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Messages - Drerio

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Book 13 Title
« on: October 15, 2009, 08:38:37 PM »
"Tower of Ravens - I don't think so. IIRC RJ said all Seanchan homeland and Shara action will be off screen."

Isn't one of the Seanchan prophecies that the Dragon must kneel to the Crystal throne?

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In light of todays news, I think recommending the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan would be appropriate.  The first book is The Eye of the World.
http://www.amazon.com/Eye-World-Wheel-Time-Book/dp/0812511816/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197341668&sr=8-2

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Y.A.S.P... (Also known as Scribbler)
« on: June 04, 2007, 12:06:35 AM »
I have enjoyed the first three chapters of Scribbler that you have put on your website, but there are a couple of things that strike me.  First, is there a connection between the number of Rhithmatic schools (eight) and the age at which an individual is chosen to become a Rhithmatist (eight)?  Second, the Master seems somewhat reminiscent of the Lord Ruler, at least in that they both remember/ choose their favorites.  I remark on this because I find that it makes a much better story when one book by an author does not remind me of another they wrote in a different universe.  So far, I think you have done a remarkable job of keeping the worlds seperate!  Thanks!

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Elantris Audio Sample
« on: May 28, 2007, 11:57:29 PM »
I, too, am a fan of audiobooks, and so I have listened to a lot of books that I have already read.  Each reader has their own style, it does take me a while to get used to them.  But, I also agree with dawncawley.  I liked this guy's reading, but it was a bit over-dramatic with his reading.  If he could tone it down a bit, I think he would be great.

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« on: February 24, 2007, 12:23:54 AM »
In response to firstrainbowrose (Feb 20), I think the question of what the actual source of power is for breath should be examined when fleshing out the magic system.  FRR mentions that black might be used as a color source since it is the combination of all colors, and in the case of dyes, this is true.  However, when thinking of light, black is actually the absence of color, with white being a combination of all colors.  Color as we perceive it in daylight is merely the reflection of specific wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation off of a surface, while those which we do not see are absorbed.  Therefore, when thinking of green plants, the leaves actually have pigments specifically designed to absorb other wavelengths to convert them into useable energy.  So, what is it exactly that is drained from that surface that is required for this magic system?  Is it the dye itself?  Alternatively, is there something about the reflected energy (light) coming off of the surface which is special, in which case a whiter fabric would be of more use.  If the later is true, it would certainly seem that bright blue or purple fabrics might be more powerful per square inch than a red fabric.  This might be true since red has a longer wavelength (and less energy) than purple per photon.

Perhaps this is too much detail...

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« on: February 12, 2007, 05:28:07 AM »
I can't quite seem to remember, but would it follow that Drabs would be sick more often and live a shorter lives than a normal person? 

Also, I was wondering if Breath might actually be a spark of divinity given to humans when the entered this world...a source of warmth for the time they were away from God in the next.  In physics, we talk about different types of energy.  Kinetic, potential, etc.  Are breaths perhaps used as a source of potential energy?  A miracle waiting to happen?  In this way, the soul of the human could be separate from Breaths, the Breath of Austere, a piece of Him, given to each individual in life when they left His side and entered this world for a time.  In this way, they would not feel completely separated from him while they were away.  Also, his angels, the Returned, could be his emissaries on Earth.  Outpocketings from His reality for a given purpose.  Perhaps acting as His hands where He has none. 

Also, I am wondering about the nature of Vivenna's hair, and how that plays in.  It seems that if, which he has breaths, can continue to turn her hair to a given color, she could have additional power.  Since Awakening requires color for breaths to work, can she just hold her hair, awaken something, then grow more with the color?  Or can she add color to hair already drained of color?  (Physiologically, the second scenario would be significantly more difficult.)  Also, what makes the royal line so special?  Is her original Breath, the one she was born with, different from what most people have?  If this were true, anyone who gained her current stash of breaths would be able to do the hair thing.

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« on: December 10, 2006, 10:00:43 PM »
Also, how does Susebron eat with no tongue? I can see why he was taught he needed to take in only small pieces of food and eat slowly--wouldn't he choke if he were cramming whole pastries into his mouth?

