Timewaster's Guide Archive

Oh I realize that less time has passed. I don't, however, feel that it absolves the need for character change and development. Time changes people slowly, events change them quickly. Static characters are boring to me.

I agree wholeheartedly that static characters are boring.  However, I would not agree that Perrin has become static and underdeveloped.  I think that is what we are discussing here.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  Perrin has reacted to the events in his life.  He has been pushed the entire way into becoming something he never wanted to be.  The major change in his life has been Faile.  He loves her.  A deep, blind love that changes a man into something he normally doesn't even understand himself.  Nothing else matters to Perrin but Faile, be it Rand, Tarmon Gai'don, or the Dark One.  With Faile by his side he has the courage and will to deal with those things.  However, if he loses Faile then there is no point to go on and he won't.  In all likelihood he would either kill himself or retreat to within.  That is the reason he spends so much time trying to get her back.  It does add to the plotline.  It shows us just how much Perrin is infatuated with Faile and where his loyalties really lie.  We are a very short jump now from Perrin as he is to a Darkfriend Perrin who is forced to the follow the will of the Dark One because Faile is in danger or because Faile leads him astray.  She has more influence over him currently than anyone else and it has taken all this to show just how strong those bonds are so if something like the aforementioned were to happen it wouldn't seem out of character for him to suddenly be willing to give up the world for his love.

I have no knowledge of the coming books and haven't even read chapter one, for that matter I'm about half way through CoT and can't even remember what else happens in this and the next book.  I'm not saying either of those things will happen, just that something like that could be where the current character development of Perrin could be leading.  Was the chase in the books boring to read when compared with everything else that is going on in Randland?  Without a doubt.  Was it necessary.  I'm going to say probably.

First time poster but I've been following Brandon's works since he was announced as WoT completer.  Since that time I've read Elantris and the Mistborn series.  They are both some of my favorite works of fantasy.

I thought there was a bit too much foreshadowing done.  It made it too easy to guess what was going to happen next.  However, there were a few things that still surprised me so that's not that big of a deal.

I loved the length of the chapters.  Most were only 5 or 6 pages.  This really kept the pace up the whole time and kept me from both getting bored and gave me a sense of urgency.

The Kandra were spectacular.  So many surprises with them and the mental pictures of their translucent bodies were great.

I'm not sure if it is bad or good but I have a real problem getting a grand picture of the world in the mistborn series.  Maybe this is because it is always changing and those who live in it never really get a good view of it because of the ash and mists.  However, in other fantasy novels I have a pretty easy time keeping a mental map of world.  With Mistborn I have good images of certain locations but my mental map is pretty much non existent.

I was wrong about the last group of Koloss that Elend took control of.  I really thought that the reason he couldn't detect the Inquisitor any more was going to be because his mass pulling had also taken control of it.  When Marsh showed up I really thought he was going to be a different Inquisitor and under Elend's control.

I think the series has definitely been left open for follow ups.  I doubt we'll ever see another sequel with the same cast though.  Sazed will obviously be a part of it and I think Vin and Elend will probably play some role but who knows.

I was so pissed off that we didn't find out what the two other metals were.  I had also assumed that the part of Preseveration must be one of them.

I expected the bones of Kelsier to come into play again since he had Tensoon carrying them all over the place.  I was surprised when they were just buried and then forgotten.

This may be a topic no one wants to talk about but I think you can see some of Mormonism coming through in this book.  I'm pretty sure I read an interview with Brandon where he said he was Mormon.  This makes sense as the most convincing stories have a basis in something the author is familiar with.  I'm not trying to start any religious debates or anything.  I just thought it was worth mentioning that some of these ideas seem to have their basis in the teachings of the LDS.