Review: The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson

Blurb:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson―creator of The Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn Saga, and countless bestselling works of science fiction and fantasy―comes this standalone novel showing a rare glimpse of a future Cosmere universe.

Running. Putting distance between himself and the relentless Night Brigade has been Nomad’s strategy for years. Staying one or two steps ahead of his pursuers by skipping through the Cosmere from one world to the next.

But now, his powers too depleted to escape, Nomad finds himself trapped on Canticle, a planet that will kill anyone who doesn’t keep moving. Fleeing the fires of a sunrise that melts the very stones, he is instantly caught up in the struggle between a heartless tyrant and the brave rebels who defy him.

Failure means a quick death, incinerated by the sun… or a lifetime as a mindless slave. Tormented by the consequences of his past, Nomad must fight not only for his survival―but also for his very soul.

Review:

And now, I am all set to read Wind and Truth. 2024 saw me burning through 5 Cosmere books (2 Stormlight tomes, 1 Stormlight novella, 1 Mistborn novel, and 1 Secret Project). Given that the Sunlit Man was both the most chronologically further along, and the most recently published Cosmere book, I saved it for last. So, what did I think about the book?

What I liked:

Canticle is a weirdly hostile world (like most of the Cosmere’s planets). As expected, it has a unique ecosystem that is equal parts a threat and a fascinating opportunity for study. The concept of the 10-hour days with a superheated sun that burns everything it touches, including melting the ground to have the geography remain in a constantly changing state was something straight out of a fever dream. And Sanderson uses this backdrop perfectly to create tension and urgency, pushing his characters to relentlessly be on their feet, lest the sunlight catch up to them.

It only hit me as I’m writing this review that The Sunlit Man is a Cosmere Space Western. The characters that are dealing with these issues are also typical of a Western. The righteous local fighting for their people’s survival, a powerful antagonist who is more concerned about personal gain than societal good, and the stranger who’s coming disrupts the status quo. The plot unravels as you would see in a Western, so Western fans are certainly in for a treat!

Speaking of plot, this one is probably the fastest pacing that Sanderson has played with. Not once do we get a moment of respite. Even when we do, there’s the danger lurking in the background. The 10-hour days, the deathly sunlight, the Cinder King, our characters are never not in danger. Sanderson uses this tension beautifully to keep things in constant motion. Be it the action-packed sequences that literally move the story forward, or the in-between sequences where Nomad and the supporting characters are in flux to figure out a solution to their immediate problems. 

As the story unfolds, you also start getting glimpses into what the future of the Cosmere looks like. This is where things really start to click. What I loved about this novel is that despite having teases of the Night Brigade, space travel, and Cosmere-awareness, the story remains relatively singular. Of course, having context for all those things would make this a much more enjoyable experience, but the point is that you can still relish this tale without it. I was told that I should read this last because it could spoil other books for me. But really, I don’t think that’s the case. The Sunlit Man has potential spoilers, yes, but the way those things are introduced/revealed in Rhythm of War/The Lost Metal, I doubt prior knowledge takes away from their emotional impact. 

Yes, The Sunlit Man is very Cosmere-aware. It’s chronologically the furthest along. But, all that is irrelevant, because at its heart, it remains a story of a man running away from his past, forced to help a strange planet with their solutions, and in the process rediscovering what he had once lost. A beautiful blend of classic Western and classic fantasy with a sci-fi setting. 

What I didn’t like:

As much as I loved Canticle’s setting, I have to admit that it felt relatively unexplored. You could blame it on the breakneck pacing, which doesn’t give enough room for respite and exploration. Survival and urgency linger throughout the book. While it does build tension, it also takes away from what makes all of the other Cosmere books so magical.

Another thing that sort of worked against the book is that Nomad’s backstory remains largely unexplained. I understand that Sanderson can’t spoil anything of the future he has planned, but the constant teases and nods to things that happened in Nomad’s past made me more curious about those events than the story I was reading here. The Western Trope of the stranger with an unclear past coming to a new town and solving its problems both worked and didn’t work for me. Some of the scenes with Nomad and the Beaconites were really great, but others felt wanting. Also, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. On paper, they all were great, but in reading, I wasn’t able to root for them like I normally would in a Cosmere story.

Also, I did not enjoy the way Nomad’s arc ended. It felt fitting in some ways, but in others, it felt incomplete. I won’t spoil it, but I will say that it wasn’t the ending I expected to the Year of Sanderson. I’ll let you decide whether that ending is fitting, emotional, or something completely different. For me, it made me feel a little disappointed. 

Conclusion:

The Sunlit Man is a Sci-Fi Western set in the Space Age of the Cosmere. Its breakneck pacing and intermittent action sequences make for a very kinetic and nail-biting experience. I admit that the characters felt a little underwhelming, which in the end hampered my enjoyment a tad. But in the end, it was a good read, no doubt. Plus, it does a fantastic job of hyping the Space Age of the Cosmere.

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: Setting, pacing, genre-blend, and hype for the Cosmere Space Age

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Relative lack of world exploration, didn’t connect with the characters, ending left me in two minds