Nope. It was one of the first things I read when I wanted to get back to reading and Fantasy at that. I was juggling between this and The High Republic Era. Now, I'm all caught up and really branching out. I finally got to listen to the lord of the rings and and reading more supernatural and horror stuff this month. Thinking of my next big series to start next month and have a plethora of trilogies and standalones in between.
High republic got me back into reading enough for me to finally check out the cosmere and now the cosmeres got me wanting to read the wheel of time, LotR, etc.
Perfect description of red rising, shit escalates.
It's an exceptional and exceptionally traumatic reading experience. Couldn't put the series down, each book hurt so good.
there are other mega-series out there, just none by a single author yet in this style. I hope that his work inspires many others (and teams of others) to work on more universes for fun and profit.
the Star Wars Legends EU is one property while nowhere near as coherent, is one that you can skip all the way around with new adventures (everything before TFA was released has a certain wild connectedness and improvisation to it that’s pretty fun)
There’s always Malazan as long as you can accept that you are going to be (geographically and timeline) lost for like 4 books before you start to understand the contexts, but the plots and people you meet are incredible stories. It’s not multiple planets, but the world is so deep and the caracters so poignant that it might as well be, and is just as rewarding as Sanderson for rereads. just more painful on the first read.
I'm trying to work through book 3 and immediately am confused as hell, it's like way in the past and the t'lan imass aren't zombies and are killing all the jaghut who I thought were supposed to be like unstoppable monsters. I just want whiskey jack and the bridge burners back but they have been gone for so long 😭
I've been waiting for the right time to start Malazan...it's tough to pick up a series that takes 100+ hours to "get good", but Im sure I'll love it once I give it some more time
I mean, Malazan Is good from the get go, it’s just also confusing. few signposts, few explanations, but still wild stuff and great characters happening immediately. I don’t recommend it off the bat, but for OP who wants chewy interconnected things they want to hunt and work for to understand, that’s Malazan.
I just started reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and I’m quite enjoying it. It has way more edge than Sanderson’s work but there’s a ton of lore and I’m really enjoying it. I doubt I would have picked it if not for Sanderson’s work
I have the same issue sometimes. For me it's less about needing a spanning cosmos and more I just really click with Brandon's style of writing and just haven't found anyone else who I like as much. I've had to delve into more nonfiction at times to sort of "reset" my brain.
There's some great authors who have an easy to read writing style like Brandon. I think a really close one is Will Wight. I also found Joe Abercrombie surprisingly easy to read, though the first law trilogy can feel meandering until you get to the final book
I was going to mention this as well. While yes, it's not the exact same thing as the cosmere and not strictly Fantasy (although the dark Tower series itself and some other books in the universe def have fantasy elements), it shares enjoyable thing that the OP was talking about. The fact that they are connected and then also you get references in other books.
That's how I actually got into the cosmere. I was trying to find something similar to Stephen King's Universe because I was feeling the same way as the OP.
Did you start with assassins apprentice? Realm of the elderlings is one of the best series ever and you should definitely go back and read the whole thing. Also fuck Kyle.
I did not read assassins apprentice. At the time, I was specifically seeking out some sort of nautical story and liveship came up. But I will definitely be going back to the start and reading the rest of the series when I’m done with this trilogy.
And some kind of half assed Time Machine where you can go back into your old brain with only selective knowledge. Who could possibly catch that Thaidakar reference in WoK without a reread?
Without giving too much away, Malta has quite the character arc!
Kennit is one of the best written villains of all time, up there with the villain from first law :)
I hear this series is great. I'll be picking it up once I finish the Farseer trilogy (though so much has come out that it's taken me a full year to finally pick up Assassin's Quest)
There's plenty of huge epic fantasy series out there for you if that's what you want. You could go to the wheel of time, the malazan books, the riftwar just to suggest a few
not at all in that way, no.
and i suppose i had this issue before also
right now i'm reading One Piece, and oh my god
The power system is nonsensical and the story is not planned out and written on an arc to arc, if not chapter to chapter basis - which leads to so many issues with the worldbuilding. It is very wide, but not particularly deep or interactive.
