Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: cvgurau on November 05, 2006, 06:17:48 AM
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I just finished Elantris.
I was stunned. Stunned.
The book started out a little interesting (the mystery of Elantris, Raoden's plight, etc), but it became a page-turner around the end of Part One, when Hrathen was thrown into Elantris (who saw that coming? :o I mean, really!). After that, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one six-hour marathon that ended just before sunrise, and I fell asleep with a grin on my face, remembering characters that felt as real to me as people I know (only moreso, because I actually liked Raoden, Serene, et. al. ;))
Now I'm making my way through Mistborn (imagine my dismay at learning it was part of a trilogy. You mean I have to wait to see how it ends? :(), and it's the same great storytelling. Sanderson creates compelling characters you learn to care for very quickly, and you don't stop.
I only wish I wrote stories this well. :-/
Ah, well. Time will tell, no? Perhaps if I spent more time in front of a word processor, less time doing . . . whatever, I'd be closer to finishing a story I've been working on for almost five years, now. :-[
I look forward to more great reads from Mr. Sanderson. :D
PS--I've looked, but I can't seem to find it anywhere; now, what does "EUOL" stand for? :-/
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Evil Undead Overlord
You can learn more about this site in theFAQ (http://www.timewastersguide.com/boards/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1080380396).
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"Stunned" is a fairly common reaction upon finishing a Brandon book. He lulls you into complacency at the beginning, then slowly starts piling things on more and more until you think it cannot possibly get any more intense, and then BAM BAM BAM it suddenly accelerates and leaves you out of breath at the end.
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Welcome and thank you, cvgurau.
Just keep writing! Honestly, practice is the best way to learn to write novels.
Oh, and don't worry TOO much about Mistborn. Book one was written to stand alone as well as a book possibly can in a trilogy.
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Yes, I was thouroughly impressed with Elantris as well. I finished it quickly, and have even made some of my own Aons (sad, huh?)
I have also finished Mistborn (twice) and I can't wait until the next book comes out, either! My biggest wish is to be a Mistborn myself. I keep thinking of all kinds of things that would be fun as an allomancer. I mean, in the world of today where nearly everything has metal in it, from cars to wristwatches, an allomancer that could Pull or Push would have a field day!
Also, the thing I like about Brandon Sanderson is when he ends a book, he ends it. He builds and builds up to a climax and it all falls down in the end. It's fantastic!
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I have also finished Mistborn (twice) and I can't wait until the next book comes out, either!  My biggest wish is to be a Mistborn myself.
You could keep wishing.... or just do what I did, transforming myself into an amazingly rich Mistborn* aristocrat (http://www.timewastersguide.com/boards/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=brandon;action=display;num=1160517249) with a little craftiness and the help of a fellow TWGer.  ;) (*name withheld to avoid spoiler for the unread).
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I also really liked the way that Brandon finished Elantris. No loose ends, no real pressing "what happens now" questions that some authors can leave you with at the end of a book. I have Mistborn on my "to read" pile, but that is growing while I have been in school. I will have almost a month away from school starting in December so I am hoping to catch up.
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I'm with cvgurau, just finished Mistborn and hooboy. Brilliant world building. Incredible attempt at a stand alone in a trilogy. Leaves a sense of completion while letting the reader know there is more to be had but not leaving us hanging and panting for conclusion.
Fabulous "magical" system. The use of metals was unique in a fictional world of maybe too many finger wagglers. :D
I'm practically throwing this book at all my happy book-o-philes. (not literally of course because that would hurt)
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Definitely have to agree here. EUOL has me hook, line and sinker. I had to chase my kids off or find distractions for them so I could read. :D
Kel
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Definitely have to agree here. EUOL has me hook, line and sinker. I had to chase my kids off or find distractions for them so I could read.  :D
Kel
Hey, why doncha introduce yourself (http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?topic=3.0)? I always like trading mom talk about the best way to indoctrinate teach my children the finer points of sci-fi/fantasy.
