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Sixth Of The Dusk (2000)

by Brandon Sanderson(Favorite Author)

4.16 of 5 Votes: 5

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review 1: "Sixth of the Dusk" is an interesting story that gives a good sample of Sanderson's writing style and world building skills. Clocking in at under 100 pages, this story is still able to introduce an entirely new world within the Cosmere and give the reader a glimpse into yet another new magic system. I don't know how the guy keeps doing it, but I'm glad he does.Dusk is a very stoic and capable trapper on an island that is always trying to kill its inhabitants. His world is shaken when he meets another person on the island who is not a trapper. This person's presence may have dire implications for not only Dusk's life, but for his world as a whole. That's all I will say as far as plotting because there are many other reviews that have given far better details as to the who, ... morewhat, where, and why, but I would like to focus on the character of Dusk and how Sanderson writes him. Sanderson loves to write internal monologues for his characters and I believe that he himself said that if he had his way, he would just have his characters all sitting in a room and thinking about things. This story doesn't really contain any dialogue until a fourth of the way through, this lack of dialogue gives the reader time to become immersed in the world and get to know Dusk. He is different from most of Sanderson's main characters in that he hates speaking. I often find that in Sanderson's other books, the characters have a tendency to speak too much or be too witty. It's a welcome change that Dusk cannot wield his words as well as he can his machete. Sanderson's books are always marked by having a very steep learning curve, but due to the length of this one, the curve is proportionally less so. He reveals the world and the magic in a very clever way by having an outsider come in and through their conversations, Dusk explains Aviar and Patji to her. Sanderson has done similar things before in his other books, but they have mostly been between student and teacher. He is definitely a master of world-building and it is always enjoyable to read his works to discover the rules and workings of his worlds.As I said before, this story is a great introduction into how Sanderson writes. It has everything that we have come to expect from him: great world-building, unique magic, and compelling characters. I definitely recommend this one or "The Emperor's Soul" if you want to explore his works, but don't want to commit to his larger (and sometimes massive) other works. A good, quick read that left me intrigued and interested in this world and its characters. There's only one question that remains though. Where was Hoid hiding this time?
review 2: Sanderson always delivers, regardless of the length of his work, and Sixth of the Dusk is no exception. Set in the same universe as Mistborn and the Stormlight Archive, Dusk introduces us to the Ones Above, a race of space travellers who visit the various worlds of Sanderson's universe. We also discover how their subtle machinations can be used to trap younger races into maturing too early and becoming swallowed by them. The Ones Above are in the background for most of this novella, however; as much a main character as Dusk is the island of Patji, a god-island where the unique birds of his planet gain the ability to mask thoughts or, in one special case, to predict danger to their owners. The flora and fauna are as fascinating as the space drama that nibbles at the edges of the story. A magnificent tale which I would like to see much more of; I hope he visits this planet again, in a longer series. less

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