Discover the intriguing world of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe and gain a thorough grasp of the interrelated storylines, characters, and magical systems in this rich and complicated world.
There there was a great entity named Adonalsium who existed in the world of creation. This deity was regarded as having unequaled strength and the capacity to change reality itself. But disaster struck the world one day when Adonalsium was slain and its enormous vitality split into sixteen shards. Each of these shards contained a portion of the deity’s life force as well as the ability to influence reality.
Who exactly are the gods or shards?
Sixteen warriors set off on a quest to split Adonalsium. After their successful splitting, they claimed the Shards, each infused with a distinct behavior or vision known as an “intent.” These warriors then were transformed by their recently found abilities, becoming one with the Shards and manifesting their Intents.
They rose to godhood, wielding immense power and altering the universe to their desire. However, with immense power came great responsibility, and the fate of the planet lay in the hands of these legendary beings.
After reaching certain levels of consciousness, those Shards began investing their abilities and strength in specific planets or people.
A primer on ‘Cosmere’:
Welcome to the world of Cosmere, a wondrous land formed by the whims of powerful gods called Shards. Consider a universe of various worlds, each with its own distinct landscapes and cultures, all linked by the mysterious Shard forces. The Cosmere is a playground for the imagination, replete with epic adventures, unique characters, and sophisticated world-building, unlike anything you’ve ever seen, from the soaring peaks of Roshar to the ash-covered sky of Scadrial.
So come, let us enter the core of this magnificent fantastical universe created by no other than our favorite author Brandon Sanderson and discover the treasures that lay within.
Because of the mighty Shards’ existence, every planet was endowed with its own biosphere, filled with unique animals and scenery. But it’s not simply the landscapes that distinguish each planet; the people who live on them are just as different. Each planet is filled with individuals with their own distinct personalities and motives, and each of these series takes place on a distant planet in the Cosmere; therefore, the settings and emotions are distinctive, bringing depth and richness to the stories that unfold within the Cosmere.
Many of Brandon’s series or novels set in Cosmere include Elantris, Mistborn, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Archive, White Sand, and the whole Arcanum Unbounded falls under this universe itself. In addition to these, Sanderson has also authored novellas that highlight other underlying patterns in the Cosmere in order to provide a more accurate overview of what’s going on.
Magic Systems:
Shards, as we all know, are designated after a certain ‘intent’, and the worlds to which they were bestowed were wholly dependant on that unique conduct or vision.
As an example:
- In the realm of Warbreaker, people utilize the breath to heighten color and bring goods to life, and the sphere is bursting with life and color, whereas Skaa, the planet of Mistborn, does have a hostile condition. The night mist is dreadful; there is ash streaming from the sky, a lord ruler, and the magic on this planet is based on metal, making it a hostile habitat.
- Then there’s Roshar, the enthralling world where the Stromlight Archive took place; there, storms have taken control of the land, and everything on the globe has altered as a consequence. Plants sink to the earth, grass retracts when confronted, the fauna has hard shells like crabs, and Stormlight itself creates magic.
In terms of intricacy and law, each of these worlds may stand on its own, and consider all the incredible possibilities for all the stories you might portray. But, the best thing is that it does not end there; they’re all connected in some way, and that’s when the term “COSMERE CONNECTIONS” comes into play.
In the Stormlight Archive ‘Rhythm of war’, these linkages have hit a whole new level. There are also subtle connections across the Cosmere; many people on different worlds have a similar concept of how the Cosmere began, and most magic, while apparently divergent on the surface, has some inherent uniformity.
Characters and linkages:
So, you’ve heard of ‘WORLDHOPPERS’, right? This will blow your mind and drive you crazy to the next level when you confront these individuals. They are the ones who have repeatedly uncovered how to travel between worlds in the Cosmere.
Previously, it was just occurring with some very peripheral characters, but now it has escalated to the point where some prominent characters are really traveling to the realms of the other series and influencing the narrative there as well.
MAPS:
- Many of Sanderson’s books have maps, and many of the maps for the planets and places inside these worlds are labeled, and the individuals that document them are constant throughout all of his works.
- You’ll note that these individuals are mapping all of the planets in Cosmere across all of your different series, which adds a whole new level of the plot to the mix.
EPIGRAPHS:
- This is another link you may notice; it appears in several of his writings.
- Sometimes characters from various worlds send letters to other characters, which you might miss on your first read-through, but if you’ve read more of Sanderson’s Cosmere, it’s just so damn thrilling to see all of this interactivity in all of his different and excellent novels.
HOID:
- He is a character that appears in nearly every Cosmere narrative.
- This individual has a long, extensive background that will conclude at the end of the Cosmere, and he has been popping into each of the main storylines and having a modest influence here and there entirely for his own benefit.
- No one really knows exactly what it is at the moment.
World development:
Many of his series are regarded as fantasy classics by both fans and experts.
Technology has certainly evolved throughout the years that these stories have been retold, ushering in a new era in the Cosmere.
In Mistborn, for example, the first era had mystical, medieval feelings, while the second era had more industrialization vibes, all of which ended in a futuristic, space-age Cosmere, where the Cosmere will wind up.
In a live broadcast, Sanderson read out a chapter of the book that is set in the future, and you see space-age technology with these people from all the different racial backgrounds that you recognize and adore.
It’s simply so exhilarating to know that we have so many novels in the works, ranging from fantasy to sci-fi, with a consistent magic system, concepts, and growing technology, not to mention the incredible storylines, amazing characters, and epic events that I could continue to talk about.
