Napoli joins the community

[Napoli]

Hello all,

I am new to the community - or at least the fan site. Several years ago, a family member introduced me to Brandon's Mistborn novels. I hadn't read fiction other than the classics in a couple of decades and was going through a difficult period in life. And yet I found myself hooked before I knew it. Since that time, I've read many of Brandon's works and done reviews for various media outlets in Utah for his Mistborn and Way of Kings novels (although apparently Emily is no longer the publicist?).

For the moment, I am experimenting with the online community to see what it's all about.

So, hello from Napoli!

[StrikerEZ he/him]

Hey, welcome to the Shard, @Napoli! I've run out of upvotes for today, but have a free spiked delicious cookie!

Spoiler

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That's so cool that Sanderson got you back into reading! Which Cosmere book has been your favorite so far?

(Also, I was confused for a moment when I saw your name because there's a baseball player who's last name is Napoli)

[Napoli]

@StrikerEZ - those cookies look tempting. Hemalurgically spiked, eh?

I actually read an insane amount, but for some reason cut good ole fiction out of my literary diet. I guess college took its toll in ways good and bad. Ironically, some of the last real fiction I read was in junior high when this guy who went by the pen name of Robert Jordan wrote these amazing books I would get at the library and stay up 40-hours straight to finish. It's fitting that Brandon has a connection to my last straight-up fiction as well as what got me going again.

My favorite Cosmere book so far? To be honest, there's not really a close second place from my perspective to Mistborn: Secret History. I think my mouth literally gaped a time or two and it broadened my imagination for what's to come. At least, that is my favorite book about the Cosmere.

As far as my favorite book set in the Cosmere world, it would be the original Mistborn because it was my first book back in the world of fiction. But a close second place would go to Words of Radiance. I found a strange connection as well to The Emperor's Soul and found myself disappointed it was only a novella.

How about you?

[StrikerEZ he/him]

58 minutes ago, Napoli said:

@StrikerEZ - those cookies look tempting. Hemalurgically spiked, eh?

I actually read an insane amount, but for some reason cut good ole fiction out of my literary diet. I guess college took its toll in ways good and bad. Ironically, some of the last real fiction I read was in junior high when this guy who went by the pen name of Robert Jordan wrote these amazing books I would get at the library and stay up 40-hours straight to finish. It's fitting that Brandon has a connection to my last straight-up fiction as well as what got me going again.

My favorite Cosmere book so far? To be honest, there's not really a close second place from my perspective to Mistborn: Secret History. I think my mouth literally gaped a time or two and it broadened my imagination for what's to come. At least, that is my favorite book about the Cosmere.

As far as my favorite book set in the Cosmere world, it would be the original Mistborn because it was my first book back in the world of fiction. But a close second place would go to Words of Radiance. I found a strange connection as well to The Emperor's Soul and found myself disappointed it was only a novella.

How about you?

Yeah, the cookies are high in iron too. 

Ah, okay. That makes sense. I just misunderstood your first post then. 

Mistborn is definitely a good book to have as a favorite. It was my introduction to the Cosmere as well, and it absolutely blew me away. Sadly, I was dumb and had only checked out the first book so I couldn't start the second one right away. Strangely, I'm not a huge fan of TES. I know it's good, but I just wasn't by a huge fan. It's one of my least favorite Cosmere stories, personally. Something about the stories on Sel just don't intrigue me (though Raoden's storyline in Elantris was really good, I didn't like Sarene or Hrathen until about 3/4 through).

My favorites are HoA (Hero of Ages), Warbreaker, and WoR (Words of Radiance). I absolutely loved all three of these books, for all completely different reasons (which is cool), so I can't really decided on a favorite. But my favorite short story is SotD (Sixth of the Dusk). Something about that world and the magic of the Aviar made me love it. It's no SA or Mistborn, but it's so cool!

Just wondering, how much of the Cosmere have you read? And have you read the Era 2 Mistborn books?

