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Messages - Tortellini

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16
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« on: May 27, 2011, 10:53:25 AM »
Quote from: dhalagirl on May 27, 2011, 04:18:00 AM
I don't understand why people keep saying that TWoK is slow to start.  I was transfixed from page 1.  There were times that I'd have to stop and read the same paragraph four or five times because his prose was so beautiful.  I had to stop myself from tearing out the page and framing it.

Oh, I absolutely agree! I loved it, and read it twice. What people mean is that from a story structure, it starts a lot but does not finish much - it is very much a set-up for something to follow. And three plots means of course that each plot feels slower. Compare this to the first WoT novel - immediate action, danger, and a singular (mostly) journey building up to a final goal, which is reached and the "big bad" is defeated. That is more of a self-containing story in itself while the larger plot is prepared in the background. That makes for a faster-paced first novel, but later novels have the problem of less connection with the previous parts, or more and more contrived connections that weren't really planned for. This is what Brandon does a lot - he sets up some things to pick up on later so that in the end, it will feel much more like one organic story spanning 10 books.

17
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Creating the Shattered Plains (WoK spoilers)
« on: May 27, 2011, 08:55:41 AM »
Yeah, the lack of relics is something. On the other hand, if the travel system is based on going through Shadesmar, they might not need actual portals - they could have those Radiants who can access Shadesmar and travel there pick up and drop people. Not a very glorious occupation for a knight, but that could be why the tariffs are so high... This sort of travel does not need "new" magic, Jasnah could probably do that now if she really applied herself (this assumes that you can pick up a lot of speed in Shadesmar, but considering the strange physics there, there's little reason against that). That would mean more of a ferry-system than straight-up portals.

18
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Creating the Shattered Plains (WoK spoilers)
« on: May 26, 2011, 10:48:57 AM »
I like the idea, I always felt a floating city would be one answer. I also think it must have had some sort of portal system, based on the notes Jasnah collected:

Quote
“I walked from Abamabar to Urithiru.”[5]

- This quote is from the Eighth Parable of The Way of Kings seems to contradict Varala and Sinbian, who both claim the city was inaccessible by foot. Perhaps there was a way constructed, or perhaps Nohadon was being metaphorical.

Supports floating island. They could have built a ladder or a lift.

Quote
“Though many wished Urithiru to be built in Alethela, it was obvious that it could not be. And so it was that we asked for it to be placed westward, in the place nearest to Honor.”[6]

- Perhaps the oldest surviving original source mentioning the city, requoted in The Vavibrar, line 1804. What I wouldn’t give for a way to translate the Dawnchant.

This tells us it is west of Alethela. Still, that may just have been the "anchoring place" and it could have moved east before crashing on the Shattered Plains so it is still possible.

Quote
“Though I was due for dinner in Veden City that night, I insisted upon visiting Kholinar to speak with Tivbet. The tariffs through Urithiru were growing quite unreasonable. By then, the so-called Radiants had already begun to show their true nature.”[14]

Obviously the speaker had a fast ride. Either this means portals, or he/she is a radiant and has some transportation power, like flying. But in that case, why pay a tariff through another city?




19
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Shards of WoK ***Spoilers****
« on: May 26, 2011, 10:42:02 AM »
Well, it is your topic  ;)

I don't know about the orbs. Personally, I don't like to speculate too much on things where there are no clues whatsoever (which is many things right now...) so I just don't care about the orbs that much for now. My own thought, while reading it, was "maybe that's the cognitive aspect of all the people in the world and when Shallan crossed over, her orb turned into her full body." No proof or justification though, just a possibility.

20
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« on: May 26, 2011, 10:37:47 AM »
Seriously. I like the groundwork. Sure it spends a lot of time just building things without an immediate payoff, but it is the first in ten volumes. Finally a big series that didn't start as a trilogy and then turned into 7 or 14 books but is planned that way. And I enjoy the world-building.

Maybe we are so used to series starting with a faster pace and then slowing down (both Song of Ice and Fire and Wheel of Time are good examples here), it is unusual to see a series that is planned better and picks up steam over time.

21
Brandon Sanderson / Re: [Stormlight Archive] Remaking the Heralds *spoilers*
« on: May 25, 2011, 12:17:57 PM »
Quote from: Argent on May 25, 2011, 09:07:10 AM
Preservation-infused Vin and Ruin killed each other off because their Shards' essences were opposite. Honor and Odium could have a showdown, I think.

In fact, we know that Odium killed of Aona and Skai (in the world of Elantris) and that was apparently no problem, so they can fight. In fact, Odium already killed Honor. The "Shade of Honor" says so himself. So there. No showdown needed. Odium killed Honor. And lived.

As for the deal with Odium theory - why should the Heralds fight in the desolations if they had a deal with Odium? Why should there be desolations if Odium has a deal? What more would he want - destroying Roshar? If so, why deal with the Heralds? Makes no sense to me.

22
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Nature of Shardblades? (Spoilers)
« on: May 24, 2011, 12:34:55 PM »
No, look at the quote I posted - Jasnah is citing an ancient source where the word is used. She herself, in the present term, is unfamiliar with the word, enough to put it in quotes. So the term was used in the past and is in fact not being used any more.

23
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WOK: Observations from a second read-through (*Spoilers*)
« on: May 24, 2011, 09:05:28 AM »
Quote from: Meanas on May 23, 2011, 08:27:07 AM
The other set of ten types of magic was mentioned as Voidbringing wasn't it? Or was it to do with the old magic?
I would love to see more of that (Voidbringing)

Voidbinding, actually. There are voidbringers, no one knows who they are, but possibly, they voidbind  ::)  I am not sure this has confirmed to be the "other" 10 sets of powers, but it seems fitting to many.