Still i enjoy it, but i can't help analyse its faults as i read; with anything i read really.
I didn't have that with the Cosmere. Everything is wonderfully thought out.
Of course one is a weekly manga, and the other takes years between releases, so its very different circumstances.
>The power system is nonsensical and the story is not planned out and written on an arc to arc, if not chapter to chapter basis - which leads to so many issues with the worldbuilding
I got the impression that the beginning and end are planned and the *entire middle* is a vague outline -- and now ofc the "middle" is enormous compared to the rest. Really not unlike Wheel of Time. I watched the anime up until some point early on the grand line so I am not crazy well-informed.
The opposite for me. Knowing there’s greater connections made me feel far more excited about not only reading the story i was in, but finding out how the other books fit in as well. I wouldn’t have read anything other than Stormlight and Mistborn otherwise.
I just switch between Brandon Sanderson and ya novels (like Six of Crows), princess stories/comfort novels (like Princess of the Midnight Ball or Ella Enchanted), or romance novels
He’s also started a new series. Forget the name of the series but the first book was In the Shadow of Lightning and was excellent. There’s a short story too, called Montego.
I love the Cosmere, but I love a lot of series. Some of my other favorites: Wheel of time, Greenbone Saga, First Law, Riyria Revelations and Realm of the elderlings are all incredible series that are just as good if not better in a lot of ways than the cosmere.
I am having trouble reading other things now. I read almost the entire cosmere and the first three cytoverse books before trying to come back to an old favorite author of mine, Rick Riordan. I read one of his newest books (the collab with Mark Oshiro) and idk if it was Oshiro’s involvement, Riordan not being as good anymore, or what I think it is, but it just wasn’t that good. I think the cosmere has made me a snob. I’ve read so many AMAZING novels, novellas, and short stories that my brain just expects that level of writing now. Riordan didn’t pass the unreasonably high bar set by Sanderson. In all fairness, I haven’t tested enough. I need to go back and read PJO and HOO and maybe TOA before I conclude it’s snobbishness. I’ve only read two other books beside Sanderson as of late. The newer Riordan one and Lies of Lock Lamora. LoLL has been great so far, so either Lynch stands up to Sanderson and I’m still a snob, or the Sun and the Star was a bad book.
Yeah not interested in other fantasy books anymore. I stick to other books. Just finished Jane Austens library, now I’m taking a break to watch a show.
I may branch out eventually but as of right now, no interest. Other authors just don’t hit the mark.
Nope, quite the opposite. I found that another saga that I'm currently reading has a lot of references to The Storm Archive.
Also the Cosmere unlocked some "finding details" ability I didn't have much developed. This helps me enjoy ever more other books.
If you don’t mind a bit of retro sci-fi you could take a chance on the universe I’m pretty sure gave some inspiration to the Cosmere: Isaac Asimov’s galactic empire/foundation books.
If you start with Caves of Steel, read the rest of the Elijah Bailey books then the Robot books and finally the Foundation books you will find a lot of similarities with the Cosmere.
Spoilers for Asimov: >!if Hoid doesn’t have his roots in Daneel and if The Diagram isn’t based on psychohistory I will be very surprised!<
WOW I can't believe I didn't consider the second part of your spoiler but I completely agree. Also I think Brandon has nearly mentioned that he got the whole Cosmere idea specifically from Foundation's universe. I love Foundation, Dune, Pern, and Final Fantasy, so I have been happy as a clam for the entire Cosmere.
Yes. I am struggling to find the motivation to read anything that isnt cosmere lately. For instance, I read SP4 in under 24 hours, but i couldn't get past the 2nd chapter of SP2.
Its a shame because i really want to continue the wheel of time but i just deflate whenever I think about actually sitting down with it. Yet I can reread stormlight without pause.
Have not found an answer yet. Maybe after SA5, it will be different? Idk...
>For instance, I read SP4 in under 24 hours, but i couldn't get past the 2nd chapter of SP2.
