5 Stars

Sadly I can't remember a lot for this one because I've read so much Sanderson this year, but it was a great novella in the run up to Rhythm of War.

I loved Rysn as a character!

As always Brandon Sanderson has created a wonderful insight into some of his well loved characters. The way of kings series introduces you to so many amazing characters that leave you asking for more about there story and Dawnshard gives you just that. Great to read in between the series but also an enjoyable as a stand alone story, which will probably make you want to read everything he’s ever written.

I haven't read any of the Stormlight Archive, and this (supposed) novella's wtite-up said that it had characters who had been minor (overshadowed) characters in previous books, taking centre stage. So I figured it might be a good way to sample this author's world. Sadly, it isn't, or at least I didn't get on all that well with it. There were a lot of unexplained words and concepts that were not particularly easy to get via context. However I persevered and reached the end. It's difficult to judge length when you read on a Kindle, but this felt like a novel, not a novella. OK, the book itself… The main character in this story is a paraplegic ship owner, Rysn, sent to investigate the mysterious island of Akinah, together with Lopen the windrunner, and her ailing pet Chiri-Chiri, last of the larkins. No ship has ever returned from the island. It's Rysn's job to find out what's going on.

I have been following this series from the beginning, and I watch as the progress is made painfully slowly. They are heavy tomes, and even my sister and her husband., who are not big readers, were hooked for a time. Now, they are not in a hurry to progress because they know there is a long way to go. There are so many complex issues within this world that I cannot remember everything when I pick the next. I cannot even imagine how the author is writing this book simultaneously with other series!
My usual statement that accompanies most reviews of books in a series is that you will get something out of this review if you have either started the series or intend to. Even with my vagueness, or maybe because of it, it might be hard for anyone else to get much from the text apart from the fact that I enjoyed my read.
Like some of the other half-positioned books, this one is a much slimmer volume than the main set. It also deviates significantly from the narrative that was progressing. We have several characters who are missing from the story, but we do get to peek a little further into some people who played quieter roles previously.
For some adventurous people, who do not mind mild spoilers( surprisingly mild, actually), these 'novellas' are not a bad place to start because it introduces the style of the Stormlight Archive. We have two main voices here. Each voice takes over the space in the narrative when it is their turn to talk. Their voices are distinct, as is their role in the voyage that begins and continues as a significant chunk of the plot. The voyage has been sanctioned by the queen as she needs people to find out why previous attempts to reach a particular almost-mythical island have been so badly thwarted.
Newer creatures are introduced here, as are strong voices who will probably carry some more significance in the next. The size of the discoveries and the losses here are such that I would not recommend skipping this if you are reading the series.
The size was surprisingly the reason it is not a five-star read for me. It felt like biting into cotton candy. Nothing was resolved, although a few battles took place, and new 'rules' were uncovered. There is nothing that I would complain about when it comes to the narration and the action sequences. I am just impatient for things to move along since I cannot imagine where everything is headed!
I read this as an ARC, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A short story with all the punch of Brandon’s normal, full length epic novels. Any fans of Brandon Sanderson will be enamoured this this novella. And damn… that artwork for the cover is stunning.

Brando Sando has done it again, somehow he can write huge books as well as tiny books perfectly. I loved this little look into some smaller parts of the world - learning more about the knights as well as more lore.

Honestly at this point Brandon Sanderson can have all the stars for the Stormlight Archives. I have loved every book and Dawnshard being its own book is just excellent.

I know that reading a book in the middle of a series it’s a bit deprecated but I loved the plot and couldn’t stop myself from requesting this arc.
It was a good idea because I enjoyed the plot and discovered a new lovely series and I have to read plenty of old and new books.
Sanderson is an excellent storyteller and this story is fast paced and action packed. Great world building and interesting characters.
It’s not a long novel (according to current fantasy standard) but there’s a lot going on.
Even if I enjoyed I recommend to read the series in order.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I think this was a good read with an interesting plot and great characters. I wasn't very intrigued by it, but it was entertaining enough to keep reading.

The writing is good, as expected, and the world building is done well. It's a solid work from Sanderson, but nothing that stands out.

I love that there's representation of disabled characters and I think we need more book that show the diversity in humans.

