Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
Ratings181
Average rating3.9
Really fun novella with an interesting world in the Cosmere. Highly recommend reading it come Halloween season as it has the perfect vibes as a slightly creepy story.
A short but effective story set in a new Cosmere world. Silence Montaine is different to other Sanderson protagonists purely based on demographics (older woman taking care of young ones), but she shares the witty and capable traits that are known in his writing. This is definitely a physically darker setting than the worlds we know, but doesn't become full-blown horror - just high personal stakes.
I love how Sanderson still finds a way to introduce a twist at the end, and how it usually revolves around character relationships. Silver is going to be really important in the Cosmere isn't it?
Un mundo oscuro y lleno de peligros. Los Bosques del Infierno no esperan a nadie, y el que no es lo suficientemente fuerte, no sobrevive.
Me encanta esta historia corta. Muchos la etiquetan cómo lo más parecido al horror dentro del Cosmere y, aunque yo no considere que se pueda calificar como un relato de horror per se, sí que me ha tocado la fibra ya que es de lo más oscuro que he leído de este autor.
Tenemos una protagonista fuerte y carismática, un mundo muy peligroso, un misterio que gusta mucho una vez se desvela, y una historia que te hace querer seguir leyendo sobre este mundo y la protagonista del relato. Por suerte, tendremos lo primero. Por desgracia, no tendremos lo segundo.
En general, un relato corto muy guay y que seguro que acabaré releyendo en un futuro
Prose was a bit clunky, but I was captivated from start to end. Fun little novella.
2.75 stars.
It was an enjoyable short story, but I could not connect to the characters. The plot was pretty simple, although the setting is still interesting. I would have appreciated more explanation about the world and the shadows in typical Sanderson's style, but due to space constraints I am aware it gets tricky doing so. I am curious to know more in detail how this story and characters will connect to the rest of the cosmere.
This was the best short story ever! And a really good introduction to another world in the Cosmere which does not have a Shard and the Investiture was so weird because a Shard was destroyed in this solar system. So like, you don't have a magic system and you're not going to die in peace and will instead get creepy ass powers once you die. WTF! Forests of Hell is apt.The rules for the Shades were so cool. Like it specifically says "Don't shed the blood of another" instead of saying something vague like "don't shed blood" which wouldn't have worked in a realistic scenario.That said, Silence was an amazing character and I loved that she was given a protective personality and was a mother; not just a ruthless bounty hunter who wanted to survive, but who wanted to raise her kids right and wanted them to have normal lives.This story referenced the God Beyond many times, like [b:Mistborn: Secret History 42028213 Mistborn Secret History Brandon Sanderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544550801l/42028213.SY75.jpg 48896020]. Still a lot of vague stuff. The Shades were stuck in the Cognitive Realm as I thought (Cognitive Shadows). No Hoid in this but it was still enjoyable in a scary way.Give me a full novel set on Threnody!Read this as part of [b:Arcanum Unbounded 34226341 Arcanum Unbounded Brandon Sanderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532120976l/34226341.SY75.jpg 48765829].
Audio read by: Kate Reading
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1st Read: Physical / Arcanum Unbounded (2019)Re-read: Audio (2022)
A fantasy spin on some western-themed tropes, Sanderson spins a fantastic tale about a bounty hunter named the White Fox. Too many spoilers to give a thorough review, but certainly worth reading.
I will say, my biggest disappointment with this story was the familial references to traditional concepts and colloquialisms that are difficult for me to see used in a world that is obviously not earth. Sanderson does this a lot in his Cosmere books and I cannot hope but wonder if this is intentional or just Sanderson's way of making connections for modern day readers.
This short story is quite different front Brandon Sanderson's usual fair I found. Much darker and more obscure in it's telling. Personally I think it is my least favourite of his novellas. Having said that, I can't deny that once again his unique world-building is second to none. In 50 pages he can create something that takes most other authors 100's of pages to do. The suspense was definitely a highlight, even though I felt the characters weren't quite as well formed as in his other stories. Overall I still enjoy anything Brandon writes, even when it rates lower on my scale of his writing, it still ranks high among most of my reading overall.
This short story by Sanderson describes a night in the life of an unexpected bounty hunter. As you would expect given the author, the unusual parts of the world are given the attention you would expect in a full novel. Ghosts that attack at the sight of blood could have been a cliche topic, but in this case it was flushed out enough with the economy, protection and past events to keep things interesting.
This short story by Sanderson describes a night in the life of an unexpected bounty hunter. As you would expect given the author, the unusual parts of the world are given the attention you would expect in a full novel. Ghosts that attack at the sight of blood could have been a cliche topic, but in this case it was flushed out enough with the economy, protection and past events to keep things interesting.
While his name is almost synonymous with Magic Systems in Fantasy, Brandon shows through this short story that there is much more in his writing that makes him so popular. Here he weaves a nice story about three generations of women all strong in their own ways. Magic system lovers need not worry because the elements are there too. A nice and heartening read. Recommended reading.
This came from a GRRM collection ([b:Dangerous Women 3 21531493 Dangerous Women 3 George R.R. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407773333s/21531493.jpg 43000942]) and it feels like it (I'm currently (still!) reading [b:Rogues 20168816 Rogues George R.R. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404616147s/20168816.jpg 27565413], Shadows has a similar vibe to the stories included in Rogues). Not enough of a story to hinge a whole novella on, but certainly enough to spend 50 pages one afternoon.