Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection book cover

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

Hardcover – Illustrated, November 22, 2016

Price
$32.37
Format
Hardcover
Pages
672
Publisher
Tor Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0765391162
Dimensions
6.55 x 1.95 x 9.55 inches
Weight
1.8 pounds

Description

For the Mistborn series “Mistborn utilizes a well thought out system of magic. It also has a great cast of believable characters, a plausible world, an intriguing political system, and despite being the first book of The Final Empire, a very satisfying ending. In short, it's one of those great kettle books, in which the author has thrown not merely a bone of an idea and a few potatoes of originality, but half a cow and everything in the garden. And then added seasonings. Highly recommended to anyone hungry for a good read.”― Robin Hobb “It's rare for a fiction writer to have much understanding of how leadership works and how love really takes root in the human heart. Sanderson is astonishingly wise.” ― Orson Scott Card “Sanderson is an evil genius. There is simply no other way to describe what he's managed to pull off in this transcendent final volume of his Mistborn trilogy.” ― RT Book Reviews (Gold Medal, Top Pick!) on The Hero of Ages "He has created a fascinating world here.”― Washington Post Bookworld “ Mistborn is a[n] . . . enjoyable, adventurous read . . . [it] should satisfy.”― Locus “The action never lets up, and the characters never lose their endearing humanity.... A fast-paced fantasy adventure set in a fascinating world and populated with lovable, memorable characters.” ― Kirkus Reviews, on Shadows of Self “Sanderson’s fantasy world partakes equally of steampunk, early industry, and the Wild West, and he cleverly incorporates the metal-shaping magic of feruchemists and allomancers. Fantasy fans will savor this exciting escapade.” ― Publishers Weekly , on Shadows of Self “Fast, smart dialog and an abundance of exciting action keep the pages turning.” ― Library Journal , starred review, on Shadows of Self “Intrigue, politics, and conspiracies mesh complexly in a world Sanderson realizes in satisfying depth and peoples with impressive characters.”― Booklist , on The Well of Ascension “This mystico-metallurgical fantasy combines Vin’s coming-of-age-in-magic and its well-worm theme of revolt against oppression with copious mutilations, a large-scale cast of thieves, cutthroats, conniving nobles and exotic mutants.” ― Publishers Weekly , on The Well of Ascension For the Stormlight Archive “I loved this book. What else is there to say?” ―Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind , on The Way of Kings “While the recent HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” has revitalized the epic fantasy genre, Sanderson brings enough new material to the epic fantasy format to keep it interesting… Sanderson will not disappoint.” ― Vanguard Dohlenaga, on The Way of Kings “Promising beginning to a hew high-fantasy series. This great big book pulled me in early on the strength of the world building, but the nicely drawn characters drew me in further for enjoyment . . .and anticipation of the next volume.”― The San Diego Union-Tribune , on The Way of Kings “It’s a classic story of intrigue, magic, and war, with a large cast of characters and multiple settings lovingly detailed in a way only possible in volumes of this size. Readers will plunge into it.”― Booklist , on The Way of Kings “Sanderson’s fondness for misleading the reader and his talent for feeding out revelations and action scenes at just the right pace will keep epic fantasy fans intrigued.”― Publishers Weekly , on The Way of Kings “Sanderson is, if nothing else, absolutely amazing at worldbuilding.”― RT Book Reviews , on The Way of Kings “This is a great choice for fans of Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks.” ― Voice of Youth Advocates , on The Way of Kings “The best part…is the compelling, complex story of Dalinar, Kaladin, and Shallan as they struggle though emotional, physical, and moral challenges. Fans and lovers of epic fantasy…will eagerly await the next volume.” ― Library Journal , on The Way of Kings “I give this book my highest recommendation and think The Way of Kings will be one of those landmark novels of Epic Fantasy against which future novels will always be measured. ”― SFFworld.com, Rob. H. Bedford, on The Way of Kings For Elantris “The intrigue and excitement grow steadily in this smoothly written, perfectly balanced narrative; by the end readers won't want to put it down....Sanderson is a writer to watch.”― Publishers Weekly, s tarred review “While every new fantasy author is hailed as unique, new, and different, Brandon Sanderson's Elantris does indeed provide an absorbing adventure in a unique, different, and well-thought-out fantasy world, with a few nifty twists as well.”― L. E. Modesitt, Jr. "Brandon Sanderson is the real thing--an exciting storyteller with a unique and powerful vision. Elantris is one of the finest debuts I've seen in years."― David Farland “Brandon Sanderson's Elantris is a marvelous, magic monster of a book, packed full of intrigue and daring, based around a killer high concept. When the city of the gods becomes a city of the damned, who and what do you believe in? The story twists and turns, characters bait traps for one another as they vie for secular and religious power, and no one is necessarily who or what they seem. Royal houses rise and fall, the fate of all Humanity is in the balance, and maybe, just maybe... the gods are coming back. All this and a genuinely touching love story too. Elantris , the book that put epic back into fantasy.”― Simon R. Green, the NY Times bestselling author of the Deathstalker, Nightside, and Hawk & Fisher series “ Elantris , Brandon Sanderson’s excellent debut novel, is marked by vivid and strongly drawn characters (including a memorable female character) and ingenious plot twists that will keep the reader turning pages. Don’t miss it!”― Katherine Kurtz Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. His bestsellers have sold 30 million copies worldwide and include the Mistborn® Trilogy and its sequels; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including The Rithmatist , Steelheart, and Skyward . He won a Hugo Award for for The Emperor's Soul , a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris . Additionally, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time® sequence. Visit his website for behind-the-scenes information on all his books.