 

[Napoli]

@StrikerEZ I have read all of the Mistborn and both Stormlight books. Aside from that, it has just been a smattering of The Emperor's Soul and Elantris. I actually haven't gotten to Warbreaker yet, but would like to read it this year. For now, I'm looking forward to the next Stormlight book and can't wait for it to arrive.

[StrikerEZ he/him]

3 minutes ago, Napoli said:

@StrikerEZ I have read all of the Mistborn and both Stormlight books. Aside from that, it has just been a smattering of The Emperor's Soul and Elantris. I actually haven't gotten to Warbreaker yet, but would like to read it this year. For now, I'm looking forward to the next Stormlight book and can't wait for it to arrive.

Ah, okay. You just need a couple other books besides Warbreaker (which is free on Brandon's site, by the way). There's White Sand Vol. 1 and all of the short stories from Arcanum Unbounded. 

Also, I'd recommend rereading SA after finishing Warbreaker to see if you can catch all of the little hints from Elantris/Warbreaker/Mistborn in it. 

[Napoli]

Just now, StrikerEZ said:

Ah, okay. You just need a couple other books besides Warbreaker (which is free on Brandon's site, by the way). There's White Sand Vol. 1 and all of the short stories from Arcanum Unbounded. 

Also, I'd recommend rereading SA after finishing Warbreaker to see if you can catch all of the little hints from Elantris/Warbreaker/Mistborn in it. 

But that's what this site is for!

[StrikerEZ he/him]

1 minute ago, Napoli said:

But that's what this site is for!

True, but it's more fun if you can catch them yourself. 

[Napoli]

Just now, StrikerEZ said:

True, but it's more fun if you can catch them yourself. 

I think his books are uniquely designed to be reread. It's like the Sixth Sense movie from ages ago: when the big reveal takes place, you just want to cancel everything and watch it again from the beginning.

With the sheer quantity of Brandon's work and the solid planning ahead of time to interweave everything, not only has he become a bestseller but he's create a near limitless number of students to write theses and dissertations on his work for the next 70-80 years.

[StrikerEZ he/him]

2 minutes ago, Napoli said:

I think his books are uniquely designed to be reread. It's like the Sixth Sense movie from ages ago: when the big reveal takes place, you just want to cancel everything and watch it again from the beginning.

With the sheer quantity of Brandon's work and the solid planning ahead of time to interweave everything, not only has he become a bestseller but he's create a near limitless number of students to write theses and dissertations on his work for the next 70-80 years.

Yeah, that's definitely true. I'm not a huge fan of rereading books usually, but I want to go back and reread his Cosmere books now. So far, I've only reread one of his short stories, Sixth of the Dusk. But I'm gonna reread them all, hopefully, before Oathbringer.

[Napoli]

Just now, StrikerEZ said:

Yeah, that's definitely true. I'm not a huge fan of rereading books usually, but I want to go back and reread his Cosmere books now. So far, I've only reread one of his short stories, Sixth of the Dusk. But I'm gonna reread them all, hopefully, before Oathbringer.

That's quite the task with how soon it will be coming out.

Have you read Mistborn: Secret History? That, more than any other, is the one book that has made me want to start over an entire series from the first word of the first page.

[StrikerEZ he/him]

2 minutes ago, Napoli said:

That's quite the task with how soon it will be coming out.

Have you read Mistborn: Secret History? That, more than any other, is the one book that has made me want to start over an entire series from the first word of the first page.

Yeah, I know. But I'm a pretty fast reader. I finished both SA books in about 4-5 days, I think. Not in a row, but that's how much time it took me.

And yes, I've read that one too. That one made me rethink everything as well. It was insane.

[ccstat he/him]

12 hours ago, Napoli said:

I think his books are uniquely designed to be reread. It's like the Sixth Sense movie from ages ago: when the big reveal takes place, you just want to cancel everything and watch it again from the beginning.

I agree with this. I think the only other books that i find myself rereading over and over are Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series. (Honestly, I'm pretty sure I've read each of those more times than any except Stormlight)