I like to think of it from Brandon's perspective: why, if it's the third book of the trilogy with many already established characters, would Brandon
ever introduce one of the main characters and then later, somehow not have him actually be the main character? It's unnecessarily convoluted from a storytelling perspective.
Though... I was caught off-guard because of the facial hair, but there are too many things that point to him
being Elend than him not being Elend. White cape, just like from MB2, same hair style from MB2, and most of all, he essentially completes the story arc from MB2 about him becoming king. He is the emperor now, and now he acts like it.
The improvement is extraordinary. Elend, I think, has always been my favorite character (series-wise, at least. Kelsier was the favorite for MB1), but now he is even better than I could have imagined. He's a powerful leader, the only thing that has really happened to him is that he's grown. The world is falling into chaos, and he is doing what he has to do to keep it alive. I like to think of it from the perspective of his last line in MB2, where he says, "We are going to survive." Obviously, he is doing it this way--without that pesky "ideals" business--to survive. Already, before we even get into his viewpoint, I can see what Elend's internal conflicts will be in the book: he is going to struggle with trying to keep his ideals (or restore them) in the face of unimaginable chaos.
This is Elend, I am positive of it. He's just stronger now.
Remember, though, that Statlin City is probably more like one of the Lord Ruler's storehouses than the hidden atium supply. Recall from the preview chapter in the second edition paperback of MB1 (the one from Spook's viewpoint) that Elend was going after cities that had these storehouses.
In fact, I believe I just figured out why Vin isn't with Elend: she is commanding the koloss army to conquer places with the storehouses. As to why Elend cannot control koloss, I do not have a sufficient answer for you.
The Hero of Ages, though...
wow. Everything is just phenomenal.
I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages.
My first impression, here, is that the Hero is no one we've known before, but an unknown. However, it could simply be here that it is Rashek writing
believing himself to be the Hero.
Either way, it is purely phenomenal.