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Would this be the same Reen from Mistborn (or rather, is the Mistborn Reen from this), or is it just a coincidence? Because this Reen is a thief, also... But it says "some fifteen years ago", and I'm not sure how old Reen from Mistborn is.

Hi Guys, I haven't seen this particular topic discussed here, apologies if I've missed it. Warning: Spoilers for White Sand ahead! On a rereading of Oathbringer, I noticed that right after Hoid's performance in Kholinar (The story of Mishim & Queen Tsa), Shallan noticed a something in Hoid's pack "Small jar, sealed at the top. It was mostly black, but the side pointed toward her was instead white." First thing I did was kick myself for not noticing this the first time, so Hoid was using ribbons of Sand Mastery to tell the tale rather than manipulating trails of smoke as Shallan assumed. The second thing I did was notice the odd reaction Hoid had when glancing at his pack during the performance that lead him to actively start scanning the audience to find Shallan (burning Bronze?), as well as the fact that the sand was white on the side pointed toward Shallan. It seems to me that this implies that Shallan's presence (or more accurately her use of Stormlight) actually reinfused the sand in the jar in same way that Taldain's sun does. While this isn't so much of a stretch, it is a bit odd that this can be done in a pack, at a distance, when on Taldain, it requires direct exposure to the sun for a decent amount of time. Does anyone have any thoughts or WoB on the matter?

In page 789 of the American Version, Hoid-as-Wit and Shallan are discussing the story of 'The Girl who Looked Up', with Hoid-as-Wit stating that "It's a story from long ago...things were different in that time." However, when Shallan creates the Illusion, he says "...it's not dark enough" (page 790), with the illusion "leaving them standing in the darkness of night, lit only by a frail set of stars." Hoid then goes on to say that people still had to live, even without light, living, farming and eating in the darkness, except for the one girl who wanted to find out the answers about the wall, and eventually climbing the wall to find that on the other side was "God's Light" (page 792), and that she sneaked up to the Light, and she brought it back with her. "To the other side. To the...to the land of shadows..." according to Shallan. This sounds very similar to the story of Khriss in White Sand, the ever inquisitive girl who goes from the Darkside to Dayside in her quest to find the Sand Masters, and to those who have read White Sand Prime, we know that she takes Sand back with her to Darkside at the end of the book. What d'y'all think? Am i clutching at straws here?

Hey guys, I just read on the coppermind wiki that the release date of White Sand-2 is 7th November. But can't find any evidence of that and also Amazon still mentions release date as 14th November. Can anyone confirm the release date?

Okay, one more time, Arcanum Unbound. I have read "Listened to on Audible", The first two Mistborn books, working on the 3rd right now of the first trilogy. From what I've gathered so far, there are spoilers both directions, and the spoilers for the Mistborn aren't as bad as they would be if I read era 2 THEN reading Arcanum Unbound. I have read both Stormlight Archive books, and they are my preferred novel, I have also read Warbreaker. My buddy introduced me to Sanderson before we came to Iraq, They have been an awesome distraction from the suck, and I love listening to them as I drift off to sleep, I've found that in a often darkly lit room listening is far superior to reading, Especially when I'm just a few nods from a full snooze, These make the Novels come to life in my head. I have not read Elantris yet, though I will have in when I get my Audible Credit in a day or two, after I finish Mistborn Hero of Ages. I have already pre ordered Oathbringer, and will have one more credit in November. In November, Is there any book I need to read, either before I read Arcanum Unbound? Or, to help bring more context to Arcanum unbound? Having assumed I've read all Stormlight Novels, The first Mistborn Trilogy, Elantris, Warbreaker. What beyond those books are in the Cosmere that will be required reading for putting the whole Cosmere together?

Hi guys. So the story goes like this, I have acquired both White Sand and Aether of Night (in the prescribed ways) and was super pumped to read them, but then I started thinking. I'm not sure if I want to read them on the off chance that Brandon will eventually publish them as full fledged edited and Cannon novels. I know that White Sand is out as a graphic novel, but I read some of it and I didn't like it much - the plot felt disorienting while jumping from picture to picture, and the dialogue awkward - I feel as though it would be better as a novel. I'm also aware of the fact that Aether of Night was on state of Sanderson 2016 as a tertiary project but that means that it might be awhile until it arrives (if ever). Therefore I wanted to know if there is any recent official statement from Brandon regarding these two stories on if or when they might be published as novels. I was also wondering what any of you that have read either of these think, should I read them now or wait on the off chance that they will be published as novels?

Not sure if this has been brought up before or not but where can I get a copy of the manuscript for White Sand. Personally not a big fan of graphic novels willing to give them a shot if they're good though. Thanks in advance for any help on this.

So while rereading White Sand, I noticed that the riding beasts on Taldain are called tonks and my mind immediately jumped to Tonk Fah. I wonder if there is a connection in the name. It seems much to random a word to be coincidental, especially for a created word. It would be simpler to just create a completely new name for one or the other, depending on when you realize they were the same. It could be that Brandon originally used the word for White Sand prose and then repurposed it for Warbreaker not anticipating a return to Taldain (or at least planning on having a more direct role in the return to Taldain, where he could change any words he needed) but I would imagine he or Peter or someone on their team would have looked over the graphic novel before its release and noticed that. Pure speculation in an attempt to answer my own question, but Tonk Fah could be a nickname given to him by Denth. Denth is a known worldhopper, based on a recent WoB, and could have gone to Taldain before it was closed off, seen the idiotic beasts known as tonks (they think any attack is a sandstorm and bury themselves in the sand) and nicknamed Tonk Fah after them as an inside joke that only he got, calling him an idiotic pack animal to his face without Tonk Fah knowing.

I've been reading theories and WoBs for a little while but signed up just now. Great, now I'm never gonna leave the internet. I've read everything from Brandon that's available in Poland, that is all Cosmere stories except of White Sand + 2 of 3 Reckoners books. I got White Sand from Brandon's assistant, but it's going a bit slowly, cos it turnes out I know too little adjectives in english and I need dictionary a lot ;D Well, at least my english is going to improve as I'm definitely not going to give up on this one, I enjoyed prose teaser in Arcanum Unbounded much more than the graphic novel's. Anyways, hi!

Kenton seems to suggest that he uses the position of the sun in the sky to tell directions (chapter 3). But the sun is also supposed to be "fixed" in place in the sky. Anyone know how to make sense of that?

So i just reread the White Sand graphic novel and I'm a bit confused as to who is who. When Kenton introduces himself to Khriss and her party (I would reference a page number but I don't see any), the bald man in blue introduces himself as Professor Jon Acron and says that the man in all white with the goatee is Professor Cynder. However, a few pages before, as they are leaving the tent just after reviving Kenton, the man in white asks "What's he doing, Cynder?" and the man in blue replies, implying he is Cynder. This happens many times throughout the graphic novel: After the Kerztians attack Kenton and Khriss' party, the man in blue says "Jon Acron, for once, please shut up," after the man in white speaks, implying the goateed man in white is Jon. Then, when they arrive in Kezare, the goateed man in white calls the man in blue Jon. When they arrive in the Darksider enclave, the man in blue calls the goateed man in white Jon. Finally, when the group is going around to the different Taisha, Khriss herself calls the man in blue Professor Cynder. So I ask: Who is Professor Cynder and who is Professor Jon Acron?

Since I opened White Sand for the first time, I couldn´t help but to wonder if the woman on top of the map is Bavadin.

So I finally got around to reading White Sand Vol. 1. Then I hopped onto Coppermind out of curiousity... only to discover that there's almost nothing written about it. The series isn't even listed on the Editor's Corner page. I started work on the chapter summaries and would like to fill in more if I can. I've got three questions: First, I know there are a lot of guides and such for creating and editing articles. I need to work through those. Is there anything I need to read ASAP? And is there anything I should know that isn't very obviously linked on Coppermind? Second is how long do I have to put up with the CAPTCHA? Is that step something I have to go through with EVERY single edit? Or do editors get more leeway eventually? Third is more specific. I put together a little "White Sand" symbol (below) to be used on WS pages (same way there's one for Mistborn, SA, Elantris, etc.). How do I upload that and display it at the top of WS pages? Is it something I am able to do?

I'm working on the White Sand pages on Coppermind and I'm feeling some confusion on how to handle these terms. Here's my take on them: sand masters - I take this term to mean anyone who can utilize sand mastery (like Surgebinders, Mistings, Awakeners, etc.). It's not an "official" term; it's just a catch-all for people who can use this kind of magic, whether they have an official association or not. Diem - This refers to both the building AND the sand masters who reside there. Those who are part of it tend to refer to themselves as part of the Diem. This is an "official" organization made up of sand masters. sand profession - This seems to be synonymous with Diem, but seems to be used in a more political or economic context. It mainly seems to come up in contexts where the other professions are involved as well, and it seems to be used more often by outsiders in place of Diem. (Side note: I'm also curious if anyone knows whether "sand profession" ought to be capitalized?) I'm curious if you guys have any input on my interpretations of these. I'm particularly interested if those who have read the prose version can weigh in. I know discussion of the prose version isn't appropriate here, but that's not quite what I'm asking for. I just want clarification on how these terms are intended to be read (something that doesn't come across very clearly in the graphic novel). The problem I find is that we have articles for both "Sand master" and "Diem". The first contains information about Diem heirarchy and such, which doesn't feel right to me as the term doesn't imply association with the Diem and it's rules, ranks, customs, etc. The latter focuses on the building only, which doesn't feel right as it is frequently used in the graphic novel to refer to the official organization of sand masters. And between each of these, I'm not sure how "sand profession" fits in- should it be included as an alternate term for Diem, get it's own article, or be stuck in some other article?

