Oh, a new Sanderson book – the last one was more than half a year ago. So, what do we have here:

Context

Firstly, Isles of the Emberdark is another book from Sanderson’s now iconic Secret Projects drop. Secondly, it is a Cosmere book – meaning it takes place in his cross-series universe of the same name. And finally, it is also a sequel to the short story "Sixth of the Dusk" from the Arcanum Unbounded anthology.

The author mentions at the beginning that it is difficult to write a direct sequel to a story that few people will have read, which is why that original story is integrated as flashbacks in the first part of the book. This doesn’t mean it stands on its own. On the contrary: this is a book that few authors could get away with, as in my view, it requires the current status quo of the major Cosmere book series, including spin-offs. In short: It is fan service.

Much like Tress of the Emerald Sea or The Sunlit Man, it is deeply woven into the Cosmere. Furthermore, it is set very far back in the current timeline.

I believe you should have read at least the following books to truly understand all the references or to avoid being spoiled:

• The Stormlight Archive series,
• the Stormlight novella Dawnshard,
• Mistborn Era 1 and Era 2,
• Mistborn: Secret History and Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, both collected in Arcanum Unbounded,
• and Tress of the Emerald Sea.

So, you really should have done your homework. But there are rewards: For one – to my knowledge – we finally learn something real about Yolen and its inhabitants – a place of significant importance for the Cosmere. And then: Since the story takes place at the end of the timeline, it also references events that haven't even happened yet. Vague hints, more teaser than exposition, but still – pretty cool. But only if you are truly deep into the Cosmere. Did I mention the fan service?

Plot

The story is – as mentioned – a direct sequel to a short story. The original story was about a trapper making his way through a dangerous jungle island and dealt with the opportunities and dangers of technical progress for existing traditions ^[1]. This book takes place five years later ^[2], and the former protagonist of the adventure story now finds himself, in the first half, in a book about politics, colonization, and science fiction.

The protagonist Dusk finds himself in a world that no longer needs island trappers; however, his world is in danger of becoming a pawn for major powers. This leads him on a journey to the eponymous Emberdark to find his people's past and a means of defense.

And?

As you can tell, the book demands a lot of prior knowledge. Time and again, I had to look things up or try to remember if I had heard a certain name before, who mentioned people were, all while having a constant fear of missing something important. Sanderson’s Cosmere has grown so large that the original premise – that you could read the book series selectively without prior knowledge – no longer holds true ^[3].

Nevertheless, in the end, I felt somewhat rewarded, even if it felt a bit like a teaser for things to come.

Also: I hope that the upcoming Mistborn Era 3 will streamline the Cosmere approach once again.