I approached ‘Dawnshard’ with the unmitigated excitement of a Sanderson fledgeling. I’d read his Mistborn trilogy and LOVED it, so scuttled off to the internet to enquire if this novella worked as a standalone, as I’m yet to read his Stormlight Archive (to which this novella belongs).


“But of course!” the internet replied. “You can read ‘Dawnshard’ as a standalone!”

… It’s the internet. I should’ve known it lies.

SO! I picked up ‘Dawnshard,’ and was immediately as discombobulated as Bill Murray in ‘Lost in Translation’. There were choruses of people I’d never met. They often spoke in languages I didn’t understand. Things of Great Import were referenced, but I’d no idea what they were. I was very confused.

HOWEVER! I swiftly got over the bamboozlement and was utterly, joyously lost in the ride.

SANDERSON’S GONE AND DONE IT AGAIN.

Is ‘Dawnshard’ as pithy as his other work? No. Does the plot throw giant curve balls that seem perfectly logical only AFTER they’ve whacked you fully and unexpectedly in the face? YES!

At 256 pages, ‘Dawnshard’ may be small by Sanderson standards, yet it still boasts all of his beloved writing traits: fully-formed characters with voices so unique you can tell who’s speaking before you read the “– said”; oodles of secrets, gods, and swashbuckling; and sarcastic, self-aware heroes who know they’re being witty for the bards that must (surely!) one day write all their one-liners down.

Without dropping spoilers, I also need to say I was impressed with the way Sanderson portrays a character who develops a sudden and unexpected disability. There’s a lot of time dedicated to how the character feels, how other characters react, and what adjustments can be made to ensure the character isn’t hindered by their surroundings. Kudos.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Dawnshard’ and would definitely recommend it to fellow fantasy fans.

Just… after they’ve read Sanderson’s other Stormlight books, first 😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Huge thanks go to @netgalley for this eARC copy of @titanbooks’ publication

Novella is, I suppose a relative term. Considering the length of the other books in the Stormlight Archive, this is a novella; compared to books in general, it's not far off a full length, if short, novel.
The main difference to the main books in the series is that this is a contained plot rather than switching between multiple locations and characters.
Our POVs are Rysn and Lopen, sent on a mission to a mysterious and dangerous island. The story gives two of the more minor characters more room to breathe and develop. Lopen is always fun but he's given a little more depth and time to shine. Rysn is really the main character and her development was nice to see and she'll obviously be a more important character as the series progresses thanks to events in this story.
I like that Sanderson is continuing to explore and grow the history and "mythology" of the world. One of the things I most enjoy about the Stormlight Archive is how rich & detailed the world is, even if it does mean the books are enormous- and this is a nice, more manageable slice of Roshar to enjoy.
Very much worth reading and not just sticking to the main novels.

This was an engaging read that did a lot of fantastic character development despite its length. I loved the representation, and the writing was simply wonderful. Unfortunately, I am not at all the target audience for this, having not read any of Sanderson's Stormlight Archives series, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story or my ability to follow it. In fact, it actually inspired me to actively seek out more Sanderson books!

Brandon Sanderson has done it again. He's taken us back into the Stormlight Archives, with the characters we already know, and managed to make them shine bright as can be on their own. In the short span of this book - compared to his full novels, that is - we learn so much more about these people and the world they inhabit.

Rysn, the merchant's apprentice who was injured and lost the use of her legs during a trade deal, turned owner of one of the most awesome ships there is, finds new challenges nothing could have prepared her for.

Lopen, a Knight Radiant and the forever comedian, always a joke ready for whoever is close enough to hear him, rising to the occasion when it's desperately needed but forced to face some deeper truths.

There are characters previously mentioned in passing that are given stories of their own and we learn much about what's yet to come.

Even though it's written as a small filler between the greater volumes, it is a must read if you want to find out as much as you can about the Cosmere and indeed get to know the characters you may have thought insignificant before, because who knows what secrets they hold.

4.5/5 stars

Dawnshard is a magnificent warm-up to the upcoming Rhythm of War.

Dawnshard is a novella, or short novel, in The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson. I think many of you have known that I am a devout fan of Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. No, seriously, I love the Cosmere universe so much that I actually felt annoyed when Sanderson decided to focus on Skyward instead of finishing Mistborn: Wax and Wayne series first. But let’s get back on topic. I knew Dawnshard will be a wonderful book, and I knew it will provide character development and other necessary information for the future of the series. What I didn’t expect, however, was that it will shed light on so many Cosmere hints and revelations.