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Mmmm. Corrupting children. My favorite pastime. Is it time yet for a nerd moms group?
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Hi! I am a mother of two, Emillie age 7 and Tyler age 3.5 (going on 30). I am a 35 yr old Stay at Home Mom.
My latest tool is employing my grandmother's no tattling rule. (Something I abhor, tattling that is.) Unless someones going to get seriously hurt if you tattle then both will be subject to punishment. Current choice of punishment now is TO in their bedroom, Gran's was to sit us on chairs and not let us touch or speak until the alloted time expired. My cousin and I had hours and hours logged on those hard wooden chairs before we figured out not to tattle.
But they have both lost TV because... well you probably don't want that part of the story (gross) --really don't ask. Anywho... They do not get it back til the first of the year and lost it at the beginning of this month. I have to say they have had alot more time to read and my daughter has been reading to my son the Captain Underpants chapter books. I cannot remember the author at the moment.
Kelly
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I'm a SAHM, too. I have three: Amber (8), Carter (almost 4), Spencer (2.5). Carter is obsessed with Obi-Wan, Spiderman, and anything involving swords. Spencer just runs around and destroys things. Amber has been reading the Secret Unicorn and Magic Treehouse books.
I also use time outs. Extensively. My two boys like to pound on each other a little too often/hard, so sometimes they need to cool off. I don't care who started it. They both get time out. They're still young, so they're still learning.
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Heh. Apparently I'm outclassed. ^_^
I'm a working single mom with three boys ages 8, 6 (almost 7), and 5. My boys love anything Star Wars, Lego, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Since my boys pick fights as a pastime (which is apparently something inherent in that Y chromosome), I've found that the most effective way to get them to stop is TO in their room and grounding them from GameCube/Playstation. They *hate* being grounded.
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I could never consider a working mother of 3 outclassed in any way.
You go, girl. ;)
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I a little shamed to admit it, but I initially bought Elantris simply because I saw Brandon at a book signing in a Border's. My wife and I felt a little sorry for him because nobody was talking to him, so we went up and chatted with him for a few minutes. We thought it was cool that he was local fantasy author, so we walked out of the store with a signed copy of Elantris. Both my wife and I were totally blown away by it. She's read it multiple times. We were very excited to add a signed copy of Mistborn to our collection recently as well.
I must say, it's very exciting to find not only a great author, but one who lives relatively close to me and shares similar beliefs.
I don't think it's possible to finish a BS book and not be hooked. They're just that good.
</blatant_fanboyism>
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Ha! My 'take pity on the poor author' face worked! Excellent...
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Ha! My 'take pity on the poor author' face worked! Excellent...
Can you give us lessons?
Does it only work on readers? Or can it also affect editors and agents?
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Hey hey,
Not sure if there's a newcomers' thread but I couldn't see one so I decided to just post here since this thread is the closest to how much I feel about Brandon Sanderson's books. I won't go on a long tirade about how much the books rocked my socks but I will say that it's like a deep breath of fresh air after crawling out of the monotony of eternally repetitive fantasy serieses (I made a new word!). Elantris shocked my imagination back to life once more, being an on and off roleplayer/writer. From my point of view, it was a battle of scientific reason vs. irrational belief and somehow Brandon managed to blend it in Elantris. I won't put out any spoilers for those who haven't read yet but the ending revitalized my hope that believing in fantasy is not a bad thing. :D
Mistborn was great in that the set up was amazing. How much more epic can you get than a "simple" slave outcaste rebelling against a god that's made history for at least the last millennium? Furthermore, the unique "magic" system and symbols (in Elantris as well) both provided a great sense of originality. I can't wait to explore the rest of the world of Mistborn and discover the secrets behind the Hero of the Ages. :D
Good work and keep it up!
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Ah, hi.
