Colorful Cosmere Connections

As Sanderson continues to build his sweeping Cosmere, there has always been a lingering question: where does The Stormlight Archive fit into the puzzle? As Sanderson’s largest and most expansive piece of writing, the series has previously avoided clear ties to the bigger picture, instead choosing to dole out small nods and vignettes teasing the…

Warbreaker – Reading Rainbow

Another day, another Brandon Sanderson review from yours truly. My exploration of the Cosmere took me to the colorful world of Hallandren and Idris, where Breath brings objects to life and political strife could erupt into all-out war. Warbreaker is a Brandon Sanderson novel, all right, and it’s a characteristically excellent one, to boot.  T’Telir,…

Elantris – City of Scars

My journey through the entire Brandon Sanderson pantheon continues with the author’s first published novel: Elantris. Brimming with typical Sanderson flair, Elantris set the stage for his epic tales to come while carving out a well-earned place on any Brandy Sandy Fandy’s shelf. Though it’s not his strongest work, Elantris is a triumphant story of…

Five Unlikely SFF Friendships That Bring Me Joy

This post originally appeared on Tor.com. The SFF genre has no shortage of stock friendships and familiar pairings. They can be magical and memorable: Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Frodo and Sam. Locke and Jean. There’s a certain wonder that comes with fantastic friendships in fiction, where like-minded companions support each other through good times and…

Five Stories About Found Family For Your Holiday TBR

This post originally appeared on Tor.com During the holidays, the “spending quality time with your loved ones” refrain resounds in greeting cards, corporate emails, ads, and commercials. The winter season bursts at the seams with family-focused language and occasional jokes about how long, exactly, you can keep up with Uncle Gary’s questionable-at-best post-dinner ravings. Within…

The Way Of Kings – Let The Sanderlanche Take Me

You can expect this review to feel a lot like a Shardplate oozing Stormlight. I’ll just exude a nondescript glow as I wax romantic about this book. It’s a freedom I grant myself because 1) I have nothing bad to say about The Way of Kings and 2) I have nothing new to say about…

The Bands Of Mourning – Nothing To Grieve About

So here we are. Like an Allomancer burning Atium and exhausting all her metals, I’ve siphoned all my reading power and finished every currently-released core Mistborn book. Brandon Sanderson continues to craft an epic, sweeping tale, and I adore this series beyond measure. Unless, of course, you count my review scores as a measure, which…