Author Topic: ***SPOILERS Official Hero of Ages Spoilers Thread. Includes Q&A w/Brandon****  (Read 335777 times)

EUOL

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Re: ***SPOLIERS Official Hero of Ages Spoilers Thread. Includes Q&A w/Brandon*
« Reply #180 on: October 20, 2008, 08:41:06 AM »
Brandon, here you said Alcatraz 4 is called Alcatraz vs. The Dark Talent; is that still the working title? Also, you mentioned Dragonsteel: The Lightweaver of Rens, but now you say The Liar of Partinel is a standalone. Change of plans? (I know you can't get back to Dragonsteel for a while.)

The Alcatraz titles are in flux because I need to know if Scholastic wants the fifth one or not.  (They only bought four.)  Dark Talent will be one of them for certain.

The Liar of Partinel was part of a tw0-part story told hundreds of years before the Dragonsteel epic.  However, since I've dropped plans to go with Liar anytime soon--AMoL has priority, followed by Way of Kings--I don't know what I'll end up doing with the second book, or if I'll ever even write it.  I was planning on not calling either of these "Dragonsteel" in print, actually, and just letting people connect the two series on their own.  It wouldn't be hard to do, but I didn't want the first actual book in the main storyline to be launched by Tor as "Book Three" since there would be such a large gap of time. 
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BakAttack

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Wonderfully written series.

I wrote something on these forums when I had just read The Final Empire, as this was a somewhat randomly recommended book that turned out to FAR exceed what I had hoped. When I walked into B&N and still had trouble finding the Hero of Ages right after it's release, I was frankly surprised (I ended up not being able to wait for my pre-ordered copy to arrive at my apartment). However, I suppose the marketing process for books/authors is much different than for other things.

I havn't really caught up with the forums yet and I don't want to ask overly redundant questions, so I'll hold them off.

For specific praise, I really feel you had a good number of narrative POV's throughout the series. That combined with the fact that I invest myself heavily into the characters/plot, both of which were amazing, makes this trilogy honestly one of the most enjoyable series I have ever read. Thank you,

Xandeis

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I thought something was wrong, my bookstore didn't know they had it in, and only had 2 copies, of which I bought one (I had already bought it online through them too, so had 2 copies!)
I gave away my paperbacks when I got my hardcovers....when MB3 goes paper...buy that to give my girlfriend the complete set....so she won't touch my HCs!!

I just wonder how in the world you wrote so much, I am having trouble getting one book down on paper....but that's a topic for another thread.... I'm just glad you didn't give up, your books are inspiration to us all, hence all these fanatics talking about fictional characters as if they were flesh and blood, and most of us wish they were, I know I do!

The guy that wrote the neg-review on amazon about Brandon's character development must be a bit delusional. I have read a lot of fantasy in the few months and must say that From Elantris to Warbreaker...everyone of his characters seem to be on point, real and tangible, have the right evolution for their part, and I might add, if they were based on real people, man I would love to be their friends. Vasher/Kelsier just has this cavalier way about him, Vin was so real to me that I almost cried when she sacrificed herself to avenge El, and the way Brandon developed her, I would have sworn he had a degree in psychology or channeled someone's younger sister/daughter...

And Brandon, if I haven't praised you enough, allow me to just say, in the last 5 months I have read numerous series from numerous author from, Morgan Howell to Patricia Briggs to R.A. Salvatore, and I must say you definitely brought something new to the genre and on a major scale!!! Thank you!

prometheus4d

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I pre-ordered The Hero of Ages from Barnes and Noble and it was shipped a day late. They actually said 1 to 5 business days. So I got the book on Friday and just finished it.

I want to say WOW. I liked all three of the books. And now I need to do some re-reading of the first two. I liked how things we fleshed out for the most part. I have to admit Vin is my favorite character in the trilogy. I kind of wanted Marsh to die but oh well  ;D

Prometheus4d

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I let my brother borrow Elantris this weekend.  I can almost guarantee that my second copy of MB3 will be going to him by Christmas.  I'll get Tor to send EOUL to New England for signings some day, even if I have to do it one person at a time.   :)

Small Question:   Did Sazed Heal Marsh?  He had quite a large hole in his head when we last saw him.  I'm surprised more people haven't commented on how much of a hero Marsh is in this story.  The sacrifices and suffering he endured were much greater than anyone elses, in my opinion.  He also saved Vin twice, both times at the most dire moment.  With what has been explained to us about Ruin's influence on people with spikes, it shows just how strong he is to have never completely given in.  With that many pieces of metal in him, he should have been completely overcome.
I wanted to write something profound here, but I couldn't think of anything.

kbob_o

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EUOL said that the Preservation Nugget could be alloyed with other metals to create any type of Misting... maybe I'll find the quote later.

I'm thinking Atium is the same way and alloying Atium with different metals will do similar things... Mixing Atium and Gold let you see other's past instead of your own. But who really wanted to test out that theory and waste Atium.

