Description
On the planet of Taldain, the legendary Sand Masters harness arcane powers to manipulate sand in spectacular ways. But when they are slaughtered in a sinister conspiracy, the weakest of their number, Kenton, believes himself to be the only survivor. With enemies closing in on all sides, Kenton forges an unlikely partnership with Khriss--a mysterious Darksider who hides secrets of her own.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016
Physical description
28 cm
Publication
Mount Laurel : Dynamite Entertainment, 2016.
ISBN
9781606908853
Similar in this library
Awards
Association for Mormon Letters Award (Finalist — Comics — 2016)
Dragon Award (Winner — Graphic Novel — 2018)
User reviews
LibraryThing member rivkat
Graphic novel. OK, so there’s a planet with one side permanently in sun and the other permanently in dark. The Sand Mages live in the sun and they are all pasty white and blond, even the one who’s despised because his mother was a Darksider. Darksiders are dark-skinned even though they live
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permanently in darkness; they also have pistols, putting them technologically ahead of the Sunsiders, who have only arrows. The Sand Mages, though, can perform magic with sand (thus the name), except when they are all killed by religious fanatics (also from Sunside) the only survivor is the despised, not-very-good young man, who fortunately is good with a sword. There’s some other politics too, and clever uses of sand powers as is Sanderson’s specialty. But I didn’t feel it. Show Less
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
When it comes to world building and magic systems, Brandon Sanderson is a master so it was only a matter of time that one of his stories would be made into a graphic novel or, in this case, a series of three graphic novels. White Sand Vol. 1 is based on The Cosmere, an early and unpublished novel
Since this is the first in a series, it is very much an introduction to the world, the magic, and the characters. Still, there’s plenty going on here to keep the reader’s attention both in the story and in the amazing artwork by Rik Hoskin and Julius Gopez. I have seen reviewers mention the grainy somewhat unfinished feel to the graphics but I thought this worked well for a story set in a world composed mainly of sand. The novel is being released by Dynamite Entertainment and should appeal to fans of Sanderson or graphic novels or, well, pretty much anyone who enjoys a good epic fantasy.
With thanks to Netgalley and Dynamite Entertainment for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
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by Sanderson. It is set on Taldain, a planet split into two sides: one light or Dayside and one dark, the Darkside. The Darkside is more technologically advanced but the Dayside has sand masters who can manipulate sand through magic. The story follows Kenton, the son of the Lord Mastrell, leader of the sand masters. Kenton has almost no ability to control sand and, despite years of trying, he remains a trainee which makes him an embarrassment to his father. Still, he is determined to prove that he can be a master so, at the next gathering to test trainees and despite his father’s objections, he insists on taking the test for Mastrell, the highest rank. He succeeds but, during the advancement ceremony, the group is attacked by Kertzians, another race of Daysiders who despise the Sand Masters. Without any magic of their own, the Kertzians should be easily defeated but, somehow, they are able to prevent the Sand masters from using their own magic. Kenton manages to survive the slaughter and, convinced he is the only one left, sets out to discover who is behind this treachery. Since this is the first in a series, it is very much an introduction to the world, the magic, and the characters. Still, there’s plenty going on here to keep the reader’s attention both in the story and in the amazing artwork by Rik Hoskin and Julius Gopez. I have seen reviewers mention the grainy somewhat unfinished feel to the graphics but I thought this worked well for a story set in a world composed mainly of sand. The novel is being released by Dynamite Entertainment and should appeal to fans of Sanderson or graphic novels or, well, pretty much anyone who enjoys a good epic fantasy.
With thanks to Netgalley and Dynamite Entertainment for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member miketopper
this one was weird. didn't like it very much at all.
LibraryThing member MrsLee
I am probably not the right audience for this work. Purchased it because I have loved Sanderson's writing and thought this might be fun. However, there isn't much scope for his writing in a graphic novel form. It was interesting, but for my taste did not explore the world enough. It seemed very
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superficial. Your mileage may vary. Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
This is a graphic novel based on an unpublished Cosmere novel. The first chapter of this was included in the anthology Arcanum Unbounded, along with an extract from the not-going-to-be-published prose novel. Graphic novels are not my preferred format, but after reading what was in the anthology, I
The graphic novel does an excellent job of establishing Kenton’s world - his personality and abilities, his relationship with his father, the community he belongs to and the magic system.