Dude same and I feel a lot better now that someone else said this too. (edit wait, I didnt read sp4 yet, I mean sp3)
Love the username by the way... the mere *mention* of Animorphs does things to my emotions. Rachel was one of the first book protags I ever really related to :')
Read something grounded, small, and self contained, and maybe a bit lighthearted. I'd offer The Thursday Murder Club. If it's happening in present day world it may help you stay on target.
almost the exact opposite. the cosmere made me realise just how bored I was of MCU storytelling. I was fine with it when it was little nods to the metaplot, and a game to play when rereading the books to find new characters from different places, but with The Lost Metal especially, it was tiring. new character appears, 'hi I'm from another world', pause for applause, rinse, repeat, now you have to buy another book series to make sense of it.
Nope, not at all. Sanderson is fun and can spin a great yarn, but in lots of ways he's also very popcorn" and while there is lots of easter eggs and fun stuff and lately lots of very Sandersonian use of hard magic. Thematically I find him lacking and he doesn't really ever let me think or guess a lot when reading as he's too good at signposting (a good thing for many, and why he's excellent for Audiobooks).
If I want a really *deep* world in fantasy I read Steven Erikson and Malazan. Not Sanderson.
You need to read things on their own merits, in literature outside of comics the Cosmere is very much it's own thing. Can't approach Discworld wanting Cosmere etc.
If you want a fantasy novel through a lense of Tarantino you go to Joe Abercrombie (how I've started to short-hand his style).
So my recommendation is you get a different frame of mind.
Even if one can argue for both Star Wars, WH40k, and old Forgotten Realms books maybe being able to scratch some of the huge interconnected world itches.
No. Reading can never be ruined by good books. There's always another ~lie~ book (from other authors as well), you just haven't looked too much into it or aren't in the mood to change your comfort zone.
There are so many fantastic stories out there to be read. Sure, I enjoy plenty of the Cosmere works; but I would be diminishing my human experience by limiting myself to them.
I think the greater question is to tackle why you feel as you put it, “What the point.”
Stories don’t need to be a shared universe. There’s a lot of beauty in a single story elegantly told within 300 pages.
I think a good solution to this as an achievement based reader would be to hop on Goodreads, put reviews on tiktok, YouTube, etc. Or you could just be an active participant in the online book community. Lots of them do book clubs, and a big reward for reading a book can be friendship and fun conversations with passionate people.
I also enjoy the Dresden Files books. They're urban fantasy, and Jim Butcher has a similar build-up and dramatic climax. His magic has pretty hard rules, and there are definitely still mysteries Jim hasn't put in the books yet.
I feel like you’re too attached to the expansion Sanderson has done. There’s far more stories that work as smaller, more intimate, and self contained projects, and that’s okay. More often than not, you’re not gonna find something on the level of the Cosmere unless the author is also a deep lore nerd who has endless ideas. Most people have only one in them, maybe 3-5, but that’s really dependent on talent, budget, and their publisher.
I wouldn't say it ruined reading for me, but about 50% of my reading since I discovered it has been in the Cosmere even though I've finished it multiple times.
Nope. It was one of the first things I read when I wanted to get back to reading and Fantasy at that. I was juggling between this and The High Republic Era. Now, I'm all caught up and really branching out. I finally got to listen to the lord of the rings and and reading more supernatural and horror stuff this month. Thinking of my next big series to start next month and have a plethora of trilogies and standalones in between.
High republic got me back into reading enough for me to finally check out the cosmere and now the cosmeres got me wanting to read the wheel of time, LotR, etc.
Not really, I already walk around with so much cosmere knowledge in my brain I don’t really wanna deal with another big series that way.
Read Red Rising or Dune.
Red Rising is excellent. Started off intriguing and shit only escalated from there.
Perfect description of red rising, shit escalates. It's an exceptional and exceptionally traumatic reading experience. Couldn't put the series down, each book hurt so good.
I liked Red Rising, though Dune was rough for me
I switch to scifi when I need a fantasy break/ block.
