Yumi and the Nightmare Painter Paperback – January 1, 2023

Absolutely love! It’s beautifully done and so unique. The romance is no spice, and the development of the relationship is quite realistic in the midst of the magical elements surrounding them. Such a masterpiece.

I am not a fan of YA love story fiction, but I had this book pitched to me as something much deeper than what it seems. I am, however, a huge Final Fantasy fan and appreciate the Japanese style of storytelling on the epic scale. On these premises alone, many suggested this one would be right up my alley. They were right.Firstly, the setting is very intriguing. Two locations: a cyberpunk style city that’s always night and lit by two beams of light at the center of the city and a vibrant medieval setting that’s always day. Very awesome contrasts.Next, the characters: our two main characters are starkly different, but endearing nonetheless. The supporting characters were all unique and also memorable.Now, the story: the characters were what hooked me here. The plot itself is interesting and the twists and turns Sanderson takes are great, but watching Yumi and Painter learn to understand each other was what kept me. Both are completely different, but learned to (literally) put themselves in each other’s shoes. They grew to appreciate the other, in all of their flaws. This is what real love is: learning the good and bad of a person and letting everything about them be accepted with a commitment to that person’s good. This is what Sanderson explores here; not the “passion” that most YA nonsense puts forth. In fact, neither Yumi or Painter really like each other very much at the start. Neither of them are particularly enamored with each other. Yet, their bond grows strong because they’re forced to learn everything about the other and work as a team. It does show that if people are willing to do the work of understanding, they can make a relationship work.This was a love letter to Sanderson’s wife from him. You can see this. This was a passion project and you can feel the love in every word written. When I wasn’t reading this, I was thinking about it. I’m actually kind of sad it’s over…I’ll boot up my FFX to scratch this itch.10/10. Definitely read and enjoy the whimsical ride.

The Sanderlanche was real with this one. I got to sit 80% worried, as the story was still slow. And this is something you might notice. The story is very chill and laid back.But the true star of this is the art. The juxtaposition between night and bright day is the highlight of this story. The art is incredible. Beautiful and transformative. It really gave life to this story, and I'm kicking myself for not ordering the physical copy of this book.

Being a high fantasy writer, Sanderson is obviously not known for the romances on his books.Despite this, all the books I’ve read from him have a bit of romance, and while this is not the reason I enjoyed them, I always find his love stories the best ones.In his easy writing style and magical world, Sanderson always writes couples with an undeniable connection, who support and respect each other, and whom I see working on the long run, no epilogues needed to confirm it - Raoden and Sarene (Elantris), Vin and Elend (Mistborn Era 1), Dalinar and Navani (Stormlight Archive) and, the most recent, Tress and Charlie (Tress of the Emerald See)While <b>Yumi and the Nightmare Painter</b> can be considered his most romantic book, it is much more than a love story, and will certainly be appreciated by all Cosmere fans, while possibly being more attractive to new readers.<i>“I only stare”, he said, “when I see something too beautiful for my eyes to take in all at once”</i>There is much to love in this book:- It was inspired by the anime <i>Your Name</i>, which is absolutely brilliant (among other inspirations).- Relatable characters and problems: both Painter and Yumi struggles will feel close to home for a lot of readers. They are acutely lonely and isolated. More than a romance, I find this book to be about what it means to be human and the need to find connections and to have a purpose. Our ability to learn and start again, and how important it is to accept our flaws and ask for forgiveness (ours and from others)- Heavy on what I think Sanderson does best: Character and relationship development. This applies to both main and secondary characters and it really makes the story shine.- Interesting magic system and world building, with heavy connections with other Cosmere worlds- Well balanced in terms of pace- Gorgeous illustrations by Aliya Chen. I’m definitely going to buy the hardcover as well (and desperately need for someone to bring the original cover from US because the postal costs are insane)Regarding the one million dollar question:<b><i>In which order should I read this book? </i></b>While I’m a strong believer all Sanderson standalones should be good entry points, and that in no way is he expecting people to read almost 10 000 pages (count before secret projects) to pick up this book, I found it more heavily connected with the Stormlight Archive than I was expecting.The connections in this book are not as subtil as usual and don’t feel like the typical Easter eggs he plants in all his novels. I believe I would have preferred to read it after finishing SA. That said, it does not spoil anything of other books, and though I had one theory confirmed in this book, it would be absolutely indifferent if it was my first Cosmere novel.If this is the book that leaves you curious enough to start reading his works, just do it.

A story of polar opposite souls coming together in harmony. Another wonderful journey into the imagination of Brandon Sanderson. These books always find a way to leave a lasting impression.

You may say whatever you want about Brandon Sanderson, the guy has an impressive imagination, this is a very usual love history about a very usual couple of young people (kind of..), living in a very unusual place with very unusual careers and very unusual problems. Made me laugh, made me cry, it was not very predictable, I enjoyed every minute.

Incredibly impressed by the seller who packaged the book so well (two layers of cardboard!) and sold a perfect un blemished copy. Can't wait to start this book, been waiting for a Sanderson romance for a long while now.

I have yet to read 'The Sunlit Man' and have it lined up next, but this is definitely my favourite of Sanderson's four 'Secret Projects' at this time. What I found interesting was his inspiration being partially drawn from Final Fantasy X, whereas I felt subtle influences of FFXV throughout the work.There are also elements of manga/anime productions for any fans of contemporary Japanese media. Also, there are hints at a very famous movie with a certain actor known for his Cyberpunk-style roles... perhaps the line should have been: 'We meet again, Mr. Sanderson.'It's a poignant story which leads the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, and unlike in 'Tress of the Emerald Sea' I found Hoid's narration to be more subdued and genuinely chuckle-inducing. If you're a fan of the Cosmere in general I highly recommend this work, just go in with expectations that it's somewhere between the light-heartedness of Tress and the serious tone of Stormlight.

Again I find myself wondering how can Sanderson conjure so many different and incredible places and stories. If only I had a tenth of his creativity...This in particular is one of the best in my opinion.