This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
In a world of gardens, meditation, and spirits, Yumi has dedicated her entire life to strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society. But she longs for even a single day as a normal person without the rituals and the pressure to perform.
Meanwhile, in a world of endless night where nightmares come to life, Painter patrols the streets on the lookout for monsters, dreaming of being a hero. It’s a dream that has forced him into exile among his peers and co-workers.
In their own ways, both of Yumi and Painter face the world alone … until the day they’re flung into each other’s bodies.Â
Suddenly, Yumi and Painter are thrust into a journey to right the wrongs in their lives—all while maintaining the precarious facade of each other’s identity. If they cannot unravel the mystery of what brought them together before it’s too late, they risk not only losing the bond growing between them but also the very worlds they’ve always struggled to protect.
Brandon Sanderson isn’t known for writing romance, so when he said Yumi and the Nightmare Painter was a love story, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe it was my low expectations going into it, but I actually LOVED IT.
Alongside its humorous narration and fairy tale style, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter weaves a big message—one that makes it the right story for the right time. The topic? Generated art and the art of creation. Instead of screaming more opinions into the void, Sanderson artfully reveals why this topic is important to the story and the characters and isn’t just a message to be forced on readers.
Yumi and Painter come from completely different worlds and lifestyles, contrasted in the fantastical otherworldly way that Sanderson is renowned for. In one city lies a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. In the other is a land of light, gardens, meditation, and spirits. Despite this, both Yumi and Painter share similar struggles. I identified with them for their loneliness, creative burnout, questions of identity and human value, imposter’s syndrome, and the struggle to balance freedom with strict tradition.Â
In short, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is definitely not a traditional love story. It features a slow-burn romance and is a love letter to the art of storytelling, creation, and the connections we make because of our art. It’s accompanied by Aliya Chen’s beautiful artwork, and I love how much the illustrations add to the story. Â
Rated: Mild. There are three uses of mild language. Violence includes some blood and injury. Sexual content include a few awkward non-descriptive moments of body awareness between a body-swapped couple. Characters kiss.
Click here to purchase your copy of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter on Amazon.