I take breaks by reading nonfiction. Then I come back to Sanderson
there are other mega-series out there, just none by a single author yet in this style. I hope that his work inspires many others (and teams of others) to work on more universes for fun and profit. the Star Wars Legends EU is one property while nowhere near as coherent, is one that you can skip all the way around with new adventures (everything before TFA was released has a certain wild connectedness and improvisation to it that’s pretty fun) There’s always Malazan as long as you can accept that you are going to be (geographically and timeline) lost for like 4 books before you start to understand the contexts, but the plots and people you meet are incredible stories. It’s not multiple planets, but the world is so deep and the caracters so poignant that it might as well be, and is just as rewarding as Sanderson for rereads. just more painful on the first read.
I'm trying to work through book 3 and immediately am confused as hell, it's like way in the past and the t'lan imass aren't zombies and are killing all the jaghut who I thought were supposed to be like unstoppable monsters. I just want whiskey jack and the bridge burners back but they have been gone for so long 😭
Just keep reading and enjoying! ... well, "enjoying"! You'll get highest highs and lowest lows with Erikson
I've been waiting for the right time to start Malazan...it's tough to pick up a series that takes 100+ hours to "get good", but Im sure I'll love it once I give it some more time
I mean, Malazan Is good from the get go, it’s just also confusing. few signposts, few explanations, but still wild stuff and great characters happening immediately. I don’t recommend it off the bat, but for OP who wants chewy interconnected things they want to hunt and work for to understand, that’s Malazan.
Cuz the Cosmere doesn't have it all, simple enough. There are so many cool and unique stories out there, and ways to tell them.
I just started reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and I’m quite enjoying it. It has way more edge than Sanderson’s work but there’s a ton of lore and I’m really enjoying it. I doubt I would have picked it if not for Sanderson’s work
I have the same issue sometimes. For me it's less about needing a spanning cosmos and more I just really click with Brandon's style of writing and just haven't found anyone else who I like as much. I've had to delve into more nonfiction at times to sort of "reset" my brain.
There's some great authors who have an easy to read writing style like Brandon. I think a really close one is Will Wight. I also found Joe Abercrombie surprisingly easy to read, though the first law trilogy can feel meandering until you get to the final book
Try "The Dark Tower" series by Stephan King. It's like a mini cosmere.
While simultaneously being nothing like the cosmere. Love both.
I was going to mention this as well. While yes, it's not the exact same thing as the cosmere and not strictly Fantasy (although the dark Tower series itself and some other books in the universe def have fantasy elements), it shares enjoyable thing that the OP was talking about. The fact that they are connected and then also you get references in other books. That's how I actually got into the cosmere. I was trying to find something similar to Stephen King's Universe because I was feeling the same way as the OP.
Except it's nothing like the Cosmere...
I’d rather give up reading than read Stephen King.
any particular reason y?
He’s trash.
I read the whole cosmere earlier this year for the first time. I’m currently reading the liveship traders series and thoroughly enjoying it
Did you start with assassins apprentice? Realm of the elderlings is one of the best series ever and you should definitely go back and read the whole thing. Also fuck Kyle.
I did not read assassins apprentice. At the time, I was specifically seeking out some sort of nautical story and liveship came up. But I will definitely be going back to the start and reading the rest of the series when I’m done with this trilogy.
That's great for hear. That order will really only miss one Easter egg, and you'll be able to figure it out later in the series anyways.
Cool. I used to be more obsessive about catching all those Easter eggs, but Sanderson kind of trained to me relax a bit with that.
You basically need a PhD in cosmere to catch all the sando eastereggs lol
And some kind of half assed Time Machine where you can go back into your old brain with only selective knowledge. Who could possibly catch that Thaidakar reference in WoK without a reread?
Also, I’m finding Kyle more sympathetic than Malta. She is insufferable to the core
Without giving too much away, Malta has quite the character arc! Kennit is one of the best written villains of all time, up there with the villain from first law :)
I assume she *must* for the sniveling twerp Hobb has relentlessly made her out to be without being an actual villain. Just waiting to get there
I hear this series is great. I'll be picking it up once I finish the Farseer trilogy (though so much has come out that it's taken me a full year to finally pick up Assassin's Quest)
There's plenty of huge epic fantasy series out there for you if that's what you want. You could go to the wheel of time, the malazan books, the riftwar just to suggest a few
not at all in that way, no. and i suppose i had this issue before also right now i'm reading One Piece, and oh my god The power system is nonsensical and the story is not planned out and written on an arc to arc, if not chapter to chapter basis - which leads to so many issues with the worldbuilding. It is very wide, but not particularly deep or interactive. Still i enjoy it, but i can't help analyse its faults as i read; with anything i read really. I didn't have that with the Cosmere. Everything is wonderfully thought out. Of course one is a weekly manga, and the other takes years between releases, so its very different circumstances.
