Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
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Everyone believed the Sturm had died out in the Dark. Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice - catastrophic events known as Drains - leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives.
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He identifies with his job so much he’s called Painter by many. His city of Kilahito is surrounded by a dark shroud, kept at bay by magical hion lines. Hion also powers the city’s technology, which includes buses, electric-esque lighting, and “viewers” reminiscent of TV. The hion lines can only do so much, and nightmares—dark, wispy beings—emerge from the shroud to feed on human dreams. Painter (and the other Painters) track nightmares and paint them into different forms to protect the people.
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They speculate on whether their task is accomplished or whether they must still deal with the machine in some way. Yumi dreads separation from Painter but fears to voice it. They exit, dress, and move on to the shrine, where villagers wait to be painted by Nikaro while Yumi prays.
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They activate a piece of equipment which points toward Yumi, and she flees. Hoid wanderers about the "purpose" of nightmares before getting back to the story. After Painter is fed, Liyun enters and begins to criticize him for collapsing the day before. He begins to push back when Yumi sternly takes control and insists that he do everything she says.
He lives by himself, and tries not to interact with the other Painters. Yumi is a yoki-hijo, a woman with the ability to call and bind spirits to do various tasks for the humans in her country. After Yumi is contacted by one of the spirits, who begs her to help them, she and Nikaro swap bodies when they go to sleep. When Nikaro is in her body, she exists as a disembodied spirit who can see what he really looks like. When Yumi is in Nikaro's body, it changes shape to look like her, while Nikaro exists as a disembodied spirit. They are taught how to do the other person’s job while in their body, and Nikaro gets better at stacking rocks while Yumi makes friends with other Painters.
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He continues, explaining about the attack that is coming and how he knows, and he asks them for help. Izzy is surprised, but Tojin reasons with her that it's the right decision. Akane points out that their group alone won't be enough, and they brainstorm some other painters they could ask for support. Tojin explains how he thought he saw Nikaro during the stable nightmare attack, and it has inspired him to try harder and to forgive.
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She is still unsettled after her prayers, and her thoughts lead her to wonder if she lives on the same planet as Painter, beyond the shroud. She moves on to meditation, and at the end of their time in the shrine has come up with a new plan to aid Painter's stone stacking. As they walk to the place of ritual they see a farmer with a flyer that isn't working properly. The attendants explain that the creations of the spirits from the machine don't work as well. Yumi lets Painter set the first stone, but then sets the spirit of a second stone herself such that Painter can imitate her. They catch the attention of the townspeople, as well as the scholars, who have their detection device directed at Yumi.
She doubts her ability to teach him, but feels it is something she must do because the spirits have told her to. Liyun escorts them to the wagon, and Yumi worries she will do something drastic. From New York Times number-one best-selling author Brandon Sanderson comes a detective thriller in a police beat like no other.
Their staring contest continues until they touch noses and feel the same wave of intense sensations and emotions. Painter leaves the cold spring as they are still yelling insults at one another. Painter stares into the shroud for a time before turning and walking along the street at the perimeter of the city.
They then leave the wagon, and walk past villagers to the cold spring for the ritual bath. Yumi insists she must bathe as well, before disrobing and entering the water. She asks Nikaro not to look, and he closes his eyes as Chaeyung and Hwanji approach, also naked, and lead him into the water. They wash him, not seeming to notice any anatomical anomalies.
One day, Yumi and Painter’s lives become spiritually bound to one another. Painter wakes up as Yumi and must live her life while Yumi herself guides him as a spirit invisible to everyone else. In Painter’s world, Yumi keeps her form and explores the wonders of Kilahito while Painter guides her.
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