Features & Highlights

  • An all-new 120-page Stormlight Archive novella, "Edgedancer," will be the crown jewel of
  • Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
  • , the first book of short fiction by #1
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.
  • The collection will include nine works in all. The first eight are:
  • “The Hope of Elantris” (Elantris)“The Eleventh Metal” (Mistborn)“The Emperor's Soul” (Elantris)“Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30” (Mistborn)“White Sand" (excerpt; Taldain)"Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” (Threnody) “Sixth of the Dusk” (First of the Sun)“Mistborn: Secret History” (Mistborn)
  • These wonderful works, originally published on Tor.com and elsewhere individually, convey the expanse of the Cosmere and tell exciting tales of adventure Sanderson fans have come to expect, including the Hugo Award-winning novella, “The Emperor's Soul” and an excerpt from the graphic novel "White Sand."
  • Arcanum Unbounded
  • will also contain the 120-page Stormlight Archive novella "Edgedancer," which will appear in this book for the first time anywhere. It is a story of Lift, taking place between
  • Words of Radiance
  • and the forthcoming
  • Oathbringer
  • .
  • Finally, this collection includes essays and illustrations for the various planetary systems in which the stories are set.
  • Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
  • The Cosmere
  • The Stormlight Archive
  • The Way of Kings
  • Words of Radiance
  • Edgedancer
  • (Novella)
  • Oathbringer
  • (forthcoming)
  • The Mistborn saga
  • Mistborn: The Final Empire
  • The Well of Ascension
  • The Hero of Ages
  • Alloy of Law
  • Shadows of Self
  • Bands of Mourning
  • Collection
  • Arcanum Unbounded
  • Other Cosmere Titles
  • Elantris
  • Warbreaker
  • The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
  • Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
  • The Scrivener's Bones
  • The Knights of Crystallia
  • The Shattered Lens
  • The Dark Talent
  • Other books by Brandon Sanderson
  • Rithmatist
  • The Rithmatist
  • The Reckoners
  • Steelheart
  • Firefight
  • Calamity

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
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Most Helpful Reviews

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Rewards faithful readers with an even deeper understanding of Sanderson's creations

Weighing in at 672 pages, Brandon Sanderson's first short fiction collection not only pulls together various short stories and novellas from across his Cosmere, but organizes them by Shardworlds, complete with essays and illustrations on each. Arcanum Unbounded is a collection that would no doubt be daunting to a new reader, but which rewards the faithful with an even deeper understanding of his creations.

