Author Topic: Mistborn: Alloy of Law  (Read 20016 times)

Meanas

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #45 on: May 23, 2011, 08:39:37 AM »
Tin Allomancy + Steel Feruchemy = Ultimate spy/scout
or
Pewter Allomancy + Gold Feruchemy = Ultimate tank
OR...
Chromium Allomancy + Steel Feruchemy = hehehe...
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MetalcoreRancor

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #46 on: May 25, 2011, 10:36:56 AM »
Hoid is in pages 313-314 of The Final Empire as a contact Kelsier spoke to. I just read it and had to post here.

Adrienne

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #47 on: May 25, 2011, 05:58:21 PM »
Quote
Waxillium, however, is a stupid name.

Zing! I must admit I agree!

I'm about to finally have time to read TWoTK. I think I've put it off so long after how long WoT has been drug out. The reviews I've seen have said that the groundwork Brandon laid was way to lengthy and his editor should have been fired. I would prefer to read it before the new Mistborn comes out just in case it ties in to the book.   

Inkthinker

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #48 on: May 26, 2011, 09:20:14 AM »
What reviewer said that?

Anyhow, all Cosmere books tie together in some respect. Was Hoid always a skinny bald man? That description seems about right for Wit, and I can't recall what he looked like in Warbreaker...

Took a second to work out TWoTK... there's only one "The" in The Way of Kings. Unless I got the acronym wrong?

Tortellini

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #49 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.

happyman

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #50 on: May 26, 2011, 03:02:00 PM »
TWoK does start off slower than many books out there do.

It seems like it could almost be considered a standard fantasy trope in and of itself: the protagonists get introduced (if the work is particularly derivative, they will live in a nice rural village with happy, healthy peasants during a time of rejoicing), evil attacks, the protagonists have to flee, etc.  Everything is very personal and very busy.

Then they start meeting kings, nobles and elves, we get a flipping ton of backstory, and the story broadens, spreads out, and begins to be more epic.  It also tends to slow down.  A lot.

Tolkien did it this way, of course; in his case, the only reason the story is remotely engaging before the Hobbits get to Rivendale is because of the sense of impending doom and the personal danger involved.  Terry Brooks did it, as did Robert Jordan.  It's a perfectly good way to start out an epic story.

In Brandon's case, though, he basically cut to the chase and started out with a broader scope rather than pretending it was one persons story.  This does mean readers have to acclimate more to the abrupt start in worldbuilding rather than being eased into it.  On the other hand, it also gives assurance that Brandon actually knows where his story is headed already.  I don't mind reading an epic story if the author is honest about the scope in advance.  I like this approach, as long as I know what I'm getting.
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dhalagirl

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #51 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.

Tortellini

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #52 on: May 27, 2011, 10:53:25 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.

dhalagirl

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #53 on: May 28, 2011, 02:43:35 AM »
Yeah, that's what I love about his books.  There's so many layers.  He puts in the most seemingly innocuous sentences that are actually foreshadowing.  It's brilliant!

Yes, there's less action as in battles and such but there's so much else going on that in my opinion they're just as fast paced as the more tropic fantasy books are.

andygal

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #54 on: May 28, 2011, 03:22:45 AM »
I'm having a great time  trying to pick apart TWOK for clues. And I know my theories are all going to be WRONG in the end lol.

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #55 on: May 31, 2011, 11:19:29 PM »
I think I should mention that Hoid's presence in this book is the most subdued yet. Don't anticipate something like Way of Kings, and don't keep expecting him to show up as you're reading. It will be especially obvious to certain readers, but if you miss it, don't let a search for Hoid distract you from the story.
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andygal

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #56 on: June 01, 2011, 02:36:21 AM »
I was kind of expecting that Hoid  wasn't going to make a particularly obvious appearance in AoL. He seems to be interested in major events that affect at least one world in a major way, since AoL is basically an interlude in the story of Scadriel I didn't think he'd be doing much.

Of course you realize that everybody is going to want to be the one that finds Hoid first? It's like Where's Waldo, except without pictures.

dhalagirl

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #57 on: June 01, 2011, 03:32:30 AM »
So does this mean that it's a walk on role similar to Elantris?

calvin

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #58 on: June 03, 2011, 06:06:37 PM »
So...even though Atium is "legendary" by the time of Alloy of Law, does anyone have any indication of what feruchemical properties it would have?  If it was the ability to "see the future", what would be the opposite to store it?  Would it be "wandering around clueless" for a while, or temporary loss of memory?  Sort of like the opposite of storing a history?
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maxonennis

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Re: Mistborn: Alloy of Law
« Reply #59 on: June 03, 2011, 07:43:21 PM »
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.

It starts out very fast, and then we skip to Kaladin moping in a wagon. It isn't that the opening is slow, even those who are don't like it generally agree that it starts fast, but their complaint is that the story slows waaayyy down after the first 40 pages.
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