Remember that most of taste is actually smell; hence, when you get a cold, it becomes more difficult to taste something.  Sadly, this would remove the ability to taste sugars, bitter and sweet things, but that is realy only a small portion of taste.

However, I too like the way Suri is progressing.  I think her characters maturation is out of necessity with a preservation of her free spirit.  I am curious how you are going to resolve the issue of them leaving, though.  Doesn't Susebron require weekly breath donations to survive like other returned?  He certainly would not receive these if he were to run off to Idris.

Also, I wonder if it might add to the effect of Susebron's writings if you were to include deliberate misspellings into his writings, particularly into words he has never before heard such as "flirtatous." 

I do have one problem with this chapter.  It seems awfully convenient that Susebron is nearly completely convinced that his benevolent preists will turn against him all of a sudden.  Wasn't it in the last Suri chapter that he was all but convinced that they could never kill their God-king?  Also, he said at the begining of this one that he had no desire to die and give up his breath?  So, why does he think he needs to run?  Are we to believe that Suri is just that charismatic or that she has such a hold on him?  I feel like we are missing a particularly good point that she used to convince him that she was right?  Or did I just miss when she made that point...

otherwise, I liked the chapter.

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« on: November 18, 2006, 02:03:34 AM »
EUOL -

Chapter 33 was had excellent plot advancement.  Siri is finally growing up and growing into her own.  Her rebelliousness is coming in handy, and in a lot of ways, she has grown up more quickly than her sister.  I would suspect that this difference is reflective of your own religious experience in which individuals who believe in absolutes, but do not understand what they believe (Vivenna) have a harder time accepting challenges to their beliefs than those who believe to their core, but are more flexible (Siri).

I did, however, have a couple of questions.  In chapter 31, you mention that Hopefinder looked to be about 12, and had stopped maturing on the brink of manhood, but had stopped there.  In chapter 16, you describe the God King as about 20, but maybe not quite.  If, as you describe in chapter 31, all returned, the God King included, follow the same developmental paradigm, then should not the God King also look only about 12?  Also, if Returned only mature to the brink of manhood, how could they ever reproduce since they have not yet gone through puberty.  (Hopefinder is quite blatant about how Blushweaver's seduction would not work on him.)

Also, I am a bit confused about the origin of the Royals line.  Since each baby born to a normal mother by a God King Returned is still-born, why is it that: 1. the Royals are normal (do not require additional breaths to live), and 2. the God Kings are unable to change their hair color the way the Royals are?  The way Dust talks about Peacegiver is as a Returned, but really no more special in what he is than any other Returned in except for his being an importance historical figure.  But perhaps you are going to say that the reason the line from Peacegiver must be male is that female children born from a male Returned are able to bear live young.

Also, if Returned are able to bear children, why is there not more worry about a God giving birth to a child?  It seems that this should be a major point.  For some reason, I thought you had mentioned that Returned were sterile, so this was not a problem, but I can't find that in the text nor would this fit with the God King's ability to produce an heir.


Cheers,
Drerio

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker Sample Chapters
« on: October 28, 2006, 07:38:41 PM »
EUOL -

I am sorry that I have been a moocher up until this point.

So far, I have enjoyed what you have written, and I am looking forward to future chapters.

The few comments I have are going to be pretty general since I have read most of the chapters as they have been written.

So, in summary: I am really beginning to enjoy the interactions with Lightsong, and he appears to fit the persona of the mercenary band very well.  I am guessing here that he is going to be a dead friend of Denth's.  

I agree with others who have mentioned that this store appears to move too slowly in some of the early parts of the book.    

I think the oddest development so far is the personality shift of the God King.  His early attitudes are completely juvenile with the appearance that he has been kept completely in the dark intellectually up to this point.  In my experience, those who are not used to thinking about things just keep themselves from contemplating them; therefore, they have a very superficial understanding of their beliefs.  Yet in chapter 30, he appears to have the ability to reason relatively well.  However, all of the discussions still seemed too well reasoned on his part.  I think that you may have had that sense as well, or you would not have put in the sentences about him learning very quickly.  However, I still felt that it was a bit forced.

Thanks for allowing us to work on this.  It provides an interesting change to critically discuss a work in progress, other than my own.

Cheers,

Drerio

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