However, I found the other POV characters, who come from different communities, almost frustratingly enigmatic. I’m sure they’d still be enigmatic in a prose novel, that they are intentionally less open than Kenton, but I suspect prose would make it possible to convey more information about them than the images do here. I wanted more information.
Still, this is only the first act of a story. I'll see what volume two brings.
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felt that the format was the right way to tell this story.The graphic novel does an excellent job of establishing Kenton’s world - his personality and abilities, his relationship with his father, the community he belongs to and the magic system.
However, I found the other POV characters, who come from different communities, almost frustratingly enigmatic. I’m sure they’d still be enigmatic in a prose novel, that they are intentionally less open than Kenton, but I suspect prose would make it possible to convey more information about them than the images do here. I wanted more information.
Still, this is only the first act of a story. I'll see what volume two brings.
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LibraryThing member dbhart42
So, like many graphic novels, it was not long enough ;-) I look forward to the second book that is supposed to come out soon. It has a very interesting premise, but this volume is really just the set up.
LibraryThing member kinwolf
Sadly, this is the typical comic book adaptation of what should have been a full length novel. In such adaptation, it's always the same pattern; The first issue seems to takes it's time and it almost read like a novel and you get hooked, thinking "YES, finally a true graphic NOVEL" But by the
A let down. Sad, becasue the writing is great and so is the art, but I can't get past the huge holes and jumps in the story everywhere.
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second issue, shortcuts are taken, huge scenes left out(mostly notable because the story now has huge gaps in it and is leaving you wondering if you aren't missing any pages.)A let down. Sad, becasue the writing is great and so is the art, but I can't get past the huge holes and jumps in the story everywhere.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the first book in Sanderson’s White Sand graphic novel series. There are three volumes of this series available right now. I enjoyed this book. This is a neat fantasy world and a good story. Everything was put together in a way that was easy to follow and not confusing, despite the
Some of the pages were very text dense which did distract from the illustrations and the story does jump around between quite a lot of characters. While it wasn’t confusing, it was a bit distracting and messed up the linearity of the story.
There is some violence in here but I think it (at least this volume) would be fine for middle grade readers to read. My 12 year old son read it and really enjoyed all the sand magic.
Overall I enjoyed this and plan on continuing the series. This is a fun epic fantasy read that middle grade and older readers will enjoy (it’s rated teen). There is amazing world-building and a lot of action and magic. My only complaint is how much the story jumps around between different characters and locations.
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different storylines. The artwork is decent as well.Some of the pages were very text dense which did distract from the illustrations and the story does jump around between quite a lot of characters. While it wasn’t confusing, it was a bit distracting and messed up the linearity of the story.
There is some violence in here but I think it (at least this volume) would be fine for middle grade readers to read. My 12 year old son read it and really enjoyed all the sand magic.
Overall I enjoyed this and plan on continuing the series. This is a fun epic fantasy read that middle grade and older readers will enjoy (it’s rated teen). There is amazing world-building and a lot of action and magic. My only complaint is how much the story jumps around between different characters and locations.
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LibraryThing member librisissimo
The story was interesting, and the magic unusual, but the graphic novel style was very hard for me to follow.