Dawnshard takes place after Oathbringer and before Rhythm of War, it follows the story of Rysn as she’s tasked to go to Akinah. I haven’t read any previous chapters released for Rhythm of War, but I know for sure that the events that happened in Dawnshard display immense implications for the future of Roshar and the entire Cosmere universe. It is frankly insane. I just don’t know how Sanderson does it. This novella exceeded Edgedancer in every possible way, and I’m so pleasantly surprised by how important it was on the grander scheme of the Cosmere.

“That was the thing about omens—they were made up. Imagined signals of something nebulous. So why not make them up to be something positive?”


I never thought about it before, but Sanderson’s decision to put Rysn and Lopen as the two POV characters in this novella is such a brilliant move. Approximately half of the book takes place in a seafaring travel section, but it was never boring; Sanderson developed Rysn, Lopen, Cord, Huio, and also include stunning revelations about Cosmere in this section; entire book, actually. One of the things that Sanderson tried to do carefully in Dawnshard is to make sure the representation of disabled characters—mainly paraplegic—is done right. He has consulted and did his research. Now, I will not be presumptuous and say he has done it well; I believe this can only be judged by someone with the same issue, and I’m not. However, I would like to digress that this book made me feel more empathetic towards them. One of my younger brother’s legs is disabled since he was born, and this book occasionally made me stop and think about what he went through growing up.

“Everyone else pranced around without ever having to worry they were a burden to others. Never remaining in the same place—when they longed to move around—because they didn’t want it to be a bother. They didn’t know what they had. But Rysn knew exactly what she’d lost.”


Do note that this doesn’t mean that Dawnshard is a gloomy book. I think Sanderson’s books, all of them, aren’t like that. Sanderson always makes sure to include positivity in the bleakest of moments, and this feeling of invigoration I got from reading his books is something that I’ve come to truly appreciate from his works. This is why Lopen’s POV matters more. Lopen was hilarious in the main novels, and I personally found that Dawnshard deepens his characterizations further. Come to think of it, Lopen reminded me a lot of Wayne—another supporting character I loved—from Mistborn: Wax and Wayne series. I loved the positive attitudes that he brings with his existence; he genuinely just wants the people around him to be happy.

“But it’s nice to make people laugh at you for something you do, and not something you can’t control. You know?”


However, as much as I praised Rysn and Lopen, I have to say that the most pleasant surprise in character development, for me, was Huio. I didn’t think of him as remotely important in the main series so far, but Dawnshard successfully and efficiently established him as one of the supporting characters to watch out for. The same can also be said for Cord, Chiri-Chiri, you know what? Consider what I just said moot point because it applies to practically everyone now. I’m just seriously impressed with Dawnshard; I liked Edgedancer but Lift infuriated me non-stop there, and she made me hate the word ‘pancake’. Not only the overall content of Dawnshard felt so much more important to the scope and main story of The Stormlight Archive, but it also extrapolates the importance of having a positive mindset in the daily course of our lives. Superstition or bad omens are a big theme in Dawnshard, and Sanderson showcases examples of why sometimes bad omens can be turned around by simply shifting our mindset and perspective.

“You could always defeat gloomy Passions with optimism and determination. Even the worst highstorm dropped fresh water.”


One last thing before I conclude this review, which somehow ended up being longer than I expected. I’ll make this as spoiler-free and vague as possible, but if you’re caught up or understand the mechanism behind the Cosmere universe, Dawnshard is about to stun you with many mindblowing insights. One of the biggest hints is the implication that materials from other worlds in the Cosmere could be traded and appear in different worlds now. Aluminum is here, and I’m sure it will be as well in Rhythm of War and so on. Think about the usage of Aluminum in Mistborn series. From reading Oathbringer, we knew this could happen, but to see it appearing here (unless I’m mistaken) is truly a sign of great things to come in Rhythm of War and pretty much all future Cosmere books. Also, if I have to mention a growing and worrying issue from reading The Stormlight Archive so far, it would be that the characters and their healing power have become way too powerful. Well, Dawnshard has pretty much exhibited how this issue will be negated; several counter-mechanism has been shown, and our beloved characters will probably suffer more. Soon.

