What do you look for/enjoy in a Cosmere novel?

[Frustration]

I've wondered for a while what people want when reading Cosmere novels, so here's an opertunity for me to find out, if what you like isn't here tell me and I'll add it.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Frustration

[NameIess]

All of the above. 

[Frustration]

1 hour ago, Nameless said:

All of the above. 

If I were to ask you to rank them in order of how much you valued each one what would the order be?

[Flying]

I look for all of the above except for romance. I'm not a big fan of fictional romance in general, though. I'll rank the things I look for, but most of these are just personal preference:

1. Characters
2. Action/fights
3. Worldbuilding/Magic (tied)
4. Humor

I don't know if you can tell, but I really like characters. Especially when they're attacking each other.  

[+JesterLavorre]

I generally group Magic and worldbuilding together. Also, I would put mystery on there, though I think a lot of the mystery in Sanderson books comes from the magic and worldbuilding. Anyway, my rating would be:

1. Magic
2. Characters
3. Worldbuilding
4. The other ones

Not that I dislike any of these things, just my order of value.

[Frustration]

9 minutes ago, JesterLavorre said:

Also, I would put mystery on there, though I think a lot of the mystery in Sanderson books comes from the magic and worldbuilding.

Thanks for reminding me, I had that in there, but I had to re-write the poll 3 times due to Shard being wierd so it got deleted, and I forgot to put it back.

[AquaRegia]

I voted for characters, and I'll happily explain why.  I love ALL the categories you included... but none of them can really work if the characters are not interesting and relatable.  Fights are fun, but only when the characters have believable motivations for fighting.  Laughter heals the soul (thanks, Steris!), but the humor in Brandon's novels is only as good as the characters acting it out for us.  Romance is only emotionally moving if we identify somehow with the characters experiencing it.

At the end of the day, we are all people, and our favorite stories are the ones about people we can understand and empathize with.  IMO, it's character development which sets Brandon's work so far above that of other fantasy writers.

[Bejarden]

1. Character
2. Worldbuilding
3. Action
4. Mystery
5. Humor
6. Magic

[Elegy]

Character and plot/storytelling, which is missing in the list. Brandon is the most accomplished storyteller I've ever come across and his story developments are most often logical, clever, and unpredictable in satisfying ways. He's also really good at exploring themes and asking qeestions with his stories.

I'd also suggest adding "prose", which hardly anyone will vote for, but that's the same with romance and that's included 

[Inquisitor #5]

1. Magic/worldbuilding

2. Character, I guess?

 

Magic mechanics are my jammiest jam.

Other than that, character stuff is probably what resonates with me the most.

Things like romance are basically wholly uninteresting, but like in a neutral way?

I don't have a problem with it being there, but it doesn't do anything for me.

I basically don't read characters as having romantic/sexual attraction unless it's spelled out.

 

¤_¤

[Frustration]

1 hour ago, Elegy said:

plot/storytelling, which is missing in the list.

I mean, the story is the novel, so what about the plot/story do you enjoy?

[Elegy]

5 hours ago, Frustration said:

I mean, the story is the novel, so what about the plot/story do you enjoy?

Brandon's treatment of the pillars of plot: Promise, progress, payoff. He's good at establishing information, working with it in a way that feels like the plot moves somewhere, and then using the information in unexpected ways to solve the conflicts of the story, often with a special twist. He's become so elegant at that, I've found it's hard to read anyone else attempt the same thing, he's just mastered it.

[i’m in the details]

See I could go for more well done romance in the cosmere and fantasy in general. I feel like a lot of the time authors right it off as “it’s the end of the world, my characters are focused on bigger things.” But come on you’re telling me if the world is ending people are going to be trying to get some

[StanLemon]

1. Character - the characters are the lifeblood of the stories. They revolve around them and the story is presented through their arcs. Brandon does a fantastic job of building the world and stories through even those that don't have viewpoints. Then on top of that he has his characters have understandable motives and flaws and is often very realistic in how he portrays things and even the characters who are more quirky he gives reason for them and they aren't always quirky just to be quirky and often have self reflection.

2. Worldbuilding/Magic - these two are pretty intertwined. He creates settings that can feel real even if they are as fantastic as Roshar and he thinks through the logical consequences of the world and how magic would influence said world.

[Honorless]

Worldbuilding and magic is one of Brandon's strongest points in writing. They brought me here but the characters are what keep me here.

[teknopathetic]

I want character development and lore. For example, I never really liked The Lopen after TWoK, but his bonding over disability experiences in Dawnshard. Dawnshard gave a lot of lpore, but also spent some time showing human angles that the main series doesnt get in to. 

[LewsTherinTelescope]

A big one for me is tone. Brandon's books have parts that are tough for the characters, of course, but in the end, the tone of a Brandon series is always optimistic, which is something that I kind of need a lot of the time.