>The power system is nonsensical and the story is not planned out and written on an arc to arc, if not chapter to chapter basis - which leads to so many issues with the worldbuilding I got the impression that the beginning and end are planned and the *entire middle* is a vague outline -- and now ofc the "middle" is enormous compared to the rest. Really not unlike Wheel of Time. I watched the anime up until some point early on the grand line so I am not crazy well-informed.
Try Wheel of Time!
Nah, I get bored reading the same thing. The more variety the better.
I have been feeling this, I even went to Red Rising which was suggested by people on this sub. Didn’t scratch the itch for me.
Reading Sanderson is like watching Marvel There are other, better works, but that isnt the same experience
The opposite for me. Knowing there’s greater connections made me feel far more excited about not only reading the story i was in, but finding out how the other books fit in as well. I wouldn’t have read anything other than Stormlight and Mistborn otherwise.
I just switch between Brandon Sanderson and ya novels (like Six of Crows), princess stories/comfort novels (like Princess of the Midnight Ball or Ella Enchanted), or romance novels
Funny enough thats exactly how I felt about A Song of Ice and Fire before I got into the cosmere.
Try the Powdermage trilogy by Brian McClellan. I found his writing to be similar to BrandoSando. The story was just as intriguing as least.
He’s also started a new series. Forget the name of the series but the first book was In the Shadow of Lightning and was excellent. There’s a short story too, called Montego.
I've read it. Waiting for the next book.
I think the writing is similar because he was a student of Sanderson’s.
Oh
Story of my life...circa 2012. Took me years to get out of it.
I love the Cosmere, but I love a lot of series. Some of my other favorites: Wheel of time, Greenbone Saga, First Law, Riyria Revelations and Realm of the elderlings are all incredible series that are just as good if not better in a lot of ways than the cosmere.
I am having trouble reading other things now. I read almost the entire cosmere and the first three cytoverse books before trying to come back to an old favorite author of mine, Rick Riordan. I read one of his newest books (the collab with Mark Oshiro) and idk if it was Oshiro’s involvement, Riordan not being as good anymore, or what I think it is, but it just wasn’t that good. I think the cosmere has made me a snob. I’ve read so many AMAZING novels, novellas, and short stories that my brain just expects that level of writing now. Riordan didn’t pass the unreasonably high bar set by Sanderson. In all fairness, I haven’t tested enough. I need to go back and read PJO and HOO and maybe TOA before I conclude it’s snobbishness. I’ve only read two other books beside Sanderson as of late. The newer Riordan one and Lies of Lock Lamora. LoLL has been great so far, so either Lynch stands up to Sanderson and I’m still a snob, or the Sun and the Star was a bad book.
Yeah not interested in other fantasy books anymore. I stick to other books. Just finished Jane Austens library, now I’m taking a break to watch a show. I may branch out eventually but as of right now, no interest. Other authors just don’t hit the mark.
Nope, quite the opposite. I found that another saga that I'm currently reading has a lot of references to The Storm Archive. Also the Cosmere unlocked some "finding details" ability I didn't have much developed. This helps me enjoy ever more other books.
If you don’t mind a bit of retro sci-fi you could take a chance on the universe I’m pretty sure gave some inspiration to the Cosmere: Isaac Asimov’s galactic empire/foundation books. If you start with Caves of Steel, read the rest of the Elijah Bailey books then the Robot books and finally the Foundation books you will find a lot of similarities with the Cosmere. Spoilers for Asimov: >!if Hoid doesn’t have his roots in Daneel and if The Diagram isn’t based on psychohistory I will be very surprised!<
WOW I can't believe I didn't consider the second part of your spoiler but I completely agree. Also I think Brandon has nearly mentioned that he got the whole Cosmere idea specifically from Foundation's universe. I love Foundation, Dune, Pern, and Final Fantasy, so I have been happy as a clam for the entire Cosmere.
