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The Final Empire: Mistborn Book 1
Brandon Sanderson
4.7
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter: A Cosmere Novel
by Brandon Sanderson
About this book
Yumi lives a life of rigid devotion in a world of blinding light, where her spiritual rituals sustain a civilization reliant on her daily sacrifices. Half a galaxy away, Painter survives in a realm of eternal darkness, haunted by terrifying nightmares that manifest as physical horrors. He is a social pariah, a man defined by his isolation and his desperate, failed attempts to be a hero in a land that offers no hope.
Their paths collide when a mysterious phenomenon binds them together, forcing two polar opposites into an intimate, forced proximity. As they begin to perceive each other’s realities, Yumi and Painter must navigate a surreal, cross-world connection that defies the laws of their respective societies. Their dynamic is one of profound discovery and vulnerability; they are strangers tethered by necessity who find solace in the very differences that initially divide them.
As the shadows in Painter’s world grow more aggressive and the foundations of Yumi’s society begin to crumble, the two must unravel the secrets behind their supernatural link. To save their worlds, they must learn to trust the one person who truly understands the weight of their lonely, extraordinary burdens.
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What readers are saying
melanie (meltotheany / jtotheimin)5/5
"this was such a love letter to stories, storytelling, art, creating, and the connections we make because of them. this book really emphasizes why we need stories, why we need books, and movies, and dramas, and video games, and our family to pass down the stories that were passed down to them. this is not only one of my favorite brandon sanderson books, but it is one of the most beautiful things ive ever read. i recommend this with my whole heart. like all the books in this secret project series so far, i personally feel like you can read this without reading any other brandon sanderson book. but you will just appreciate more things if you are caught up with the cosmere, especially if you are a little knowledgeable about his stormlight series…. with roshar and spren and investiture! this is a story about two people, from two very different worlds, who have made a connection against all odds. And when these two meet, via body swapping, they discover the lives of each other alongside the reader. This story is also very inspired from the stories of your name, final fantasy x, and hikaru no go. ☆ Yumi - from an ancient historical korean inspired world where spirits are summoned to help from rituals. yumi is a yoki-hijo who can control the spirits with her stone stacking, and since birth her life has been all honor and devotion to the people of her world who need help from the spirits. ☆ Painter - from a more modern day japanese inspired world that is set in darkness with neon lights being the light source. nightmares manifest into actual monsters in this world, and nikaro is someone who uses art to banish them and their violence away from the city i really loved both of these worlds and settings, but the noodle shop in painter’s world was everything. i mean, obviously the owner and the coatrack were perfection on their own, but just that setting was so cozy and warm and perfect to picture in my mind while reading. i really hope we get to see at least a glimpse of it again in the future. okay okay, let’s talk about the romance. i feel like i am a little in the minority with this, but i always like brandon’s romances. (truly, vin and elend are the reason i love bodyguard romances!) but i really loved the relationship in this book - its very slow burn, and it really focuses on their friendship, and them being the people they want to be, not the expectations placed on them by their worlds and circumstances. but oh my gosh i was weeping, truly weeping, at the romance in this book. i loved it completely. and i truly believe the second to last chapter in this book (i am trying to be vague hehe) is one of the best things brandon sanderson has ever written. i was also very moved with brandon really implementing discussions on ai generated art and creation throughout this book. Humans really put themselves, their experiences, the experiences passed down to them, their blood, sweat, tears, their entire existence into their art. Meanwhile, machines just take and take and take and erase and erase and erase. i feel like he incorporated this very loudly and very softly at the same time, throughout this entire novel, and it is an important conversation we all need to be having and actively trying to dismantle. and speaking of artwork, aliya chen has created some of the most beautiful pieces of art throughout this book. these illustrations truly enhanced and elevated this story to a new level and, again, really emphasizes the importance of human’s creating art and forging connections that transcend words. in conclusional gushing, you will see me holding this beautiful special edition up in my end of the year, favorite books of the year picture. i am very obsessed with this and it really was close to perfection for me. truly a reminder why i love art and reading and escaping into worlds with characters like this. ["
March 6, 2024 Verified Purchase
Sara Machado SilvaWonderful as always!
