White Sand (graphic novel)

White Sand
Cover of White Sand Volume I
Publication information
PublisherDynamite Entertainment
Genre
Publication dateJune 2016 – September 2019
No. of issues3
Creative team
Created byBrandon Sanderson
Rik Hoskin
Written byBrandon Sanderson
Rik Hoskin
Artist(s)Julius Gopez
Cassandra James
Fritz Casas
Letterer(s)Marshall Dillon
Colorist(s)Sophie Campbell
Editor(s)Rich Young

White Sand is a fantasy graphic novel series written by American author Brandon Sanderson and Rik Hoskin, with artwork by Julius Gopez initially, and later by Fritz Casas. The first part of the trilogy, White Sand Volume I, was published on June 28, 2016. The second part was published on February 20, 2018. The third and final part was published on September 18, 2019.[1]

Plot

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The graphic novels are part of Sanderson's Cosmere arc of inter-connected novels.[2]

The series is set on a desert world, Taldain, where a young Daysider man named Kenton trains to become a Sand Master, harnessing arcane magic to manipulate the planet's sand. Following a surprise attack where many of his brethren are killed, Kenton must take responsibility to keep the order of Sand Masters alive and discover who betrayed them.[2]

In volume 2, Kenton finds himself trying to negotiate politics with the Dayside's rulers while having assassins trying to kill him. He forms a pact with Khriss, who is from the night side of the planet and she is drawn to sand mastery.

In volume 3, Kenton is overwhelmed trying to keep the Sand Masters together. Kenton discovers the truth behind the ambush that killed his father and most of the Sand Masters.

Development history

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White Sand originated in a series of unpublished manuscripts produced by Sanderson in the years before his debut publication Elantris in 2005. Sanderson wrote White Sand Prime over two years and completed it in 1998, then his first ever novel. This was followed by a sequel manuscript Lord Mastrell in 1999, and a complete rewrite of the text simply as White Sand in 2001. Sanderson described the rewritten version as "much better" in 2008.[3][4] While the manuscripts have not been fully released, an excerpt was published in the 2016 collection Arcanum Unbounded.[5]

The first volume in the series was published in June 2016 and reached number two on the graphic novel New York Times Best Seller List.[2][6] In the 2018 Dragon Awards, volume one won for best graphic novel.[7]

# Title Pages Release Date Hardback ISBN
1 White Sand I 160 28 June 2016 ISBN 978-1606908853
2 White Sand II 160 20 February 2018 ISBN 978-1524103422
3 White Sand III 160 18 September 2019 ISBN 978-1524110062

References

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  1. ^ "White Sand, Volume 3". Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Brandon Sanderson's White Sand Lands #2 On The NY Times GN Bestseller List". Bleeding Cool News. Bleeding Cool. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  3. ^ "TWG Posts". January 2002.
  4. ^ "Hero of Ages Q&A - Time Waster's Guide". 15 October 2008.
  5. ^ "Arcanum Unbounded Reveals What Brandon Sanderson's White Sand Looked Like Before it Became a Graphic Novel". 15 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Brandon Sanderson's White Sand graphic novel goes to second printing". Comics Beat. The Beat. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  7. ^ DONNA DICKENS (7 September 2018). "The Best in Sci-Fi Books This Week (9/7/18)". Geek.com. Among the science-fiction wins were Andy Weir's Artemis for Best Science Fiction Novel and Brandon Sanderson's White Sand Volume 1 for Best Graphic Novel.