Isles of the Emberdark

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Hero archetypes

Heroine archetypes

Protagonist archetypes

Tropes

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Synopsis

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 form: 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.

Is Isles of the Emberdark appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 13 and up.

This science-fantasy adventure features action-oriented violence including battles and perilous situations, but no explicit content. The story explores themes of colonization and cultural survival with mature political complexity suitable for teen and adult readers.

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