The Sunlit Man

Story and Plot

Rating: 4/5

The Sunlit Man follows the adventures of Nomad as he outruns a mysterious group chasing him down. Jumping from planet to planet in the Cosmere as he desperately outruns his shady foes, Nomad finds himself on a world where the inhabitants themselves are nomads. Eking out a living while constantly on the run from the searing sunlight, the people that Nomad encounters lead a unique but challenging life. Accompanied by JARVIS-like personality of a deceased former friend, Nomad joins a rag-tag group of survivors seeking a better light for themselves, out of the searing sunlight and away from the oppressive reach of the Ember King.

While making use of some familiar tropes, the narrative of The Sunlit Man is entertaining and even refreshing at times. The short-form nature (again, by Brandon Sanderson standards) of the story means that much of the emphasis is on the action and forward progression of the protagonist. It avoids some of the drawn out introspective scenes that dominated much of Wind and Truth, making it a nice digestif after finishing the first half of the Stormlight Archive series.

Worldbuilding

Rating: 4/5

While Sanderson is usually considered one of the masters of worldbuilding, the shortened, one of nature of this novel constrains him quite a bit. In The Sunlit Man, it feels like Sanderson is essentially ‘speedrunning’ the building of a world. While he manages to do this without too much in the way of exposition, he definitely starts ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ when describing the setting.

Narration

Rating: 5/5

Narration is where the Sunlit Man really shines. Read by William DeMerrit, the use of varied voices lends depth to the characters. Additionally, the use of accents adds welcome flavor, and sets the stage for interactions that sound authentic and enjoyable. If you’re someone who listens to audiobooks while going to sleep, DeMerrit’s voice will soothe you as you drift off, without boring you during more wakeful listening.

Value

Rating: 3/5

At a little over 11 hours, The Sunlit Man is far from the worst deal on Audible, though if you’re new, your credits will go much further and be better spent on other works. Usually I target at least 20 hours per credit (those commutes aren’t going to get faster on their own), and 10 hours is the bare minimum, barring other factors. If you’re a Sanderson fan though, or have really found yourself immersed in his Cosmere universe, this title is worth snagging.