This might better fit in Theory, but as the book just got released, I figure this is a safer place to put it to avoid spoilers. I was looking at the map and thinking about it. We have a sun-like deity at the top and center with flaming hair and the symbol of a sun. Willing to bet this is Autonomy/ Bavadin. Note that the same symbol of the sun appears in the centre of the map at KraeDa, A sacred site and the space where the fertile lands radiate southward from.I'd be willing to bet that's where we'll find the perpendicularity. As Taldain is tidally locked, the centre of the Dayside continent is always pointed at the sun. Which is worshipped as a god. How far does a perpendicularity reach? All the way to the star? Or perhaps the reverse? All the way from the star? EDIT: Fixed Title

It seems from his fight with Lokmlen that he is burning at least Atium, probably also Pewter for balance. Do we know for certain whether or not he can use Investiture?

Hello! I am thinking of buying it on Amazon, because it won't be released in my country. I am not sure yet. I'll probably buy hardcover, but it is kinda expensive. So can someone tell me: - Should I buy it? - Hardcover or not I hope you will help me.

What is Investiture? For such a foundational aspect of the Cosmere, it is not always clarified what exactly the word means. In this episode we talk about the meaning of the word and stare some specific examples of Investiture on several major Shard Worlds. Elsric also shares some of his personal terminology about the different types of Investiture and the ways that people can access the power. To read the story about how I worked with Brandon Sanderson to make this series, look at my post here: Please remember to check out the amazing art that was shared with this episode and let the artists know how much we appreciate what they have done! Subscribe for more updates and videos every week about great stories and funny moments. I hope you enjoy what I can do! Here is the transcript for this episode: As I have said before, my father was a scholar at heart. He was taken with locking himself away with his books and a chalkboard in the family library. As I grew he took it upon himself to teach me what he could. However, I never had any formal lessons because he was often so scattered in his research projects that he would shut himself in his study and turn us away having completely forgotten that he was the one to invite us to join him an hour earlier. Eventually my siblings and I would catch him and we would dive into the lessons as best we could. He was a soft-spoken man, but he was truly brilliant. On rare occasions, noble scholars from far away would stop by and converse with my Father. I’m not entirely sure what his specialty was, but based on his contraptions I think it had something to do with Engineering. I will never forget the phrase he often repeated during our studies. He said, “In all things there is balance if you look closely enough. Cause and Effect, Push and Pull, Action and reaction.” He said that there was no better laboratory than nature, for all things followed the fundamental laws that ran all of creation. I wish I could share with him what I know now. After all these years, I finally see what he was trying to teach me. The miraculous things that I witnessed on other worlds are bound by natural rules and there is an accounting for all the incredible abilities that people can wield. Investiture is just one word to describe the fundamental power by which men bend the forces of the Cosmere with intent to their will. Words like Sand Shaping, Burning Metals, Drawing Aons, and Surgebinding are all in effect the manipulation of Investiture. When something or someone is considered Invested, they hold a portion of Divine power or potential. Stormlight is possibly the best example because the body literally thrums with unbridaled power that is then translated into a Focus by the user via a bond to a spren. When I say Focus, I mean the nature and shape that the power takes. On Sel, the Elantrians use the complex shapes and markings of Aon Dor to dictate the shape and power of the Investiture. While this is a complex system to master, it holds the most fluidity. In application it is near limitless in what it can do with the right knowledge. However, their power is, for the most part, limited to the geographical location of Sel, even to specific continents. I would call this an Open Concept Manifestation, because it really has no set shape or application, although the time and learning necessary to access the power of the dor is a distinct downside to such an adaptable system. On the other hand, the best example of a Closed Concept Manifestation of Investiture can be found in Alloymancy. By its nature, Allowmancy is limited by very harsh rules. The metals that can be burned to access Investiture need to be pure and properly mixed as alloys in order to work. In fact, an allomancer who burns metals that are impure or improperly crafted can get sick or die from the mistake. The benefit is that the powers granted by Aloymancy are dependable and simple. However, there is little to nothing more to be learned. All Alloymancers are limited to the powers of the metals, no matter the skill or experience of the user. This means quick and adaptable powers, but sever limitations in shaping the Investiture that gives them power. The application of each type of Investing can range to fit a variety of settings, but each one must take a unique coarse to the eventual goal. The paths to Investiture vary in form and execution just as how languages differ between different nations. All Language seeks to bring together understanding, but the execution can be very different between different peoples and are usually not compatible with each other. I would assume that Investiture would be the same, although I am not sure if there are limitations to using said powers. I know for instance that the proper metals and alloy mixes are useful to Alloymancers no matter where they physically are. I’ve seen that Elantrians can employ Investiture outside of Sel, although I am unsure how they overcome the natural geographical limits to their powers. In fact, I think that travel in the Cosmere would be impossible if the beings who traverse it ultimately did not have access to the powers of their homelands. It is clear to me that the power of the Spiritual Realm is accessable in all places in the Cosmere. Unlike the Physical and Cognitive realms, it seems there is no apparent change in the ability to access the Spiritual realm no matter the location of the individual. So the limitation is found in the abilities to access the power itself Each world is governed by a different set of natural laws that determine who can access the power and how that investiture can be used. On Nalthis, each person is born with an endowment of Investiture called breath. It is a small connection to the Cosmere itself and has little effect. But it can be given to others, and with enough Breath one can command once living objects into servitude. Words and symbols hold the key on Sel, where elantrians draw patterns in the air to give shape to the Dor, and Dakor etch their will onto the bones. There are whispers of other arts with ink and blood that shape the fabric of reality itself, but I have not seen this personally. But what all these forms share is the dependence of a physical drawing that shapes the Investiture into what they need. There is a world called Taldain that I only just heard about. I hope to visit it sometime soon, but there is very little known about it yet. However, there are hints of shapers of the sand, who manipulate and mold the sand found on that world. I imagine it would be a beautiful art to observe. On Scadrial, the people use the metallic arts. The use of metals manifests physical, mental, enhancement, and temporal power through three known forms. Aloymancers draw Investiture directly from the source and use the power in a limited fashion. Ferochemists storm their natural attributes by saving them up into the metals, using them like the gemstones on Roshar to store the abilities for later use, and can use them in an accelerated rate. And then there is Hemalergy, darkest of the arts that I know, which destroys life to steal power from the sacrifice, to then spike it into another’s soul. On Roshar, as I said, the spren form a bridge between the Investiture of Stormlight for use by the Radiant to whom they are bonded. The Parshendi seem to be able to bond spren as well, but it is not the same as the nahel bond, and I don’t know by what method they do this. The unknown bond is actually a focus of my study, for I feel that this is critical to understanding the struggles we are facing in this war. It might even be the key to our salvation. I am positive that there are other worlds that I have not even heard of. If there is one thing that I hope for, it’s that I can continue to learn more about the incredible abilities and peoples of the Cosmere. Despite the danger I am currently in, I am living life again. I never thought that the struggles and danger here would awaken my soul. Elsric

