Yumi and the Nightmare Painter: A Cosmere Novel (Hoid's Travails)

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 cityi 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.

A cute love story and a fun read. Love these Cosmere side stories. Almost makes me think Brandon is actually traveling to other planets in his dreams to get us these tales.

The story is excellent but this edition has no illustrations. I listened to the audio book which contained verbal descriptions of illustrations so I bought this book specifically to see the described illustrations and it doesn’t have any.

Read this book, skillfully crafted and will have you invested until the end. I would recommend this piece of the cosmere to anyone even starting Sanderson

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter completely captivated me from start to finish. The worldbuilding is stunningly original, and the characters are so well-developed — I felt deeply connected to both Yumi and Painter. Sanderson masterfully blends fantasy, emotion, and philosophical themes into a story that’s both thrilling and heartfelt. The unique art-based magic system and the evolving relationship between the main characters kept me turning pages late into the night. An absolute must-read for any fan of imaginative and emotionally resonant storytelling.

I haven’t read a book in years. I decided to get back into reading and this is the book I decided to choose. I was very interested in the story and really enjoyed reading it. Many thanks to the author and I am very pleased with the events. At times, reading it made me feel warm inside and reawakened my yearning to read.

I would love to continue reading this story well past it's end. The characters were well bonded to me as the reader. From time to time, I like to think of each character and what they each might be doing today...

I admit it took me a little longer to get into this book. But once I was invested (no pun intended), I was captivated by the fresh narration style, creative worldbuilding, and character development. Only giving 4 stars to reference that I don’t like this story quite as much as other cosmere novels. Still a great read!