“Sometimes you need to accept what you’ve lost, then move forward. Then you can instead realize what you’ve gained.”


It’s astounding to me that there’s still so much about this relatively short book I could talk about here, but I’ll stop for now. I hope the day will come when Rysn becomes one of the main characters in the main novels. In less than 300 pages, I already preferred reading Rysn as one of the main POV characters compared to Shallan. There, I’ve said it. I would like to say that Dawnshard isn’t mandatory to read, but I can’t. Honestly, I’m still shocked and amazed by all the revelations I attained from reading this short novel. Dawnshard is an incredible appetizer before we devour the next main menu in The Stormlight Archive: Rhythm of War. More importantly, this is a must-read volume for many of us who’s adapting “Journey before destination” in our lives as we make our way through traversing every single piece of art in The Stormlight Archive and Cosmere universe. Needless to say, this is an amazing novella/short novel. Last but not least:

I am ready for the Rhythm of War.

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A great companion to the Stormlight Archive.
I loved seeing Lopen and Rysn get their own little adventure,
Chiri Chiri <3

I am in love with The stormlight archive universe since book one and I really enjoy the smaller books between the big ones. I usually don't like when author do this because I don't see real purpose for them. But Sanderson is different, he completes the stories, give space to secondary characters and introduces new storylines that will be used in the main books.

In Dawnshard we have new developments involving some knights radiants and things involving a minor character from a previous book.

Be sure to read this one before Rythm of war.

don't know how he does it, but Brandon Sanderson has AGAIN managed to create full fledged character arcs seemingly in the span of a breath.

This story somehow took characters that, whether you're familiar with them or not, are incredibly relatable and representative of everyday folks, puts them in a place with no readily apparent room to grow, and then allows us to witness their improvement firsthand. We all know and love Lopen and Rysn, which puts them in a difficult position as far as character arcs go. Lopen especially already feels pretty full-fledged if you've read the Stormlight Archive, and we've been watching Rysn grow since she was introduced, so what more is there to see? It turns out, just like in reality, even the best characters are flawed, and the plot, much like our own lives, has plenty of challenges to throw at them.

Sanderson's ability to immerse readers in a story in such a short amount of time, and show off all their emotions and experiences in the same breath is astounding. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and related to the characters insecurities and challenges wholeheartedly. In fact, I enjoyed this tidbit so much, It has really got
Me excited for the next chapter in the series!

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson is a terrific warm up act for the Rhythm of War. It is a short novel that is a wonderful book filled with previously minor character development and necessary information for the whole future of the series. I did not expect so many Cosmere hints, revelations and blatant information but wow, was I so glad that this was included.

I’ll admit that the decision to have Rysn and Lopen, two disabled characters, as the POV characters in this was a little skeptical with Rysn not having much insight outside of Interludes and Lopen providing comedic approach but this was such a brilliant move. We are treated to a wonderful seafaring expedition that is never boring and truly resembles paraplegic characters that show the research that was put into portraying them realistically. Sanderson continues to bring positivity in the bleakest of moments with a feeling of invigoration that I’ve truly come to appreciate when reading his books. The Lopen’s POV matters here. In the main series he is the comedian but in Dawnshard we deepen his character more. There’s a quote he says “But it’s nice to make people laugh at you for something you do, and not something you can’t control. You know?” And I really resonate with The Lopen throughout this.

The major surprise in this was the inclusion of Huio. Dawnshard successfully and efficiently established him as a character to watch in the future. Cord, Chiri-Chiri and Nikli were seriously impressive and to tear away from the main Stormlight novels to bring us arguably minor characters in a major plot for the whole Cosmere was a massive risk with great perspective.

If you are caught up with the Cosmere, Dawnshard is about to hit you with so many insights to the overarching plot with hints about Aluminum, other worlds and Adonalsium. This is a sign of great things to come, again, from Brandon and all the future Cosmere novels and connections. This is such a short novel that contains so much impact that I feel I could go on for longer. Rysn became a major hitter and I hope to see more of her in the future. I’m both shocked and amazed at the answers we got but more distraught at all the further questions. This isn’t a mandatory novel but it sets up Rhythm of War exquisitely. Journey Before Destination, Radiants.