This is my favorite of the 3 secret projects so far. Nikaro and Yumi both had really satisfying story archs. I can relate to the conflicts they had in their relationship. It was really fun having Design being the stand-in for Hoid this book. She made me laugh in nearly every scene when the noodle shop was featured.

I bought just the eBook for the year of Sanderson and when I finished this book yesterday I immediately went out to Dragonsteel’s website and purchased the leatherbound.

I just started reading it this week, and earlier tonight read that section where Yumi meets Akara the first time, telling her to her face she must be his concubine.

I found that incredibly funny, giggling in front of my wife for a minute or two. It’s a joke with a build up for some 5 or 6 chapters. How to convey that?

I don’t understand a lot of the magic yet, I suppose it’s another deep dive on Connection, but I had a hard time grasping that in the Lost Metal . If that’s the arc of the Cosmere, Brandon will have to explain some more.

There was one a week or two ago, but it’s worth starting a new one to make it more visible, especially now that more people will have read it.

My take: it’s fine. Not that it is bad, but compared to his usual high standards, it is not as good as most of the other books. So, it is one of my least liked Cosmere books. (I’ll have to gather my thoughts and come back when I have more time to explain my reasons.)