The characters were all dressed essentially alike, with only minor differences in style and trimmings, and their faces were very similar, and none of the relationships were very clear at the
The characters were all dressed essentially alike, with only minor differences in style and trimmings, and their faces were very similar, and none of the relationships were very clear at the
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beginning, nor were they clarified much further on. Show Less
LibraryThing member mattries37315
The desert planet of Taldain is locked between two suns so that that with one side is constantly in light and the other in constant darkness with powerful magic apparently only occurring amongst the sands on the dayside. The first volume of Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand graphic novel trilogy is
Kenton, a weak but skilled sand master, tries to earn a higher-ranking position in the guild of sand masters by running the Mastrell's Path, despite the disapproval of his father, the Lord Mastrell. The day after Kenton proves himself on the Path, the sand masters gather for a ceremony where new rank advancements will be granted. One man, Drile, is demoted for having attempted to sell out himself and others as mercenaries. Just as Kenton is grudgingly granted the highest rank, his father is shot with an arrow, and an army of Kerztian warriors attacks. The sand masters, being surprised and unprepared, are soundly defeated. Just before his death, the Lord Mastrell unleashes a wave of power that leaves Kenton buried beneath the sand. After waking, Kenton is joined by Khrissalla, Baon, and two Darkside professors who are lost. They are searching for information about Khriss' late fiancé and the "sand mages" he sought. On the way to the nearest city, they are attacked by a small group of Kerztian warriors. Kenton's sand mastery suddenly proves to be inaccessible, but Baon drives the warriors away with his gun. Upon arriving in Kezare, Kenton's powers return with greater strength than ever, and he stands before the Taishin, who plan to disband the Diem of sand masters. He is granted the position of acting Lord Mastrell and is given two weeks to convince the Taishin otherwise. Kenton returns to the Diem and drives away the rebellious Drile, who Kenton believes was responsible for betraying the sand masters to the Kerztians. Elsewhere, Trackt Ais works to catch a crime lord, Sharezan, amid threats to her family. The Lady Judge meets with Ais and asks her to spy on Kenton. Meanwhile, Khriss inadvertently locates Loaten, an infamous Darksider, in her search for information. He offers little direct help but sets her on a path to meet with the leaders in the city. Ignorant of the role of the sand masters, and of Kenton's new station, she arrives at the Diem just as Drile returns to do battle with Kenton.
The story has all the hallmarks of Sanderson book with excellent execution of character introduction and conflict amongst the important members of the cast. The art of Julius Gopez and coloring of Ross A. Campbell bring this unique world and environment alive very well. However, while the elements that makes Sanderson, well Sanderson, are there the book also doesn’t feel like Sanderson. I do not want to blame scriptwriter Rik Hoskin for this, the change of format to graphic novel from the usual book could be the main factor and Hoskin could very well be the reason this story still reads like a Sanderson story but there is a noticeable difference from other Sanderson works. The other main issue I somewhat have is more biological than story, the color pigmentation of the characters is reversed from what it should be given the planetary environment they are living in unless there was a cosmic shift that changed things.
White Sands Volume I is a wonderful addition to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere and is given a unique place in it with the graphic novel format. The art and color are amazing, yet the change from word medium to visual does have an impact on how Sanderson’s style comes across. Overall a very good beginning with story, characters, and atmosphere.
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an introduction to a new world of the Cosmere and another unique magic system.Kenton, a weak but skilled sand master, tries to earn a higher-ranking position in the guild of sand masters by running the Mastrell's Path, despite the disapproval of his father, the Lord Mastrell. The day after Kenton proves himself on the Path, the sand masters gather for a ceremony where new rank advancements will be granted. One man, Drile, is demoted for having attempted to sell out himself and others as mercenaries. Just as Kenton is grudgingly granted the highest rank, his father is shot with an arrow, and an army of Kerztian warriors attacks. The sand masters, being surprised and unprepared, are soundly defeated. Just before his death, the Lord Mastrell unleashes a wave of power that leaves Kenton buried beneath the sand. After waking, Kenton is joined by Khrissalla, Baon, and two Darkside professors who are lost. They are searching for information about Khriss' late fiancé and the "sand mages" he sought. On the way to the nearest city, they are attacked by a small group of Kerztian warriors. Kenton's sand mastery suddenly proves to be inaccessible, but Baon drives the warriors away with his gun. Upon arriving in Kezare, Kenton's powers return with greater strength than ever, and he stands before the Taishin, who plan to disband the Diem of sand masters. He is granted the position of acting Lord Mastrell and is given two weeks to convince the Taishin otherwise. Kenton returns to the Diem and drives away the rebellious Drile, who Kenton believes was responsible for betraying the sand masters to the Kerztians. Elsewhere, Trackt Ais works to catch a crime lord, Sharezan, amid threats to her family. The Lady Judge meets with Ais and asks her to spy on Kenton. Meanwhile, Khriss inadvertently locates Loaten, an infamous Darksider, in her search for information. He offers little direct help but sets her on a path to meet with the leaders in the city. Ignorant of the role of the sand masters, and of Kenton's new station, she arrives at the Diem just as Drile returns to do battle with Kenton.
