When I said
"There is nothing blatantly obvious in Mr. Sanderson's books about them sharing the same universe." I worded it like a fact, when it is really just my opinion.
I have to admit I didn't notice the connection when I read his books. It wasn't until I started to frequent these forums that I learned about the Cosmere. I also didn't read the books back to back.
I read Elantris in 2005, and the Mistborn books when they came out (2006, 2007, 2008), and then I read Warbreaker when it was published in 2009. I didn't read any of the electronic versions of Warbreaker.
I tend to forget a lot of the subtleties within a year of reading a book. Maybe I would have noticed the hint(s) if I had read the books closer together, but I kind of doubt it. According to Mellington, that makes me an "unobservant reader".
But, regardless if Mr. Sanderson meant for the average reader to notice the subtle hints, this is what he said on the matter:
"You will never need to know any of this to read and enjoy my books, but there is an overarching story behind all of them, going on in the background."
source:
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Fantasy-Science-Fiction/Post-Questions-For-Brandon-Sanderson-Here/m-p/362867I'm not one of those who does a lot of speculation about the Shards and Adonalsium, but it is interesting that Mr. Sanderson designed an overarching story with these worlds that seem unconnected (to me) at first glance. I am very curious what he does with it in his future books.