The collection opens with a pair of stories set in the world of Elantris, with “The Emperor's Soul” serving as a standalone tale, and “The Hope of Elantris” taking place following the original novel. Soul was the one story in the collection I had read before, and it was just as fascinating the second time around. As for Hope, it will have to wait until I read the source material, since it contains major spoilers.

Not surprisingly for his longest series to date, Mistborn gets three entries here. “The Eleventh Metal” was a pleasant surprise, being a prequel to the series with my favorite character, Kelsier. As odd as it was to see him so early in his career, it was also interesting to get some more insights into his tortured past. “Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30” was, by far, the most entertaining story in the collection. Written as a pulp adventure tale, what really makes it work is all the footnotes from the fictional editor who is forced to publish such nonsense. “Mistborn: Secret History” brings us back to Kelsier, following the events of the first Mistborn novel. It was an interesting story, with some entertaining moments, but I've never been a fan of stripping a character of his powers and taking him out of his element.

“White Sand" was a fascinating treat, offering up a sample of the graphic novel on which it's based (which is awesome all on its own), and then pairing it with the short story from which it originated. "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” is another standalone story set in its own world, and probably the darkest piece in the collection. It's a story of haunted forests, human cruelty, painful secrets, and the undying thirst for revenge. As far as the new material here is concerned, this was probably my favorite. Ironically, the next entry - “Sixth of Dusk” - was the only story that didn't work for me. I can't put my finger on what was wrong with it, but the story just never grabbed me.

The self-professed crown jewel of the collection, "Edgedancer," is an all-new Stormlight Archive novella that I am pleased to say was everything I was looking for. It's a great story that gives us a peek at another part of the world, and which looks at the magic of the world from a younger, less experienced perspective. It's a story that blends sorrow, awe, and humor in equal measure, revisiting the character of Lift, who first appeared in Words of Radiance.

Even if you've read some of the material before, the packaging of Arcanum Unbounded makes it a must read. Each section of the book has an illustration of the solar system in which it takes place, with the character of Khriss (who has written the Ars Arcanum at the end of each novel) providing a short essay on the world. Each story gets an illustration to introduce it, along with a Postscript from Sanderson, explaining how it fits into the Cosmere, why it's important, and how it came about. While it's not a good place to start for new readers, it's definitely a treat for fans.
174 people found this helpful
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Sanderson Delivers!

Sanderson is best known for writing HUGE fantasy novels. Brandon Sanderson is a born winner. It seems everything he tries his hand at is a home run! That is the case with this collection of shorts. I had already read every entry here with the exception of the new Stormlight Archive story Edgedancer. Stormlight is already my favorite series running right now. Will just say I have read the current books a couple of times. :)

Edgedancer is great. It runs 40 thousand words. It is about roughly about 10 percent the length of one of the main novels. The main character of it is Lift, who you will have met in one of the interludes of Words of Radiance. Her story here serves many purposes. First and foremost, it is just a heck of a lot of fun. Next it expands on the world that this series takes place on. Last it is a good primer for book 3. Helping curb my appetite for Oathbringer along was worth the price of admission. If you liked Lift's awesomeness in WoR then rest assured this will not disappoint.

That isn't the only reason to buy this book. The other stories contained are incredible. My personal favorite is The Emporer's Soul. It is one of my favorite pieces of fiction of all time!

Thanks for reading my review! If you have any questions on my review or the contents of the novel please post me a comment.
42 people found this helpful
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Great collection of "short" stories that fill out the Cosmere. Recommended for seasoned Sanderson readers.

WARNING this book has spoilers for Brandon Sanderson's other books!

