I just reread Elantris, and while I liked it a lot on my first read (and I still do), it's a bit easier now to stop how much better Sanderson has gotten. I've a friend who really dislikes Elantris and Mistborn, because she thinks they are too artificial. He doesn't do a great job of hiding the...
As a matter of fact, I think that Sanderson has said that none of his series are supposed to depend on the others. That is, he tries to write them in a way that not having read the others shouldn't make it less of an experience. Knowing things about the Cosmere is more like something that makes...