Similarly to Kaelocari, I didn't see a newcomers' thread so I just wanted to post here.
I found Elantris at the school library--and I must say the cover is beautiful--and from the moment I cracked it open I couldn't put it down! A few days I stayed up late reading, and I often read it at seminary before class started. Ahh! It was a wonderful book!
Recently I have been feeling a little discouraged in my own writings; I end up being disappointed in what I have written. So, for a time, I was completely terrified to write. When I found Elantris, all that changed. I gained a determination to be as good of a writer as you! So now, I'm back to writing stories.
I just have to say, thanks--I've been brain dead for so long and now your book has woken me up!
Edit: Fixed a small punctuation error.
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Soryn and Kaelocari,
Sorry to take so long getting back to you guys on this! I'm always very happy to hear from readers. It makes my day when someone lets me know they found a book of mine and enjoyed it. I'm particularly humbled when you find my writing an inspiration to your own. I use a lot of MY favorite authors to inspire me, and owe a lot to their vision in helping me craft my own style. So, thank you very much for the compliments.
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I was actually in Brandon's ward for almost a month before I found out he was a published fantasy author. I made some comment to someone in the ward about really enjoying reading fantasy and was looking for something new.. They told me Brandon had a book out by TOR. (which really impressed me) So I asked Brandon the name of it and decided to buy it, to support my fellow member.(I used to be the kind of person that only read books from the library) I was really impressed by Elantris. I normally don't like Novels, ( I tend to think they are too 'short') but I really enjoyed this book. I tried to get other people to read it, but no one gave it a chance. Probably because they didn't have much faith in a local boy or something. I was really excite when I was in Borders a few months ago and saw Brandon had a new book out. Luckily I got one that was autographed. I never did get Elantris autographed even though Brandon told me he would.. But I have since moved from that ward.. Anywho about Mistborn.. I was really blown away by this book.. I have to say it is by far my favorite of his books (considering there are only two out so far.. that doesn't say much). I'm also excited that it is a trilogy, so I will be able to enjoy more of this world. I really really really like the idea of allomancy. It's really unique, and a very good idea! But ya.. Brandon Sanderson kicks A.. Also it makes me happy that two of his favorite Authors (Orson Scott Card and Robin Hobb) are mine as well..
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Hey, thanks for the note, Zilog! Which ward was it?
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To tell you the truth I don't even remember.. It was South East Orem. We moved church buildings at one time If I remember correctly.. I wasn't in the ward to long, but I think the Bishop was Johnson?
Oh btw. I just finished Warbreaker yesterday. I really liked it. I finished it in 3 days I gues.. But to my credit I read it all at work.. (I work in a call center) But ya.. you are awesome Brandon! I can't wait for the next Mistborn book to come out.. I've been hacing the hardest time finding a good fantasy book to read.. I've started and stopped like 4 other books.. So it was refreshing to be able to finally be able to read a book all the way through without getting so bored I can't stand it anymore.. It was a real page turner. But unfortunately now I have to find something else to read.. :'(
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I heard about Brandon from some of the people in my ward-- they're English majors here at BYU and had heard about him somehow... I'm not sure. Anyway, I found out that he was going to be up at the BYU Bookstore for a while and decided to head up and take a look. I'd been looking for something new to read. Anyway, got up there and had a chance to talk to him a bit. That was pretty good-- I fancy myself a bit of an author and needed some tips on how to go about doing a better job. I ended up with not only that, but a signed copy of Elantris. I think I read the book in a couple of days over a weekend, and I was really impressed. I was really excited to hear about a published author that taught here at BYU.
I ended up getting a copy of Mistborn a little late. I heard about it when it came out and wanted to get a copy, but my school work made me so busy that I didn't have any time to read anything other than engineering text books (*gag*) for pretty much the entire year. Just got it... 2/3 weeks ago (?) as an early birthday present, but again was very busy until this last week. I thought it was even better than Elantris. I was blown away by the depth and detail of the world, the magic system, and how it all intertwined. Not only that, but the way it was described in relevant pieces as the story went on, giving further depth and introducing mystery. I just finished the book a couple of days ago, and I've been talking it up to all of my friends ever since I got to the halfway point.
