Fiction Reviews
Isles of the Emberdark
(2026) Brandon Sanderson, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, 399pp, ISBN 978-1-399-63453-3
You might be forgiven for looking at the very colourful cover of Isles of the Emberdark and think, perhaps that Brandon Sanderson has strayed into pirate-writing territory. Well, there is a man on the cover, brandishing a big bird – though on his arm and not his shoulder, and there is the word 'Isles' in the title. Could it be? Surely not, but never fear me hearties while there may be skullduggery within the covers, it is not of the pirate variety. And speaking of covers, this novel does have a striking double-cover illustration by BECOMS which has an olde science fiction pulp magazine feel to it. There are also great little illustrations throughout gracing each chapter by Esther Hi’ilani which are clearly illustrations, or figures, from a textbook, but could almost pass as weird playing cards, or even deadlier tarot cards, and speaking of illustrations we even get a portrait of Sanderson himself.
Sanderson is a prolific writer to say the least, and one of the things that draws me to his books is the speed at which you can read them, witnessed again with Isles of the Emberdark, a novel told in almost 400 pages, over sixty-one chapters and a prologue and epilogue, so just the sort of book a reluctant reader like me, likes!
Recently, Sanderson has been busy with his Secret Projects, and here is another one, but not totally original as he has taken his novella Sixth of the Dusk and run with it, expanding it into this larger novel, so newcomers don’t need to have read the original novella as more or less appears here as flashbacks. Sixth of the Dusk isn’t just a title, he is a character, one that is getting old, and becoming increasingly out of place and being labelled 'yesterday’s man' Yet, he is aware of the threats to his world and way of life by the off-world powers seeking to exploit the magical Aviar birds and the gifts they can bestow for their own purposes. The best of a bad deal might be allying with the 'Ones Above' who promise technological advances which puts a convenient sheen over subjugation and exploitation. This sounds like weighty stuff, and it is. Dusk is heading towards the end of his life, but he can still make a difference, if only he knew which decisions to make and choices to take. His role and trapper skills have been superseded and all around him places are changing, ways of life are being forgotten about, and even some of the animals he grew up with are gone, although, fortunately he still has his own two Aviar birds – Sak and Kokerlii – on his arm, shoulder, flying above him – with useful gifts or powers such as the ability to see danger, or hide thoughts from would-be predators. Fauna are important to this story, as are the flora with all their beauty, and charm, and deadliness, and are brilliantly brought to life by Sanderson’s descriptive powers.
But this novel isn’t all about old trappers and traders, it is also about Illistandrista, more commonly known as Starling. In fact the novel starts with her in the prologue as someone who looks like an eight-year-old girl, but is actually about to turn thirty in dragon years, and is about to turn into a dragon for the first time. Remember that, because we aren’t going to encounter Starling until chapter twenty two in the second part of the book where she has reached the grand old dragon age of fifty, but has been magically trapped in her human form for the last twelve years. Starling is the counterpoint to Dusk’s weary melancholy as she brings a more light-hearted touch to the proceedings due to her outlook and her relationship with the crew of the starship, Dynamic, who are one of those great bunch of misfits that seem to be so prevalent in fantasy, specifically, quest fantasy these days, giving Starling a found-family that Sanderson can breathe life into.
More than a backdrop we are in a future Cosmere where there is conflict on a grand scale and incredibly advanced technologies being used by different worlds who are constantly jockeying for more power and more influence. Having said that, if you aren’t familiar with Sanderson’s Cosmere then you might find all the links and references to it a bit confusing and many of the facets of the Cosmere might go over your head, or require a bit of research. And while there is a huge cosmic backdrop, the story does in the end come down to two individuals, and their own concerns for the future, either on a personal level, or for the future of their people, with some magic birds and a whole lot of weird and wonderful characters and locales thrown into the mix.
For Sanderson fans and fans of his Cosmere, this is totally an essential read, which works on so many levels, and they will love it. For Sanderson newbies, perhaps it might be an idea to tackle the 'Elantris' and 'Mistborn' books to get a grounding in the Cosmere – think of the fun you will have getting here, but this is a recommended read, no matter which route you take to get here.
Ian Hunter
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