Seems like there's a lot of hinting that Atium, and therefore Malatium, don't belong in the wheel of 16... But I can't get a good enough look at the posted pic to see if it really is or not. So even after the last book is out, I'm still waiting on something Mistborn to be released.

Is Silver the 'real' Temporal metal?

Marsh was one of my favorite PoV's in the book and, while reading through, I thought the epigraphs were Marsh and he somehow ended up being the Hero or Ages.

EDIT: Well I couldn't read the titles of the metals but it is the Atium symbol on the poster... Wonder why one God Metal is on the wheel but not the other. 
« Last Edit: October 20, 2008, 05:24:29 PM by kbob_o »

jnktoburen

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The brief history of Brandon Sanderson's writing is fabulous. Thanks for being so transparent with your process. Many people assume that great writing springs unbidden from the minds of masters we cannot hope to emulate - you have shown us otherwise.
(My Honors Thesis was also a fantasy novel. It too is in my university's library. It's almost embarrassing to read it now - 400 pages of ack. Although - I felt like a rock star with the way all the faculty treated me. 10 years later they still introduce me as "the guy to wrote the fantasy novel." Of course, then I feel embarrassed when  people ask - what did you do with that? Answer: nothing. I got married and got a real job right after college.)

I think all these explanations posted in this thread are neat. But I think they're beginning to detract from the trilogy. The element of mystery and unknown is key in Fantasy. It lets us fill in the blanks. Plus, too much foreshadowing/spoilering can and will affect the way we read future books. My 2-cents. Regardless, thanks for letting us into your world, Brandon. We wish you success so we can selfishly continue experiencing your art.

« Last Edit: October 20, 2008, 05:20:42 PM by jnktoburen »
What? You were expecting greatness?

Peter Ahlstrom

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"Zeke" is the more usual spelling for the Ezekiel nickname. Google shows it as 8 times as popular as Zeek (on pages which also contain the word Ezekiel.)

Does the BYU bookstore happen to report to the New York Times? Do any bookstores in Utah? Or is it a secret?

There's a spoiler-ridden "Vin and Elend die" review on Amazon. I flagged it as inappropriate but it might help to flag it a few more times. Another review says "characters die," which is completely appropriate, but to specifically say "Vin and Elend die" goes too far.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2008, 05:49:22 PM by Ookla The Mok »
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!

Chaos

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EUOL said that the Preservation Nugget could be alloyed with other metals to create any type of Misting... maybe I'll find the quote later.

I'm thinking Atium is the same way and alloying Atium with different metals will do similar things... Mixing Atium and Gold let you see other's past instead of your own. But who really wanted to test out that theory and waste Atium.

Seems like there's a lot of hinting that Atium, and therefore Malatium, don't belong in the wheel of 16... But I can't get a good enough look at the posted pic to see if it really is or not. So even after the last book is out, I'm still waiting on something Mistborn to be released.

Is Silver the 'real' Temporal metal?

Marsh was one of my favorite PoV's in the book and, while reading through, I thought the epigraphs were Marsh and he somehow ended up being the Hero or Ages.

EDIT: Well I couldn't read the titles of the metals but it is the Atium symbol on the poster... Wonder why one God Metal is on the wheel but not the other. 

I think it is just a misconception that atium is a regular metal when it really isn't. Larasium (the Preservation metal) wasn't nearly as widespread as atium was, so that one doesn't really have a place on the metal table. I wouldn't be surprised if one day, in a potential future Mistborn book, atium is replaced with a different, non-deific metal. As for the Table of Allomantic Metals, I squint and see that atium is definitely on it.

I'm also certain that silver wouldn't be the real temporal metal, since in MB3 it is frequently called "useless". I'm going to go with that judgment, because I don't think finding pure metals is as difficult as its alloy. Pure metals would just need to be pure, while its alloy need to be at its perfect proportion. I'm sure Allomancers for centuries have tried to burn silver to no avail.

EDIT: Yeah, I saw that review. I just flagged it as inappropriate, too. And if you care to read my review, mine is the one titled "A Story for the Ages". It seems to have just been put up.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2008, 05:57:44 PM by Chaos2651 »
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GreedyAlgorithm

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How many Shards do you think we've seen in WoT? The pool of pure Saidin in book 1 is very reminiscent of Raoden's pool and Preservation's pool... and the Dark One was kept in a prison in a cycle... and the saidin/saidar interaction? Come on. Therefore clearly the Dragon is a Shard.

I mean, clearly.  :o

jwmeep

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1.  It's an inside joke between them.  "Spook" means "Sneaky" or "Clever" in the street slang.  It was a compliment.  