The story has all the hallmarks of Sanderson book with excellent execution of character introduction and conflict amongst the important members of the cast. The art of Julius Gopez and coloring of Ross A. Campbell bring this unique world and environment alive very well. However, while the elements that makes Sanderson, well Sanderson, are there the book also doesn’t feel like Sanderson. I do not want to blame scriptwriter Rik Hoskin for this, the change of format to graphic novel from the usual book could be the main factor and Hoskin could very well be the reason this story still reads like a Sanderson story but there is a noticeable difference from other Sanderson works. The other main issue I somewhat have is more biological than story, the color pigmentation of the characters is reversed from what it should be given the planetary environment they are living in unless there was a cosmic shift that changed things.
White Sands Volume I is a wonderful addition to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere and is given a unique place in it with the graphic novel format. The art and color are amazing, yet the change from word medium to visual does have an impact on how Sanderson’s style comes across. Overall a very good beginning with story, characters, and atmosphere.
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LibraryThing member elam11
That is a solid "it's okay" 2 stars.
A couple thoughts:
- if Naruto and Gaara had a baby that was plopped onto Taldain...
- if you have to include arrows to direct readers through the panels in the correct order, you may not have a good layout.
- seems like the skintones should be reversed for the
- Sanderson's strengths do not translate well to graphic novel -- or at least, aren't translated well here. His novels are full of interior thoughts and motivations (that also show off the world-building), and you just don't get that as much here. (Which is funny, because usually it seems to work out that a visual medium adds to stories by quickly depicting facial expressions or knickknacks that otherwise might be annoying or distracting to read about in depth.)
Edit to add: I read the original prose version of this in Arcanum Unbound, and yep, it was much more interesting and full of more character nuance than comes out in the graphic novel. Sigh.
A couple thoughts:
- if Naruto and Gaara had a baby that was plopped onto Taldain...
- if you have to include arrows to direct readers through the panels in the correct order, you may not have a good layout.
- seems like the skintones should be reversed for the
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amount of sun exposure they receive?- Sanderson's strengths do not translate well to graphic novel -- or at least, aren't translated well here. His novels are full of interior thoughts and motivations (that also show off the world-building), and you just don't get that as much here. (Which is funny, because usually it seems to work out that a visual medium adds to stories by quickly depicting facial expressions or knickknacks that otherwise might be annoying or distracting to read about in depth.)
Edit to add: I read the original prose version of this in Arcanum Unbound, and yep, it was much more interesting and full of more character nuance than comes out in the graphic novel. Sigh.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
A novel rendition of his graphic novels, I'm not sure which came first, it was on his website for a while, but no longer appears to be there. Which is a shame because it's one of his better ones, on par with what warbreaker should have been. Even after all the words Brandon's written I still think
IN White Sands, the magic is Sand Mastery - the ability to command a pool of sand obey your will. It forms a ribbon from the floor, which is useful constraining limit, and after that it's in the will and power of the beholder. The setting is a tidally locked planet (in and of itself quite reasonable, but sadly Brandon plays fast and loose with the physics of such worlds). In the Bright side, everything is hot (but bearable) and baked dry, with plants etc existing under the ubiquitous sand. The Darkside is something else, and we only learn a little about this as our heroine flees from political oppression there, and contrasts the Bright to the Dark she knows. She is of course a Princess, but her kingdom is ruled by an Emperor. Her betrothed fled to investigate whether the rumours of Sand Magic were real, and whether they could help them wrest independence. When he didn't return, somewhat uncharacteristically Khriss leads an expedition of her own to find him. Kenton is our over-looked underdog Sand Mage struggling with only being able to call 1 ribbon of sand, but achieving much with it that others' cannot. He's grown up wishing for his father's respect but without more ribbons this seemed a remote dream. And then the sand mages are all attacked by religious fanatics leaving Kenton and few others alive. Khris meets him staggering in the desert, and together they investigate the various strands of political factions swirling around them both. It ends with a very obvious hook for a sequel being based in the Darkside and probably called Black Sands or similar, but as far as I know it's never been written.
I enjoyed this quite a lot. The length and pacing are good, the sad orphan mage trope doesn't get played, and all the characters have pretty good motivations for their actions in the end, although it's not always apparent on the surface. Unlike many of Brandon's women, Khriss has agency, independence, intelligence and other than once or twice doesn't just wilt into letting men do things for her.