I've always loved Brandon Sanderson's writing, ever since he was tapped to finish the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (RIP). Before that I didn't know of his writings and all I can say was "HOW did I not know of this author before!"

His book; Arcanum Unbounded helps fill in his Cosmere universe in such a great way. It ties together worlds that you may not have known were even connected. I'm going to leave it there as I don't to spoil any of the stories for the uninitiated. However I recommend reading some of his other books first if you don't want to spoil some of his other books, such as Elantris, The Mistborn Trilogy, The Stormlight Archive. A good place to to figure out what to read first would be to head to his website for list of what to read first.
13 people found this helpful
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A great new novella for Sanderson fans

Since I've read most of the things in this collection already, I'm specifically reviewing the new Lift novella.

The first chapter didn't really work for me--it felt like a rehash of what we saw in the previous book, and was more or less all the things I didn't like about the character.

But then the novella got into the main conflict--and it really worked for me. It made me love Lift and her way of seeing the world. It provided great context for what was happening in the world, and moved the overall series plot forward. It made me want to spend much more time with her. So--it was a win. Well worth my read and purchase.

While I love Brandon Sanderson's novels, I've mostly ignored the connections between them and the overall Cosmere--it doesn't particularly interest me. However, the essays at the start of each section were interesting and offered clues to the bigger picture, and made me a bit more interested in the underlying, connecting story.
11 people found this helpful
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Stories of the Cosmere worlds

Ah, the Cosmere. No living author has so successfully created a multiverse as Brandon Sanderson, or come up with such wildly varying worlds to fill it with.

And given how prolific the man is, it's not surprising that -- in addition to his many novels -- he's also produced a string of novellas and short stories set in his Cosmere worlds. And finally, they can all be found together in "Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection," which strings together every story in the Cosmere thus far that can't be used to prop up a couch, from the Hugo Award-winning "The Emperor's Soul" to a brand new novella. To a fan of Sanderson's work, this is like a box of fine chocolates.

The stories are arranged according to the worlds they are set in, with most of them being in the Scadrian System (the world of Mistborn) and two of them set in the Selish System (the world of "Elantris" and "The Emperor's Soul"). These stories tend to be strongly attached to the novels Sanderson has written in their worlds, such as a story about Raoden hearing what Ashe was getting up to during the battle for Elantris; the post-death adventures of Kelsier; and his Allomancy training under Gemmel and his first true battle.

But there are other stories that stand more alone -- a master forger is called upon to create an artificial soul for the assassinated emperor; the invasion an island where magical birds grant powers to their masters; and an awe-inspiring bounty hunter in a haunted forest who seeks a legendary assassin. It also contains an excerpt of the "White Sand" graphic novel, and the prose draft that inspired it -- a story about Kenton, a young man determined to be a sand master.

And yes, there's a new novella here: "Edgedancer," set in the world of Sanderson's Stormlight Archives series. Lift and her spren Wyndle leave the palace unexpectedly, and end up in the underground city of Yeddaw (which allegedly has ten varieties of "awesome pancakes"). But of course, the city also has the dangerous man she calls Darkness -- and when he learns that she's there, Lift finds herself enmeshed in a new and deadly situation.

In addition to the stories themselves, Sanderson writes an introduction where he describes his early writing career and the inspiration of the Cosmere, and a postscript where he discusses its concepts and publication history. For instance, for "The Emperor's Soul," he discusses how Korean stamps were a shaping influence on the tale. And before each new world is explored, he includes a brief overview of the planet, its quirks, and the Shards that have shaped it.

Brandon Sanderson's fictional worlds are always very complicated and imaginative, and anything smaller than a doorstopper tends to leave you desperately craving a fuller exploration of whatever world the story takes place in. So "Arcanum Unbounded" makes an outstanding accompaniment to his novels -- some of the stories further flesh out those novels ("Mistborn: Secret History"), while others take the readers to entirely new worlds ("Shadows For Silence In The Forest Of Hell").

