Sometimes it takes your partner shoving a book in your hand he really wants you to read to appreciate an author you previously tried but didn’t get into. That is how I ended up reading Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson. And I’m so glad I did. This was such a wonderful novel to read. A standalone fantasy with a well written, sweet romance that did some unexpected things. It’s not a small novel, at a whopping 474 pages, but I powered through this, constantly wanting to know what would happen next.
“It’s a common mistake to assume that someone is weak because they are accommodating. If you think this, you might be the type who has no idea how much effort—how much strength—it takes to put up with your nonsense.”
BLURB:
There is a world. One of endless night, surrounded by an even deeper darkness. Filled with nightmares come to life, twisted shapes that slink to windows and ease open doors, sliding across floors to look down on helpless faces.
There is another world. A bright world, so bright it burns. Filled with stacked stones that call forth miracles, raised by callused hands that tremble in their work, drained with each stone lifted, settled, lifted again.
Between these worlds two souls connect. Collide. Entwine.
A bridge. A path.
A road to both worlds changing forever.
Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society—but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero—a goal that has led to nothing but heartache and isolation, leaving him always on the outside looking in. In their own ways, both of them face the world alone.
Suddenly flung together, Yumi and Painter must strive to right the wrongs in both their lives, reconciling their past and present while maintaining the precarious balance of each of their worlds. If they cannot unravel the mystery of what brought them together before it’s too late, they risk forever losing not only the bond growing between them, but the very worlds they’ve always struggled to protect.
Spoilers for the ending ahead!!
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REVIEW:
“Each yoki-hijo trained in an ancient and powerful art. A deliberate, wondrous artistry requiring the full synergy of body and mind. Geological reorganization on the microscale, requiring acute understanding of gravitational equilibrium. In other words, they stacked rocks.”
This was my first proper dive into Brandon Sanderson’s writing and this fantasy romance standalone was a refreshing palette cleanser in the genre for me. Easy to read, well paced and engaging, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter was story that was heroic and enchanting.
The first half of the book has a lot of world building, including some elements that are from the Cosmere universe (his other books). Though, having not read them, I was able to follow on from a lot of those points as well. This is definitely one you can read without having read any other Brandon Sanderson novels, which I appreciated. It is also my understanding that this book does not spoil any of his other books as well, thanks to some internet sleuthing. The imagery is beautifully projected in this book, vivid and evocative of the two worlds the characters inhabit.
Yumi and Painter’s lives could not be more different, but their attempts to better understand each others worlds as they swap bodies and must live in each others world is wonderfully handled. Their romance is a sweet one, about connection and understanding of the difficulties they have faced in the past and together. They support one another and help each other. I loved watching their awkwardness with one another transition into love and understanding.
“Despite it all, that’s still my instinct, she thought, listening to Painter eat. I know I’ve been lied to. Yet my training holds. It’s a depressing fact. Abuse is a more effective form of captivity than a cell will ever be.”
“This was art. Something the machine, however capable in the technical details, could never understand. Because art is, and always has been, about what it does to us. To the one shaping it and the one experiencing it.”
There was so many twists, I did not see the ending coming at all, and for that it was so impactful. When Yumi died I swear my heart stopped, I had to try not to cry. She was so strong, for so long, and then she was gone. The entire exchange between her and Painter in those final moments had my heart breaking for them. Thank god for the epilogues and Painter’s incredible painting skills bringing her back to life through his stunning mural portrait of her. I was so glad to hear they got to be together at the end.
This book was stunning to read. A love letter to romance, personal strength, art and hope.
Until next time,
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy Romance
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Are you planning to read the other cosmere books?
Perhaps down the track. My partner owns many of them so I have easy access to the books but I’m such a mood reader I’ll have to wait until that story is one that I’m keen to read.