Timewaster's Guide Archive

Roshone is simply out of money and options and fated to be no more than an unceasing misfortune to all those around him - I don't think anyone in his world and plane of reality likes him either.  Is he a Villain?  As much as the next grouchy old man who harasses the neighbors.

Sadeas is socially accepted opportunist who can't see the use of taking the good path when the bad is more convenient/quicker - he's a politician.

Amaran has disturbing logic in the events we've witnessed - he's focused on appearances rather than actuality in any given moral dilemma we've seen him confront.  Who knows - we haven't seen very much of him so maybe he'll show some redeeming behavior as the tale progresses?

Szeth obviously has a backstory (which will come out later) and has a lifestyle that does not give him many options.  Didn't his viewpoints make it seem like he ENJOYED having his abilities underestimated so he wouldn't be used?  He's sickened by what Taravangian is doing - obviously his moral compass points the right way...he simply doesn't have free will to act as his convictions direct him (or at least believes he doesn't).  I don't see him as evil so much as exploited and unable to escape a cycle of violence and destruction - he's a tool in the hands of whoever lays hold of his stone.  Would I like to see what he can/would do without a master forcing his hand.
So...right now I think he's an Anti-Villain but not really by choice.

Taravangian is really the surprise bad guy here...but he's got it all rationalized and he's got overall good intentions (to save the world from the doom which is obviously coming).  Do I think he's our biggest mortal foe?  No.  Definitely an Anti-Villain by choice.


So I see two who I don't believe should be on the list...YET

Szeth...has not acted on his own, as he would choose - yet.

Amaran - I don't feel we have enough information.  Obviously he's not the most exemplary individual we'll ever meet but he's not necessarily a full fledged Villain.

You know...when it turns out that the item being described in detail is a ter'angreal or a Mercedes Benz logo I can absolutely understand why we're spending so much time on it.  Then there are the giant swaths of pages on furniture which gives insight into a viewpoint character's personality/values.  Then there are times when it's just a random piece of furniture belonging to someone who isn't important and who will die half a page after we're done inventorying their household.  Or times when random character who was just made up and who serves no real purpose but to be a plot device/audience for important character to preach at for a single scene has a totally awesome chair and we need to hear all about it...for no real reason.

Has he ever mentioned Ohio or Michigan as potential places for the ToM (or any future) tour?  It always seems like midwestern and eastern locales have a really short and sparse list.

I want to cry now. 
Why must Utah be on the other end of the country (I'm even further away than the Chicago poster)?

I'm always a little down when any book signing tour gets announced too because there are never any stops nearby.

But yeah, the idea that it isn't random is intriguing.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to help us much.  We don't get a lot of back-story, do we?  Many of the Elantrian's we saw seem to be extremely good at what they do, though.  Raoden, Taan, Mareshe, even Gallodon, seem to be expert in their professions.  Is that something worth considering?

Even our "surprise" Elantrian (not to spoil who for those who haven't read) toward the end of the book is bloody brilliant.
I agree - good thought!  Not to say that everyone who is brilliant becomes Elantrian but all who were Elantrians that we get backstories on had stunning talents or abilities in their previous mundane lives.  This might just be the result of us having a large number of Elantrian characters of importance to skew our view or it may actually imply a connection...I hope the latter.

I'll have to reread Elantris to be sure sure but as I recall most, if not all, of the people who were taken by the Shaod had been heeled by an Elantrian.

It's possible that it might help attune those who are already predisposed to wield the Dor.
I'm pretty sure that that's not the key factor though - ten years ago Aon Dor "broke" and the healings stopped (all those healed were adults or teens by now so they had active roles in the story).  Yet there are plenty of Elantrian children who likely wouldn't have known Elantris in its glory.

I had been under the impression that it was genetic.  After all - there was a character who was second generation Elantrian and only those with the proper bloodlines could become Elantrians.

So in summary - I'm pretty sure it's not random at all.

Never mentioned by name until that point (in fact, Leras was never mentioned by name either in the books).

Lack of names and terminology when something is of significance in the Cosmere (my stalking victim politely introduces himself...using a consistent alias rather than whatever his name REALLY is) is...frequently the case.  You could almost gauge the importance of a thing by how hard we have to look for the name of it.

Quote from: douglas on January 20, 2010, 03:37:45 PM

douglas answered #2

There is nothing blatantly obvious in Mr. Sanderson's books about them sharing the same universe. I tend to believe that most people who have read all of his books have no idea there is anything at all to link them together. Mr. Sanderson has been VERY subtle about anything connecting the worlds in his books so far.

I would have to disagree - I'm pretty sure that any observant reader who has read at least two of his published adult works (Mistborn, Elantris, Warbreaker) will notice that, while we're obviously on different worlds, we have a stable link whose method of insertion only changes in Warbreaker.