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his real talent lies in his inventive magical systems, and much of the rest of his worldbuilding and characterisation exists only to support these amazing constructs. IN White Sands, the magic is Sand Mastery - the ability to command a pool of sand obey your will. It forms a ribbon from the floor, which is useful constraining limit, and after that it's in the will and power of the beholder. The setting is a tidally locked planet (in and of itself quite reasonable, but sadly Brandon plays fast and loose with the physics of such worlds). In the Bright side, everything is hot (but bearable) and baked dry, with plants etc existing under the ubiquitous sand. The Darkside is something else, and we only learn a little about this as our heroine flees from political oppression there, and contrasts the Bright to the Dark she knows. She is of course a Princess, but her kingdom is ruled by an Emperor. Her betrothed fled to investigate whether the rumours of Sand Magic were real, and whether they could help them wrest independence. When he didn't return, somewhat uncharacteristically Khriss leads an expedition of her own to find him. Kenton is our over-looked underdog Sand Mage struggling with only being able to call 1 ribbon of sand, but achieving much with it that others' cannot. He's grown up wishing for his father's respect but without more ribbons this seemed a remote dream. And then the sand mages are all attacked by religious fanatics leaving Kenton and few others alive. Khris meets him staggering in the desert, and together they investigate the various strands of political factions swirling around them both. It ends with a very obvious hook for a sequel being based in the Darkside and probably called Black Sands or similar, but as far as I know it's never been written.
I enjoyed this quite a lot. The length and pacing are good, the sad orphan mage trope doesn't get played, and all the characters have pretty good motivations for their actions in the end, although it's not always apparent on the surface. Unlike many of Brandon's women, Khriss has agency, independence, intelligence and other than once or twice doesn't just wilt into letting men do things for her.
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LibraryThing member nosborm
Too short.
LibraryThing member davisfamily
First in a series, curious to see the direction it goes from here. I love the desert setting
LibraryThing member wanderlustlover
Spring 2020 (March);
~ My Sisyphean Sanderson Challenge
I finally waded my way into Sanderson graphic novels, part 2! This is going to be another write-up across to volumes (yes, only two so far, as I'm still needing to read number #3 sadly, alas!). I love, love, love this absolutely different
I am quite excited to get on to volume 3.
~ My Sisyphean Sanderson Challenge
I finally waded my way into Sanderson graphic novels, part 2! This is going to be another write-up across to volumes (yes, only two so far, as I'm still needing to read number #3 sadly, alas!). I love, love, love this absolutely different
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system of magic, and the family/friend dynamics being played out everywhere. I love how Sanderson manages to pull in such disparate people(/s) and then slowly work them together, in highly believable way, with many slips and pitfalls along the way.I am quite excited to get on to volume 3.
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LibraryThing member KJC__
White Sand I is the first of three graphic novels following a skilled but untalented sand master (sand masters can manipulate sand) and what he does after his fellow masters are slaughtered and his home in peril.
Its pace is too fast, I got lost at times and thought the book was missing pages. I
I do appreciate the art, however.
Its pace is too fast, I got lost at times and thought the book was missing pages. I
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disagree with the author's claim that the magic system is suited to graphic novel format, I thought it would've done just as well if not better as written text. I couldn't tell the sand masters apart, they seem to have four configurations: blue eyes, bold; green eyes, bold; blue eyes, yellow hair; green eyes, yellow hair.I do appreciate the art, however.
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LibraryThing member lexilewords
In some ways I think this may be one of my favorite of Sanderson's works - in a lot of ways I identified with Kenton (constantly seeking approval despite the array of odds against him, the frustrating knowledge that no matter what you do you'll be judged for what you can't do) and for the first
So of course when the meat of the story - the attack on the Sand Masters and Kenton meeting Khriss - I was a little let down. Also GDI another instance where our clever, but socially considered useless hero breaks with tradition and in return he's left orphaned and alone by the narrative. This is why people don't try to break the rules you know
The story suffered for two reasons - 1) if you're a fan of Sanderson's works you're used to a more detailed introduction to the world and its particular blend of magic and political atmosphere. Words on a page with more words and sometimes illustrations, but that's it. For a reader like me, who focuses on words not visuals, this is wonderful. WHITE SAND however relied on comprehension of the words while busy visuals were crowding around also trying to make their point.
