Review
Isles of the Emberdark
by Brandon Sanderson
Posted Sat May 30 2026
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a legendary standalone novel that navigates the seas and the stars of a far-future Cosmere. Illustrated by Esther Hi’ilani Candari. All his life, Sixth of the Dusk has been a traditional trapper of Aviar—the supernatural birds his people bond with—on the deadly island of Patji. Then one fateful night he propels his people into a race to modernize before they can be conquered by the Ones Above, invaders from the stars who want to exploit the Aviar. But it’s a race they’re losing, and Dusk fears his people will lose themselves in the effort. When a chance comes to sail into the expanse of the emberdark beyond a mystical portal, Dusk sets off to find his people’s salvation with only a canoe, his birds, and all the grit and canniness of a Patji trapper. Elsewhere in the emberdark is a young dragon chained in human Starling of the starship Dynamic. She and her ragtag crew of exiles are deep in debt and on the brink of losing their freedom. So when she finds an ancient map to a hidden portal between the emberdark and the physical realm, she seizes the chance at a lucrative discovery. These unlikely allies might just be the solution to each other’s crisis. In their search for independence, Dusk and Starling face perilous bargains, poisonous politics, and the destructive echo of a dead god. Sanderson expands his thrilling novella “Sixth of the Dusk” into a mythic novel of legends, lore, and warring galactic superpowers.
What does it mean to protect a world by embracing the technology that erodes its traditions? This is the question driving Isles of the Emberdark, Brandon Sanderson's recent novel in the Cosmere, the universe in which many of his books are set. The story follows the trapper Dusk as he explores the unsea with the help of his magical birds, called Aviar. His mission: to protect his world, First of the Sun, from exploitation by the Ones Above—aliens with technology far beyond what his people possess. It's an introspective adventure fantasy grappling with colonization and the ramifications of progress.
I love Dusk's bluntness and astuteness. Despite originating from a non-spacefaring world, he impresses Dajer and Starling with his insights into the Cosmere and ability to navigate the Cognitive Realm. I liked the friction of Dusk becoming obsolete as Patji, the dangerous island Dusk trained on, modernizes, with him aiding the process because he realizes it is necessary and unstoppable.
Isles of the Emberdark introduces interesting perspectives on technological progress. Dusk is appreciative of new technology like machetes, but also disturbed by researchers' desire to tame Patji. The Ones Above introduce advanced technology and medicine that benefit First of the Sun, but at the cost of making the world dependent on them. It was fascinating hearing why First of the Sun is valuable in the Cosmere. First, the world offers Aviars, and most importantly, there is a rumored perpendicularity in First of the Sun, which would drastically reduce space travel time to destinations near the world.
Although I had minimal Cosmere knowledge before reading the novel, it was still clear what Investiture, Shards, and the Cognitive Realm are and how they connect to the myth of Cakoban and the magic of Aviars. Sanderson gradually guides readers to this knowledge by having them journey alongside Dusk as he slowly uncovers the truth about the Cosmere.
While most of the Cosmere references tie in seamlessly, some Worldhoppers are out of place. The introduction of Starling's crew is disorienting, as each member belongs to a different world and culture, yet most remain plot-irrelevant; only Starling and Chrysalis interact with Dusk. Sanderson appears to have included them to set up future novels, but their introduction sacrifices clarity. The crew's camaraderie, while charming, makes the stakes feel low-risk rather than urgent.
Isles of the Emberdark drew me into the waters of the Cosmere. While I've read almost all of the Cosmere series, I haven't yet read the Stormlight Archives. This book influenced me to start reading A Way of Kings and watch hours of Cosmere lore videos. Isles of the Emberdark is an uplifting story with grand implications for the Cosmere and themes that resonate with our world.