Interesting thing about Elhokar's "truth"-spren? What if these are actually driving him to become a voidbringer (some people think there's the opposite to the 10 Radiant orders, and these are the voidbringers, so "evil radiants" for lack of a better term). So Elhokar could be "rejecting truth" - he is extremely paranoid - and thus become a bad guy, his glory-focus being a diversion. That means that fulfilling an ideal can make you a radiant, or rejecting an ideal makes you the corresponding voidbringer. It's all a bit too "good v. evil" and Brandon's stories are usually more complex than that, though.

24
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Shards of WoK ***Spoilers****
« on: May 24, 2011, 08:55:30 AM »
Quote from: Lord Terrisman on May 23, 2011, 09:11:15 PM
That's really helpful, I understand much better now.  But, um....how does soulcasting with a soulcaster work then?

Likely in a similar way. Since fabrials are spren-based, the spren trapped inside is probably made to cross into Shadesmar and somehow do the convincing for the user.

25
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Nature of Shardblades? (Spoilers)
« on: May 24, 2011, 08:52:38 AM »
Ok, new idea about the dawnshards - this is based on the overarching theory of Adonalsium etc. So, extra-spoilers.

I agree with the intepretation of "Dawn" as a metaphor for the beginning - in a "Dawn of Mankind" sort of way. Before everything. But my other idea is so obvious, someone must have had it before - so bear with me if you heard this before:

In the overall cosmere setting, shards refer to parts of Adonalsium, which give the people who hold them (also often referred to by the names of the shards) vast powers. This is Odium, Honor and so on. But Shards can also splinter, which distributes the power somehow. The Returned in Warbreaker are examples of Splinters. So could the Dawnshards also be Splinters of Adonalsium? Unfortunately, that doesn't help a lot, since they could still be swords, objects, pools of water or imbued people - this quote from the book sounds like object, but can be interpreted in lots of ways:
Quote
"Taking the Dawnshard, known to bind any creature voidish or mortal, he crawled up the steps crafted for Heralds, ten strides tall apiece, toward the grand temple above."—From The Poem of Ista. (Jasnah's note) I have found no modern explanation of what these “Dawnshards” are. They seem ignored by scholars, though talk of them was obviously prevalent among those recording the early mythologies.

This would mean that the current Shardplates and -blades are possibly called such because they echo/imitate a far greater power the people used to see - Dawnshards. That would explain the Prefix "Shard" on everything. Next question is, whose splinters? Possibly Honor, is probably the most likely candidate.

26
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoT Myrddraal questions
« on: May 06, 2011, 08:55:21 AM »
Sorry to say this, but you are not the first. It was new to me, but when googling Myrdraal, the first link is aWoT Wiki page (http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/Myrddraal), which states:
Quote
Myrddraal are genetically Trolloc offspring, but are throwbacks to their human origin; for some reason, throwbacks to the animal side of Trollocs' genetic heritage never survive. Their names, where known, are in the Trolloc tongue. One theory holds that myrrdraal are created by the channeling gene, this would also explain why they are needed for turning a channeler to the Dark One.

Still, great theory!

27
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Im pissed about stormlight archive.
« on: April 11, 2011, 08:54:50 AM »
Look, don't be pissed. Just don't read it then.

Brandon is very upfront about the fact that it will be 10 books. Remember that Sonf of Ice and Fire started out as a trilogy. Now it's supposed to be 7 books. And Martin is taking ever longer for each one. That's a reason to say you're a little upset. As for the Stormlight Archive, why don't we just say we all loved the first one and can hardly wait to read the next as soon as possible?  ::)


28
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Alloy of Law - UK cover
« on: April 08, 2011, 10:04:31 AM »
I already noticed the style on the Way of Kings cover - they always seem to be very minimalistic and mostly black and white.

While I find the covers aesthetically pleasing, I have difficulties accepting them for Brandon's books. The reason is that Brandon is such an excellent world-builder and the covers do not reflect that at all. I even feel that they work against the content. Compare that to the beautiful Wheelan WoK cover, which is basically highlighting the uniqueness of the world-building.

Plus, in the UK covers are all the same for the different worlds. While I like that it is sort of an in-joke for people who know about the Cosmere stuff, it really "blands it down" too much for me.

29
Brandon Sanderson / Your name in the Stormlight archive
« on: April 07, 2011, 02:54:07 PM »
Pretty cool...

http://cgi.ebay.com/LTUE-Benefit-Name-Auction-Brandon-Sanderson-/380330574045?pt=US_Fiction_Books&hash=item588d7800dd

Personally, I will not be participating, since my name already popped up in the Way of Kings. That's right, my name is in the Stormlight Archives already! Ha!

As a throwaway for an idiot of a young king who ruins his kingdom for no good reason...   :'(

30
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Lifeless POV (spoilers)
« on: March 22, 2011, 09:47:39 AM »
I'll post this here instead of opening another thread:

Direct quote from the annotations by Brandon: She Returned, in fact, in order to save the life of her daughter. She of course forgot this once she got back.

The imperative word here is to. It seems that the Returned do not return because of something they did, but to do something. The first part was pretty likely given the previous comments of Brandon about how the accepted explanation was not really correct. And there are baby Returned, after all.

So the Returned actually come back in order to do something, and then they completely forget about it? That's quite sad actually... It could be another sign that the shardholder there (Endowment, right?) also died, possibly murdered by Odium.

Also, the lifeless thing is damn interesting, I really would like to see a viewpoint. But wow, being stored underground in darkness for years - if there was anything in there, it must be gone bad after all that time!

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