While the "big" illustrations herein were eye-catching, the average panel distracted more then it helped to convey the story. Much of understanding what's happening involved reading the panels, then going back and looking at the illustrations for each. There was a disconnect for me between the two that made it hard for me to comprehend both at once. My problem wasn't with the illustrations themselves - like I said some were eye-catching and the overall style is pleasing - but with the layout of the action and paneling. I'm so far outside the world of comics I'm not sure if the illustrator has done superhero comics before, but it didn't have the easy transitioning between panels you'd expect from a more veteran illustrator.
The second problem is more of a "what if" sort. Sanderson has an introduction that details where this idea came from, how he's tweaked it and what made him finally bring it out again but in a different (read: non-prose) format. This is part of his larger "Cosmere" universe (I believe this is set at the earliest point in the timeline), so fans will see hints that tie it in (as this is the first volume of three its largely speculated the next two volumes will contain more clues, hints and information), but not so much that non-fans will be like "what is even?". Moreso the issue is that this was adapted from a novel - one that has not been published and I don't believe there are plans to publish it as such in the near future.
It both reads like a Sanderson novel and doesn't. The meat of his novels isn't the dialogue between characters (which is almost always fun), but the world building. A lot of this is shown in context, though some is, by necessity, explained (for instance in WARBREAKER, biochromatic breath is explained to us several different times because its a very visual magic system, whereas in the Mistborn books its shown to us through the characters' actions and reactions). The Sand Masters' (and other spoilery characters) magic may have had more of an effect on me if it had been explained without the visuals to me.
If this has been published as a novel first, I would have gotten more out of it. The pacing feels off - not enough time is given to Kenton and his fellow before/during/after the Master's test (it was over and done before I could blink!) so it lost some emotional resonance with me. I liked Khriss quite a bit, but she just...appeared in the story after the too short introduction to Kenton's people.
tdlr; - I enjoyed this, I'm happy Sanderson is branching into (yet another) type of media to conquer, but I wish more thought had been put into the pacing and overly busy illustrations.
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part (when he's undergoing the Master's test) I was rooting for him the whole way.So of course when the meat of the story - the attack on the Sand Masters and Kenton meeting Khriss - I was a little let down.
The story suffered for two reasons - 1) if you're a fan of Sanderson's works you're used to a more detailed introduction to the world and its particular blend of magic and political atmosphere. Words on a page with more words and sometimes illustrations, but that's it. For a reader like me, who focuses on words not visuals, this is wonderful. WHITE SAND however relied on comprehension of the words while busy visuals were crowding around also trying to make their point.
While the "big" illustrations herein were eye-catching, the average panel distracted more then it helped to convey the story. Much of understanding what's happening involved reading the panels, then going back and looking at the illustrations for each. There was a disconnect for me between the two that made it hard for me to comprehend both at once. My problem wasn't with the illustrations themselves - like I said some were eye-catching and the overall style is pleasing - but with the layout of the action and paneling. I'm so far outside the world of comics I'm not sure if the illustrator has done superhero comics before, but it didn't have the easy transitioning between panels you'd expect from a more veteran illustrator.
The second problem is more of a "what if" sort. Sanderson has an introduction that details where this idea came from, how he's tweaked it and what made him finally bring it out again but in a different (read: non-prose) format. This is part of his larger "Cosmere" universe (I believe this is set at the earliest point in the timeline), so fans will see hints that tie it in (as this is the first volume of three its largely speculated the next two volumes will contain more clues, hints and information), but not so much that non-fans will be like "what is even?". Moreso the issue is that this was adapted from a novel - one that has not been published and I don't believe there are plans to publish it as such in the near future.
It both reads like a Sanderson novel and doesn't. The meat of his novels isn't the dialogue between characters (which is almost always fun), but the world building. A lot of this is shown in context, though some is, by necessity, explained (for instance in WARBREAKER, biochromatic breath is explained to us several different times because its a very visual magic system, whereas in the Mistborn books its shown to us through the characters' actions and reactions). The Sand Masters' (and other spoilery characters) magic may have had more of an effect on me if it had been explained without the visuals to me.
If this has been published as a novel first, I would have gotten more out of it. The pacing feels off - not enough time is given to Kenton and his fellow before/during/after the Master's test (it was over and done before I could blink!) so it lost some emotional resonance with me. I liked Khriss quite a bit, but she just...appeared in the story after the too short introduction to Kenton's people.
tdlr; - I enjoyed this, I'm happy Sanderson is branching into (yet another) type of media to conquer, but I wish more thought had been put into the pacing and overly busy illustrations.
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