"Being a high fantasy writer, Sanderson is obviously not known for the romances on his books. Despite this, all the books I’ve read from him have a bit of romance, and while this is not the reason I enjoyed them, I always find his love stories the best ones. In his easy writing style and magical world, Sanderson always writes couples with an undeniable connection, who support and respect each other, and whom I see working on the long run, no epilogues needed to confirm it - Raoden and Sarene (Elantris), Vin and Elend (Mistborn Era 1), Dalinar and Navani (Stormlight Archive) and, the most recent, Tress and Charlie (Tress of the Emerald See) While <b>Yumi and the Nightmare Painter</b> can be considered his most romantic book, it is much more than a love story, and will certainly be appreciated by all Cosmere fans, while possibly being more attractive to new readers. <i>“I only stare”, he said, “when I see something too beautiful for my eyes to take in all at once”</i> There is much to love in this book: - It was inspired by the anime <i>Your Name</i>, which is absolutely brilliant (among other inspirations). - Relatable characters and problems: both Painter and Yumi struggles will feel close to home for a lot of readers. They are acutely lonely and isolated. More than a romance, I find this book to be about what it means to be human and the need to find connections and to have a purpose. Our ability to learn and start again, and how important it is to accept our flaws and ask for forgiveness (ours and from others) - Heavy on what I think Sanderson does best: Character and relationship development. This applies to both main and secondary characters and it really makes the story shine. - Interesting magic system and world building, with heavy connections with other Cosmere worlds - Well balanced in terms of pace - Gorgeous illustrations by Aliya Chen. I’m definitely going to buy the hardcover as well (and desperately need for someone to bring the original cover from US because the postal costs are insane) Regarding the one million dollar question: <b><i>In which order should I read this book? </i></b> While I’m a strong believer all Sanderson standalones should be good entry points, and that in no way is he expecting people to read almost 10 000 pages (count before secret projects) to pick up this book, I found it more heavily connected with the Stormlight Archive than I was expecting. The connections in this book are not as subtil as usual and don’t feel like the typical Easter eggs he plants in all his novels. I believe I would have preferred to read it after finishing SA. That said, it does not spoil anything of other books, and though I had one theory confirmed in this book, it would be absolutely indifferent if it was my first Cosmere novel. If this is the book that leaves you curious enough to start reading his works, just do it. ["
July 31, 2023 Verified Purchase
SteveOverall this Kindle eBook is a great novel in The Cosmere
"Overall this Kindle eBook is great. I like the descriptions, most of the characters, most of the dialogue, most of the plot, and the pace in this Kindle eBook. I also like that Yumi was polite and respectful. I don't like that the author called the nightmare painter's bag with his painting supplies in it his painter's bag. I don't like that before the nightmare painter met Yumi he lied to his friends. I don't like that one of the sentences in this novel isn't grammatically correct. I rate this Kindle eBook four out of five stars. ["
February 16, 2026 Verified Purchase
DavidMy Favorite Sanderson book yet
"Fantasy is not my genre, but if all fantasy novels were this good, I’d read, or listen to, many more. A compelling story. Characters that you can imagine as real, and a world that doesn’t require too much imagination to believe in. Mystery, a touch of romance, humor, tension, nightmares that live outside your head. A book that every time I had to turn it off, I couldn’t wait to begin listening again. The narration is well done, although it would be better if there could have been a couple more narrators to handle some of the voicing, as there are a lot of characters. There is a line at the end that I suspect will be quoted again and again, but not here … because that would get me flagged for as a spoiler. You’ll just have to read the book to find out what it is. This is my fifth Sanderson book, and it is easily my favorite. ["
January 30, 2026 Verified Purchase