This just gives me an even greater reason to like Kelsier.  You know Kelsier is one of my favorite characters, and one of the most frustrating parts of the series. When I finished Hero of Ages, I wasn't really sure how big of a part Kelsier played in it. Some of his greatest victories were either the will of Ruin (toppling the Final Empire,  destroying the Pits of Hathsin) or so small in the wider scope of the story (killing a single inquisitor.) He just made an impact on a minor part of the whole epic. I find myself wondering if Kelsier wasn't some great man, just another puppet of Ruin trying to do what he thought was the right thing, and was in all reality working to destroy everything.

 But after re-reading certain things I realized I was looking at the wrong things as "greatest" actions. Little things like Spook's name, are really what made Kelsier a good man. In an offhand way that no one else could understand, he told that kid he was worth something. "You are not abandoned, you are clever." Kelsier's biggest victories were the subtle ones. Making Spook and Vin understand their self worth, inspiring good men like Ham and Breeze to be great men. Giving a powerful legacy to those who followed. Like Elend. Even though Elend didn't accept Kelsier as a deity, in a way Elend was greater believer in Kelsier than Demoux was. Elend took strongly to things Kelsier talked about, and believed in trying to survive and being optimistic in the face of hopelessness even when Kelsier's own crew were shaken.

Kelsier's influence was more important in the grand scheme of the Mistborn series than his actual actions against the final empire, and I am content with that. Of  course finding out he didn't let a little thing like death slow him down, "borrowed" the power of a god, and helped steal victory from the jaws of Ruin helps too.  ;)

Perhaps this will help, however.  Like most of the leaders of soldiers in this series (Demoux, Wells, and Conrad included,) Goradel is based on and looks like one of my friends.  In this case, it's Richard Gordon.  He's read the book and cheered for his namesake's sacrifice and eventual victory.  So the REAL Goradel knows.  ;)

Yeah that helps. As did re-reading the part where Goradel volunteers to take the message. He promised to deliver the message or die trying. And he ended up doing both. I just find his character extremely compelling. If Goradel had met Kelsier in the palace, Kelsier would have killed him without a second thought, killing a traitor to his own people. Which Goradel admitted he was. But it was Vin he met, and that made all the difference. Instead of calling it even with helping to "rescue" Vin, he kept serving with a dedication and loyalty that would make Samwise Gamgee jealous. He died in a wasteland ash, his actions unknown to  all except the man who killed him. And yet he is still a hero whose actions helped save the world.  I guess it's kind of silly to for me to find a minor character so compelling, but take it as a compliment to your writing that even the minor characters can make an impact on your audience.

Datakim

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Like many here, I was really sad when Vin and Elend died. It seems unfair that at the end, neither got to live a normal happy life despite all they sacrificed. I suppose it makes sense in that bad things happen to good people all the time, yet I cannot help but wish that they could have been there at the end and see the new world and have children and generally live happily ever after. Sigh. :(

I was not all that comforted or satisfied by Sazeds declaration that he had talked to them in the afterlife and that they still existed in some form somewhere. Maybe because I wish you had shown this talk and shown that they were happy instead of just having Sazed mention it in passing. Or maybe because I am not religious myself and so I have more trouble accepting the idea of afterlife sadly.

Ohwell, Sazed did imply that he might oneday be able to bring them back so maybe we will see them again, even if only as a small part in your next trilogy or perhaps a short story someday. I live in hope *Hint* *Hint* :)

Still, say what you will. The fact that I do feel sad and depressed over the fate of what at the end are nothing more than imaginary people shows your skill as a writer and how attached you managed to make me feel to Vin and Elend. Though maybe the emotion at the end of the next series could be giddy happiness instead? :) I find that, unfortunately, the real world provides all the sadness and depression that one needs. :(

Final question to anyone, people have mentioned that Kelsier had a part at the end of the book. I must have read too quickly and missed it somehow? Or not understood it when I saw it. Can anyone explain?

firstRainbowRose

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Final question to anyone, people have mentioned that Kelsier had a part at the end of the book. I must have read too quickly and missed it somehow? Or not understood it when I saw it. Can anyone explain?

Someone else will have to quote it directly since my Grandma has my copy of HoA, but at the end Sazed tells Spook that he healed the problems caused by flairing tin or too long, as well as making him a full mistborn.  He then says that it's a present from Kelsier.
"The custom of royalty in referring to oneself is to naturally employ the royal 'we'.  We are very happy, we are very sad, we are bored and suffer from ennui.  For a royal prince there's no such word as 'me', It's always 'we'.  So rightfully I should be two or three, don't you agree?"

Chaos

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Actually, after "Preservation" died, Kelsier jumped in and assumed its power for a short time. There are a couple of voices, then, that are from Kelsier, not Ruin. At least, that's what I interpreted from Brandon's post from earlier.
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Datakim

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Actually, after "Preservation" died, Kelsier jumped in and assumed its power for a short time. There are a couple of voices, then, that are from Kelsier, not Ruin. At least, that's what I interpreted from Brandon's post from earlier.

Really? Cool.

Wonder if anyone knows the page numbers of these?