Like I said, I fancy myself a bit of an author, but I've been having some issues with my time recently-- not really having any of it to spare, that is. I have a world I've been slowly building and writing a history for over the course of the last 4 or 5 years, and I'm hoping to be able to write a book from it-- maybe turn it into a small series. After reading Mistborn, though, it left me with a new drive to keep going with it and turn it into something. You'd be surprised how much time you can make for a project when you feel some new inspiration.
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This time I found the right topic, I think. What was this about corrupting children? My boy is 14 today and he is also deep in Star Wars (since he was three!), Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and all other things, but well... I'd rather like to see him anywhere on the playground, picking fights and so on. The problem is, he's rather permenently grounded with music, keyboard and PC with samplers, sound processors etc. and it's really hard to get him out from his room.
When I was working with Elantris he often came to read what I had on the screen and I think he will read the book even if he's not a great reader, because his comments were rather enthusiastic. He loves magic and adventure, too.
Anyway when it comes to becoming hooked, or grounded, or stunned, I have first comments from Polish readers (mostly my friends who bought the book rather out of curiosity) and they involve forgotten dinner in the stove, passed train or bus stations, reading till morning and so on :)
I'm trying to gather my thoughts to make a decent post but still there is too much left unsaid.
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I am also hooked on Brandon Sanderson's books.
I've never visited an authors website before, Ivisited his, I've never read a blog before, this month I read the entire thing, and it's no coincidence that I joined this forum. I can't get enough of his writing. I read Mistborn constantly and it still took me almost an entire week (those who know me know I read far to fast). The best part of the books is they can be read again and again, and new content can be discovered each time.
I'm form Canada and I picked up Elantris at a Mcnally Robinson Bookstore in Saskatoon. I just picked it up, happy to find a stand alone. Ealntris and Mistborn are the best books I ahve ever read!! I hate to admit it, but I am absolutely hooked on Brandon Sanderson books!
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Well, Mistborn arrived on Friday, after some pulling and pushing from my side. I get to work as soon as I finish a very boring Vaukesha job :) .
Wish me luck ;)
And by the way - Elantris become very popular among my friends. I made a gift of one copy to our president of the company, I hope he will like it - he's a great fantasy fan.
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It's 2:30 AM. I just finished Mistborn and wrote up this Amazon review:
"Genius. I was unsure whether Brandon could top Elantris after I picked up Mistborn, because Elantris turned out to be one of the best fantasy novels I'd read in years. Page by page, he succeeded - by the end you'll be shaking your head in disbelief at what he pulled off. The pacing in this novel is perfect, a talent sorely lacking in most genre authors; I get the sense that Brandon would make an amazing spy novelist. The magic system and other world details are constructed with a diamond-edge precision. Overall a stunning effort."
Honestly, it's so often that a book starts off great and just ends up sucking wind. Or is great but the author can't figure out how to end it. Or the author is unwilling to end it.
You know what, this novel would make a great serious anime, as would Elantris. Forget spending $300 mil on the live-action movie.
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I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who got immediately hooked on Brandon's books. My brother came home from the B & N in West Jordan, where I live, and said I had to read Elantris, because Brandon had just had a book signing a few days before, and he decided to support a local author, and realized it was amazing, so I read it, and decided that Christopher Paolini just lost his spot as my favorite author. Soon after that I got Mistborn from the library, and loved it, and two weeks later, I was a little disappointed when I didn't have any money to get The Well of Ascension, and I was going to be at a family reunion in Orem, during the release party just 5 minutes away from where I was. But I got to read it, and I'm really waiting for the third one. But please don't rush, Brandon. Make the next one as good as all your other books.