I was rereading Warbreaker today and came by this: Since I've read White Sand just a few days ago it did tickle my brain if the white and black sands Hoid used could be from Taldain. It's nothing big but it could be an easter egg like Mraize's white sand bottle, since we have got that also before the graphic novel release. I just thought to share it to see what you guys think and if someone managed to get Brandon to answer in a signing or something if it's actual Taldain sand or just some other regular sand. Oh and also, how does Life Sense permit someone to sense the minds of objects wanting to be Awakened? Vivenna metions often how she can feel the objects wanting to be alive again, besides peoples presence. Thats why I think it is Life Sense that does that. What are your thoughts?

Well I just bought the kindle version but almost immediately returned it for a refund. I was only around a quarter of the way in when I realised the formatting was a complete failure. I imagine it works well enough on kindle fire (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there) but on kindle for PC or paperwhite/regular it does not work. The problem is double pages, the formatting shrinks down large landscape images to fit into a portrait size, rendering pictures blurry and writing illegibly pixelated. I suspected beforehand that this may be a problem with my regular kindle so I downloaded kindle for PC before even trying to read this book, unfortunately the PC version is just as bad, there is no zoom option at all. I used the computer's magnify function but that just gave me a larger blurry, illegible image. Double pages are supposed to be where the best art is, not the worst. I don't really want this book in hardback so I guess I'll just have to wait for paperback instead. Feel free to rant with me on this subject (restrict fire to amazon though, it's not Brandon's fault).

Hello all! White Sand graphic novel vol.1 is coming soon! I'm so excited about it and just drew something. Here's my take on Khriss and Kenton, the two main characters. I hope this will tide you over until the book comes out =)

So I'm curious about how much this first volume of White Sand will tell us about the greater cosmere story we're all dying to uncover. I've heard rumors about this planet Taladin and I requested a copy of the unpublished works a week or two ago, but haven't heard back (hopefully that means Brandon and crew are hard at work pulling off a surprise early release of Oathbringer along with the Arcanium Unbounded this fall!) Without spoilers, how much insight into the cosmere do you think we'll get from this graphic novel?