Dark One Volume 1

by Brandon Sanderson, Jackson Lanzing, and Collin Kelly

[Quirky Cat]

Honestly, it amazes me just how many projects authors like Brandon Sanderson can juggle at any given time. Dark One Vol. 1 is written by Sanderson, adapted by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and illustrated by Nathan C. Gooden and Kurt Michael Russell. All of which begs for our attention.

We've all had dreams of finding our way into other, more fantastical worlds. Yet that dream became a reality for young Paul. Once, he had visions of a strange world. Then, one day he found himself trapped in that very world.

Worse, he is very much not the person he dreamed himself to be. Where he had pictured himself the hero of that fantastical world, in reality he's the villain that makes the people tremble with fear. This begs the question, can he escape this fate, or this world?

I went into Dark One Vol. 1 with sincerely no idea what to expect. I knew that I've loved Brandon Sanderson's writing in the past, and in general I'm willing to give many series that come out of Diamond a try. But that's about the extent of my expectations.

So I was pleased with what I found inside the pages. Paul's story is a fascinating one, with some seriously major twists and turns. I love that it flips all expectations on its head, and in general really has fun running with that concept.

I do wish that the pacing was just a bit slower in the earlier parts. I feel like I didn't have much time to grow attached to Paul's character before the world got flipped on its head. Maybe that's for the best, considering the path that Paul is now heading down. Hard to say.

The artwork is divine, and Nathan C. Gooden and Kurt Michael Russell did a fantastic job of bringing the story, characters, and world to life. It really made the whole experience a bit more memorable for me.

It's the color palette in particular that is really sticking with me, if I'm being honest. It reads as a cross between a desert and a fantastical world, which actually does seem to be fairly on point. Still, it's not a combination you see every day, and that makes it stand out.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next volume of this story. I have a feeling that Dark One Vol. 2 will get darker before all is said and done, and I will do my best to prepare myself accordingly.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks