Isles of the Emberdark By: Brandon Sanderson
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Adult Services Specialist
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about? Sixth of the Dusk is a “man out of time.” His way of life is gone. Ever since the aliens arrived at his planet (First of the Sun) eight years ago, things began to change. He used to be one of the few trappers who raised prized Aviar (similar to parrots) on secluded and extraordinarily dangerous islands in the middle of a vast ocean. The birds can bestow “gifts” (seemingly magical abilities) to humans that are bonded to them. The aliens want the birds and something else…access to a perpendicularity. In the Cosmere, a perpendicularity essentially shortens travel between planets. Multiple alien societies are at odds with each other and all want the resources of Dusk’s planet. In order to learn more about why the perpendicularity is so valuable and how to keep Dusk’s people from being exploited, Dusk travels through to the other side, into the Emberdark. Since his planet has been isolated for so long, Dusk emerges surrounded by a vast expanse of “nothingness.” If Dusk travels out into the “nothing,” will he find his way back? Can Dusk find out how his people can use the perpendicularity for their own benefit before the other aliens lose their patience? And who else is out there?
My Review: I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed this book a lot. It is the 21st novel in Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, which has been around since he published Elantris in 2005. In the cosmere, each inhabited planet has a local type of magic. An individual can acquire multiple abilities from multiple planets, if you can travel between worlds. There are many references to people, places, events, and other cosmere lore that may be confusing for the uninitiated. However, this novel was able to bring together many different cultures of the cosmere while also furthering the saga. What I found really fascinating was how Sanderson incorporated the skill of wayfinding into this novel. It’s a real skill that humans used for thousands of years to navigate the ocean that might seem like a mystical ability to anyone else. In an epic fantasy novel, Brandon Sanderson found a way to say, “You don’t have to have magic to be do amazing things.”
Three Words That Describe This Book: Unconventional, Off-beat, Unique
Give This a Try if You Like…Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, and Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
Rating: 5/5
