Book: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, Brandon Sanderson

The last in this literary intermission is another standalone story, this time set on a planet all of its own. Like The Emperor's Soul, that also makes it more ambitious than the other short stories I've read in the Cosmere. That said it felt less magical than the others, leaning more on traditional fantasy notes.

Even though it shouldn't have been, that lack of technical depth was a little jarring, although the book was otherwise a decent read. If that sounds like a criticism it's not - it's more an failing of mine to place it in what I understand as the being the larger Cosmere. I suspect that's something I'll figure out eventually though.

Book: The Emperor's Soul, Brandon Sanderson

The second of the trio of short stories is a standalone story, albeit one that shares a planet with Elantris. What's peculiar about that is how we're introduced to a new form of magic - although how it relates to what we saw in Elantris remains to be seen.

A bit longer than a short story, Soul takes its time. It uses that pace to spin a greater yarn, fleshing out characters and a world that we might not even have a chance to revisit. That both makes me sad and excites me.

As a stand alone book it more than holds its own, although at this point in my journey its hard to see things without trying to fit them into the larger Cosmere. Whatever the case, I found it to be more than enough to carry itself through from beginning to end.