There is much to be said of The Sunlit Man (and many good things), but I think the most important is this: The Sunlit Man cannot be read as a standalone like Sanderson's other secret projects. The Stormlight Archive is definitely a must-read before The Sunlit Man - and I say this as someone who has not read this series and only dipped their toe into the first two books in the Mistborn series. Without reading them, a lot of context is removed from this book. The mechanics of the book's magic/technology are relatively surface-level (as context has been given prior in a lot of the other Cosmere books) and the world-building is mapped out more vaguely (relying on the reader's knowing the planets like Roshar, among others, that have been featured in series past).

While this reliance on reader understanding could be a good thing for many readers (mainly, fans of Sanderson who have kept up with his tireless releases), it does mean that The Sunlit Man is not necessarily accessible as a standalone fantasy like many (if not all) of the other secret projects. Because of this, I certainly enjoyed this instalment less than the other secret projects. Where Tress of the Emerald Sea draws you into the world and maps it out, The Sunlit Man assumes you have an understanding, which makes a lot of the world-building confusing and vague. Indeed, while I admire Sanderson's imagination (as always), there is definitely less to be gained as a relatively new Sanderson fan. This one is for the long-time fans, or at least those who have managed to cycle through his catalogue.

So, in the end, what I can say is this. The Sunlit Man offers an intriguing story of belonging, trauma, and friendship. Set on an epic sun-lit planet whose inhabitants are engaged in a constant battle to escape the almighty (and destructive) power of the sun, it is full of action, daring escapes, and climatic battle scenes. But it fails to stand out against the other secret projects, relying on a pre-established understanding of Sanderson's Cosmere worldbuilding, magic system, and mechanics.

“A great addition to the Cosmere”
Starts with a bang and the action doesn't let up!

Fans of Sanderson will be pleased to see trademark action packed adventure, dotted with humour and nods to other books in the cosmere. This is a great stand alone novel, requiring no previous knowledge of his work, but if you are well read in Sanderson lore you will find a few treats along the way.

I particularly loved this new fantasy world, a harsh place to live vividly brought to life by the master world builder.

This review is for The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson which releases in the UK on 5th March! Thanks so much to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and Gollancz for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was easily another 5 star read from Sanderson, and at this point I expect no less from him. He is easily one of my favourite authors from over the past few years, and I can easily read anything they write.

This was one of his secret project novels he wrote during COVID, featuring in the Cosmere Universe but doesn’t seem to be a part of the main storyline. However from what I could see I think it does mention some characters and plot points from the other stories in the Cosmere universe, and as I haven’t read them all yet I was left a bit confused. This didn’t impact the full story though, but does seem like it would readers to help understand the story easier if you have read his other works before this one.

It was super easy to read, with a lot of intense and high action scenes which keeps you on your toes. It’s also one of Sanderson’s shorter novels so thankfully I could get through this in nearly one sitting!

It also features a little bit of a morally grey main character, who you see fight a lot with his morals and what he now believes in. It hints a lot about what has happened to him in his past to cause him to feel this way, and how he is now dealing with it. Nomad is a very complex character and very interesting to follow along with. I hope we get to see him more in any upcoming novels!

I really did love this and would highly recommend this to any fantasy lovers out there, especially if you have read any of Sandersons other works!

The Sunlit Man is a sharp, well rounded story, and a perfect example of how to write a standalone story in a pre-established world. The novel is set within the Cosmere (or, the ‘Brandon Sanderson Extended Universe’ as I prefer to call it), but requires no previous knowledge from his other books. Certain elements included in the Sunlit Man could arguably be called minor spoilers to events and revelations that take place in the Stormlight Archive series; whilst I wouldn’t personally call them spoilers, viewer discretion is advised if you’re yet to read that series.

I don’t exaggerate when I say that the story moves at a breakneck pace! It really starts with how it means to go on, with our lead character Nomad appearing on a planet he’s never been to before, and immediately finding himself in mortal peril. The first 50 pages at least are all-out action, and I did wonder at one point if the novel ever intended to slow down! The story itself was fairly simple and honestly didn’t blow me away, but it was a really enjoyable character study of our main character, and also an interesting snapshot into live on this new planet to the Cosmere.

The planet Nomad finds himself upon has one glaring issue – the sun shines down so intensely that it melts the planet’s surface to a molten mess, including anyone that finds themselves in it’s path. The occupants of the planet inhabit flying towns, constantly fleeing round the planet away from the dawn. I do find the idea of the entire population constantly flying round the planet to be a little contrived (but I guess what else can you do in that situation?). I found the unusual planet, and watching the characters slowly figure out the secrets of this setting, to be my favourite aspect of the book. Sanderson is a safe pair of hands regarding worldbuilding – I enjoy being thrown into one of his worlds, knowing that by the end of the book I’ll probably have a good understanding of what’s going on, and won’t be left in the dark (though in this world, that would be preferable).

The Sunlit Man is the final book of Sanderson’s 4 Secret Projects. Set in the far-off future of the Cosmere, The Sunlit Man is more Sci-Fi than usual, but has all the hallmarks of Sanderson at his best.

The book can easily be read as a standalone, but for those who have read the 4 books of Stormlight archive current available, the book will carry more weight as Sanderson gives us a glimpse into the future of a hugely popular character.

The story itself is fast paced and good fun, and rounds of The Year of Sanderson in a successful way.