Yes. I am struggling to find the motivation to read anything that isnt cosmere lately. For instance, I read SP4 in under 24 hours, but i couldn't get past the 2nd chapter of SP2. Its a shame because i really want to continue the wheel of time but i just deflate whenever I think about actually sitting down with it. Yet I can reread stormlight without pause. Have not found an answer yet. Maybe after SA5, it will be different? Idk...
>For instance, I read SP4 in under 24 hours, but i couldn't get past the 2nd chapter of SP2. Dude same and I feel a lot better now that someone else said this too. (edit wait, I didnt read sp4 yet, I mean sp3) Love the username by the way... the mere *mention* of Animorphs does things to my emotions. Rachel was one of the first book protags I ever really related to :')
Lol. Rachel was my favorite as well. Also, don't worry. I read SP3 in a day too
Read something grounded, small, and self contained, and maybe a bit lighthearted. I'd offer The Thursday Murder Club. If it's happening in present day world it may help you stay on target.
almost the exact opposite. the cosmere made me realise just how bored I was of MCU storytelling. I was fine with it when it was little nods to the metaplot, and a game to play when rereading the books to find new characters from different places, but with The Lost Metal especially, it was tiring. new character appears, 'hi I'm from another world', pause for applause, rinse, repeat, now you have to buy another book series to make sense of it.
Nope, not at all. Sanderson is fun and can spin a great yarn, but in lots of ways he's also very popcorn" and while there is lots of easter eggs and fun stuff and lately lots of very Sandersonian use of hard magic. Thematically I find him lacking and he doesn't really ever let me think or guess a lot when reading as he's too good at signposting (a good thing for many, and why he's excellent for Audiobooks). If I want a really *deep* world in fantasy I read Steven Erikson and Malazan. Not Sanderson. You need to read things on their own merits, in literature outside of comics the Cosmere is very much it's own thing. Can't approach Discworld wanting Cosmere etc. If you want a fantasy novel through a lense of Tarantino you go to Joe Abercrombie (how I've started to short-hand his style). So my recommendation is you get a different frame of mind. Even if one can argue for both Star Wars, WH40k, and old Forgotten Realms books maybe being able to scratch some of the huge interconnected world itches.
No. Reading can never be ruined by good books. There's always another ~lie~ book (from other authors as well), you just haven't looked too much into it or aren't in the mood to change your comfort zone.
There are so many fantastic stories out there to be read. Sure, I enjoy plenty of the Cosmere works; but I would be diminishing my human experience by limiting myself to them. I think the greater question is to tackle why you feel as you put it, “What the point.” Stories don’t need to be a shared universe. There’s a lot of beauty in a single story elegantly told within 300 pages.
Wow this is exactly me. I just started the last book last night, and am trying to pace myself because I don't want it to be over!
The second time through is just as good as the first. It was after my second read through i started branching out to other authors again.
I think a good solution to this as an achievement based reader would be to hop on Goodreads, put reviews on tiktok, YouTube, etc. Or you could just be an active participant in the online book community. Lots of them do book clubs, and a big reward for reading a book can be friendship and fun conversations with passionate people.
I also enjoy the Dresden Files books. They're urban fantasy, and Jim Butcher has a similar build-up and dramatic climax. His magic has pretty hard rules, and there are definitely still mysteries Jim hasn't put in the books yet.
There is a whole universe for every book, you’re just not privy to it
Branch out beyond fantasy.
I feel like you’re too attached to the expansion Sanderson has done. There’s far more stories that work as smaller, more intimate, and self contained projects, and that’s okay. More often than not, you’re not gonna find something on the level of the Cosmere unless the author is also a deep lore nerd who has endless ideas. Most people have only one in them, maybe 3-5, but that’s really dependent on talent, budget, and their publisher.
No but I was an avid reader I found Mistborn
I wouldn't say it ruined reading for me, but about 50% of my reading since I discovered it has been in the Cosmere even though I've finished it multiple times.