And honestly, almost all of the stories are outstanding, with "Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania" being the one mediocre tale of the bunch. They show the wide variety of magics that Sanderson's fertile imagination is able to conjure, his robust writing style with plenty of detail, and his nimble wit ("please don't get yourself killed. It would be traumatic. Why, I think it would take me months and months to get over it!"). Each story winds through at a fairly quick pace, with some dark twists (Kelsier being trapped in the Well) woven into their fabric.

And his characters are a thoroughly likable bunch. Some -- like Kelsier, Ashe, Raoden and Lift -- are from the novels he's written, and these stories allow for greater fleshing-out of their personalities. But just as engaging are the new characters he introduces, such as the practical Dusk, the butt-kicking innkeeper/bounty-hunter Silence, and and the clever and cunning Shai.

"Arcanum Unbounded" is an essential accompaniment to Sanderson's Cosmere tales -- when he isn't building on his previous works, he's crafting new tales in richly-imagined worlds. A delight for fantasy fans.
10 people found this helpful
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Sanderson fans won't be disappointed

Aimed directly at voracious Sanderson readers, this collection fills in gaps from all over the Cosmere. It combines excellent short stories in a number of his Cosmere worlds with descriptions of the systems and some background that helps you understand how the worlds relate. If you have never read Sanderson before, I would recommend starting elsewhere - Warbreaker or Mistborn: The Final Empire. But come back to this one later, once you have been pulled in, and you won't regret it. disappointed

If you follow Sanderson's work closely, the odds are you have already read a number of these short stories. The only truly new one, Edgedancer, is quite good. A stormlight novella, but in a different tone than the others, as it focuses on Lift, a character who tries to live life... differently. Mistborn: A secret history is also excellent, but don't read it until finishing the original Mistborn trilogy, massive spoilers.

And the excerpt from the White Sand graphic novels has me excited to get to those; I don't normally do a lot of graphic novels, but this one seems like it will be excellent.

The hardback is beautifully done; well illustrated, attractive, and solid. Gave a copy to my brother, made a great Christmas present.

I have also listed to the Audible audiobook, and while the content is just as good I was not a huge fan of the narrators. Kramer and Reading alternate sections based on the gender of the primary character being focused on in that story (or part of the story). They each do significant sections at a time, but the change of pace was more jarring than helpful for me.

Overall, an excellent addition to your Sanderson collection. Don't hesitate if you enjoy his work.
4 people found this helpful
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Brandon Sanderson does it again

Brandon Sanderson is my favorite author and did an amazing job again, its not stormlight 3 but at least he is giving us something else to read. The book came in perfect quality and was full of extra knowledge enriching his cosmere. Make time to read this book or listen to it on audible, but the book is worth every penny.
4 people found this helpful
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One new story

If you're like me and read everything Sanderson writes, you've already read around 500 pages of this book. They should have sold the new novella separately for around 5-10usd . Just a way for the publisher to make money by republishing old stuff.
4 people found this helpful
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Great collection by a great author

Disclaimer: Brandon Sanderson is my favorite author, and I don't see myself rating anything he writes as anything other than 5 stars.

That said, this rating in particular is for the short story, Edgedancer which is a continuation after Words of Radience. It is great to see more of LIft's story, and I'm glad Sanderson included this to help tide us over until the next Stormlight book comes out. I could definitely see Lift becoming one of my favorite characters in the series.

As far a the rest of the stories go - Edgedancer is the only one that hasn't been made available through another source. That said, having all of them together in one place is convenient, and I like the extra information on each of the systems included as well. Definitely worth the price!
3 people found this helpful
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I'd be so happy! These stories are so interesting with complex characters ...

I wish I was in your position and hadn't already read most of these stories. If I could wipe my memory and read these stories fresh again, I'd be so happy! These stories are so interesting with complex characters and excellent settings. This would be a great way to introduce someone to Brandon's Cosmere universe for Christmas!
3 people found this helpful